Welcome to The Sweater Library

If you’ve ever visited The Sweater Library in Studio #37, your eye will instantly be drawn to a colorful wall of yarn. Nicole Gonzalez— the artist behind The Sweater Library —specializes in textiles, focusing mostly on knitting and crochet.

While she has a BA in Visual Arts from UCSD (with certificates in engineering and data analytics), Nicole first learned to crochet when she was in fifth grade; her science teacher taught it in an after-school enrichment program.

Later, when she unexpectedly graduated high school early, Nicole gave herself several “classes” on topics she wanted to learn more about. One of those classes was knitting, so she sat on a couch in the library with a beginner’s knitting book and some thrifted supplies. Many hours later, she finally got the hang of it. Nicole eventually learned how to machine knit through the Grossmont Adult Education School in El Cajon.

You can come see Nicole’s handmade clothing and accessories (which are for sale) during Space 4 Art’s next Open Studios on December 9, 2023.

In addition to practicing her art, Nicole works full time for a fantastic local organization that helps increase access to trauma-informed, early childcare programs in the San Diego region. On top of that, Nicole is her own caretaker and healthcare administrator as she lives with chronic health conditions.

If you check out her website, you will find a 6-minute vlog from Nicole’s YouTube channel in which she discusses what it’s like to navigate the arts and craft world while living with chronic health conditions.

“Through the YouTube channel, I would like to talk more about what it’s like to be a full-time working disabled artist. I want to take a critical look at the “work hard, play hard” hustle mentality in creative communities, specifically through the lens of a person with chronic health conditions.

I’ve only released an intro video so far and would like to have small video essays and craft studio vlogs, but I’m not sure when I’ll have time again for everything that goes into video production. However, that lack of time is the exact thing I would like to illustrate. I’m hoping I’m able to release a second video in the coming weeks… we’ll see if my schedule and health allow for it!”

You can follow Nicole on Instagram (@thesweaterlibrary) as well as on her YouTube channel.