A Note From Kit - Spring 2020
When is it spring? Always a conundrum in our Northwest world—especially when we’re writing a newsletter that won’t be in print for several weeks! When you read this, will we still be shivering, damp, and wanting woollies? Or will we be out basking in the newly revealed sunshine, knitting on the porch? Or will we just be aching for something new to happen?
Spring reminds me of what a counselor once described to us as “liminal space” (from the Latin root limen or ‘threshold’). He likened it to the space where the waves lap, not quite in the water, not quite on the shore (an apt island metaphor). And while he recommended we allow ourselves to relax into the uncertainty, he reassured us that if it was uncomfortable, we were doing it right!
And here we are, in 2020, crossing a threshold into our 20th year (with tremendous gratitude, I might add), entering what Nancy Levin calls “the space between no longer and not yet.”
As we head towards our anniversary on September 9th (any ideas for celebrating?), a remarkable milestone in the lifecycle of a small business, we have an opportunity to refresh, to reboot, to rethink the changing landscape that is retail. Every day is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves in the constantly repeating helical cycles from start-up to stuck.
Some projects on the bench for this year ahead: refresh the shop (a new paint color?); review our offerings (what do you love the most?); launch a blog (so you can get to know our talented team); revisit our favorite patterns (with new yarns, new features, added sizes)...
We are, at heart, traditionalists, loving the best that the past has to offer—ancient sheep breeds, centuries old knitting techniques, Brown Betty teapots— while also committed to stepping lively into the future, with its exponential complexities. We are a team who range in age from teens to seventies (and every decade in between) with ample wisdom and forward vision across the board.
This spring, we’re excited to launch five new Churchmouse Classics patterns (see page 6) that each cast a glance back to familiar favorites with new interpretations. You’ll see we’ve embraced the quiet color palette of our island shoreline, its bright and dark waters, infinitely varied stones, driftwood, moss, and seaweed.
We’re so grateful to spring into this next phase with you.
P.S. So many of you have told us that you still love getting—and saving—our old- fashioned snail-mail missives. Just don’t miss our website and emails to keep up with what’s arriving and what’s changing in the months in between.