She's Walking, and I'm Talking

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

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

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

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

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

 

99th Connecticut Sheep & Wool Fiber Festival

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fuel to Think About

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

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

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

Update on the kids Hooks & Needles Club

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

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

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

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

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Announcement: Guesting on New Internet Radio Crochet Program!

I am so excited! :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Ripple Apart, but Still Connected

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

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

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

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

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

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


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