01/01/2026
Happy New Year! In 2025, Yarnbyrds covered 5,926 miles from Wisconsin to New York and so many places in between. In The Nest, we hosted The Grocery Girls and Chevyrell, featured classes by Lavanya Patricella, Safiyyah Talley, and Laura Tabbut, and continued Sock School with Jamie Mayfield and Sue Vunesky for the third year. We also held trunk shows with 29 Bridges, Destination Yarn, Knitting is Metal, Stolen Minutes and Zeezee Textiles. Thank you for your friendship and support throughout a fabulous and eventful year.
This year marks 10 years rolling with Birdie and I’ve made the decision that 2026 will be our last year together. It just feels like the right time to me. I’ll be keeping my brand, and The Nest will remain open Wednesdays, by appointment and online. I’ll keep hosting special events and classes, and I plan to concentrate on private retreats utilizing my Airbnb space above The Nest. So don’t worry, I’ll still be here!
You might notice on the website that I’ve reduced the number of shows for this year (a few due to family obligations) so you will miss seeing us at Yarncentrick, Fayette County Fiber Festival, Fresh Coast Fiber Festival (NEW! Be sure to attend as Jamie will rock it!), Michigan Fiber Festival, Pittsburgh Creative Arts Festival (NKA Stitchburgh), Wisconsin Sheep & Wool (which I’m sad about because it took years to get into it) and CakePalooza. We’ll be at the Sunkissed Fiber Festival near Tampa, Florida later this month (Birdie will stay home). I’ll also attend Wild & Woolly in February, Nash Yarn Festival in April, and both Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival and Great Lakes Fiber Festival in May. I’ll finish, at what was my first fiber festival, The Wool Gathering at Youngs Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
A decade has flown by, and it’s been an amazing ride. I’ll share updates, memories and for sure, a few tears, throughout the year. I can’t wait to catch up with you, whether it’s on the truck or in The Nest.
Knit On, Hook On and Crank On! (I finally have that drawer full of knit socks!)
Robin