Sunday Guest Bloggers

Guest Blogger: Elaine
Title:  Blogging For Dee's Birthday

Wish there were more we could do for Dee than this, but if it helps....... So hey, got my poncho done for the 2006 Crochet Olympics! I found a new pattern stitch that as long as you need a multiple of 4+1, it is perfect! Yee-ha. It is called a slanted v stitch and is really simple. Just make a sc, ch 1, dc in the first ch, sk 1 repeat, then on the next and every row after, put that stitch into the ch-1 space across. This makes for a very nice, tighter stitch than the usual open weave you tend to see in ponchos. Especially nice for that cold weather some of us are having. Brrrrrrr.

Of course there is usually a fly in the ointment and ended  up running to town (in the snow!) to my local WalMart (30 miles away) to get just ONE more skein of yarn to finish it. So now have some leftover yarn and can't help myself (idle fingers and all that) so making a "Juliet Cap" to go with it. Not sure how it will turn out, lets just say good thing there is a picture of it, since they didn't give a hook size to use nor a gauge! Argh. Making it in the sage green of the poncho, plus maroon and turquoise since I have some of the Carons Simply Soft leftover in those colors and the sage green is also Carons Simply Soft.

The poncho pattern is a takeoff of the Hudson poncho found at: http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/hudson/hudson.html Let me tell you though, CHECK YOUR GAUGE on this one. I didn't on my first one and the front of it came out real short, lol. So on the slanted v stitch one I made, since I am a tight crocheter (you know who you are) add ten chains like I did, tee hee. It came out way better.

Happy Hooking to You All Today (have some cake for Dee)
Elaine
http://triquetra5100.blogspot.com/

Guest Blogger: Amy
Title:  Connecting the World with a Hook and Some Yarn

History. Connections. Relationships. Friendship. Love. A glimpse into the future. What do all of these things have in common? For me, it's a love of crochet. I learned how to crochet when I was 8, when my third-grade teacher taught all the girls in the class. Because I had watched my mother and grandmother crochet, I immediately felt a connection and pull to earlier generations. This was something we could all SHARE, which we did as they encouraged me to stick with crochet and to tackle more difficult projects.

As a high school student with very little money, crochet was a terrific source of Christmas presents for friends. A couple skeins of crochet thread, a hook, and my mother's Crochet Fantasy magazines, and I could make wonderful, beautiful gifts that my friends loved.

As an adult, I now have a circle of friends who enjoy crochet as much as I do. We gather together to work on prayer shawls for those in spiritual need.  We pray for the recipients as we work, but we also share ourselves with each other: talking about our lives, our families, our ups and downs, our spiritual journeys. While our hands are busy creating, our hearts and minds are busy caring for each other.

Now as a mother of a 12-year-old daughter, I am also able to share this love of crochet with her as well. She has taken to this craft like it is in her blood. Well, it is---she's at least a fourth-generation crochetier, and probably more than that! It is so exciting to watch her develop her skills and passion for this craft. With less than a year's experience, she already has perfect tension and is completely fearless when it comes to designing her own patterns. I've also been thrilled to watch her pass the love of crochet on in her own circle of friends as she has taught them to crochet.

I'm even connected to crochetiers around the world through participation in email lists and message boards and through the creation of my blog. It makes the world a much smaller, more personal place when you're connected with others who share something with you. Sharing a common bond in the area of crochet makes it easier to develop tolerance and understanding in other areas where beliefs collide.

Crochet is more than a hook and some yarn. It'smore than creating functional items such as afghans and potholders. It's more than creating art-to-wear garments. It's all about connections and relationships.  Connections to the past and the future, relationships with friends and family in the present.

Amy
http://catsinmycraftbasket.blogspot.com