How to be an Adult, NKWC clothing, Dog Stuff
Hi 👋-
It’s been a while. As you have guessed I have not been updating OmarKnows. After skipping a few updates, I just decided there was too much going on in our lives and took a break. There is still too much going on in our lives. Our kids returned to school… virtually. It’s been a rather difficult transition.
We took a few vacations this summer and that was wonderful. It put some distance between the long and seemingly similar days. Our puppy Oliver has been a joy and we all love him dearly.
The summer brought issues of social and racial justice to the forefront and I’ve taken the opportunity to become more educated and learn more on this topic. This has intersected with my interest in the recent HBO series Watchman where I’m embarrassed to say I never heard of the Tusla massacre prior to watching the show. This reminds me of when I read A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. This was not the history of the United States that I learned in school. I’m happy my daughter is reading A People's History of American Empire at school.
The fall has now brought the horrendous effects of wildfires that are ravaging the west coast. Seattle was completely covered in smoke and haze - nothing like what California or Oregon were experiencing though. With few precious weekends of warm weather remaining, this added more challenge.
To top that all off, we have an election in a few months. My hope is that we can bring in 4 years of optimism and compassion back to the white house. There are so many people that are having a much more difficult summer than our family and deserve compassion, empathy, and support.
I’ve been keeping my brain busy this summer through my new hobby - Sewing. I have learned to make some pretty neat things such as small bags and wallets from my favorite material - Dyneema composite. I have also made some masks for my family and some dog products. Sewing has been a nice respite from everything. Sometime in the next few months, I’ll be putting up some of my products for sale. Well, we will see if we get to that - but I do have a new logo and brand for my stuff :-).
Finally, this past weekend Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. What an amazing example of a person who directly shaped this country. I have such gratitude for what she did for so many people and women. May she rest in peace.
With that, I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. We’ll get through this. We are months away from the early distribution of a vaccine. I think our life post-Panedmic Apocalypse will be a better one built on much of the hardship and suffering we are all coping with.
For my first return to the newsletter, I have a few items to share.
How to be a person
My friend Kelsi gifted me this book, How to be a Person. My son and I have been reading it at night - we have laughed pretty hard at some of the pages, but secretly it’s a fun way to learn about some good stuff that a 8-10 year old should know.
NWKC
I’ve found that most of the clothing I own is collecting dust in my closet. Meanwhile, I have been sticking to clothing that is comfortable and cozy. With the fall and winter approaching, I have discovered a brand that makes some really amazing home staples.
NWKC - Northwest Knitting Company - is a Minneapolis based company with an awesome history.
The reintroduction of NWKC comes with heavy parallels to its past and a vision for what is to come. Its Merino Dual Cloth, a modern interpretation of George Munsing's original fabric, utilizes a proprietary combination of yarns knit by a family owned mill in New Jersey.
From there, the fabric is sent to New York City's Garment District, an iconic neighborhood industry previously depleted by overseas manufacturing until its resurgence over the past decade holding its ground as a global leader for quality industrial sewing.
Once cut and sewn, each garment is finished back in its original home, Minneapolis. Its trademark badge is also knit by Minnesota Knitting Mills, a century old facility in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Each piece of this process contributes to making the revival of the Northwestern Knitting Co. something of quality and substance, echoing through its fabric, construction, and most importantly its details.
Their products have this cool blend of cotton on the inside and merino on the outside. I have purchased a few products and plan to get more.
002 - Crew Neck - this is a great pullover. I went a size up from my normal size and wearing a Large. It’s made with 9.5 oz. Merino Dual Cloth - a 100% merino wool face with a cotton blend reverse.
003 - Pullover - A traditional hooded pullover, I also went a size up to Large. Made with the same fabric as the 002.
004 - Trouser - I have ordered these, but have not received them yet. I can’t wait. I went a size up to Large.
203 - Nylon Trouser - Charcoal - Heftier than the 004, this is an 11.5oz Wool/Nylon Merino Dual Cloth - a nylon-wrapped merino yarn face with a poly reverse. This will be my go-to in the winter. The details are quite nice such as the Riri Zero snap.
102 - LS Tee - a very lightweight shirt, I went with my normal size - M.
NWKC are having a sale right now, so this is a great time to check them out. They also have a kids line coming out. Our little guy won’t fit into these sadly, but I would otherwise pick this up.
Dog Crate from Fable
We love this good looking crate from Fable. It took a while for our pup to grow into it but this is where he sleeps in our bedroom. The acrylic door is a nice touch
