Stitch 'n Dish

Category: Knitting

  • A trip to the library

    A trip to the library

    I try to get at least 6,000 steps every day, and more whenever possible. It’s an easy way for me to manage my physical health, mobility, and it’s one of the best “tonics” I have found when my mental health is lagging. I am fortunate to live in an area that was blessed by the…

  • A new era for local shops

    A new era for local shops

    I wrote the blog post below after visiting New Orleans for business almost 2 years ago and posted it on my previous blog site. Today, as the news in the fiber arts community is overflowing with store closures, retail bankruptcies, and economic scares, I am thinking of how the larger crocheting and knitting communities as…

  • Lessons in yarn

    Lessons in yarn

    One of the most troubling aspects of the advances in technology that have brought phone and face-times to our back pockets is that they have also promoted a (false) narrative of how life works. Social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) is a platform for bragging. The perfectly-placed photos of vacations, of grand meals and other…

  • The end

    The end

    This weekend the crafting and sewing world faced the reality of the beginning of the end for a retail staple. The retailer Joann entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a second time in less than a year. Liquidation sales began in the 500 stores slated for closure under the agreement with another 300 or so remaining…

  • It’s all in the timing

    It’s all in the timing

    The last few blog posts I have written highlight my personal goals for 2025 of shopping less and getting into the habit of using what I have on hand, specifically as it relates to yarn and craft supplies. I have worried about my tenacity in sticking to this, and how best to balance those times…

  • Retail manipulation (recognizing & resisting it)

    Retail manipulation (recognizing & resisting it)

    In general, I have no beef with companies that are in the business of selling goods. I adhere to the adage, “Buyer Beware” which means that as long as the sellers are complying with laws and ethical business practices, it’s up to ME to shop smart. Shopping SMART requires a couple of things, including mindfulness…

  • My conscience and my stash

    My conscience and my stash

    In pre-holiday housecleaning this weekend, I finally faced a hard reality: I have more yarn that I could reasonably use in any knitting or crocheting projects, even if I knitted and/or crocheted for hours every day for the next 30 years. In addition to this, I had to ALSO admit to myself that I will…

  • The Amazon Economy

    The Amazon Economy

    My sister and I have been wanting to do a small, local craft show event “for old times sake“, and we finally did it this past weekend. Mostly we had sewn items that included reusable holiday gift bags, wine bags, reusable coffee cup sleeves (think Starbucks without the cardboard) and tissue holders. I also had…

  • The consumerism of crafting

    The consumerism of crafting

    I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, and on social media sites where I post about my fiber arts projects (check me out on BlueSky: @StitchnDish) that I have been making a concerted effort to use fabric and yarn that I already own, in lieu of buying new, and have even done some shopping at thrift…

  • Skills for survival

    Skills for survival

    This has been a week of much contemplation, and even worry. As a child that grew up in relative peace, and prosperity; I have only the stories of my parents, grandparents. and great-grandparents to compare to my relative “ease” in life. Rightly or wrongly, many people are looking back across history to times of unrest…