A Merry Christmas in Jail

This past Christmas season was very special for me and Knitting Peace. Mainly because I finally had the opportunity to stay in Bolivia for the holidays, which up to know I usually spent in Los Angeles, selling our goods and participating in gift fairs. However this year was different, I spent it here, with my team!

We were all very excited, and although I couldn’t put together the celebration my girls deserved with a tree, Santa, champagne, gifts, etc (let’s not forget the girls are in a jail), I was able to go into the jail during non visiting hours and have a special intimate gathering with my team, where we shared tea, chocolate milk, Christmas Paneton and cookies.  It was the first time in a long time we had the opportunity to gather around a table and chat. 

I started off the gathering by sharing my gratitude with them for all of their hard work, diligence, perseverance and inspiration. I experienced tremendous growth in each one, on a personal and team level this year, and am extremely grateful for all of their effort and support.  Each team member received a Paneton and chocolate milk to share with their children on Christmas day, which they greatly appreciated. I also gifted them pictures I had taken of them throughout the years of working together, which they asked me to write an inscription on. 

Towards the end of our sweet meal, the girls surprised me with a showering of gratitude and beautifully spoken words of excitement for what is to come, love for the work that we do, lessons received, and mountains of joy.  Each woman shared freely what Knitting Peace has meant to them, and all that they had achieved. In that moment I was able to perceive a group of women sitting in their power, and I almost forgot that I was in a jail. I realized that each and every woman sitting around that table was free; in their hearts and in their minds they experienced the freedom to be in peace and outside of the limitations of the walls of that jail. 

~Namaste

Our New Collection! and New Team!

We have been a busy group at Knitting Peace! We launched a new collection, had our first Fashion Show, and revamped our store space. This is the reason for our silence in the past few weeks.  In addition to all of this, we also started working with a new group of knitters, who are amazingly talented. This new group is creating all the new hand woven pieces added to our collection. We also added a new line of hand knit pieces, which of course as always are made by our group of incarcerated women.

The pieces are chic, full of color, layer friendly and transition beautifully from day to night. We love this new collection and know that you will too!

Here is a preview, and will all soon be available on our online store www.knittingpeace.com

Enjoy!

  Alpaca Hand Knit Ribbed Shrug                                                          Alpaca Hand knit Cardiwrap 

                                                                      

Alpaca Hand Woven Sweater Coat and Scarf                                                    Alpaca Hand Knit Cape

 Alpaca Hand Woven Sweater Dress

                            Alpaca Hand Knit Cardiwrap                         Alpaca Hand Woven Sweater Coat

Knitting towards a greater good

We just recently started an internship program at Knitting Peace, which has been an incredible blessing. I didn’t realize how much work I was postponing until Beatriz came along, and got my wheels spinning in motion. It’s fascinating how the Universe works, we truly are powerful beings. 

I had set the intention of attracting a team of supporters to help me take Knitting Peace to the next level, and bam… I feel like I have an army now.  It’s amazing how much can be accomplished with strong intention, honest self evaluation and grounded clarity. What seemed impossible and a burden is now clear open space, with infinite possibilities.

In my moments of doom and gloom, I had forgotten why I had chosen to work with incarcerated women, and why Knitting Peace existed and what it stood for. Luckily, with the help of Beatriz’s soft presence, my girls had the opportunity to open up and share with her what Knitting Peace meant to them and how our work together has benefited their lives.

Hearing what each team member had to share, expressed so lovingly was a gift for me. These women did not sound like repressed, fearful women who are incarcerated. They expressed themselves like warriors who were on a path towards something better.

Xenia shared that she hoped Knitting Peace would continue to grow, and that she could continue to work for us even after she restored her freedom. She looked forward to assisting me in creating new designs and putting her talents to good use.  She felt she made a difference in Knitting Peace and was proud of the work she did with us.

 

Rosario, mother of 2 expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to work. She shared that very little work was available to them, and that through Knitting Peace she was able to work continuously throughout the year and support her children in staying in school while she remained incarcerated.

I am once again reminded of the importance of our work, and inspired to continue on this path. It’s a very exciting time for Knitting Peace, we can’t wait to see what else the Universe has in store! 

Moments to Treasure

I often get caught up on the hamster wheel of doing, running on auto pilot, with a daily list of to do’s, deadlines that must be met, and projects that need to be started. Having a creative mind keeps me very busy, and full of great ideas which I am always starting.

However from time to time, I am reminded or forced to stop and just be; presented with moments which take my breath away and are full of beauty.

Virginia recently joined our team. She was presented to me by a loyal team member, with the promise that they would work together in order to bring Virginia up to speed. Little did I know that Virginia was an experienced knitter, and had been trying to get on Knitting Peace’s radar for some time.

She has been on our team for almost two months, and in that time frame has consistently presented beautiful work with a speed I had not known possible for hand knitting.  However that is not what has impressed me most about Virginia.  What impressed me most is her tremendous capacity to bring lightness and positive attitude to any situation; I find her light heartedness inspiring. I remind you, Virginia and all my knitters are incarcerated, making light heartedness hard to imagine, given their circumstances.

One day, while I was waiting for one of my knitters to show me her work, Virginia sat next to me and began to share her story. She is a mother of 3; her children are 14, 12 and 9, and they currently live with her mother. During her incarceration she has worked in the kitchen or laundry department which provides a monthly wage of less than $50, hardly enough to support 3 children, herself and pay for legal fees.

Virginia shared that she had heard about Knitting Peace and considered trying to get on our team since last year, but was afraid her knitting skills weren't good enough and was intimidated by our work. Luckily for me, she got over that and is now a valued team member, making more than twice the amount she earned in the kitchen or laundry.  Her ability to provide for her children has improved substantially and I am so happy the demand for our beautiful pieces allows me to support her talent and the sustainability of her family.

In this cycle of life, we are all one. One’s needs are joined synchronistically to another’s talent by the invisible light that binds us all. What a blessing and privilege it is for me to support and help that light grow.

Virginia’s specialty: Knitting Peace's Versatile Scarves

Photos by Daniel Caballero