What Sounds Fun

Friends, I need a break from adoption waiting. That's still happening. We've moved up to number 24 on the waitlist. Our time is coming.

So instead of telling you about waiting and how it's not so fun, I'm going to tell you about what has been really fun for me lately.

But before I do that, let's back up a little. I stepped completely away from my job at Friends of Refugees back in September. It was too much for me. Going part-time helped, but I really needed to be away. FOR is still doing great things and I'm hoping to return sometime when I've fully recovered from overextending myself for too long.

Now to the fun stuff.

Our recent trip to Asheville in the snow.

I have a lot of time to fill these days. I kind of love it though. I have time to go on adventures, to drop in on friends and family, and to practice hobbies. I love people, but my introverted heart is so happy to spend some time with just me after years of working and sharing my life with so many others. I do get a little bored every now and then but honestly, I enjoy it. Life these days is a lot about rest and doing what makes me happy.

I love creating, making, and designing. I so enjoy making things that exist only in my head into something that exists in real life. I especially love making things that are beautiful and useful for people I love. So knitting is a really great hobby for me. Turning a pile of string into something personal and functional that only I could make brings me a lot of joy. Plus, watching a skein of yarn start to hollow out as my project grows on my needles is so incredibly satisfying (I like to see how much yarn I can use before the skein finally collapses).

Progress.

One of the things that led to my burnout was inability to see progress in my work. What I was doing felt never-ending and it was hard to measure success. But when I knit, I can see my progress instantaneously. I can count stitches and rows and know what I've accomplished. I also pretty much only do projects that I can finish in hours instead of weeks or months so I can have the satisfaction of completion. And honestly, it's been healing to be able to quantify success.

So, with the time to knit and the need to grow the adoption fund, I started EBH Knits. I had started to create more than I or my friends and family could use. With a lot of encouragement, I started experimenting in my parents' antique booth in the fall of 2019 and before I knew it I was behind in orders. Thanks to friends, family, and complete strangers, the adoption fund has grown significantly and I have a newfound purpose for my time at home.

Lily is happy I'm home more. 

Before now, I haven't been brave enough to share what I make with strangers. I can be overly critical of my work even though I love the process of making. But I learned that I shouldn't have been afraid to share what I make. What brings me joy has the potential to make others smile too. The work I put into my knitting can help others feel warm and loved and bring beauty to their lives. It's crazy to me that people I don't know have things that I've made and they paid to have them.