Happy brand new year, my friends!

Do you have anything cool planned for 2026?

Not so much on the cool side, but it is what it is, our big thing for this coming year is our next PCS (Permanent Change of Duty Station). This summer we expect to be moving back to Georgia for the second time, to Fort Benning again. Maybe living on post this time, though? We'll see.

But before that happens, I'm kicking off the year with another big, capital A, Fiber Art thing: I've had THREE pieces juried into the Storied Ground Exhibition at Kahilu Theater on Hawaiʻi Island!!!

Molokai: Seaside, Molokai: Mountainside, and Kalaupapa Lookout in the rain, three of my handspun and crocheted tapestries inspired by my time as an Artist in Residence with the Molokai Arts Center in January of 2025, will be on display January 17 to February 28. Yay!!!

(Clearly I have a thing for January and cool fiber art things!)

Watch this space for more info on the Storied Ground Exhibition coming soon:

You can also read the original call for art on CaFÉ here if you're curious to know more sooner rather than later!

Here's an excerpt from the call description:

The three tapestries that were selected hold so much quiet observation and the energy and memory of place within their threads. Knowing they'll spend time in conversation with another island landscape feels especially meaningful and I am just as humbled and grateful as I am excited.

This little corner of my studio will be empty for a little while, but this exhibit is such a perfect fit for these pieces. 💙

If you'd like to read more about them, please visit this webpage: www.crochetcetera.com/molokairesidency​

I'm still working on a write up to share about the Kalaupapa Lookout tapestry, but I have shared a little about it in previous newsletters, which you can read here and here.

So! That's my news, good and potentially otherwise.

I do try to treat each move as a new adventure, and I'm sure there will be plenty of them to be had in Georgia if we seek them out. But I admit that it is going to be hard for me to leave Hawaii.

Inspiration abounds here and I have been absolutely astonished by the opportunities for fiber artists here—despite the fact that there's not one single yarn shop on the island!

There is one last art show that I may still be able to submit work for, but it depends on how the submission dates align with our move date, which is still not nailed down.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed for one last cool art thing to close out our time in Hawaii while also trying to honor and appreciate the work I've done here, over the past year especially. I have grown and bloomed in the most amazing ways here and I hope that I will find a way to tend that progress through another year of upheaval.

And, in truth, even if it's the only thing I accomplish this year, having my work be included in Storied Ground is a huge honor and I'm super excited for an excuse to go visit Hawaiʻi Island one more time before we move! I ship them tomorrow, eep! We plan to visit them for the opening reception and will be staying in the cutest little AirBnB just outside of Waimea.

I can't wait!

Hopefully Kīlauea will behave herself and play nice while we're there...

All right, that's enough from me! I have a pillow cover in rainbow yarn to finish for my son. (Of COURSE he picked out rainbow yarn for me for Christmas!) 🌈

You're gonna have to put your shades on for this one, y'all:

The Twilight Fade Crochet Pillow Cover pattern is available exclusively in the Spring 2025 issue of Spin Off magazine, which you can buy here.

Cheers, y'all! 😎

-Connie

P.S. It's time to change out calendars!! If you haven't gotten a new one yet, I'd be absolutely delighted if you chose one of mine. They're available in my Etsy shop!