The Long Pink Table — July 19, 2026
Hi friends,
I under-scheduled the kids this summer. In June that felt generous. By mid-July it's just a mistake I made in June. And working from home when you also own the store means everybody assumes you're free, because technically you're right there.
The last week of swim season brought roughly one million events - we were kinda relieved that weather/smoke brought some cancellations towards the end. And because we don't know how to relax...winter swim tryouts are next week.
I did steal one thing that was purely mine: a pickup softball game with a bunch of the other town moms. I have not been that sweaty in years, and I loved every minute of it. Forcing yourself to be social once in a while really pays off!
And I've been knitting like it's a second job, which — based on the first one — it sort of is. I cast on an April Cardigan by PetiteKnit in Isager Sock in color O, held with whatever scraps of leftover mohair my kids pulled out of a bag at random. It's gorgeous, and it keeps it interesting.
— Joey
P.S. Tell me what you're making. Doesn't matter if you just cast on yesterday.
Corner of State & Olive in Media. Big teal windows, 14-foot pink table. Bring your project and spread it out. Ask a question or don't — everyone else at the table has yarn in their bag too.
This week: the summer classes are filling up & the new cross-stitch kits are on the table by the register.
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The sweater that eats your scraps
I'm deep in a PetiteKnit April Cardigan, and I'll be honest about the method: Isager Sock held with whatever mohair my sons pick out of the leftovers bag at random. Using up the odds and ends makes me feel weirdly whole. I often think about selling tiny scrap balls in the shop, like gumballs. Pattern: April Cardigan by PetiteKnit — paid, worth it. Grab yours: Isager Sock in color O ($10) + Isager Silk Mohair ($16) |
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Cloth napkins for the porch table
Dinner outside is better with them and I don't fully know why. A fat quarter each, mitered corners, done. Mix stripes and gingham from the same collection. Free tutorial: Suzy Quilts' cloth napkins — she designed this fabric, so. In stock: Fruit Salad Stripe, Bubblegum Gingham, Sundress Stripe ($4.50/qtr yd) |
Knit T-Shirt: Sew with a Serger! — a tee that actually fits, off Closet Core's free Core T-Shirt pattern. Stitch all over it afterward if you want.
Tuesday & Friday Knitting/Crochet Circles — bring whatever's stumping you. Lauren will sort it out. Drop in.
Rhinebeck 2026: Antipodes Sweater — Andrea Mowry, cables and colorwork. Not a first sweater.
Cozy Cascade Jacket — the loose layer you'll want in September.
Piper Beach Bag (Crochet) — a big summer tote. Finish it while it's still summer.
Kids Beginner Knitting: My First Scarf — cast on, knit, be proud.
Machines — we sell them and we fix them. The Janome Sewist 721 is sold out right now but we can special-order it anytime. Repairs are Janome only, from $75, 30-day labor warranty.
Winter Woodlands
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Flowers in the Thicket
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Peppermint Candy
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Hal the Jack-o-lantern $30
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Lola Loca Polar Bear $30
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Scooter the Raccoon $30
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The Snarky One $35
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Sunlit Buttercup $30
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Book Lover $25
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Needle, thread, plain white tee. Pick a sashiko color and start stitching wherever you want — there's no pattern to follow. The ones I keep coming back to are stitched around a hole in a shirt somebody already wore out.
Sashiko Thread
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Variegated Sashiko
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Sashiko Needles
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Embroidery Hoop
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Watching: The World Cup final this weekend, at somebody's house with half of Swarthmore.
Reading: Finished The Sleepwalker. The ending was too neat. Started Crook Manifesto, off a thrift shelf.
Eating: Whatever looks good at the farmers market tomorrow. I never bring a list.
Doing a little good: Loudly cheering for every kid whose name I know, at every team sport, all summer long. Unpopular opinion: parents are too quiet at these things. Is this my toxic trait, or a public service?
Jay-Z's 30th-anniversary shows out of NYC. Wrong tempo for hand-stitching. Playing it anyway.
Rose Tree Summer Festival — free concerts in the amphitheater at 7:30. Bring a blanket. This week: 22 Park Avenue Swing Band (Sun 7/19), Angry Young Band doing Billy Joel (Wed 7/22), The Rockdale Boys (Thu 7/23), Del's Groove (Fri 7/24).
Dining Under the Stars — State Street closes to cars every Wednesday, 5–10pm, and the whole town eats outside. Go hungry.
@mikimster — if the stitching-around-the-hole thing up there got you, go look at this.
That's the week. See you at the pink table.