Hey, hi, how’s it going?

It has been a while since I’ve written here but I’ve been getting that itch to share what’s been going on and what’s on my heart.

Ever since the pandemic life has been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I became a parent while watching the world burn. Seeing the craziness that is living in the U.S. and all the things that feel beyond my control its been so hard to stay grounded. It’s been so hard to find the balance of staying informed and being over informed. It’s been so hard to have the will to keep up with the hustle that is social media and being a creative. I need to find sustainability.

For so long I dreamed of being a successful knit and crochet designer. Maybe it’s the gemini in me, maybe its ADHD, or maybe it’s living in this unstable world, but I could never seem to find consistency with it. My passion for designing would be here for a moment and be gone the next.

I fell in love with knit and crochet back in 2011, 2016 I started testing patterns, and in 2018 I began designing off and on. Fiber arts lead me to so many beautiful friendships and opportunities, I even have a few patterns published in books.

Summer of 2025 I began taking YouTube seriously. I was creating video tutorials of my knit and crochet patterns, I even challenged myself to post weekly for 11 weeks in a row. While I did complete my challenge I was so burned out.

I allowed myself to take some time off at the end of December into the beginning of January. January came and went and I told myself it was time to get back to it. I tried to design again but nothing was coming to me. I tried to vlog and make vintage patterns instead to only be frustrated.

I still love knitting and crochet, but I’ve had to allow myself to put that career aside and allow it to become a hobby I love again.

Through out the year I’ve had moments like this but I still had an ache to want to design, this time I don’t have that feeling.

What really confirmed this for me was going to a big convention called H+H where lots of fiber artists go to network and grow their businesses. I was always going to see my friends but I had plans to make connections and grow my own business too. As time moved closer to H+H I was feeling frustrated that I felt so uninterested designing. I knew that going to H+H would confirm if I was ready to let go of designing or it would reignite my love for it.

Honestly, I am happy that it confirmed I’m ready to let go.

The only thing I left feeling inspired about was my newfound love for needlework (cross stitch, hand sewing, etc), supporting my friend’s works, and continuing to cherish my friendships that I’ve made though yarn.

So now what?

I’m a creative, a maker, an artist. I still have dreams of supporting my family through my creative works but it needs to be sustainable. I have ideas but I’m taking it slow and steady.

For now when it comes to fiber arts, I’m reclaiming it for myself. Allowing myself to find the joy in the craft without the idea of monetizing it. Of course I am still going to share what I’m working on but I’m removing the idea that it needs to make me money.

In case you needed to be told, you can love something without monetizing it.

You are allowed to spend your money on something you love for the joy of it.

If you do want to monetize the thing you love, make sure its sustainable.

So all that to say, I’m officially done designing. I’m deactivating my website (www.rinknitsandstuff.com) June 20 but my Etsy and Ravelry are here to stay for now.

New and exciting things are to come and I’ll share more later on.

The Future

The future hold many mysteries but for now you can expect to see posts on Substack about my birding adventures/wildlife photography, sharing what I’m learning about the world around me, this summer I’m attempting to garden, and of course my art.

Thank you so much for all the support of the years,

Rin