This Black History month, I can’t help but reflect on my journey through the crafting community.
I consider myself to be extremely blessed to have grown up surrounded by incredibly talented and creative people in BOTH sides of my family. Outside of my family, however, it seemed hard to find people of color in the crafting community here in the United States. Creativity is “in my blood,” so to speak, and so much a part of me, that I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I was determined to use my God-given talent to bless others and continue the heritage I came from.
When I honed in and focused on knitting, several times I heard: “Why do you want to knit? Isn’t that a hobby for old, white ladies?” My questions are: Is it a hobby for just “old, white ladies”? and Why do you think/assume it is for only “old, white ladies”? There has been a stereotype here in the States that has been fed for decades.
After starting A Faith Creation Etsy shop, deep down, I knew I’d have to join social media…something I tried to avoid since social media began…to advertise and bring more visibility to the shop. Reluctantly, I joined Facebook and Instagram. However, one thing I was definitely going to do was find and follow other people of color who are artists, designers, and crafters, but especially Black people in what is called the fiber community.
An entire new world opened up to me. I began to find more and more people who looked like me utilizing their creativity in the realm of knitting. My heart did a dance. It did a double dance when I saw the camaraderie and encouragement that flowed, building each other up instead of competing and tearing each other down (for the most part). I was introduced to a plethora of Black-owned businesses within the fiber community, especially among hand-dyed yarn.
A few years ago, my Pastor expressed a desire to have a necktie made from the traditional African print, Kente cloth. Well, as I don’t sew (very well), I was on a mission to hand knit one that looked similar. Shortly thereafter, the original hand knit necktie came into being.
However, the hunt for the perfect yarn was on…and continued and continued and continued…and I wondered if I would ever find it. Yarn that would be versatile enough to work for slender items like neckties all the way up to shawls.
Fast forward to the end of May 2022. I was admiring a beautiful, new colorway Jessica from Jadawoo Designs (a Black yarn dyer) posted about on Instagram and responded to her question of what I would make with it. At the time, I was in the process of designing a new shawl pattern, and her new colorway just said shawl to me. So, I commented on her post “a shawl.” She replied back, asking if I had a go-to shawl pattern. I responded that I usually tend to make up my own. Much to my surprise, she replied back with an offer of yarn support. (Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what that meant at the time.)
I sat with that for a few days, then finally got up enough courage to ask about a Kente cloth-like colorway. I was blown away by her excitement and the fact that she had been wanting to do something like that for awhile now. She got right on it, and before I knew it, she had two different colorways that were absolutely gorgeous! And, she told me to pick my favorite. Well, of course, this orange lover chose that was predominantly orange. Continuing to surprise me, she told me to name it. Me! Name a yarn colorway! I was so humbled.
My husband and I bounced ideas back and forth. We wanted something that would honor the rich heritage of the African diaspora and the centuries of those that came before us, especially within the fiber community. The perfect name came for the perfect yarn. Meet Noble Heritage.
The amazing Jessica sent me three skeins. Three! I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Next step, testing it out with the necktie pattern. From the very beginning, my excitement grew and grew along with the growth of the necktie.
It came out exactly how I envisioned it. The first necktie was a success. And so was the second…and my Pastor was overjoyed!
Extremely honored to be a part of Black history, continuing the legacy of creative makers. Or should I say…I am Black history. (and I’m still pinching myself.)