More knitting than cross-stitch...

Got lots of knitting done over the weekend (more on that later in the week), and got some shopping done, too. Oddly enough, much of the shopping was knitting related. First, I got some cute little iSocks for my iPod. They're cabled up both sides, tiny, and cute. Variety of colors; right now, I'm liking the purple. See?



Also got some books, among them being the next in Monica Ferris's Needlecraft Mysteries, Thai Die, and the second of Betty Hechtman's Crochet Mysteries, Dead Men Don't Crochet


I've enjoyed the Needlecraft Mysteries back since they were Needlework Mysteries, and found "Hooked on Murder" in 2008, and enjoyed it. Naturally, I forgot to bring either of these books with me to read today!

I also found a post I made about five years ago on another journal, and discovered that it's still holding true. Here it is:

In times of economic upswing, there is Cross Stitch.
In times of economic downturn and borderline (if not flat-out) recession, there is knitting.

In the late 80's/early 90's, there was a tremendous upsurge in counted cross stitch and other actually-hold-a-pointy-tiny-needle arts (hardanger, free-form embroidery, samplers). Just getting the materials for some of these pieces can run well into the hundreds of dollars, they can take YEARS to finish, and then more hundreds of dollars to get them framed. People need both cash and time; this happens in economic upswings.

In the past few years, there have been several signs that the overall economy has tightened up - and that's if you look ONLY at the cross stitch industry.

1. Every major metropolitan area has lost at least one dedicated cross stitch store; of the stores remaining, many have added knitting (the New Hot Thing).
2. Many prominent cross stitch designers have gone out of business; the industry never paid much to start with, and people just aren't buying like they were in the late 90's.
3. Cross stitch is still percived as the hobby of little old ladies; thanks to media coverage of Russel Crowe and Pamela Anderson (among other celebrities) knitting, knitting is Hip.

OK, that last one wasn't really an economic thing... but that, coupled with the economic downturn, is killing cross stitch. Lots of little would-be stitchers would much rather be cool and knit.

I still do both, but I've recently lost my main LNS (the owner passed away, but she had been worried about being able to stay open; people just weren't buying like they had been). The one that was going to replace it is on hold for the "foreseeable future"; the spike in gas (delivery) costs is hurting most small businesses, and beating the crap out of any business plan formulated before March. Of the three other "big" LNS's (local needlework stores) in my area, one has branched strongly into painted canvas (a REALLY expensive hobby, trust me!) and knitting, the second has added knitting to its painted canvas and cross stitch, and the third remains "pure"... because it's right next to a knitting store and a quilting store (I'm only allowed to go there twice a year, as it's very dangerous and I really don't have room for any more stuff... not that that will stop me, but I really shouldn't go...).

Someone was asking about the upswing in knitting; I think it's really about the downturn in cross stitch.

So there.