The past few months may have seemed quiet at Furrow & Trowel, but away from the computer, I’ve been digging into some work and life projects that have kept me on my toes. Now that Colorado is entering Deep Freeze season, the garden has been put to bed mostly, and I’ve turned my attention to building Furrow & Trowel Nature Knits inventory for an upcoming craft show in Englewood, Colorado.
This Saturday, November 6, I’ll be sharing my handmade knits at the Englewood Holiday Bazaar from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Malley Recreation Center. Located in the heart of downtown Englewood, the rec center has long been a community hub for seniors in the city. Unlike the strangely intense and very trendy craft fairs that have swept the Denver metro area over the past 10 years, Englewood’s annual bazaar is free and open to the public and offers a little bit of everything for those seeking artisan-made gifts. They exist to celebrate the craft community.
When I joined the bazaar for the first time in 2019, the event organizers and fellow vendors invited me into their community and made me feel welcome and valued despite having no prior experience selling my knits. Their kindness was a reminder that a sense of community has been intertwined with my knitting practice since its inception.
Though I’d grown up around people who worked with their hands and spent a fair amount of time around women who dabbled in fiber arts, it wasn’t until I moved to the West Coast in 2001 that I tried my hand at knitting and it stuck. Beneath a giant Sequoia at Laurelhurst Park in Southeast Portland during one of its signature overcast afternoons, I sat beside a young woman I’d befriended during one of the many temp jobs I’d taken to pay the bills. We were newly minted college grads from small liberal arts colleges back East, and we were craving the deep connections we’d found during our undergrad days.
Robin, a seasoned knitter, patiently took me through the most basic knit stitch. When we weren’t laughing at my fumbling attempts to make fabric, we bonded over our need to explore the world and our disinterest in ever settling down.
I quickly became obsessed with mastering knitting and soon after started a knitting circle where a group of twenty-something Oregon transplants assembled. They became my core friend group who remained connected long after we departed for new adventures. Knitting built connections with new friends in China, at a French camp on a remote island in the San Juans, with Americorps friends, and with Nevada grad school students. What I’ve felt so often when I make these knots is a bond with those who share a love for this craft and gratitude that I can offer something I’ve made with my hands to others.
Thank you, Robin, for offering your skills, time, energy, and fellowship. You taught me how to make beautiful things from yarn and sent me out into the world to teach others.
If you're unable to stop by the holiday event on Saturday but are still interested in purchasing a hand knit from Furrow & Trowel, send me a note through my contact form or via Instagram, and let me know what kind of item you’d like. I can customize most garments for sizing and color and have worked with several customers over the years to nail down a knit that made them swoon. And if you’re a fellow knitter looking to join a knitting circle in person or online, I’d love to connect.
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