HI, I'M JEN
Every knitter - that's you - deserves a wardrobe rich in sweaters that make you feel like your most radiant self. To open your sweater drawer and see nothing but favorites. Sweaters that fit, that are comfortable for your daily life, that work with the rest of your closet, and that were a thrill to knit. You know, an absolute ARMLOAD of favorite sweaters.
So I write knitting patterns - specifically, patterns for garments and accessories that you're going to wear over, and over, and over. Size inclusive, fine-finishing, make-worthy sweaters for the body you have right now.
My patterns are transparent, so you'll know what you're getting into before you buy. I'll give you great info on choosing a size. You'll probably learn some new skills, but you'll probably only tackle one new thing at a time. You're going to invest your time and resources in knitting, and I'm going to help you love the finished product.
You deserve, frankly, perfect sweaters - and you've got this! I'm here for you every step of the way. Truly!
MY COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION
It can feel very overwhelming to be a consumer or a very small biz and to contemplate our role in social justice and racial equity.
My approach is to start by being very explicit with my values, to recognize that I’m operating in a culture defined by white supremacy, and to make decisions using an equity framework. Below, you can find my equity values. My framework lives in a blog post because I’d love to encourage some conversation and hear your thoughts; you can find that here.
There are lots of ways to approach racial equity work. I have found Tema Okun’s document White Supremacy Culture to be incredibly helpful to me, because it has helped me name the dynamics and because it offers concrete antidotes.
VALUES
I have a responsibility to constantly evaluate and update my beliefs and behaviors
I’m a white designer who benefits from racial, age, size, income, neurological and gender identity privilege (a non-exhaustive list!) I have a personal responsibility to examine my behaviors and beliefs for ways that I unconsciously uphold supremacy, including white supremacy, ageism, sizeism, classism, and ableism.
Ensuring the safety of my spaces is a critical part of my agreement with my community
I have a responsibility to create online spaces that are safe, including enforcing boundaries that keep me and my community safe.
We operate in a system defined by white supremacy, and it limits every single one of us
The safety and wellbeing of people from all cultures is a priority for me. Furthermore, there are all sorts of ways to be a person, and my world is personally the richest when I benefit from the thinking, art, and perspectives of as many people as possible. White supremacy culture limits and harms all of us (although obviously, some more than others), and we all benefit from tearing down systems of oppression.
We create in community with each other
Pattern design is an act of team co-creation that involves contributions from the designer, rancher, dyer, editor, photographer, testers, and knitters! Only one of those roles is mine, but all roles are critical - I value collaboration and feedback.