I’ve been working the same job for five years. A part of me loves it and a part of me has changed passions. When I first started working here (we’ll leave the where private) I had an adorable 18 month old toddler, Lily, and was a single mom trying to stay true to my passion of helping people and supporting my tiny family. A couple years later I was married and had Evynne (pronounced Evan, Evie for short), and 22 months after she arrived, Ethan was born. My life is fuller and busier and more amazing than I ever thought it could be. I started knitting when I was pregnant with Evie and although I was super confused and clumsy at first, I had this image of myself being a “knitter” and I was hooked on the beauty of wool and needles in my hands.

I got into graduate school while pregnant with Ethan and absolutely loved the one class I took, but decided I could not work fulltime, have three kids, a husband and so many other interests (knitting!) and function properly. As an introvert I require quite a bit of downtime to recharge after working with people and then my kids all day, and I decided to shelf the master’s program indefinitely.

It was a couple of months ago when I had an honest moment with myself. What would my “dream job” be? What kind of work could I do that spoke to me and brought me to life? At my core it all made sense when I let myself dream of owning a knitting shop. Some place with creaky hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, potted plants and gorgeous displays of yarn wall to wall … and a giant wooden work table for classes and events. Ever since that day of my dream taking form in my mind, my knitting has so much more purpose. I feel like I know who I am and where I am going. Even if I never actually have the keys to my own yarn store, the dream itself has made me feel more grounded and whole.

I know I need to work on technical aspects of knitting and push my knowledge and skills, but all of that is a labor of pure love. I feel privileged and blessed every time I pick up my needles and work on a project. I feel like I have also become more of a “student” of this craft and have immersed myself in books (both hard copy and Audible) about knitting, sheep, alpacas, dyeing and spinning yarn, etc. I created a knitting-only gmail account to sign up for newsletters from knitting designers, writers and teachers and it seems like every day my eyes are opened a little wider to this fantastic, gorgeous world of knitting. Similar to how it felt when I met my husband, Chris, and had my three kids, I feel home.

Here is one of my favorite places to sit and knit, our screened in front porch.