I am finally here making the post I planned to write the first week back on campus! Why, you may ask, has it taken me so long? And why am I finally doing it? Well, the post was meant to be about all the fun things my schedule is packed with this semester, but the catch is that I’ve been too busy to sit down and write. This week has been a bit of a lesson on the importance of taking breaks-- because if you don’t, your body will simply demand them anyway! Case in point: I am currently writing to you from my bed, surrounded by three boxes of tissues, a half-empty box of Advil cold and sinus, my trusty emotional support water bottle, and my sweet little cat/staying home buddy.
All this to say, it’s been a hectic few weeks. On a normal Wednesday, I would be at the local yarn shop (For Ewe) right now-- which brings me to one of the things I’m most excited about this year. Back when I went to All Roads as a prospective student, I went straight to For Ewe to tell the owner that I would be on campus next year and see if she was looking to hire anyone. Although she wasn’t at that time, it did work out this year. The timing of this meant I started right at the beginning of the annual Yarn Discovery Tour of Northeast Ohio (aka, the busiest time of year for the shop). The tour brings in lots of folks from all over, so I’ve gotten to meet tons of people this way. And let me tell you-- it is such a joy to connect with other fiber artists like this. Often, both new and old customers will come in for yarn and end up staying and talking for hours on end. There’s always laughter, sometimes tears, and sometimes they even hug us before they go. My heart never feels fuller than it does in those moments.
On Wednesdays, we have community craft nights from 5-7. These bring in a wide variety of knitters/crocheters, including many students from the college and a couple of professors. People from the broader Oberlin community attend as well, and it’s a really great way to make new connections outside the academic sphere of Oberlin. Last week’s craft night was very raucous and fun-filled. My first year, I never made time to go to one of these. Now that I’ve gone, I sorely regret not taking advantage of the opportunity sooner. Throughout the night, I kept thinking how helpful and meaningful it would’ve been for floundering, first-year me to have this kind of structured community in place once a week. I didn’t use to go to these kinds of things because I assumed they would be awkward and stilted, full of people I didn’t know and wouldn’t end up getting to know. I was very wrong, and I’m so glad I was! Regardless of whether you knit, regardless of what year you’re in, I can’t encourage you enough to come out to one of these.
Another exciting thing happening this week was homecoming/the 5th, 20th, 40th, and 55th cluster reunion for Oberlin alumni, which meant a lot of visiting alumni coming into the shop. I’ve been really enjoying getting to meet older Obies and hear their stories of Oberlin past. They've all been absolutely delightful to talk to and lovely to meet.
For Ewe really is the perfect place, completely lit up with love and inclusivity-- its location in Oberlin makes perfect sense. To me, For Ewe is one of the places that is quintessential Oberlin-- it is precisely what we, as a community and as a college, are striving to be and represent.
