Jones'n

We enjoyed a nice quiet 4th of July picking strawberries at Jones Family Farm located in Shelton, CT. While many (including myself) have been grumbling about the unusual wet/rainy summer we've been having, the strawberries have been loving it! In fact, as one staff member of the farm put it, "These may be the best strawberries ever!" In looking around at the faces of people picking strawberries, the tell-tale signs of the sweet strawberry juice on their faces, hands, and clothing was a good indicator that this was true. And, I can attest, they were -- and are (as I sit here this morning enjoying some) absolutely delicious! Mmmmmmmmmmm

Along for our outing yesterday was my new finished project ... which is nameless at the moment. Sometimes names for projects are so obvious, you just KNOW it's the right name the moment you think it or say it out loud. Sometimes it takes a bit of time for the right name to come to you, and this is where I am at the moment -- waiting for just the right name to come to me.

However, taking pictures does not require waiting -- unless it is weather related. With yesterday being the first sunny day since the Age of Aquarius (sorry, I have that song stuck in my head), I wanted to take some shots of my project with the farm in the background, and dang blast it if it wasn't too sunny out!?! Ieeeee! LOL ... at least you get an idea what it looks like, right? ... and please note, I do NOT have the pattern available. And yes, it is made entirely of bamboo and merino wool and is very yummy to pet. (I plan on wearing it at the Conference next month.)

While we were at the Farm, we also visited their winery. I got to sample many delicious varieties and selected many (bottles) to come home with us. I also purchased a new pair of earrings made by my niece, Crista, well known as AmberTurtoise, to go with my newly completed project. Imagine my delight to find she's now blogging! You can visit her blog here: http://www.ambertortoisejewelry.blogspot.com/ (pictured with my new earrings is one of the closures I mentioned on Thursday.)

You know, I had so much fun at the Farm yesterday, I think that's what I'll name my new project: Jones'n Avenue. See, sometimes names do just come to you. :)

Happy 233rd Birthday, America!

We watched fireworks in Danbury last night, in the same place we've watched for the last 10 years. Due to people unable to behave last year the site owner decided to limit the number of people having access to his property -- and to make this the last year people can do so. It was bitter sweet watching from this location last night ... knowing that this will be the last year marking the end to our family tradition, while enjoying it more because there were fewer people (aka trouble makers). I'm not sure what causes folks to become rude and disrespectful when they are out & about, but I can take comfort in knowing there are people who care. Imagine how great our country would be with just a little more respect. Sing it for me Aretha ... R-E-S-P-E-C-T ... (btw, Aretha Franklin is a crocheter)

Perhaps next year we'll consider making the trek to Shelton and hang out with our nieces & nephews -- check out the awesome shot my nephew Jeremy took! ((to see more of his photography visit his flicker account))

I'm sure you're wondering how this is all crochet related? ... why, I worked on crocheting a swatch for a secret project while waiting! Happy 233rd Birthday, America!

buttons, buttons, buttons

Every morning this week Dee Jr. has assisted me on The Great Button Hunt. He is patient, has a good eye, and has no problem inquiring, "What were you thinking?" when I'd select a button a little 'off the wall.' I like that in an assistant! :)

We went to a local quilt shop figuring since they sell fabric they must sell buttons. Nope. They specialize in quilting, not in sewing. ((sounds like a yarn shop that specializes in knitting, excluding crochet. ahem, I'm just saying)) They had maybe 5 buttons.

We went to our local Joanns. They had two walls filled with buttons, and many were on clearance. Yes, I did adopt many, but sadly none that exclaimed "This is the one!" for my project.

I was offered some online shops to try ... but without seeing the button/closure against the work it is difficult to decide...

So we went to a local fabric shop that also sells yarn. Although there were many buttons, I didn't buy anything there. (although there was a hank of yarn there I wouldn't mind adopting...)

Maybe I'm being too picky. I decided, for now, I'll use the buttons I purchased at Nancy O's. However, since I am not 100% sure this is the route I want to take, I don't want to sew the buttons to the work. To get around this I decided to create closures like I did for Gloria's shawl. This meant I had to find matching beads, and this would mean another hunt.

I went to a fairly new bead shop in the area. Although the only employee there did not speak English, we eventually were able to communicate what I was looking for and wonderfully she had just the right beads! Yes!

I came home and created four closures. The open stitch work will allow me to insert the closures anywhere I'd like, and as many as I'd like to use, at a given time. And, since my project was already completed, meaning it was too late to crochet the 'Signet' Nancy O gave to me into my work, I decided to add it to one of the closures. (pictured)

My signet is a dragonfly. Some say the dragonfly is symbolic for change, and being OK with that change; this site has more info on the dragonfly symbolism. Interestingly enough, this is the second time I've chosen a dragonfly to be a part of my crochet work -- and to think all this time I thought I was a fan of giraffes!

oh Nancy!

I tuned into Mary Beth Temple's "Getting Loopy Show" last night, as I do nearly every time, by calling in. By now Mary Beth knows the "203" area code is me. Last night she informed me I wouldn't be the only "203" on her switchboard -- last night's guest was also from Connecticut! That guest was Nancy O who owns a gift/yarn shop in Ridgefield.

I've long heard there was a new yarn shop in Ridgefield, but Route 7, having been under construction since the dawn of the dinosaurs (or at least since the invention of the automobile), usually is enough to deter me from venturing in that direction.

As we were listening to the show last night Nancy O talked about how she got turned on to crochet with Doris Chan's All Shawl pattern -- and that she had already crocheted five of them! It was then I decided I would venture south, deal with the notorious Route 7 construction mayhem, and visit her shop. After all, I am on a button hunt, and Nancy O said she had a nice selection.

This morning, with Dee Jr. as my assistant (and practicing his photography), we did it! We visited Nancy's shop. Upon entering we were warmly greeted by MaryAnn -- one of the warmest receptions I've ever received walking into a yarn shop! She marveled over my project, asked about crochet, and began assisting me in looking at buttons. There was not one of those "Oh, so do you knit?/Don't you want to learn how to knit?" questions -- if I could paint little red hearts around her name for this blog entry to show how much I appreciated NOT hearing that, I would! (That's MaryAnn and I looking at the buttons on the right.)

Soon Nancy O arrived. We got to talking about Doris' All Shawl, crochet, the Getting Loopy Show, and my project -- which she called "Chanel Worthy" ... ((OK, I'm totally flattered now, no one has ever said that about my crochet before)). I picked out one style of buttons and purchased 8. While I'm not sure if these buttons will be THE buttons for this project, I am sure I will be visiting Nancy O's shop in the near future -- possibly sooner once the construction on Route 7 is completed. While the yarn selection is not large, the warmth, and acceptance as a crocheter is huge!

PS: Nancy O also gave me a "signet" -- I picked out a dragonfly, and then she gave me a tape measurer too in honor of it being my first visit to her shop. You just can't beat that kind of hospitality. Don't know what a "signet" is? Then you need to listen to Mary Beth's Getting Loopy Show! :)
PSS: Mini~Dee was not available for this adventure as she is participating in a NASA program this week.

Button Junction, what's your function?

The CGOA Conference is just six -- SIX -- weeks away!! Wow!! There is so much to do to prepare! I know the time will fly! Perhaps you saw my 'tweet' yesterday about a project I'm working on -- a sweater for me to wear while at the Conference...

I worked on the last sleeve last night and in looking at it this morning I see I have some ripping to do -- it's larger than the first sleeve. What this means is that although my stitch count was correct, my gauge/tension went wonkie. What was I watching while crocheting? Ghost Busters. I was laughing so much that it totally threw my gauge off. It happens.

I also discovered yesterday that my button collection is not as vast as I'd like for it to be. I had filed in the back of my mind the perfect closures for the sweater ... only I had misfiled that information in my brain. It shouldn't have been filed in the "button" category, but rather the "jewelry." What this means is that I'll be hunting for the perfect closures for this garment.

Why is it important to have the perfect buttons/closures? Because they make a statement. This is why many people who understand this concept replace buttons on store-bought garments -- and have been doing so for eons.

Personally, I like to think of the garment as a sentence with the buttons/closures as the punctuation. If I want my "sentence" to be tame, I'll pick out plain buttons that will not call attention to themselves. If I want it to be a question, I'll pick out buttons that ask, "What WAS she thinking?" ... and if I want it to make a declaration ... then the buttons/closure must convey that. And that is the message I'm looking for this latest project on my hook; a closure that will compliment the crochet work while also accentuating it. And so the hunt is on!!

Murder Mystery Crochet Project

Do you like trying to solve a good mystery? How about solving a crochet murder mystery? Or even better, a crochet murder mystery Crochet Along Project!?!

Back in September members of the "Hooked on Murder, Dying to Crochet" Ravelry group got a chance to do just that! To take clues I've assembled from Betty Hechtman's first crochet murder book, "Hooked on Murder," to create a mystery project crochet along!

As it is now summer time -- and what better time to read when not crocheting? -- I thought it would be an excellent time to bring the Mystery Project Clues out of Ravelry and share them with everyone. ... however there are some rules I ask people to follow:

1. Print out as many copies as you need for you and/or your group to use. (If you are a librarian and would like to offer the Mystery CAL to your patrons, you have my blessing.)
2. Drop me an email or leave a comment here that you will be giving the Mystery Project a try.
3. If you have a blog, a website, or online group, Do NOT link back directly to the pattern. Rather I ask you link back to this blog entry, using this link:
http://crochetwithdee.blogspot.com/2009/06/murder-mystery-crochet-project.html
4. If you'd like, email me pictures of your finished Mystery Project; I'd love to show them off here on my blog.
5. NO -- and I mean NO -- answers or hints will be provided by me -- so please do not contact me (or Betty) and ask/bribe ... well, maybe bribe, if it's really yummy yarn ...

OK that's it. CLICK HERE for your free PDF Murder Mystery Crochet Project Clues -- you will need adobe to view it:


NOTE: Betty has two other crochet murder mystery books available for your summertime reading pleasure:

Dead Men Don't Crochet: A Crochet Mystery

By Hook or by Crook

I'm an (Influenced) Material Girl ...

One of the fondest memories I have of the 2003 CGOA Conference was in having Willena Nanton as my roommate. Not only is Willena an extraordinary crocheter, but she is also an avid Barbie collector. ((Recently Willena was a Guest Speaker at a HHCC Meeting.)) I thought I was a big-time fan, but certainly Willena proved she was way more into Barbie than I was as she beautifully turns top Barbie designer fashions, such as Bryon Lars', into stunning crochet outfits she wears on the runway at Barbie Conventions.

I know I am not alone in being influenced by this "Material Girl" ... Myra, founder of the International Freeform Group, was too. (What about you? Have you ever crocheted or knitted something for Barbie? Do you have a link to a picture? If so, please post it in the comments section below.)

Naturally this has me curious -- just how many crocheters are/were influenced to crochet items for the world's most famous "Material Girl?"

... and because of her influence on so many, I'm wondering, shouldn't Barbie be made an Honorary Member of the CGOA? That would be so cool, IMHO.

You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl
~Madonna; crocheter