Another year comes to a close and a new one stands before us!

Together we have accomplished so much in 2021. Many knit and crochet projects were started, and many were completed. Quite a few of us learned to knit and crochet and expanded our skills in our one-on-one classes.

One of our favorite endeavors was our yarn bombing, constructed by fiber artist Naomi Lawrence, to which so many friends, customers, and staff contributed handmade flowers and leaves.

We dug a little deeper into our BIPOC initiative this past year. In the first quarter of the year, we featured the Wave of Change Jacket by Denise Bayron. Profits from yarn sales from those making the project went to the Grace Smith House, based in Poughkeepsie, which provides shelter and aid to victims of domestic violence and their families.

Kiyomi Burgin was our featured designer in the second quarter, and her Cheslie Toque was so popular that we added it to our permanent kit offerings. Donations from that project went to Black Women in Motion (BWIM), which was the organization suggested by the designer. BWIM empowers and supports the advancement of Black womxn and survivors of sexual violence.

Yarn sales to make the Deschain top by BIPOC designer Leila Raven supported SAORI Arts NYC. This non-profit is dedicated to inspiring creativity, joy and self-confidence through freestyle weaving for people of all ages with disabilities and chronic illness. We hope in the springtime to host the folks from SAORI Arts NYC at our shop, to get some hands-on time weaving with them.

In our final quarter we celebrated Sachiko Burgin, sister of Kiyomi, by featuring her super fun Shindig Shawl, with support from sales going to Second Chance Foods. We love the work of Second Chance Foods: salvaging produce that would otherwise be wasted, transforming it into nourishing meals, and getting it onto the tables of hungry Hudson Valley families.

We are so proud and thankful that with your support, we could highlight these wonderful designers and support charitable initiatives that are making a difference in the world. This is something that we are committed to and will continue in 2022.

Of course, we love having new ways of bringing you yarn too! Our new website launched in October, and it’s full of many of our favorite things that you’ll find in our store, as well as loads of helpful tools and information. The website will continue to improve over time, and we will keep working towards helping and inspiring you in your handcrafting journeys.

What are our goals for 2022? While our Open Crafting sessions have been lovely, and we thank you for spending time with us, we would like to forge new plans for connecting with you, our friends and customers, more often and in more ways.

Our Endless Possibilities boxes will take a new path. We are challenging ourselves to help you bring on your crafting mojo!

Finally, I can’t resist acknowledging the women who make The Endless Skein such a wonderful place. Maya at the helm keeps the store beautiful and up-to-date and puts her heart and soul into the inspirational Endless Possibilities boxes. Cindy works tirelessly and with great attention to detail to bring interesting content to our email newsletter and to keep our website singing. Cindy and Carol have taught so many to knit and helped with problems in tons of projects. Maria Elena has also lent a hand teaching and keeps the store humming with her hard work. Gail has brought us lovely yarn and also her lovely self for some much-needed weekend help. Ilma continues to inspire with all of her talents. She has great plans for future retreats at our store and is often found on the weekends helping our customers with great plans too! How fortunate to have these lovely people as part of The Endless Skein!

So cheers to all of us who enjoy fiber crafts and making! The team at The Endless Skein thanks you for your support this past year, and we look forward to seeing you and your projects in 2022!