Welcome to 2026, and welcome back to Needle ‘n Thread after our delightful Christmas holiday!

I always imagine January starting off with a flying leap into the new year, but does it ever actually happen that way?

No. January never starts with a bang and a rush for me!

I don’t know if it’s sluggishness from Christmas cookies and cheese, if it’s the prospect of the long winter streeeetch into spring, or if it’s simply a matter of trying to untie all the knotted loose ends left over from the hectic pre-Christmas season.

Here at home, I don’t quite consider the Christmas season over yet, either. We celebrate Christmas in some form or another through January 6th, the Epiphany. Even after that, I’m never in a hurry to take down the decor. After all, it seems that Christmas lights and colorful baubles are the only things that keep January from slipping into the hazy grey doldrums brought on by interminable cloudy winter days.

This year, though, my oldest sister is visiting from New England until mid-January, so I have a perfect excuse to keep things festive until the 15th!

This coming weekend, I’m kicking off my Needlework New Year with a class! I’m excited to be teaching a Fiber Fun Day workshop in Manhattan, Kansas, with the Manhattan Area Fiber Arts Guild.

And to that end, here’s some information on some new kits for 2026.