Growing WestieWear with Intention in 2026

Four months ago, I started WestieWear during a period of rebuilding in my own life. I didn’t start it to scale quickly, follow trends, or chase outcomes. I started it out of a desire to create something meaningful — something that honored how deeply people love their pets, and how much comfort, safety, and warmth matter to them.

In September 2025, began by selling my hand-crocheted dog sweaters, and after a couple of months, I expanded my offering to include matching beanies for pet parents. Ultimately, I intended to create pieces that were made with intention and care. But I couldn’t anticipate what would come back.

In just four months, WestieWear™ has grown out of the stories and conversations that continually reinforce why this work matters. Through my two-legged client interactions, I gained valuable insight and confirmation of what I already believed:

The simple act of planning a custom sweater for your dog taps into a deep sense of joy rooted in the bond we share with our companion animals.

Again and again, I heard sentiments that honored that connection—stories filled with care, pride, comfort, and love. Those conversations have shaped my intention for 2026. In the year ahead, I’ll decide how WestieWear grows—making choices that allow me to sustain this work for a living. All the while, building relationships that help WestieWear reach more dogs and the people who love them.

Each connection with pet parents reminded me of how personal each relationship is between ourselves and our companion animals.

My first custom order was a sweater that had been gifted from one friend to another from across the country; simply to say I’m thinking of you. Another quiet gift was offered during a difficult season, as a way of honoring the strength in the bond between a woman and her beloved dog. Being a part of each story breathes an irreplaceable life-force into this business.

One of the dogs who once found car rides overwhelming, began settling in more easily when wearing her WestieWear sweater. And another dog who struggled to walk comfortably in other garments, now enjoys chilly New England walks wearing his sweater that matches his mama’s beanie.

I knew this work would hold meaning, but I didn’t expect to feel it echoed so vividly through the stories people shared with me. As the creator of each garment, I’m moved by every interaction—however brief—because each one carries its own depth and a shared understanding of just how important the bond is between a dog and their person.

Then there was Star—a senior shelter dog—who went to her forever home in a WestieWear sweater donated to the shelter that rehabilitated her—just in time for the holidays. Two of my sweaters brought an added layer of comfort to two dogs who were each recovering after experiencing trauma from dog attacks. An emaciated 16-year-old rescue dog, recovering from neglect, received a sweater to ease the healing process—now safely home with parents who ensure he has what he needs in both food and comfort.

None of these moments were planned.
None were promised. And none were loud.
But together, they’ve shown me something I keep coming back to:

Small, intentional acts can change how someone experiences the world. Sometimes that looks like a gift. Sometimes it looks like comfort. And sometimes it looks like safety, or ease, or simply being seen and recognized.

As I reflected on these moments—the quiet impact of each sweater, the tenderness in the stories people shared, and the unmistakable depth of the bond between a dog and their person—I realized these weren’t simply touching encounters from WestieWear’s first season. They revealed why this work matters and why it feels worth growing. Each interaction showed me that a WestieWear dog sweater is never just a garment; it’s an experience that honors a relationship. And if I want to offer more of that meaning to more people, I need to deepen my roots, clarify my direction, and build a foundation that can support thoughtful, intentional growth. That realization led me to my word for 2026.

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2026: Deeper roots allow greater reach

In a previous reflection about why I do what I do with WestieWear™, I shared why I entered 2025 with the word Connect. I wanted to reconnect with myself after a long season of rebuilding—and to connect with the dogs, people, and stories that would eventually shape WestieWear™. That word ended up guiding more than I expected. (Link at end of article.)

This year, the process of choosing my word for 2026 was more layered. Several words surfaced: Root, Belonging, Emergence.

As I pondered how each word that spoke to me, I noticed their cyclical reference with one another.

Root spoke to grounding myself—in my craft, my confidence, and the foundation of WestieWear™.
Belonging reflected a deeper truth I’ve stepped into this past year: understanding where I feel seen, supported, and valued, and where I had been shrinking to fit spaces not meant for me.
Emergence captured the quiet rise that’s beginning as WestieWear™ grows into boutiques, partnerships, and new opportunities.

None of these words alone felt complete. Instead, they felt interconnected, almost circular:

You root so that you can belong.
You belong so that you can emerge.
And emerging deepens your roots again.

So I chose the word that holds all three.

Depth.

Depth is the process of growing downward so that you can expand up and out. It’s the quiet strengthening beneath the surface—the grounding of my craft, my identity, my relationships, and my work. Depth honors the roots I’ve grown, the belonging I’ve reclaimed, and the emergence already underway.

This depth is not about doing more or working harder.
It’s about going further into what matters.
It’s presence. Intention. Substance.
A shift away from the surface, deep into the soul of things.

And it’s the spirit I’m bringing into 2026.

As I move into a year centered on depth, my hope for you, your dogs, and for myself is this: that our days feel more rooted, our relationships more meaningful, and our choices more intentional. That we find comfort where we once felt unsteady, belonging where we once felt unsure, and a deeper appreciation for the small moments that anchor us.

May the coming year offer depth in all the places that matter most to each of you. Happy New Year.

— Kimberly Jo (& the Westies)