My thoughts on this Thursday are specific to our fiber community. As I have said before, Black wave part 2 is powerful. This wave of followers and attention has all but crippled me. Let me explain these thoughts in more detail.
It’s obvious that I am Black in a predominately white fiber industry. Once again my voice, in the midst of unrest, has placed me in the limelight. Don’t get me wrong, I am loving the growth and all the new fiber friends. My question is why I am so important when it comes to matters of racism, diversity or inclusion? Is my voice not powerful any other time? Will I ever be comfortable? Will I ever be able to take all the requests at face value?
A community that is a vital part of my dream of being a full time Fiber influencer, now makes me feel used. I keep trying to steer my thoughts away from these negative feelings, but I struggle.
I know things must change. I am all for it, my issue is feeling comfortable and I pray that happens soon. My email..can I tell you how I get anxious when one comes in from someone new?
I know I will figure all of this out, this is just how I feel today. AND I’m STILL not finished with the sweater 🧐
GG- You are so much more than the color of your skin. You are well known in the fiber community for good reasons that have nothing to do with melanin. I take such joy in seeing your posts, in learning about new patterns, new yarn. (I still want to make that fabulous cloak KAL from a few months ago.) I started following you because I enjoy seeing your face, your fiber, and your words. I appreciate you.
Thank you so much for that. I appreciate you 🤗
Hi GG … I am white, and I have appreciated both waves for the new voices & faces I’ve met, both in the fiber community and beyond. I feel blessed for new fiber friends … just as I felt blessed with the arrival of Ravelry. So many people around the world that I never would have met!! You (and Adella and Maressa and Creative CiCi and so many others!) have brought me a new blessing. Not only are each of you amazing crafters and interesting (and funny!) people, but you are helping me learn.
Let me clarify that last sentence. I understand this is a burden on you, and I wish I could change that. When I say you are helping me, I don’t mean I rely on you to learn. I am doing my own work to learn. I mean that you are helping me put things into perspective … a perspective that I would not otherwise learn and understand and appreciate and value and work to change.
If I ever make you feel anything other than loved, I apologize … and I hope you call me on my ass for it.
I’m grateful for finding you … I look forward to your posts, IG, YT videos, etc. Thank you for all the work you do on those channels. I know it’s a TON of work.
I hope you kick major ass on becoming a full time Fiber influencer. I’m here to support you!
P.S. Your smile is radiant. Every time I see it, I smile. Thank you!
Thank you 🤗
GG, thank you for your openness. I am sorry for the fear and uncertainty you have right now. I dearly hope that every email you open only contains support and love. I hope that every invitation to speak or be seen comes from a place of inclusion rather than exploitation. I hope that this movement keeps going as it has far to go. Hugs to you.
So far to go, yes and Thank you 🤗
I just have one thing to say…hoping that I understand you and I believe I do. I have loved you since you came into my knitting world. What I fell for was your out going and loving personality…you had a lot of my same concerns and passions. Being a 71 year old lady, I think you are the best no matter what the color of your package is…mine so happens to be white…so what?! Keep on keepen on and you’ll be fine my friend.
I understand you completely! Thank you!!
Oh GIGI… my heart hurts that you have this burden. You are such a vibrant positive voice for so many people. When the world seems dreary and forbidding I find myself coming to your blog and your IG for your smile and the cheerful bounty of Orange loveliness. But I have another reason to love GIGI….may I tell you? (Warning… this is a little long)
My boyfriend is raising 4 kids on his own, a true life Mr. Mom. His youngest is a bright creative little girl that loves to read and draw and tell me stories about the characters in her pictures. Last year when you came to visit 4 Purls in Florida I met you in person for the first time. And you said “Have a Good Day on Purpose” in your talk. That stuck with me, and a couple of days later, I was taking this little one to the bus stop and hearing about some girls at schools making fun of her for her hand me down clothes and book bag. (Her dad is a musician, money is tight). So that morning I told her to have a great day on purpose. And I showed her your picture ( she said you had a pretty smile). We talked about how other folks don’t own our feelings and we can choose joy. She gave me a hug and got on the bus. That afternoon her dad said she came home all smiles, saying “I did it! Tell Ms. Melody I had a great day on purpose!” It was a turnaround for her and her attitude going to school. She tells me all the time now to “have a great day on purpose”. Oh… and I got her a new book bag, too…just because. I would share her picture but I don’t have her dads permission. But be assured, the next time you visit 4 Purls, I will bring her to meet you. We love GiGi!
Oooo please bring her! Can I send a gift card to
No gifts necessary, just your awesome self!
🤗
From one curly girl to another, your hair looks super cute in this picture!
GG I pray this comes out the way my heart feels it: I appreciate that you are open and willing to speak about the life experience of being black in a predominantly white community. But I think I hear your heart saying that you are more than the color of you skin. As one commenter said, your level of melatonin! You are a mom, a professional in the business world, a sister, friend, woman, daughter, etc. And a knitter! There are complexities to your personality and life experiences that make you a treasure to friends family and coworkers. I would grow weary if all anyone wanted to talk to me about was my Irish heritage, or if all My energy had to go into explaining away misconceptions about the Irish, and there are some awful ones. I am a wife, mother, sister, friend, colleague, grandma, retired teacher of the blind, follower of Jesus. We are SO MUCH MORE than the sum of our parts!
Knitting for us is creativity, joy, therapy, learning and accomplishment. It sings to us during the day, it hums to us as we work those sticks and strings. It too is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Because I respect you, may I suggest that you pour into what you live, what will feed your soul and creativity most right now?
To blog everyday can make an enjoyable-a duty. I don’t mean this as discouragement against that challenge! But whatever crowds out your joys it may be time to light that scented candle, pick up the sticks and strings and sing along with what feeds you, and leave the rest behind. It will be a wonderful day and it’s close at hand when we are knitters united in knitting, not divided by melanin.
Hi! The blogging is actually fun. Thank you Curlfriend
Good! As long as it’s fun! But you sound heavy hearted, so I hope those needles can sing to you!! Curlfriend😊
🤗
Sending love, and hopes that maybe a friend will open your new sender email for you for awhile, and do a little research on the sender before deciding whether it is something for you to read or not. Please take care of yourself first; anybody who wants to contact you from something more than fleeting interest will do so again. Stay well, fiber friend.
Thank you!
You are doing so well with the daily postings! Who cares if that sweater gets finished just yet, it’s time will come. It’s similar to your position now, at first there was excitement about the yarn and the selection of the item to be made, just like it was for you to decide to become a vloger., what would you say or how many times would you vlog. Now, people know you as a speaker of truth and one to be forthright! We are still here as that sweater is still with you up until the days comes when it gets completed! You are a work in progress and that’s okay! Keep working through it, I’ll be here.
Susan that made me smile
GG, I totally get that you feel this way. I’m white, but started following you, not because of “the wave”, but because I was drawn to you based on how vibrant, articulate and intelligent you are. I’m sorry you’re feeling like this. I’ve learned so much from listening to you, and will continue to do that, just listen.
Thank you 🤗 for reading
I’m so sorry if I’ve contributed to any of these feelings. I am still relatively new to knitting and kind of binge follow people who get linked if I like their feeds. Yes, I admit that I did need to diversify my feed, and I’m sorry. But I am not going to keep following you because of that. I love your unique knitting voice! So many feeds blend together, but yours is so vibrant with the gorgeous color and your smile.
Thank you for being open and sharing. (And also thank you that you blog! I haven’t been good at following blogs for a while because all the short form stuff on IG, but I truly enjoy hearing longer thoughts written out. I don’t actually follow many knitting blogs at this point and am thankful for yours!)
thank you for being here 🤗 I appreciate you
Hi Gigi,
You have definitely attracted new followers. I myself follow a lot of Facebook and Instagram pages and come across many different people every day. I found you through a well respected designer that I admire. However people found you, the important thing is what they do now that they are here. You have a wonderful way with words, and how you convey your thoughts you really get people thinking. I imagine though that this influx of attention can weigh heavy on you and I am sorry for that. As for knitting, you have a flair that is contagious and you already have me rethinking my usual muted colors. Definitely a win-win for me. I appreciate you and enjoy being here. Thank you, I do hope it gets better for you.
Thank you 🤗 for reading 👩🏾💻
The treasure you seek is in the cave you do not want to enter. The feelings are your journey. No one can make you feel a certain way. If you are being used, shame on them. If you feel used, that is on you. The quest is to figure out why.
That’s a way to think of it thanks
GG, thank you for showing up with that smile even as all of this is going on. As a white woman, I know that I can’t understand what you are going through. I’m listening, and learning, and hopefully doing better.
What first drew me to you is your smile and enthusiasm for knitting, and trying new things, and overcoming your fear of screwing up.
Thank you for all you bring to the knitting world- your charisma and love of the craft make you a natural star. I’m not taking you for granted. ❤️
I just want to say I hear you, and support you.
thank you for being here 🤗 I appreciate you
Hi GG,
My name is Linda. I am a white woman that lives in a small, pre-dominantly White New England town in NH. I did find you through the sudden out-pouring of lists of BIPOC makers/designers. I was just beginning to take knitting up again and I was looking for people who love knitting. I was looking for people who wanted to share their love of making, color, and designing. And I wanted to find people that were thoughtful and had things to say.
I found you. I found you through the lists. I stayed because of the conversations, the thoughts, the color and the discussions here. Reading about your decisions to embrace bright orange, your learning to like yourself just as you are struck real chords with me.
I don’t think any of us will ever be the same again. But I love reading your strength-filled posts, your questions strike so many chords in my heart, you make me think.
I’m finding peace in knitting again, but I’m also finding truth and change. Thank you for letting me find that here.
Hi Linda! Thank you for being here 🤗
Thanks for sharing the truth of your conflicting feelings, GG. The truth is, I found you because the virtual VKL that happened in May made an effort to include and highlight fiber artists of color. Then I followed you because loved what you had to say, and the way you said it. So, yes, I guess I found you because of your skin color. But I think I followed you because of you you are. That’s complicated and uncomfortable to talk about and I don’t claim to know the answers or to be getting it right.
I know it’s better for me — a white woman — to cultivate awareness of all types of artists from all types of backgrounds, to have them in my head when I think of who fiber artists are. How do we promote opportunity for people of color in this industry while not doing things *because* of someone’s race? I don’t know. I’m trying to expand my mind and question my assumptions. I’m trying to do more right things than wrong things, but I’m probably messing it up more often than I would like.
I’m so grateful that you are sharing your discomfort. I’m sorry you’re walking through that right now but I’m also glad you’re willing to engage in the dialogue.
I hope things get better. I keep telling myself they will.
Hi! Thank you for being here and responding. Yes I have to believe things will get better.
Hi GG
I hope this comes out right. Reading the other comments it seems to me that maybe some people came because of the Black wave part 2 but we’re staying because of who you are – all of you – a knitter, mom, woman who loves orange etc. It sounds like you’re tired. I hope you can rest and find solace in knitting and loved ones as well as blogging. But if you need a break, we’ll be here when you get back. Love Carolyn
Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡