We have been lucky enough to have had Tricia on our team for the last few years, and we're not quite sure what we'd do without her! She helps in so many ways, but one of her primary roles with us is managing and leading many of our classes and workshops. We are beyond grateful for Tricia and love being able to share her story of the healing arts bringing her to us at just the right time.

MFY: How did you become a knitter/crocheter?

Tricia: I learned to knit about 20 years ago. I was in grad school and a friend from my cohort was always talking about how great knitting was, and that I should learn. I finally let her teach me. It was an unfortunate, brown yarn, and my learning swatch looked like a turd. I offer this story up frequently to my own knitting students so they can have a giggle as they look at their own first swatches.

MFY: What are your favorite type of projects to make? 

Tricia: I have a constant rotation of projects going on: 1) A sweater is always a must, sometimes there are two; 2) Something totally mindless that I'm not using a pattern for - sometimes this turns into a new design idea, sometimes it's just something I end up frogging later; 3) Several pairs of socks in different stages - I like to say it’s for teaching purposes, but if I’m being honest I just love starting two-at-a-time toe-up socks, and I have so many going that I rarely get around to finishing them; 4) A sample I’m making for the shop; 5) a test-knit of my current design in progress; and 6) at least one easy crochet or Tunisian project. I have a couple dozen WIPS right now (!!), but those are the general project categories.

MFY: Explain your passion for classes.

Tricia: In my full-time work life I’m a professor of public health with expertise in changing health-related behaviors, so I’m a scientist, researcher and educator. Teaching and designing at MFY is a natural extension of one of my passions. I love seeing things “click” for my students, and watching them grow as independent learners of the fiber arts. I really love when they come back to share what they’ve been working on, or stop in for some social stitching time just to hang out with us. That’s truly the best.

MFY: What drew you to design patterns?

Tricia: When I started at MFY, we had a goal of “selling the Koigu wall.” 😂 The online store was up, and we had sooooo many different colors with different lots that it was challenging to sell online. Given our need to inspire others to enjoy Koigu as much as we did, and Swaran’s 1x1 stranded cowl design, the Made For You Hat - my first published design - was born. I generally go off-roading on any pattern I’m making, so designing was the natural next step. Thankfully my decades as a researcher helps me learn new subjects quickly, because Swaran is always saying, “Hey, Tricia, we need a design that __,” so I always have a design (or three!) in progress. (BTW, Swaran just kept refilling the Koigu wall!)

MFY: How did you find MFY? And/or…Do you remember meeting Swaran for the first time?

Oye. It’s a fairly personal story, but I suppose it’s as good a time as any to share with our MFY family. I probably first came to MFY in 2015 or 2016, just exploring the different shops in southeastern Michigan. I attended one of the legendary Super Bowl Sunday events, and once I started making sweaters, I would visit anytime I needed a sweater quantity of something, because everyone knows that if you want to be sure that there will be a sweater quantity of the yarn that you fall in love with, go see Swaran at Michigan Fine Yarns. She always smiled at me with those wise, friendly eyes, asking what I was making, and always remembering my last yarn purchase. We had a natural rapport with each other, and she would always ask if I taught knitting. I would laugh and say, “Nope, sorry!” In spring of 2020 as stores opened back up and I had grown tired of my stash, I checked to see if MFY was still open. To my relief they were. When I visited, Swaran asked if I taught online. I said I did in fact teach online, but that I still didn’t teach knitting. She said they had “some things going on online,” and that I should talk to Divya, her daughter. So I did, and they pulled me in. The timing for a collaboration was perfect. I had lost my father in January of 2020, and then my mother in August of 2021. Swaran became a bit of a surrogate parent. Having MFY probably saved my life: During a time that I was lost, I had a place to go. I’m proud to be able to join Swaran today telling others who appear to be struggling, “It’s okay, come be here with us. You can just sit.” Only now, I do in fact teach knitting.

MFY: How do the healing arts impact your daily life?

Tricia: I find that I can come to the fiber arts to support most of my mental health needs, but also it’s just something I truly enjoy because there’s always something new to learn. If I'm stressed and need to focus on breathing for a bit to relax and let go of the day, I pick up whichever project has an easy repetitive pattern. I just let myself lock into the rhythm of the repetition, listen to the clicking of my needles, and work to slow my heartbeat or breathing, whichever is needed in that moment. If I'm too in my head for whatever reason, I like to work on a more difficult project that needs my focus. As I’ve became a more experienced knitter, it’s become more difficult to shut out the noise - it's actually why a couple years ago I started learning how to crochet. I have to focus on crochet - I can't multitask, I have to let go of everything that's not on my hook. I really love that about the fiber arts - I can find whatever I need.

You can find Tricia's patterns as part of our MFY Exclusives and see all of her AcademicHobbyist tools and notions here! Proceeds from AcademicHobbyist sales benefit organizations like H.E.A.L. Detroit which Tricia directs with Wayne State University.