I'm so back
On being unapologetically extra + Extra Stitch
I’m back.
I’ve been thinking about writing here again for a while now.
Extra Stitch has already been a part of my world, through my northknits newsletter and my YouTube podcast, and it feels natural to bring it here too.
It’s always felt like a natural extension of Northknits. Northknits is the foundation, the patterns, the pieces. Extra Stitch has always been the layer around that. The part that doesn’t always fit into a pattern or a product page, but still belongs to the same world.
Not something new, just something that already fits.
What I kept coming back to wasn’t the name (though my substack was originally called knitter, also it quickly felt a little too forced), it was the feeling that I wanted to write again. In the same way I want to knit, or read, or travel, like something that’s just part of how I move through my life.
Not forced, not overly planned. Just something I come back to because I enjoy it.
If you knit or crochet, you already know that an extra stitch is usually something you don’t want. It’s the thing you notice a few rows later when something feels slightly off. It’s the moment where you pause and think, wait… how did I end up with one more stitch than I started with?
And yes, technically, it’s a mistake. It’s something you can fix. You can go back, unravel a bit, clean it up, make everything even again.
But after more than ten years of designing knitwear, I’ve also learned that it’s not always that serious.
Sometimes the extra stitch doesn’t ruin anything. Sometimes it changes the shape in a way that’s actually interesting. Sometimes it adds a little texture, or it shifts the piece just enough that it feels a bit more like your own. And sometimes, if you’re being honest, you don’t even feel like going back to fix it, and it still turns out completely fine.
There’s a kind of freedom in that.
A couple of years ago, a guy I was seeing told me I was “extra,” and I remember not really knowing how to take that. It felt like one of those comments that could go either way. Like, is that a compliment? Is that criticism? Am I supposed to take that as a sign to tone it down?
But the more I’ve sat with it over time, the more I’ve realized that it actually fits.
I am a little extra. I have a lot of ideas, I get excited about things, I care about the details, I like making things feel intentional and expressive and a little bit elevated, even when they’re simple. I like a good coffee shop moment, a stack of books I’m working through, a yarn color that feels perfectly exciting. And I don’t really want to shrink any of that or edit it down to make it more palatable.
If anything, I’ve been leaning into it more.
I can see it in my brand confidence, in the pieces I design, in the way I think about building Northknits, and even in my personal life. It’s not just about making something that works, it’s about making something that feels like me and that fits into my real life.
And that’s really what Extra Stitch is.
It’s not separate from my work, it’s actually one of the best parts of it. It’s the thoughts I have while I’m knitting, the things I’m reading and thinking about, the in-between moments that don’t turn into patterns or product pages. The walks through the city, the making time for self -love as a modern woman and letting the right man sweep me off my feet, unapologetically wearing my heart on my sleeve amongst all of the daily routine, ideas, and going with the flow of life. Because life is a lot like knitting, just gotta trust the process.
It’s also where I want to be more honest about what it actually looks like to build something creative into a business.
Because that’s a whole other layer that doesn’t get talked about enough.
I’ve learned a lot over the past few years about what it takes to move from making things because you love them to building something that can actually support you.
Lately, that’s been showing up in a few different ways. I’m going to be part of an event next week for business founders and solopreneurs, which feels really aligned with where I am right now. I have a new sweater design coming out in a few weeks. I’m also planning a bit of summer travel and thinking about how I want my work to move with me through that.
It all feels connected in a way it didn’t before.
Not in a loud or overnight way, but in a steady, intentional way that actually lasts. The kind of growth that looks and feels good from the inside out.
And for right now, this feels like a natural place to talk about the good and cozy and extra things.
So Extra Stitch is where all of that lives now. The knitting, the books, the ideas, the business side of things, the parts I’m figuring out as I go, and the parts that are starting to click.
I just wanna be the woman that isn’t always trying to make life overly polished or perfectly structured. I just want it to feel real and consistent. And right now, it does.
So yep babes, I’m back. Clear mind. Clean heart. Big goals. Feeling very aligned with my purpose, protecting my peace, manifesting, staying grateful, and feeling like the woman I’ve always been meant to be. No more holding back.
If you’re here, whether you’ve been following along for a while or you just found your way over, I’m really glad you’re here!
Jewell
Extra Stitch
by Jewell of Northknits
On being unapologetically extra + Extra Stitch