Photography is one of the great crafts and it has never been easier than now in the digital age.

Which, then, is the best type of camera for the ardent crafter who uses photography as an art or as part of another craft?

As an experiment, I embarked on a Photowalk with three digital cameras to discover which would be the most useful, and in which circumstances.

The cameras are, from left to right in the picture:

1. Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ8 — a DSLR
2. Advent MP8 — a compact.
3. Panasonic SDR S7 — an SD camcorder.

Two still cameras and a movie cam.

Conclusion
As expected, I used the movie camera the most. There was just too much movement and activity for static shots.

However, when confronted with a fine view, the DSLR came out and a staged shot was taken. Even so, these were all hand-held. Pulling out my tripod would have involved too much effort and made me too conspicuous.

Where a fairly static scene was involved, but with something interesting going on, I reached automatically for the compact.

So, predictably the ratio was 3:2:1 for video, DSLR, compact.

Does that tell me anything about my usage and preferences? Probably not, except that I’ll make sure I carry the videocam everywhere from now on.

Do you have sore hands from knitting or crocheting? I sure do. My hands get so tired and feel so painful from marathon hours of knitting.

Many crafters have this problem. Some crafting days I feel like my finger joints are on fire and the rest of my hands are just plain worn out.

There are some things you can do if you have this problem. As I said, it is a common problem with crafters and also with computer users. With those of us on the Internet doing knitting blogs - well, we have a double whammy.

The 5 X 5 X 5 hand workout is something that should help you a great deal. Exercising your hands in a way to relieve pain and stiffness, will help you avoid repetitive stress injuries.

On this page, you will also find a product called Handeze Massage Gloves. This is another thing that will help hand pain during crafting. They can be ordered online in several places and Berroco has taken any risk of getting the wrong size away. They have a hand sizer that works right on your monitor.

Hand pain is a difficult problem for crafters and computer users. We love what we do and even when it hurts, we keep doing it. There is no point in telling a knitter to stop knitting because of hand problems. Taking care of your hands and taking some steps to ease problems through prevention can extend the time you can spend on the needles.

By Adelle Tilton

I realized today that I have sorely neglected an area of crafting that is very popular:  Embroidery.  This includes cross stitch, crewel, needlepoint, candlewicking and anything involving a needle, beautiful thread and a canvas, which in this case would be a piece of material.  Embroidery is a wonderfully relaxing hobby and the creations that can be made are unique and can become family heirlooms.  I started with embroidery when I was 10, and have tried just about every form of it.  It is a very artistic expression within crafting.

Embroidery Online has a great resource for people who enjoy embroidery.  They have an e-tips newsletter that can be custom designed for the type of stitching you do.  It is a weekly email that is sent at no charge to you - the hints and tips will improve your quality of work as you embroider and inspire you on to new ideas.

E-Tips From Embroidery Online

By Adelle Tilton