Tag Archives: Crochet

Ready for National Teaching- Chainlink 2016

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ScannedImageI am not sure where the month has gone. I have been working on making sure I have everything in place for my first opportunity to teach at a national conference.

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Samples for Re-Invented Broomstick Lace July 14, 2016 Charelston, SC

In just 2 short weeks I will be teaching at the Knit & Crochet Show as part of the Crochet Guild of America’s annual Chainlink Conference, in Charleston, SC (July 13-16, 2016). I have 4 classes, and will be teaching a variety of topics, some techniques like beads and broomstick lace, as well subject knowledge like understanding patterns & yarn.

It is a little amazing how different teaching at these events are then the weekly teaching I have been doing for years. To begin with the class size is at least double, if not triple what I usually have. I hope that I can still bring a personal feel that my local students have come to expect, as well as having that class feel like they are learning together. It is a unique balance.

Another of the many differences is ensuring that I have all the materials I need. In smaller settings, I can usually step out and pick up anything in my local yarn store to illustrate my point, if a question is asked. At this conference I will be in a hotel conference room, I will not have an opportunity to improvise. So the last couple of weeks have been focused on writing and re-writing handouts, creating stacks of materials, and attempting to foresee questions.

I think I may have it dialed in, or at least I am close. I have yarn samples, stitch samples, beads, handouts, and tools all set in stacks, as I ensure that the checklists I have created cover every aspect of the class. It is a new adventure and I hope that I am up for the challenge, I will have to post next month how everything turns out…stay tuned.

Bead Crochet Hooks! Love these by Tulip!

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ScannedImageFrom my trip to the TNNA trade show I got to check out some great products, some I am awaiting to be shipped to me, but I did however bring home a bead crochet set from Tulip hooks, as well as some stitch markers.

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Love these bead crochet hooks and stitch markers by Tulip!

I have already put them to use on a new design that I am working up, and let me tell you I LOVE them. Tulip makes a great product that feels comfortable to use and there is a lot of thought put into them. Things that you will take completely for granted. Things like the balanced weight of the hook, and the shape of the head, to how it fits in your hand. With the bead hooks, they even have a cover that slips over the head of the hook, this is a benefit. Often times these small little hooks tend to snag many things quite easily, and the simple cover prevents this.

The sizes are clearly marker, in numeric sizing and metric. One of the things that stands out for me with these is that it is an ergonomic handle and hook that can be used for thread crochet. I have many steel hooks, and see many large handled crochet hooks, but I cannot think of when I see them in thread hook sizes. These hooks do fit that need.

I love the zippered pouch that the set comes with, it hold 5 different sizes and has an extra pocket to hold, in my case beads, but it can hold stitch makers, yarn needles, just about anything that you may need to have at hand. If you do any thread work, or work beads into your crochet I would recommend that you check them out.

Check out some of Tulip hook at Designing Vashti.

 

A Tradeshow that becomes an Adventure

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ScannedImageFollowing the world of yarn can lead to some interesting adventures. Last week I attended the National Needleworks Association (TNNA) winter trade show, which is established to allow yarn, thread, needlepoint, and any other related manufactures and supplies to be in one spot and show their new wears to potential buyers. This show was in Washington D.C. and was as it usually is, a complete whirlwind.

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Love the Mountain Color booth at TNNA in Washington DC

I saw many yarns, met many people, and left exhausted and overwhelmed. I hope to see some samples of the products I checked out at my home soon, so that I can get more equated with them, and share my thoughts with you.

I was able to meet up with my college roommate for dinner, which was an added trip bonus. I was able to meet his lovely wife, while catching up on old times. Amazing how 17 years can pass between meetings, but we can pick up on conversations like they were yesterday.

I also was fortunate enough to take part in a needle works tour of the National Cathedral. I did not get to complete the tour, as I needed to get to the airport for my journey home, but the part that I saw and heard was wonderful.

Now this is where the real adventure of my trip began, and definitely made a lasting memory. I got to Dulles airport, and was surprised to find no lines at security, nor real bad traffic in getting there for that matter. Then I learned that my flight to Denver was delayed, first 30 minutes, then an hour, ultimately it was delayed an hour and a half. It was still enough time to meet my connecting flight in Denver, so I didn’t think too much of it, until landing in Denver and realizing my connecting flight to Sacramento was cancelled. I had never had to deal with this in travel, so I guess I cannot complain too much.

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Myself and Marly as she dropped me at the airport the next morning. Thank you Marly! What a nice unexpected visit.

I learned that by the time that my flight landed 30 flights had already been cancelled, and that was just by my airline. Apparently Denver had been under tornado warning most of the afternoon and evening. No hotels rooms were available, and it was well after midnight, so I began to find a quiet place to sleep, under a set of seats, and posts a picture of my sleeping arrangements to Facebook. About an hour later, after getting the usual 15 minutes of possible sleep, I checked my phone to find that a post was made just a few minutes earlier from a colleague and friend asking why I hadn’t given her a call. I did not realize that she lived so close to the airport, and after some back and forth, Marly Bird, the podcaster, designer, and Red Heart Ambassador came and picked me up at 2:30 in the morning to give me a few hours of sleep on her sofa.

The next morning, I got to see where all the magic happens in her studio before she returned me to the airport to begin my day of travel to Northern California via Southern California. I finally got home the next night, but this trade show showed me more than just some new yarns, it showed me just how generous people in this industry can be. It is definitely a trip I will not forget anytime soon.

Coiled Crochet! Keeping it Neat

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ScannedImageI am beginning to see crochet possibilities everywhere in my home. It seems to be a “go to” solution for even the simplest of inconveniences.

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Coiled my charger with crochet, saving space and now I have a pad for my phone to rest on.

The other day I was cleaning and getting discouraged by all the cords for various electronics that look like tangles nests for spiders around my house. They do tend to group together, I mean if it is with entertainment area, there are several cords almost all grouped in the same area, creating what looks to me like an unruly pile. I know that there are contraptions I can purchase that are supposed to keep these neat and orderly, but I feel like crochet and fulfill my need and give me an added bonus.

I began with my cell phone charger. The cord is longer then I need it to be, in the area that I charge at, so I began to coil.

I started by crocheting over the cord, then creating a loop and still crocheting over the cord I began working in the beginning stitches, essentially I am crocheting in the round, in a spiral method, while working over the cord. I left the charging end free, and continued until the cord was a more desirable length. The added bonus to this is that now I have a little resting pad for my phone as it charges!

I can easily see this working within many areas of my home. That table lamp, the computer, the printer, the possibilities are endless, and then each get can rest on a pad and give a little extra safe guard to my furniture getting scuffed.

It is easy enough to get more length from the cord when needed, I simply unravel the crochet and the cord is in perfect shape. So now I hope I am on to a more neat and orderly dwelling.

Crochet Knees

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ScannedImageIf you have read my blog for a while you may have realized that I am a little, let’s see, what’s the word…ah yes, thrifty. So in the spirit of thirstiness, I have been attempting to get some more life out of blue jeans my children run wild in.

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One knee mended, one more to go. Crochet patches tend to have more stretch

I am not sure if something has changed in the manufacturing over time, but the knees on their pants tend to split open in a relatively short period of time. Maybe it is the tree climbing, the running, or the playing in dirt that my kids still do within our rural lifestyle, but it seems that they are hard on their clothes. So of course that means that we have “good” clothes and “play” clothes. However when the knees get bad enough that they can stick a leg threw, I find a way to mend them to get a little more time out of them.

Sure I could cut them and make them shorts, but trust me they have an abundance of those. I have used fabric patches, but they do not tend to last as long as I would like, tearing out and just becoming flaps over the open knees. So I have taken to making my own, with crochet.

I crochet a few motifs, different shapes like flowers, and different colors. My kids enjoy coming up with ideas for me to crochet into patches, and the stitches seem to allow the fabric to stretch more and thus do not wear out as quickly as the fabric patches. I then pin them in place and reluctantly sew. I say reluctantly as sewing is not my number one favorite skill, but at least this way I get to enjoy some crochet in the chore.

I keep telling them that it is a new fashion statement, who knows maybe it will be. I just really hope that they are not tearing out the knees so that they can keep up with this “new” fashion.