The solstice has come and gone and the days are getting longer little by little, which means it’s that time of year when I try to remind myself that my New Year started in September, not January. Is this the time of year to be setting goals and starting new habits? NO! This is the time of year to cosy up with a cup of tea and some knitting or hand stitching by the fire, eat cookies, and wear all of the sweaters and knitted socks I worked so hard on the rest of the year. I invite you to join me.

 

Hugo and I flew to Seattle last week to see my family for an early Christmas celebration. We were happy to have a few sunny days amidst the usual dark/damp PNW weather offerings to head to the zoo and out on some hikes with my parents and my sister Elli and her family and were back in time for Christmas Eve.

 

After some hemming and hawing over my downtown Ann Arbor studio (see this post on my blog for more on that), I’ve decided to let the space go. Despite what I said in the first paragraph, I think it’s time for a fresh start in 2024. I haven’t found a new space yet, but I’m still looking and I’m excited to see what will happen. 

 

In the meantime, I do have a couple of months left in the space, so I’m offering a couple of garment workshops and sewing meetups in the studio if you’d like to come and sew with me. Details on those workshops, plus few other links and updates I wanted to let you know about…

I'm offering two in-person garment workshops in January and February at my studio in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan and would love for you to join us!

Are you local but can't make it to a workshop? I'm also hosting a few meetups and open studios in January - see more details in this Sew Ann Arbor newsletter. 

reading: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, which grew on me a bit as I read. Not my most favorite read of the year, but still, pretty good. And The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride was absolutely RIVETING and I could not put it down. Highly recommend!!

 

knitting: I finished a pair of Hop Skip and Jump socks for Hugo. He picked out the yarn and design and I just love those little bobbles. I also knit up a quick red quick beanie and cast on a Gr8 Gingham Raglan.

 

writing: notes with a beautiful set of landscape notecards that my dear friend and artist Megan Roseman made from her original watercolor paintings and now sells in her shop. Megan’s offering free shipping for a short time, if you’d like a set of your own (card set linked here).

 

sewing: I finished a Gemma Top out of scraps (I posted a WIP pic here) and have been wearing it over a Jade Tee as it’s not exactly tank top weather right now. More pics to come on the blog soon, I promise!

 

Thank you so much for all of you who purchased my new pattern, Garnet!!! Just a couple days left for our Garnet Launch Sale: get Ruby 50% off when you purchase Garnet and Ruby together - code automatically applies when you add both to your cart and check out through my online shop.

 

And a final heads up that on January 1, 2024, Made by Rae print pattern prices will go up:

 

Emerald, Trillium, and Rose: will go up to $24 (from $20)

Geranium collection (all 3 patterns): will go up to $16 (from $14)

Luna and Cleo: will go up to $22 (from $20)

 

 

2024 is almost here, so I’ll take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year! Thank you for tuning in for my weird little ramblings. And to each and every one of you who sent me an email, left a comment, purchased a pattern, or gave me some other form of encouragement this year, an extra big thank you from me to you.

 

have a lovely weekend,
Rae

PS. Did I tell you that you can sign up to get my blog posts via email through Substack? I can't remember!