Craft Culture U.S. Tour 2010 takes to the road this summer

June 9, 2010 - PRLog -- Despite being separated by miles or even decades, crafters of the world – and the United States in particular – are connected by common threads. At least, that's the way Daniella Cortez sees it. The Anchorage, Ala. native – just recently returned after a seven-year stint in Las Vegas – explores the culture of crafting every week in her Craft Culture podcast, and this July, Cortez will take her show on the road, visiting six cities across the country to see just how far those threads will lead.

Cortez, whose do-it-yourself, mini craft empire comprises selling knitting patterns, custom-dyed yarns and hand-blended teas, will be visiting knit nights, yarn stores, prayer shawl ministries – basically, anywhere knitters meet, collecting people's stories and documenting her adventures through blog posts, videos, photos and, of course, podcasts.

"I’ve seen how fiber can bring together wildly diverse people and how it connects us all not only to each other, but to the world at large," Cortez says. "My goal is to document those similarities and differences, to talk with groups and individuals about their handwork, to observe, firsthand, the cultural significance of what we all do, to meet the knitters, get in the trenches with them and let them show me their region from an insider's perspective."

The interviews and experiences will also serve more academic purposes, providing qualitative data for a book about modern knitting in the United States, its group dynamics, and the similarities that tie together all knitters – the intended capstone project for Cortez's interdisciplinary studies degree, which focuses on the cultural and historic significance of handcrafting in the United States.

Businesses and individuals can get involved by becoming a sponsor of the Craft Culture U.S. Tour, either through monetary donations, or by becoming a host family in the respective cities Cortez will visit. The tour starts in Anchorage at the beginning of July, and will stop in Chicago, Cleveland, Newark, N.J. and Richmond, Va., before wrapping up in Greensboro, N.C. For their support, donors will receive custom gifts, as well as potential recognition on both the Craft Culture website and podcast, depending on their level of sponsorship.

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Subtitled "a podcast for crafty thinkers" by its founder, Daniella Cortez, Craft Culture is a podcast dedicated to exploring the cultural relevance, identities and importance of handcrafting. Craft Culture – which has gained nearly 2,000 subscribers in its first three months – features a rotating cast of co-hosts, a variety of topics and a tendency to over think the simple things. Find it online at http://craftculture.danido.com.