Are you celebrating Juneteenth?

Yes, celebrating. Historically June 19, 1865 was the day Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston Texas and told slaves they were free. The only issue was the Civil War ended two years prior. The news was late but no less good and there is good news for you too. You are FREE!

You do not need anyones permission to be good to yourself.

You are free to express your hearts desires. You are no longer enslaved by outdated, small minded standards. It can be so difficult to do the things that are not trending in the news or all the craze with social media. In short it can be tough to be a fiber artist, a creative, a knitter, a crocheter. Folks tell you that’s for grandmas, they comment that’s “boring," they tell you that “looks like it came from the store." Well I promise you that some of my favorite stitchers ARE grandmas, boring is another word for meditative, and you cannot under any circumstances buy THIS in the store.

What we do freely at Parker Avenue and everywhere is take beautiful yarn, run it through our fingers and create items woven with care and love.

We soothe ourselves, quiet our minds, escape our busy lives. We gather and laugh and share the joys of life, the sorrows of loss, the everyday struggles of being complex people in an overly-taxed world. The true enslavement is the limitation real and perceived that we have on our life. The people places and things we allow to prevent us from taking time to be ourselves and be good to ourselves.

The news has been delayed in reaching us, but we can start right now to be free. Consider the chains that are holding you, the beliefs that separate you from joy. Because someone else does not approve of your choices does not make them all bad. Because your decisions do not serve their wants does not make you mean.

There was a time when my ancestors were held in chains, separated from their children, sold as chattel, cataloged as property, whipped, raped and hung like fruit from a tree.

I still believe that my “freedom” is in jeopardy every day but I have faith that I choose over my fear and at Parker Avenue I have a community that inspires me to keep going, to keep living to be my ancestors dream. I chose to offer a space where love is love, race does not define anyone, your choices for universal positivity and love are always welcome. The past is real and should be spoken so it is never forgotten but we got word today that we are free so what will you do with this freedom you have now.

Choose love, choose life, choose compassion, choose forgiveness, choose empathy, choose gratitude, choose YOU and above all else choose Parker Avenue Knits.

There are still so many cottons to chose from in this heat of summer and even some amazing books that speak to the truth of the Black experience. Stop in and grab these treats for your lazy summer days, road trips or those vacation weeks when you can stay up late. Join us JUNETEENTH or any day to just be free.