"Better Living Through Stitching Together"

Since it's my day to hang with the old lady knitters*, I thought I would give a shout out to the upcoming WORLD WIDE Knit in Public Day, on the second Saturday in June. If I were to knit in public, I would have to go all the way (ha) to Philadelphia. It's being held at Rittenhouse Square where it is impossible to park. Maybe someone will hold one closer to my house. Of course, I could get in the car and drive to Intercourse because who doesn't want to knit in Intercourse. I think the only thing I haven't done in Intercourse is, well, have intercourse. {rimshot} Thank you, I'll be here all week.

*Yes, it's true. I know you thought I had found a group of cross-stitchers at my local library, but most of my old ladies knit or crochet. A couple do other kinds of embroidery, but it's mostly yarn. And believe me when I say, they are the anti-wool snobs (it's all Red Heart and Lion Brand; not that there is anything wrong with that).

A Week Late...

You kids are so funny! It is not immoral, wrong, or even illegal for magazines like JCS to entice designers to send them designs that they don't pay for and then sell them to you. They call it capitalism. Most Americans don't mind those m-fers screwing with their healthcare....and yet indignation on behalf of the designers. Hey, we're living the contradictions, baby!

Thanks to you all for the love for the review. It's what I'm trained to do, you know. The funny, I don't know where that comes from, except I was once voted class clown. True story.

So I am a week late, and either $7 or $15 short, depending on how you want to look at it. I didn't want to let the first LNS stitching night pass unremarked. Molly, Rachel, and Dianne have all already reported on the doings. (Dianne may not have been able to stitch in public, but I was only able to eat in public because I had a pregnant woman partner in crime. Really, I wonder how many people went hungry because two slices seems like enough to eat in front of other people.) It was fun, and a blog reader recognized me even though I use my real name in real life. Crazy, I know. Anyway, that night I did some good work on Mermaids Singing, and in some kind of fit of consistency, I've kept at it.

I know some of you are jealous because you don't have your own LNS at which to have a stitching night. Do remember to check out the public libraries near you--they may have stitching groups. Your alumni association may too. I'm sure you can think of other places where likeminded stitchers may gather. Don't get all self-piteous, get out there a make a group!

Young People Reviving Old School Crafts

I love the media. Those people are so funny and so...clueless. Here's what they say about cross-stitch now.

"The age-old hobby using a needle and thread is having a shock revival as hundreds of young people flock to bars to take part in 'urban' cross stitch.

"Shock" revival. I love that. Because it's only happening if you see it happen. No one does it at home behind closed doors or anything...and never in the rural areas. What happens in cities is what's important. (Actually it is to us.*) And, only when the youngsters have a go.

But I am perplexed about the bars thing. Are they drinking and stitching? Because that doesn't usually go well.

* Over 80% of Americans live in urban areas and 90% of economic output happens there.

Stitch in Public Day

I heard back from my "local" EGA president who sent me the tersest note. Hey, way to get me to join! It turns out that "the leadership" will be at the EGA meeting (the one that coincides with the EGA's planned stitch out) so "nothing is planned."

I've been saying that I start my new job September 2nd so often that it finally dawned on me that "Stitch in Public" day is a Wednesday. Basically this is something for the retired people and the stay at homes, isn't it? The soonest I could get to a mall after work would be 7pm. Have you ever been to the King of Prussia Mall on a weekday evening? We won't be stitching while the crowds go by. We'll be able to hear the crickets! And if there is no one around to see us stitch, what's the point? Basically people who don't work will be displaying that thing they do for...people who don't work. Retired people and stay at home people, no offense, but everyone already knows you do needlework! If we want to bring in new people, we have to find a way to stitch in front of all types. I could go out into the city to stitch on my lunch hour, but one person stitching is just one person. It's all about the group!

It seems to me if you want to attract new stitchers, you have to have this "stitch in public" day on a day when people are going to be out and about. When they have the leisure to stop by and watch or even learn. Better luck next time.

I will continue to stitch on my commute, on planes and in doctor's offices. But I do hope that EGA will reconsider their Stitch in Public day.

Stitch in Public

So about four years ago I suggested we get out there and stitch. At last, the EGA is seeing things my way. From the EGA website:

September 3, National Stitch-In-Public Day EGA invites stitchers of all ages and skill levels to join in a day of community crafting that will celebrate the traditions and trends of needlework, right right where they are. There's no cost - just an effort to encourage community among stitchers. Embroiders, quilters, knitters and who [sic] will shine a light on their crafts Sept. 3 by stitching together in public spaces such as coffee shops, parks, malls – anywhere they can be seen. Let EGA Headquarters know about your event so photos, stories and updates can be shared online. Contact Brad at bcape@egausa.org if your chapter or group of stitchers wants to organize an event. Call (502) 589-6956.

I've e-mailed the "Philadelphia" chapter of the EGA (located in Devon, about 24 miles from Phillie) to see what they are up to. If they don't have big plans, I was thinking we southeastern Pennsylvanians should squat at the King of Prussia mall. Who's in?

Tonight, I'll be at the Philadelphia Stitch n Pitch with my Fair and Square project and LHN's Dog House Sampler. But we're supposed to be in for massive thunderstorms. Which will probably happen since the last time I went to Citizen's Bank Park there was a 2.5 hour rain delay...

PS My computer at home won't let us log in for some reason. So I couldn't upload my doll photo. I've poked and prodded my work computer but there's no place for the camera's memory card. So no pictures. Dollhouse Tuesday will have to be postponed.

Stitch!

Tomorrow is World Wide Knit in Public Day. Look up your locality and go stitch.

Tomorrow is also the day we are taking my niece to see Thomas the Tank Engine in Strasburg. Depending on how much energy I have after taking a mildly retarded, hyperactive kid to see trains how late we get back, I may join the knitters at Ewe and I in Narberth.

Outfitting Your Favorite Crafter

Crafty Gear has the most awesome crafty t-shirts. I just bought two to supplement my "Ladies Sewing Circle and Terrorist Society" tee which used to be a lot funnier. (I could wear it on airplanes. Now, I can only wear it when I'm with the like-minded.) I could have bought more but I decided to go with

I am a tiny bit disappointed that the many can be running around in stitch bitch t-shirts. Maybe I should alter it to read "The Real Stitch Bitch." Actually, maybe it's best that I can keep my secret identity...

Anyway, there were many more shirts that I loved, and they have them for knitters, quilters, beaders, everyone. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't see the "I have a [glue gun] and I'm not afraid to use it" shirt before I checked out. Or "Felt Up." Or "I have crewel intentions."

Another Lazy Crafternoon

Today, after I plant my bulbs, I am going to a stitch-in with my alumnae group. I hope there's a nice turnout. I'd like to have a regular stitchy group to visit.

In the meantime, here are the cards from yesterday. Stay tuned, I should have two more styles (if I can figure out what to do with the Santa face...)
Edited to add: that plain green square is metallic.

Spreading the Good News

Thursday we flew off to Texas and while I was stitching to pass the time while those heading to Nashville got off the plane, I noticed that two women were talking about how I was stitching. They were intently watching me stitch, because, apparently, they had never seen anyone using the sewing method in cross stitch. We had a nice little chat, and that was two more stitchers taught.

On my return, I was stitching in the gate area, and when a woman saw my scissors she wanted to know how I had gotten those through security? Had they just not noticed? (As if. Do you know how heightened security is in Texas? You can imagine...) I broke the news to her that she had been avoiding bringing her embriodery with her on airplanes for two years too many.

I spent many hours in the airport stitching (we gave up our seats for free tickets), and have made some real progress on La D Da's "Sweet Dreams" which I am making into a birth sampler for my nephew Alex.

Stitch 'n' bitch

So for fun, I googled "Stitch Bitch." And what do I come up with but a bajillion sites about the Stitch and Bitch knitting clubs. Apparently, I am old and out of the loop. These groups are for knitters under 40 to get together and "stitch" in public. I've never really thought of knitting as stitching. It doesn't even look like sewing.

I was on page 17 before I even had a reference to cross-stitching (more on the porn sites later, or not).

There's also a vaguely interesting article about a female Frankenstein called Stitch Bitch: The Patchwork Girl. But I couldn't read that much of it. When I put that life behind me, I put it behind me for good.

So, why don't stitchers stitch publicly and in groups? Ages and ages ago, well probably some time around 1995, I had met some Angeleno stitchers online and had them over to my house. There were about 7-10 people who came and went, and we'd either gather to stitch or would go on shopping excursions together. What happened to all that? Oh, the sacrifices we make while pursuing letters to string after our names. . .

Part of the problem I suppose, for me anyway, was that I had to stop reading rctn. Too many off-topic posts. Too damn many posts period. Oh, for the days before AOL, when people read and followed netiquette rules. There were about 50 messages a week, and they were all on-topic and interesting, too. Now there are too many stitchers out there who spend their time talking about everything but stitching. It's too difficult for me to have what I consider a normal conversation with a regular person let alone a fundamentalist woman who homeschools and has no sense of irony, even if we have cross-stitch in common. Maybe this stuff is going on out there; maybe I'm too "in here."

I'd go to an EGA meeting, if I didn't have to go it alone--maybe. But which of three vaguely-local ones to attend: Pasadena? Long Beach? El Segundo? Women stitch at the LNS, but they're all about a hundred and have bad taste as far as I can tell from the projects they've chosen. The other LNSes are too far to go to to stitch for a couple of hours so I can be with people.

So for now, I will sit at home and work on battlestargalactica (not going too well) while I watch professional sports on tv. Oh, and plan another trip to Tulsa, OK.

Next up: a collection of cross-stitching trips you can take, and some brief reviews of the ones I've taken.