I have always been, much to my own disappointment and that of my mother, a person who is a rather vulnerable to criticism. My grandfather thought that criticism was valuable and told you a lot about where you should be putting your energy if you’re trying to improve yourself, and maybe because I’m a bit weak or maybe because I took that a little too seriously, I have always taken the things that people say about me right to heart, and tried to do something with it. I think that this has worked on some things – but there’s a whole raft of other stuff about me that just seems intractable no matter now many times I vow to be the sort of person with a really tidy house who also doesn’t talk too much. Usually, when I confess that I’m sort of vulnerable this way all sorts of people try to reassure me that I’m pretty great and I shouldn’t worry about what other people think, and that’s super nice of them. I appreciate it a lot, while also not being able to really think that’s true. Caring what other people think is important to me and the civil society I’d like to live in, and I care what you think of me, and for the most part I think I’m better for it, especially as I get older and work out exactly which opinions matter, and which are differences of opinion that I’m kinda proud of.
Now, I’ve written before how being someone who takes criticism easily to heart makes it really hard to be a writer, especially one who gets to read her reviews right here on the blog, or in my inbox. It can make me nervous about writing in general and well – I think I’m always going to struggle with that. So a while ago I went to write to you about the Bike Rally and Team Knit this year, and to tell you that I’m going to try and blog about everything as frequently as I’m able in exchange for donations, and stopped, and didn’t. See, I received a comment from someone that said that she felt this blog only existed to be a personal go fund me for the Bike Rally (that’s an oxymoron by the way, you can’t have a personal fundraiser that’s for a charity the money is going to the charity for crying out loud I’m not buying shoes) and I realized that if I posted now she could think I was doing just as she said, and I worried that she would have more criticism that hurt my feelings and I didn’t post. This went on for a while even though this reader said she was deleting me and wasn’t going to read anymore, because I’ve always figured that if one person leaves a comment, they’re really speaking on behalf of a bunch of knitters who feel the same way but can’t be arsed to leave a comment. (This is like me believing that all spiders are hiding a secret ability to jump. You can’t tell me otherwise, despite evidence to the contrary- I said it was a secret.) It doesn’t matter if that’s true or not, because I realized something shocking about it yesterday, and here it comes.
I don’t care.
Even if every little bit of that is true, and I am only using the blog as a fundraiser at the moment, do you know what? That’s a great legacy. That’s an amazing thing for this blog to do. If that is the culmination of twenty years of blogging – that I’ve told you the story of my knitting and this family for two decades and created a platform that exists so that knitters can make the world a better place? Sign me up. Send me the tee-shirt. Cool beans, I’m in, I think that I like that about me.
I have also been kinda bummed about the world lately- and somehow it has felt to me like there are so many problems right now that it is impossible to write fairly about anything. If I write about the climate aren’t I ignoring Gaza? If I write about Gaza then I am a boor who must turn my attention to Ukraine, and how could we overlook the Sudan – do you even care about Niger? Do you know the temperature of the Atlantic ocean? Aren’t politics keeping you up at night? Are you worried about eroding human rights? It feels to me many days like the world is completely out of control and these problems are so many and so big that it can feel hard to do anything about any of it. Luckily though, I am a knitter and so are you (probably) and that means that unlike a lot of people, we have an antidote. Team Knit.
Team Knit is a little group of knitters (mostly in my family) who every year, ride their bikes from Toronto to Montreal (that’s 660km – or 410 miles, for my American friends) to raise funds for PWA. (Toronto People with AIDS foundation.) This year Team Knit is:
Jen (welcome back Jen, it’s been 8 years)
Fenner (Jen’s kid, now a whopping 16 years old and old enough!)
*Quick note about Cam- he has an injury this year that’s preventing him from riding. He’s still dedicated to the ride and the cause, so he’s signed up as crew and will spend the six days making the ride go from another angle.
How is that an antidote? Glad you asked. In fundraising – what I was just writing about is a big, big part of what fundraisers are trying to overcome. The problem that almost nobody has a spare few million dollars, and that means that most donations are going to be rather smaller than that, to say the least. Now, most humans are smart enough to look at a problem and realize that some money would go a long way to helping, but understand that it would be a lot of money. Then they realize that they don’t have a lot of money, they just can spare a little bit, and don’t donate, because there’s no way that $10 can solve the problem, and so they don’t give anything. There’s other people though – people who understand the concept of “cumulative action” – and those people are different. Those people have learned somehow, through experience or education, that a small action isn’t futile, if it’s combined with many other small actions, and those people will indeed take a small action or make a small gift because they know their little piece is an essential part of something big. Fundraisers love these people – this kind of person creates really differences in the world, and guess what.
All knitters understand Cumulative Action. Every, single one of them. Knitting teaches you that one small action does matter. That one small action, like knitting a stitch, isn’t unimportant. It’s vital. One small action repeated many times is a sweater. Or a shawl. Or a pair of socks to hold the feet of someone you love, and that idea? The concept of cumulative action? It makes knitters the most remarkable fundraisers of all. Other groups, they have to rely on the small part of their community that understands that… knitters? Our whole group gets it. Our whole group sees that one small thing – put together with many other things can create something enormous, and wonderful, and magical.
More than this, there is a bonus, and it is that this feels great. Taking a small action that becomes huge in cooperation with your community is a remarkable way for people to know what it must feel like to make huge gifts, to be a philanthropist, to know that they are actually taking an action big enough to create real, tangible change and difference in the world, to be someone who is shaping that world- to lift the feeling that nothing matters, that you can’t do anything, that it’s all out of your control. It’s not. It’s not at all. You’re just not going to do it by yourself.
Please give if you can. As always, I believe there are so many ways to help – the wave of cumulative action roars fastest with lots of us. If you can’t afford to give, please help by spreading the word, telling a friend, asking a business, or reaching out to any billionaires you may know. You’re Team Knit, let’s go.
(I forgot to tell you about the deal. For every $1000 we raise, I’ll write one blog post. It’s a small thing, but it’s something I can do.)
Thank you! I can’t begin to tell you how much your words help put things into perspective!
I would like to recommend a great game website called sandtetris.net, which specializes in classic sandbox and Tetris-style games. I hope everyone can come and enjoy the fun of gaming!
As usual, can we donate to any member of Team Knit? And do we need to tell you about it? (Because yes please, I want those blog posts.)
I’ve missed your posts — any and all of them. I, too, am hyper-sensitive about being “enough” — as in good enough, kind enough, generous enough, neat enough, productive enough…you know. Enough.
I also believe everyone should have a ’cause’ of somesort to wish they want to contribute, with the help of others if possible. I can’t afford to contribute to any or all causes. My ‘pet’ cause is the JDRF, because Type 1 Diabetes killed my husband, and caused great trauma in our family in the 2 decades before he died. I also have more stash than cash, so I find myself at almost 72 making comfort quilts, hats and mittens to give away to those who need them. I wish you great success with your rally — and hope to see you post more often again. Think of it as posting for hope, because the creativity we all share can be a light in the darkness.
I’m so glad that you don’t care what one person said. Supporting the rally is indeed a wonderful legacy – thank you for the chance to donate.
In the same spirit of 10 rounds a day makes an entire pair of socks each month, each knitter reading this could donate just $10 and still lead to quite a sizeable contribution! Also, it’s your blog, Stephanie, do what you want with it, YOU BUILT THIS
(I’m just finishing up my June socks, though, don’t tell anyone )
That person is not very observant. Your blog is about knitting, and how Eliot, the rest of your family, your friends, cooking your delicious meals, the bike rally, and all the rest of life interact with — knitting! Only change what works for you.
Go, team knit! What you are doing with the bike rally is way more valuable than one person’s outrage. Besides, she isn’t reading you anymore, so the point is for you to do what your heart and mind says you should do and ignore the criticism. Sending best wishes to the team for a fun and productive ride.
And when you feel up to writing about knitting again, we’ll be here for that, too.
I miss the bog the way it used to be, but life changes. You can’t go back to a previous time. If your blog has changed to become a fundraiser for a charity you believe in, I don’t understand why someone would complain. It’s confusing!
I wish there was a “like” option for these comments, but since there is not —
“LIKE” 1000x
(Oh, gosh, I just realized our names are the same, but I am very sure I didn’t write your comment. 🙂
Dear Steph, is there any way to support the team with Paypal?
I need to know this also … my credit card will not work for charges outside the U.S.
It’s the story that you tell yourself about yourself that matters most. You can either repeat the story someone else tells until you make it your own, or you can choose to ignore their words in favour of your truth.
I have 2 skeins of DK weight and another 2 of fingering weight, Ula+Lia 100% Baby Camel in Burnt Copper that I would love to donate as karmic balancing gifts. It’s gorgeous soft stuff. (One of the fingering skeins has been wound into a cake, but the other is still a skein.)
Dearest Yarn Harlot:
Because of you, I learned how to knit and found I loved it.Because of you I met the incredible Ken Allen. Because of you and Ken Allen, each year I donate because he remind me that I still care because the 2 of you care and so I show him and you by again donating. Each little bit you ride is vital to the entire idea just as you say each stitch is vital to a knitting project. Get yourself ready and start planning those blogs. We, the non-riding members of Team Knit are definitely going to donate!!
Donation made. Ride well, ride strongly, ride safely. Bravo and best to the entire team.
Love your blog, please continue writing! Donation made.
I have referred to MANY of your posts in the past, and I’m sometimes disappointed that there isn’t up-to-the-minute coverage of things… but I am not the boss of you, and it’s not like a fallow period undoes all the ferocious productivity of before. Sometimes you have to wait for the sheep to grow the words before you can spin and knit them.
We’ve talked about this before, and I’m so glad you’re at the “I don’t care” stage of dealing with these people.
What I can’t ever wrap my head around is a total stranger’s idea that your blog — the one without advertising that you personally pay your own money to host — should not be used for something as altruistic as charity fundraising.
And just as I’m about to post a whole list of possible snarky rejoinders, I pause and look at your sidebar, where the Knitters Without Borders ticker reads well over ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
Then I delete all those comments and write this:
Keep going. Don’t stop trying to make the world a better place.
Amen!
Hear, hear!!!
You don’t need people like her in your life, you are better off without people like her. I have followed you for a long time here and since Covid on Instagram and have donated to the cause you support with your efforts. At 43, I rode a 25 miler for the American Lung Association, about 5 months after my mother passed from COPD complications and thought I would never make it, even after training. 33 years later, I do well to walk a brisk 4 miles a day, but still try to support local projects. Keep your head high and know that most of us appreciate all that you do and what you give us on social media.
I love to read about whatever you write about! Please keep on writing, because your writing is bringing positivity into the world. Thank you for that!
And of course I donated.
You’re going to be doing the grannie talk about this, if you haven’t done already. Why do you care about the opinion of some randomer who you don’t know, will never meet? They may be a flat earther – you wouldn’t know. Why does their opinion matter more to you than your own?
I can give the talk, just not to me. I was brought up to put everyone else first, they are all more important than me and clearly I should build my life around their desires. It’s total tosh isn’t it?
Just donated. My husband and I were just talking about what we can do as the world seems to be crumbling around us and talked about our sphere of influence. Supporting your fund raiser won’t make the terrible problems in the world go away, but may matter a little bit to just one person. That’s enough. It has to be.
Hear, hear! Circle of concern vs circle of influence. Focus on what we CAN do and not be overwhelmed by worry about the big problems that we can do nothing about as individuals.
It is so easy, these days, to feel like the darkness is winning. But by doing what we can to help others, within our own little circle of influence, I feel that we prove – over and over – that there IS still hope that the darkness can be driven back.
I admire Stephanie so much, for how she has given of her time and energy and sheer grit, year after year, in order to help others. Its inspirational.
Even if all you ever posted about for the rest of your life was fundraising for this cause, I’d still read. What a legacy that would create! And what a legacy you’ve already created with the funds you’ve raised! There are so many good causes and so many in need, and we can’t fix all the world’s problems. But you have chosen one where you can — and do! — make a difference, and I so admire that. So ride on! This knitter will be cheering for all of you (and will be making a donation shortly)!
I’m not sure if I’ve actually been reading you for 20 years..but it feels like it is possible. I don’t remember your first post, but there’s been a lot of life since then. I became a Unitarian Universalist minister, knit umpteen-squared projects, moved twice, became an uncle twice…life ebbs and flows, writing does the same. I’m glad that you’ve found that what you’ve done here is good and worthwhile. I’m gay and extra grateful you do the Rally. I’ve used your writing in classes and sermons. Mostly, though, you’ve been good company all this time. It’s good to have you back. (And phooey to the grumbler! It’s your life and your blog. Enjoy it as you want!)
My profession is Marketing. I did it for a 17 branch real estate brokerage for years and am now doing it freelance. What you started a million years ago was a blog to talk about knitting, because you’re a writer by profession, and you were creating a community. Which is what social media is all about.
Along the way we got to watch your kids grow up. We got to meet your grandchildren. And we got to feel part of Something Important by donating to a good cause.
We’ve missed you. Ask how many of us think this way and see how few are angry that you’re actually doing what all those TikTokers are doing. Marketing is only a bad word if you have unrealistic expectations about people you don’t know. Set up a scale and see how many of us are on the heavy side. It’s good to see you again, and I’m sorry you’ve hit a speedbump. We’ll pick you up.
Aloha,
Your words express my feelings exactly.
I retired and moved to the PNW without knowing anyone and took up knitting again. Thanks to this blog and the Strung Along Retreat, I’ve met many kindred spirits.
Being part of her family and watching Team Knit make such a difference (welcome to Jen’s lad!).
Don’t ever lose sight of what’s important to you. There are so many kindred spirits out there thirsty for your words.
I’ve donated again this year since this is such a worthy cause.
I had all of these comments running rampant in my head trying to craft the perfect response and then realized the ever amazing Saint of Sanity, our own Presbytera, had already written it on my behalf. So thank you, Steph, thank you Presbytera, thank you Team Knit and thank you Blog – that’s a helluva combined force that is out to make a difference.
As a longtime reader of this blog, of course I miss the more frequent posts but … life changes, technology changes … none of the blogs I used to read so faithfully are what they used to be. They’ve morphed into Instagram posts, or podcasts, or something (some app I don’t even use and maybe haven’t even heard of), or disappeared.
So at least you’re still here (and elsewhere, too), in some form or another. And if the blog has morphed into a fundraising arm of Team Knit for PWA, it’s a good cause and a good thing. And I still enjoy reading when you do post.
Amen
Agreed
Oh my goodness! You are good enough by yourself. Ignore the nasties and wish them the best in their unhappy lives because they must be unhappy to have the poor manners to be mean and unkind. You live on in this family as a personal quote! “make blog go!” Remember that? You were having issues with your internet/ISP or something and my girls and I loved your account of those events. So now when something goes awry, one will pop out with ” make blog go!” and we all have a giggle. Life is too short to be stifled by others, my dear. Your words have always been a pleasure to read and I am sure will continue to be. Bless their hearts for they know not your happiness and are jealous.
Steph my dear, thank you for doing what you do. The Blog are behind you all the way. If anyone doesn’t like it, there’s the door. Keep knitting, keep riding, keep writing and teaching in any way that you want, and the world will be a better place for it.
This Blog is a beautiful testament to your family and life as time has passed. Things seem to be challenging and joyful, sometimes at the same time, but I believe the Blog understands.
One thing I understand is that you have the excitement of having small grandchildren, and all the wonderful moments that you get to share, and all of that adds up to be a lot of life, and sometimes life is better savored and shared in different mediums, and its a wonderful thing.
And, if after all this time, and all of your adventures with the Blog, it has come to you speaking eloquently about something important to you, and many, many people, then I would like to say that I am here for it!
Dear YarnHarlot,
Thank you for your blog and your instagram where you share your passion for knitting and for life as such (as long as there is yarn).
I felt sad to read you took this comment to heart so much (understand completely that that’s what happens). Perhaps I have not read carefully but is there a contract obligating you to deliver some particular content with a given frequency? Thought not
Thank you for sharing whatever it is that you want to share at the pace that suits you. I have been living a knitter’s life vicariously through your Instagram for almost a year now (carpal tunnel syndrome and I have been told to stay away from knitting until the surgery). Appreciate it a lot!
The fundraising part of your blog (and the whole YarnHarlot brand) is an amazing legacy.
All the best!!
Dominika
Dear Stephanie,
It sometimes takes us a while to learn that we can only change the things we can change, and the other big world stuff will have to be done by someone else. I’m pleased you have learned to ignore the folks who don’t get it. Your blog is your blog, nobody else’s. You do what you can do, and it’s nothing to do with anyone how you do it! If we’re fortunate to come along for the virtual ride, so to speak, that’s great. Nobody forces us to be here, we just love this little it of cyberspace, with your thoughts, your family and your knitting of course! Keep calm and carry on!
Love from the UK.
Hear hear! Well said!
Don’t ever feel the need to apologize for being you. I have read the blog for years and continue to check daily, even if there isn’t a new post. The world is a mess right now. So I quilt and knit and craft and read. We all need an outlet, and yours is biking and knitting. More power to those of us that do something besides grumbling. I have God and my church to keep me grounded and know that I will always be okay no matter what happens in this world. Bike on, Steph and know that you are always loved.
snaptube is easy to use for all age groups.
Dear Yarn Harlot, put that criticism where it belongs – the compost heap. This is your blog thingy, not the critics’. Write what you want, when you want. And when the Bike Rally comes around, ride as if you’re being chased by a thousand jumping spiders who all want a gansey!
And for every comment like the one that shut you down, there are no doubt hundreds like me who kept quietly refreshing and wondering where the bike rally posts were. I see I should be less quiet!
Go Team Knit!
It’s your “living room” and keep doing as you see fit. As always thank you for sharing yourself and your family with us. The world is a better place with people like you in it, and helps remind us it’s not all doom and gloom out there. Hugs to you all.
There’s nothing new I can add to all the wonderful comments so far, but know this, dear Stephanie—I’m in favor of however and whenever you put yourself out there. I saw your writing talent so many years ago on the Knitlist and am delighted to have seen you flourish in many ways. Never mind the naysayers. Keep on keeping on. Much love.
Love this.
Thanks.
Dear Steph, don’t ever change. That lady (using the term generically) was having a bad day and took it out on you.
I didn’t realize that you’d posted on the 4th, but was going to email you soon anyway, to let you know that I was listening to your audiobook – Stephanie Pearl McPhee Casts Off (via CDs in my car; still old-school), and wanted to let you know how much I was enjoying it. I re-read your books every few years and there is so much wisdom in them, as well as humor. Thank you so much for your writing, and for making the world a better place!
PS: I donated to Fenner, for encouragement. May he ride well for many years to come.
The PWA rally is such an amazing event – I am so happy to donate every year.
Gee I really wish I was in a position to harass billionaires to donate to PWA. (Doesn’t some knitter somehow know Galen Weston?)
Your faithful blog/instagram readers are ready whenever you feel like posting. No pressure.
Keep up your fantastic work!
Have a great summer.
We should make the donations ding ding ding!
Something I noticed which is different from previous years on the Bike Rally website is that you can’t see the smaller donations that have been made in the scrolling list, only the “honor roll” donations (which look like over $100 perhaps?) Maybe that change could discourage some of the cumulative smaller donations from being made? Might be worth mentioning to the Rally organizers.
Well, on the one hand it’s your blog and if you don’t feel like writing it, then you shouldn’t. On the other hand, though, it’s disappointing for people to check day after day for six months and never see anything, so probably a lot of them have given up and that, in turn, may reduce the number of donations to the bike ride. I’ve read every one of your blog posts since you started, although I had to back up a bit in the beginning, and Instagram just isn’t the same.
Well, your blog might mostly be a fundraiser to Team Knit these years. So what, that is such a worthy cause.
And while I do miss your blogpost I much rather want you to come and write about Team Knit and fundraising than not doing it – it is important.
And since I’m donating to many og the causes you mention I don’t have a big river to pour into Team Knit, but I can send a few drops.
Oh Steph. Our beloved Harlot. SCREW the whiners and the haters. You have a life – a big one. You have priorities – good ones. And you have shared su much of your life, your joys, and your pain, with us. Anyone saying it’s not enough is bonkers, to be polite about it. Do I miss reading new posts? Sure. But what do I do when I wasn’t to read some Harlot? I pick up one of your books, or I go to the archive and pick a month. After all, 20 years later, there’s plenty to look back on! You are a human being, and a particularly wonderful one at that. If you never post another blog again that isn’t a fundraiser? So be it. Those are the ones that always make me cry, anyhow! I’ll be adding my ding to your phone. Let the complainers complain. We could always be doing something better in someone else’s eyes. What you do makes a difference in the world, and that’s what counts.
I’m sorry about the troll, and delighted to be able to read you again. Especially because of the ride and the chance to be a support. Love love love that Jen’s son is joining in–go team go!
I will take any little snippet of a post that you care to share. I don’t spend enough time on Instagram, so I often miss your posts there unless I go looking, and usually I forget to look.
So I’ll take what I can get, and GO TEAM KNIT!
(yes, I’ll be donating…)
I miss you because you seem to be mainly on Instagram now, and I am not. If you haven’t the time to write long pieces, just some news and a photo or two would be great.
Thanks for your Patreon videos, which are wonderful.
A dear teacher of mine recently commented that, “The world is stuck in ‘Tilt'”, and I haven’t been able to find a better explanation than that for why everything still feels so…. off. In addition to the 1 million issues around the globe as you have raised here.
Take heart, small actions matter. Yes, indeed! Thank you for the reminder.
I really appreciate this perspective: even if the blog were only about raising money for charity (which it’s not–just this weekend I consulted your 2020 post about how you fixed the baby layette knit by your great-grandmother; very helpful, thank you once again), but even if it *were*, that’s a pretty wonderful legacy. I think this perspective applies to a lot in life, actually. Thank you, well done…and I donated.
Oh my heavens! Please don’t let one bad stitch spoil the knitting! I came relatively late to your blog, but it quickly became one of my “must reads” every day (well, you know what I mean.) When you stopped, I missed you for awhile, but then decided to go back and read the blog from the beginning. Disclosure: I do also follow you on instagram, but find it slightly less satisfying (except I LOVE the 1 second a day although I usually have to watch several times to get it all). In any case, in my timeline Fenner is 5 years old and I would dearly love to contribute for her ride if I can figure out how to do it without a credit card. Ride (and write) on Steph … you are doing good in this world.
We are all guilty of not taking the time to recognize what is good in the world and that is a big mistake. The things we put our focus on are the things that grow.
You and your amazing writing skills are something good in this world. Like how you tied, ‘single stitches combining to make a sweater’ to ‘single donations combining to make a difference’. Every knitter’s brain went POOF with that one.
Maybe that comment came from someone who actually appreciates the thoughtful, honest, creative way you look at the world and just didn’t know how to tell you why she misses you.
You truly have a gift for clearly saying what is all jumbled up in peoples’ hearts and brains. Not only do you clean up the chaos, you also let them know that they aren’t alone in wanting a better world.
Keep being you, Stephanie!
You wrote “I care what you think of me, and for the most part I think I’m better for it, especially as I get older and work out exactly which opinions matter, and which are differences of opinion that I’m kinda proud of.” Exactly!
I went to a seminar awhile ago where they talked about issues that are common to people in each decade of life. Those of us in our 50’s have probably had careers for awhile and a few things under our belts by now, and we learn better not to sweat the small stuff, because we learn what is small and what is big. We also tend to care about injustices more, and have more experience and capability of doing something about it. Keep up the great work dear Harlot, your influence is bigger than you know!
We all have to repeat, “I am enough” over and over. I don’t know why, but I know I do. And I am so glad you wrote, I missed the blog! We are knitters, we care, we want you to be successful because we believe in you and in your causes.
Thank you
You bring so much humour, intelligence and enthusiasm to everything you write that it’s a delight to read. The bike rally is one of the few things you write about that I don’t personally relate to. I have a chronic illness and couldn’t manage even a day of what you do. In some ways that makes it even more interesting. A glimpse into another life as it were. Thank you for so many years of books and blog posts.
Love your blog and books ;the world is odd lately …we had an upsetting incident on father’s day ..my boyfriend is on a walker and i had a migraine coming on …uncalled for rudeness and insults…i decided the next day no one would ever be rude to me again ,went back and spoke to the manager..bikers long gone (not bicycles lol) but felt better ..thank you for listening …i love to read your blog and await seeing a new post…Go team knit …i am knitting for christmas …love and prayers .
Wow, I think about that commenter on the regular (perfectly normal behavior, right?) as a succinct example of a person who actively made a choice not to keep to themself something they should have.
Bless her heart. Maybe she has learned to do better in the meantime.
You should know that there is a glitch in Friends for Life Bike Rally computer program. It has a warning at the top of the donation pages that I’ve already donated. But I had not this year for this appeal. They must have carried over the information from a previous time period! I tried to contact Friends for life to tell them of this, but the link didn’t work.
Good luck to you and the others on Team Knit!
Honestly and Truly? I think you are absolutely correct and I don’t care what those spider experts say, I think they can jump too
As always. the thought of riding a bike from TO to MTL is almost incomprehensible to me. The last time I owned a bike it was a pretty big effort to ride it three blocks up the hill my street is on. *Hill means slight incline.
I do my best to donate in some way most years. But what I wonder is this… is science close to ending/preventing/curing aids? (My donation doesn’t hinge on that answer by the way. I am just someone who wonders alot. of things.) I know it is no longer the death sentence it once was, but can it/will it soon be eradicated?
I believe in Team Knit and how it lives out Margaret Mead’s famous quote.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Dreamvoyageur on IG
This made me tear up. Life has been hard at times lately. Knitters do understand cumulative action! Let’s go!!!
Wow, this is engrossing to read. I’m glad I came across this and had the opportunity to read it. You did a fantastic job with the information. It was very enjoyable for me. Thank you for providing such valuable and unique information.
Here goes more criticism: personally, I think your blog is wonderful and informative and not often enough. Have you seen how many comments are attached to this one day of blogging? Obviously, I am correct. Knitting brought me here, knitting keeps me coming back, knitting keeps me knitting for charity, keep knitting and blogging. We will be here when you come again.
Dear Steph – hoping you, your friends and family are all okay with the weather situation in Toronto – so worried about you! We live in Syracuse, and our neighbors in Canandaigua and Rome were hit by tornadoes – such a shock! Sending you all kinds of love and hope and care….
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You’re a big deal and you dedicate your life for you, your family and your interests. If only all of us were as honest with ourselves. I donate every year and I love it! Fundraise away for causes that mean the world to you! Go fund me? Get a clue lady!
<3
You've given us 20 years of blog posts and 8 books?
That is a lot of writing and I am grateful for it.
If the blog, after half my life (!!!) has evolved into a place we go for the Bike Rally links, that is fine. Both you and the blog deserve a rest and to slow down a little.
And if someone has a problem with that, then they never really understood, and are not really *our kind of people*, are they? 😀
I don’t comment often because I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said. But if nothing else please know that I appreciate you & I love the blog. And I think that its rubbish that anyone would accuse you of using it as a personal go fund me…
I’m glad that you were able to deal with the negative comment. When I see something online that I don’t like, rather than ranting, I try to emulate Fainting Goats and shake it off.
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Thank you. I appreciate your every written word and all you do.
Thank you for being human and humane. I enjoy your blog posts but I don’t begrudge when you don’t blog. The world is a mess, and that’s hard. X
Whenever I donate I forget that the amount is in CAD, and not USD, so it costs less than I expect. So instead of donating to just two team members, I added a third so that the total was closer to what I had intended to contribute. I love that you guys do this every year, it warms my heart in these troubled times.
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You are absolutely enough, more than enough. I have loved reading your blog over many years, and now enjoy following you on Instagram and watching your lovely family grow. I donated early on in your campaign, it’s a great cause. The world is indeed in a terrible mess and I hold dear the words of a Sudanese gentleman I was talking to, who said There will always be bad things happening in our world but we can do nothing about them, all we can do is make our little corner of the world better. You do that Steph, in so many ways. Good luck with the Rally.
Donated!
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Lovely to see you here <3
I for one (like many others here) am more than happy for you to use YOUR SPACE and voice to fundraise for an awesome cause that you can see literally changes lives for the better. Use your blog as you see fit!
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I haven’t knit in years, but I was just poking around the internet looking for things I “used to be.” I don’t knit anymore for a number of reasons, such as my eyes are just not hacking it anymore and a number of years I returned to my “roots” of flute playing.
I found you again and was very happy to see you are still blogging. This particular article really caught my eye. You are so right. Don’t care. Why should you? The person doing the posting certainly didn’t care what you thought about HER thoughts. She probably feels she’s doing you a favor. Ah, well, we are all misguided sometimes.
Anyway, I think I will check in from time to time because you are a fun writer and do exciting and interesting things.
Anyway, I just wanted to stick my nose into things. Keep on Blogging, Stephanie.
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So I’m currently listening to “adult children of emotionally immature parents” and as you mentioned your mother in the first few lines, I’m wondering if the emotional distress your feeling is a result of not being “seen” and feeling emotionally validated as a child. You might consider looking at the same title. I’ve followed you for years and years and also think you are a wonderful person.
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Keep supporting you to promote my online shop business as well.
Keep up the good work.
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Inspiring dedication to PWA through the bike rally, Stephanie! Your vulnerability and determination to make an impact are truly commendable.
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Inspiring to see Stephanie’s resilience and dedication to the PWA cause through Team Knit. Her candidness about criticism and the power of cumulative action resonates deeply. Keep riding for change!
Navigating criticism can be daunting, yet it seems essential for growth. Channeling energy into self-improvement, like mastering the Slope Game, can transform feedback into a productive force. While the concern for others’ opinions feels overwhelming, it’s empowering to share personal narratives through blogging. Each entry contributes to a larger legacy, much like how in Slope, every slope conquered builds momentum for the next challenge ahead.
I love how you’ve turned the blog into a powerful platform for good. Using knitting to create a community driven change is such a beautiful legacy.
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This passage eloquently captures the emotional vulnerability and challenges faced by writers who take criticism deeply to heart, highlighting the inner struggle between creative expression and fear of judgment.
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I’m back rereading the blog from the beginning. Comments weren’t turned on at the start. I’m having a tough go of it at the moment and I appreciate the comfort read. I know you don’t really post here anymore and I have no idea if you will ever see this, but thank you for leaving the archives up.
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Thank you for sharing such an honest perspective on taking criticism to heart—it’s something I relate to a lot, especially as someone who also puts creativity out into the world. Social feedback does play a role in pushing us to grow, but as you said, it’s often more about learning which opinions really matter. I admire your commitment to supporting the Bike Rally through Team Knit and blogging, even in the face of criticism. It’s not unlike facing a tricky course in Snow Rider 3d: navigating obstacles is part of the journey, but reaching the finish line feels all the more rewarding. Keep writing and doing the good work, even if it sometimes means sorting through challenging feedback!
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I totally get that feeling of taking criticism to heart, even when you know some of it doesn’t really matter. It’s like when someone says your drawing is funny-looking and you just wanna scribble over the whole thing. I think it’s brave to keep writing and sharing anyway, and I’m really looking forward to your Team Knit posts this year! Play pokepath tower defense Online for free
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