It’s about that time for a good stitch-a-thon with El Stitch y Bitch. What are you currently working on?

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, Februaury 8th, at Efebina’s Cafe: 1640 S Blue Island, same time 7pm. This time we will do things a little different… one of our members recently suggested a craft swap, and a craft swap we shall have! That’s right, it’s time to clear out your yarn stashes and exchange it for other crafty goodies. Here’s how it will work: bring any unwanted, gently used craft items (i.e. yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks, books, etc.) and trade them in for someone else’s goods. For every item you bring you will be able to exchange it for another item. Anything left behind will be donated to a local cause.

I look forward to seeing you on Feb. 8th! Can’t make it to this one? No prob! The March Stitch y Bitch will be on March 14th, location TBA. Or you can suggest a sooner date and we will happily organize an impromptu stitch-a-thon.

Are you stitching up some gifts for the holidays? Why not do it in the company of El Stitch y Bitch!

El Stitch y Bitch is now meeting every 2nd Wednesday of the month, (with an impromptu stitch-a-thon sprinkled here and there) so you can always count on seeing your favorite knittas and hookers then. Locations will remain TBA. Please be sure to check back here soon for the calendar of meetings.

With that said, please join us for some holiday fun at our next meeting on Wednesday, December 14th from 7-9pm. We’ll meet at my place for drinks, snacks and stitching. To keep things in true Stitch y Bitch holiday form, let’s have a craft-themed White Elephant gift exchange. No need to run out and buy something new, just bring a gently used or unwanted crafty/handmade item. Ahem… yarn!

See you soon!

The Dia de los Muertos exhibition will be open through November 27th. More info here.

October is coming close to an end and with that comes Dia de los Muertos (DDLM). As many of you know, the altar we created last year is happily installed in its current home at the Indianapolis Art Center. The art center is having a DDLM celebration next Saturday, October 29th from noon-5pm. The celebration includes food, music and lots of fun art activities. I will be driving down with my family, and I’d like to extend the invitation to all of you. Depending on how many people are interested, we can carpool or we can just plan to meet at the art center. Please let me know if you are interested in coming and/or if you might be willing to be a driver. I will share more once I know these details. For now you can find more info here: http://www.indplsartcenter.org/dayofthedead2011/celebration.shtml

If you can’t make it next weekend, I hope to see you at our next Stitch y Bitch which will be on Wednesday, November 9th, location is TBD.

Have a great day!

It’s been a while since we’ve had a real update and I promise this one contains good news and a much needed knitting night.

Good news first… Last year our all knit and crocheted altar was unveiled at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. This year we are so happy to share the news that we will show our altar at the Indianapolis Art Center’s Dia de los Muertos exhibition. Karla did an amazing job of assisting me with the proposal and this weekend we will hit the road to go install it. The show opens on Saturday October 29th from noon-5pm. More info here. Let’s talk about carpooling for the opening at our next meeting!

We had a great opening night at the Tejer y Joder show over at Antena last Friday. A big CONGRATS goes out to all of our displaying artists– you did an amazing job and I am so proud of all your work. Check out this sweet blog post!

Since the next couple weekends are packed with installing the altar and a mini vacay for me, let’s plan to have our next knitting circle on Wednesday, Oct. 5th at my apt. from 7pm-9pm. My address is 2053 W Coulter St. I promise to have yummy beer and snacks, but feel free to bring your fav. snack too. Can’t wait to catch up and see what everyone is working on!

p.s. Beginner’s Night will be back soon!

El Stitch y Bitch is hosting an art show at Antena in Pilsen this September. If you are interested in being a part of this show we welcome you to send us a submission. Here’s a little info on the show:

Call for art work (working title):
Tejer y Joder
Art exhibit at Antena, September 2011
Deadline for submissions: August 5, 2011

Some of the themes we are working with are: memory, DIY & handmade culture, cultural identity, community and inherited skills, but we welcome fiber art works as well as installation work, performance, video/audio pieces and any other great works you would like to share. We welcome you to submit 2-3 pieces. Please email submissions with photos or a simple sketch to stitchy.bitch@yahoo.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

Hola El Stitch y Bitch!

July is hot hot hot… what a great time to be outdoors for some knitting al aire libre. July has lots of great events, here are just a few.

Constructor Craft Fair is this Saturday, July 9th in Berwyn. This is Constructor’s fourth year and it gets better every time. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us! A few of us are meeting at noon; feel free to bring your current projects and join us for some beer, local handmade crafts and good summer times. The craft fair is at Fitzgerald’s: 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn, IL from 10am-6pm. Hope to see you there!

Our next knitting circle will meet at Cobalt Studio’s//Embedded// Block Party on July 16th! Adriana and Antonio are celebrating the studio’s one year anniversary with a fun filled day of art sales and raffles, free market, musica and bbq! Let’s meet from 3pm-6pm for some on sight knitting and yarn bombing. If you need extra yarn, I have plenty! The block party is on 21st St. and Damen, extending down to Wolocott.

We want to hear from all our fabulous beginners… Please join us at our next meeting, share your new projects or pick up a new pattern. Our next knitting circle will be on July 27th at Efebina’s Cafe: 1640 S. Blue Island from 7-9pm.

Have a great one!

Hello El Stitch y Bitch!

I hope you’re  all staying nice and cool… good time to stay indoors and do some knitting, I say. June is packed with events and we hope to see you very soon.

This weekend, June 11 is International Yarn Bombing Day! A few of us have been commissioned to do some on-site knit graffiti at the Michael’s store on the north side. All of you are welcome to join us and make some knit graffiti from 1-5pm at 3131 N. Clark St. No need to bring any yarn, Michael’s is supplying us with plenty. Sweet!

Also, a few of us have spoken about our upcoming show at Antena Gallery in September. If you’re interested in being a part of this art show let’s plan to meet on Sunday, June 26th at my apt., 6pm. We’ll discuss everyone’s ideas and pieces and plan out the show. Bring your ideas and your sketchbooks, please!  Please rsvp by Friday.

Our next SyB will be at the end of the month on Wednesday, June 29th at Cafe Catedral: 2500 S. Christiana Ave. As usual our meeting is from 7-9pm. Bring your projects and your lovely selves and let’s catch up!

That’s all for now, dears! Look forward to seeing you at one of our many events.

We’re taking ourselves back to Little Village for our next knitting circle. We’ll meet next Wednesday, May 11 at Cafe Catedral: 2500 S. Christiana Ave. from 7-9pm. Bring your projects and your lovely selves and it will be good ol’ time. And since our new members/beginners are moving along nicely, I will do my best to provide an array of patterns for those second projects. Feel free to bring your favorite patterns to share!

Our dear friend Jessica is leaving us soon to start a new and exciting chapter in her life in Texas. We had talked about doing a SyB/friendship quilt to mark the event. If you all are interested, let’s make sure to chat about it at our upcoming meeting!

Finally, our last Beginner’s Night of the season will be on Sunday, May 22nd at Martin’s Corner: 2056 West 22nd Pl. from 5-7pm. A busy summer awaits, so we will continue Beginner’s Nights in the Fall. If you ever wanted to learn how to knit or crochet you are more than welcome to join us!

See you all very soon!

It’s about that time for another BEGINNER’S NIGHT!! If you would like to learn how to knit or crochet and be a part of the Stitch y Bitch fun, please join us on Wednesday, April 6th at Cafe Efebinas, 1640 S Blue Island Ave, 7pm – 9pm. We have the yarn and the tools; all you have to do is check out the attached welcome info, and if you can, let us know if you plan on joining us. We look forward to meeting  you!

There is also an exciting collaboration project for El Stitch y Bitch! The Champaign-Urbana Stitch ‘n Bitch has invited us to join them on an awesome community-focused collaborative art piece: Stitching the Community Together.

How does it work?

Knit or crochet a 12in x 8in (w x h) swatch and carpool with us to Champaign-Urbana on Friday, April 8 (departing approx. @ 3pm). The group will be knitting and crocheting on-site and we can add our swatches too! For complete information, visit http://stitchnbitch-chambana.blogspot.com/. If you would still like to help out, but are unable to make it down to C-U, you can drop off your swatches with me or send them to:

Surface 51
c/o Christina Tapp
309 S. Neil St.
Champaign, IL 61820

Please consider participating!!