Tag Archives: Fun Night

Taking Pictures….Having Images

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ScannedImageI realized I am bad at taking photos. Not that I take bad pictures, I just do not take photos as often as everyone else, and often forget about doing it at all. For example last week I was in Concord, North Carolina at the Fall Knit and Crochet Show, I had a wonderful time, but do I have any photos to show for it? Not really, I was too busy doing to think about recording. I met so many wonderful people, visited with new and old friends, learned lots and became so engrossed in crochet and yarn that I forgot about my camera.

MP900305796There were so many events to get to meet people that I was completely engaged for long periods of time (for those that have met me, you understand that I do tend to talk a bit).

I enjoyed helping with Professional Development Day. I had excellent instructors throughout the event, that I highly recommend, (Vashti Braha, Mary Beth Temple and Dora Ohrenstein), I enjoyed the banquet dinner and playing in the fashion show, I had a blast at the Fun Night (I even won the speed crochet competition and went head to head with Lily Chin, the renowned fastest crocheter, I didn’t dethrone her but had a lot of fun). Even the simple things like meeting new people over breakfast or appetizers were great highlights, but I have not a photo to show for it.

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Photo at my pattern signing

I did manage to pull out my camera on the show room floor, but only to take a couple of shots of design competition winners (I had some friends that couldn’t make the event, that placed in various categories), and I got a shot of me at my pattern signing. But really the memories I have are well secured in the stories that I lived, I may not be able to show you, but they are there in my heart and mind. I cannot wait to go back again and immerse myself in the experiences again, maybe next time I’ll think about the camera.

If you would like to check out pictures of the design contest entrants I highly recommend checking out Doris Chan’s blog post, she highlights all the winners (that is mine at the top of the page), as well as a slide show of all the entrants (there was so many great designs, I feel blessed to have placed at all, I am really I did not have to be a judge).

Photos may help share memories, but mine are quite vivid for me.

Where the Crocheters Are

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Guests at CGOA Conference Dinner in Indianapolis 2013

ScannedImageI never really think to pull out my camera, so I’m probably an abnormality in this day and age, which is why I didn’t get more photos of all the wonderful things I saw. Last week I was in Indianapolis last week attending the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) Summer Chain Link Conference (sometime known as the Knit and Crochet Show), and had a wonderful time. There are always so many inspiring people that have a love for crochet (most of which are not published designers, or national teachers, not that those aren’t inspiring as well).

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Margaret Hubert and Nancy Smith- 2 great women that inspire crochet

If you have never attended a national conference, I recommend that you at least investigate going someday. If you are like me, you have looked at the cost and asked yourself, “Really, I think I could learn that from a book/video, so why spend that, to go there?” A very valid question, but what you get from the conference cannot really be measured in dollars. Granted attending a conference has launched my crochet career, but even if it hadn’t I would probably still attend, as the camaraderie of fellow crocheters is enough to encourage you to attempt new things and improve your hobby/craft in ways you could never anticipate. There is nothing like walking through a hotel lobby and seeing groups of crocheters seated in various clusters chatting and stitching away. I can’t think of anywhere I’ve felt so at home.

Some are fortunate enough to have this experience in their local community through crochet guilds or stitch clubs, at least at meetings and events that they sponsor. The conference is just a really large version of this, not to mention the teachers have many years of teaching experience and years of expertise, they have forgotten more then I will ever learn.

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Fun Night at the Conference in Indianapolis 2013, Show & Share

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My first pattern signing!! Thanks to Crochetville.com, Amy Shelton, Tammy Hildebrand, and Ellen Gormley for all the support.

Well I could probably go on for a while about how much I love these conferences, but if you are interested in experiencing one for yourself, join me October 2-6 in Concord (just outside Charlotte), NC (click here for more information), or if you would like to create a crochet community in your town, investigate the support the CGOA can provide in helping you.