Spyn: augmenting the creative and communicative potential of craft

We present data collected from a field study of 12 needle-crafters introduced to Spyn-mobile phone software that associates digital records (audio/visual media, text, and geographic data) with locations on fabric. We observed leisure needle-crafters use Spyn to create one or more handmade garments over two to four weeks and then give those garments to friends, partners, and family members. Using Spyn, creators left behind digital and physical traces that heightened recipients' appreciation for the gift and enabled a diverse set of meanings to emerge. Digital engagements with Spyn became a means for unraveling the value of the gift: recipients used digital information associated with the physical objects to interpret the story behind the objects and their creators. We discuss the nature of this relationship between digital and physical material and its implications for craft.

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