Mimi's Gift

My grandma Mimi passed away when I was 7. I have scattered memories of her from my childhood - making me sandwiches in her kitchen, playing "the counting game" with my little sister, decorating her screen door with seashells we found on trips to the beach. Though my family cherishes these little memories, it's been a long time since we've received anything tangible that connects us to her.

But on Christmas eve, we opened a large package from my aunt. Inside was a tangled mass of yarn scraps and half used skeins, along with a note explaining that this was Mimi's knitting stash. We were in awe.


We quickly decided that this yarn could not be used for just any project, but needed to be saved for something meaningful. After some deliberation, we decided to use all the scraps for a very colorful Christmas tree garland. I spent Christmas eve and day slowly knitting a very long I-cord that will adorn our tree in years to come.


Little by little, memories of Mimi are working their way back into the present. We're all very grateful for that.

Spreading Warmth

Last July, my local yarn shop held its annual Charity Knit Night. Each year, we get together over wine and pizza, and knit squares to be sewn into a blanket. I always look forward to this night. There's something so healing about getting together with friends and creating something meaningful. I watched so many hands, including my own, bring this blanket together.

The fact that I felt so invested in this project made it all the more incredible when, on Thursday night, that blanket was raffled off to raise money for our local homeless shelter, and I won!!


Right now, with temperatures dropping and the heating system in my apartment working rather inconsistently, I can think of no better place to be than under this blanket - my beautiful, cozy, blanket made by some of my favorite people for some of the best reasons. Nothing could make me feel warmer.

Secret Santa's Workshop

The holiday knitting has begun!

Sheep and Wool

Just a few of my new friends from the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. I wonder if I could raise any fiber animals in my apartment. Angora rabbits maybe? 

Guerilla Knitting

A little bit of knitted graffiti I stumbled upon a few months ago. 

Ruminations on Knitting

I started knitting by accident. It's not something I would have decided to do on my own, but two years ago, I was dragged into a yarn shop by a friend who had decided the craft was "punk rock," and we needed to learn. That friend gave up knitting 48 hours later in a fit of frustration. I never stopped. These days, I'm constantly surprised by how knitting has worked its way into every part of my life.

This sweater is helping me survive my first semester of graduate school. The body was knit during midterms - one row at a time - at moments when studying just made my brain hurt. It was a tangible measure of the progress I'd made each day (much appreciated at a time when my academic progress seemed very intangible). 

I think knitting has become my therapy. I carry a half finished project around like a security blanket, and inevitably turn to it in times of stress/anger/boredom. In the years since I was first dragged into that yarn shop, this craft has taken up increasing amounts of my time and disposable income. Most of my non-knitter friends don't see the value in that. 

But I'm pretty sure it's worth it.