Sunday, March 28, 2004

New Classes & Workshops Posted

Fresh on my website (www.CrochetWithDee.com) you'll find the latest Crochet Classes & Workshops I'll be teaching in the months of April and May!  :)

Don't be left out; sign up early and ensure your seat in the class.  If you need any help in figuring out what supplies are needed, or what skill level you should be at, please feel free to send me an email.

There are many new Classes and Workshops -- sure to please just about everyone! :)

Saturday, March 27, 2004

Trouble!

Yesterday I taught a crochet felting class at a local craft store called the Craft Basket.  Debby, the lady that does all the ordering there has been working hard to increase the amount of yarns -- and types -- that they offer, which has been flying off the shelves!

So it was just heaven to see all the new Berroco yarns they just got in.  I ended up "adopting" two balls ... one of an eyelash (purple) and one of a thick & thin type (greens & purples) to make myself a spring scarf out of.  Of course you know there's trouble on the horizon when it takes you a good 20 minutes to decide -- usually this type of indecision means I come home with more than I intended.  (LOL)  I ended up closing my eyes and walking briskly out of the aisle lest I "adopt" more yarn!   (as for the specific names of the yarns, I'll have to get the labels out of my van as that's where I started working on the scarf while waiting for my kids to get out of school yesterday)

The reason I say "trouble on the horizon" is because I have a rather extensive yarn stash, and recently it was no problem to help designer Margaret Hubert (www.margarethubertoriginals.com) locate the red Glitter Spun she needed to complete "the most spectacular jacket using 5 different Berroco yarns."  [I can't wait to see it!]

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Requesting Changes

I had read a note by Gwen Blakley Kinsler about how she wrote to Patternworks to request that they change the cover of their catalog from addressing just knitters to addressing knitters AND crocheters ... and they DID! 

So when I got the latest issue of Berroco's enews, I decided that I'd write to the editor and request a change from greeting just knitters to greeting knitters AND crocheters -- AND since the editor is located in a nearby state, I also offered her crochet lessons in the event she didn't know how. 

I'm tickled to announce that the editor responded, and WILL be making the change, and will also be taking me up on my offer to help her improve upon her crocheting skills! 

So, in honor of National Crochet Month, if you see something addressed to just knitters and think Crocheters can benefit too, don't be afraid of writing to the company asking that they include us!  :)

Monday, March 22, 2004

Sunday's Crochet Demo

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in a Crochet Demonstration with some of my Chapter members -- we showed off so many different types of crochet, and offered beginner lessons to 21 individuals of varing ages.  We did the demonstration in honor of National Crochet Month, and it was so much fun!!

Then today, after picking my kids up from school, my dd who is a beginner crocheter herself (age 7) said that she wrote about yesterday's crochet demo in her school journal and that her teacher told her "Good Job!"  She had fun at the demonstration yesterday too!  :)

Thursday, March 18, 2004

Reviewed! (May issue of Crochet!)

I received the May 2004 issue of Crochet! magazine today and was thrilled to see the book, Blue Ribbon Afghans from America's State Fairs: 40 Prize-Winning Crocheted Designs featured in the book review section. 

Although neither my afghan or I are specifically mentioned in the review, it was awesome to see it featured.

And as long as I'm drooling over this issue, have you seen the crocheted necklace featured on the cover?  It's beautiful!  

Monday, March 15, 2004

Nero Cording; worth drooling over

The owner of the store, A Stitch in Time, located in Bethel, CT, asked me to create something out of some Nero cording she just received.  She said she didn't care what it was -- she just needed something to put on display to show what can be done with it.

For a few days I let it sit on top of my new 10-drawer chest (a gift from my dh to help me keep my crochet treasures organized) for a few days.  Each time I passed it, I looked at and stroked it...wondering what I should create.

I thought I could make toe-thongs, but that would be hard to display.  Plus, you can get them at the local mall for $6 a pair.  Then I thought I could work up a necklace, or a watch band ... really, this thought decision was tough as I only had one skein!

So I decided to put the vote out one day to an online group I belong to.  It's called Crochet Partners -- with over 2500 members.  As I was writing the post, my ds suggested I create one of my Treasure Bags with it.  So I mentioned that in the post too.  The response was great -- almost all the posts agreed with my son.  So I did.

I sat down with an F hook and went to town!  I couldn't believe how it striped up.  I did alter my pattern; I elongated it and finished it off with the Exchange Stitch.  Then I stuck an old pair of sunglasses inside and delivered it to the store owner.

She loved it!  I told her I put the old pair of sunglasses inside to deter any, um, lightfingers (is that a good way to put it?) from claiming them.  I ended up getting a skein of the Nero cording for myself and hope to make my own "Sunglass Treasure Bag" by the end of the week. :)

Tuesday, March 9, 2004

1830-1918

My favorite request for assistance this week came from an eighth grader in California who needed help with a school project.  Her assignment spans the timeframe of 1830 to 1918, and she decided her subject would be Crochet. 

So I suggested she consider doing the project on the American Frontier -- including Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane (Rose had patterns published, while Laura had many books of her childhood published) -- and to include the invention of the Granny Square which came about as families packed their treasures on covered wagons and traveled out West.  These people lived hard lives and had to utilize every scrap they could get their hands on.  The beloved Granny Square concept was "born" so yarn and thread scraps could be utilized to be turned into blankets and clothing to help keep families warm.

As an alternative, I suggested that she consider Irish Lace and its importance to helping Ireland overcome the Potato Famine.  Along with suggesting to check out the links on my History page, I suggested to her Maire Treanor's book called Clones Lace: The Story and Patterns of an Irish Crochet that was published in 2002.  The Potato Famine was a hard time for Ireland, and it was the Crocheted Lace that, at one time, was the main source of income for the country and helped keep many families from starving to death. 

Whatever direction she opts to take her project, I wish her well with it.  :)

Thursday, March 4, 2004

It's National Crochet Month!

Happy National Crochet Month!

March is National Crochet month, and I'm having fun celebrating it by wearing some sort of crochet every day of the month -- even if I didn't crochet it! 

To learn more about National Crochet month, visit the CGOA website at www.crochet.org -- they have a list of 30 different ways you can celebrate/promote throughout the month.  There's also a cute cartoon to check out!

In the meantime, I'm continuing to crochet preemie blankets in my spare time (I have 5 done already).

~Dee