PiPN’s Pathways Open Up Even further

We are continually receiving applications from both host companies and potential interns, so we’ve decided to open our process to matching students with hosts throughout the year.

We’ll still focus our student recruitment efforts towards positions in the summer months, but will maintain an active matching process for fall, winter and spring placements.

If you’re a TNNA host company who did not match with an intern this summer, we’ll be contacting you soon to see if you would like to keep your position active.  If you’re thinking about having an intern in the future, feel free to go to the Host Application and send it in now.  We will be updating the opportunities available on a quarterly basis.

PiPN 2011 interns and apprentices to date

Sophia Adodo
Texas Woman’s University, Denton
The Handwork Studios, Narberth, PA

Dania Carter
Mississippi State University
The Handwork Studios, Narberth, PA

Leah Chapman
RISD
KnitWhits, Emeryville, CA

Necol Dattilo
Kent State University
Stitchgrrl, Akron, OH

Sarah Ellison
Kent State University
Acorn Street, Seattle, WA

Kimberly Esasky
U of Akron
SoHo Publishing, NY, NY

Alice Faye Huff-Idom
U of Akron
Business Directions inc, Columbus, OH

Kelly Kleiden
apprentice
Helen Hamann, Tennessee

Alice Koelsch
U of Akron
Craft Akron, Akron, OH

Kelsey Leib
Kent State University
Stitchgrrl, Akron, OH

Mary Markeshewski
University of Alabama
Tanglewood Fiber Creations, Seattle, WA

Elli McHugh
Eastern Washington University
BeSweet, Sausalito, CA

Christina Musich
Carnegie Mellon University
Colonial Needle, White Plains, NY

Crystal Spann
Mississippi State University
TNNA, Columbus, OH

Heather Stanco
Carnegie Mellon University
Misti International Alpaca Yarns, Arequipa, Peru

Brigitte Tijerina
SCAD
Misti International Alpaca Yarns
Arequipa, Peru

Rylee Tomlinson
Mississippi State University
TNNA, Columbus, OH

Kelsey Tucker
U of Akron
Stitch, Piece ‘N Purl, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Rylee Tomlinson, Mississippi State University, interning with The National NeedleArts Association

Hola mi amigos!

The TNNA trade show is almost here and I cannot tell you how excited I am! We are doing so many things to get ready like calling people and working on displays. Speaking of displays, I think y’all are really going to like what we are working on. It has a past, present, future theme and we have some help from Ohio State University’s Historic Costume and Textile Museum…but I am not giving away any more than that. You will just have to come to the show and see it for yourselves.
By the way, on a more personal note, all of this has been done while battling a medium level case of poison ivy. I would post some pictures but you would be too grossed out. You know, if it stayed concentrated to one area, like my arm, I would be okay. But no! It spread to my stomach, my other arm, and the front and back of both legs. I look just awful. Oh, and the itching is so much worse than the way I look. I have found, for anyone looking to relieve itching, that ice packs work wonders. Benadryl does too but, alas, I am now immune to it.
But I digress. The real point of this update was to let you know what we interns have been working on here at TNNA.  If you’re coming to the show, and I hope all of you are, don’t forget to stop by our display (to be on the show floor, in the “Fashion Show” area) and see what we have accomplished. You will not be disappointed, I promise!

I’m also happy to announce three new opportunities posted just a few days ago.  Y2Knit, an amazing yarn company located in both Funkstown MD and San Francisco CA is offering a great internship for someone looking to eventually have a full time job. (Who isn’t looking for a full time job!) This company is run by two sisters who have more talent than I can even begin to describe.  They’re looking for help with marketing, as well as design . . .

I’ve also just posted two positions with Misti Alpaca in, of all places, Peru!  They’re offering room and board (but you do have to get there yourself . . .)  These positions require skills in knitting and crochet, as well as a good grasp of Spanish.  The interns who were placed there a few years ago had an incredible experience.  I’m sure this year will be no different.

So, again, if you already haven’t registered . . . or if you have and one of these positions appeals to you, let us know.  We’re getting close to our match date (early April) so you have no time to waste.

If positions aren’t filled after that date, we will continue to accept applications, but you may not be able to get the placement of your choice.

Rebecca Cross teaching fiber techniques at Kent State University

In the past few weeks, we’ve visited the University of Akron, our first hub for the PiPN Summer Scholar Program, as well as Kent State University where our hands-on needlearts class originated.  Over 50 students attended our presentations, and we’ve already heard from quite a few interested in internships.

Recently, PiPN hosted a group of award winning student designers in Nashville at TNNA’s Needlecraft Market.  The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association sponsors a fiber arts design competition yearly.  This year, AOBA staff and volunteers got a peek at how a  TNNA hotel show works, the world of stitching, as well as the PiPN program.

In the coming months, PiPN will be at career days at the Savannah College of Art & Design, Carnegie Mellon University,  and the Fashion Group International in Dallas, where we will be awarding a Best of Show in Needlearts to one of the student participants.

We’re also making plans to visit several of the Art Institutes of America in California, and hoping to work more closely with them in the coming year.

If you know of colleges offering programs in arts, textiles, fiber arts, crafts, fashion design & merchandising, marketing or entrepreneurship (or others). . . or a student who simply loves to create, let them know about PiPN.

With the addition of Mississippi State University as a second hub, we anticipate many more applications this year, so positions will fill rapidly.

Deadline for applications is March 30, 2011.  After matching all applicants at that time, we will continue to accept applications for any other open placements.

Located between Berkeley and Oakland and across the bay from San Francisco, this internship offers a great opportunity to learn all the basics of hand-dyeing yarns from prepping to post-dyeing yarn care, packaging and shipping.  You’ll be assisting with marketing and promotions as well.

Knitwhits is a great place to work and a great place to learn.  Check out more by downloading their information here.

Host companies include retailers, wholesalers, designers, retailers and manufacturers of products for the needlearts and crafts industries.  Many of these companies are open to having someone either this fall yet, or during the winter months, as well as during the summer.

Download a pdf document with each company’s information and requirements by clicking on their names below.

Then, just fill out the intern/apprentice application on this site.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Anzula

Be Sweet, Inc

Barbara Bergsten Designs

Colonial Needle

Craft Akron

French Knot

Knots – Knitting on the Square

Lovelyarns

Stitchgrrl/Knitgrrl Studio

The National NeedleArts Association

The Stitcher’s Muse

The Yarn Shop

It’s time to sign up again to become a PiPN Host for the coming year (2010-2011).

NEW this year.

• Hosts and applicants can now choose any time period during the 2010-2011 academic year, as well as throughout the summer.
• Association members can now easily and quickly apply online.  Click here for the Host Application.
• Applicants will also be able to register online.

Previous Hosts have applauded the program, and have commented that the experiences were enjoyable and rewarding.

Our interns have echoed those sentiments.  Visit PiPN Lane to see more of what our interns have said about their experiences this year.

If you’ve never been a host, please consider participating this year.

It doesn’t take much . . . just a willingness to mentor a young, enthusiastic fiber arts lover, to share your knowledge and experience and love of this creative industry.

For more information, please visit TNNA.org College Outreach

There you will be able to download a quick overview of the PiPN program, as well as a more complete overview of the 2010-2011 requirements and schedules.

If you have been a PiPN host in the past, please complete the online application as well,  so we have all your updated information.

Click here for the Host Application.

This year, with the new format, close to 40 students registered for PiPN 2010.  More than half have been placed, with several still pending.

Congratulations to the following:

• Bagsmith
  • Ashley Schweikert – University of Akron
• BeSweet
  • Caroline Moore – State University of NY at Geneseo
• Blue Ball Mountain Spindle
  • Amy Church – Western Kentucky University
• CNS Yarns
  • Helen Cosgrove-Davies -  Bryan Mawr
• Coats-N-Clark
  • Samantha Lever – East Tennessee State University
• Crooked Fence Alpacas
  • Alyssa Edlund – University of Utah
  • Kimberly Trusken – Kent State University
• Handworks Studio
  • Trekina Miller – Missouri State University
• Knit Knack
  • Julia Rhoden – Colorado State University
• Knitgrrl
  • Abra Forman – apprentice
  • Sarah Jo Mosbech – apprentice
• Knitting on the Square
  • Alice Koelsch – University of Akron
• Loopy Yarns
  • Jacqueline Shunnara – University of Alabama
• Royal School of Needlework
  • Justin Campbell – University of Akron, graduate student
• SoHo Publishing
  • Claire Kersey – Georgia College & State University   
  • Amanda Montgomery – University of Akron
• Stitches Etc., Beth Gantz Designs   
  • Diane Capuano – apprentice
• Tanglewood Fibers
  • Mariel Snetman – University of Alabama   
  • Emily Sidle – University of Akron, graduate student
• Yarn Designers Boutique
  • Erin Rice – Art Institute of California-SF
• Yellowbird Yarn Room
  • Jennifer Weiland – University of Akron

There are still a number of opportunities available for this summer:

• Barbara Bergsten, Chagrin Falls OH
• City Knits, Detroit MI
• Cowgirl Yarn, Laramie WY
• Fiber Arts Yarn Shop, Cape May NJ
• Fine Points, Cleveland OH
• Kreinik Manufacturing, Parkersburg WV (2)
• Maria’s Knitting & Crochet, Chula Vista CA
• Red Barn Yarn, Pasadena CA
• The Needlepoint Boutique, Collingswood NJ

Shannon has been a great mentor, including me in her meetings and in the general planning of her business so that I could really see what it takes to run a small business in the art and craft world. I’ve gotten to do a little bit of everything while I’ve been here. I’ve worked on knitting patterns and knit samples, and I researched and wrote an article for Yarn Forward, the UK knitting magazine that she edits. I’ve gotten to meet other local artists and business people that she works with on a regular basis. It’s been really useful for me to see what kinds of opportunities, both in business and the arts, are available in this area and might apply to me back home. One of the big projects that I took on this summer was working on her new online store; she sells a wide variety of fiber arts supplies as well as knitting, crochet, embroidery, and cross-stitch patterns from a wide variety of designers. Tech-savviness is not one of my strengths, so it has been really useful for me to learn to work with some of the on-line software that she uses.

It’s been a great summer; I’ve gotten to help Shannon start really interesting several long-term projects in different areas. The hardest part about the internship ending is that I won’t get to see all of these cool projects that we started continue to develop first-hand.