I don’t know about all of you, but I’ve been loving all of the fresh creative energy this first month of 2026 has ushered in. A new year means the opportunity for new beginnings, but it can be hard to know where to start. Here’s a few ways you can refresh your creative energy this year if you’re feeling the need for a shift!

1. Nothing gets my creative energy going like reorganizing my craft materials. Cleaning out my stash, untangling all the ends of balls of yarn and actually seeing everything spread out reminds me of all the possibilities I saw when I first bought the yarn.
2. Take care of what you have! The mental energy that pile of mending in the corner of your crafting space takes up is more than you realize. Learn shashiko, visible or invisivible mending. We carry Jawoll Reinforcement Thread in almost a dozen colours to help you get started.
3. Get outside! I took a class with Drawn Outdoors, an organization that hosts outdoor creative events all year round. If something guided isn’t your vibe, you don’t have to take a workshop! Walk a new path home or get a coffee and walk along Jericho with a friend. Whichever you choose, the fresh air will do you good.
4. Schedule it. We schedule everything important to us, and our hobbies should be no different. You deserve to carve out time for things that are important to you.
5. Join a Make-A-Long, a Crochet-A-Long, a Knit-A-Long, a crafting group, or start your own. We have a list of local crafting groups on our website!
6. Switch mediums! If you’re feeling stuck in your weaving or your needlepoint, pivot to something completely new like lino-block printing or watercolours. A beginner’s mindset helps us see the world, and our creative practice, through fresh eyes.