Things made! For being snowed in for a week, I only made a few things (I did, however, do a lot of reading). First up, I made another Edie tee . I liked the one I made in December , but I struggled to get gauge with the fingering weight yarn the pattern called for. For this one, I used Ewe Ewe Yarns' Ewe So Sporty and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. While I was pregnant with my middle, I discovered the delights of wearing short sleeves with cardigans all winter, and it's a habit I haven't made an effort to break. Even with the short sleeves, I plan for this to get winter wear. Next, Graphic ! This was a fun one, and I did enjoy writing up a design after not doing so for awhile. The colors and the way the color pooling shifted between stripes and stained glass patches made my Lisa Frank loving/gel pen collecting 90s child heart very happy. This was a collaboration with a local dyer, so it's available through her site . One of my snow day projects was a blank...

The snow is coming thickly down on what was already a couple of inches from yesterday (here in the South we get our Winter all at once over a week, if we have it at all) so this will be a week of staying home, staying warm, and doing lots of reading and knitting. But for now, here's a little round up of some of the hearts that I've spotted (and quested) over the past few weeks. Where are the hearts near you?  

Yarn Kandy, located in Little Rock   LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS -- At the end of March 2020, when people still believed that the pandemic would be over soon and had grand plans for everything they could accomplish while being stuck at home, some turned naturally to knitting. And while Kandy White initially started doing a daily Facebook live, sharing a few pattern ideas and putting together yarn combinations, as a way to stay connected with her customers, it's now become a part of her routine. "People used to feed off of what other people were doing at the table," says Kandy White, who's owned Yarn Kandy for 5 years. "The table" sits in the middle of the shop, surrounded enticingly by cubbies of colorful yarn and chairs usually filled with happy crafters, discussing their projects and life in general. Now the chairs are draped with samples from this morning's Live and the table is buried under yarn from the pairings Kandy has put together to recommend to her ...

Last year, I started to move away from tangled pursuits and back toward my high school sweetheart and first love: writing. I had wanted to become a journalist, because I love research and story and sharing what I love - since I could talk, I've been a question asker, and since I could write, I've been a note taker. I deeply enjoyed a four month experience as a magazine (yarn) editor, as well, and years of being first a library volunteer and then a page brought joy to my heart. I've proofed and edited books for friends on a volunteer basis, but my writing (and reading) has almost always been recreational. But last fall I stumbled onto a journalism specialization on Coursera from Michigan State University. It was all online prerecorded videos so I could do a month's worth of class in a week if I wanted to, and I loved it. The final project was writing a real feature, and I've broken mine up to share here as small business spotlights. Brandy's posted last week , an...

I got to interview several local woman business owners about how the pandemic has affected them - each week this month, I'll be sharing a little local love! This is part one. Bella Vita Jewelry, located in downtown Little Rock LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS --  With the exception of the now ubiquitous sign telling customers to put on a mask before entering and the bottle of hand sanitizer just inside the door, Bella Vita Jewelry looks much the same from the outside as it did a year ago. Inside, upbeat oldies music  softly  fills the quiet spaces and incense and candles scent the air. "We try to keep a fun vibe," says owner Brandy Thomason McNair. The effort is apparent in the carefully curated items - books and  crystals , incense and craft kits, tea and home goods, and an array of unique  jewelry  including Brandy's own designs.  Before Covid-19 started causing temporary shut downs, the shop website only showcased the original pieces. But Brandy and her team h...

Bella Vita, located on 6th St in downtown Little Rock LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS --  With the exception of the now ubiquitous sign telling customers to put on a mask before entering and the bottle of hand sanitizer just inside the door, Bella Vita looks much the same from the outside as it did a year ago. Inside, upbeat oldies music  softly  fills the quiet spaces and incense and candles scent the air. "We try to keep a fun vibe," says Brandy Thomason McNair, owner of Bella Vita Jewelry. The effort is apparent in the carefully curated items - books and  crystals , incense and craft kits, tea and home goods, and an array of unique  jewelry  including Brandy's own designs.  Before Covid-19 started causing temporary shut downs, the shop website only showcased the original pieces. But Brandy and her team have since updated it to include every item in the shop. Bags of online orders ready to be picked up or packed up for shipping fill several shelves behind the ...

It's February! Host of my favorite holiday since forever. Not the commercialized version (although I will absolutely take a box of chocolate covered strawberries, thankyouverymuch, and I have the capacity to be someone whose home turns into an ode to love like some people have an ode to Jack Skellington in October) but the excuse to be extremely extra about something that brings me great joy already. I usually expand my heart art collection by one piece every year (and then somehow forget to ever put it away...) and I've already given a plant a valentine in the form of a tiny balloon. While I do try to be ready with a positive affirmation when one arises spontaneously, I may also try to share a little about that here, as well. So this month watch for lots of hearts, and lots of delight - because all others are significant, if we choose to see them that way.