Checking In

On Friday we received a total of seven sign-ups for Mini~Dee's after-school crochet club.  She's quite excited; every one of them is interested in working on a group charity project, so tomorrow at their first meeting they'll create an official name for their group, as well as figure out exactly what it is that they want to make together, and where to donate it.  I'll have her pack up some extra supplies just in case some of the kids don't come prepared tomorrow.

Yesterday, as she sold Girl Scout Cookies with her Troop at our local Dunkin' Donuts, I took advantage of some quite time doing what most crocheters cringe at ... weaving in all those tails!  I managed to weave in tails for six hats and one scarf, and then began crocheting another chemo cap.  The girls sold lots of cookies, and Mini~Dee bought some to bring to her first crochet club meeting tomorrow.  I love how she's getting involved with not just kids her own age, but also with her local community!  :)

Today I will be missing my local Chapter's monthly meeting as we'll be having a going away party for my BIL (brother-in-law) who will be serving a year in Kuwait.  He's in the Navy and so I've found my thoughts to wondering what the service men and women there are in need of.  I'll have to do some research.

A History Lesson:  "Long before recorded history, Pima Indian women in America did the first crocheting we know."
~ Rose Wilder Lane

The Pima, a pieceful people, yet courageous, hold the honor that one of their marines raised the flag on Iwo Jima in WWII. 

Tomorrow will be a busy day too.  Along with Mini~Dee's first crochet club meeting, I'll be hooking up with the Chain Gang of Stamford for their monthly meeting.  A very busy time for me indeed! 

Summer Knit & Crochet Classes

It's official!

I received this little banner in an email today letting me know that they'll start taking registrations for the CGOA's National Conference on Monday, March 24th. 

In looking at the banner though, it seems to read that the conference is only three days (July 25-27) ... but that is not the case.

This banner is more of an advertisement for the Vendor's Market.  The Vendor's Market officially opens to the public on July 25th.  For those ATTENDING the conference, the Vendor's Market is usually opened the night before as a special "pre-view" (usually a special ticket is required to get into the Market that evening).  Keep this in mind when registering for classes!

So really, classes will take place from July 24th through the 27th -- unless you also attend Professional's Day (which is highly recommended!) -- so if you attended Professional's Day too then the Conference would take place from July 23rd through the 27th, bumping it up to five blissful fiber-filled days!   Keep this in mind when you go over to check out the classes ... It's just the Vendor's Market that is only open for three days.  Okay?

OK!   Now that we have that out of the way, go on and check out the classes you want to take!  And don't forget to make your hotel reservations early!!!   :)

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Interesting, How Very Interesting!

When I first met Avis at the Tatting Workshop in Bethel this past weekend, she said something very interesting to me. "Dee," she said, "don't you find it interesting that you need the Internet to find your neighbor?"

She went on to explain that she had been searching and searching for local crocheters in her area for quite some time with no apparent luck. Then she joined our ConnecticutCrochet yahoo group and instantly found one less than a mile from her home! Now they're considering driving up to Danbury to attend their first Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club meeting this weekend!

Of course, she is so right! There are many times the Internet has played a key roll in my meeting up other crocheters too! {VBG}

I wanted to create a poll to see how many of us have found our "neighbors" this way -- via the Internet but that option is currently not available.  If you found a local crocheting buddy via the Internet, please share your story.  If you haven't yet found one, but could choose someone, anyone in the world, to be your crocheting buddy, who would that person be?  (It can be someone from the past, present, or future.)

Question from Reader: Book Recommendation?

Dear Dee,
I'm with Sandie, I wish I lived closer to you!  I enjoy reading your blog, and really enjoyed reading your latest entry about the tatting.  Can you recommend a good book to get me started?

Thanks so much, Betty B.

Hi Betty,
Oh, if only the world were smaller!! There are many times I too wish I lived elsewhere so I could meet other crochet/fiber lovers!  There are so many wonderful fiber related events going on and it's just impossible, due to time, money, and sheer distance for me to zip around the world to attend them all.  Maybe one day modern technology will catch up to science fiction by creating transporters (as seen in the Star Trek TV series) working -- then we'll be able to go where ever, whenever! {VBG}

Personally, no, I don't have a book I can recommend on shuttle tatting -- yet!  However, our instructor on Sunday strongly recommended the book pictured here on the right.    I have it on my current wish list of books to acquire, but at an OOP (out of print) price tag starting at $103, I'm willing to wait.  (The picture on the left is another one of the instructors pieces she had on display.) 

At the workshop we were given (legal) copies of "How to Tat; Understanding the Double Stitch" by Mark Myers.  You can purchase instructions from him at www.tat-man.net/tatting.html.

I hope this helps,
~Dee

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All Knotted Up

Yesterday I joined Avis, Marietta, Grace, and Priscilla -- all of us members of the ConnecticutCrochet Yahoo! group.  We met at the Bethel Library for the Tatting Workshop the library sponsored.  Our instructor was Joan Thomas, who has been tatting for 10 years.  The samples she had on display were amazing!  Some were even beaded!

In the world of Tatting there are three techniques:
1. Cro-Tatting
2. Needle Tatting
3. Shuttle Tatting

We were learning the third, how to Shuttle Tat.  To make learning easier we used yarn rather than thread.   Our first lesson was on how to "pop" ... to transfer the knot from one string to the other.  I did fairly well there. 

Our second lesson was making the half knots.   Again, I did fairly well. 

But combining the two lessons?  Where one makes one half knot, transfers it over, makes the other half knot and then transfer that over to complete the stitch?  LOL, I think Avis and I had more fun laughing.   

But, eventually, I did catch on to combining the two lessons to create the required two half stitches, properly transferring them to the core yarn (it takes two half stitches to create one completed tatting stitch).  All I need to do is practice more.  And that's fine with me!  :)

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Crochet Display @ Local Library

In honor of National Crochet Month my family and I spent the afternoon yesterday creating a crochet display at our local library.  Initially we were told that we would have the display case for the second half of the month, so when the library called the other day and said we could have it for the entire month I was one stoked crocheter!

The projects placed into the case include antique Irish lace and trim, and doilies.  These items reflected crochet from our past.  The projects reflecting our present included a wire & fiber beaded necklace, a fabric hotpad, a leather barrett, a felted bag, a freeform bag, a knitted Tunisian pillow, a beaded bikini top, and more!

Then a variety of crochet hooks were added: some bone, an old steel hook, a wooden one, the two Graydog hooks that appeared in the Nov/Dec issue of PieceWork, and so on.   The final touch was peppering the items with various facts about crochet.  Everyone that came over while we were working on it enjoyed looking at the pieces.  

When the case was complete it was time to donate some books, four total:  Melody MacDuffee's "Overlay Crochet," Melissa Leapman's "Cool Crochet, "Big-Hook Crochet," and most importantly, Noreen Crone-Findlay's "Creative Crocheted Dolls: 50 Whimsical Designs" -- donated in memory of Ruth Arbitelle, one of the founders of the Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club, who passed away during the Christmas season.  Ruth was a huge fan of crochet, collecting dolls, and of Noreen. 

On behalf of the Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club, Connecticut Chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, we invite you to visit the display, or contact a library in your area and do the same.  And/or donate a crochet book or two -- inspiring someone to try something new, or to pick up a crochet hook for the first time is a great way to celebrate National Crochet Month!  :)

Guest Blogger: Mini~Dee

Hi, it's Mini~Dee.  I'm blogging today so mom can get the materials ready for the library display we'll be working on later today.  The display is part of our crochet club's* celebration for National Crochet Month that starts today. Mom said the display will have antique crochet pieces and modern stuff too.  Then we'll donate some crochet books.  It will be fun helping her put the display together.

I'll be celebrating National Crochet Month too. I think my mom wrote about how together we'll be offering lessons to parents & kids at our local library for three months.  But what she didn't tell you is now there's even more to celebrate!  Yesterday my school principle asked me to consider creating an after school crochet club!   And I'm going to do it!  It will be like the "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" sessions my mom goes to every month, only this one will be for the kids in my school, and we won't be drinking coffee.  I think we'll do juice and cookies instead.  Even my brother, Dee Jr., is excited about this.  I'm going to invite the kids that know how to knit too.  My mom said that as a group we could even consider working on something for charity.  I think it will be a lot of fun and can't wait to design the flyer to hand out to my classmates. 

How are you going to celebrate National Crochet Month?

* I am the youngest member of my CGOA Chapter, The Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club.