Stitch 'n Dish

Tag: creating

  • Winter work

    Winter work

    One advantage of the cold and less-than-ideal weather in the Winter months here in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region of the United States is that I am less tempted to leave the house. This means I am likely to dig in my yarn or fabric stash for some inspiration, which almost always results in something delightfully creative.…

  • Evaluating tools of the trade

    Evaluating tools of the trade

    A couple years back, I gave myself a birthday present: a set of Knitter’s Pride interchangeable needles. I bought them at my favorite Local Yarn Store (LYS) and have enjoyed using them ever since! They are priced from $104 to more than $130 for the set and are a nice addition to any knitter’s tool…

  • Beyond yarn

    Beyond yarn

    In addition to my love of crocheting and knitting, I have a fondness for sewing. I am in no way as accomplished as my sister, who is – truly – a master sewist (and an engineer!); but I do OK with fabric and a sewing machine. Lately, I returned to some sewing and have enjoyed…

  • Last-minute gifts

    Last-minute gifts

    Like many of you, I’m looking at the calendar and my hair is standing straight up! I know, I know – the date is the same EVERY YEAR, but perhaps my schedule gets more convoluted each year, or I add more to my calendar and anyway, things just get busy. If you’re a fiber artist…

  • The wisdom of yarn

    The wisdom of yarn

    I have highlighted the research that shows the health and mental health BENEFITS that accompany a practice of knitting and crocheting in a number of previous blog posts. Today I want to expand on that a bit more. I have been working on a crocheted afghan, and I got to a point where I simply…

  • Self-Care with Yarn

    Self-Care with Yarn

    I have been thinking about self-care practices in general, observing people, and self-reflecting for many years. This blog post is intended to be a helpful addition to any self-help journey you may be on – with or without (gasp!) yarn. I had the great good fortune to have spent a lot of time in my…

  • Ties that bind

    Ties that bind

    Earlier this week, one of my cousins came into town for a couple days, and we were able to catch up, reminisce about long-gone relatives and recall good times from the past. We had a wonderful visit over a few days and it got me thinking about those relatives and their lives. As children, it…

  • Weaving yarns ends and life

    Weaving yarns ends and life

    Crocheters and knitters generally DREAD the task of weaving in the yarn ends on any project – ESPECIALLY larger ones. This blog post is not about those challenges, but the metaphor applies (and who doesn’t love a great crochet or knitting metaphor?!) I speak often at conferences and professional meetings (I have done this regularly…

  • The power in finished projects

    The power in finished projects

    I have shared my opinion, and the published research supporting that opinion, that fiber arts, and specifically crocheting and knitting, are good for our mental and emotional health. This blog post takes that one step further and explores the healing aspects of finishing a long-left undone project. I was cleaning out a closet and emptying…

  • Yarn-cation

    Yarn-cation

    I recently returned from an Autumn trip to the Jersey shore (Cape May) with my sister, and have to admit that as WONDERFUL as the beach always is, a significant HIGHLIGHT of our week was visiting 3 different yarn shops in the area!Knitting at Cape May, NJ We visited North Country Knits, in Woodbine, NJ…