I took a break from posting last week in solidarity with amplifying Black voices in our community and focusing my feed on sharing resources for white folks interested in educating themselves on systemic oppression, police reform and the validity of protests. In the wake of no arrests still for the murder of Breonna Taylor, and hearing of how the families of former victims called the family of George Floyd saying, “Don’t expect much to change,” and the complete misuse of force across the country and straight from our president towards peaceful protestors, it really didn’t even seem like I should post about anything else for a long time.
I saw a post the other day that reminded me, however, that the work that we are in is a marathon, not a sprint. I continued to knit all last week after reading the morning paper, and while watching movies safe at home, and listening to podcasts. This was good, but just because I am back to talking about knitting today, know that the work is still very much ongoing with me and my community.
What was I knitting all last week? I was knitting what I’m calling the Paeonia Shawl, my first ever knit design. This idea has been rolling around in my mind and heart for years and was sparked into being the first time I saw this yarn in my local yarn store a few months ago. In the wake of those who are putting their actual lives on the line and demonstrating incredible courage in the world, it seems so trite and trivial to call the work of this design as an act of hope or belief in moving past fear, but in me for many ways it was and it has been. I am so excited to share this design with you, reader, and the world.
From my call for testers on IG this morning I think I have all of the folks that I need to test this design, but be on the lookout for the official pattern’s release next month and for more information on this design the closer we get. Thank you to everyone who has responded to this design in such a positive way and for all of the love I’ve felt today, it truly means the world to me.