Bonus Episode! What if state fairs were art museums?

Come along with us and discover the craft (or is it art?) of state fairs! We visited the State Fairs: Growing American Craft exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum earlier this year and are sharing (and showing) our favorite pieces, our big takeaways, and how it relates to our knitting. You'll see hooked rugs healing trauma, Victorian hair wreaths, a portrait of Prince in seeds, and more!

#TWYAK Bonus Notes

Visit the exhibit at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum through September 7, 2026.

Books We Mention

• Knitting with Dog Hair: Better a Sweater from a Dog You Know and Love Than from a Sheep You'll Never Meet by Kendall Crolius

Further Reading

• Seed by Seed: Crop Art of the Minnesota State Fair — more on the Seed Queen!
• More on canning sensation Rod Zeitler
• More about the quilt created by the Battered Offenders Self Help group in Kentucky
• Some detail shots of the hooked rug from Kaye D. Miller, in a blog post by one of the judges. You can see the green onion!