It is my great honor to bring you the first ever Stitch Up Chicago Box of Love! With the pandemic putting Stitch Up Chicago 2021 on hold, I wanted to do something to share some love with my fiber community. So I worked hard to pull together some of the things that have brought me joy in these times and got some of my favorite companies involved too!

Who doesn’t enjoy beautiful tools and new products to try?

As always, in true Stitch Up Chicago style, the Box Of Love includes two new free patterns for the West Chicago Shawl - And of course, both knitters and crocheters can join in the fun and make this shawl. Perfect in time for Spring evenings!

The West Chicago Shawl is named for the street the new Nina Chicago calls home and is inspired by the amazing community of Stitch Up Events indie dyers. We have partnered with Nina Chicago every year for Stitch Up Chicago since the very beginning. It only seems fitting to finally name a design after such an incredible part of our fiber community!

The West Chicago Shawls feature a sampling of yarn from Asylum Fibers, Queenie Crochet, KraeO, Jilly & Kiddles, Lavender Lune Yarn Co., M1 Yarns, Marianated Yarns and Movers & Makers (Nina Chicago) . All of these yarns are anchored and showcased by a beautiful silver-grey from Movers & Makers, Nina Chicago’s in house dye brand.

Each and every Box of Love INCLUDES this exclusive kit!

It was such an incredible honor and privilege to collaborate with these talented dyers on this project. What is extra special is how it all came together so organically. Our email thread was an explosion of creativity and support and camaraderie.

We did not initially plan a rainbow for the Box of Love And The West Chicago Shawl Patterns. It came together as each dyer brought forth their contribution. When I had them all in hand I could not believe how perfect it was! Far more perfect than I ever could have dreamed or planned.

I love that the West Chicago Shawl looks like a rainbow breaking through storm clouds. That sentiment is so appropriate to this moment we are all experiencing. We are all hoping we are seeing the end of the very challenging times we’ve been living through.

The design came together with ease and truly allows each of these incredible yarns to shine and be a true, unique star. This kit is exclusive to the Stitch Up Chicago Box of Love.

Also in true Stitch Up style, there is so much more to this Box of Love than yarn. There are surprise treats to make your creative life extra special and bring a smile to your face throughout your day.

We are also excited to once again partner with Mays Made & Earls Gurls Shirt Company for our second year in a row to bring you a fun new shirt. We fiber people have been through a lot in the pandemic but I think it is safe to say that we have the STITUATION HANDLED! You can get even more from Mays Made here.

Every Stitch Up Chicago Box of Love will also include some special treats and a full ball of Aloft Super Kid Mohair from our friends at We Crochet. I had the privilege to use this super soft yet sturdy mohair in my Promenade Shawl and am so thrilled that everyone who gets a Box of Love gets to try it too! It will be one of your new faves to add that soft airy accent to your pieces and it comes in So. Many. Colors! The options are endless!

There are more than just fabulous fiber treats in the Stitch Up Chicago Box of Love. I wanted to bring you a bit of the things that bring me comfort and joy and keep me going.

So there is soap and lip balm from Beekman 1802, one of my favorite clean and conscious skin & beauty care companies. I am a huge fan of their products and ethos. One of the founders is also a knitter and they also host a fabulous Artisan Shop. So you know every item is developed and made with care.

If you know me, you know I am a huge fan of Schitt’s Creek. And if you already know of Beekman 1802, it is no shock to find they partnered with Schitt’s Creek to bring the Rose Apothecary line from the show to life. I love it when things that are meant to be come together!

I am so excited to bring these items to you to extend that kindness and love of community that Beekman 1802 is all about in the Stitch Up Chicago Box of Love.

We are so proud to include a pound of coffee from Backstage Coffee Roasters in each Stitch Up Chicago Box of Love. Founded by two concert touring professions who were furloughed due to COVID-19 pandemic, this company is a testament to picking yourself back up when circumstances turn the world upside down and you are faced with the unexpected and put to the test. It is my honor to support those from the industry I love and that helped me have a great career before fiber.

Not to mention, this is my new favorite coffee and I have not stopped drinking it since they launched! I cannot wait for you to try some. And then when you fall in love with it like I did, you get a special discount on your first order!

We have so many more wonderful treats for you to bring you a hug in a box until we can be together to hug and stitch again. We have a pin from Shiny Crafty People, a food-grade lotion yarn from M1 Yarns. Treat your woolens to a Tuft Bar Soap bath and upgrade your tool kit with a My Two Ladies needle case or crochet hook and SO MANY NOTIONS from Nina Chicago, and a stitch marker from the lovely A Needle Runs Through It shop - all packed into your Box of Love!

To get you through the home stretch of these pandemic times, the Box of Love also has one of my fave Nuun Hydration packs because we all need to be staying hydrated and healthy in these times and they are essential in my work bag at the grocery AND an extra special custom treat from hometown Chicago gal Amy of Amy’s Candy Bar!

And if you know me then you will not be shocked to find there are other special discounts and treats in your boxes too!

I had a blast putting this together and packing up these boxes for you. My cohort Hilary of Nina Chicago joined me for a night of packing fun and we cannot wait to get these boxes in your hands. I hope you love them and they bring you a bit of joy and comfort in these times.