She's Walking, and I'm Talking

I read in Priscilla's blog yesterday that she will be walking for MS on May 4th.  I wrote out a check, set it aside, and then posted the information on our HHCC Ravelry group yesterday thinking others might want to sponsor her too.  No sooner did I hit the "post" button that it occurred to me that I could challenge Priscilla to raise even more funds for MS!

How?  I am challenging Priscilla -- if she crochets while she walks, I'll double my donation!  This means, I'll take my donation and double it, helping her raise forty percent of her $100 goal.  Do stop by her blog and leave her a comment of moral and/or financial support.  At the moment she's trying to figure out how she can carry her supplies for the 5-mile walk ...

--------------------  and speaking of participating -------------------- 

Today is my big day to talk -- to talk crochet -- on Mary Beth's new Internet radio show called, "Getting Loopy."  The show is live, unlike a podcast.  This means you can participate by calling in to ask questions, or adding your thoughts -- or even posting them to the chat room that will be open while the show is on the air!  If you miss the show, that's OK.  It will be archived for later listening opportunities.

I do hope everyone comes and listens to the show -- start time is 1:00 PM (ET):  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mary-Beth-Temple

 

99th Connecticut Sheep & Wool Fiber Festival

I awoke early Saturday morning to find it overcast, damp, cool.  The forecast had changed from partly sunny and in the mid-60's to rain.  I was hoping that the rain would hold until after the festival. 

I packed up the kids and picked up Nancy, and made good time in arriving to the fair grounds.  We went trolling to find the "powers that be" to figure out where (in the white barn) they wanted us.  As we walked around I took note in the breeze.  Definite jacket weather, definite wool-buying-type-of-weather!

Once we knew where our booth was to be, we got to work.  On our table we had many different types of crochet examples -- 99% were crocheted with natural materials such as wool, cotton, linen, and so on.  As we set everything out I realized I had not packed my examples of crocheting with unspun roving (it was all that running around the day prior I bet!), so I dashed out and purchased some beautiful raw silk hankies, and a most yummy blend of merino, camel and silk in a beautiful heathered purple ... it would later turn out that would be the extent of my shopping.

Soon we had many, many visitors.  Several people wanted to purchase the items we had on display.  But we weren't there to make money.  We were there to "sell people" about how wonderful crochet can be.  It was wonderful changing minds -- that crochet is not all about granny squares and acrylic!  In the end, it never rained.  The sun decided to come out, and our beginner lessons were packed, as well as our demonstrations!

My children also had a good time.  Mini~Dee taught a young boy how to crochet while Dee Jr. went around bartering with the vendors (I didn't know you could do that!).  For a boy with just $10 in his pocket, he came home with a lot of goodies from stuffed animals, to soaps, and plants!

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Dee, on the run, but always able to stop a moment to cheer for crochet!

Running, running, running!  Ever have a day like that?  That's my day today -- but that's okay because I have my "eye on the prize!"  We're busy right now prepacking for tomorrow's Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival; this will be my CGOA Chapter's second time offering free crochet lessons and demonstrations.  I'm really looking forward to going as there is so much to see & do.

We're also packing up some items for the Crochet Clique, our second meeting, that will be at our local library tonight.  I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone has progressed since our first meeting.

And, speaking of progress, one of the girls in the after-school Hooks'n Needles Club approached me today.  She was holding a bag and quietly got my attention, "Mrs. Stanziano," she said softly, "I brought my crochet in to show you what I've been working on since Monday."  What a pleasant surprise!  She opened her bag and showed me a square she's been working on -- oh, I'm so proud!  As I looked over her work I could see improvement with each stitch.  Then she went back into her bag and said, "...and I designed this."  She pulled out a crocheted necklace with a crocheted cross on it.  I couldn't contain my excitement any longer -- I let out a huge Whoot & Holler of congratulations for being so creative!  Other kids came around and asked her repeatedly, "You made that?!!!  Wow!!" 

I loved watching her face light up as she received compliments on her work from her peers.  She promised to bring her work in to the next Hook'n Needles Club meeting to show all the members -- that's going to be one awesome meeting!

OH ... and I almost forgot!  A teacher asked to bring in my Irish Clones Lace piece to show the children in the third grade.  This is the same piece that has been shown at two museums.  The class is  'celebrating the potato' and part of the celebration is learning how the potato (and crochet!) played a big part in the Irish history.  I love that I'll be able to offer a little textural/cultural history to the kids with my crochet!  I'll be bringing in my work for them to see sometime next week.   I might bring in some tiny crochet hooks too ... we'll see.   For now, I've got to get back to running, running, running.  :)

Fuel to Think About

How much of a coincidence is this? A day shy of two years ago I blogged about some people calling my blog a "Pinto."  Rather than dwell on the negative, I took the comment, applied fiber and wha-la -- I had compiled a list of fabulous projects people created with their rides.  Take a look:

Three weeks later I had found a tank getting into the fiber applique action. (Also in that entry I made mention of an overturned tractor trailer that was hauling some 50,000 POUNDS of yarn!)

The only thing missing from the fiber + automobile equation was a gas station. Jennifer Marsh, seeing the void and wanting people to be able to express their concerns about oil dependency, created the "World Reclamation Art Project," collecting works from crocheters, knitters, and the like from around the world.  In the end, they were able to cover an abandoned gas station, located in Syracuse, NY.  For more information, including pictures, click here.

Update on the kids Hooks & Needles Club

My Mini~Dee has been super busy, crocheting up little squares that she'll later assemble to create a poncho.  She's been working on it for a few weeks now, and has over half of the squares completed.  And she's doing a beautiful job.  The pattern she is working on comes from the book, well, I cant tell you at the moment as it seems she snuck it off to school again.  I'm guessing, with today's weather forecasted to be over 80 degrees (F), at recess she'll be sitting under a tree -- with barely baby-budded leaves -- crocheting up more squares.  I'll have to report back later about the title of the book.

At their after-school "Hooks & Needles Club" meeting, I brought in some antique lace for show'n tell.  I told them to look close -- really close -- at how tiny the stitches were, and as they studied the stitches I told them about the time period it was from which lead into a history discussion about how the Irish used crochet, about how a Queen, and a King, all played vital rolls in the world's passion for lace.  They were fasinated. 

At the meeting the kids continued their progress of learning how to control their tension, and are also now well onto their way of making single crochets.  One girl, Mini~Lois, who at the last meeting showed off the Crochet Today magazine she purchased, was telling everyone about a sweater she just finished crocheting for her cat!  Naturally all the kids were amazed, and so she promised to bring it in for show'n tell at the next meeting.

I love that the kids are so inspired.  I'm thinking it would be cool to set up a field trip of sorts, to our local yarn shop, to teach them about the different yarns available, how to figure out the needed hook size, and such.  They only have about 3 or 4 more meetings until school lets out for the summer, so perhaps this would be something to consider doing over the summer so they can continue their progress.  Excuse me, I have some phone calls to make; I have churning wheels that need to be addressed ...

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Announcement: Guesting on New Internet Radio Crochet Program!

I am so excited! :)

I will be one of Mary Beth Temple's (author of "The Secret Language of Knitters") guests on her new Internet radio show called ”Getting Loopy! with Mary Beth Temple!”

Mary Beth will air her first show on April 22 – tomorrow! – featuring Amy O'Neill Houck (author of the new book, "The Color Book of Felted Crochet.")

I will be MBT's guest on the second week, and Doris Chan (author of "Amazing Crochet Lace") will be on the third week!

Listeners will be able to call in and ask questions or chat live while the show is in progress! Afterwards the show will be archived in case you miss it.

For more information, visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mary-Beth-Temple

I'll be tuning in tomorrow, and counting down the days until the 29th ...

A Ripple Apart, but Still Connected

A few weeks ago, at my brother-in-law's going-away-party, I was approached by his fiancee with a request to help her with her crochet.  She knew how to crochet, but had left it for other types of crafts and had decided, since she'll have a year of waiting, to return to crochet.  The problem?  Her grandmother had sent her a swatch of a crochet stitch pattern she loves.  Only she didn't know how to "read" a crocheted swatch and translate it into an afghan.  Unfortunately on that day she did not have the swatch with her.

Yesterday we met up again at my niece's 4th birthday party.  This time she was ready!  She pulled out a yellow swatch and said, "Dee, this is what I want to make!"

Ah ah!  She want's to crochet the RIPPLE!  I am well acquainted with the ripple as it was the -- THE! -- very first stitch pattern I ever learned, and I did so at my grandmother's knee!  Fond memories indeed!  I took the swatch and looked it over, counting stitches, noting the backloop use only ...

As we were in a restaurant and I did not have my crochet supplies with me (I know! How shameful, right?!), I took out a pen, grabbed a napkin and started drawing out the pattern using International Crochet Symbols.  As I drew out each stitch and then pointed out the crocheted stitch in the sample her grandmother had crocheted for her I could see she was making the connection.  With each "mountain" and each "valley" we crossed, causing the fabric to rise and fall, (insert Diana Ross singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" here), her smile started growing and growing!

Unlike me, she brought her crochet supplies with her.  So we took out her yarn and hook and started working on recreating the sample her grandmother had produced.  I turned to one of my sister-in-laws who had been watching and said, "Another satisfied hooker."  That got some laughs. 

I know it's going to be a rough year for her to wait for my brother-in-law to return.  And I know that since we live some number of valleys and mountains apart, checking up on her progress will be difficult.  So I decided I'll put together a crochet-care package, or two, for her, perhaps even a subscription to a crochet magazine, to help her rekindle her love of crochet.  Readers, what would you put in a crochet-care package if you were sending it off to a future sister-in-law?


Footnote:
If you'd like to learn more about the Ripple Stitch, Sandie has a great tutorial here.  Interested in seeing what International Crochet Symbols look like?  Check out the Stitch Diva here.

Tickled Pink

The weather here in Connecticut couldn't be more beautiful ... dry and in the high 70s.  The children have been off from school and we've been enjoying out time together.

On Tuesday we visited with Auntie.  I've mentioned her here many times, and I think she's my biggest crochet fan.  :)

We went out for lunch, and then, upon her insistence (no! really!), we visited her local AC Moore.  She used to be big on crafts, so I think it was as much of a thrill for her to shop there as it was for me & the children.  I really wasn't prepared to shop for more yarn (remember, I scored big time during my last visit to WEBs!) so I decided to pick out some pink yarns and start working on my contribution to Prudence Mapstone's "The Pink Project," of which Prudence has a group on Ravelry where everyone is sharing pictures of their contributions & discussing all the good that will come out all of the submissions.  (Photography notes:  I couldn't get the lacy hairpin stitches to show while photographing it laying flat.  So I pinned it to my clothes line, with the sun shining brightly behind the works -- and I like the way it came out.  What you can faintly see, just above the scrumbles, is one of the local lakes that was man-made in 1939-1940. In that time one could purchase two parcels of land for just $95!)

As I worked on some pieces Auntie said, "What's that suspposed to be?  I can't make it out."  So I assembled some of the components and soon it was looking like a "monster truck" (so says Dee Jr. ... can you see it?)  Auntie thought that was pretty clever of me, and she added, "even better that it's for cancer research."  I wish she lived closer because then I could hug her everyday!  

Yesterday I went Pink at the local playground, working on my second piece.  While the children enjoyedplaying with some friends, I happily scrumbled along, enjoying the fresh air, the children's laughter, the kites, birds chirping, and later, upon returning home, the mailman.  The mailman?  Yes!  He delivered the brochure for the Conference, The Knit and Crochet Show, where I'll be teaching at this coming summer.  Seeing my name on the website is one thing, but actually seeing it in PRINT -- next to so many wonderful teachers -- well it was a dream come true, and I couldn't help but feel tickled pink.  :)

Voter's Choice

Yesterday I asked you, my readers, to vote upon which personality I should attempt to crochet up, and it seems as though Jay Leno has won, with Charlie Brown coming in second place.

So I googled images of Jay, grabbed my crochet hook and went to work.  To the right is my interpretation of what Jay might look like if people were made of yarn.  For his face I used the "padded stitch," as the Lion Brand Microspun was not firm enough.  For those that don't know what the padded stitch is, it's when you crochet a row and then, in the next row, you crochet directly over the previously made row. 

Jay's nose is a bullion, the whites of his eyes were crocheted and then sewn into place, later surface crocheting the eyelids in place.  I think his hair (not his chin!) was the hardest to do.  I've already given him two haircuts; looks like he can use another.

I have his sidekick, Kevin, on the hook.  I'm not sure I'm crazy with how he's coming out ... I'll keep working on him and see what develops.

Thanks for voting!

Having Fun

I think this is becoming a new addiction: crocheting faces. Aside from Dee (me!) from the early 1990s, I'd like to introduce "Granny" and "Elvis." Granny is sweet on Barney Fife, which Elvis said is "alright" with him.

Funny.  I recall granny being a huge Magnum P.I. fan.  Who knew?

I just LOVED making granny her "cat eye" glasses to rest upon her bullion nose.  Behind Barney are reflective disks.  I purchased them at a local yarn shop.

For the record, Elvis' nose is special too.  It's an Irish Clones knot!  :)

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Dee's Face of Crochet?

 Why would someone want to crochet a face?  My answer: why not?  I've discovered it's quite fun!  No pattern.  Just letting the hook and the yarn work it's magic.

This face is for a future project my local CGOA Chapter has been challenged with.  I haven't officially measured it, but I'm going to guess it's about 2 1/2" long.  As time goes by I'll reveal more information about the project.

I crocheted this face to represent me ... back in my "curly hair" days, when I wore HUGE hoop earrings, wearing (kinda) a baseball cap.  I'm always wearing sunglasses when I'm out & about, so adding those was a must!  LOL  (I'm currently using this image as my avatar on Ravelry.)

I hope to crochet some more faces.  Perhaps of my children too.

If you were to crochet a face, would you try to create one that resembles you, or would you go and create a whole new being? 

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Life Lessons

It has been a long week of motherhood.  I love the job, but sometimes I feel that I could really use two of me!  On the bright side of having to be at my son's school (ensuring he didn't injure himself further!), and with tending to Mr. Dee's medical needs, I have learned a few things:

1. Daily chores can wait.  What's an extra day's worth of dust anyway?  Use it to doodle new crochet designs.  Besides, it's a way to recycle, keeping our earth green.

2. Crocheting without rhyme or reason is fun.  I managed to finish my "doodles" and am now preparing to ship them out.  However, the poem, "Ten Little Monkeys" should be greatly adhered to!  Just ask Dee Jr. who recently had his stitches removed and is recovering nicely.

3. Mothers and wives are clever!  When your loved one is recovering in a hospital bed and needs their glasses, MP3 player, and cellphone within reach, hang a Treasure Bag off the hospial bed railing using the looped pull string.  Worries of items crashing to the floor will be gone.  (Just ask Mr. Dee)

4. In times of stress & sleep deprivation, it's good to have crochet around.  :)

Crochet on Display -- at the Bethel Library

I am tickled to announce that my CGOA Chapter's second library crochet display is ready for viewing!  Our theme for this display was "tools of the trade," and fortunately my friend Grace owns a ton of them! 

We dedicated one shelf to host most of the antiques ... broomstick lace, hairpin lace forks, Tunisian bone hooks, and so on.  (Grace has such the crochet hook collection!!)  When we were done, we thought the display looked quite impressive, including a mix of antique & modern crocheted items!

When the display was done, I decided to inquire with Priscilla, who works at the Bethel Library, if I had to keep going to my local library to request crochet books -- or, if there was a way I could also borrow books from hers when I'm in the area (as her library totally rocks in the fiber arts department!).

Well, wouldn't you know it?!  Priscilla totally hooked me up -- I can now take books out of ANY Connecticut library I visit!  Want to learn how?  Visit Priscilla's blog here for details.  And I wasted no time putting this new privilege to work!  I came home with three crochet books and one knit.  Knit???  Yes, Knit.  (more details on that later.)  So a BIG thanks goes out to Priscilla for not only hooking me up, but also in sharing how you too can get in on the state-wide borrowing action!  :)

For those interested in seeing the display, it will be available for viewing until the end of April.  For more information about the Bethel Library visit www.bethellibrary.org

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This Yankee Doodles

All week long I have been spending a great amount of time at my children's school -- mostly to keep a close watch on Dee Jr. to ensure he doesn't rip out any stitches, and no, we're not talking about crochet stitches.  We're talking about the boo-boo kind. 
 
To help pass the time at the school I've been bringing my crochet with me, particularly some freeform pieces I've been fiddling with for a group project I'll be contributing to.  The children, upon seeing the pieces, would ask what I was crocheting.  I'd reply that it was "freeform," and they'd ask, "What's that?"

After giving it some thought as to how to explain what freeform is to school aged children ranging from 1st to 5th grade, I decided to compare it to doodling -- the action of taking a pencil, pen, marker or crayon to paper and wiggling & giggling casually all over it until a unique design appears that is satisfying to the artist.  The children accepted this comparison and stated they were impressed that one can "doodle" with a crochet hook and some yarn.

So there I was this afternoon, working on my freeform when I hear one child whispering to another, "There she goes! Doodling with that yarn again!"  At the time I was playing with the stitch "wings" from the Textured Crochet: More than 70 Designs with Easy-to-Follow Charts book.

Living here in the northeast, and now having children reference freeform crochet as "doodling," I guess it's appropriate to call me a Yankee Doodler!  {chuckles}

An Update. By Mini~Dee

We had our second Hooks and Needles Club meeting yesterday.  There are nine of us, including myself and my brother, in the Club.  My friend, Mini~Lois, told everyone about the crochet magazine she bought when we went to Massachusetts this weekend.  It's called "Crochet Today."  Mini~Lois said there are many patterns she would love to try.  The mini teddy bears are the highest on her list.  For crocheting for just a few months, my friend, Mini~Lois is doing really great! 

My brother and I showed everyone our new crochet hooks.  Then the school Principal came in and saw my brother's hook, she said she was amazed that a crochet hook can look like a baseball bat.  My Mom invited her to crochet (and learn) with us.  She said she might as it looked really interesting!

Right now our group has a goal of making crochet squares.  My Mom printed out the shape of a square and it's our job to see if we can crochet squares to match the printed square.  If we make enough squares we can then assemble them as a group and create a blanket to donate.  We're not sure who it would go to.  We're going to leave that decision up to our Student Council.

Well, that's it for the update for now.  I've got to get ready for school. 

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Emergency Field Trips

When the alarm went out on the CGOA_Membership online group, I jumped to action!  A field trip was a must because Wrights, well known as Boye's outlet store located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, had been announced on the list to be closing!  A phone call to the store confirmed the news.  Everything, as of this past weekend, is 25% off their already low prices.

I went on this "emergency field trip" with my friend Grace, and with Mini~Dee and her friend Mini~Lois.  It turned out to be a long -- yet fun -- day, starting at 8:00 in the morning

Our first stop, shortly after 10:00, was at the Mt. Laurel Yarn Boutique.  This was a new yarn shop (to us) to explore.  Inside we found that the shop is one of the most "crochet friendly" -- from staff, to displays, to patterns available for purchase.  In fact, one employee was working on the crocheted socks featured in the latest issue of Interweave Crochet magazine!  After selecting some yummy yarn, we then drove down the road and started our adventure at Wrights.

At Wrights we were not alone -- the store was hopping!  Word is out, although there are no signs to indicate that, the store is closing!  Everyone was stocking up, walking out with huge bags!  I managed to pick up quite a few goodies myself, including the new Boye "InterChangeable Head" crochet hook set that many have been discussing on various online groups!  (For those interested, some of the Wrights employees said that their goal is to close the shop by the end of April.)

After checking out, we popped back onto the highway and headed west to Northampton.  While there we enjoyed lunch at Sylvester's, then ventured over to WEBs to partake in their Anniversary Sale where I, once again, loaded up on lots of goodies, including some beautiful Ella Ray bamboo/silk yarn!  (It's soooooo soft & silky!!)

Our final stop was at WEBs new bead shop (formerly known as Beaders Paradise).  They just opened the shop and, according to the staff, they're still in the process of stocking the store.  That didn't stop me from finding some new beauties to bring home!  LOL

The girls had a fantastic time shopping too -- and I expect they'll be sharing information about it at their after-school "Hooks and Needles Club" meeting today.  :)

New Ambassadors of Crochet

Because my children are so involved in my crochet world I decided to bestow upon them the title of "Crochet Ambassadors."  Why? Because when I stop to really think about the future of crochet, it is today's children who will be the ones to ensure this art form, as well as others, will continue on and be passed down to the generations to come.  So, rather than issuing pom poms, as Crochet Ambassadors, I thought it appropriate that they needed specialized crochet hooks to go along with their new title:

For Dee Jr., a handcrafted crochet hook by Wolfenwoods.  It's a size "K," fashioned to look like a baseball bat out of Hickory wood, and adorned with a ceramic baseball & glove at the top.  (For those that follow baseball, you'll realize the significance of the letter "K."  For those that don't follow baseball, the letter "K" means "strike out" -- something Yankee pitcher Mariano Rivera is great at.)

For Mini~Dee, I gave her a Sonshape Bahama Cherrywood Dymondwood crochet hook.  It is adorned with a smooth Sterling Silver bead cap, Aurora Borealis Light Rose Swarovski Crystal, Silver-plated rondelle with aurora borealis Swarovski crystals and an antiqued Sterling Silver bead cap.  It's really pretty when the beads sparkle in the light.   It's a size "I." (This is her second Sonshape crochet hook. Unfortunately Sonshapes is going out of business.)

I purchased both hooks through ebay.

The kids are really excited about the hooks and can't wait to use them during their "Hooks and Needles Club" meetings, and at various crochet demonstrations our local CGOA Chapter will be doing this year.   Of course I can't wait to see what they create with their new hooks!  :)

Question From Reader: What's on Dee's Hook?

Hi Dee,
I love reading your blog but miss reading about your latest projects you enjoy working on. Can you tell us what is on your crochet hook right now?
Your blog fan, Susan

Hi Susan,
Wow!  Has it really been that long since I've shared my projects?  Where do I start??

As I stated a few weeks back, I got sick.  Unfortunately I'm still not feeling 100%.  And that's been slowing my crochet hook(s) down a bit.  I have been working on chemo caps -- I crocheted over 20 during the month of March.  Not too exciting, but very much so needed at our local hospital.

I've also been working on the materials that will be used in my classes I'll be teaching this summer at the KnitandCrochetShow.  It's a lot of work, but do believe that when I have all the materials ready my students will very much so benefit from it.  Will you be attending the Conference too?  If so, I'd love to meet you!

And speaking of the Conference, I have a lot of projects to complete -- from items to wear, items to feature in the Fashion Show, something for the Design Contest, something for the Auction that benefits "Helping Hands," something for the Crochet Exchange, and some other projects that I can't quite talk about yet.  What I can do at right now is show you what is hot on my crochet hook at this very moment!  ... I can't say what it is, what it is for, or how I crocheted it, but I can say, "See, I'm crocheting!" ...  do you like it?

Thank you for your question, and for visiting with me, Susan!
~Dee

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Catching Up with Shelley

On Tuesday I spent four fantastic hours with Shelley.  Shelley was one of my earliest crochet students back when I was teaching at Knit Together.*  (*Knit Together closed last year.)  She is my "left handed" crocheter who crochets a mile a minute!  She has a fantastic knack for finding yarn shops during her travels in and out of the country! -- just listening to her stories is a real treat! 

So it was, this past Tuesday, that we got together at A Stitch in Time, located in Bethel, Connecticut.  She booked me for a private crochet lesson for learning how to close that gap when working both sides of the crochet chain, various trims, and crochet stitches.  It was wonderful seeing her again.  :)

The wrap and the blanket she is pictured with are of her own designs using the "crazy" stitch, one of her favorites.  Don't they look great?!!  :)   Now that I've turned her on to Solomon's Knots, I'm wondering what she'll create next!  

Note:  The Crazy Stitch has a couple of different names, such as the block stitch, and the diagonal stitch, and thus when searching for it on the Internet one will find different variations of it.  One of the best free "how to's" instructions I've found online is Sandie's over at CrochetCabana.  Warning though, don't fall in love with it, as Shelley has learned, it's quite addictive!

                                 ...Crochet Crochetcabana...Crochetcabana, ahh ahh ahh ahh...