My calendar tells me it is International Thank You Day. So I had already decided to write about thanks today. But then I read this post by my long-time crafty icon, Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod, and I had to say
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Sister Diane,
Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for making a podcast that taught me how to be a crafty blogger and pointed me to some of the best stuff on the internet. Thank you for linking to so much crafty awesomeness that I could fill the summer days when I didn't know anyone in Mexico before my job started with a hunt for craft stash and an outlet from which to share it.
To me, crafting is community, and you have done so much to mobilize the online crafting community. You have been authentic and you've made crafting accessible. Thank you for writing back to me via personal email when I wrote to you or commented on your blog. That made me feel really special and involved in the exciting craft community.
Thank you for podcasting about Ravelry, the website that fueled my love of crochet and has led me to some of the best experiences and people of my life. Thank you for making crochet not so scary by explaining it, and making it really accessible to me by podcasting about Afya Ibomu, a cool crocheter who is black like me and inspired me to make a lot of hats!
Thank you for publishing three books and talking frankly about the ups and downs of craft book publishing. Thank you for hosting a number of business classes for craft professionals. Thank you so much for everything you've done and everything you've shared. I am sad but also happy that you closed down CraftyPod. Sad because I can't just check in an see whatever new is going on in the craft world, but happy because I know you are still serving as a real, powerful role model by taking control of your life and your career and letting go of something that has run its course.
I know you're going to keep crafting, so I'll leave you with your classic sign off -
