Chunky Blanket Coaching

Beautiful, chunky knit blankets have been floating around Pinterest and Etsy for a few years now. The most popular type of yarn is soft merino wool. This natural fiber is soft and perfect for hand-knitting a cozy blanket. Unfortunately, they can also be expensive- even if you make your own.

I'm not much of a crafter, but I decided to teach myself how to knit one of these beauties. I haven't ventured into the merino wool yet, but I've had a lot of fun learning this summer, albeit with cheaper yarn. And in the process (spoiler alert), I have made all of my Christmas gifts.

After such a traumatizing year between my mom passing away and Covid, learning to make these blankets was the perfect therapy. It was not only relaxing, but it also was a chance for me to reflect and set some new goals. And not surprisingly, I made many connections to learning and coaching.

As a coach, one of my favorite responsibilities is to support our new teachers. One of our teachers has experienced a lot of personal trauma this summer. I've thought a lot about her and her situation. And as I contemplated how I could support her, the perfect idea came to mind. 

She is starting a new chapter in her life by moving into her own apartment. I wanted to give her a housewarming gift. But instead of making a blanket, I ordered some yarn in her favorite color so that she could make her own. 

I unwrapped each skein and rolled the yarn into a huge ball. (The picture makes the ball of yarn look small, but it's quite large!) And here's the coaching part, I also wrapped notes of encouragement into the ball of yarn. The notes connect learning about making a chunky blanket to learning about how to become a skilled educator. I'm hoping that this project will not only give her something fun to do while she's alone at home, but that she'll see the many connections between learning this new skill and being a new teacher. I hope as she reads the little notes embedded within the ball of yarn that she'll feel valued and supported. I hope that she'll enjoy her new cozy blanket when it's finished. I hope that I can pass along my passion for continuous learning! 

I admit I couldn't afford to do this for every teacher. But, she is my former mentee, and I'm super happy to do this for her.