Tag Archives: linda

Unexpected Journeys- A Little Like Life

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ScannedImageThe interesting thing about ideas is that you never know when they are needed, or used. My latest released design, Holiday Sequins Sweater, reminds me of that, its journey was an awkward one, but now it sits on the cover of the Winter 2015 issue of Love of Crochet. I may not have even known that it graced the pages, let alone the cover had it not been brought to my attention by a very compassionate and supportive designer, Marly Bird. She had noticed it, took a picture of the cover and tag me in a Facebook post.

IMG_20151201_172418778The idea for this sweater came to me nearly four years ago as I was swatching with a yarn, which I believe has been since discontinued. I was inspired by a top that my sister had given me that had this cowl type neck, but I was never happy with how it only came to my waist line, it felt to short. I created a sketch to accompany the swatch of a simple texture, and sent it to various publishers, none of which were interested. As the seasons changed I would send it to a couple of other publishers, but it never found the right fit, until I answered a call for designs for a new book that Lorna Miser was putting together.

At the time, I had never met Lorna, yet I had heard about her as a local legend. She is the original founder of Lorna’s Lace Yarn, and actually began the business just a couple of miles from me as I was growing up. Of course I had no knowledge of this at the time, or frankly the interest, but as I grew older and even began working in the crochet/yarn industry, people would notice my street address and ask if I knew Lorna. That is just how small the world can be, she began the business and grew it for several years literally just down the street from me.

She has since sold the business and is focused on designing, and was putting together a new crochet book, one in which this sweater made to cut for, so the sample was made and the pattern written. The book never made it to fruition, but the design found its way to Love of Crochet, where unbeknown to me it landed on the cover. When the design was conceived I really thought that it was great, but then it was constantly rejected, then I thought it had found its way into an actual hard copy book, to learn that things had shifted once again. It was then possible that it may make it to the light of day, only to then dance upon the cover.

This seemingly long journey, which had a couple of twists and turns, just to have a pattern for a sweater, reminds me a little of how things ultimately go in life. You think you are on one path then all of the sudden you are on another and you end up in places that you may not have expected. So as I begin the time of year that has me usually reflecting on the past, looking at where things were a year or two earlier this design will remind me that you never know where the journey might take you.

A Thankful Pledge

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ScannedImageI know that this is the time of year that many reflect on what they are thankful for, yet it is something that I try and remember every day. It is easy to sit down and make a list of things that you are grateful for, a time to not overlook the things we take for granted. However once a year doesn’t seem to truly make a difference in my life, I try to take stock a little more often.

Now I will not say that I have a gratitude book that I write in daily or anything, but I do focus on the simple things in life, I do not necessarily remember to tell those that make a difference in my life how much I appreciate them, but I reflect upon it…often. I think that this may be caused by my early realization of my morality. I remember growing up attending a funeral annually, sometimes more than that, and the deceased were always a variety of ages with deaths for a variety of reasons. I guess it set a foundation in me not to completely overlook the daily interactions.

I never part ways with my family without saying “I love you”, even if it is a quick run to the convenience store. I apologize when I lose my temper, even when I think I am right. I do my best to listen to all they have to say, even when my mind is racing with my “to do list”. I try and remind them that they are important to me with the simple actions in life.

With this season where everyone is listing that they are thankful for health, home, and comfort, I am thankful for these now and the everyday, and I pledge to keep the thankfulness alive daily. I only wish I could find a way to express my gratitude to those that I do not interact with daily…so maybe this is a good time to say thank you for your support in my crochet journey, it keeps me going, it inspires me, and it is so very appreciated. My wish for you is that you recognize your blessings and understand their value in your life daily.

When Crochet is Not My Friend

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ScannedImageIt almost never fails, this time of year brings out the anxiety in me. It feels like all the deadlines of life accumulate at this junction, and unfortunately crochet can lead to more problems than solutions.

This might sound odd. How can crochet be any kind of problem? Well for me it boils down to multi-tasking. Crochet is not a very multi-tasking friendly medium, it helps to relax and express creativity, and it even helps me not to reach for every piece of chocolate at every moment of the day (as my hands are busy working and cannot readily reach them). Yet when it comes to dealing with autumn crochet can be too much of my distraction.

DSCF0561A prime example of this occurred yesterday. I was planning on having a blog post sharing some of my fall happenings, like making quince and grape jelly, apple butter, and maybe even fresh homemade apple pie. I was excited about getting things done yesterday, and eagerly got into my juggle of everything that I could attempt to accomplish. I should mention here that I do live on a small farm, and this time of year is when the majority of my fruits need to be harvested, and after they are harvested I need to do something with them. Over the years I have realized that my harvest is completely different from year to year; some years I have a bounty of pears, others it maybe figs or walnuts, this year it is apples and zinfandel grapes.  That does not mean that I do not receive any of the other fruits, it just means that the crop of those mentioned was greater in size then the rest and larger than normal.

MP900384696So, as I began juicing the grapes for jelly, I also began cutting and cooking quince to create its jelly. As I was waiting for the quince to simmer and slowly break down and release their flavor and pectin to the water, I would work on a crochet project; getting up from my hook to check my cooking pot. This went on for a while. Then it happens, as it all too frequently does, time gets away from me. The fruit began to burn on the bottom of the pot, and add a not so very nice flavor to my jelly, all while I am creating.

My hook can sometimes be my downfall, it can be all to consuming and allow me to become lost in thought all too easily. So now that I have thrown out one batch of quince jelly, and need to work myself up into making a second, and then find a way to work up my stitches without having then completely distracting me.

Sometimes It Is the Basics That Make All the Difference

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ScannedImageIt is interesting how sometimes you overlook the simple. I always think of it as a challenge to see if there is a new way I can use a crochet hook; create a new approach to an old technique or combine pieces of several different techniques to create something different. However, sometimes it is just a simple chain stitch that can make the difference.

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Crossroad Leaves Shawl

Everyone that has used a hook has created a chain. It is the foundation to the beginning of almost every piece of fabric that a crocheter creates, but can it create a fabric its self? Of course it can.

In my latest design, I basically stumbled upon using the chain in this manner. I was using a lovely yarn, which had a very pretty, yet short color repeat. I wanted to get an effect of color pooling, or at least spans of the same color. Most crochet stitches were unable to aid me in creating this effect, as each stitch would use enough yarn to have more than one color in a stitch. Tunisian crochet allows for the color to work this way more, but I wanted a fabric that was a little more fluid. So I began to play.

Sometimes when I am attending an event of one of my children, I bring along a yarn that has no particular project and play with various stitches as a visit with other parents or cheer my child on. This was the case with this design. My fingers almost mindlessly began creating chains stacked upon chains, and I was really drawn to the result, from it Crossroad Leaves Shawl was born.

IMG_7280.1This shawl is worked from the center outward with a simple stitch repeat for the main fabric, and has two bands of my rendition of leaves, and edged with smaller “leaves”. Overall it has a beautiful drape, and feels great in the hand. It is actually a one skein project, using Lisa Souza Dyeworks Baby Alpaca Silk Petite, the color way is a limited edition (Rhinebeck 2015), but the color way of Deep Fall, Fall Leaves, or Leaf Pile easily can fit the bill for an almost exact replica. However there are so many beautiful colors available and this pattern would easily highlight any colors that may have a short repeat.

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Crossroad Leaves Shawl

The creation of this design does have me reviewing some stitches I may have overlooked (this particular stitch is already destined for another design), and opening my thoughts to some of the simple structure that is the back bone of crochet.

If you would like to add this pattern to your collection, you can find it on Ravelry & Craftsy.

New Respect for the Makers of Yarn

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ScannedImageI have a new found appreciation for the work any small independent yarn company or dyer does. This last weekend I had the opportunity to experience the New York Sheep & Wool Show, at the Duchess County Fairground in Rhinebeck, NY by working in the booth of Lisa Souza Dyeworks.

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Beautiful colors at the NY Sheep & Wool Show at the Duchess County fairground, Rhinebeck, NY

As many can image, these small businesses have yarn specially milled, some do custom dyeing to bring beautiful and unique colors, some work with specialty fibers to bring us unique and soft yarns. We can easily imagine the obvious parts of the business, like putting the color on the yarns, of raising the animals to shear or comb for fibers, but the true essence behind what it takes for them to stay in business is something that we can easily overlook.

I have worked this booth in the past at different venues, but this is the first time I have been there from set-up to take down. Usually I assist people looking for various yarns, I answer questions, and help replace stock, however this time in addition to the meet with the customers, I helped set the product on the walls, getting everything in place for its first customers and then helped put everything into the moving truck the moment the show ends on Sunday.

Now I have heard the stories of the Rhinebeck show. This is its 35 year of operation, and it has quite a reputation. It is a full fiber show that invites the whole family. There are a variety of sheep breeds, as well as shearing demonstrations, spinning competitions, weaving demonstrations, interesting food vendors, many vendors featuring fiber related goods, book signings and all round simple wholesome good times. This show receives a large number of people over just two days, I have heard figures average about 60,000 people over the weekend, I can say it does feel like that many.

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Nancy & Deb have no problem eating lunch at a picnic table in snow flurries. Definitely giving me memories.

After working on the floor over the events two days, I can say I was completely exhausted. I met many people, made some new friends and spent some time with long time ones, (such as Margaret Hubert, Jessie Rayot, Shari White, Nancy Smith, Andrea Giattini, and Deb Seda,  even if a couple of them thought it was warm enough to share lunch on the picnic bench while there were snow flurries, I may not have mentioned that it was cold during the event…temperatures somewhere in the 30’s (F) on Sunday). I even met Katy Clement who had a video of my competition with Lily Chin at the 2014 CGOA Chain Link Conference (Knit & Crochet Show) in Concord, NC (at the Fun Night, I had beat everyone else in the room at speed crocheting, and then got to face off against Lily Chin for the title…yes, I lost, but Lily is really fast). She shared the video with me and I am happy to share it with you here (IMG_3743).

Then after the show closed the real work began, the entire product, all the display needed to come down, be boxed up and placed in the moving truck. So after being on your feet for 10-12 straight hours the last 3 consecutive days, after traveling over 3000 miles, you then need to make a final push and make it all go away. It was physically draining (I am sure I lost some weight), I used muscles that I forgot I had. Then you realize, every show is like this. There is nothing overly special for vendors at this show (except that the amount of people can generate into more sales), but these small independent yarn companies do this multiple time a year, some more than once a month to get their yarn into your hands. I met one vendor that will have done 18 shows this year; I didn’t even ask how many miles they have traveled.

It is not an easy job that they undertake, a job that is a passion about yarn. I appreciate what they go through to keep a viable business, and keep a great product available for me to work with. My hats off to them and all small businesses that go extra miles that most of us just take for granted.