Thank you to the stranger who 30 years ago, held a garage sale down the road from where I lived with my parents. I was 12, and I didn’t realize on that day that my whole life would shift in a direction that would lead me to this moment, here and now, writing this for you.
Thank you to my mom who always encouraged my endless love of creating. She bought me a set of teeny tiny metal crochet hooks and the old doily pattern books at that garage sale, and I scurried home to read the instructions and learn to crochet.
Thereafter, I remember spending countless hours crocheting doilies and bookmarks. Table runners, coin purses, and yet more doilies! You’d think I was raised in the Victorian era due to my love of doilies even at such a young age!
Anytime my mom and I would head to Salvation Army, my first (and only) stops would be the yarn and book sections. There were always new delights to behold and treasures to take home!
In my 20s, I taught myself to knit from a book and later to spin and dye my own yarn.
And when the stars aligned and fate would have it, I opened Expression Fiber Arts.
And what a journey it’s been!
Sometimes, the reality hits me – that I get to do this for a living. And if I could go back and hug that little 12-year-old girl and tell her thank you, I would.
Thank you, little one, for following your passions. Thank you for jumping into your creative pursuits with abandon! It’s brought me so much joy throughout the years and connected me to so many beautiful souls.
And to you, reading this post…
Thank you for being a part of this fun adventure that I am so blessed to be a part of every day. Thank you for being YOU and expressing your gorgeous creations. You never know who you’ll inspire or whose life you’ll transform just by being yourself.
Some people may look at what we do as knitters and crocheters and think we’re just swinging string. But we know.
We’re tapping into something much greater than ourselves. A creative force. A sense of connection that binds us together. And expressing that into the physical world.
And what could be more beautiful than a life lived in full, beautiful expression?
“To express your creativity is to weave the whispers of dreams into the fabric of reality.”
So express yourself fully and completely with your creations and know they truly do make the world more beautiful!
Much love, Chandi
Oh my this such a beautiful story! And I am glad that you have this creative streak! And thanks to the wee 12 year old girl and her mom! 🤗🤗
Spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, all of these fiber crafts link us to history and lead us into the future. We are one of many who practice the “witchcraft” of turning fiber into strands that interlace and become something more. I am humbled, honored, and proud to be a stitch in the fabric that binds us, as craftspersons and artisans, together.
We all began with a spark, that lit a flame, that that warms our soul as we create. Thank you, Chandi, for sharing your love of this journey, your inspiration, your encouragement, your craft.
A million Thanks for posting this !!!!
That 12 year old girl is still presently alive to talk to and oh so very important ! I am a retired pastoral counselor and have had some absolutely unforgetable experiences to confirm this. Again, thank you for so beautifully expressing your grateful heart which is so very inspiring to all ❣️
Chandi,
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story! I look forward to your posts everyday – what story you are going to share, to see your squishy yarns and to ponder over the patterns you share. Keep doing what you’re doing, you bring love and beauty into so many peoples lives!
Thank you!
Kitty
Hi Chandi,
I so enjoyed your post about your childhood memory of discovering your creativity, just lovely. It’s good to remember who we are & what really matters. And thank you for such a great website that inspires my creativity each time I visit.
Makes me all warm and fuzzy! Just like your beautiful yarns. You have come full circle and you are very very lucky to be able to do this for a living! Congrats!
I appreciate that you shared this story. I love tour history of crafting and how you founded your company and mostly, how you found Tim!
My similar “gotcha” moment was the night OJ Simpson was being chased on the highway in California. I convinced my husband that I could put a modem in our computer. (This was 1994–modems did not automatically come with computers back then.)
I took the case off the computer and looked inside and immediately said “WOW!” My husband came down and looked and said he didn’t see the same. I decided I had to learn more, which turned into a wonderful career of computer repair and network administration.
I felt lucky to have found something to do that I loved that never felt like a job.
Wow, that’s an awesome story. Thank you for sharing 💙
I love that story! For all of us who found the people who would spin us in a new direction – thank you to my own lovely group of ladies that I worked with who patiently showed me the ‘way to crochet’ – thank you just doesn’t express our appreciation of what they did for us!
Dearest Chandi,
I always look forward to receiving your email. Yours is one of the most beautiful sites i have seen.
I am now a 78 year old person – luckily still fairly active. I wish I had more time to knit and crochet but … My Mother taught me to knit when I was about 6 years old. She always was a ‘hard marker’ in every way, and so I had to learn her way. She also taught me how to unravel the mysteries of ‘reading’ a pattern. She has been gone now for 12 years, but I still thank her for teaching me the ‘right way’ to knit. I think one of the saddest days was when she was telling a friend that I had taught myself to knit when I was very young. Not so, Mom … and thank you for getting me started. And thank you Chandi!
This is a beautiful history! I love learning how people journeyed to the yarn-crafting community—and why they stay. Thank you for sharing, and for being a constant positive light for all of us!
Thank you Chandi!
What a lovely story. I learned how to knit when I was six. My grandma taught me and later my mother -in- law helped me. I am now 81 and I still knit or crochet everyday. I have taught many people to knit and crochet, at night school, yarn shops and anywhere else I can pass on the craft. The latest person who I inspired is my massage therapist. She taught herself to crochet and now has learned to knit. We have become friends through all of this and the joy I find when she takes on a project with my help has made the days a whole lot happier. My grandson’s wife is also a knitter and crocheter and though she doesn’t live near me we spend many happy hours on FaceTime or just texting solving problems, asking advice or just plain showing off our latest creations. Knitting is my passion and I am so happy my grandma started me on this journey.
Chandi,
Thank you for posting this musing about your creative journey. Your site has inspired me to sail on into the deep in my own creative experience. Like you, I started at an early age, learning crochet and knitting basics. I bought a sewing machine at age 16, and delved into making my own clothes. I still use that same sewing machine, now 50 years later. After a busy nursing career, I was finally able to retire, and now enjoy countless hours cultivating the seeds that were planted within me at an early age. Again, I can enjoy making garments for myself and others, but now I do so with crochet. It keeps my hands busy, and fills my time with a sense of joy and fulfillment that I had not been able to achieve in other ways. I have been able to share my talents with a local charity that benefits women with breast cancer, making cup cozies for their retreat each year. I am so thrilled that you are able to achieve such success with your business, and I share your site with others in my local community.
So beautifully written. Thank you Chandi for the wonderful patterns and beautiful yarns you create. I love all of them.
Absolutely beautiful and inspiring story. Thank you Chandi for continuing to spread joy, love and expression throughout the world ❤
Thank you for your “back story”. I always enjoy learning how & when folks got involved with fiber arts. And this line…”You never know who you’ll inspire or whose life you’ll transform just by being yourself.” means a whole lot to me. I see it all the time, especially when I’m crocheting in a public place. I love your fresh, positive messages. Thank you, Barbara T.
Chandi, it’s a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story. My Mom also encouraged me in my creative endeavors just as her Mom encouraged her. I think that we should be more positive and encouraging of other people because that might make all the difference in their life. I’m so grateful I found this wonderful community of crafters, it’s helped in my healing and moving on through difficult times.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I,too, love to knit. Crocheting is a little out of my realm now as my wrists have been giving me problems. I have been knitting since I was about 10 and still spend my evenings clicking away.
I love getting your newsletters and looking at all the wool. It’s hard not to order yarn as I have enough projects to last until I am 300.
Thanks again for sharing.
Jackie
PS: I receive your newsletters twice as you have me listed as Jackieakshor
My correct email is below
Hi Jackie, thank you for your message. I’ll make sure to let our team know and fix the 2 email addresses for your. Have a nice day. – Johanna 💙
Hi Jackie, we have trouble locating your second email address to combine them. Could you please reach out to us via the contact form at https://www.expressionfiberarts.com/contact-us/ adding both email addresses so we can fix the newsletter issue? Thank you! – Johanna 💙
Yes, you are always an inspiration of beautiful things – not just yarn!
Thank you for what you do – and do so well!!♥️
What a beautiful story!! Thank you for sharing your “beginnings!”
Take a knitter or a crochet who calms their anxiety with the rhythmic flow of making beautiful stitches and creating things for loved ones and their homes. Then expose them to an unlimited amount of textures and colors to please their senses of touch and sight that can be accessed online anytime. Add a rewards program, free shipping and awesome customer care and there will NEVER be enough time or too much yarn to hoard. Make it easy for them to bond with other exquisite creatures who enjoy the same with MKAL and MCAL’s from a host of wonderful designers and talented dyers and fantastic giveaways and that’s how you become our favorite Local Yarn Store.
Thank you, Chandi, we love you 💖
So beautiful!
Love this, Chandi. If you’re not a knitter or knotter, you can’t understand the range of feelings experienced as needles or hooks clink in your hands, turning skeins of yarn into garments for new grandchildren, hats for cancer patients, prayer shawls for dying friends, and treasured baby blankets for little bundles of joy entering the world. Knitting and crocheting brings a calm over me when the stress is high, the pressures seems like too much, and I just want to crawl inside myself and cry. Thank you for sharing your story, and for creating so many beautiful yarns for all of us to enjoy!!!
“Slinging string”! I almost fell out of my chair on that one! I’ve never thought of it that way! I will say that you are so gifted and talented and such a blessing to is in this knotted up world!
Lately, I’ve taken to calling my hobby and myself, “fibre artist”. It’s NOT just knitting! It’s pouring yourself into your craft, sometimes more than others. Many times knitting has saved me – or someone else – from me! 🙂 Everyone should do it!
Thank you (and Tim) for taking the chance and sharing your passion. With all of us!
From one string slinger to another –
Heather
Dear Chandi
I taught myself to knit from your videos. I absolutely love your yarns & your creative narratives & & sweet comments. You may have missed your calling of writing. Your beautiful descriptions paint such a lovely picture of your yarns. Thank you for all your videos showing & sharing how to knit all the different patterns & stitches. Thank you. Judy Edwards
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story Chandi. I am truly blessed at a time when I need it the most. Much love, Thea💗💐🌺🌸💗
Thank you for sharing your story. And for continuing to encourage others to expand their craft.
It sounds very much like a lovely fairytale jumping out of the storybook and unfolding itself! I’ve also started crocheting at 12. My mother would crochet and knit and I would be fascinated by how her needles would click together. Finally, I decided to give it a try, and thus, began embarking on my crocheting journey. My mother uses only your patterns to make projects, and very soon, I followed her footsteps and made projects with your patterns too! Together, in the warm sunshiny days of afternoon, I would ask my mother for help whenever I can’t work the pattern out and she would patiently teach and guide me. Thank you Chandi for all your gorgeous patterns!
Hi Chandi thank you for such a beautiful story. Reminds me of my Grandmother and I. She taught me to knit And crochet and many other things.
I love your patterns and your Facebook pages. You are beautiful and a special person. Thank you !
My mother taught me to knit at the age of 10. I think she had an ulterior motive. We moved to AK summer of 1960. I’d always been an outdoors sort so when winter hit, it didn’t stop me. I donned boots, parka and snow pants and headed out the door. This continued until after the day spent outside removing my boots my dad saw some tiny toes looking like early frostbite (he & mom were from MI). Feet immediately into a pan of warm water. I think it was then Mom started looking for indoor pursuits to lessen my time outside. Like you, the rest is history. I dabbled in needlepoint, embroidery, a good bit of counted cross stitch, Indian bead work, but I always seem to return to the knit and crochet. Like you I hit the thrift store (Goodwill mostly) and have amassed a sizeable yarn stash from which I make blankets for charity. It’s a double win. Nice donations and I get to try different interesting patterns especially now that I am retired. I recently downloaded one of your lovely patterns to use on some yarn in my stash that is half wool, half silk. I’m really looking forward to this one! Thank you for sharing your story with us!
Your story is monumentally sweet and brings back memories of my own childhood of expressing inner thoughts through the creative process. Thank you for sharing beauty with us.