Things I know to be true

The simple, ordinary parts of life are the most meaningful

I believe we each have a collection of threads that make up our life’s fabric.

As we get older, we might start to recognize an idea we return to, over and over, that brings us comfort. Or, we might start to see a relationship dynamic that replays itself and which we try to get better at managing. Or, it might be a way we find ourselves, time and again, carving out a moment for joy in the midst of a rapidly changing (and not always for the better) world.

One of my touchstones is the belief that the simple, ordinary parts of life are the most meaningful.

It’s a thought that’s sometimes hard to hold on to. Especially when my American mythology tells me that I should aim for extraordinary and exceptional. When meritocracy tells me that people who hold power earned that power because of their skill and ability. When even home “advice” content (from This Old House to HGTV to YouTubers documenting their home remodels) tells me that ordinary is definitely not what I should aspire to. But, nonetheless, taking pleasure in ordinary things is what I keep coming back to, over and over, and it’s a thought that helps me take the deepest, most nourishing breath.

A walk outside.

A bowl of vanilla ice cream with fresh peaches.

Knitting simple stitches.

The snuggle of a beloved pet.

The feeling of a soft breeze on sun-warmed bare skin.

None of these things need me to buy something (save the peaches and ice cream, or perhaps some yarn). None of these things are dependent on the size of my body, or the style of my clothes, or the newness of my kitchen, or the size of my paycheck, or the number of my Instagram followers.

None of these things are exceptional.

And yet, at the end of my life, I know with certainty that these are things I will want to have more of.

So I am trying to have more of these things right now. To be fully present to the small and mundane parts of life, to see how ordinary is actually where the magic is, and to be fully alive to all the ways that a plain and ordinary life can be full of joy.

Tell me about the ordinary things you love.

A few words after my time away …

You, dear reader have become such a happy and interesting part of my life. It’s been a full year since I committed to a regular (weekly-ish) practice of writing this newsletter, and it’s helped me make sense of my pandemic experience. It’s helped me move closer to understanding how I want to work in the midst of a capitalist structure that tries to wring every bit of labor out of all of us. It’s helped me share the joy of making my own clothes. It’s become a gathering place for kindred spirits who believe fiercely in belonging and radical inclusion.

While I was doing summery things these past two weeks, I thought about you, this newsletter, my hopes for my yarny business, my love for the ordinary, and the hope that perhaps us ordinary folks, with our small lives and simple stitches, can add up to something more.

I thought these lovely thoughts while in a really beautiful place and want to share it with you. I was at the end of a dock, on a narrow lake, enjoying the quiet summer vibes (not pictured: young ducklings with their mom which had just swum by!):

this week’s offering:
Let’s play with color: Paintbox Wrap pattern

Marjorie, friend and model, is wearing the new version of my Paintbox Wrap pattern. We shot these photographs in the lush San Francisco Botanical Gardens. The result is ordinary magic; maybe you can sense our laughter, golden hour light falling just so, beauty and light and yarn and fun twined together.

I am so excited that my Paintbox Wrap pattern is newly refreshed and launching this week in my shop. (Pattern today, yarn next Sunday!) Here is the story of this wrap …

You know I love color, right? Color on yarn is just about the most wonderful feeling in the world to me. It’s the tactile pleasure of yarn­ together with the emotional connection of color.

It’s created especially for mini-skeins, with bands of color that use just one mini-skein each. You cast on at one end with a neutral shade, knit a biasing fabric with squishy garter stitch, then begin working simple lace bands of color using your mini-skeins.

The stitches are easy to work so the knitting is smooth and comforting. The color bands knit up quickly, so you’re always encouraged to knit just one more, making the whole project speed by. There are three sizes, so it will suit a range of body sizes, and you can easily increase or decrease the size of your finished wrap by working more or fewer bands of color.

If you love color and yarn the way I do, I know you’ll love making a Paintbox Wrap (or two)!

The pattern is 20% off for the next week to celebrate its re-release and encourage you to add it to your pattern library. No code needed.

(If you already own Paintbox Wrap and have it stored in your Ravelry library, the updated version has already gone out to you!)

There’s just a tiny bit of yarn in my shop right now because I’m just now getting back into the studio after a summer break. But: sit tight because I’ll be offering some really gorgeous mini-skeins sets and neutrals in next Sunday’s update.

a well wish

Nothing is too bougie or too cringey or too simple or too ordinary to be loved. It simply is. Like, for me, that first sip of oatmilky coffee in the morning. It’s a cliche. It’s oh so bougie. It’s a middle-aged cliche. And I love it.

I hope today offers you a bit of space to enjoy something ordinary that you love, and to revel in the ordinaryness of it.