"Um, Mom? Where's Susan's head?"

       ... Good question!  LOL

I've heard of the Headless Horseman, especially with it being Halloween season and all -- but a headless crochet hook?!

The collection of crochet hooks pictured on the right was in a goody bag from yesterday's Workshop.  Nope, the hook is not turned around showing us her "back side" and the packaging has not been tampered with.  There's simply no head on the pink crochet hook! 

I'll be contacting Coats & Clark and asking for a replacement; afterall I don't need my daughter having horrible nightmares about not being able to crochet because her crochet hook is headless!  ((Really though, isn't that what all crocheters fear most??))


I'm still working on the pictures from yesterday's  Workshop that I attended.  While we're waiting for me to finish resizing them, correcting the color (the room is horrible for photos!) and such, I thought I'd provide a sneak-peak at the prize from my last contest: A Bernat afghan crochet kit!

Congratulations to Sherri, and a big thank you to all that participated!  :)

Don't worry if you didn't have a chance to participate, or if you didn't win as there will be another contest coming up.  Keep checking back for an announcement!

Until then, if you see Susan Bate's head, watch out!  The ghost of the Hessian trooper from the American Revolutionary War might not be far behind.   Whoooooooo!   

((If I had my way, I'd have a Hero Crochet hook riding in to save the day -- but that might be a bit much, especially if it also needed to be a Boye!))  ... Sorry; I couldn't resist!  LOL

Loose Ends Tied Up

So -- it's been a very fiber-filled weekend for me -- from working on adding more bead work to the freeform jacket to attending a workshop today which marked my groups' 5th Year Anniversary!  (more on that topic tomorrow when I can add the photos)  I do hope your weekend was just as fun!

Here's what I have planned for tonight:  I want tie up the loose ends and announce who the winner was from the latest contest we had here at CrochetWithDee (did you think I forgot?)

Excellent plan, yes?  But first, before I do announce the winner let me give a little bit of background 411, and then some updated news, and then, of course, announce the winner.

Rewinding:  The 411
At the recent Knit Out & Crochet Too! event I assisted Guido by introducing him to the who's who in the crochet world and the KOC2 event.  Even though my interview portion didn't make it into the podcast, a snippet of my voice did.  The contest was who would be the first to identify what I said.

Reality set in.  It was hard to tell if the sentence was in singular form or plural, so I had to wait for hubby, "Mr. Dee," to have time to listen for himself and make the call.  He wasn't able to make a clear determination so he made the decision based upon my rules -- and we'll be going with his judging to keep the contest fair.  ...again, we'll all have to wait until the end of this blog entry to learn of the outcome.

Impatience won't reveal the answer any faster!  Hopefully you weren't thinking of scrolling down to the bottom to find out, were you?  Nah, that won't work either!  {{insert evil laugh here}}

What I was lucky to have done this weekend was to read a few emails rather quickly.  In doing so, I learned that Guido has been in touch with his "inner crocheter" -- that's so awesome!  He said it was Kim Werker of CrochetMe, who is currently on a book tour, that helped him.  I'm delighted to hear the Purlman is stitchin' with a crochet hook!  Guido, I want to see some crochet creations & hear about them in your next podcast!!

OK, so that's about it then.  Guido is crocheting, Mr. Dee decided who the contest winner is, and I'll be back tomorrow with details about today's Workshop I attended.

Now I'm off to go work on some Chemo hats --- what?  Oh, the winner?  Yes, yes, I did promise to reveal the winner, didn't I???  Would it be mean of me to state that I already have?  Yes, that's right, I snuck the answer in!  If you missed it, then go back to each paragraph.  The hint is in the first letter of the paragraphs.  Winner: please email me when you've figured it out.  {{grins}}  Congratulations!!

Question From Reader: Can I Bid too?

 

Wendy asked: "Where's the school? When is the auction? I would seriously love to own that denim jacket. And I seriously can't believe you're giving it up, even for such a good cause."

Wendy, you're not alone in wanting a chance to own my Blue Ribbon winning freeform denim jacket! There has been a lot of interest in people outside of the school community who have seen the jacket ... and want to bid on it! ... so much so that I decided to talk to the school officials & event organizers and see what can be done to allow outside bids. 

I am delighted to report that the school has decided it will open the bidding to those unable to make the event! Since the auction is next weekend, they will email me with the specifics on how you can place your bid.  This is the plan thus far:
   * Your bid would be a "sealed bid." 
   * Your bid would contain the item number, in this case it's item #409 titled "Crocheted (Free-Form) Appliquéd Denim Jacket"
   * Your name & contact info would be on your bid.

Now, to keep it a legal & binding bid, they're working on a process on how to do that (your signature would be required to make it legal).  They said they'd email me the information on how to legally submit your bid, so please stay tuned.  I'll announce it here on my blog just as soon as I know. 

The value placed on this piece is $300 so they'll be opening the bid at $180.

Why would I donate my denim jacket?  It was slated for donation the moment I saw the jacket sitting on the rack at the store -- as it jumped into my hands whispering "buy me and adorn me with freeform for a worthwhile cause" -- I knew.  I knew as I purchased the delicious designer fibers I worked with, and with each stitch I created.  Which cause it would be for?  That I didn't know.  I decided to wait until the cause presented itself and the school was the first to ask.

Some interesting facts about the jacket:  There are little additions I added to the jacket to give it special meaning. 
    * A dragonfly:  dragonflies represent light and fun.  It's with maturity that their true, almost jewel like, colors develop.  It is said that the dragonfly inspires our creativity, especially when light reflects off of their iridescent green and blue wings.  I like to think of it as adding a bit of *fairy dust* for good luck to the wearer.  
    * Flowers:  flowers are always a great addition to freeform work.  The jacket has a few (one crocheted, and some flower beads) because dragonflies love to flutter to them.  As the new owner wears the jacket, there is no doubt in my mind that people will flutter over and inquire about the piece.  Perhaps this will bring about new friendships to the wearer?
     * A mirror:  mirrors to me mean an opportunity to reflect.  Although the mirror is tiny, it is placed on the back of the jacket.  This is so the wearer can always reflect upon the past (perhaps using some of that fun energy from the dragonfly).  I've added tiny mirrors to my freeform work in the past and liked the effect.  I'm thinking this may become my "signature" in my freeform work.

Once I know more about the bidding process, I'll post it along with some close-up images of the jacket.

Great questions Wendy!  Thank you!  :)

Seriously, what's your crochet passion?

There are three items I'll be donating to the school fund raising auction for next weekend:  a baby sweater in a black & white color theme, my freeform denim jacket I won a Blue Ribbon for this past summer, and a hat & scarf set created for a girl ranging from age 8 to 11.

The sweater is one I created a long while ago.  In 2004 I think.  It was a prototype for a sweater workshop we created for our Connecticut CGOA Chapter.  In looking at my online photos it appears I never took a picture of it.  I'll have to remedy that as it's really cute if I do say so myself!

The denim jacket I've shown here before.  But before I can turn it over for auction I need to do some mini-repairs.  It was really "handled" at the recent NYC Knit Out & Crochet Too event it was displayed at.  I don't know why people have to pull on someone's work "to see how it's attached."  Seriously, I would never think to do such an act! 

I'm thinking that sewing in more beads will help reinforce the "handled" areas while the extra beads will add more appeal to the jacket.

Finally, I just finished the scarf & pony cap set for the auction -- it's seriously "hot off the hook!"  It's listed on the auction as "Diva in Training." At first I wasn't too crazy with the way the project was taking shape; I had a difficult time getting inspired in designing it.  It had to be warm and easy to care for -- after all it is for a child!  I just couldn't "get into it" working it up and finally, after taking a look at what pleases me so much with crochet, decided the problem was with the hat.  It was created with all double crochet stitches; way too simple, imho, to match the texture of the scarf.  So I frogged the entire project and started again.  This time both pieces were worked up entirely with the Alternate Stitch and I was pleased with the outcome.

Now, as I begin tagging all my items with my new logo and with the washing instructions, I wonder how many others, who are just as passionate about crochet as I am, ever question what it is that makes a project appealing for them.  Some love working with thread, wire or yarn, while others enjoy working solely with a particular crochet technique.  I enjoy all aspects of crochet but think my inner passion for it lays with texture and fine finishing details the hook can produce.  What's your crochet passion?

[Alternate Stitch: also known as the Up Down Stitch.  Alternate between sc and dc stitches.  In rows to follow, dc sts go into sc sts, and sc sts go into the dc sts.]

Oh, my apologies for the "seriously's" ... I'm looking forward to watching Grey's Anatomy tonight.  :)

Question From Reader: How Long is Long Enough?

Sheila asks: [what are the] approximate lengths and widths for the scarves? A child's will be shorter and narrower than an adult's. Since I don't have children, it's hard for me to measure. Not to mention, kids grow so fast...so a scarf for a 5 year old will be smaller than one for a 10 year old.

When Sheila asked this question the other day in light of the 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge, I knew many others would be wondering the same thing -- so great question Sheila!!  I think there are two lengths of scarves -- one being the "in" length being promoted by the Fashion Institutions/Designers and the other being the "need of necessity."

In the Fashion world, just look at any magazine and you'll see scarves that are curly, scarves that are lacy, and scarves that drop down to the feet and possibly include pockets at the end.  All of these scarves are great, but in the world of necessity, practicality -- and safety! -- rules.

First, I know that not all people are the same height.  A 60" scarf does not look the same on a person standing 5 feet tall vs. one standing 6 feet tall.  So, IF I AM MAKING THE SCARF TO BE AN INDIVIDUAL GIFT then when I'm finished crocheting the scarf it will be tailored to the height for that individual.  The width will depend upon the climate they live in, and if it will be worn as an accessory, or as a garment either in or outside of their winter coat.

BUT when I'm crocheting for charity, I change the individual rule to one more fitting for "the masses."  For adults I stick to the 60" length and go with a 6" or 7" width.  This allows for a bit more length to allow it to be not just wrapped around the neck, but perhaps over the head once and then around the neck -- in the event the person who has it doesn't have a much-needed hat during the frigid winters we have here in Connecticut.

For children, when I'm in doubt, I'll use the growth charts that doctors use ... taking the average "height" for a given age and going with that for length.  I also try to avoid fringe on the scarves if possible -- as the fringe can also easily get caught in doors of school/city buses causing loss in life.  So for safety reasons, I follow the rule that scarves and drawstrings should not hang lower than 3" from their waist.  This is why going with the average height of a child in a given age bracket works really well!  For the width, I'll go with 4" to 5."

"School bus handrails have had the same basic design for more than 30 years. However, with the current change in fashion toward oversized and baggy clothing, handrail designs have contributed to tragic and avoidable injuries and deaths. Other articles of such as scarves, long straps on backpacks, or dangling key chains can also be snagged on the handrail." School Bus Handrail Handbook

One more thing about the charity scarves I donate ... I use acrylic yarn blends.  I do so because there are people allergic to natural fibers (cotton, wool, and so on), and these same people receiving the scarves most likely do not have the funds to splurge on dry cleaning. 

I hope this helps Sheila! :)

Kudos! ... Crochet In the News ...

I'd like to send out a huge Kudo to Rose, Lori and Shelley -- three lovely ladies I know from the Knit Together store I enjoy teaching at.  They made their local paper, The Stamford Advocate, in promoting the Caps to the Capital campaign that is sponsored by the Save the Children organization.

One stitch at a time Knitters and crocheters help the babies of the world

And, while we're on the topic of crochet in the news, here's more!  There's a new online crochet magazine that everyone should check out ... I've already read the fantastic interview with crochet legend & inspiration, Jean Leinhauser, and am looking forward to reading the rest of the articles.  Check it out! ...

Crochet Insider
THE source for news, views, tips and talk

3rd Annual "60 Scarves in 60 Days" Challenge

I am pleased to announce it's time for the

Third Annual 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge!

I know we are all knee deep in crocheting gifts for our friends and family for the holidays, as well as creating Caps for the Capital Campaign, chemo hats and more -- me too!  So it makes it that much more important this year to ask for your help in reaching the goal of 60 scarves in 60 days to donate to charity this year.

Anyone can participate -- any skill level -- any fiber art (crochet, knit, weaving) -- and it's all to help people in need in your own community! 

Here's how to participate:  Create a scarf for charity and then let me know about it by sending me an email or leaving a comment here so we can include it in the official count.   You do not need to send me anything -- you can donate it to your own local charity, or send it to an organization like the Orphan foundation.  We'll see if we can get 60 created for charity by the end of November.  Last year we were able to donate 66 scarves!! 

To help in promoting this challenge consider saving the Challenge button above onto your PC and then displaying it on your website or blog!  Be sure to link to this blog entry so others can learn about what is involved to participate.  The more people we can get involved in the challenge, the better chance we have of meeting this goal -- and even beating last year's numbers!  

Please keep in mind that if you wish to participate that a scarf for this drive does not need to be fancy in stitching or fiber content.  It's is a perfect project to practice your stitches on regardless of your skill level! 

Besides doing something good for your community, and your country, (and perhaps using up some of that accumulating stash?) it will make you feel good inside.  Scarves are like hugs; you don't realize the true warmth they wield until you give one away! And if you don't know how to crochet or knit, then what better reason is there to learn?!?  We have until November 30th, so that's plenty of time if we combine our efforts. :)

                                      Care to join me? :)