2020 September 10, 2020 15:34 1 Comment

Wow what a year it has been! All of our chances to see you, our beloved felters and comrades in fiber, have been cancelled.  Coronavirus is running through our communities relatively unchecked by our leaders.  Us white people seem to be having (hopefully) a collective awakening to the racist reality in our country that we have long turned a blind eye to.  Though tragically it has taken the lives of untold Black Americans to get us to this moment. And we are staring down the barrel of an election that very well may prove exactly what kind of country we are headed towards, and who it does  and does not care about.  There are a lot of reasons to despair, to feel helpless, to be depressed.  We spent months separated from family and friends - many of us out of work, unable to be out in the world.  I don't know about you but it was a mental and emotional test that I am still reeling from.  So here we are in the fall of these turbulent times, and trying to find ways to look ahead to an un-plannable future.  

On top of everything else it has been a trying time for Going Gnome with appendix and tooth extractions, not being able to work with one another, and having to pivot and reframe our business as we know it.  Jen and I would like to say from the bottom of our hearts - thank you so much to everyone who has reached out, said hello, purchased kits and figures, and stayed connected to us during these hard times.  Your support means the world to us!

Here at Going Gnome things have changed a lot! Without shows to attend our felting has become fairly non-existent.  We did release a special edition Maryland Gnome and our first Mystery Kit Club - which I think has been a success! Here's a peek at kits 1 and 2 of the club (Harp Seal and Mini Yeti).  
  

The usual fall anticipation, nervousness, and excitement for our busy season has taken hold of us and the gnomes, despite all of our in person shows being cancelled.  After careful consideration we have decided to retire some of our kits.  One thing that Coronavirus has provided, besides a deep inability to focus, is a boon of fun and cool ideas for new kits! So Going Gnome is pivoting away from the production of felted figures (our arms, hands, and backs are soooo grateful for this change) and focusing our creativity and energy on bringing you more new kits more frequently! We intend to keep our permanent line of kits around 20 to allow for new kits to flow in and out of it, as well as to be able to offer special clubs, limited editions, and special designs.  Hopefully you will love these changes! Keep an eye here for new items posting in October!! Check out our collection of 2020 retirees and grab them before they are gone! 

So for now I will leave you with a taste of how we spent our time in quarantine.  We had a weekly Saturday challenge and family members submitted pictures or videos.  It was a fun way to feel connected even thought we were physically separated.  
Enjoy and stay healthy!

The color challenge:

Recreate a childhood photo:

Recreate an album cover: