The Craft Wisely Podcast, Episode 12: Reaching Outward and Upward

Each week, a group of students from the Craft Wisely course will invite listeners into the discussions taking place in our classroom. The conversation starts with ideas derived from our texts and our practice, and ranges into the podcasters' interpretations and experience.

The Bitches on Stitches celebrate the completion of service projects and mull over the role of craft in forging relationships -- including between people often marginalized or forgotten. We also discover what the students are making for holiday gifts, and how they think knitting and crocheting will continue to be a part of their lives. It's an energetic conclusion to a semester of growth, conversation, and integration.

Download the podcast here. To subscribe to the podcast, add the Craft Wisely podcast feed to iTunes or your favorite podcast reader.

The Craft Wisely Podcast, Episode 11: Ability, Genius, and Quality Work

Each week, a group of students from the Craft Wisely course will invite listeners into the discussions taking place in our classroom. The conversation starts with ideas derived from our texts and our practice, and ranges into the podcasters' interpretations and experience.

In their final podcast, the Arachnias muse on the conditions under which quality work can be done. Is it a matter of inherent talent or developed skill? Ella describes the genius factor; Kate reflects on the role played by equality of access and opportunity; and Natasha discusses how experience combined with reflection leads to learning.

Download the podcast here. To subscribe to the podcast, add the Craft Wisely podcast feed to iTunes or your favorite podcast reader.

Christmas Knitting

For my Core I paper, I wrote a "This I Believe" essay about the magic of Christmas. My thesis statement was "I believe in the magic of Christmas, which makes people grow in their relationships, in their beliefs, and in their sense of self." It's a pretty big deal to me because this time of year has always meant family, cookies, wrapping, spending time with my loved ones, and thinking up new and better ways to make them smile through personalized, thoughtful gifts. This year, my roommates and I decided we would only give each other handmade presents, not only to cut down on cash but to really make it personal.

I, of course, chose knitting. I trolled Ravelry for days looking for hat patterns that perfectly matched their personalities. I can't say too much because two of my roomies are in the class and have access to this blog. I can only say about Kate's that it perfectly matches her inner eco-freak. Sarah was hard because I had to design a brand new hat, I used a few different colors, and it took me four tries to get the sizing right (and it's really kinda epic). That's all I can say about their presents, but I can tell all about Megan's (as long as you promise to keep it a secret).

Megan coveted my entrelac hat, which uses different colors and a special technique to make it look like strips of knit fabric are criss-crossing over themselves like a basket. Her favorite color in the world is teal, so I found a soft teal yarn and paired it with black and white (to match just about all of her clothes). I made it slightly larger than my own head, and it will have a little bit of a slouch. Here's a picture.


She's gonna love it.

I am really enjoying making Christmas gifts this year. Certainly, not everyone gets a knit object for their presents, I'm buying stuff offline and in stores as well. But by knitting these presents, I spend hour upon hour thinking about how much their going to love it, what their face will look like when they unwrap it, how they'll proudly put their new hat on their head and model it for the whole world to see, grateful and happy because I put in the extra effort to get their present just right. By knitting these presents, I am extending my Christmas season, stretching it out as long and as happily as I possibly can.

Reaching Out with Knitting

Like many others in this class, I had never knitted before the class began. Over the summer, I awkwardly handled my needles, trying so hard to ward off the frustration of not being good at something. Looking back, I think the reason I struggled so much with knitting is because I tried to do it somewhat detached, not putting my whole self into it. I saw it as merely homework that I needed to complete for a grade. I didn't realize that I was learning a powerful skill that would give me the ability to create my own articles of clothing or even objects for the needy. I did not become aware of the power of knitting until I really allowed myself to lose myself in it and experience it without judgment or expectations.

The red scarf I began over the summer had a width of 24 inches. I had no idea what I was doing. I was just trying to knit a scarf. After spending copious amounts of time knitting a scarf with a width of 24 inches, I realized I was getting nowhere. Two weeks of knitting had gotten me around 8 inches in length. One day I showed my freakshow beginner scarf to my godmother, Aunt Carole, desperate for advice. My godmother talked sense into me, informing me that I was wasting time by creating way too much work for myself to enjoy what I was doing. That night, at her house, we ripped out the entire scarf. I felt as if I was destroying my past feelings of frustration and defeat. Then, my godmother and I knitted together. She taught me how to count stitches, and I started my red scarf over (with a width of 8 inches) while she began a beige scarf. We talked and knitted together that night for a few hours, and if felt so good to share that connection with my godmother. She told me about how she knits all of her socks and scarves for herself and others. Her spirit and drive to create was so inspiring.

After my visit with my godmother, I had a completely changed perception of knitting. Instead of homework, I saw it as potentional and options to help others and myself. It's hard to give to charities when all they want is money because I'm a broke college kid. I can barely take care of myself. However, knitting gives me the ability to help out with projects like the Red Scarf Project and the Conway Cradle Care service project by giving my time, efforts, positive energies, and abilities. This handcrafting class has seriously been one of my favorite classes in college, and I feel like I've learned so much...not just because I learned how to knit, but I also learned how to relate such crafts to myself, my community, and the world.

I finished my hat for Conway Cradle Care today, and in the pictures below, I am wearing it along with the red scarf that will be donated to the Red Scarf Project.

In between those two projects, I had made another red scarf identical to the first one which I to La Lucha for their fundraiser to become a non-profit organization. La Lucha is a community space open to all members of the community for creative expression (music shows, art displays, poetry readings, etc.), fair-trade coffee, and meals prepared with local food. It is all ran by donation and aims at educating people about the importance of being conscious of what we consume. I'm excited that my second red scarf was able to contribute to such a wonderful cause!

Newfound Skills

I had never held a knitting needle before this semester started, so I've been giving myself a crash course in knitting techniques in order to make gifts for my family before Christmas.

So far, I've finished a purple checker-patterned scarf and I'm well on my way to finishing two others. Much of what I'm doing is modifying the same pattern for slightly different looks, but I've also been teaching myself how to crochet.

After an unsuccessful attempt at learning how to knit in the round, I decided i didn't have enough time left to figure it out and opted to teach myself how to crochet instead. You wouldn't think that would be easier or faster. Thankfully though, I was able to pick it up quickly and within two days I've got a vaguely hat-shaped red thing that I hope I can finish before the end of the week.

I hadn't planned on learning how to crochet, but I'm glad I did. It has a totally different feeling than knitting, and I enjoy switching from one to the other as I attempt to finish all of my projects.

The Craft Wisely Podcast, Episode 10: Moving Forward into a Brighter Future

Each week, a group of students from the Craft Wisely course will invite listeners into the discussions taking place in our classroom. The conversation starts with ideas derived from our texts and our practice, and ranges into the podcasters' interpretations and experience.

The Dust Storms whirl in for their last podcast.  From the notion of metamorphosis (the transformation of the craftsperson through interaction with material) to anthropomorphosis (ascribing human qualities to crafted objects as a way of valuing them); from the intersection of technology with handwork, to the processes that influence whether workers care about quality; and from the conception of the class as an experiment to feedback about how to make it better, Anna, Lynn, Ariel, and Adrea give their final word on the course.

Download the podcast here. To subscribe to the podcast, add the Craft Wisely podcast feed to iTunes or your favorite podcast reader.