Stitch 'n Dish

Tag: life lessons

  • Craft community drama

    Craft community drama

    Starting with last year’s Wool & Folk debacle, I have been discovering, here and there, the “corners of drama” in the fiber arts community and have to admit, I find it FASCINATING. Today I want to pivot off of a video by “Emma in the Moment” on YouTube who has just reviewed some issues around…

  • Our legacies

    Our legacies

    I moved solidly into the next decade of my life last month, having celebrated my entrance into this decade with a big party last year (that included a knitting-themed cake!). This year is more measured as I’m moving into that stage where I’m clearing out and downsizing in preparation for retirement in a couple years.…

  • Let’s talk craft show pricing

    Let’s talk craft show pricing

    I come from a family tradition of artists. My father is a scientific glassblower who supported our family for a number of years as an artistic glassblower in the 1970’s as he was getting his start This meant that my sister and I spent many Summer days running around at juried arts festivals all over…

  • AI: friend or foe

    AI: friend or foe

    At our knitting and crocheting group this past Friday, we got onto the subject of AI, or artificial intelligence. I had just posted an article to my newsletter (Just a Job) on LinkedIn and we began to talk about the impact of AI on the fiber arts community. To be sure, I know a LOT…

  • Trying something new

    Trying something new

    In the spirit of my recommendations around “Fiber First Aid”, I decided to try something new. As I have mentioned previously, I prefer to knit and crochet with worsted or DK weight. Contrary to that impulse, when I saw Joann’s house brand “Big Twist” had come out with a t-shirt yarn in some bright colors,…

  • Options and pivots

    Options and pivots

    Well, I had planned to work on my red and gray wool wrap this morning, but as I juggled my music bag, purse, coffee and bagel; I only had a pinky finger to grab one more thing. So here we are with my kaleidoscope shawl, which I like to call my Bourbon Street shawl, since…

  • The right tension

    The right tension

    Happy Local Yarn Store Day!!! I hope you’ve visited your local favorite(s) and shown them some love. We (fiber artists) appreciate you all, (LYS owners and employees) and look forward to many happy returns to shop and visit!! On to today’s blog post, about tension. Tension, in the world of crocheting and knitting, is best…

  • Granny Square Therapy

    Granny Square Therapy

    Like most fiber fanatics, I have several works in progress (WIP’s) sitting in project/yarn bags around the house. When I recently found myself in a bit of a situation (e.g. upset about something), I decided to take some solace in bright colors and the repetitive rhythm of crocheting granny squares instead of working on something…

  • Change is inevitable. Yarn helps.

    Change is inevitable. Yarn helps.

    The past year has marked a significant SHIFT in my life. It wasn’t the birth or death of anyone close, but it was the end of an era, so to speak.  Last year in June, my oldest grandchild got his driver’s license, and suddenly, I was freed from being on call as my daughter’s backup…

  • An essence of immortality

    An essence of immortality

    My time spent with yarn and hook or needles is usually contemplative. Sometimes I’m deep into the Netflix series I’m binging, while at other times, I am lost in memories and thought. As I spend more time with retirement advisors and financial analysts to plan my exit from “the grind“, I have also been thinking…