I have a confession: I am not a knitter.


Though there have been many attempts at becoming a knitter, it has never quite stuck for me. My mom has tried to teach me to knit multiple times in the last 29 years, but it has never blossomed into a hobby as she would have hoped. My mom is a self-taught knitter. She grew up in Northern Ireland in a family of nine children where knitting and sewing her clothing was a necessity, but also a creative outlet she truly enjoyed. She still furiously knits to this day.


Throughout my childhood, she would teach me to cast on and cast off on a set of pink needles with leftover balls of yarn from her various masterpieces. I would do a few rows and lose interest shortly thereafter. Usually, I would only get to the point of making a little swatch of stitches. Then I would put it down and forget about it. When I would come back to it, I would get to exactly the same point each time. I suppose I’m a stop-and-start sort of knitter. We tried needlepoint as well. …

“When I first learnt I was so engrossed that I remember smuggling my knitting up to bed and knitting clandestinely by the orange glow of the street light because I just couldn’t put it down!"

“I could see me! I’m not talking about the outer me, but the inner me who had to learn to love myself on my own terms, unconditionally. I no longer needed validation from outside sources."


..........

This year marked my very first Rhinebeck. In the days leading up to the festival, I sat down to my computer and in a very Leslie Knope way typed out exactly what booths and lectures I wanted to hit. I had every second mapped out to precise precision. Feeling fairly confident I stepped off the bus and was instantly overwhelmed. That day became a lesson in letting go and realizing the value of that. I attached myself to a wonderful group of makers and let the day go where it went. Throwing away the plan and saying yes to every suggestion that came my way.

This is the last month of the decade. I read that somewhere and nearly fell out of my chair. I guess I hadn’t thought about it until that moment. Next month we will be able to say that we were alive in the 20s which is exciting and unbelievable at the same time. As we approach this new decade many of us are going to go through a period of change that could lead to shifts in our creativity. Change isn't always a strictly good or bad thing. It's going to be important for all of us to stay open to whatever direction our creative practice takes us. If we can do that we should have a wonderful holiday season ahead of us.

I do want to preface this by saying this is all meant in good fun. So with that said let's get into your crafting horoscopes for the month of December!