Some Inspiration

It has been a busy week with designing a new website (not for me), trying to get my DSL connection to behave (it always seems to flake out when we have excessive rain), and in trying to cut out drinking so much coffee.

I'm coming along fine on all three fronts (the most difficult being in reducing my coffee intake) and I must admit that is such a good feeling to be making headway! Even though I have been busy, I did take some time out to be inspired and thought I'd share of the links that made me say "WOW" repeatedly:

The first is a video that you need to dedicate some 15+ minutes to watch. I'd say to grab a hot cup of coffee first, but then I don't want to pass my cafeine addiction on you, my readers. Grab your crochet instead and work up some stitches as you watch this:

• http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/margaret_wertheim_crochets_the_coral_reef.html

The second is, well, for me at least, a jaw-dropping beauty! Not only is it a feast for the eyes, but is also music for the ears as well (and if the universe is listening, I want one). I'm sure you will agree:

• http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/4650/joana-vasconcelos.html
  

And, oh, yes, I will have a new PDF pattern that will be available soon! A sneak-peek preview can be seen at my Goody Shop ... OK, my coffee juice break is over; see you in a few days. :)

Oh the Horror! Hook Goes MIA!

It is rare for me not to have a project on my crochet hook! Even when design ideas are cooking in my head, I still will have something on the hook. It doesn't have to be a difficult project, or one that is for anyone in particular. In fact, for those types of projects, they're often charity projects like chemo caps to be donated to my local hospital.

This time it was different. I was working on a new project to offer as a new pattern on my site when I got called away. I thought I had carefully set everything down: the project, yarn, and hook. But when I returned I could not find my crochet hook! It was GONE!!! Has this happened to you too?

No big deal, one would think, right? Not so for me. My crochet hooks are handmade, one of a kind -- each with it's own little personality -- not machine made and a dime-a-dozen. So it's not like I can grab my car keys and zoom off to the local yarn shop to buy another when a crochet hook goes missing-in-action. No, it's not like that at all.

I began to get worried. Yes, I could use another of my handmade crochet hooks -- but the feel for the project would be different. Crocheters do more than just make stitches; it is also a Zen kind of thing when the design, yarn and hook all harmonize together. Using another hook wouldn't wrong, because I can match my gauge, it would just feel different; that harmony I had going would be gone. Ugh!! I had to find my crochet hook!

So I called in the Marines my family for a search & rescue operation. Fortunately, Dee Jr. was able to find it! My hero!! It appears the couch had ate it! (Ah, the benefit of having children around! Their thin arms are perfect for reaching deep down into the tight couch caverns between the cushions... And I love their big grin of accomplishment when they grab the prize; my crochet hook!!). ... on second thought, maybe it wasn't the couch that ate my hook. Maybe it was the gremlin that lives in my washing machine? Regardless, I am happy to have my crochet hook back. Crocheting may now resume. :)

Happy Mother's Day

As I sit here this morning, enjoying a heavenly cup of coffee (which will be my only cup as I am trying to reduce my caffeine & sugar intake), I have an admission to make.

I'm in love. Again.

If you listened to the Getting Loopy Show, then you heard me profess to the world that I am not a cotton fan. This has nothing to do with cotton itself, but more with dealing with the gremlin that lives in my washing machine. It seems, no matter how delicate I wash cotton I always seem to shrink it down to Barbie portions. ((just one more reason I strongly recommend creating TWO gauge swatches ...))

But this doesn't mean I don't like crocheting with cotton. Rather, I do! -- And I did! And this is when I fell in love, with yet another cotton! I used my Go Green T-shirt Bag pattern, increasing the stitch repeat and using a smaller hook with two hanks of Cotton Flamme by Crystal Palace Yarns to make the bag pictured here. ((I won the Cotton Flamme at the CGOA Conference last year.)

So what is a girl to do with her love/hate relationship with cotton? Why, hand over the laundering to Mr. Dee! Today's photo is by him too. What does he have to say about it? "Happy Mother's Day!"

*Disclaimer: flower on bag shown NOT included with Go Green T-shirt Bag pattern. Keep reading:

Loopy Flower by Dee Stanziano
Rnd 1: Ch 2, sc 6 times in 2nd ch from hook, join with sl st.
Rnd 2: (Ch 3, sl st) around. (6 loops)
Rnd 3: Push loops from Rnd 2 forward, (Ch 5, sl st to st from Rnd 1) around. (6 loops)
Rnd 4: Push loops from Rnd 2 & 3 forward, (Ch 7, sl st to st from Rnd 1) around. Finish off. (6 loops)
Add bead to center; sew on.

The Getting Loopy Show

It has been a very busy week, starting off with guesting on the Getting Loopy Show on Monday, where I had so much fun! If you haven't listened to the Show yet, you can go here to listen: BlogTalkRadio: Getting Loopy Show. If you like prizes, you'll need to listen for the "magic" word and send an email into Mary Beth to enter. One of the prizes will be for my Go Green T-shirt Bag!

We discussed crocheting with human hair in the Victorian era (modern link: knitting with human hair), various crochet hooks, crochet stitches, classes I'll be teaching at the Summer CGOA Conference, and more!

In fact, I just received this response from Karen A.:

I just listened to your interview on Getting Loopy and was very interested in your method of crocheting without extensive use of your wrist. I've been doing a lot of crocheting lately and would love to not have to stop and rest my wrist so often.
BTW the interview was great!

Thank you, Karen! It is on my "TO DO" list to eventually made a video showing how I crochet with the twisting/jutting motion using my finger tips, as discussed on the show. In the meantime, anyone wanting to see how I do this while we are at a Sheep & Wool, or crochet conference, or in my crochet class, please ask. I'd be happy to show you.

((giggles)) We didn't get around to discussing crocheting with toilet paper as I alluded to in my last blog entry, but if you are so inclined, you CAN crochet with it. Keep your tension loose, and use a really big crochet hook (size "S" or larger is highly recommended)!

Thank you, Mary Beth, for a great time on your show, and a very Happy Anniversary to you for bringing such wonderful guests & topics to the crochet world!!

Getting Loopy

Hey, tune in tonight! I'll be guesting on Mary Beth's Getting Loopy show which won the Crochet Liberation Front's award for Best Crochet Podcast for 2008 ... discussing ... ???

... could the image here be any sort of hint?? You'll have to tune in to find out! :)

Go here, at 9:00 PM eastern time, to tune in: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mary-Beth-Temple

Go Green T-Shirt Bag!

Wow! What a busy day! Taking photos, finalizing the pattern layout, attempting to list it on my Ravelry Shop (couldn't; still need to look into why); opened an Etsy Shop, added onto my Goody Shop ... all so I can say: Ta Da! <--so proud of myself!

Here it is! My first solo, for sale, pattern, named Go Green T-Shirt Bag!! It utilizes T-shirts, cut into strips, with a big crochet hook so that it works up quickly! The best part, and since I'm the designer I think it's OK for me to say this, is that the design of the bag bypasses the need for foundation chains -- no unsightly seam at the bottom, and no unsightly seam for the handle! Oh! I love that!!

AND! You get to use old T-shirts, meaning you are recycling (thus saving some money), and since you are recycling, you are saving old T-shirts from going into landfills! (I love that too!!) It is roomy -- 14" high and 10.5" wide -- so it can carry your favorite crochet books, beach towels, even purchases from your local yarn shop!

On the right is the same bag worked up with Lion Brand's "Incredible" ribbon yarn. Although a little difficult to photograph, it is beautiful in person! This will be a gift to my Grammie Gloria in honor of Mother's Day. Knowing her passion for bags, I think she will love it. And you will too!

PDF Pattern is available $3.99 US, for personal use only.

Dee likes to vandalize ...

If you have been following me on Twitter for the last two days then you know I've been up to some vandalism -- otherwise known as good 'ole fashion recycling -- by cutting up a T-shirt and then having fun designing a new crochet bag.

The good news is the bag is completed -- and so are the instructions.

The bad news is my camera refuses to cooperate today. Maybe it knows I enjoyed vandalizing the T-shirt, cutting it into beautiful strips? I've decided, rather than sail the camera through the air in a fit of frustration, that I will set it aside and go enjoy the 1950s movie, "The Fly," with my children. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better picture-taking day?

In the meantime, please visit this blog, http://www.woowork.com/. I think it's a riot and will certainly bring smiles to your face!! :)