Dudes of Craft is a weekly series from Keli Anaya exploring the mysterious world of men who craft.

I failed to mention something in the past couple of posts. Now, there is something that you might not know about me; I LOVE being environmentally friendly. I loathe throwing things away. Recycling is second nature to me and I will recycle anything that I think might be recyclable. I know the names of the plastics that fall into the numbered triangles on the bottom of plastic products.  At work, I will go so far as to pick things out of the trash to put them in the recycling bin (not usually in the kitchen, so not as gross — I did say usually).

Plastics biodegrade depending on the hardness of the plastic and we don’t know how long it will take for them to breakdown because they haven’t been around for very long.  Some estimates range from 500 to 1000 years for a plastic bag to decompose.

Something has been pushing my ‘this is not environmentally friendly’ button for the past couple of weeks. This is the culprit:

Wah! Poly-Cotton Blend

The yarn I used for the past couple of videos is part cotton part synthetic. Oooops! Polyester/Cotton, Wool/Acrylic, and 100% acrylic yarns are common in craft stores. The natural elements of those blends will biodegrade, but the plastic fibers will not for at least 500 years. Whoa! I’m pretty sure that the inhabitants of Earth 2510 will not want that acrylic granny square blanket you might be making.

The good news is that several choices of natural fibers exist that will biodegrade. Two types come to mind: plant based fibers and animal based fibers.

Cotton, an old favorite, is readily available at craft stores. I’ve also seen an increase in bamboo yarn. Linen comes from flax.  You might make a outdoor rug with hemp from the cannabis plant or with jute.

Animal hair makes great yarn.  Angora wool comes from Angora rabbits, Cashmere comes from goats including the Cashmere goat, Mohair comes from the Angora goat, and good old wool comes from sheep.  From South America comes Alpaca fleece from the alpaca, Guanaco wool from the guanaco, Llama wool from the llama, and Vicuña wool from the vicuña. Don’t forget silk from the silk worm.

Or, instead of buying new yarn, you can also reuse old sweaters by harvesting the material it’s made from. Here is post 1 and 2 from Re-Nest on how to deconstruct old sweaters for their beautiful bounty.

Next time you want to chaos stitch a sweet new scarf, pick out a natural yarn. It will feel so much better on your skin and will help out the planet.

P.S.  Ooops #2: my crochet hook is plastic. They do come in metal and wood, promise. You could also pick up a used one. The same goes for knitting needles!

Happy Friday everyone!

Today’s post is the second installment on the basics of crocheting. Just like last time, you will need a crochet hook and some yarn, string, or twine.

Here are a few links:

1. This is a great site that gives you a run down of the basic stitches. Note, the ‘one and a half stitch’ that I reference in the video is actually called a half double crochet. The abbreviations for the stitches are listed, too which are used in patterns. (By the way, Quintuple stitch!)

2. This next site is near and dear to my heart and not just because of that sweet roses gif. I reference this site far more than I care to admit, but it is a comprehensive list of intricate stitches.

3. Here are a couple of my favorite stitches.
Afghan or Tunisian Stitch (This one requires a specialized hook, but look how pretty it is!)
Popcorn Stitch
Granny Square

4. Here is a video from a man who makes some incredible work. Check out all of his videos for an inspirational romp with crocheting.

Raleigh Denim: Handcrafted in North Carolina from David Huppert on Vimeo.

While you might not be thinking Barney’s New York, this couple grew their handmade business from apartment size to factory size all the while keeping the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) in mind. This video is amazing and inspiring and full of handmade lessons. Take a moment to watch and learn about another side to indie business.

For this week’s column, I wanted to share something really special so I made a movie. In this video I teach you how to Chaos Stitch. You will need a couple of things before you begin: yarn/twine/string and a crochet hook.

Sit back and enjoy!

A few tips:

1. Crocheting is basically building stitches on top of the previous stitches. For example, if you want a square you would start crocheting on your beginning chain from right to left. At the end of the chain, you would move up a row to start crocheting from left to right. This will make more sense next week.

2, A thicker crochet hook will produce a bigger, looser crochet. A thinner hook will make a smaller, tighter product.

3. Enjoy the act of making something! This is just an introduction into the basics of crochet, so just have fun.

As a newbie director of Hello Craft I’m taking my first look of all the behind-the-scenes organizing that goes into Crafty Bastards. I often find myself in awe of Kelly, Sara and Kim on a daily basis. So many details to nail down and just not enough hours in the day. For the most part I manage the the Crafty related blog content (like this Diary of a Festival Organizer series) and how Hello Craft brands itself in all aspects of the fair. I also chime in on how to figure out ways to better the vendor experience at Crafty Bastards. My contributions to this series will focus on all this and more in the eyes of the newest addition to Hello Craft.

Sunday, July 11, 8:55pm
I email Sara to see if she still wants help with the data entry of all the scores from the Crafty jury. This year there were more than 450 applications. Considering there are seven judges on this year’s jury that is a whole lot of data entry. Fortunately after a string of less than glamorous internships and jobs I am a whiz at entering tons of numbers quickly with no error. Plus as Sara points out it is “at least meaningful data entry” so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time on something I don’t care about. Also I have a terrible toothache so a few hours of mindless work will keep my mind off the pain.

Monday, July 12, 9:15am
Sara comes over to my desk (yes we work together) and hands off an ominous stack of papers. Some have notes scribbled furiously in the margins. Little snippets like “good for boothshare?” or stars next to them. One juror in particular had wonderful illustrations throughout with perfect handwriting. I want to keep this set of scores and frame it but had to focus on the task at hand. I have to enter all these scores into a spreadsheet built by Sara as quickly and accurately as possible. I tell Sara I’ll be done by Wednesday because I know there are hundreds of independent business owners and crafters out there waiting to hear if they have made the cut for Crafty Bastards or not.

Tuesday, July 13, 10:57pm
I am dunzo with the data entry! I don’t want to make it seem getting the scores tabulated was easy because it definitely is not a piece of cake. I am going to share a few secrets of successful data entry. First of all, shut all social networking off as well as your phone. (Kelly tried to trick me with a bunch of cute handmade items she kept tweeting about but I knew better.) Also, only attempt a few pages at a time then take a break. After entering hundreds of scores into tiny boxes it will be best for your sanity to take a few minutes.  (This is when I would sign back into Twitter to see what Kelly was coveting and I would want as well.) Finally make sure to have a good soundtrack to keep you company and your spirits up. (My playlist consisted of Billy Bragg, Mates of State, Pedro the Lion, St. Vincent and The Wrens. Also yes I am interested in trading data entry mix tapes for all the kind souls out there that handle data entry for other festivals).

Thursday, July 29, 4:00pm
Kim and I get together to hash out what materials we need to create to promote the festival. It’s a good idea to write down exactly what assets are needed, who will create them and what timeframe we are looking for. (Note: one of the best tips I’ve learned from working with Hello Craft is recognizing the drop-dead deadline and then making a false one a few days prior to that final date. The fake deadline is the one we give out to designers, writers, sponsors, etc. It gives a few days of padding just in case there are any last minute fixes that need to be done and lessens the chances of Kim, Sara, Kelly or myself from any added stress.

The rough list we put together is as follows.

Print & Online Ad Campaigns:
- View The Crafty Bastards Gallery
- Volunteer At Crafty Bastards
- Vote For The Craftiest Bastard Contest
- General “Come To Crafty Bastards” Save the Date Ads
- Crafty Bastards This Saturday Sds

Graphics For Onsite Materials:
- Crafty T-Shirt Logo
- Crafty Tote Bags
- Crafty Postcards
- Craftiest Bastard Ballot

Signage at Event:
- Posters With All Sponsors Included
- Posters For Individual Sponsors
- Posters To Direct Folks To Different Parts Of The Fair

- Post-Craft Bastards Materials
- Thank You to Our Sponsors Crafty Bastards Ad Campaign
- 3 Web widgets Made for Craftiest Bastard Winners
- Wrap Up/Media Kit to send out to sponsors after the event

I am pretty sure we are missing a few assets. But it calms my nerves to know we have a pretty good list of things to tackle at the moment.

Saturday, August 7, 12:00pm
Kim and I get together on Saturday afternoon to catch up on Hello Craft matters over brunch and thrifting. We talked about a few things that are high on my Hello Craft “to figure out list.” One of the branding tasks I am contemplating is how to handle the press releases for Crafty Bastards. In the past Kim has sent press releases only from the Crafty Bastards email account to members of the press. We decide it could confuse members of the media if they receive press releases from both Crafty Bastards and Hello Craft.  Nonetheless I want to see press coverage in DC local media outlets previewing and reviewing the event. It’s on my list to remind Kim we need to get back together to work on a timeline for press related matters. We also need to get an approved press release and list of media contacts.

We also stop by the craft section of one of my favorite thrift stores in the suburbs of Maryland. I snatch up tons of knitting needles and Kim and I decide it might be a good idea to put together little knit kits to sell at the Make Something Awesome Area at this year’s Crafty Bastards. We also take mental notes of all the fabric and supplies they have available just in case we need to restock for any special projects.

Although the problems that American Apparel are facing is not exactly new news, as part of the indie crafting community I was curious to read how the company, specifically Dov Charney, is currently dealing with their financial woes. This includes the news that their accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, had resigned amid word that AA’s financial statements for 2009 may not be reliable, a finding that American Apparel does not dispute.

Allison Abell Schwartz, who wrote the article and has kept tabs on AA’s moves, suggests that one of the company’s root problems may be the rapid expansion of their stores. Charney had launched AA’s first stores in New York City, Los Angeles and Montreal in 2003. Within three years the company had opened 100 more and today seven years later, it has more than doubled its store base. Opening those stores was a major tactic that helped AA promote and foster its own distinct brand and make its products more accessible. But as with any expansion of a business, if you don’t calculate every move strategically, you end up losing quality control which seems to be the case with AA, both financially and brand-wise.

The other problems that have devastated AA are the sexual harassment case(s) against Dov Charney himself. Charney, who built AA on the word of being an ethically responsible company, has been the center of sexual harassment cases and bizarre sexual incidents. Also quite damaging was the immigration bust that occurred at the LA Factory. In the Bloomberg Businessweek article, Schwartz wrote:

Before the financial problems intensified, Charney had been contending with damaging sexual harassment allegations followed by a devastating immigration bust. Fifteen-hundred workers at the Los Angeles factory had to be let go owing to lack of documentation and another 1,000 quit for fear of being swept up for immigration violations. For a company that is proud of its insistence on domestic manufacturing, it was a costly blow. The recession has also taken a toll; the company posted same-store sales declines from February to December of 2009 and has not reported comparable store sales results since then….
… Moving too quickly isn’t the only knock against Charney. He has been sued by three former employees for sexual harassment (one suit was dismissed, one was settled, and a third remains in arbitration), and in 2004, Jane magazine reported that he masturbated in front of a reporter while being interviewed. More recently, Gawker.com reported that American Apparel makes managers photograph its female store employees so Charney can ensure they fit his aesthetic tastes, which include full eyebrows and long, natural hair. Charney says there is no official doctrine, and that they look for people who understand the brand, know how to present themselves, and can communicate the brand’s style to its customers. Still, Charney’s record makes some wonder whether he has the judgment and credibility to oversee a large company. “The travails of their senior management, all well-known, will make fixing the brand very difficult until a management change occurs,” says Johnson of Customer Growth Partners.” Allison Abell Schwartz, Bloomberg Businessweek, August 9- August 15, 2010 issue

I had first seen American Apparel in 2004, at the beginning of my crafting years. I was online looking for cheap blank tees that I could screen print on, and the American Apparel brand seemed like a great fit. Their product catalogs featured well-fitting, vibrant-colored shirts on cute girls and guys in a great design layout that was simple and neat. At the time, this was in stark contrast to how the other blank clothing companies promoted their products in their catalogs usually featuring ugly tops, pants and visors on people that looked like pro-golfers or the yachting types. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I didn’t feel like those companies understood me or what I wanted from their products.

Besides the actual shirts, one of the reasons I started ordering from AA was that they were/are self-billed as an ethically and morally-sound company providing ESL classes, affordable insurance, and a livable wage to their factory workers. At the time, this type of business practice was scarce, especially in clothing manufacturing circles.

As I have changed the type of craft that I have made/sold over the years, I haven’t really had a need to order shirts for my business, but many of my crafter friends still do. Go to any craft fair, and you’ll find that American Apparel is a staple among screen printers and folks that applique. Although other blank t-shirt companies have started to compete in this market since then, the most popular being Alternative Apparel, American Apparel is still quite visible at fairs, on sites like Etsy.com, and in their 280 stores worldwide.

The design climate of AA has shifted over the years too, from creating soft, fitted tees and undies, to becoming a hipster haven, selling leggings, skirts and bodysuits that have introduced a whole new generation to the unfortunate fashion of the 1980’s. As seasons change, so do all trends, and AA has stayed on top. American Apparel is now in the preppy biz, creating updated versions of pleated pants and button-down collared shirts for this same generation. Aside from staying on top of the trend cycles, as well as creating its own trends in clothing, AA is also a leader in the hey-its-porn-but-its-not-really-porn print advertisements that grace the back page of many alternative newspapers and magazines across the country. Now, I’m all for sex not being treated as a dirty deed and I don’t care if people want to dress like cokehead hookers with see-through shirts and glam-rock leggings. People can dress however they like. But in the midst of all the sexual harassment allegations against Mr. Charney, the ads and trends put together seems to be a bit creepy.

So at this point you may be asking yourself- “What is the point of this article?”. The point is this- the indie crafting community moves as a whole to educate consumers on the benefits of buying handmade, buying local and using environmentally friendly practices. As a community, we also embrace and promote good business practices and teach the public to care about where their products come from. As an economic force, our community spends millions of dollars every year on supplies, and we have the power to choose where those dollars go. So before you spend another penny, take a hard look at where it’s going. For better or worse, American Apparel is part of our community. They have set the bar high in terms of being a morally-responsible business. So as a community, let’s help keep them accountable to that mission.

American Apparel is in the process of making some major changes, including the appointment of a Quality Control Director and has added new senior staff. Can this company that was founded on one man’s dream fix itself to become the company that it purports to be? The verdict is still out, but as with most dreams, anything is possible and I hope so.

Hello there. I’m Keli!  In my childhood, I spent summers in Western Texas where it was too hot to go outside, so I resorted to eating M&M’s and crafting. Puff paint and Shrinky Dinks helped pass the one hundred plus degree weather for a good four years.

Then, tragedy struck. I stopped spending summers with my family in Western Texas and along with that, my boredom stopped, and my need for craft.

Years passed before I picked up a crochet hook, and at that magical moment I invented ‘chaos stitch.’  Chaos stitch includes attempting to crochet with no rhyme or reason.  I thought it was punk rock, but it ended up just looking like a macrame owl threw up.  Since then, I have taught myself to knit, collage, wheat paste, sew, and make prints.

I’m hoping to explore lots of different topics with this series to shine light on the amazing dudes who craft, and inspire more to roll up their sleeves, grab some knitting needles, scissors, fabric and glue gun, and get to makin’. This series will feature interviews with dudes who craft, photos, and perhaps the occasional tutorial. If you have any suggestions just let me know! I’ll be seeing you next week.

Here’s a little something to entice you to stay tuned:

Image Courtesy of Shorpy Historic Photos

And congrats to our lucky winners chosen by the random number generator.

Michelle Kroll of Portland, OR:

Ellen King of Culver City, CA

Kristine Beeson of Vancouver, WA:

A fantastic holiday show is now accepting applications — Indie Craft Experience (ICE) in Atlanta, Georgia.

ICE will take place November 20 and 21 at Ambient Plus Studio from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The  juried show will have approximately 100 vendors from the Southeast and beyond. This will be ICE’s 11th show, and the organizers say that this year promises to be a weekend full of exciting shopping and craft activities.

Applications are due September 16 and they are available online now. The fee to participate is $225 (this includes the $10 application fee) which is due at the time you submit your application. If you are not selected, you will be refunded $215.

To get an idea of the type of vendors ICE is looking for, take a stroll through their Flickr pool of past shows.

Chapin has an impressive crew of handmade professionals to weigh in throughout the book including Diane Gilleland of CraftyPod, Emily Martin of The Black Apple, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, Leah Kramer founder of Craftster and Natalie Zee Drieu of CRAFT. The best attribute about The Handmade Marketplace is this crafty jury of experts giving advice on each topic.

The book goes over three main areas: getting to know yourself and your business, spreading the word — and images and getting down to selling. Unlike other business-minded books that cover the same topics, The Handmade Marketplace really fleshes out the full picture from more than one voice. This is very important as there is not one secret to success. There have been many paths to selling handmade and Chapin’s book explores a multitude of them.

For example, the section on advertising and publicity is phenomal. Not only does Chapin explain the importance of a virtual press kit  and writing press releases, she also includes an interview with Holly Becker of decor8 explaining how to approach a blog. (Full disclosure: I recently lead a session with Chapin at this year’s Summit of Awesome. We talked on “How to Get Press” and I was really impressed with her forward thinking about approaching print and online outlets. As a former publicist myself, it is refreshing to hear someone admit to others you do not always have to submit a hackneyed press release in order to get coverage. There are other important details to focus on such as taking time to read the outlet before you approach them, make the email personalized, don’t attached huge photos, etc.)

WIN A COPY OF THE HANDMADE MARKETPLACE

Hello Craft has three copies of The Handmade Marketplace courtesy of Storey Publishing, and we want to give them to you, our awesome readers! You have three chances to enter win one of our three copies! Here’s how:

1. Comment on this post and tell us why you’d like a copy of The Handmade Marketplace and how it can help your crafty business.
2. “Like” us on Facebook and tell us you did so by commenting on the post announcing this contest (new and old fans alike!)
3. Follow us on Twitter and tell us by either RTing the contest announcement or @ us why you want to win (new and old followers alike!)

So there you have it! Three ways to enter and three chances to win! The deadline to enter is noon, PST on Friday, July 23. The winners will be chosen at random, one from the blog, Twitter and Facebook and announced on Monday, July 26.

Good luck!