2026 - An Affirmation for the 
New Year 

This year I give myself permission to take time for me…

In January, the world often whispers of resolutions, fresh starts, and quick fixes — the process oversimplified in the pursuit of being slimmer, fitter, wealthier, each promising a happier you. But that’s not how it works. Rushing, pushing, striving for something always just beyond our fingertips leaves us feeling we’ve failed, that we haven’t given 100% to anything we planned. We end up tired and stressed, and the hope for happiness becomes dull and dented. And, as the ‘normal’ work and school routines started this week there is a chance that some of our resolutions will be abandoned already.

At whatever age we are, just like children, we need time to play. Play isn’t a distraction from learning — it is learning. It’s how children build knowledge, stretch beyond themselves, and discover who they’re becoming. Serious and joyful all at once, play is essential to their day. Yet as grownups, while we make sure children have opportunities to play, it often slips to the bottom of our own endless to do lists.

Knitting and crochet offer us something similar to play. They are more than crafts — they are mindful practices that soothe the mind and lift the spirit. The rhythm of each stitch invites calm, and with calm comes joy. Research shows that these gentle, repetitive movements can reduce stress and increase happiness, much like meditation. And the happiness of making isn’t found in solitude alone. When we gather with others — sharing yarn, laughter, and stories — we strengthen the social bonds that are so vital to our wellbeing. Psychologists remind us that connection is one of the most consistent predictors of happiness.

It’s that connection — the sharing of food and drink, of conversation, of skills, or simply the sharing of a safe space to sit and be — that I am nurturing at A Good Yarn.

So, as January starts with cold, dark mornings we think about all the ways we hope to improve our lives in the year ahead, I’d like us all to give ourselves permission to take time: time to learn, time to meet friends, time to create something with love that brings us joy.

Learning, like knitting and crochet, has a rhythm — one stitch at a time. When we sit with yarn in our hands, we are reminded that progress is made in small increments. Together, we support each other, and our confidence and happiness grow.

Taking time to learn is also an act of kindness toward ourselves. In a world that often demands speed and perfection, knitting or crochet asks us to slow down. It may be a bit wonky, with a few dropped stitches — but it doesn’t matter. It can be unravelled and re done, with nothing more lost than a few minutes of time. The next row, the next project, will be better, more polished, and achieved with the support of newly found friends.

So this January, I invite you to embrace slowness. Join a beginners’ class, or simply sit with your yarn and let the moment guide you. Give yourself permission to learn — not just the craft, but the art of patience, presence, and joy.