craftzine.com/03/stoller
CRAFTER
B Y SUSAN BEAL
Traveling by train can be as mundane as a 45-minute commute or as grand as a cross-continental journey, but one thing each trek has in common is a gloriously empty stretch of time to sleep, read, catch up on work … or make something new. Ten years ago as I crisscrossed Europe on an unlimited summer rail pass, I brought along my beads and pliers to make jewelry on the trip. What began as a way to pass the time became a perfect opportunity to try new designs and techniques. Other passengers watched, or introduced themselves to ask about what I was making. So, as a bonus, I met dozens of people, and even sold lots of my pieces — or traded them for meals in the dining car.
Debbie Stoller, writer and editor of BUST magazine, also found a long train trip to be creatively stimulating — to say the least. Never a fan of flying, she scheduled a 1999 book tour from New York to the West Coast and back via Amtrak. Halfway to her first stop, in Portland, Ore., she pulled out a half-finished magenta mohair sweater that had languished at the back of her closet for years; the process just clicked for the first time, she says.
“I found myself making perfect little stitches in time with the rhythm of the train. By the time
I reached the West Coast, my first sweater was done. That trip changed my life!”
She bought more yarn and another sweater pattern for the next leg of her journey, and finished that one just as quickly. Then she started designing her own patterns and projects, which led to the first book of her Stitch ’n Bitch needlecraft series (now with more than 200,000 copies in print).
Photograph by Kate Lacey
And each book in turn has led to another tour by train. The journeys from coast to coast are “such a respite from the craziness of media events and book signings,” she explains, “and it’s also a chance to hone my skills and become a better craftsperson.”
On her first Stitch ’n Bitch tour in 2003, she made a pair of intricate lace socks from a new, challenging pattern. “I gained a much deeper understanding of how the stitches actually worked,” she says. “It’s difficult to connect like that when you’re busy with everyday life, and if you like to craft, you’re desperate for long blocks of free time to work anyway.”
On the return journey to Chicago after teaching knitting at a spa in Austin, she designed a crocheted T-shirt that ended up in Tease (Perigee).
Stoller has also taught the craft en route, organizing a “Knitting on Amtrak” loop from the Bay Area to Sacramento for beginners and fellow enthusiasts alike. Her original knitting-on-the-go has branched out into new modes of transportation, too, including a four-day cruise from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. “Stitch and Beach 2007” will offer knitting and crochet workshops, along with wine and cheese tastings and pajama parties. On vacation, “you can really luxuriate in devoting your time to your craft,” she says.
Check knithappens.com for details on her crafty getaways, or just book your own trip, and be sure to bring something cool to work on along the way. ×
Susan Beal is a Los Angeles writer and designer. She co-wrote Super Crafty: Over 75 Amazing How-To Projects . Her jewelry, kits, and much more can be found at susanstars.com and westcoastcrafty.com.
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