Carlos Lee wasn't the only one showing off his craft on Saturday. It was also Stitch N' Pitch Day at Minute Maid Park.

Stitch N' Pitch is a program of the National NeedleArts Association. http://www.stitchnpitch.com/default.asp It encourages people to knit, crochet, cross-stitch, embroider, and needlepoint at baseball games. Events are held at both major and minor league games across the country. (And internationally, as they have an event at a Toronto Bluejays game in July.)

I'm guessing that for the most part, TCB readers are not going to be knitters or crocheters. This story may seem like fluff. Really, though, if you want to share the love of baseball with the casual fan, you have to find ways to do it. Peanuts and crackerjacks aren't going to cut it. Programs like Stitch N' Pitch provide opportunities to expand baseball's fan base.  

The thought of stitching, especially knitting, may conjure up images of your grandma knitting an over-sized sweater while sitting in a rocking chair. Stereotypes aside, stitching has been revived in the twenty-first century with books like Stitch ‘N Bitch, The Happy Hooker, Stitch Graffiti, and Subversive Cross Stitch. Crafters are men and women, young and old. And, stitchers are trading the rocking chair for stadium seats.

Stitching is a welcome boredom buster at baseball games. It keeps the hands busy while still allowing them to socialize and watch the game.

As far as sporting events go, baseball is certainly one of the most stitch friendly. Baseball is a slow paced game, and for the most part, there isn't a whole lot of standing up for fans. Crafters aren't going to get jostled around by other fans. (Unless they stitch the opposing team logo!) Stitching is also a great activity to do while watching games at home too.

For inspiration, I used http://www.myphotostitch.com/ to create a cross-stitch pattern for The Crawfish Boxes logo.

TCB Logo Cross Stitch Pattern

Stitch away!