Stitch 'n Dish

Tag: craft community

  • More great reads

    More great reads

    I’ve just finished 2 audiobooks by different authors, both of whom are outstanding storytellers. They provided wonderful background to my crocheting, knitting and sewing of late. The first one I finished happened to be the kick off of a series (think Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot), by Louise Penny, titled “Still Life”. It’s set in modern…

  • New tools of the trade

    New tools of the trade

    I cannot tell this story without addressing the issue of AI in the context of the fiber arts community. Many fiber artists get angry anytime Artificial Intelligence (AI) is mentioned, so we don’t talk about it in public. The vitriol and intolerance for AI is widespread, and in some corners, it’s considered sacrilegious to use…

  • Retreat countdown

    Retreat countdown

    As the Northeast moves more fully into Fall, engaging with fiber arts activities will be an important piece of managing the seasonal “meh” that can set in this time of year.

  • Unique yarn shop names

    Unique yarn shop names

    After paging through a book at a library, while waiting on my grandchildren to meet me for other business, I looked up where to buy Rowan yarns in my area. As I searched the Rowan site for these shops, I realized that some of my fellow fiber artists have a great sense of humor along…

  • Unintended consequences

    Unintended consequences

    If ALL of us do a little, (supporting our local fabric and yarn shops) is not a hard task. It just takes each of us remembering to think of our local fabric and yarn shops, and give them some of our time, attention and (of course), money!

  • A birthday day out

    A birthday day out

    This week was my birthday, and I decided to take the day off and just do things I wanted to do with no time pressure or deadlines. I started the day out to breakfast with my parents, which is always nice. It was a rainy day around here so a day spent traveling to stores…

  • A twist on an old favorite

    A twist on an old favorite

    The great irony I find in all of this is that people often engage in fiber arts for comfort and creative expression. Winding up in a group or space that treats a wonky granny square like a moral failing isn’t what most of those folks were likely seeking.

  • Fiber in the wild

    Fiber in the wild

    While walking in a new (to me) little shopping district in a town that I’ve driven past for years, I came across these crochet rounds on a fence at the back of a parking lot at a bank. I had just visited an upscale resale shop, where I had a lovely conversation with the person…

  • Two great reads

    Two great reads

    I just finished reading “The Sewing Machine” and found it to be a delightful story on its own, but especially for those of us who sew. My daughter gave me the book for Mother’s Day this year, and said that she hoped I would like it as much as the last book she got me:…

  • A good time to be kind

    A good time to be kind

    … as we navigate these and other challenges, it’s going to be increasingly important to be kind to each other; to have patience with those around us and to always take a step back (and a deep breath) when we want to complain about what WE want or what WE didn’t get. It’s not all…