Of course we all know about COVID-19 and our world-wide lockdown. What many may not know is that the lockdown affected mail ... well, ok, at least I did not, until I and another dyer tried sending yarn support around the world. For both of us, packages either just flat-out did not arrive, or it took, literally, months for the designers to receive.
Then, one of our indie designers actually contracted the virus and in the whirlwind hospitalization and isolation, could not let any of us know. While I am so glad to report she is out of the hospital, out of home quarantine post-hospitalization, and now back with her family, she is still catching up on her designing schedule. To add insult to injury, that same designer also, in the last two weeks, had a major death in the family.
Of course, our initial focus - Tokyo - was chosen because of it's Olympic world stage. Yes, and we all know what happened to that.
And, since all roller coaster rides must rise after a death-defying drop, one of our indie dyers also gave birth to a beautiful baby girl! Mom and child are doing fine, now.
Through all of this (and the behind the scenes logistics have been super busy this year), I have managed to start a new Instagram feed just for the Progress, Hope, & Happiness collection, complete with a spiffy new Linktree that contains links to all of the past collections (if you'd like to go down indie dyer + designer lane), coordinate designers and dyers from around the world, including two new-to-the-collections' designers (from New Zealand and Canada, respectively), start my own small indie dyer business (the soft opening of the yarns which can be viewed and purchased here in my online Big Cartel shop - it's soft because I will still be adding bases between now and collection launch, and then colorways are limited to my first six), all while working on my own knit and crochet designs for the collection, using both my yarns as well as one of my fellow indie dyer's yarns.
When I say that I can see the finish line and it feels incredible, I am not kidding! However, to work alongside such an incredible group of dyers and designers has truly been life-affirming. Since one of this year's designers also happens to be black, it has been my privilege to center her experiences and words (as well as other black designers and crafters) over the last few weeks. It goes without saying (and should be evident to anyone who has read and followed this blog for any length of time) that I stand with black lives - they have always mattered. Full stop.
In case anyone should doubt the ability of a group of women to come together and just slay a project, let me put that doubt permanently to rest. I am so grateful for this group of independent and creative minds who have provided critical and valuable input throughout this collection's process. I hope I have created an environment that lets them know that when they speak up, I listen and make adjustments accordingly. I have always tried to foster such an environment throughout all the previous collections, but this year it definitely seems to have solidified.
Right now we have a prize challenge going on Instagram - click through to the above post, start clicking some love for our dyers' yarns, and definitely make certain you follow the collection's feed as well as join our Ravelry group! I hope you will take these next two weeks and follow as our designers complete their behind-the-scenes efforts and our dyers' launch their amazing new colorways created specifically for this collection.
In a world that is going through so much upheaval, loss, and grief, this creative endeavor, and these creative designers and dyers, have been a real bright spot for me, and I thank my lucky stars its been here.
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