CrochetingWithDee.com

... and the 2012 Winner Is ...

2012-01-15T19:28:00.002-05:00

I would like to thank everyone who participated in my Anniversary Celebration where, for the 2nd year in a row, I am gifting away a 1-year CGOA Membership. I greatly enjoyed reading everyone's Top 3 Favorite Crochet Techniques -- in reading all the entries it seems Tunisian Crochet is in the top spot for favorite!

'Angry Kitty' takes on Chuck Norris

"Angry Kitty" got to pick the winner!

Before I announce who the winner is, I want to take a moment to thank Dee Jr and "Angry Kitty" for all their hard work in the preparing and choosing of this year's winner. Dee Jr printed out all the entries, cut them into strips and then curled them into spirals; they remind me of confetti! They were then presented to the cat, who we affectionately are calling "Angry Kitty" as she has been upset her that her human/owner has been on vacation for over a month now. (I've been tweeting about this on Twitter.) She isn't hissing at us as much as she was in the beginning, so this is great that we got her into a playful mood where we presented the spirals to her, giving her time to "favor" one (aka "swat around the room" -this was the entry to be awarded this year's membership giftaway.) Since she can't read, we thought this would be a fun, non-biased, kind of way to select a winner. She certainly had fun!

So who won? Well, not so fast. It seems, after the winner exclaimed upon notification: "Oh Dee thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! Hubby is not sure if his ear can take the squealing of, 'I won';" has "giftawayed" her newly won prize -- to her husband -- who she taught how to crochet back in 1999! So, on behalf of myself, and our chews'n winner, Janie, the new winner is:

CONGRATULATIONS BOYCE!!

Disclaimer: I want to state that this membership was not something given to me to giveaway to help promote the CGOA. Nope. Not at all. This membership, like the one gifted last year, comes from my crochet passion deep in my heart, and my very own wallet. :)

Congratulations ~~Janie~~, Boyce, and once again, thank you to everyone for participating, making this a wonderful way for me to celebrate 8 years of blogging about crochet, and celebrating my 11th Anniversary of being a CGOA member!

If you are interested in joining the CGOA, or gifting away a membership yourself, visit www.Crochet.org for more information.

Can You Read Me Now?

2012-01-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

I have never stopped to count how many crochet patterns exist in the world, but my overall feeling is, there can never be enough. I've come to this conclusion recently when I was shopping with my daughter and she found a crocheted poncho that she absolutely loved. Retail: $29.95

I looked the poncho over, and although the price of $29.95 was certainly affordable, I didn't want to buy it because I felt it was UNDERVALUED. Why, I can't even buy the yarn to hand-crochet my own for $29 -- and here they were selling HAND work for less than the cost of the yarn. I wanted to buy it for her, but I didn't want to -- I was very confllicted in making this decision. We left the store; I didn't buy it. If it had been a knitted poncho, I wouldn't have thought twice about it as the majority of knit products sold in retail stores are machine made; $29 for a machine made poncho would not have given me grief in my decision making.

Reading finished crochet work is
like reading International Crochet Symbols:
All it takes is a bit of practice.

As weeks quickly rolled by, I consulted EVERY stitch dictionary I could get my hands on, looking for the granny square motif that was featured in the poncho my daughter wanted. I thought, "I can crochet one myself -- and give it to her for Christmas." Christmas came & went. I thought, "I can crochet one myself -- and give it to her for her birthday." Yeah, that was a wash too. And I never found the motif in any of my crochet references.

Last weekend my CGOA Chapter had a "Crochet in Public" meeting at the Danbury Fair Mall. After the meeting my daughter and I revisited the store that had the poncho she wanted. The poncho was now on clearance for $17; even more UNDERVALUED. Sigh. She begged. She pleaded. I caved. For the record: I am still torn; this poncho should have sold for much, much more -- I KNOW it took several human hours to create as it was hand-crocheted!

On the bright side, she is happy -- she got the poncho she fell in love with nearly six weeks ago. And, setting the undervalue issue aside, I can be a bit happy too because I now have a new stitch motif to add to my crochet references -- I've actually started creating a simple scarf/wrap for myself!

SIDE NOTE: I think it is important to state I do not plan on recreating the poncho - there'd be copyright infringement issues if I did - but rather I do like the motif - very much so!

RECOMMENDATION: I think it is important for all crocheters to know how to read stitch work. Knowing so will help with counting stitches, in ensuring stitch placement is correct, for locating errors, and for being inspired to create something wonderful. The reading of actual crochet stitches is the "old school" style of crochet patterning dating back to the earky 1800s before printed patterns arrived on the scene. Visit the threadwinder here to see some great examples of "crochet sampler" pages.

Practice. And the next time you see crochet work at a retail store, maybe you'll hear it whispering to you, "Can you read me now?"

Happy Ewe'll Year!

2012-01-01T13:52:00.000-05:00

Hey, 2012 has arrived! And not only does it come with an extra day for crocheting (leap year!), it also marks my 8th year in blogging about my crochet/yarn/hook/book addictions! Eight Years! This year will also be the celebration of my 11th year of being a CGOA member -- and my 2nd year of giving a 1-Year CGOA MEMBERSHIP AWAY!! How cool is that? :)
Before I discuss the rules for the giveaway, lets briefly talk about New Year Resolutions. Do you have any? I have a few to share:

1. For 2012 I will no longer say, "I crochet." This will be replaced with, "I hand-crochet." This is an experiment to see if I can help heighten awareness that crochet remains one of the last remaining fiber art forms that must be made by human hands, regardless if seen at a discount store or at a high-end boutique.

2. I will give up all grand-illusions of hand-crocheting (see, I'm using it already!) down my yarn stash. I know I "burn" through yarn with many projects throughout any given year, so I will resume rewarding myself, regularly, with restocking with yarns I love. Yes, I know this will create storage problems, but I'm thinking if I rip out the mattress' stuffing, I can replace it with yarn. Mattresses casings should hold a whole 'lotta yarn! If the family protests too much, I can always eye the box springs as a storage solution, right??

3. I want to yarn bomb something this year. I have my eye on a location local to me and will investigate if this is something I can do without, well, you know, having to go to jail for "defacing public property." That would be a real kill-joy!

4. I want to develop a rhythm for my blog posts here. I know last year was not a great year for my posting regularly, and I want this year to be a better one. So I'll work on that.

5. I want to keep track of how many MILEs of yarn I use this year. I think it would be fun to say stuff like, "Yeah, last night I flew through the 1/4 mile-marker and it felt great!" or "I got 3 miles in the bag." Have you ever considered how many miles of yarn you crochet annually? Me either. So this should be fun. LOL

Alright. Let's get to the CGOA MEMBERSHIP Giveaway. The rules are below. Please follow them to ensure your entry counts! Good luck! :)

The rules are simple:
1. Entries accepted from now until January 14, 2012, midnight, eastern time, by leaving comments at this Blog entry.
2. List your top 3 favorite Crochet Techniques. If you're not sure, visit my "Types & Techniques" page on my website, www.CrochetWithDee.com, for some ideas. If you don't see your favorite listed there, then please describe yours as maybe you'll inspire someone else to learn it! :)
3. Include if you are a current CGOA member or not.
4. Leave a way for me to contact you should your name be drawn as the winner. If I can't reach you, I'll need to have another name drawn. Winner will be announced on January 15th; the winner will receive a One-Year Membership to the CGOA!

I wish you all a happy, healthy, hand-crochet-filled New Year! :)

Crochet's Unsung Heroes

2011-12-01T17:07:00.002-05:00

It is true; I've been joy riding several new crochet hooks, not just the one I mentioned over Thanksgiving break. What's up with that? I suffer from HAS: Hook Acquisition Syndrome!

If this 1800s crochet hook could talk, what crochet adventures would it tell us?

It was during all this giddy-glee of playing with new crochet hooks that a thought started repeating itself to me as I worked each new stitch, each new project:

"Crochet Hooks are the unsung heroes of our craft."

Think about it. When we see a project, in person, or pictured online, we want to know:

if not an original pattern, then who designed it?
is the pattern for free or for sale?
where can a copy of the pattern be obtained?
can it be made/altered to fit me?
what is the skill level: beginner? Intermediate? Advanced?
what yarn was used?
how much yarn is required?
what size hook was used?

Did you read anywhere above "What hook was used?"
   Did we learn if the hook belonged to your great, great grandparent?
      Did we learn if the hook was hand-turned from a descendant of Moby Dick?
         Did we learn if the hook brought you pleasure with each stitch it helped you create?

No, sadly, we usually don't share these kinds of details, do we? We, do, however, usually hear when a hook breaks -- I've been known to accidentally kill a hook or two in my time (linky). And we usually hear the woes of missing hooks, too (linky). But what about the crochet hook that was pressed into your hand as a distraction when a loved one was in the hospital. Or the hook you bought to make your first crochet chain. And what about the hook that helped wrap an adorable baby with a crocheted blanket you crafted with your own two hands?

All I'm saying is, that without our crochet hooks we'd be pretty much limited to finger crocheting. (Doable yes, but try making a dainty doily with sausage fingers!) Let's give a little praise to the hooks we love to use; regardless if it was mass-produced or hand created, I'm betting there's a story behind it. And I, for one, would love to know about it! :)

Joy Riding

2011-11-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

Ever buy a crochet hook that feels and looks almost like a hot rod? I think this one classifies:

This hook was custom made for me by The Knitting Glass Guy. For the maiden drive, I'm working on a scarf that will be donated locally; part of the 2011 "60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge." I'll be writing up an official post about the hook in a few weeks over at HooksNStitches.

"Fear is the Project Killer"

2011-11-17T23:52:00.000-05:00

It seems I got my stitches in a bunch and it wasn't looking good for finding a fix. I wanted to create a new hat for my newly-teenaged son -- something more in line of his current fashion sense. I went shopping in my yarn stash and found two hanks of Berroco's Inca Gold, a blend of merino wool and silk. I picked up one of my new crochet hooks and set to work using half-double crochet stitches.

All was going well, very well indeed! Then it came time to create the brim of the hat. At first I thought, "wouldn't it be cool to knit it?" To, you know, make my first official bi-stitchual project -- without the use of a crochet hook. So I rummaged through my little knitting needle stash and found a pair of circulars I thought would do the job. Unfortunately the cable proved it was too long and thus it became too big of a pain to deal with. I ripped out all the knitted stitches I had made.

So I went to my next game plan ... use the Dyak Craft Interchangeable crochet hook and "knook" it. (Not familiar with the term "knook?" Look it up on my Types & Techniques page on my website) That seemed to be working quite well. It was working so well, so well indeed!, I decided to pop the DVD in of The Black Swan and continue on my merry little way with my stitching.

Unfortunately, in looking at my work this morning, I shouldn't have. I found a few errors. Normally, even with my limited knitting experience, I know how to fix the errors ... first secure the stitches that are good, then pull out the bad column of stitches, and then rebuild them back up using a crochet hook. No problem, right?

Wrong. I decided I had to use the Twisted Knit Stitch. That's right; I had to complicate things; lol. I had to figure out how to retwist the column of stitches I had pulled out so that they would be uniform to the rest of the brim design. Unfortunately I couldn't find any help sites on the Internet on how to do this, so I vented on Twitter a little:

I stewed a little. I agreed with Chicken Little that the sky was falling. I thought about giving up -- after all I could give it as a Christmas gift instead of a Birthday gift, thus buying me some time. I might have cursed a bit too, although I won't admit to that. {{whistles innocently}}

And then it came to me: pull out the column of stitches that include the error, insert hook into loop, give it a counter-clockwise twist before pulling up the next loop. Repeat until column has been rebuilt.

I gave it a try AND it WORKED!! My fear of having to kill the project turned to pure joy!

And the really cool part is, aside from figuring out how to fix an intentional twisted knit stitch -- my project is 100% made with crochet hooks. Three to be exact. A few more rows & this project will be done. Whoot!

Crochet Hook Binging Leads to Blog Revival

2011-11-12T00:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I admit it. I've been crochet hook binging all week. I've been combing the internet looking for beauties to add to my collection. It's been a rough week; a rough month; a rough year. I think it's time to declare this as my time to adorn my hand with some new bling -- not as in diamond rings, but as in beautiful crochet hooks. You know, sorta as my reward for surviving all that Murphy's Law has thrown at me this year.

During this week of crochet hook binging, several of you have asked me if I sell crochet hooks. As a rule, I do not. If I wind up with an overstocking for a class I taught, then I might. But for the most part I collect them. To me, they're like a fine wine, or a fine piece of chocolate, or a "cantlivewithout" ball of yarn. I'm sure you get the picture, yes? LOL

And during this week of binging, many have asked about who I buy them from, how I display them, do I use them ... and so on. I gave these questions serious thought and you know what? You're all onto something here. No, seriously! Where are the blogs dedicated exclusively to the crochet hooks we love?? While I begin my search for such blogs, I decided in the meantime to revive a blog I wanted to start as an off-shoot of this one way back in 2005. I didn't do anything with it for the past six years as I guess I was waiting for the right motivation, or rather, the right muse. (Funny how it's been right in front of me all this time!!)

If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed my CrochetingWithDee blog has a new look -- it is now in line with my website, CrochetWithDee, and with my Twitter. I took the old background of the steel hooks and put it on my revived blog, appropriately called Hooks N Stitches because it fits there. My goal is to post images of the many crochet hooks I own, and those I covet, at least once a week, and to include bits of information about them.

I'll still show my crochet hooks here, and discuss other topics related to crochet (and sometimes knit), but the other blog will be for those who share my lust for crochet hooks.

Our Favorite Crochet Hook Makers

2011-11-08T16:46:00.001-05:00

My state of Connecticut is finally getting back to normal after experiencing a freak autumn snow storm that delivered in many areas over a foot of snow. Because trees still contained full canopies of leaves, many came crashing down under the heavy weight of snow, causing massive power outages. (Our second major outage within two months!) We were one of the nearly one million families that were effected by the power outage -- ours lasted eight fridgid days. My father's, who lives right down the road from me, lasted nine. And as I type this, there are still many residents without power.

Fortunately cities and towns, such as mine, opened their schools as emergency shelters. My family and I spent many hours there, taking advantage of having (generator) power to recharge batteries, get a warm meal, shower, and most importantly, to keep warm. For me, the emergency shelter offered more than that: it was also a social hub for keeping up with the news, as well as an outlet to "crochet in public."

Tempers Flare Over 6 Days Of Conn. Power Outages: MyFoxNY.com

I met many wonderful crocheters (and knitters); I helped two young girls learn how to finger crochet; and on one evening, showed how a swift and ball winder worked in turning hanks of yarn into quick, usable cakes (balls) of yarn. At one point my activities caught the eye of a reporter and I was interviewed briefly for an evening segment on Connecticut's Fox News ...

One of the most frequent questions I was asked was, "Where do you get your crochet hooks?" The majority of my crochet hooks are handmade/handturned. Although I have created a crochet hook on my own (I took a class with Nancy Nehring a few years back on how), I am more of a collector. We call the art of collecting crochet hooks as HAS. HAS stands for Hook Acquisition Syndrome.

Some of the hooks I own that were purchased online: Graydog (formerly sold on eBay for a number of years); Brainsbarn, DyakCraft (formerly GraftonFibers), Celtic Swan, and many, many others. If you follow me on Twitter, then you already know I have been discussing rewarding myself (for surviving a stressful week without power) with a custom GLASS crochet hook, to be crafted by Chris of www.knittingglassguy.com. Naturally once I officially add the hook to my collection, I will be photographing it and featuring it in an upcoming blog entry.

I also purchase crochet hooks from various events, such as a few years ago from The Eastern States Exposition; from Stitches East (back when it was held in New Jersey); or I receive them as gifts, such as the crochet hook I recently mentioned that my brother-in-law gave me (maker is unknown as it was handcarved in the 1800's). Collecting hooks is not hard, you just need to give it time and keep your eyes open.

And this brings me to question who are your favorite crochet hook makers? Go ahead and be an enabler; I have room in my heart & home for more crochet hooks. ;)

Question From Reader: Tunisian Hooks a Pain?

2011-10-28T18:20:00.000-04:00

Dear Dee,

I am learning Tunisian crochet and find I have too many loops on my hook. How do you deal with this? Thanks, Marnie

Dear Marnie,

prototypes of DyakCraft's Interchangeable Crochet Hooks

What a great question! Tunisian crochet requires us to load up our hook with many loops, much like a knitter would load up one of their knitting needles. The problem of having too many loops on the hook causes the loops to stretch out, fall off the hook -- or worse! -- cause an actual physical injury!

Since I have experienced all three issues (yes, I sprained my thumb a number of years ago from too many loops/too much weight on the hook) I now almost exclusively use cabled Tunisian crochet hooks.

My current "go to" cabled Tunisian crochet hooks are the proto-types for www.DyakCraft.com that I mentioned this past January {LINKY} ~ based upon the discussion on Ravelry, their interchangeable hooks should be available anytime soon! The interchangeable crochet hooks, including the Denise version (which I also own) and others on the market, do tend to cost a bit more, but in my humble opinion, they are well worth it! The interchangeable's are great because you can change the hook size and/or the cable size for your project. In the picture above I have nearly 200 loops on the hook & cable; by moving the loops down the cable I disperse the weight of the work. {{both the Dyak Craft & the Denise interchangeables are made in the USA!!}}

The interchangeables are also good for the "amazing needle" (aka knooking) technique, and the crochet-on-the-double technique. If you're not sure what these techniques are, visit my website at www.CrochetWithDee.com and check out my Crochet Types & Techniques page.

Maybe now is a good time to put an interchangeable crochet hook set on your Holiday Wish List. :)

Sincerely,
~Dee

Hello, I'm a Beadaholic and my name is ...

2011-10-10T18:19:00.000-04:00

As a very young child I always loved when my mother decided to clean out her jewelry box as she would pass the treasures she no longer wanted to me. Usually this meant pierced earrings with various beaded assortments relevant to the then fashion trends. Being one of the few kids on the block without pierced ears, this would mean that my Barbie dolls would inherit them. I'm not sure what happened to all those treasures mom gave to me, but I do recall all the many hours I spent adorning my dolls with them -- not just their ears, but in hanging them off various garments too.

Through the years, that fascination with bling-y bead stuff never left me. In all seriousness, I can understand why Manhattan sold for $24 worth of beads; I think I would have sold it for the beads too. Today, I still collect Barbies, and I still love playing with beads -- just not together (Barbie has enough stuff thankyouverymuch!). Now I pass on the tradition of cleaning out my own jewelry box, handing down various items I no longer want to my own kids: Mini~Dee and Dee Jr.

Sometimes items from my jewelry box never make it to their eager hands -- did I mention that I like to crochet with beads and sequins? I do! I will get my pliers out and enjoy a little cannibalism. LOL (Apparently I'm not alone in thinking various jewelry components will look great on my crochet!) I think adding beads and sequins to crochet projects adds a little zip; a little glamour to the intended project. Of course, from time to time I will cut corners and buy pre-beaded, or pre-sequined yarn, such as Deborah Norville's Fashion Jeweltones to save a little time ...

Recently I started to make my own beaded stitch markers, such as the ones above. In fact, I brought two sets of my stitch markers to show at one of my Chapter meetings recently and the members all "ohhhh'd" and "awwww'd" over them. This month is Part I of our Chapter's 10th Anniversary, and next month is our Part II of the Celebration; I decided to make three sets of stitch markers:

Our CGOA Chapter is represented by 3 colors: Purple, Silver and Gold. Purple for our passion for crochet, Silver for making new friends, and Gold for keeping the old. I wanted to avoid creating "cliques" with the stitch markers and encourage them to mingle, so I mixed the three sets up. (photo credit: the hook in both pictures is a Graydog crochet hook.) Each set is on a ring so they can be worn while working on a project (preventing the sofa from gobbling them up!) Come this time next month, three lucky HHCC members will each win a set (hook not included).

What about you? Do you look at your jewelry with cannibal eyes? Does your bead stash demand nearly as much shelf space as your yarn? If so, you're a beadaholic too! :)

The Loot, The Goods, The Bounty ...

2011-10-04T13:51:00.000-04:00

The question that seems to be on everyone's mind (including Mr. Dee & the kids) since I've been back from ChainLink - which was what? A just week ago? -- is what did I come home with from the Vendor's Market?
On Thursday night, when the market opened, I decided to swim the current of shoppers to see what was "new to me," and what had "potential inspiration." Like a child in a candy store, there was a plenty that fit these two categories!

On Friday afternoon, while many attendees were in class, I re-entered the vendors market and swam, like a shark, from vendor to vendor. My first purchase were stunningly-beautiful handmade buttons by www.diirvine.com -- I'm not sure why the color orange sang to me so loudly (maybe the yarn I purchased at Rhinebeck last year is finally ready to be worked up?), but I was in love. There was no leaving them on the rack!

I stopped at another vendor that was offering hand-dyed hanks of yarn. I resisted the temptation, but could I really? No. I went no further than 10 steps away before I found myself returning to adopt a stunning hank of "blue denim" bamboo ribbon. I then ran over to the CGOA's Yarn Winding booth and handed my precious new baby over to be wound into cakes; they were raising money to donate to the ASPCA in Jean Leinhauser's memory. (If you ever tried to wind ribbon yarn, you'll find having someone else do it for you will be the best dollar-while-helping-a-cause will be the best dollar you'll ever spend!)

On Saturday evening, just moments before the market closed I made one more final purchase: a skein of Rozetti's sequined Soft Payette, and a skein of that new funky yarn that opens into a rickrack style of lace, Rozetti's Marina Multi. This type of yarn is known as "webbed ribbon." The video below is Rozett's video on how to knit with it:

and below is Kathleen Sams, of Red Heart Yarn, demonstrating how to crochet with the netted ribbon they're calling Sashay:

Pretty cool, huh?

The last goodie I got was not purchased. It was a gift from my friend, Prudence Mapstone. It is a handmade button crafted by Petra of New Zealand. It's absolutely beautiful! Thank you, Prudence! :)

Crochet Tributes

2011-10-01T11:39:00.003-04:00

So here is the thing, if you take one of my classes, and you are wearing something you created by hand, and there is a stage ... then yes, there is a really, really good chance I'll ask you to get up on the stage and proudly show your creations off! Thank you for being such great sports! :)

_*~*_*~*_*~*_*~*_*~*_*~*_*~*_

As wonderful as it was to see all my old friends, and meeting so many new buddies at the recent ChainLink/ Knit and Crochet Show in Greensboro, NC, I did feel an incredible absence. To not see the great smile of Jean Leinhauser there, who passed away this summer, was very sad to me. She was the author of the first crochet pattern I ever laid eyes on -- and tried! She was at every crochet conference I ever attended. In the past 10 years we exchanged many emails discussing various topics about crochet; her wisdom and humor I cherished greatly. To not see her at this conference felt to me like there was a huge hole; I was delighted to see there was a Tribute to her on the Vendors Market floor:

She accomplished so much, and did so much for our World of Crochet. Yes, Jean was & is greatly missed.

Check out this Tribute Leisure Arts created:

Jean will always be with us, in every stitch we create.

More Details: Knit & Crochet Show, Greensboro, NC

2011-09-29T14:03:00.002-04:00

While we're waiting for the official pictures about the CGOA's Fall Conference, I thought I'd post this picture of the Design Competition entries as they were displayed on the Vendors Floor. (Complete list of the winners can be found here on the CGOA's blog.)

I did not compete, but I do know that Doris Chan deserves a standing Crochet Hook Ovation for all the hard work & hours she put into this event: the accepting of the entries, labeling them, hauling them to North Carolina, setting up for judging, lining up the judges, repacking & resetting up on the Vendors Floor, repacking the winning entries and hauling them to the Fashion Floor, finding volunteer models, repacking and hauling & setting up the items back to the Vendors Floor, and then repacking and hauling the entries back home to then ship back to everyone. Exhausted yet? I am -- in just thinking about it! And she does this as a VOLUNTEER! You so rock, Doris!

Here is a link to a local newscast of the Knit & Crochet Show -- watch it and you'll see Doris in the background safeguarding & discussing the entries with an admirer!

Normally we say, "What Happens at ChainLink Stays at ChainLink," but when bribed with a pretty skein or hank of yarn, it's pretty easy to spill the beans. Or so I hear. (lol) This was the second year Caron Yarn sponsored the rockin' "Club Caron" dance party. If you go, you'll want to brush up on your Chicken Dance -- it's quite popular! And yes, that is me in the lower right dancing with Kathleen Sams of Red Heart Yarn. So much fun!

Jane Rimmer, the CGOA's Treasurer, was also spotted getting her hooks wet, kindasorta -- if you were shopping the Vendors Market then you saw her working on the Coral Reef Project started by participants in Marty Miller's class. The project was to bring awareness of marine life destruction. Awesome job ladies!

OK, my phone is ringing. I suspect its another yarn bribe. If so, you'll want to come back and see what other juicy details from the ChainLink Conference I let slip... whahahahahaha

Copyright Violation: Open Plea to CWD Readers & Fans

2011-09-28T14:16:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers & CWD fans,

At the recent Conference in Greensboro, NC, it appears I was videotaped without consent during one of my classes. This video, as I understand it, was then offered to be "emailed" to various attendees.

My open letter in this blog post is addressed to those attendees, and to those who may obtain this video in the future: please know it is in violation of copyright laws. [As well as downright unethical!!!] I am asking you to help me safeguard my material by not accepting the video; deleting it immediately. I am also asking you to be my eyes on the Internet, and in the classrooms, where it may be shown in a public forum.

It took a great deal of time, energy, resources and creativity to create the crochet classes I offer -- to have someone to illegally videotape undermines the quality and integrity I strive for. As we all are here for the love of crochet, your help in safeguarding not only my material, but also the content created by other crochet teachers we love and respect is very much appreciated. If we want our crochet knowledge to grow, to ensure our crochet teachers are inspired to come up with fresh and exciting crochet classes, then we must do all that we can to honor copyright and integrity.

Thank you for your understanding & your loyal support.

Sincerely,
~Dee

Quick Memories of ChainLink (Fall) 2011

2011-09-27T20:43:00.000-04:00

Lens-Eye View of the 2011 Fall ChainLink Fashion Show

Did ChainLink in Greensboro, NC, fly by that fast? How sad, it did. It REALLY did! The drive to Greensboro, NC, from Connecticut seemed like an enjoyable drive through the countryside. I barely noticed it took nearly 11 hours ... That was Tuesday.

I slept in on Wednesday, missing Professional Development Day. But I was OK with this -- so was Doris. She quickly scooped me up to help prepare entries for the CGOA Design Contest judging ... afterwards I went to teach Pushmi~Pullyu to a most inspiring group of hookers/crocheters I've yet to teach this class to!

On Thursday I was just as busy, meeting new attendees, and teaching my Tunision 101 and Crochet 101 classes. I kept them all in line with my huge Jenkins, size U/25mm, Tunisian hook (I'm joking! lol) ... if you want one for yourself, click here for his website.

On Friday it was time for me to tap into my inner Trekkie-ness (fans of the television show Star Trek get this; lol), and teach my Link Me Up, Scottie class. I loved how my students pushed the envelope and went "where no hook has gone before," creating some new-to-me stitch designs. You go girls -- and may your stitches "live long and prosper!"

That afternoon Doris once again recruited me as I was browsing the Vendors Market, treating myself to some funky yarn and jaw-droppin' purdy buttons. This would be my first time volunteering behind the curtain -- I was responsible for music and photographing the beautiful crochet fashions as they were hot off the catwalk. It was soooo much fun!! I loved how all the models cooperated with some of my zany posing requests, such as posing like "Charlie's Angels" ... Of course you need to go to Doris' blog to see Vashti sorta, uh, um, expecting ... yeah, you gotta go see that! (Yes, I said you need to go to Doris' blog; try the link I posted earlier!)

On Saturday I had my students venture into bi-stitchual-ness by Crocheting Your Knit. They did amazing! That night I kidnapped Margaret Hubert & Joan Davis and ventured outside of the hotel for dinner at PF Changs where I met a lady who could pass as the twin of one of my nieces!

During the evenings I spent time with new & old friends, those from afar, and those who were locals. I love how we are all able to bond over the love of crochet!

Sunday came way too fast & it was time to venture home again. I'm already making plans for next year. How about you?

Up for a Road Trip?

2011-09-13T22:25:00.000-04:00

Next week I'll be headed down to North Carolina to teach classes at the Fall Knit & Crochet Show -- I'm so excited. Will you be going too?

Unfortunately, there's a schedule conflict -- I can't be in two places at once. And this is true for several of my CGOA Chapter members as well. If you are planning on going to The Big E to visit us on Connecticut Day, please note, for the first time since 2002, we will not be there. The Fall Knit & Crochet Show takes place the same time The Big E fair opens! Maybe this gives more reasoning that cloning could be useful ... I'mjustsaying....

It also means I did not enter any items into their judging ... but my son, Dee Jr., did! If you go, keep an eye out for these photographs: praying mantis, dock, and summer storm:

This is his second time entering his photography into competition; I'm really proud of him! For a 12-year old kid, I think he has a great eye! Now, if only I can get him to take photos of all the yarn & crochet projects I need ... If you'd like to see more of his work, click here.

Also at The Big E, check out the demonstrations being offered by artisian Crista Grasso of AberTortoise.com ... she'll be there on September 24th in the New England State Building. Crista taught my Chapter how to create beautiful beaded stitch markers last year!

If you're not at The Big E then I'm hoping you'll be at the Knit & Crochet Show with me! :)

Eighth Annual "60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge"

2011-09-01T19:12:00.029-04:00

Wow; where did summer go?? It seems one moment I was taking the kids camping, and the next was back to school shopping. What happened to the time in~between!

While I can't explain why time seems to fly when one is having fun, I can announce that it is time for the Eighth Annual "60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge!" Can you believe it?!!! This is our EIGHTH year of sharing warmth & love to our local communities with handmade scarves from the heart!

If you've never participated, you'll be amazed at how easy it is. All you need to do is hand-craft one (or more!) scarves from September 1st through November 30th and then tell us who you will be donating your scarf to. If you are a member of Ravelry, you can join in on the conversations & growing counts by clicking here. If you are not a member of Ravelry, you can leave your count in the comments of this blog post. At the end of November all the scarves are counted for a grand total!

Do you need to ship your scarf/scarves anywhere? No. Not unless you want to. The idea is that this Challenge is to help our local communities -- many of which are in dire need!

Do you need to use a special pattern? No. Not unless you want to. And if you do, if the designer asks for credit, please remember to give it. Otherwise, you can learn a new stitch, or create your own pattern! All while putting a little dent in the ever-growing yarn stash!

Do you need to crochet it? Well, yes, it you want to. Or you can knit it. Or even weave it. As long as it is crafted by human hands then it counts! If memory serves me correctly I saw a macramed scarf in a LYS not too long ago, so if you want to macrame a scarf out of soft, yummy yarn, then go for it!! :)

Do you have to make 60 scarves? There have been many who have tried -- some made the goal, and some didn't. This is a Challenge that some take up as a personal one, or as a local group, or to have their single scarf added to everyone else's to help the numbers add up! It's like filling up a bucket a drop at a time; each drop counts -- and eventually the bucket will fill, and usually with this Challenge, it will overfill! Isn't that great?!?

Can you create a "60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge" in your local community? ABSOLUTELY! Why keep all the fun to ourselves, right? I know of several groups working together to see if they can create 60 scarves -- or more -- for their local community. The fun is seeing if your group can meet or beat the Challenge.

OK, what are you waiting for? Your yarn is a'callin' ...

A Thought to Chew On

2011-07-01T15:40:00.000-04:00

Weird Stuff to Crochet With...

I am always amazed to learn what people are willing to crochet with: cassette & vhs tape, telephone wire, spaghetti, hair, and admittedly (here on my blog), I've tried crocheting with toilet paper, licorice, and yarn with bird feathers.

I had also thought that the future possibility of crocheting with silk spun by spiders would be interesting, but never had I ventured in thinking those wads stuck under tables, or under the soles of my shoes, would be crochetable ... until after reading this thread on the CLF Ravelry Forum ...

Yes, now we have another thought to chew on, or rather, to crochet with:
http://www.regretsy.com/2011/06/09/chews-life/

Of course, it's just a matter of time until Lady GaGa calls her to chew up some unique design for wearing to an awards ceremony celebrating her bubble-licious-ness ... I'm just saying ...

Growing Up

2011-06-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

It is so easy to get caught up in the details of daily life ... sometimes too easy. It is when we have time to reflect that we realize just how fast, and precious, time is. This week my sweet Mini~Dee graduated from the eighth grade. Is it possible that much time has passed since she was pinned by Gwen Blakley-Kinsler, founder of the CGOA? (see photo on right that I borrowed from Casey's website, www.CaseysCrochet.com) Wow!

Although I did not crochet anything for her to wear to her school dance, or for her graduation, I did create some of the jewelry she wore, such as the pieces she's wearing here in this pre-graduation photo:

Eighth Grade was a year of transition for her: starting a new school, taking the bus for the first time, making new friends, and more! Although she struggled at first, she took each challenge head-on and worked her way back onto Honor Roll. We are very proud of her! She even turned some of her new friends into fans of Sheep & Wool Festivals!

To my Mini~Dee, and to all of her graduated friends from her old school, and her new, I say CONGRATULATIONS! ... and let's take the next four years a bit slower, OK?

Crocheters Mourn Legend

2011-06-15T20:38:00.004-04:00

Today crocheters learned the sad news of crochet legend Jean Leinhauser's passing. Jean is one of three in the "Old Broads Rule" exclusive club; the other two members are Rita Weiss (pictured with Jean on the right), and Margaret Hubert. This was an exclusive club they enjoyed; to be a member you had to have been in the publishing business for as long as them!

I first "met" Jean at a local craft store where I purchased my first crochet book on baby afghans -- with her name on the cover. I had always wondered who she was; it wasn't until a few years later, once I went "public" with my crochet and joined the online movement, that I joined Crochet Partners, then a private group with its own website. Shortly thereafter, when the group was moved to Yahoo! (where it still flourishes today) did I learn she owned the group!

I finally had the honor of meeting Jean in person in 2005 at a CGOA "Chain Link" Conference, and looked forward to seeing her at every Conference I attended thereafter. Jean will be honored and remembered at the upcoming CGOA Conference being held in Minneapolis as the first member inducted into of the Crocheters Hall of Fame. She will be greatly missed!

To learn more about Jean, please read the interview on The Crochet Insider: http://crochetinsider.com/interview/jean-leinhauser

Question from Reader: Greek Filet Crochet??

2011-06-14T20:03:00.002-04:00

Dear Dee,

I've recently been on holiday in Kefallonia, a Greek island and while I was there I saw an old Greek lady doing some sort of crochet. I don't speak Greek; she didn't speak English so I couldn't understand what she was telling me but basically it looked like Filet Crochet with one end of her work tied to a chair and the other end had 2 or 3 stitches on it, attached to what looked like a metal rod in her left hand and this was pulled to keep her work tight. She worked through these stitches with what looked like a long needle with an elongated eye and cotton threaded through it, using her right hand. I would love to know what this technique is and am currently trawling the internet to find out what it is. Maybe it's just a local craft? Cynthia from the UK

Dear Cynthia,
What a great question!

I believe, based upon your description, what you observed while on vacation is a technique called "Locker Hooking." This involves having a mesh fabric (yes, the mesh certainly could be crocheted if you wanted), with a "needled crochet hook" (a crochet hook with a hole at the end) to pull yarn or material up into the space, then secured once the yarn attached to the hook is pulled through. The end product has a very similiar look -- yet a bit different -- to those woven on an actual loom. The specialized crochet/locker hooks can be found in some craft/yarn shops, and online such as at www.Lacis.com and at Amazon. There are also books available such as the one I own, called: "Hook, Loop 'n' Lock: Create Fun and Easy Locker Hooked Projects . Your local library may have additional references available.

Check out this video I found on YouTube: http://youtu.be/I2iQwz-JesM; I believe it will be the technique you observed while on holiday.

And, for the record, I do think of the Locker Hooking technique as a hybrid between crochet & weaving, much as I think the Tunisian technique is a hybrid between crochet & knit.

Thank you for writing in! :)
~Dee

ETA: If you're interested, there is a small group on Ravelry for this technique: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/locker-hookers

Jelly Makes it Sweeter

2011-06-13T19:28:00.002-04:00

When my daughter came to me the night before a class field trip for a band competition at a local amusement park she was panicked. She stated she needed a new beach bag. Naturally I did what many parents would do: yell at your child for sharing this information at the very last minute, and then proceed to pull a miracle out of thin air. In this case I knew I did not have enough time to crochet a bag for her, so, with little sewing experience I decided to get my machine out and see what I could create. Considering I had no pattern, or expert advise, I put the pedal to the metal, powered through and managed to create a cute bag for her with breaking just one sewing machine needle.

Of course, after all the hugs & thanks, there was a promise for better timing in the future -- but we all know Murphy's Law needs to be factored in...

Yesterday, after my CGOA Chapter's monthly meeting, we went shopping for my daughter's Middle School Graduation gift -- a Polaroid Waterproof Digital Camera. Once we got home and opened the packaging we discovered the camera did not have a camera strap/leash. Oh no! This would mean for her class field trip she would need to hold the camera in her hand the entire day. Not wanting to trust Murphy's Law, I decided she needed a waterproof camera case that she could wear on her wrist.

Using Jelly Yarn's "Super Fine" black yarn, and crocheting into the wee hours of the morning, I designed this great little waterproof camera wrist bag waiting for her that was ready when she woke up this morning. She was thrilled, and said the bag worked out great today during her class trip to Holiday Hill.

With a week left of school, I'm hoping this is the end of last minute projects. I need some sleep! LOL

Crochet Machines?

2011-06-06T15:02:00.000-04:00

I took some time off to enjoy some time with my mother and my Grammie Gloria over the past few weeks; what a good time we had! :)

Prior to that I started going through my many, many emails -- I am amazed at how many inquiries for information on crochet machines I have received! I had left a quick blurb on my facebook account promising to address this topic here just as soon as I could, so let's discuss this topic today.

Crochet Machines: do they exist?

The answer is Yes. And the answer is No.

The first thing we need to address is the definition of crochet. As crocheters, or rather as "human crocheters," we define crochet as the act of using a single tool with a notch at the end to pull one loop through another, creating one stitch at a time. It is a simple definition, and for human hands with some experience, it is (mostly) a simple action to do.

Many knitting machines that exist today "knit" with a multitude of 'sticks with a notch at the end' to create the fabric by interlocking many loops/stitches at a time. This is not crochet. This is knit. And, these machines can be purchased for the home (simplified & affordable) and for the factories (huge & complex, and expensive!).

If you Google or Bing "crochet machines" on the Internet, you will find links to companies selling what they claim are actual crochet machines. However, if you look at the images of the finished products the machines create it is not in fact crochet. There are machines on the market that can create very simplistic crochet stitches, such as the crochet chain, and, based upon a discussion in the Crochet Partners group on Yahoo, it would be used for finishing touches found on items like curtains. These simplistic machines used for this purpose cost in excess of $10,000 US -- each!

The truth is, as simple as crochet can be for the human hands, it is too complex for machines to replicate. All those crochet goods you see in the retail stores were indeed manufactured BY HUMAN HANDS. The reason it is so inexpensive (aka, cheap) is because those human hands (& their owners) reside in third world countries.

"Hand-Crocheted" ...

2011-05-10T21:59:00.000-04:00

While I'm still struggling with getting regular online access, I did want to take a moment to thank the television program "E!" for saying something correctly: They were discussing various spring/summer fashions when one of the models came out wearing an open-work crocheted vest over a (regular) bikini. The announcer noted all the details about what the model was wearing, and included the words, "hand-crocheted" when mentioning the vest.

Of course I knew what "hand-crocheted" meant, and I'm pretty sure you do too. But does the public? I doubt it. IMHO, there isn't enough emphasis placed on items created by human hands.

If a genie granted me a wish (OK, if a genie granted me several wishes -- because we all know I'd ask to have my online woes taken care of immediately!), I think I'd ask for merchandise to be better labeled -- where a big hang-tag states where the item was made AND have another tag (maybe in the shape of a human hand?) saying, "This garment was entirely created (crocheted!) by human hands." Until that happens, I'm loving the "Hand-Crocheted" wording.

The question rolling around in my mind is: If we're willing to pay more for hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries, then why is it not a crime to pay $6.99 for a huge "hand-crocheted" market bag? Is it because we don't see labels stating such?

What are your thoughts on this?

Greetings Earthlings!

2011-03-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

Yes, I feel as though I have been a journey of a million miles to nowhere. This was the worst winter on record (could we get any more snow? No, seriously?) which knocked out our power and phone lines more times than I can count. Then came the food poisoning, and well, let's just say it was all down hill from there. I even missed my Birthday Week Extravaganza last month! Oy!

On the bright side, I am feeling better (just down to a pesky cough which should be gone soon!) and still working on a vision problem. But things are looking good (pun intended). I've even managed to crochet a small handle for a basket! (That's a huge milestone here!).

My online time is extremely limited right now, so I will be checking in when I can. In the meantime, please share with me how you are celebrating National Crochet Month! I'd love to know what you have planned! :)

...And the Winner is ...

2011-01-15T12:55:00.001-05:00

I would like to thank everyone who participated in my Anniversary Celebration. I greatly enjoyed reading everyone's Crochet Wish Lists -- it was amazing to see so many listing Tunisian Crochet as one of your seven crochet techniques that you would like to learn. Fortunately I can help you with that come this September at the Knit & Crochet Show that will take place in Greensboro, NC ... be sure to mark your calendars!

It was also interesting to read many participants are not CGOA members but expressed an interest in joining. I wonder, what is stopping you? Why not take the plunge, join, and discover what I find so special about this Crochet Organization? And why not join with a friend, perhaps gifting her/him with a membership too?

Giving a CGOA GIFT MEMBERSHIP is very easy -- CGOA memberships include 6 issues of Crochet! magazine plus all the regular member benefits of the Crochet Guild of America. Want more reasons on why to join? Check out the top 10 Reasons to Join!

I am pleased to announce the winner of my drawing for the one-year membership to the CGOA:

Congratulations Carol, and once again, thank you to everyone for participating, making this a wonderful way for me to celebrate 7 years of blogging about crochet, and celebrating my 10th Anniversary of being a CGOA member.

Question From Reader: Nuns Crochet Hook

2011-01-06T11:00:00.014-05:00

I just came across an old wooden crochet hook, size K, with the name "Nuns" on the side. It must have belonged to my grandmother. Are you familiar with this brand? And do you know when it might have been made?
Marcia of Brookfield

Dear Marcia,
Thank you for the wonderful question! You have led me on a fun quest to learn more about your grandmother's crochet hook! I have never seen a Nun's hook in person, so I was very intrigued!

Photo of Nun's Crochet Hook by Marcia.

Your crochet hook comes from T. Buettner & Co. Inc., well known for the "Nun's" branding, that was in business from the mid 1880s until its reported dissolving in 1960. The company was located in Chicago, Illinois, and specialized in the importing and manufacturing of goods for crocheting, embroidery, knitting, spool knitting and the likes. Many companies, like the T. Buettner company, published their own patterns to help support the sales of their thread & yarn lines, so it is no surprise they also offered their own line of crochet hooks.

1926 T. Buettner & Co. ad for Nuns
"Boilproof" Embroidery & Crochet Cotton

The original owners, two brothers by the name of Emil and Ernest Buettner, seemed to have been immigrants from Germany; I am not sure why they came to America, but it is during the time period where there was a huge influx of Russian-Germans settling in that part of the country. The business was successful to the point where they were able to hold dual residences in America and Germany. (And their business took up three addresses in Chicago!) Many of the items they sold from their American company reportedly came from Germany. As a side note, I noticed a lot of labels for their "boilproof" threads and yarns were stamped with "Made in Switzerland!"

Your crochet hook is stamped with the letter "K;" this means that the hook was created for American use, regardless of where it was made. If it were crafted for European use, it would have been stamped with a metric size. Unfortunately I am not able to figure out when -- or where -- your grandmothers Nun's crochet hook was created. Readers, do you know more information about the Nun's Crochet Hooks? If so, do tell! :)

Websites to visit for more information:

Now That's Just Creepy!

2011-01-04T23:19:00.000-05:00

Oh, those things that are never more than 6 feet away from us -- no matter where we are. We're talking those silent creepy crawlers, most of which spin webs -- spiders!

In 2009 a unique cloth was created by "milking" over one million "wild" golden orb spiders -- taking some 70 people, and 4 years to do so -- to create an 11x4 foot textile (it was on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City). The fabric is reported to be very elastic and so strong it is is compared to steel! They call it "spider silk." You can read the 2009 article, as well as see the "spid-y" fabric here.

And this is not the first time spider silk has been woven into a textile! The first time, based upon the AMNH Video, was in the early 1900s, with the completed work placed on exhibit in Paris. Since that time the textile was lost!

Now, as reported in the January 2011 issue of Popular Mechanics magazine, scientists at the University of Notre Dame, and at the University of Wyoming, are genetically engineering silkworms to incorporate spider DNA to make "super-strong silk." My guess they're looking to make the spider silk more affordable by being able to mass produce it through the use of silkworms.

My question is, what if they mess up like they did with the bees? What are your thoughts on this? Would you crochet or knit with spider silk?

Question From Reader: Double Ended Crochet Hooks???

2011-01-03T13:30:00.000-05:00

What does one do with a double ended circular crochet hook? A.C. Moore carries one by Susan Bates for $9.95 and I have this great 50% off coupon. I've perused EVERY Tunesian crochet book in the store and there is no mention of using this type of hook ! The websites for Susan Bates etc. don't even mention or show it...hhmmm.. I can't think of anything with which to use this other than Tunesian crochet. Any ideas? Pictures? Projects using this type of hook? Ginger in Greenville

Dear Ginger, What a great question!!

The reason your Tunisian crochet books do not mention the double-ended crochet hook is because the hook in not part of the Tunisian technique. Well, it is, kindasorta, but it isn't really considered a part of it. I say "kindasorta" because if you know how to do Tunisian, you'll pick up the Crochet on the Double technique in a heartbeat! On the other hand, if you know how to Crochet on the Double, then you'll pick up the Tunisian technique in a heartbeat. They're that similar, yet, still different enough to be considered unique crochet techniques. :)

The idea behind double-ended crochet hooks is that you can use different colored yarns, and/or textured yarns, to create beautiful crochet fabrics/projects. You may want to check out the book 101 Double Ended Hook Stitches for some inspiration; your local library may have it available for loan.

At the moment, my "on the go" project is a scarf I'm working up with some yarn that has been sitting in my stash for ages. Not having enough of each color to create a single project is what kept this yarn from being utilized. I have found combining them together using the double-ended crochet technique marries these two colors together beautifully: one side will be more "orange," and the other will show more "blue." The gold running through both yarns pulls it all together. (Side Note: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)
Take a look at the crochet hooks (pictured on the left) I am currently using -- test driving actually. These are prototypes ...sweet, sweet, prototypes, I might add-- hand-turned by Tom of http://www.dyakcraft.com/. Yummy looking, right? These hooks are not on the market -- yet -- but the knitting needles are. You can go here for the Ravelry discussion. Keep watching my blog, I'll be discussing these hooks more in-depth soon!

I hope this helps, Ginger. Now, go out and try this double-ended crochet technique. It's pretty cool -- and, if you haven't already, consider entering into my CGOA One-Year Membership Drawing! :)

Crochet Cover-Up on Wall Street

2011-01-02T11:59:00.000-05:00

As a former "day trader" I got huge chuckles when the story of a crochet cover-up on Wall Street hit the news. And that's no bull. Well, actually, it kindasorta is...

On Christmas Eve, Agata Olek set out to cover the well known Wall Street Icon, the charging bronze bull that was created by Arturo di Modica. You can read the story here, and also watch the magic unfold below. And you can check out more of Olek's interesting crochet works here. Want to know why she did it? Read her blog entry here.

I love this sort of "yarn bombing!" :)

Happy New Yarn!!

2011-01-01T00:01:00.016-05:00

The start of a New Year is always a good time to take stock of all that is good in our lives, as well as to make resolutions for what we hope to accomplish for the year. ‎2011 will be my third year in reducing my yarn stash; many items for charity will be crocheted. Of course, with the kids liking the needle-felting, I can't say my roving stash will share the same fate.

The start of 2011 also means, that in just two short weeks, I will be starting my SEVENTH year in blogging about my crochet/yarn adventures, AND it will be my TENTH year of being a CGOA member. In researching my very first post, it wasn't much. But then again -- it was. It was Ruth Arbitelle, one of my devoted crochet students who repeatedly asked me to share more about my crochet adventures. At the time blogging was still fairly new and I didn't know much about it. I decided to jump in and see where it would lead; the journey has been wonderful. I am sure Ruth is smiling down from heaven, happy I'm still blogging (and probably wishing I'd update more often! lol).

To celebrate these milestones, I decided to have a drawing!

The rules are simple:
1. Entries accepted from now until January 14, 2011, midnight, eastern time, by leaving comments at this Blog entry.
2. List seven things about crochet you'd like to learn. If you're not sure, visit my "Types & Techniques" page on my website, http://www.CrochetWithDee.com/, for some ideas.
3. Include if you are a CGOA member or not.
4. Leave a way for me to contact you should your name be drawn as the winner. If I can't reach you, I'll need to have another name drawn. Winner will be announced on January 15th; the winner will receive a One-Year Membership to the CGOA!

I wish you all a happy, healthy, crochet-filled New Year! :)

A Classic from the Archives: CROCHETERS CHRISTMAS EVE Poem

2010-12-19T12:38:00.002-05:00

Originally posted on Friday, December 22. 2006, slightly updated in 2010:

CROCHETERS CHRISTMAS EVE Poem

adapted by me, Dee Stanziano

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me

Was unfinished crocheting not under the tree.

The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

But I had not finished the caps for their heads.

Dad was asleep; he was no help at all,

And the sweater for him was six inches too small,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter

I put down my hooks to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tripped over my yarn and fell down with a crash.

The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow

Reminded me how much I still had to go.

Out on my lawn I heard such a noise,

I thought it would wake both Dad and the boys.
And though I was tired, my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

But what I heard then left me perplex-ed,
For not a name I heard was what I expected,
"Move, DyakCraft! Move, Lacis! Move, NaturallyCaron and Clover!
Move, Boye! Move Woolease! Move Ravelry --move over

Paton, don't circle 'round; stand in the line.

Come now, you sheep will work out just fine!

I know this is hard; it's just your first year,

I'd hate to go back to eight tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill; what I saw was amazing,
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing.
And then, in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's feet coming across my porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet,
And as I turned 'round St. Nick I did meet.

He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe,
And his clothes were hand-crocheted from above to below.
A bright Tunisian sweater he wore on his back,

And his toys were all stuffed in an cool cro-knit sack.

His cap was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.

The scarf 'round his neck could have stretched for a mile,

And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
The back of his mittens bore an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I espied a small label,

"S.C." was duplicate stitched on the cuff,

And I asked, "Hey, Nick, did you crochet all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a quite well-dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair,
He spoke not a word, but looked in his lap
Where I'd laid my hook and yarn for a cap.
He quickly began crocheting, first one cap then two,
For the first time I thought I might really get through.
He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks.
While I sat back drinking scotch on the rocks.
So quickly like magic his stitches they flew
That he was all finished by quarter to two.
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me,
And I heard him exclaim as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year start your crocheting sometime around June!"

Want to share this with your online friends? Please give them this link: http://crochetwithdee.blogspot.com/2010/12/classic-from-archives-crocheters.html

*** note: this was a *knitters* poem, based on Clement Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," that I changed in 2005 to reflect crochet. I do not know who the original author of the knit version is/was. If you know, please let me know so I can give proper credit; thanks. :)

The Happy-nings

2010-12-17T12:17:00.000-05:00

On this cold, pre-winter day, I have that tune, "See You in September," sung by the group, The Happenings, running around in my head. (The Tempos sang it first, I'm just more familiar with The Happenings' version.)

I am thrilled to announce I have been invited back to teach for the CGOA at the Knit & Crochet Fall Show that will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina from September 23-25, 2011.

So the question is: Will I See You in September?

Roving at the Library

2010-12-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

It has been a flurry of activity here at the CrochetWithDee homestead. So when our local library announced they were going to offer a Felting Workshop I decided it would be a good distraction for my kids -- and a great way for them to play with roving.

Sadly, the class booked up so we were wait listed. Being in the middle of Hanukkah and nearing the shopping craze for Christmas, I didn't think they'd be able to squeeze in another class -- but they did! (Yes!!)

Earlier this evening I packed up the kids, taking note that there were fine white crystals falling from the sky. I love snow. And I love playing with fiber. I had hopes my kids would take to needle felting as a fun activity.

Upon arrival we met our instructor, Katie Stevenson, and many lovely ladies in attendance. Since I already had felting experience I decided to leave instructing the kids in her hands (as a crochet teacher, I fully understand that sometimes kids learn better if it is someone else other than their parent(s) offering the lesson).

We set to work. I had originally planned on making a sheep, and Dee Jr. planned on making a pig. Only it did not turn out that way. Sometimes it is the project that will dictate what it wants to be -- much like the skeins of yarn that sit in our stashes until they reveal what they want to be shaped into! So Dee Jr.'s pig became an alligator, and my sheep became a gerbil. ... Or maybe it's a guinea pig... I'm not really sure... lol

Only Mini~Dee's project came out as she had planned -- a cute snowman. (There's a really cute picture of it on her blog.)

The good news is, the kids really loved needle felting, and they're pretty excited I "happen" to have all the supplies (needles & raw roving) in my stash. With it snowing tonight, I'm envisioning the kids making more items tomorrow. Wouldn't it be fun if they created a little mug of hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows? :)

Book Tour Stop: Baby Blueprint Crochet by Robyn Chachula

2010-12-08T07:00:00.135-05:00

Robyn and I met on the internet several years ago. In fact, she was a participant in my "60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge" back when it first started! We met in person a few years later at a CGOA Conference during what is known as Professional Development Day where she was doing a "breakout session;" it felt like we had known each other forever! :)

I believe there must be something in our DNA that drives us to create items from the hand, and the heart, for the babies in our lives. When Robyn announced she was expecting, I knew it was a matter of time before her new bundle of joy would bring her a new bundle of design inspirations! In fact, Robyn acknowledges her muse by dedicating her newest hot-off-the-press book, Baby Blueprint Crochet, to her baby daughter .... the book is beautifully packaged with a variety of designs to inspire crocheters to feed that drive, complete with crochet symbols!

My children are well past the infant/toddler stage; however, since my son, Dee Jr. still loves dinosaurs, I decided to quickly whip up the motif from Robyn's "Callum Pullover" pattern. My plan is to give this cute dinosaur to my son to use as a bookmark. -- In the meantime, if I can carve out a niche of time before Christmas, this cute pullover might end up on my hook for my new nephew. And maybe a pair of socks (also featured in the book) too.

... or maybe the slippers ... there is so much to choose from! From dresses to flying elephants, Robyn has created a book full of irresistible projects to crochet for the little ones in our lives. You can see the adorable projects here in Robyn's Flicker Album. :)

Side notes: I did not use the yarn called for in the pattern, or stop to check my gauge; this means my dinosaur came out chunkier than the one pictured in Robyn's book. If you plan on making the pullover, please check your gauge first!!! I also changed the stitches for the dinosaur's scales since I do not intend to sew him onto a garment.

About the crochet hook in the picture: It is a custom Graydog crochet hook; a gift from my husband from several years ago. If you are here searching for information on Graydog, I have none to offer at this time.

Crochet History Up for Auction

2010-12-02T15:52:00.003-05:00

My son approached me holding out his two bags from the Guinness World Record Attempt we participated in back in June. "Mom, can you sell these for me?" he asked.

I looked at him for a few moments to judge how serious he was. "I'm a Yankee fan, Mom. These items are 'Mets' ... "

"But," I replied, "You were a witness to history in the making. We actually set the record for the Most People Crocheting in One Place! These are your souvenirs from that day!"

"I know." He added, "There is nothing wrong with the Mets, but I'm a Yankee fan, Mom. My heart belongs to the Yankees like your heart belongs to Crochet."

OK, so the boy has a point, and a darn good one at that. How can I argue with that line of reasoning?

And now he has an eBay auction going on where you can bid on his New/Mint MET bags ... http://tinyurl.com/NYMetsCrochetWorldRecordBags

Thankful for In-laws

2010-11-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

Who needs Santa Claus when you have a brother-in-law as great as mine? Seriously!

Back in February I actually blogged about two of my brothers-in-law who know what crochet fanatic I am and what they did (http://crochetwithdee.blogspot.com/2010/02/treasures-in-law.html) -- well, I am delighted to report, Fred has done it again!

We spent Thanksgiving visiting my husband's family. Shortly after arrival, my brother-in-law sat next to me & pointed to his cheek. "You'll want to give me a little peck," he said, "as I have something for you." I smiled and gave his peck on the cheek. He then opened his hand to reveal his latest finds: antique crochet hooks MADE IN THE USA by the Susan Bates company. I squealed with delight! We chatted about the history of the Susan Bates company, and about his good luck in finding me treasured crochet hooks to add to my collection.

Yeah, I guess you can say I have my own personal Santa Claus, and he delivers crochet goodies! :)

Take Me With You!

2010-11-22T15:13:00.000-05:00

Take Dee With You on Your Mobile
Device: http://www.crochetwithdee.webs.com/

If I had a nickle each time a student, or a CrochetWithDee fan said, "Dee, I want to keep you!" I'd be able to buy out an entire yarn shop -- many, many times over!! Oh, there have been attempts, bribes & such. But my heart is with my family, and rightfully so.

Still, how does one fill the void of folks wanting to take their Crochet Cheerleader home, or while out-&-about, to be able to turn to whenever they have a CrochetWithDee need? One student suggested I get one of those huge cardboard photos made and sell them. Since the cardboard "Dee's" wouldn't be able to answer questions, I don't think that would be a good idea; I can envision the cardboard cutouts used as target practice, knitting needles sticking out of it like a dart board. LOL

But, what if you can fit me in a pocket, or a purse? ... now you can! You can visit me on your Mobile Device! So quick -- so easy!! ... simply pull up your browser on your mobile device and enter this url address: http://www.crochetwithdee.webs.com/

Roadtrip anyone? :)

~ 365 Days ~ to think about Crochet

2010-11-16T12:28:00.001-05:00

Dee Jr. asked me this morning what I want for Christmas this year. Told him I want an endless cup of coffee that never gets cold, is always at the perfect temperature, and flavor. He said, "Good luck with that." :/ Mr. Dee added later that we will need to start thinking about getting a 2011 Calendar. (Was this a hint?) Would he mind if I gave him a crochet calendar?

In 2004 I purchased my first Crochet Calendar. It was produced by the New York City Crochet Guild, and it was beautiful! (You can read the back story about their calendar here.) Sadly they have not produced any more.

Shortly thereafter the "Day to Day" Crochet Calendar came out. I didn't -- and haven't -- purchased this calendar yet as none of the proceeds go to the designers, or to a charity. (If this policy has changed, readers, could you please let me know?) Although I am not a believer that a crochet designer should give their designs away for free in order to promote themselves I do know many crocheters like this calendar.

I didn't get another Crochet Calendar until the

365 Crochet Stitches a Year: Perpetual Calendar came out in 2007. What I like about this calendar is that it is not defined by one year; it is perpetual, meaning you can use it year after year after year! Smart thinking Jean and Rita! (This is not the first time I've mentioned this Calendar; I blogged about it in early 2008.) For a timeless Calendar with stitch motifs, this makes a great gift! (Note to Mr. Dee in case he is reading this: I already own it!)

Now, nearly into 2011, I find myself eyeing three new crochet calendars as possible contenders:

The Interweave Crochet 2011 Wall Calendar that promises full-color crochet motifs from The Harmony Guides: Crochet Stitch Motifs (may as well add that book to my Wish List).

and

2011 Sticks, Hooks and Shuttles Calendar being offered by the folks over at http://www.peaches-creme.com/, where 100% of the proceeds are being donated to two charities. (Visit their website, scroll to the bottom of the page to get an idea of what the calendar includes, and to learn more about where the proceeds will be donated.)

And third, there is always CafePress.com, where there is an abundance of Crochet Theme goodies to choose from. In the shop, CroOrities, the vertical wall calendar features many great images from other CafePress shops (all used with permission!). No patterns, but plenty of space to write in all my crochet activities, events, and deadlines.

The bottom line: I think it is good that we are progressing from having no Crochet Calendars available, to having a variety to choose from -- complete with that perfect cup of coffee, naturally. :)

Checking In

2010-11-13T17:39:00.000-05:00

After almost two months, I have decided to give up my new desk to my daughter. I miss the sunshine too much! Yes, this does mean I'll be moving back to the kitchen table, but I'm OK with that. Mini~Dee is ecstatic, of course. Not just because she's getting the desk, but because we're also ripping down the old wallpaper in her room. Of course I am thinking of teasing her a bit by telling her I'll be replacing all the wallpaper with my abundant crochet samples ... oh, wait, I kinda like that idea for real! LOL ((she'd kill me!!))

My father stopped by to tell me he purchased some tile; he is moving forward to fixing the leaking problem in his basement. I'm not sure how long that will take, but I've already started letting my mind wander on how I'd want to decorate and organize my studio once I get the green light. One thought that came to mind is to take a plastic table cloth stamped with crochet that I've had for a number of years and somehow use that to decorate a wall or two. Either by securing the table cloth to the wall and spray painting over it, letting the spray paint fill in the gaps and then remove the table cloth; or by rolling paint over the table cloth and carefully pressing it against the wall. I love daydreaming about this stuff! What would you do?

Oh, and please tell my postal carrier to hold off on delivering the latest Ikea catalog ... I can get lost in the pages for hours!! If you want some craft room inspiration, and are a member of Ravelry, be sure to check out the "My Craft Room" group.

Hip Hoppin' ... at last, again!

2010-11-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

About a year and a half ago I announced that I had published the pattern to my award-winning Hip Hoppin' Backpack. The pattern was included with several other designers' patterns for an experiment with online ebooks we were calling "Straight From Today's Designers." After the experiment concluded Soooooo many of you wrote to me asking that I republish the pattern for my backpack.

And I'm delighted to announce that my pattern is once again available for purchase -- as a "stand-alone" PDF pattern. At the moment you can order it through Ravelry using the "buy now" button you see on the right.

A few details: This pattern includes seven beautiful textured crochet stitches and is therefore considered to be for the Intermediate Crocheter. It also includes International Crochet Symbols. The PDF is 8-pages long, and retails for $4.99

If you don't want to order the pattern through Ravelry, and can't wait for me to add it to my website, please send me an email. With the upcoming holiday season approaching fast, this is just (excuse the expression) in the Nick of Time. :)

"Get Your Heart On"

2010-11-01T12:19:00.082-04:00

In the CLF group on Ravelry.com there was discussion that a lot of CLF'ers were unable to identify themselves as members while attending Rhinebeck a few weeks ago. I proposed we consider wearing a crocheted motif to make the next time easier. Shortly thereafter the discussion on attending the 20th Stitches East event started, I again proposed we wear a crocheted motif; I suggested we wear crocheted hearts. Mary Beth Temple then announced on her Getting Loopy Show that we crocheters should "Get Our Hearts On" ... that is, wear a crocheted heart, find her at Stitches, and get a ticket for a prize drawing she'd have to help support crochet.

I was busy the entire Stitches East event -- from pre-start to finish; mostly having fun working in the KnitShopGirls booth (Shoutout to my girls, Kendra, the owner; Dina & Kim!). I attended my first Stitches Fashion Show (yes, I did crochet while watching) where I found myself falling in love with one of the crocheted garments in Nicky Epstein's new book, Enchanting Collection -- it took my breath away! (and the knit garments in the book were pretty cool too; I just might need to crochet me some knit! lol). I found the food at the Dinner quite dee-lish, and the company at our table an absolute riot!

I also attended (briefly) the Pajama Party where I met up with Guido: The Purlman, and Kathleen Sams of Red Heart Yarn. I also met Benjamin Levisay -- although we've been Facebook friends, this was my first time I had met him in person & found him to be funny -- and blonder than his FB image shows. I was able to meet up with Cari Clement from Caron Yarns, Penny from Offinger (CGOA management), Arnetta Kenney (CYCA CIP Teacher), Trishia (Save the Children Foundation), Zontee from LionBrand, and of course, Mary Beth Temple. (There were many, many more people I got to see, but my brain is so fried from the long weekend that it is hard to recall everyone.) I also managed to sneak in some volunteer time by spending Sunday morning in the Warm Up America/Save the Children booth teaching basic crochet while whipping up a preemie cap with my speedy crochet hook.

I want to thank Kendra for a fabulous weekend ... it was an amazing "behind the scenes" experience from the vendor's point-of-view -- those vendors work their butts off (can I say that here?) and deserve huge kudos for hauling, setting up, putting in long hours for our shopping pleasure, tearing down, and hauling back all of our yarn goodies! Thank you Kendra! Thank you Vendors!!

I want to state for the record that yes, I had my "Heart On." I crocheted my heart out of sterling silver wire -- to ward off scary werewolves, naturally. (What else would you expect me to wear on Halloween weekend at Stitches East? LOL) In the KnitShopGirls booth we saw a lot of people dressed up for Halloween which made the experience that much more fun; and we saw a lot of folks wearing crochet!!!! (Love!!!)

And, going forward, it looks like the crochet heart will be THE motif to wear to signal to other crocheters, and to retailers, how much we love our crochet. So go ahead and "Get Your [crocheted] Heart On;" I'll be looking for you at the next fiber event I attend. :)

Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool 2010

2010-10-26T14:00:00.010-04:00

I can't believe Rhinebeck's Sheep & Wool festival was a week ago already! Where does the time go?

Rhinebeck was great; I brought my ~~children~~ kids with me (they're starting to get so big that the word 'children' doesn't seem to fit as a description of them). We went on Sunday and the weather was (singing) "fan-tastic!"

Upon arrival we met up with my buddy, the HHCC Prez, Grace; and with Mary Beth Temple and her daughter LANKYLoopy. Within minutes we met up with Doris Chan, Diane Moyer, Leslie of WoolMountain, Sarah, and several other crochetaholics. It was like old friends gathering together, excited about all the delicious fibers around us. I fulfilled my promise to Doris, giving her a bottle of Jones Family Farm wine, for my appreciation of her Ling Collar pattern that won me so many ribbons and awards this year.

I then armed my son, Dee Jr., with my point-n-shoot camera so he can take pictures for his new blog, http://bearclawphotography.blogspot.com/ -- for an 11-year old kid with no photographing experience, I think he has a natural eye for capturing beautiful shots. Hopefully he'll upload the Rhinebeck images to his blog soon.

In the meantime, as we strolled from building to building, basking in the Indian Summer day, my daughter Mini~Dee, and LankyLoopy enjoyed spending the day together. It seems they were both drawn to the neon-colored yarns -- a lot! Together with Dee Jr, they also found the maple syrup cotton candy a deelight. :)

I treated myself to three skeins of Boxelder Beetle by Sanguine Gryphon; a fingering weight yarn in a most lushious orange, made of 70% superwash merino, 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon. The booth/shop owners wore the coolest gowns, and their yarn was just devine!

The day passed very quickly, and just prior to leaving the park grounds we bumped into Lily Chin. To my delight I saw a lot more crochet than I have in years' past. I take this to be a good thing, and am looking forward to Rhinebeck 2011!

A Good Type of Busy

2010-10-14T10:33:00.000-04:00

Has it been a week? I've been busy, very busy indeed! So busy, in fact, I haven't even opened up my latest order from Amazon that contains new-to-me crochet books! It is a good-type of busy, and well worth the wait in opening that box! LOL

In the meantime, I'm really proud of my CGOA Chapter -- The Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club -- which recently celebrated it's Ninth Birthday! NINE YEARS of CROCHET FUN!! The Celebration took place last Sunday; visit www.TheHHCC.org to read all the juicy details.

My coffee cup is empty; break is over. ;)

Frightful Fun

2010-10-08T22:32:00.001-04:00

I gave myself a good fright today ... actually this story started last night -- and -- I was the one who initiated it! You see, I had taken my mannequin heads out to prepare to bring them to my CGOA Chapter's Anniversary meeting, and while doing so, I decided to have a little wicked fun: I placed one of the mannequin heads in the kids room while they were eating dinner.

Shortly after dinner the kids went in and got an instant giggly-fun-type of scare. No screams; just one of those really loud gasps of unexpected pre-Halloween scares. Then came the giggles -- they instantly decided to pay the fright forward by attempting to scare their dad. Unfortunately (for the kids) Mr. Dee was paying attention and did not get scared at all!

This morning, being coffee-less at the time, I decided to move the mannequin head the kids had intended to scare Mr. Dee with over to the kitchen table. The kids headed off to school, and I went about my morning activities.

While I had the house to myself, quietly working on my secret project, I had completely forgotten about the mannequin. Do you see where this is going? About an hour later I managed to give myself a good fright when the mannequin on the table caught the corner of my eye! (Yes, I did let out a little yelp of horror; LOL) Had the kids been here when that happened they'd be rolling on the floor with laughter!

As I posted this experience on my Facebook account earlier today, I found it interesting other designers have used their mannequins (in one way or another) to also give a good fright to themselves and others.

This lead me to thinking about those old black & white classic movies and television programs which I love to watch this time of year. Alfred Hitchcock, one of my favs, instantly popped into my head when I decided I wanted a "scary" looking crochet hook as my new profile picture on Facebook. I grabbed my camera and played around with a few concepts in my head until I created an image that I really liked; I hope you do too as I turned it into a CafePress shop: http://www.Cafepress.com/Crochetween

I can't help but to laugh ghoulishly at the thought of crocheters haunting their favorite local yarn shop while wearing one of the T-shirts. Whahahahaha! ;)

Bringin' It Home...

2010-10-05T12:37:00.002-04:00

Mr. Dee and I took the trek to Massachusetts yesterday to pick up the crochet entries from the Big E. Without the kids, this gave us great quality time to discuss various crochet topics, such as which location (Minnesota vs. North Carolina) I should consider submitting my CGOA Class Proposals.

Upon arrival we learned more about the Special Awards:

SPECIAL AWARD FOR CROCHET

Dee's Pushmi Vest & Ling Collar
NEW Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) website: http://www.crochet.org/ One award for Best Wearing Apparel entry. Award consists of one certificate for a free year of membership in CGOA.
NEW Plymouth Yarn of Bristol, Pa website: http://www.plymouthyarn.com/ One package of 100% Galway Wool Yarn for Best Use of Pattern Work and/or Color Change
Webs/Valley Fiber Corp of Northampton, Mass website: http://www.yarn.com/ One award for Most Creative Use of Traditional Crochet (stitches must be used in original clothing or accessories design)

I won two of the three awards: The Best Wearing Apparel, and The Most Creative Use of Traditional Crochet for the "Ling Collar." My fellow HHCC'er Elaine, won the Best Use of Pattern Work and/or Color Change for her original Flower Dolls (picture can be seen here on the HHCC's blog). This was the first time I've ever won a Sponsor Award at The Big E, and this was Elaine's second time.

In reading how the Pushmi~Pullyu vest I designed for my son, and how the Ling Collar scored, the Collar actually scored higher, with points taken off for color. Why it earned a Red Ribbon, and the vest a Blue, I'll never know. However, I am very thankful for the Special Awards and want to thank the CGOA and WEBs for sponsoring them. As to what I will purchase with my WEBs gift card? I'm not sure yet. :)

Dee's & her CGOA Chapter's entries @ the Big E.

"Hip, Hip, Crochet!" with the Lion

2010-10-02T18:44:00.000-04:00

Along with participating in the "Feel Good" kickoff on the CBS Early Show, I also got to visit the Lion Brand store for the very first time with my fellow CGOA Chapter members. As I don't go to the City often, this was a treat I was long looking forward to.

We traveled across the City via car, had an early lunch, and then walked the short distance to the Lion Brand store. It was just before 11:30 AM, and the store would be opening in mere minutes. This afforded us time to check out the front window display featuring Lady Liberty.

This store front resonated with me: it merged crochet and knit work together in the shape of the United States; joined together in the afghan wrapped around Lady Liberty's shoulders; and with squares at her feet being collected from customers for Warm Up America. Togetherness. Lion Brand did not exclude crochet, or use crochet as a mere footnote. It gave crochet equal billing. As it should be.

This theme was echoed in Lady Liberty's crown too; notice in the image on the right how the crochet hooks and knitting needles come together to create the seven spikes in her crown (for those that like trivia, the spikes represent the seven oceans). Who ever designed this window for Lion Brand did a great job!

Once the store opened we were greeted with a lot of eye-candy ... yarn, yarn, yarn! Yes, we can purchase Lion Brand yarn at nearly every big box craft store, but not all carry all of the Lion Brand lines -- and/or colors! So to see it all in one place was fantastic!

I had some questions of which the staff was more than happy to help me with getting the answers to. I purchased some Vanna's Choice, and some Cotton Bamboo from the LB Collection. And for being a CGOA member, they took 10% off my purchase.

I'll be sure to add visiting the Lion Brand store to my stops the next time I'm in the City; this yarn manufacturer (and now retailer) knows how to make this crocheter a repeat customer.

Question From Reader: the 411 on Lands End "FeelGood"

2010-09-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

My aunt wants to send knitted squares for the blankets that you are making. She saw it on the CBS morning show. Where does she send them? Jackie

Dear Jackie,

How wonderful your Aunt will be participating in the Lands End Feel Good Campaign! I know you said she wants to knit her squares, but if by chance she is a CGOA Member, she can have a cone of Lands End yarn sent directly to her by emailing erin.haasATlandsendDOTcom. Please note I do not know if they're making this offer to the Knitting Guild members. -- have her hurry as she needs to do this by tomorrow, 10/01/10.

If she doesn't need yarn, and would like to mail in her squares to Warm Up America for distribution, here is the shipping address and contact information:

Warm Up America

FeelGood Campaign

469 Hospital Dr. Ste E

Gastonia, NC 28054

info@WarmUpAmerica.org

She can also visit the CGOA's website and search for a Chapter near her, as I understand several, such as my Chapter, are participating in this charitable program. Another option is to have her drop off her squares at a local craft or yarn store that is participating in the Warm Up America program. If her LYS is not a participant, it doesn't hurt to ask the store manager/owner to consider getting involved.

For more information, please visit Land's end (www.landsend.com/feelgood) and Warm Up America! (www.warmupamerica.org).

"Hip, Hip, Crochet!" on the CBS Early Show

2010-09-29T21:58:00.001-04:00

At 3:00 AM I opened my eyes to find out if it was 4:00 AM. Nope. Back to sleep I went. At 3:59 I opened my eyes again, beating the rooster-crowing alarm. It must have been the anticipation of the day as I have no other explanation how this self-proclaimed night owl was able to wake so early in the morning!

By 5:00 AM, with coffee in hand, I had joined up with four other of my CGOA Chapter members -- we were going to New York City to help Brett Bara, host of the popular PBS show, Knit and Crochet Now!, launch The FeelGood Campaign on the CBS Early Show.

Lands End is donating 5,000 pounds of yarn to be crocheted & knitted into 7"x9" squares that will be assembled into afghans by Warm Up America volunteers. The afghans are then donated to people in need.

The goodies I received,
& my two crochet hooks.

The goal: to get as many crocheters & knitters involved as possible to help make the 64,000 squares. (Or as my Chapter member Jennifer says, rectangles.)

We arrived at the General Motors building in plenty of time. Lands End was giving participants a super soft scarf that retails for $39.50. We were then directed to select a cake of yarn (yarn wound into a "flat" ball; see picture), and to begin crocheting & knitting squares while standing in the CBS Early Show plaza. For the first 20 people to finish a square, they received a special Lands End tote -- I was one of the lucky 20. In fact, during the entire 2-hour taping, I managed to whip out 3 squares for the cause! :)

Brett Bara & some of the many squares
crocheted & knitted during the taping.

What was the Lands End yarn like? It was every bit of soft as they claimed. However, the yarn does not have a lot of twist to it so it is much like using Lion Brand's Micro-Spun yarn. My specialized "Maestro" Graydog crochet hook, size "J," worked beautifully with the Lands End yarn. My beautiful "Apple" hook, by Brainsbarn, size I, did a great job too. (In the picture to the right, Brett is holding up one of the squares I completed during the taping!)

CBS Weatherman, David Price
with Zippy's afghan.

One of the funniest moments during the taping was when the weatherman, Dave Price, came over to our area and noticed our newest member, Zippy, working on an afghan. He asked if he could borrow it, placed it around his neck like a large scarf and said "Hip, Hip, Crochet!" while proceeding to give the daily forecast. The funny part was that the afghan was still connected to the yarn in Zippy's hand! She had to keep "feeding" him yarn as he walked the plaza during the taping (see Dave on the left).

After the taping was done, we were invited for a tour of the CBS studio. Very cool indeed!

It was then time for us to head to the Lion Brand Store, but I think I'll save that story for another time. It was a very long -- and fun -- day today and I need some rest. :)

Chester, Barbara, Susan, Zephr - All in the Family?

2010-09-27T17:17:00.006-04:00

I love living in Connecticut. I love the rolling hills; the various sized cities and towns; and the history -- especially when it it is tied into my crochet world. I also love eBay.

One of my eBay finds arrived today. It is a an antique Susan Bates crochet hook, still in the original packaging. It is known as a Clipson crochet hook.

On the bottom, it reads:

"C. J. Bates & Son, Inc. Chester, Conn. 06412
Made in U.S.A. Manufacturers Since 1873"

According to the papers turned over to the Dodd Center at UConn, C.J. Bates was Carlton J. Bates, born in 1848. He founded the company in 1907 at age 59. However, if we use the date on the crochet hook packaging, C.J. technically was producing manicure sets, crochet hooks, and knitting needles since he was 25!

In the early years of manufacturing, the name Chester was stamped upon the products, such as the crochet hook pictured below (I acquired it in 2008). The manufacturing company was located on a 17-acre site in Chester, Connecticut, until they discovered that the sludge waste stored in a lagoon was contaminating the groundwater.

Based upon a discussion on Crochetville, the Chester brand name was changed to Barbara Bates, and then Susan Bates sometime in the 1940s (after the passing of C.J. Bates in 1941). In another online group discussion, is it said the name was changed from Chester to Zephr. Based upon an exchange I had with Jean Leinhauser, the Susan Bates name change happened in the 1930s. The only evidence I have is what is before me ... a hook and its' packaging -- so I know the link between Chester and Susan Bates is solid.

To further the discussion of Chester/Susan Bates hooks, you might find these links interesting: The Hook Lady's blog post: http://hooklady.blogspot.com/2008/12/for-susan-bates-crochet-hook-collector.html has some great pictures of more Chester/Susan Bates hooks for me to add to my collection. (She's such an enabler! lol) And, she has a great picture showing vintage & modern Susan Bates crochet hooks here: http://hooklady.blogspot.com/2008/12/difference-between-vintage-and-new.html.

Is this Susan Bates?

Today Susan Bates is part of the Coats and Clark Company. If you know more about the history of the Chester/Susan Bates crochet hook, I'd love to hear from you! :)

Edited to add: After reading this blog post, HHCC President Grace emailed me this evening stating, "'Marcia Lynn' is also a line of hooks & needles made by CJ Bates out of Chester Ct, not sure how this line fits into their history"

It seems CJ may have been very busy in the naming of his crochet hooks. ;)

Winning At The Big E

2010-09-23T13:45:00.000-04:00

I love attending the Eastern States Exposition Fair held in West Springfield, Massachusetts. It is the ninth largest state fair in the United States. I've been attending since the late 1980s, and never tire of it.

I was there yesterday with my family, and with my CGOA Chapter, The Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club. We had a booth in the New England State building to promote crochet. Here are some of the highlights, in no particular order:

The father of a childhood friend sought me out to say "Hi." It was so nice to see him! He dialed my friend's number and let me say hello to her; she just recently moved back to Florida. It was good to chat with her.
I got to meet some of my blog fans like Firemanshunny.
I screamed. Rather proudly. My Mini~Dee won "Best in Division" for her crocheted shawl in the Junior Division.
I got to line dance on stage with the Connecticut Line Dancers.
I won some prizes for my crochet entries -- I won't know what prizes until after the Fair when I pick up the entries.
I helped my Chapter put on its First Ever Crochet Fashion Show featuring the shawls from the Fiddler production back in April.
I got to meet a crocheter from Bethel, Connecticut, who specializes in miniature crochet; she showed me pictures of crocheted doilies she made that are about the size of a US dime!!!

There was so much to see & do yesterday! SOooo much fun!

Miracles, Saints, and ... ????

2010-09-21T12:45:00.013-04:00

Ah, there I am, hard at work at my new desk; correctly spelling out my name and letting the ink dry.

I love to joke with my crochet students that the United States Postal Service likes to recognize me as a saint, as in "St. Anziano," (much as they did for Santa in the movie Miracle on 34th Street) but for me it isn't true. It is just a typo. I might have the patience of a saint, but I am not a saint-- yet. LOL

What am I doing in this picture on the left? It is a moment captured in my personal history, documenting that I am at the very first stage of fulfilling what you, my crochet fans & students have been asking for for ages -- and it is something that has been on my Bucket List for a very, very long time. Can you guess?

I cannot give any other details other than, well, that this is way cool! (Feel free to speculate.) What I can say, quite loudly and excitedly, is this: "Whoohoo!!!!!"

Brain Mush; aka. Wee-Hour Inspiration

2010-09-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

There comes a time, and usually -- sometimes unfortunately -- that time comes in the wee hours of the morning. It is the time when I should be asleep instead of being awoken with a moment of inspiration -- one so powerful -- I am driven to leave the comfort of my bed to head to the sofa, grab a fresh skein of yarn, and a crochet hook to quietly begin crocheting the project I see in my brain.

If I'm lucky, maybe 15 minutes of stitching is enough to quiet those creative juices from flowing; then I can quickly return to dream land. But sometimes some of these wee-hour inspirations demand much. more. time.

To get around that, I had decided that this time I would sketch my idea out, write a bunch of notes, including what stitches are to go where, increases, decreases, and so on. That seemed to work. Or so I thought. I found myself re-awake at 6:00 AM, excited to get the project started! What?! No coffee first?! Nope. There I was. Awake. Stitching. Stitching. Stitching. Now I'm on the final rows....

Hours later my children awoke from their peaceful slumber, looked at the project and asked, "What on Earth is that!!??" What can I say, it's one of those wee-hour inspirations; LOL. I don't think any further explanation should be required.

Now I'm on the last leg of the project, and I'm still not sure if it will work out exactly as my imagination has it pictured ("some assembly required" seems to have been omitted from my notes!). I'm already thinking of creating another; this time taking more notes and using another yarn & hook for results closer to what I had imagined.

Has this ever happen to you? At the moment my brain is mush thanks to sleep deprivation. I'm going to have to reread Mary Beth Temple's Hooked for Life: Adventures of a Crochet Zealot, to see what insight she has for this phenomenon. For now, I'm off to get that cup of coffee, and to finish those last few rows...

Owning a Piece of Grammie

2010-09-17T11:52:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday, as I was driving to our local "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" session, held at Borders in Danbury, Connecticut, I saw a pretty new vehicle -- in the color of burnt orange. Hmmmm. Didn't I just days prior see one in avacado green and think that was pretty too?? Now I'm thinking, whoa! Wait a minute! Burnt Orange?! Avocado Green?! Are those not the two main colors from the 1970s we've been avoiding like the plague ever since? ... have you noticed these two colors creeping boldly into today's yarn lines???

Aside from mixing these two colors together, many crocheters tend to shy away from the Granny Square. And the reason is because it seems everyone, especially the Press, associates crochet with being *JUST* granny squares. Of course, we crocheters know crochet is much, much more than that!!

With thoughts of crochet's yesteryear, I decided to bring in for Show-N-Tell something my cousin Kim recently gifted to me. It was a little "sample" of granny squares crocheted by my Grammie Gloria back in the 1970s! Kim's note read, "Gloria crocheted these squares back in the 1970s. The blanket was so HUGE when she gave it to me it was really NEVER used. Gloria said to "...give it to Goodwill." Now how could I do that after all the EFFORT? So I decided to share with you all -- so ... do with them as you like."

Kim had disassembled the huge afghan, divided it up, crocheted a boarder around each new section to create lap-ghans, then sent them to various family members. Now I'm the proud owner of actual crochet stitches lovingly made by my Grammie! (see picture to the right)

As I am not one who uses lap-ghans, I am thinking of one day disassembling it further to make two throw pillows for my bed. As they are shades of pink, I think they'll fit right in. Of course I'm not going to admit to it in public, but yes, I'm kindasorta still digging the colors from the 1980s (pinks & greens). -- If I wait long enough, maybe they'll come back into fashion like the burnt orange and avocado green from the 1970s. And granny squares never go out of style. After all, they're classics!

The Great Commute

2010-09-15T08:44:00.005-04:00

I moved! Whoot! Whoot! ... off the kitchen table! Funny how you invest in a really nice desk, have kids, and then find yourself looking for a new work location due to 4 precious words, "Mom! I have homework!!" For the past two years I have been working from the kitchen table.

Now, I know there is nothing wrong with working from the kitchen table, as many wonderful people do so! But I think it was more than time I attempt to recarve out a "professional space" to work from home at.

Naturally, when you live in a small home with three other people, it is much like living in New York City, or any other major metropolitan area -- real estate is at an all time premium. I hear what you're thinking, "But Dee, didn't you say your Dad is going to let you build a studio in his basement?" And the answer to that is yes. And he is working on it, trying to solve a water issue that appeared after some heavy rain storms this past spring. So, back to carving out a small workspace for me here ...

It turns out my local Target store was blowing out (i.e., had on clearance) some simple desks. Not too big, not too "heavy looking" ... I left the store without it. Then this past Sunday, after attending my local CGOA Chapter meeting, I stopped by Target again. And bought the desk.

Some may think it isn't such a big deal to move off a kitchen table to an actual work space, but for me, I'm looking forward to the commute. ;)

Crochet Classes @ The Village Sheep!

2010-09-14T12:33:00.006-04:00

I am delighted to announce I will be teaching local crochet classes at The Village Sheep located in Washington Depot, Connecticut, this fall! To reserve your seat, please contact Maggie at 860.868.9276.

Please contact me if you have any questions about any class(es) you are interested in.

~Dee

Crochet Cap: Crocheting-in-the-Round
Have you crocheted a circle that ended up looking like an ameba, or have it accidentally "cup?" In this class participants will work on crocheting a simple fall/winter hat while learning the rules of crocheting in the round. Participants should know the basics of crochet, such as foundation chains and single crochet stitches.
Skill Level: Easy/Intermediate
When: Thursday, September 30, 2010Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Cost: $25 plus supplies

Pattern will be provided to participants.

One-Piece Mittens
Learn to crochet perfect fitting mittens even the beginner crocheter can create! Perfect for gift-giving!
Skill Level: Easy
When: Saturday, October 9, 2010Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Cost: $25 plus supplies

Pattern formula will be provided to participants.

Beautiful Crochet Trims
Have you ever wondered how to add crochet trim to your knit work? Figuring out the hook size, and how many stitches will become a breeze after attending this class. Participants will need to bring with them at least 2 knitted (or crocheted) squares of at least 8" in size to practice on, as well as a variety of crochet hooks. Participants may bring with them any crochet trim pattern book they'd like to have help with.

Skill Level: Easy
When: Saturday, October 9, 2010Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cost: $25 plus supplies

Tumbling Cluster Scarf
What happens when crochet stitches are stacked and linked? It creates a very unique looking fabric with “soft & springy” stitches! In this class participants will learn the trick of linking clustered stitches to create a scarf both rich in texture and style!
Skill Level: Easy/Intermediate
When: Friday, October 22, 2010Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Cost: $25 plus supplies

Dee's popular "Tumbling Clusters Autumn Scarf" pattern will be provided to participants.

Crochet 101: The Absolute Beginner
Right handed? Left handed? More experienced as a knitter but need to know how to crochet in order to add those perfect touches to your projects? If you've answered yes, then this is the class for you! This class is designed with the absolute beginner in mind: learn how to properly start your work, the importance of the foundation chain, how to create the single crochet, how to count stitches, how to build on your work to create wonderful fabric, and how to properly end off. Everything you need to know to properly start your journey into the world of crochet!
Skill Level: Absolute Beginner
When: Tuesday, November 2, 2010Time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Cost: $25 plus supplies **student will need a how-to crochet book/booklet**

Crochet 101: The Absolute Beginner
Right handed? Left handed? More experienced as a knitter but need to know how to crochet in order to add those perfect touches to your projects? If you've answered yes, then this is the class for you! This class is designed with the absolute beginner in mind: learn how to properly start your work, the importance of the foundation chain, how to create the single crochet, how to count stitches, how to build on your work to create wonderful fabric, and how to properly end off. Everything you need to know to properly start your journey into the world of crochet!
Skill Level: Absolute Beginner
When: Sunday, November 7, 2010Time: 11:00 PM- 1:00 PM
Cost: $25 plus supplies **student will need a how-to crochet book/booklet**

Tunisian-on-the-Short
Tunisian crochet is traditionally created with a long crochet hook. But what if you could make your stitches vertically rather than horizontally? We're talking about linking stitches together to create beautiful stitches on the fly for a solid fabric or for adding an interesting design accent to any work/pattern! NOTE: This class was sold out at the 2009 & 2010 CGOA Summer Conferences.
Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced
When: Sunday, November 7, 2010Time: 2:00 PM- 4:00 PM
Cost: $30 plus supplies

HHCC Chapter Love

2010-09-12T18:03:00.004-04:00

We had a great Chapter meeting today. I want to thank Fluffy for volunteering to pull two names for the Creative Crochet Jewelry book give-away. Thank you to all who submitted their names for the drawing. The winners were Grace and Sandy. I'd also like to thank SoHo Publishing for making this give-away possible; it was a lot of fun to do!

Also at the meeting I gave away almost all of the 60 Scarves in 60 Days buttons I ordered to give to my Chapter members for participating in this Challenge. I can't believe the number of scarves already turned in! I think it is wonderful!

I took "Herbie the Amigurumi" to the meeting today too. I'm not sure who had more fun (LOL), the HHCC members sure had fun meeting him -- playing with his legs & hair!

Next month will be our Chapter's NINE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! I love being a Chapter member and do hope everyone has an opportunty to belong to one. To learn more about CGOA Chapters, and/or to start your own, visit www.crochet.org and let the fun begin!

Herbie the Amigurumi

2010-09-09T19:39:00.005-04:00

Back in January 2005 I hinted that one day I might share Herbie, one of my very first original crochet designs -- ever! -- with you. It is hard to believe that A. it has been five years since I posted that, and B. that you all have the patients of a saint! ;)

What finally made me brush the cobwebs off my brain and bring Herbie back? I think nostalgia.

My children recently switched schools; they are now attending the same middle school I had attended as a youngster. I had a favorite teacher back then. His name was Mr. Kollar. He drove a much-loved blue VW "bug," and was a huge Yankee fan (in the time when the Yankees did not win very often!). Mr. Kollar helped bring me out of my shell; I went from being VERY shy, to gaining confidence to speak my mind.

At the end of that school year I gave Mr. Kollar a "Herbie." I recall he was surprised with my gift, and even inquired as to what it was. I told him it was my design, made by my hands; he seemed impressed. I told him it was my way of thanking him for a great year.

Recently some of my then-classmates posted some school pictures from those days (no, I'm not going to tell you who they are, or where to go looking so you can all go see at how geeky-looking I was back then! lol) -- and they also mentioned he is still teaching!! Although now he is teaching at the high school.

So, I'm thinking, wouldn't it be cool if next year my Mini~Dee has him as a teacher and SHE ends up also giving him a "Herbie" at the end of the school year? ((would he remember???)) For that, I'd love to be a fly on the wall! :)

Now you can crochet your own Herbies. They work up quick, and you can use your scrap yarns. Mini~Dee has given my Herbie her stamp of approval, stating "...they are fun to make, and work up quick!" (She made the orange one while she tested my pattern.) There you have it: Herbie: he is hard to resist befriending! :)

At the moment this pattern is only available for sale through Ravelry.com

"Crochet Anonymous"

2010-09-05T12:18:00.010-04:00

When I visited my husband's work-place yesterday afternoon, some of his co-workers approached me stating, "Your work is so beautiful! Your husband brought some in to show us!"

He did?? Wow, how cool!

When I inquired with him, he confessed it is true! He has been smuggling my crochet projects out of the house to show off to his co-workers who were interested in seeing it!

If that's not enough proof to show how much of a crochet-supporter he is, consider this: When I volunteered him to assist the CrochetKween with a secret project at the CGOA Conference this past summer, he was game! ... The man can seemingly do it all: live with my yarn stash, speak enough crochet language to take crochet-dictation, can tell the difference between crochet and knit, proudly shows off my crochet projects, and now, will offer his acting skills for crochet videos. Even though he has of yet to pick up the hook and officially learn how to crochet, you gotta love him! :)

Bravo to all those who helped make this video, "Crochet Anonymous"; job well done!!! :)

And just what do Crochetaholics have to pledge at those meetings? It seems the 13-step program was anonymously emailed to me back in 2004: http://crochetwithdee.blogspot.com/2004/12/crochetaholics-anonymous.html

With an enabler like Mr. Dee, I don't see myself going to a Crochetaholics Anonymous meeting anytime soon! LOL

7th Annual "60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge!"

2010-09-01T09:02:00.004-04:00

Today is the official kickoff of the "60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge!" -- and it is the 7th Year I am challenging crocheters, knitters, and weavers to hand-create a scarf (or more!) to donate to a local charity!

I no longer hold the Challenge here on my blog as it has grown so much through the years! <-- I love that SOooo many people have taken up this Challenge, and many come back year after year!! If you are interested in joining us, please visit us here on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/60-scarves-in-60-days-challenge

... and if you're interested in getting your own "60 Scarves in 60 Days" gear, please visit www.CafePress.com/60Scarves (coffee not included.)

Last Chorus of the Ling-Along

2010-08-31T11:30:00.008-04:00

Today marks the end of the "Ling-Along," the crochet-along featuring Doris Chan's "Ling Collar" featured in her book, Crochet Lace Innovations: 20 Dazzling Designs in Broomstick, Hairpin, Tunisian, and Exploded Lace, that took place on Ravelry.

What makes this Ling Collar different from the other half-dozen I've already whipped up is:

it will be a gift for someone very special to me.
I made modifications to the pattern.

For the modifications, the first thing I did was wind several yards of yarn from the skein before making my slip knot and starting. I did this because I knew I wanted to add a trim to the top -- while meeting my desire to prevent having to bury in 2 extra ends of yarn later on.

The second thing I did was change the single crochets required for the beginning of the pattern into double crochets. Once I joined my work to create the circle I went back to the yarn I had pre-wound and added this trim of dc sts wrapped around the posts of sc sts:

Then I went back to crocheting the Ling as instructed.

When it came time for me to add the Lady Bug buttons, I removed my hook from the live loop, inserted the loop through the button hole, and then placed the loop back onto my hook. This meant I did not need to pre-string the buttons, nor did I need to later sew them on (and thus need to weave in the ends from sewing!)

The "Lady Bug" beads were added on the bottom trim the same way as I added on the buttons. One tip for adding small-holed beads to live crochet loops is to use a beading wire needle. Snip off the eye, and fold the needle in half. Then place your live loop into the fold of the needle, and while holding both ends (legs) of the needle, thread it through your bead(s). I'm sure you'll find this little trick very useful! ;)

I think it is also important for me to add that I used Berroco Comfort yarn and a size "K" (Graydog) crochet hook as I wanted to bump up the size to fit a larger woman.

The next step is for me to call my Grammie Gloria to make a special lunch date & surprise her with this Lady Bug Ling. :)

Book Review: Creative Crochet Jewelry

2010-08-30T15:36:00.005-04:00

Title: Creative Crochet Jewelry
Author: Esther Zadock
Year Published: 2010

Dee's Rating: 9 hooks out of 10

I have been interested in beads and wire for nearly as long as I have been interested in crochet. When I was asked to do this book review -- and GiveAway! (more on that later) -- I was intrigued! An opportunity to blend my passions together: beading AND crochet!

As I leafed through the book, each project tempted my creative juices, from bracelets & necklaces to rings! Why, I already have plans of turning some of the pretty rocks my children recently brought home from Hammonasset Beach into rings!

Each project offers step-by-step instructions, including instructions on how to finish -- perfect for taking a project from looking home-made to hand-made!

The book includes over 30 instructions ranging in difficulty from beginner to experienced. If you are a beginner crocheter, and will need to rely upon the how-to photos offered in the beginning of the book, you will find them difficult to understand as the photos are very small, and some feature a silver project pictured with a silver hook; thus the reason for my giving this book a "9 hook" rating. This aside, if you like playing with beads and wire, and want to add it to your crochet to make some stunning jewelry pieces, then this book is a MUST HAVE for your personal library.

* * *

Now, for the GiveAway I hinted at: Many thanks to the publisher, SOHO, who sent me 2 extra copies to give away to 2 of my lucky readers! If you would like a chance at winning one of the two copies, please leave a comment on my blog -- at this entry! -- please include your email address (you can put in the words AT and DOT so the spider robots don't grab it. Example: crochetwithdeeATaolDOTcom) so I can contact you should you win (If I have no way of contacting you, another name will be picked). All comments must be made on my blog by September 11, 2010, midnight, ET, where I will request a member of my CGOA Chapter to draw two names at our next meeting. GiveAway is open to those in the US.

Extreme Crochet: Have You?

2010-08-27T19:07:00.002-04:00

Two weeks ago, when the topic of Extreme Crochet was posted on the Crochet Liberation Front's Ravelry Group, I had to stop and think about it. Had I?

Although I enjoy motorcycle rides, sailing, whipping down the bob sled track at Lake Placid, and snow skiing, I never crocheted WHILE doing those activities. In fact, I think the most extreme crocheting I've ever done was while riding as a passenger in a car this past summer. Why would I consider that extreme crocheting? Because I get motion sickness in a car VERY easy. I even tried it on a train, but yeah, that motion sickness thing set in pretty quick.

So this week my sweet husband nominated me as an extreme crocheter for crocheting on the beach. I worked on two lacy chemo caps. The lifeguards nearby inquired about my crochet, and why I would crochet chemo caps: I replied, "... because there are people fighting for their lives; and they don't get a day off from being sick." They thought it was a pretty cool reason to crochet on the beach.

So, these two chemo caps will be popped into the mail, on their way to someone very special. Hopefully they'll bring some "fun & sun" smiles upon their arrival. And now, along with being well known as "The Crochet Cheerleader," I can now add "Extreme Crocheter" to my growing list of titles.

Extreme Crochet. Have YOU??

59th annual Bridgewater Fair

2010-08-20T15:35:00.005-04:00

I was tickled to learn two fellow HHCC members would be joining me and my daughter in entering crocheted projects the Bridgewater Fair. I have been entering this fair since 2002 upon the urging of my sweet husband, well known as "Mr. Dee," as he is my biggest cheerleader.

I entered four items: a "Ling" collar, a purse, a scarf, and a vest. The Ling collar I opted to enter was my green one, made of the sock yarn that was hand-dyed by a fellow HHCC'er; it received soooooo many compliments at the recent CGOA Conference, it was what I consider a "no brainer."

The purse and vest were both crocheted using my "Pushmi~Pullyu" method. The difference between the two aside from color and size, is the purse was crocheted in the round, and the vest in two flat pieces. The scarf was crocheted with the amazing needle, which means it featured 100% true-knit stitches. Because of this, I pinned the scarf with my "Crochet" pin, and included the specialized crochet hook -- just in case there was any doubt it was in fact crocheted!

I won a Blue Ribbon for the purse and for the Ling collar. I won a Red Ribbon for the vest. And I won a Yellow Ribbon for the scarf.

Mini~Dee entered two items: a "Fiddler Shawl" from her school play, and a bracelet she crocheted using Jelly Yarn. She won a Blue Ribbon in the Junior Division for both items.

Now we're looking to next year's fair, and wondering ... what will we enter?? For that, we have a whole year to plan for. :)

How did my fellow HHCC'ers fair at the Fair? Visit http://thehhcc.blogspot.com/2010/08/hhccers-win-ribbons-at-bridgewater-fair.html to find out!

CGOA 2010 ChainLink Conference: Tuesday

2010-07-21T12:20:00.003-04:00

Today was our Family Day. We got up early and decided to go to Settler's Green Outlet Center. Had we consulted a real map before heading out we may have been inclined to change our minds and head to Kittery, ME as that would have been closer. Did it really matter? No. We enjoyed the ride; we enjoyed the scenery. We barely noticed the heatwave. And, gasp, had we been here once before? It looked sooo familiar!

Indeed, in retrospect, we had. Back when the conference was first held in Manchester (in 2004 I think) we had decided to trek out and visit the Patterworks store (Patternworks used to be in Poughkeepsie, NY, before being sold and moved to NH). We didn't stop for any yarn shopping; there would be plenty of opportunity once the Vendor's Market opened...

We had a fantastic time shopping and returned to the hotel late in the evening. Dee Jr. claiming he wasn't tired and wanting to utilize his new laptop decided he'd join me in the lobby for some cro-celebrity sightings while I snuck in some stitches. I signed into my Twitter account and let him tweet every time he recognized someone from the crochet world:

12:12 AM Jul 7th via web @WoolMountain spotted!!
12:12 AM Jul 7th via web .Dee Jr. tweeting... Melanie Mays spotted!!
11:51 PM Jul 6th via web .Dee Jr. tweeting... Doris Chan (designer) spotted!!
11:47 PM Jul 6th via web .@CrwKnitWear spotted!! (Karen)
11:12 PM Jul 6th via web .@RebecaVelasquez spotted!!
11:11 PM Jul 6th via web .Dee Jr. tweeting... NAncy Smith spotted
11:06 PM Jul 6th via web .Dee Jr. tweeting... Lily Chin (designer) spotted
11:03 PM Jul 6th via web .Dee Jr. tweeting... Amy Shelton (founder of Crochetville) spotted!!
11:01 PM Jul 6th via web .Dee Jr. tweeting... Tammy Hildebrand spotted!!
10:57 PM Jul 6th via web .Dee Jr. tweeting... Marty Miller (president of the CGOA) spotted!!

Dee Jr.'s last Tweet of the evening read:

12:56 AM Jul 7th via web was fun chillin' in the lobby, meeting new peeps & (mom) getting some stitch work done. 8:30 arrives early; calling it a nite.

I think he did an excellent job!

Tomorrow would be an "all day-er" ... I was greatly looking forward to attending Professional Development Day, having lunch with the Professionals, and later taking an evening class.

CGOA 2010 ChainLink Conference: Monday

2010-07-20T18:05:00.007-04:00

Yes, I know, you've all been waiting for the juicy details from the 16th Annual ChainLink CGOA Conference (also known as The Knit and Crochet Show) ...

First my explanation for the delay: last week, in the middle of unpacking & trying to get caught up, my vehicle lost all power ... steering, breaking, you name it ... and I had a tailgater. When I get an inconsiderate driver behind me like that I slow down as a safety precaution, eventually finding a safe place to pull over and let the ~~idiot~~ ~~jerk~~ pain-in-the-yarn pass me. On this particular day, I believe this practice of slowing down saved my daughter and I! ... when my power steering went out it took every fiber of my being to maneuver my van safely off the road -- and in doing so I put tremendous stress on my spine (I have 2 ruptured discs) causing instant pain that required being iced -- A LOT! Sitting at my computer was very uncomfortable. I'm now down to one icing a day, so I am improving.

Service Announcement: Remember folks, that vehicle in front of you can run into trouble at any moment! It is always best to leave a safe distance, just in case!

Then the throat of fire began; I don't recall it ever being this sore, during the summer, since the summer before 9th grade ... sigh.

Did I mention I'm starting to feel better? :)

So, ChainLink 2010. Where do I start??? At the beginning, naturally.

Of all the CGOA ChainLink's I've attended (Chicago, NH, PA, NH, NH, NY, NH), I would say this was the most RELAXED I felt -- PRE-conference. I owe a lot of this first to my great husband, Mr. Dee, who took care of all the auto details (tire pressure, fixing 2 flat tires -- on the same day!, cleaning my van, and removing the rear seating to accomodate all my class supplies and our luggage). And second, to my children, Mini~Dee and Dee Jr. as they worked so diligently in assembling the class supplies & handouts for me. True, they've done this for me in the past, but this year it seemed to run so much smoother. Maybe with the kids being older and more responsible had a lot to do with that, or maybe it is because I bribed them? Also, add to this that having my items for the Fashion Show completed BEFORE actually leaving the house for the conference could have been a big factor too! (lol)

Since we were leaving mid-afternoon we were concerned our commute from Connecticut to New Hampshire would involve hitting 4th of July "going home after the long weekend" traffic. Sweetly, we didn't. It was smooth ~~sailing~~ driving the entire trip!

At the hotel it was like deja vue, only about a foot taller (the kids had grown!), and we were tree-less* -- yep! we were in the same room we were in during the 2007 CGOA Conference ... and we were already star-struck with Mr. Dee having spotted Rita Weiss & Jean Leinhauser! As this was only Monday night, we wondered: Who would we see next?????

We unpacked, and since it was late, we decided to call it a night. Tuesday would be our Family Day.

-----------------------------------------------
*tree-less: in 2007 we were asked to haul a tree to the Conference for a Free Form display. Story is here. In 2009 I brought some tree branches to the Conference to give to Brian of Brainsbarn for some future hooks; you can see one he has made for me thus far here.

Question from Reader: Short On Yarn?

2010-07-02T15:14:00.006-04:00

Last week I received an email from Susan:

Dear Dee,
I found a crochet pattern I love and bought yarn for it, only to discover I didn't have enough yarn! I bought the exact yardage the pattern called for. Do you know why I ran out? Baffled, Susan

Yes, Susan, I do!

I've discussed this "yarn shortage" issue on my blog here a couple of times, and I think it is always a good topic to keep coming back to as there is nothing worse, imho, than being short on yarn!

There are a few reasons why we would be short on yarn:

our gauge is off. Not all crocheters crochet alike. Some make tight stitches, some make tall. Some even "rob" yarn from stitches by yanking on the (feed) yarn as each stitch is made. After teaching crochet for a number of years and watching others crochet, I came to label these styles as "Riders," "Lifters," and "Yankers." In 2009 Doris Chan wrote an excellent article, called "Gauge Crashers" for Interweave Crochet magazine, and followed it up with this blog entry. We also discuss these crochet styles often over at the Ravelry.com website. Knowing what type of crocheter you are AND matching the designer's gauge is important, so if your gauge is off, you could be burning through more yarn than you should.

not all yarn is created equal. This has to do with the actual dye that brings color to our yarn. The more dye used, say for a red, blue or black yarn, the less yardage you will get per skein/hank when compared to a white, cream or yellow yarn because the dye adds weight to it. When the yarn is weighed, the dye used takes up the weight of yardage; the more dye, the less yarn we get per skein/hank. And certainly, this can differ from skein to skein, even within the same dye lot. (in the picture is a project I am working on (ignore the color variance as that is sunshine poking through the tree leaves when I snapped the picture) -- using the same yarn from a factory sealed bag, one piece is short 3.5 rows worth of stitches! This is why I'm happy I have more yarn!)
knots, knots, knots, otherwise known as "unwanted gifts from the yarn manufacturer." Since we need to cut the knots out of our skeins/hanks rather than work them into our projects, we could find ourselves short on yarn with each rejoining we need to do. (OK, why do we want to cut the knots out? Because knots eventually come undone and will cause a big hole in our work. And prior to the knots coming undone, they'll keep popping up in our work like big ugly pimples. And who wants ugly pimples in their crochet work? Eww!)
Are the knots in our yarn legal? Yes. Yarn isn't the same as say Ben & Jerry's ice cream where when they mess up they sell the goofs as "Seconds." Are the knots a pain in the neck? Yes. Fortunately, if you find a skein/hank with WAY too many knots (hey, it happens!) most yarn manufactures will be happy to replace it. Unfortunately, not always are they able to match the dye lot.

What this means, Susan, is that when you shop for yarn for a given project ALWAYS buy one or two skeins/hanks more than what the pattern is called for. This will ensure the dye lot matches AND that you will have enough to finish your project.

Thanks for writing in! :)

Coffee, Stat!

2010-06-26T11:41:00.005-04:00

Today's blog entry is more of a mental check-list for me ... I need a caffeine IV drip to function today after last night's wee-in-the-hours-can't-sleep-until-you-acknowledge-this-inspirational-idea hit me. Has that ever happened to you? You get an idea late in the evening, or even while you are sleeping, and you try to make a mental note of it, or even write it down to return to later, only it eats at you, much like this seemingly endless sentence, until finally you grab your favorite crochet hook and ball of yummy yarn and finally set the inspiration free, into physical motion, weaving its magic with each yarn over, until it begins to take shape to the point where you can say, "ahhhhh!"

Yeah. That's exactly what happened to me last night and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it. And in looking at the amount of stitch work I got done -- I am happy I listened to my muse. Since I am spending my time getting my materials ready for the conference, I can tell it will be another late night working on this project. Maybe now is the time, just until I get everything done, I give up my one-cup-of-coffee-a-day rule and drink it like a flowing river ... I'm just saying...

OK, the mental check-list... the following people are to be added to the "Waiting to be Confirmed" list as Famous Crocheters (technically the people below will be easy to confirm; I need to set aside time to actually write up their confirmations and then add them to the growing list of Confirmed...):

Louisa Calder, wife of the sculptor Alexander Calder. (Thank you Leslie)
Daina Taimina, Cornell University mathematician . (Thank you Barbara)
Ruby Dee, actress. (Thanks again Barbara; and Colleen)

and, Jennifer Crusie, who is already confirmed needs the spelling of her name corrected.

OK, that's it for now. My coffee cup is empty and there is more work to do...

Counting Down...

2010-06-25T16:19:00.004-04:00

What do you think this picture means?

If you've guessed we have a monkey on the loose, you are partially right. Technically it would be Dee Jr.'s stuffed money, and yes, I know, it has no relation to crochet. What does, however, is the box of supplies that just arrived ... the AMAZING NEEDLES!!

Amazing Needles are speciality crochet hooks, and they are for one of my sold out classes I'll be teaching at the CGOA's 16th Annual Chain Link Conference next month!! Are you going?

If you missed the opportunity to take my Crochet Your Knit class at the Conference and want to learn how to knit with a crochet hook on your own, then this hook is the tool you will need to learn how to make true knit stitches with the ease of a single crochet hook. Once you learn the technique you can join the debate of what is knit, what is crochet -- is it how it is made, or the end result? ;)

You can order this speciality crochet hook from Andrea, a really nice lady, over at AmazingYarn.com -- and don't forget, if you are a CGOA member, let her know to get a discount!!

OK, I'm headed back to work -- lots to do! ...

Ling Dynasty Grows

2010-06-24T13:03:00.003-04:00

It is true. I finished my fifth Doris Chan Ling Collar yesterday -- and that includes steam blocking with a new iron/steamer surprise gifted to me by my good friend, Grace. :)

I actually made this Collar, using Kraemer' Sterling Silk & Silver fingering weight yarn (63% merino, 20% silk, 15% Nylon and 2% Metallic). The coloring in the picture is a little washed out; in reality is more like a dark charcoal with silver hightlights. I had purchased this yarn from a vendor at last year's Chain Link Conference, when it was held in Buffalo, NY -- and it was Mini~Dee who heard the yarn exclaim from deep within my yarn stash that it was ready to "grow up" and become a Ling Collar (more proof that yarn WILL tell you want it wants to be!).
And, using one of my Graydog "H" crochet hooks, it worked up beautifully!

The dangling charms was another of Mini~Dee's decisions. She selected the beads to match the dress coloring and I did all of the wiring twisting. I like that this project was a collaboration!

If you decide to add charms to your own Ling Collar, or any other of your crochet works, I highly recommend steering clear of split jump-rings. Eventually the split jump-rings will open, ever so slightly, and then fall off your work.

How about you? How many Ling Collars do you have in your dynasty thus far?

Summer is Ready When You Are

2010-06-21T10:33:00.003-04:00

As today is the first official day of summer, how (and pardon the pun) cool is it I officially get to announce lead guitarist for The Breeders, Kelley Deal, as a Famous Crocheter! Having been taught how to crochet by her mom, and has a twin sister -- I'm waiting to see if Kelley will enlighten us if she (or other band members) also crochet. Kelley also knits, and in 2008 published the book, "Bags That Rock."

I am delighted Nanda of Ravelry brought her to my attention. Funny thing is, I happen to have been listening to this band for years! I just never put 2 & 2 together. Thank you Nanda!

I think the lyrics to the above song, Saints, is appropriate. I've been busy gearing up for the Conference, and thinking of the summer (& fall) fairs I'll be entering my crochet work in. What about you? What projects do you have planned for the summer?

Guest Blogger: Mini~Dee

2010-06-15T18:27:00.002-04:00

Dear Mom,

Thanks for acknowledging my hard work -- you HAVE no IDEA how much ~~yarn~~ work there is here! ... and I want an explaination how so many got tangled!! Gosh! I found $5.00; I'm keeping it.

I'll sort your pattern books, but you WILL help me!!

And then we'll pick out the yarn, the pattern, AND THE BEADS for you to crochet me a bikini. OK? Good!

OK, I'm headed back in. Wish me luck.

Love,
Mini~Dee

She's Growing Up

2010-06-15T18:09:00.004-04:00

How old were you when you wore your first bikini? Was it crocheted? And when you did wear it in public, did your parent(s) freak, or were they OK with it?

My Mini~Dee has decided to take on my yarn stash -- head on. She's a very brave girl. She went in without a safety-line! ... she has been sorting and organizing ... and apparently day dreaming too ...

Seems she came across the beaded bikini top I crocheted up as a store sample back in 2005 and decided she'd claim it for herself. Only it doesn't fit. She's pretty bummed about that. So she asked if I'd crochet a new one for her. You know, as "combat" payment for organizing my mountain of yarn.

I might, as she's been working her tail off. But I think I'd omit the 700 beads per cup; that was a lot of work! And I might include a matching bottom. The biggest problem is agreeing on the right pattern -- maybe she'll be interested in sorting through my book stash too ... ?

Fruity-lishious

2010-06-14T16:01:00.004-04:00

I am a total wimp when it comes to eating apples. I'm not as bad with apples as I am with tomatoes, but I am bad enough that I will forgo eating apples unless someone has confirmed for me that the apple I am interested in is both sweet AND crunchy. No, this apple wimp does not eat soggy apples. ((shudders at the thought!))

Fortunately for me, I have surrounded myself with apple lovers who don't care if an apple is crunchy or if it's soggy; but they will confirm for me when there is an apple to my liking. "An apple is an apple," so they say as they bite into the fruit.

So if an apple is an apple, how do they explain this? I'm enjoying this granny smith apple (see image on right) right now -- without their consultation of if it is either crunchy or soggy. In fact, I'm finding this fruity-lishious apple downright sa-weet!!

... and soon to be in season, year round. I say, let the apple picking season begin!

More info on this new yarn line to come! ((A big thanks to ______ for providing this "apple" for me to ~~taste~~ try.))

Supporting Our Designers

2010-06-13T11:25:00.002-04:00

If you are a member of the Doris Chan's Ravelry group, Everyday Crochet, then there is a good chance you've already read the discussion of my 3 recently completed projects: The Ling Collar, from Doris' new book, "Crochet Lace Innovations: 20 Dazzling Designs in Broomstick, Hairpin, Tunisian, and Exploded Lace". Since there are three of them, perhaps with more to come, I am calling my Ling Collar Collection The Ling Dynasty.

I have found huge two problems with this project:

The pattern is addictive. Yes, VERY addictive!

While I type this blog entry I am fighting the urge to start another due to time constraints. I am, however, seriously thinking of putting the yarn & hook together to be ready for the next time I'll be dashing out the door to some activity/event that will give me time to crochet...
As I am wearing the collars around to various events/functions & also discussing them online, I find I am being asked repeatedly "for a copy" of this pattern!

This is a serious problem. Not just for Doris' work, but for all crochet publications. Although I've discussed the importance of honoring copyrights to those who ask for copies, several people have replied, "...so who would know, Dee, if you slipped me a copy?" and "Come on, Dee, I can't afford the book right now, would you mind making a copy from your book?"

It is important that we need to support our designers; where would we be without them? Did you know that ownership of a work/book does not imply ownership of copyright? This means just because I own the book, I do not have the right to distribute the contents.

What I suggest you do:

If you cannot afford the book then ask your local library to get it for you! If you keep asking your library for crochet books, then there is a good chance they'll start stocking them. At the very least, they can borrow them from other libraries.

As a side note, if you CAN afford the books, if you're finished with it and think you'll no longer be needing it, consider DONATING it to your local library -- or purchase two and donate one -- so others can benefit from it. ((I recently donated a duplicate copy of Margaret Hubert's new book, "The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet: *All You Need to Know to Crochet *The Essential Reference for Novice and Expert Crocheters *Comprehensive Guide to ... Charts, and Photos for 200 Stitch Patterns" to my local library and it's already in heavy circulation!))
If your local library cannot get the book you are intersted in, AND if you are a member of the CGOA, consider checking to see if it is available in the Linda Sauter Library.

I think it is important we show our support of our crochet designers by honoring copyright laws, by buying the material, or by borrowing it though legal means. If we stop copyright infringment, this will incourage our favorite designers to continue creating new designs for us to become addicted to. :)

Alyssa Milano to Join List of Famous Crocheters!

2010-06-11T18:32:00.005-04:00

I love when you, my readers, help me with my crochet quests! Such is the case when Sandie, of www.craftycorral.blogspot.com suggested I directly Tweet to Alyssa and just ask her, "Do you crochet?"

Then Sandie found a crochet reference in Alyssa's book, "Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic," which states on page 176:

"My fiance doesn't crochet (shocking, right?). Actually my brother and my fiance like to team up and call my beautiful granny squares "pot holders." I've been making the same granny-square blanket since the late eighties. Someday I will finish that pot-holder blanket"

So I Tweeted directly to Alyssa, and mere moments later, look what she said:

OMG, OMG, OMG! Did you hear me screaming with glee??? (lol)

So I took it a step further and asked if she can send me a picture of her crocheting ... if she does someone will have to climb up to the moon and pull me down. Seriously!

In the meantime, Alyssa Milano has been officially confirmed to be added to the Famous Crocheters List.

Awesome! :)

& Thank You Sandie!!!!

Confirming Famous Crocheters

2010-06-07T10:53:00.007-04:00

On Saturday, at the Stitch & Pitch Mets Guinness World Record Attempt I blogged about yesterday, I got to witness first-hand Debra Norville, a broadcaster, crocheting. I was estatic because this is the first time I got to witness someone actually crocheting -- in person -- who qualifies for my Famous Crocheters list! Not only is Debra a crocheter (and knitter), but she also now has her own yarn line, like (already confirmed Famous Crocheter) Vanna White! In fact, Debra mentions a special discount for her yarn on her website.

Not always is it this easy for me to confirm if someone qualifies to go on my Famous Crocheter list. Take Alyssa Milano, an actress, as an example. DonnaLynn emailed me 2 years ago stating she saw Alyssa in the movie "Wisegal" which premiered on Lifetime Network -- Alyssa reportedly was crocheting in the first scene. Not having cable/satellite tv, I had to wait until I could get my hands on the official dvd to see for myself. This was not easy as dvd's do not have that awesome "rewind" option as vhs tapes do! I must have watched that scene at least 20 times to decide if Alyssa was crocheting or not. My conclusion: indecisive!

The next step was to google/bing Alyssa and see what I could find. I found Alyssa's name associated with crochet trimmed baseball wear, but no confirmation that she actually crochets, unless this quote, "In my free time, I learned how to crochet (insert old lady joke here) and have been glued to the news for the primary coverage. " from the Alyssa Milano's baseball blog counts -- did she write that or one of her fans? It's hard to tell as the blog has 23 authors. This means that Alyssa will remain as "waiting to be confirmed."

Of course, noting that Alyssa is apparently a big baseball fan, maybe the powers-in-charge could see she gets an invite to the 5th Annual Mets Stitch n' Pitch event next year; then I/we all could see her crochet in person, confirming her to be added to the ever-growing Famous Crocheters list... I'm just saying ...

Going for the Guinness World Record

2010-06-06T14:09:00.007-04:00

I have long awaited for the day my Mr. Dee would know more than just the lingo of crochet; I was waiting for the day he would actually try crocheting -- even for 15 minutes ....

Yesterday was to have been that day.

We arrived early at Citi Field, the new home of the Mets baseball team, where the 4th Annual Stitch n'Pitch was to take place. We were there as volunteers to help the attempt at making Guinness World Record for Most People Crocheting in One Place to go off without a hitch.

At first Mini~Dee and I were assigned to one of the two tables to get people to sign-in, while also handing out the special crochet hooks, yarn, and totes to the participants. We made a great team, breezing people through as quickly as possible to meet the tight timeline.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dee and Dee Jr. were assigned to be Ushers, helping the participants go to the designated area & get settled in. At one point a couple was confused as to where to go, so Dee Jr. said, "Crocheting is up this staircase." The man turned to the woman he was with and said, "See, this man is helpful. I like him!" ... (okay, so calling an eleven-year-old a man is a bit much, but Dee Jr. did like being called helpful.)

After everyone was seated Mr. Dee and I were asked to be Official Witnesses. This meant no crocheting for us; we were there to help count everyone crocheting! With Dee Jr. looking on, acting as a "runner," my Mini~Dee got to participate (pictured above) as one of the reported 426 people, along with Debra Norville from the television show, Inside Edition, who helped set the World Record!!! That's right, we did it!! Whoot! Whoot! (and yes, Debra will be going onto my list of Famous Crocheters.)

And it also seems our good fortune rubbed off on the Mets, with them winning 6-1 over the Marlins. :)

Check out these other bloggers, and HHCC'ers who also participated:

News links:

watch Weekend Inside Edition tonight; check your local listings.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/06/06/2010-06-06_record_stitched_at_citi_field.html

For those who were inquiring @ Citi Field:

1. the yarn my Mini~Dee was using was Jelly Yarn. You can find it here: www.jellyyarn.com
2. my wooden crochet hook was made by Grafton Fibers. You can find it here: http://www.dyakcraft.com
3. the pattern I was working up is featured in Doris Chan's 3rd book called, "Crochet Lace Innovations." ((I've found the Ling Collar works up great in several different types of yarn!)

Chan-neling Creativity in Public

2010-05-24T08:36:00.004-04:00

I love to crochet in public, don't you?

Having crocheted for awhile (if you're new to my blog, awhile translates to seemingly forever), I am fortunate that as I crochet I can do so without needing to constantly watch what I'm doing. This makes it fun for me to watch others watching me crochet while I'm at various public events -- and opens the possibilities for discussion on crochet, other fiber arts, and so on. There is something about playing with yarn in public that helps people feel comfortable to approach you to talk about what you're working on, to comment that they or a family member did/does it, etc.

Yesterday I crocheted while in the stands at my children's All Star Track Meet with six other schools also running for the trophy. This would prove to be a 6+ hour event; plenty of time for me to cheer and to work on a new (small) crochet project. I decided to take out my "Crochet Lace Innovations" book by Doris Chan and start the The Ling Collar I mentioned in my last entry.

As I cheered and stitched the afternoon away, some of the girls from the kids school sat with me. They asked if they could look at Doris' book; I said they could. I showed them the The Bozena Dress Mini~Dee and I are thinking of making for her Confirmation next year and asked them their thoughts:

"Wow! I really like that!"

"You can do that? I never thought someone could just make something instead of going to a store and buying it!"

"Shouldn't it be in white? I don't think blue would be the right color."

I asked they ever thought of designing something for themselves. "Impossible!" they said.

Impossible? I think not! To prove my point, I asked them to close their eyes and tell me what their dress would look like; soon they were shouting out their ideas. It was amazing to "see" what they were envisioning! When they were done describing what they wanted I said, "Now see, you just designed! Now the next step is to learn the skills (as I held out my project) to make it reality!"

The girls were then called away to prepare to run their heats so that ended our discussion. As I cheered them on, and got in more stitches, I wondered why they initially had a difficult time envisioning designing something for themselves. I wonder if we, as a society, are programing our children to automatically think that everything must come from retailers. And, I wonder, just how much creativity is the world losing each time we thrust a cellphone, computer, electronic game, or ipod into a child's hand...

Seven schools competing for the trophy; one lone crocheter sitting in the stands; three minds opened to Chan-neling their inner creative selves. Yes, I do love to crochet in public! :)

Book Review: Crochet Lace Innovations

2010-05-21T11:16:00.002-04:00

Being a member of the Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club, a Connecticut Chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, has it's perks. Along with getting to hang out with fun crocheters, we get to do cool stuff too. One of the things the Club does is it has various designers, instructors, speakers, and teachers come for meetings from time to time -- what a treat that is! In December 2009 the Club invited it's honorary member, Doris Chan, to talk to us about her newest book, "Crochet Lace Innovations." Better yet, she gave us a sneak peek!

Upon falling in love with the book in it's proof state, Doris asked me if I'd be interested in giving it an official review on my blog. I ~~gushed~~ said yes, and not so long ago Mr. UPS was knocking on my door delivering the book hot off the press!

So why the delay in doing the review? Dang, Doris! You make this so tough! My Mini~Dee has a number of social events lining up for next year and in flipping through this book we can picture crocheting up nearly every pattern! As a self-imposed "crochet technique freak," (*because I believe the more you know, the more you grow) I love that Doris has expanded her exploded lace to include tutorials with smokin' hot patterns for the broomstick, hairpin, and tunisian crochet techniques!

Mini~Dee and I have been pouring over this book for days, flipping to this page and that, pointing here and there, and I think we've just about narrowed it down:

1. For her Confirmation: The Bozena Dress. In white. Maybe add crystal beads only to the bodice and to the bottom edging.

2. For the May Crowning: The Ling Collar, to be worn over (crossing fingers I'll win the ebay auction for it this time!) the dress Bella wore in the New Moon movie ...

3. For me: The Zhaan Wrap, of course Mini~Dee could borrow it for the 8th Grade Dinner Dance if the color were right for the dress she'd be wearing....

4. For the social dances: The Zoolin Belt, because Mini~Dee loves wearing belts and it looks like it would be fun for her to wear ...

Of course, the hard part, other than putting the book down, is deciding on which project to start first. Maybe it will be The Zoolin Belt because it would be a great project for us to do together (Mini~Dee could learn the broomstick lace technique, expanding her crochet knowledge! ... that and she has a dance to go to next month.)

As the book states, it has 20 Dazzling Designs; and I'm already hooked on 4 with more lusts to come! I rate this book a "must have" for those who love Doris' exploded lace look and are wanting for more -- in the exploded lace and other crochet techniques -- from this great designer! :)

Question from Reader: Flaxing over Wool?

2010-05-20T10:56:00.004-04:00

In continuing our discussion from The Interlacing Technique ~ A Link to Crochet History?, Bobbins asks:

"I did wonder that linen was the chosen fiber, maybe cheaper, more plentiful, or common than wool?"

What a great question, Bobbins!

History tells us that some of the earliest uses of flax cultivation dates back to the Iron Age (12th century, bc). Flax was very valuable: it was used as a food source, to create linen, even collected as tax payments! Linen, made from the flax plant Linum usitatissimum, (the Egyptians called the pretty flax plant "woven moonlight") would prove repeatedly that it has superior qualities to that of cotton and other natural fibers. Every country, from Russia to Ireland, grew flax for creating paper and for creating clothing!

Some of the perks of Linen:
1. it can absorb and lose water rapidly; perfect for wicking perspiration from the skin, which is perfect for summer weather, and/or while wearing heavy armor during battle!
2. it is resistant to moths and carpet beetles (wasn't there a saying about not letting the bed bugs bite?)
3. it is easy to launder with minimal shrinkage. (can't say the same thing about wool, now can we?)
4. as it is laundered it becomes softer. Wool on the other hand, (remember, this is pre-modern times) can't make the same claim.

This, Bobbins, I think, could be some of the reasons they decided to use linen rather than wool. Thanks for the question! :)

The Interlacing Technique ~ A Link to Crochet History?

2010-05-14T11:24:00.007-04:00

I love when I hear from my readers! Today I received a message from Bobbins who wrote:

"Dee, I don't know if you have seen this webpage regarding some possible history of crochet. http://www.senzeme.lv/Pakulu_krekls.htm It was listed on the yahoo spindler's list and reputed to be in latvian. The stitches sure look to be crochet... Love your blog, and look forward to seeing you on Getting loopy chat."

At first my Google translator did not want to cooperate, but once I selected the option for Google to figure out the language to translate into English for me, I was all set.

The article is about recreating the "shirt" worn under the metal armor in the 11th and 12th centuries. The job of the "shirt" was to help absorb some of the shock from heavy fighting. While the article states the exact dating of this medieval attire is under debate, what excited me was the technique they used to recreate the "shirt."

In looking at the photos they provide it sure looks like slip stitch crochet to me, minus the hook. When crochet stitches are made without a crochet hook it is called "Finger Crochet," and in fact, based upon a conversation with my BIL, when he was in the Navy the sailors had to finger crochet long lengths of cord to wrap around the polls. This would prove to be life-saving by providing traction on wet, slippery rails during heavy storms while out at sea!

Like I said, I am very excited about this! If there is truth/accuracy to this "Interlacing Technique," this would date our beloved fiber art form to more than a mere few hundred years old -- rather, we'd be talking that crochet could be confirmed to be many centuries old!

Thank you, Bobbins! ... and I'll see you soon in the Getting Loopy chat. :)

Question From Reader: Crochet in America

2010-05-12T12:28:00.000-04:00

Can you please tell me why Americans changed hundreds of years of patterns and turned stitches into their own language, for example a double crochet became a single crochet - why?? It's very confusing, especially if you don't know there's a difference. Jo Ko

Good question, Jo Ko!

And the answer is a whale of a tale! Or rather, a look into early American history ...

When America was just a wee infant, with settlers just starting to populate the New England area, they noticed there were whales washing onto shores, making themselves available for easy harvesting. At that time the whales were important because their bodies contained two things the settlers needed: the whale's oil, which was used for making soap, lighting lamps and for lubrication of machinery; and balene, a precursor to today's plastic.

As time went on, the Americans started building ships, launching from the island of Nantucket, to whale hunt. These hunts would take from a week to a month in time. As more and more people came to America, and with England being a huge customer of the American whale products, the need to hunt for more whales grew and grew! (There is reference to America being able to afford the American Revolution due to whaling, but that's another story for another time.)

Eventually, as the whale population in the area decreased due to over-hunting, the need to go into further and into deeper oceans to find the whales was necessary. The whaling history shows that at one point demand was so high that it took a fleet of some 700 ships to sail from the shores of Massachusetts, down and around the tip of South America, deep into the Pacific Ocean, to complete the task of hunting and processing of the whales, taking some 11 years to do (eventually this would give birth to cities such as San Francisco)! As you can imagine, this left a lot of down time for the sailors, and after the whales were processed right on the ships, many sailors would take to hand-decorating and hand-carving the whale's balene into useful items, including creating crochet hooks and corsets used in the 17th and 18th centuries.

While this was going on, the Industrial Revolution in America was blossoming. With the invention of various machines, products such as fabric, trims, and even thread, were being mass-produced. This meant the time women previously spent to card, spin, and weave cloth by hand in order to clothe their families, could now be used as "leisure time." (As the fabric became more reasonable in price, the women's skirts got bigger, eventually to the point where traditional jackets no longer fit. This would bring about the need for crocheted and knitted shawls for both fashion and warmth which is still popular today!)

With this leisure time, needle arts were no longer a pastime for just the elite. With the aid of a family member or friend, or by paying for lessons, American women of all classes took to the needle arts to decorate their garments and their homes; passing the name of stitches and techniques by word of mouth. This is how stitches became renamed. ((This happens even in today's time! I've had many students show me stitches and call them by different names -- names provided to them by the person they learned from!))

As the growing interest in the decorative arts grew, publishers started providing patterns. Printed patterns started appearing in the States around 1840(I have one dated 1849); this would cause problems with beginner crocheters because they assumed the reader was experienced enough to figure things out on their own. Since the pattern designers in the early American publications were American, they used the terms familiar to them, eventually creating the American version of crochet terms and abbreviations we use (in America) today.

Today the good news is:
1. Whales, for the most part, are no longer hunted (the BBC news reports that the Alaskan Eskimo hunt is one of five still permitted by the International Whaling Commission today). You can visit Cape Cod and go whale watching.
2. Some whale populations are slowly returning. Recently a gray whale was spotted for the first time in the Atlantic region in 300 years.
3. The Craft Yarn Council of America is working hard to regulate the fiber crafts. You can visit http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/ to learn more.
4. In today's publications, one of the easiest ways to determine which set of crochet rules you'll be following (American vs. European) is by looking at where the material was published. It is also recommended you read the general instructions and stitch abbreviations prior to starting projects.

For further information:
Read: Historic reflections in crochet by Nicole H. Scalessa (your local library might be able to obtain it for you)
Watch: Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World
Visit: The New Bedford Whaling Museum

For the Record ...

2010-04-27T12:31:00.006-04:00

"Why do I need to be with a bunch of girls," Dee Jr. inquired when we were driving to the CT Sheep & Wool Festival this past Saturday.

As a fiber-lovin' mom, I responded, "Think of it this way, you'll know the way to a woman's heart is through a yummy hank of yarn." I'm not sure if he bought it, but he didn't press the issue any further.

Until we got home: "Mom," he said, "I'd like for you to take me to an event that boys like to go to, OK?" He is a big baseball and football fan, so I knew instantly that either type of event would be high on his list of things to do. I told him I needed think about it.

After he returned home from school yesterday I asked him, "Hey, remember that conversation we had about wanting to go to a event boys like?"

He nodded yes.

"How would you like to go to a Met's game?"

"Mets? Sure!" he exclaimed. Then a few moments went by. "Hey, wait a minute! What's the catch?!! Is there crocheting involved in this offer????!"

You know, I just can't put anything past this boy! He is so smart -- and quick! LOL

I'm talking about the Met's Stitch and Pitch planned for June 5th. In fact, they're looking to set the Guinness World Record™ for "Most People Crocheting Simultaneously." And yes, if we decide to go, Dee Jr. would need to do a bit of crocheting to help with the record.

Upon learning this requirement Dee Jr. said, "I'm still willing to go!"

Ah, that's my boy!

How about you? Are you interested in helping break the record of most people crocheting simultaneously, eating hotdogs, and watching a ball game? For more information click here.

101st Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival

2010-04-26T20:51:00.006-04:00

Did you go to the 101st Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival? If you did, then like me, you had a great time too! The weather was beautiful -- a little crisp in the early morning, later giving way to the warmth of the sunshine -- and there was lots to sheep and do!

At first my kids were not too happy about waking up so early in the morning, but once we arrived and they met up with their cousin K. they were happy campers!

K.'s mother, Nancy, of Woolen it be Nice, was one of the vendors selling felted flowers and kits to make your own -- in fact, if you watch the slide show above, uploaded by Paula Moliver for her article here, you can see Nancy and her beautiful flowers at the minute + mark.

While the kids hung out together (they did some needlepoint and some crocheting in between shopping excursions, even checking out car plates to see who had the coolest: ISPIN, ALPACA...), I helped my fellow CGOA Chapter members in offering free beginner crochet lessons & demonstrations. I loved how people were waiting for us to arrive so they could begin their lessons -- some stating it was the main reason they came to the Sheep & Wool! Wow! How awesome is that! ?!

I was gifted some amazing wool roving by HHCC member, Chava. She brought it all the way back from Ireland, and dyed it herself using acorns, ashes, and koolaid. She wanted me to use it for the crocheting with unspun roving demonstration -- what a dream; everyone at the demo loved petting it!

One of the best surprises of the day for me was running into my buddy Guido! We had met a few years back when I was teaching at a yarn shop in Stamford (now closed) and met up a few times after that. We always kept in touch with emails from time to time and through Twitter, but it had been nearly two years (I think) since we last saw each other. We were all giggles & stitch talk -- he with knitting and I with crocheting. Or was that I with knitting and he with crocheting? LOL Either way, we had fun catching up! And he interviewed me, so you never know, I might end up on one of his future podcasts. It was a fun reunion! Guido wrote, "It was great to hang with you and to pick your brain about the crochet scene." (OK, before you all comment, I don't know what was up with my hair being all wild looking; maybe it was all that brain picking, spilling all my crochet secrets! LOL; I'm kidding!)

I also got to see Tammy; another reunion! Yea! Tammy is a member of the ConnecticutCrochet yahoo group that my Chapter hosts. She is so much fun to chat with! You can read about her fun at the Sheep & Wool Festival here.

What did I buy? I didn't get much, I'm still on a "fiber diet." But I did buy a bar of soap (Dee Jr. really loved the way it smelled), and a Sheep & Wool T-shirt. Hopefully by this time next year I'll have used enough of my stash to need to seriously restock. ((grins))

We had a sheepish-lly good time and can't wait to do it again next year! :)

Packing Up & Listening In

2010-04-19T17:12:00.004-04:00

I'm busy going through all my crochet projects (that might give the illusion that it's a LOT of projects, but if you're anything like me and millions of other crocheters -- we tend to give a lot of our work away, so really it isn't!) ... I'm selecting those projects I used natural fibers for, such as alpaca, cotton, bamboo, silk, and wool. These items will be on display at the upcoming 101st Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival taking place on Saturday, April 24th.

Initially I thought I wouldn't be attending the Festival; my plans have changed! So, not only will I be able to go, but I will also be demonstrating how to crochet with roving (also known as unspun yarn)! Thus far I've selected a hat I crocheted using incredibly soft roving, and a scarf I crocheted a while back using the Waffle Weave technique (not to be confused with the Waffle Weave Stitch). Hmmmm. What else should I bring? Oh, yes, yes, I should bring the scarf I'm knitting up with my crochet hook. That's always a ~~mind blower~~ crowd-pleaser! :)

Come see me! I'll be in the White Barn with my fellow CGOA Chapter members!

I also want to mention that tonight is the Live Broadcast of the FLAMIES Awards. It will be exciting to tune in to hear from all the winners. I think I'll wear my crochet hook earrings while listening in. :)

Is it vacation time yet? :)

2010-04-09T13:30:00.007-04:00

I cannot believe it is April already! How did this happen?!? Apparently I've been so busy working on the Fiddler on the Roof Shawl drive (and other activities) that time just got away from me. Hey, it happens!

I did manage to:

Register for the 2010 Chain Link Conference -- what classes did you sign up for??
Attend the local Coffee, Crochet & Chat sessions held at Borders book store in Danbury.
Hang out with the ever fun Mary Beth Temple when she was visiting Ridgefield.
Finally figured out the Tunisian positive/negative spacing concept from the Forest Petals Shawl featured in the 2010 Spring issue of Interweave Crochet magazine (my practice piece is pictured below) ...
Read all 4 of the Twilight books (in 4 days!)
Read the latest crochet murder mystery by Betty Hechtman...can you believe her 5th in the series is out!?? :)

I still need to:

confirm a new home for the HHCC meetings
write up some new crochet patterns you all have been ~~madly~~ passionately emailing me for
send out the prizes I offered on Ravelry.com for National Crochet Month
take down the library display that was featured for National Crochet Month; I hope you got a chance to see it.
prepare to attend the Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival on April 24th with the HHCC
start some new local crochet classes for the spring/summer months
get my cell phone & computer issues resolved once & for all!
work up something delicious with the Tunisian positive/negative spacing concept...

Whew! Is it vacation time yet?! :)

The 2010 CLF Flamies Awards

2010-03-11T20:00:00.004-05:00

It is that time of year again ... time for the
2nd Annual 2010 CLF Flamies Awards!

CLF stands for the Crochet Liberation Front, a very active crochet group on the Ravelry.com website. The leader of this group, Laurie Wheeler, created this group to "liberate the [crochet] hook." With nearly 5,000 members strong, that's a whole-lotta liberating! :)

Last year Laurie started the Flamies. Flamies is short for "the Flaming Hook of Justice," an award that the CLF group bestows upon to those lovin' on crochet for a variety of reasons.

Laurie decided that if the movie industry has the Grammies, then crochet should have a glamorous & prestigious award ceremony too! The CLF members nominated the people, projects, and companies they thought were BEST for a variety of crochet categories, and then the world was offered the opportunity to cast votes for their favorites (go here for more info). Then, on a special night, the nominees with the most votes were announced to the world on The Getting Loopy Show. Cool, right?!!

Let your voice be heard! Go HERE to vote! You have until March 22, 2010, 11.59pm PDT, to cast your vote. Then, tune into The Getting Loopy Show on April 19, 2010 to listen to the winners.

I am very honored to be a nominee of the 2nd Annual CLF Flamies! I am nominated for Best Crochet Instructor 2009, and Best Crochet Designer (for children). Congratulations to all the other nominees!

All Hands on Deck!

2010-03-02T11:01:00.005-05:00

There I was this morning, attempting to steam block my second completed shawl for the "Fiddler on the Roof" school musical. Being home alone, it was pointless to yell out, "All hands on deck!" to my family to help me steam block it as they did for the first shawl. (Mr. Dee is busy working at his new job, and the kids are at school.) I could pin it, but my pins went MIA after a crochet demonstration I did awhile back; I was meaning to replace them, but you know how it goes: you get busy, you forget.

So there I was this morning, trying to pull & stretch this shawl into the shape I wanted it to take while steam blocking it. I simply do not have enough hands. And, it was killing my back (not good when you have 2 ruptured disks!) What to do? What to do?

I stopped steaming ... as a youngster I was a Girl Scout AND (unofficially, thanks to having many brothers) I was a Boy Scout too ... motto: Always Be Prepared, or in my world, Always Think Creatively. I looked at the shawl. I thought about the wire hangers I've been collecting (they work great, when cut, as extra holders for the weed control paper used in flower & veggie gardens). I thought, Do I really want to tangle with wire hangers? Yes, Joan Crawford's image did pop into my head on that one. What about PVC pipes? Hmmmm, I don't have any small enough (PVC pipes work great as banner holders!)

Think woman, THINK!!! And then it occurred to me! Hey, last year while at the CGOA Conference I purchased those blocking wires ... where did I put them, and better yet, WHY haven't I been using them ALL year???

I quickly found them, inserted them into the shawl, and as I steam blocked one-handed, with my other hand holding my morning cup of coffee, all while listening to archived Getting Loopy Shows by Mary Beth Temple, I thought, this is the way it should be! Life is good!

Now, if only I had a blocking board! Hopefully a vendor will be selling them at this year's Conference! :)

Shawl Shock leads to CGOA CAL Participation

2010-03-01T19:34:00.004-05:00

Last week I attended a mandatory parent meeting for my children’s school drama club. I sat in the back, quietly listening as I worked on a crochet project. The school has decided that the 7th & 8th graders will put on the play “Fiddler on the Roof” …

As I listened to the long list of wardrobe needs I looked up for a brief moment. Maybe I looked up a bit longer than that. I dunno. All I remember is hearing the teacher in charge say, ”…and Mrs. Stanziano, I put you down for 30 crocheted shawls.” It was like one of those surreal moments where the room suddenly goes long while all faces turn to look at me, many, I suspect, echoing the same shock & fear that must have been on my face upon hearing this.

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she continued on, “Mrs. Stanziano does that stuff in her sleep!”

Still in a state of shell-shock, two parents came to me after the meeting and volunteered to help make 1 or 2 of the shawls. That still meant I’d need to make some 26-28 shawls by the end of March.

Doing some quick math, if each shawl took 4 to 5 hours to crochet, that would equate to three weeks of full-time work! YIKES!!!

When I got home I decided to ask my CGOA Chapter for help. I designed a shawl, crocheted it up that night, and then sent it into the school to have it approved. While waiting for the approval I wrote up the pattern. And, to my delight -- and relief -- 8 of my Chapter members volunteered to help me!

What does this mean?
1. No, I will not need to crochet in my sleep. (thank goodness!)
2. CGOA Chapters ROCK!!
3. This will be our participation in the CGOA’s CAL in honor of NATIONAL CROCHET MONTH

Treasures-in-Law

2010-02-09T12:18:00.004-05:00

While we were celebrating Mini~Dee's 13th birthday last month, Fred, one of my brothers-in-law, called me over. "Dee," he said quietly, "I have something for you. I know you'll put this to good use." He handed me a metal pencil case which I recognized immediately. It was the pencil case I gave him to house a special crochet hook he had loaned to me so I could send it to PieceWork magazine to photograph for an article Gwen Blakley Kinsler had written.

I held my breath in anticipation of what would be inside. Slowly I opened it, and even more slowly removed the tissue paper. Dare I guess? What if my guess is wrong? Once the tissue paper revealed the gem inside I think it was at that point I screamed with joy. Did someone catch that on film? If so, it might be worth something if it's sent to America's Funniest Home Videos...

Yes! YES! YES!! It was indeed the very hook he had lent me back in 2007!! He acquired it at a flea market (or tag sale) with the hope his wife would take to crochet (she hasn't yet -- I'm still working on that! {{grins}} ). The first time he showed me this hook I snapped a picture with my cell phone and sent the snapshot to Nancy Nehring who is an expert on crochet hooks. She proclaimed the hook to be made of cow shinbone, and dates the hook to the period of 1860-1880: The American Civil War period! Fred was thrilled with his find! So was I.

And so it was, last month, that he handed me this beautiful hook, origin unknown, to keep forever and ever! I have the best brother-in-law!

Or so I thought!

Today, I received an email from Lindsey:

I was with my weekly knit and crochet group at B&N in Waterbury
tonight. This guy stops by and he talks to us and says "Yeah, my
sister-in-law is really in to this. She has this group ..." and I
recognize the HHCC name and ask "what's her name" and he says "Dee
Stanziano". So [Dee] I met your brother-in-law tonight!

That would be my brother-in-law Robert, walking up to complete strangers to help promote the art of crochet!

So I take that back about having the best brother-in-law. I need to change that to plural form: I HAVE THE BEST BROTHERS-IN-LAW -- EVER! :)

The New Apple of my Eye

2010-02-06T15:23:00.010-05:00

It's been a very busy time for the Dee family ... mid-terms, special school projects, Geography Bees (Dee Jr. won to represent his school and is waiting to see if he'll be competing on the state level), Mini~Dee's 13th birthday (let the Teen Saga begin), some computer melt-downs, and geesh, before I knew it we were well into the month of February!

Although my hook has not been as busy, and that I have not been on line as much as usual, this doesn't mean I've gone completely MIA from the crochet world. I've been sneaking it in when, and where, I can! In fact I was recently kidnapped, ~~kicking & screaming~~ shouting with glee all the way -- to enjoy a fabulous lunch last weekend with Prudence Mapstone and her husband who were visiting from Australia, Margaret Hubert, Phyllis Sandford, and Grace <--who kidnapped me, er, whisked me away for some much needed R&R to NYC... needlesless to say, although the weather was freezing cold, we all had a blast! It is amazing how time slips through our fingers. Sometimes time is much like a brillo-feeling yarn -- yuck! And sometimes it is smooth, silky -- bliss until you realize the project is done.

Take the pruning of our apple tree two years ago...I set aside some branches thinking maybe I could someday get a crochet hook made from one of the branches. A year passes. I then attend the CGOA Conference that was held in Buffalo, NY, last summer and show Brian of Brainsbarn crochet hooks my branches. (oh, come on, we all tote bits of branches/trees to conferences, right?!? if not, this would be my second time doing so ... but that's another story for another time) I ask if he could someday create me a hook ...

You know how it is, we get busy. Time passes and we forget things that are not immediately in front of our noses, or in this case in front of our yarn stashes...

A few weeks ago I was feeling a little low because my "Birthday Week Extravaganza" is a thing of the past (the kids school has opted to eliminate that week as a vacation, a time I treasured spending with them). I decide I need a new crochet hook to celebrate my upcoming birthday. I sent an email to Anne & Brian asking if they could create a beautiful crochet hook for me ... I barely had time to blink before my eyes wre able to feast upon what just arrived in my mail:

Size I Brainsbarn Crochet Hook made with (REAL AMERICAN!) apple wood from Dee's backyard: Birthday Special containing the birthstone for February (Amethyst), with sterling silver spheres & accents, and a captive ring. Clearly this hook is the New Apple of my eye!! Hugs to you, Brian & Anne! I LOVE IT!!!!

2010: Fresh off the Hook

2010-01-07T18:01:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

I know, I know, I still need to blog about my Florida adventures! Soon I will! :)

I did want to share my first finished 2010 Crochet Project: it's a hat based upon one of the main characters, Bella actually, in the Twilight series. In the movie Bella wears a solid crocheted hat featuring raised stitches and cables. Being snowed in and with Mini~Dee's birthday around the corner I decided she needed her own "Twilight" themed cap ... all I needed was the right yarn and hook.

At the time I made this decision, well, let's just say having a fairly large yarn stash to "shop" in (day or night, during rain/sleet/snow storms) can be wonderful! I found a pretty self-striping wool/soy yarn in my stash that matched her new winter coat perfectly. I soon set to work. (Funny, I don't recall when or where I purchased the yarn!) It didn't take long for the hat to take shape, or for Mini~Dee to recognize the hat design for that matter. After weaving in the ends and blocking the hat, Mini~Dee couldn't wait to wear it to school! I've never seen her so excited over a hat before!

However, when she came home from school the next day she had a request for me: make it longer! See, I had created it just a wee bit short as she wanted to show off her nearly pierced ears. With our Connecticut winter weather reading in the teens (and wind chills in the single digits) she decided it was better to have a longer hat to help keep her ears warm! So, I added a bit of length and now she's even happier with the hat! (Why the wolf in the picture? She's on Team Jacob!)

We're seven days into the New Year; what crochet projects are you working on, or have already finished?

Holiday Greetings!

2009-12-24T09:41:00.002-05:00

Handmade Gifts are Special

2009-12-17T11:02:00.003-05:00

Are you feeling the holiday crunch like I am? The dashing around, trying to find the right gift for that special someone on your list? I'm feeling it a bit too! Plus, I'm preparing for the Crochet Workshop I'll be teaching at the Local Needle on Sunday, and the Crochet Meet-up in Jacksonville, FL, on Monday. Yes, indeed, it is holiday crunch time! And what better way to find a few quiet moments than to crochet up a gift, take a crochet class, or meet up with other crocheters?

And you know what makes me feel it's all worth while? When others comment that Crochet rocks! There I was in Old Navy, looking to purchase leggings to match the sweater you see on the right that I had crocheted for my 3-year old niece. As I held the sweater out to check the coloring of the leggings I received a ton of compliments on the sweater -- even some inquiries as to where I purchased it! When I explained I had made the sweater by hand the gushing just went on and on! :)

If you're looking for a last minute crochet gift to whip up with nearly any worsted weight yarn in your stash, that works up quick, all while you learn a new stitch and/or crochet technique -- and you've been looking to treat yourself to my PDF Tumbling Clusters Scarf pattern -- then you'll be happy to know that for the next 24-hours the pattern will be on sale at my website ... http://www.crochetwithdee.com/! Hurry though, the sale ends at 11:30 AM Eastern Time on December 18th.