The Village of Makers

Dear Kay,

Gah, got another email about a knitting-related business shutting down, and I just can’t even. What is going on?

We all need to rally around the makers and shops and websites and designers who are creating the things we love, every day, all day, all over the world.

If we love them, we gotta support them.

Everybody has their favorite makers—go show them some love.

Love their posts, share a link, give one of their products to your best friend.

For me, gifts are the best way to buy something I wouldn’t need myself but would be a small delight for somebody in my life.

This is a huge shift in my thinking. I used to pass a craft booth, admire some handmade thing, and think: “I just don’t need a bit of that.”

These days, I think: We all need a bit of that. This needs to happen. This person is creating something unique and delightful.

Just scrolling through the list of vendors coming to Nash Yarn Fest gave me such a thrill. What I hope is that this one-weekend village of makers is a place where these folks will draw inspiration from each other, and meet the knitters and crocheters who will love what they do.

And (I guess this is obvious) that page of links constitutes a village of another sort—a virtual village that’s here every day, all day long.

Who’s doing beautiful work that we need to know about? Please leave a comment and let us know!

Love,

Ann

PS: My pincushion is my constant companion. Sally Mitchell made it. A few years ago, I met her at a crafts fair I came across at the Islesboro Historical Society. (Islesboro is one of the kajillion small islands in Maine, a quick ferry ride from Lincolnville.) Whenever I need a straight pin, this pincushion reminds me of that breezy summer ferry ride and my conversation with Sally. She gives a tour of her studio here.

So much happening here at MDK—our homepage tells all.