Fiber Harmony (Stitch 'n Dish)

Category: Yarn

  • Old school crafting

    Old school crafting

    I won’t pretend to know the perfect balance between using what we have and buying new, but I think it’s always a WIN when we at least consider some stash options in our creative projects. Here’s to BALANCE in our crafting, shopping and lives overall.

  • Stash-busting as therapy

    Stash-busting as therapy

    A brief look at the issue of craft supply (textile) hoarding, de-stashing, and the related psychological impulses that keep us well-supplied with more fabric and yarn than we’ll use in 3 lifetimes!

  • January’s creative work

    January’s creative work

    Celebrating even the tiniest of our accomplishments isn’t self‑indulgence; it’s a psychological power move. The recognition strengthens our mind in ways that build over time, especially when we are juggling jobs/work, caregiving, or leadership roles – areas where progress is often difficult to see.

  • The hermit response

    The hermit response

    I will continue to engage with my fiber arts groups and remain connected with fiber friends. These are the connections that become so vital in times of national stress. But I will also allow myself to be comforted with the impulse to hibernate, focused on fabric and yarn; like my grandma before me. And like…

  • A post-holiday project

    A post-holiday project

    After the stress and frenzy of the holiday season, there’s no better activity than “yarn therapy”. Here’s to the cost savings that come with stashbusting; to relaxing with yarn, and to making things for ourselves as we settle into the New Year.

  • Gifts from the heart

    Gifts from the heart

    [We] know from research in Psychology that gift giving is beneficial to us, in and of itself. Multiple studies have documented that “gift-giving, particularly when the giftee is someone with whom we have a close relationship, activates key reward pathways in our brain” (APA.org).

  • The true cost of hand-made gifts

    The true cost of hand-made gifts

    It’s another New Year, and the time when we all think about making resolutions, implementing changes, and improving our lives. I can think of NO BETTER GOAL than for fiber artists everywhere to start valuing ourselves more fully.

  • Confessions of an educator

    Confessions of an educator

    A call to businesses that sell a lot of patterns (think bigger businesses and not individuals): consider setting up a feedback mechanism where you can receive constructive criticism on patterns (specifically) that you sell. Think Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) – not generic Customer Service.

  • A new skill

    A new skill

    As the Xmas portion of this holiday season draws to a close, I find solace in quiet evenings on the couch, Xmas music in the background, tree on and looking festive, cat at my side, feet up, and yarn work in my hands. Too soon I will reenter the work week shuffle, along with the…

  • My fiber-year in review

    My fiber-year in review

    I chose the featured photo (top of page) as it best reflects my thoughts on the past year, or at least the year since January 21st. In many ways, my sewing, knitting, and crocheting have helped me stay sane in a world that seemed to begin to fall apart around that time.