Katie here, the maker behind The Sweetgum Spot! In case you’re curious, I thought I would share a little bit about me, how I came to be a maker, and why I chose to share my journey with you!
My story starts a long time ago. As my Pap says, “before I was even a twinkle in my father’s eye.” My story starts with my Great-Grandmother. She was the wife of a master clockmaker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She made almost all of my Grandma and her brother’s clothes. And when I say made, she knit them. My Grandma still has some of the pieces her mother made and showed them to me a few months ago. I was absolutely floored. Intricate work that was so perfect it looked machine made. I could only ever dream to make something like that!
Not too long ago, she told me she had actually made more clothes for herself in her life than she had bought.
When my Grandma and Pap got married and started a family, they worked hard to create a life for themselves. They were resourceful, making or repurposing things instead of buying them new. My Grandma had learned to sew when she was younger, and used that talent to make her own clothes, and her children’s clothes. Not too long ago, she told me she had actually made more clothes for herself in her life than she had bought. Just one of the many things I admire about her.
Fast forward to the 1990’s, when I was a little girl. As an only child, I spent a lot of time sitting on the front porch with my Grandma and Pap, drinking my Grandma’s famous sweet iced tea, and a lot of time sitting in the attic with my Grandma while she sewed. One particular summer, I remember being bored and asking for something to do. She grabbed some yarn and a crochet hook, and taught me how to crochet. I made a scarf, but wasn’t hooked yet (pun intended).
I forgot about crochet and knitting until I was in graduate school. It was then I was finally reunited with this craft that runs so deep in my blood, and I realized how much I loved and missed it. It became my solace during stressful times, and my pride and joy during happy ones. Soon, I couldn’t sit still unless I had some yarn running through my fingers. My hobby became a passion, and one I couldn’t keep to myself for long.
It is my duty (and one I am proud to have) to carry on her legacy.
Now that my grandmother has passed away, it is my duty (and one I am proud to have) to carry on her legacy. It means the world to me that my business is carrying on a tradition that has spanned for generations. I choose to share my love of knit, crochet, and homemaking with you in the hopes that you will share it with your daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters, and continue to pass it on for years to come.
With love,
Katie