Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Ask your whiptips questions at the ‘tips and tricks’ section of the forum - right here.

Christine wrote: I make rag rugs, but now have far more rags than I have time to use. Is there a way to find others who need fabric or old, unusable (stained or torn) clothes to make rugs from?

For me, crafting in public has always been out of necessity and a desire to use all my time wisely. When I first moved to the big city in the early 90s and started taking buses to work, I realized at least 2 hours a day were being trimmed from my free time. But, unlike commuters who drive, I was lucky enough to have my hands free. I would carry around small crochet projects everywhere I went. If I wasn’t working on a hat for a friend, it was granny squares for a blanket; anything small enough to fit in a pocket, a purse, a backpack. Everywhere I went, I had something useful to do.

It’s now become a habit for me to grab a project as I walk out the door. Especially when I know I’ll be waiting around, like doctor’s appointments, movies, afternoons in the park, and even when I’m driving somewhere. More than once I’ve been stuck in traffic for long stretches of time where it was nice to have a little crocheting to do. I’m amazed at how much time I’m able to reclaim from my life by always having a project with me.

Taking advantage of a few minutes here and there has brought real-world experience to the idea that small things add up to something bigger. I tend to be all-or-nothing about life. I’m not usually patient, and I don’t like to take baby steps. But seeing that I can crochet a whole blanket in 5-minute snatches of time reinforces that slowly working toward your goals can pay off eventually.

When I’m crafting in public, people don’t talk to me as often as I’d expect. There have probably been less than 10 people who’ve ever said anything about it. But I like to imagine that my crafting in public is more subversive than it seems. I may not be putting knitted cozies on lampposts or embroidering on public transportation seats, but when someone sees me making something, I hope it counters their consumer mentality (if they have one) and implants the thought, “Hey! I could be making something, too.”

About the writer: Alice (aka futuregirl) has kept a craft blog on futuregirl.com since November 2005, but she was passionate about crafting long before that. Currently, Alice is focused on crochet and hand sewing felt, and enjoys creating original designs for both. She contributed several projects to the Anticraft book that comes out November 2007. Photographer: Andrew Merlino