Celebrating – Page 13

I’m Back!

September 19, 2012September 19, 2012Celebrating, CGOA, Chain Link, Crochet2 Comments

Whew! It’s been a busy, crazy, fun-filled 2 weeks. I just got back from the Reno Knit and Crochet Show last night and today is all about catching up.

I really just want to play with my new yarn and practice the cool stuff I learned from the classes I took.

I was in Vashti Braha’s Introduction to Slip Stitch on Thursday. Which was just as incredibly inspiring as I expected. I can hardly wait to explore the options for the fabrics we were creating in her class. Will definitely be designing more using these stitches in the future. You can learn more about Vashti and her amazing fount of crochet knowledge on her website Designing Vashti.

Then took 2 Hairpin Lace classes with Jennifer Hansen on Saturday. I didn’t expect much from myself for learning hairpin lace, but Jen proved to be the amazing teacher she always is and I am now a hair-pin lace crocheting stitcher. Wooot! Honestly, if you’ve never taken a class with Jennifer Hansen/Stitch Diva treat yourself and get into one ASAP. She really breaks down what seems complicated and confusing into manageable bites. You can learn more about Jennifer Hansen at her website Stitch Diva Studios.

I promise more photos and news from the Reno Chain Link very soon.

Curvy Girls Celebrate!

August 24, 2012August 23, 2012Book Reviews, Celebrating, Crochet, Crochet DesignLeave a Comment

How many of us, over the age of 25, who crochet are a size 0 or size 2 in garments? Not me, that’s for darn sure.

Yet, many of the garment patterns that you see in books and magazines are rarely sized for larger women. Sometimes you will see them sized up to a 2X.

Fortunately there is now a book for crochet patterns that were specifically designed for women built with curves. “Curvy Girl Crochet; 25 Patterns that Fit and Flatter” by Mary Beth Temple is available from Taunton Press. Official publication date is September 1st, but I know a number of folks that had pre-ordered the title from Amazon have received theirs already.

This book is all about creating garments that look good on plus-size figures. Not only are all the patterns written for size Large up to 5x, but there are 2 chapters giving you the inside scoop on how to achieve the most flattering fit for your figure type.

When Mary Beth was in the process of developing this book she decided she wanted to include some designs from guest artists, and I was fortunate to be one of those invited to propose designs. My “Skirt the Issue” wrap skirt was chosen and can be found on page 130 of the book.

I wanted to create a skirt that would be flattering, yet not become too heavy from the amount of yarn used in it. So I looked at Hyperbolic math for some answers.

The sizing comes from the waistband, then steady increases create a fabric that skims over the hips into a lacy fullness that swirls around the knees. The transition into lace work at the bottom third of the skirt keeps the overall weight of the skirt from becoming too heavy.

There are 24 other lovely sweaters, wraps and wonderful garments in this book as well. It’s a great addition to any crocheter’s library and will be available to purchase just about everywhere. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Local Yarn Shops, Annie’s Attic, Patternworks, JoAnns, Hobby Lobby, Michaels. So you should have no problem getting a copy of your own.

Seriously Pink

July 26, 2012Celebrating, Crochet, Hooks2 Comments

Hot pink is sort of becoming my signature color. It all started with my Two Hands logo and has built from there. Whenever I am looking for items for my crocheting or other business needs I seem to find hot pink colored items catching my eye.

Such as the extremely portable Ott-lite that I keep in my project bag.

Or the protective cover for my Android Tablet.

Best latest Pink acquisition is my new set of Etimo hooks from the Tulip Company. I purchased these beauties at the Market during the Manchester Chain Link. In fact almost all of my shopping took place at their booth. Though these were the only Pink purchase.

I knew I had to have them as soon as I saw them in the booth. Not only is the case nice and sturdy, but each of the hook handles is a different shade of pink. I’m not as thrilled with the pale pink ones…but they are a huge improvement over the dark gray handles of the original Etimo hooks. The hook sizes are in Japanese sizes, which makes no never mind to me as I go by the millimeter measurements anyway.

And the metal of the hooks is a lovely pinkish silver color too.

So do you have an irresistible color, that makes you think you must have that ball of yarn or new tool? Look around your belongings and stash, you might get a smile realizing that certain colors seem to creep in when you are not thinking about it.

Happy May Day!

May 1, 2012Celebrating, InspirationLeave a Comment

Yikes! I just about missed it this year.

When I was a little girl we would make little paper baskets and fill them with flowers, then place them on neighbor’s doors. We would knock then hide…not really sure why or where we got the idea. It was lots of fun to brighten someone’s day with some pretty flowers though.

So here are some pretty flowers for my readers. Lilacs are my very favorite flowers, for me they are the scent of May. I took these shots at the Denver Zoo recently, the white lilacs were really wonderful smelling.

The month is already shaping up to be a busy one here. It’s the last month of school for my boys and I have sold a bunch of projects that are due this month and next month.

If I can grab a bit of time in the next few weeks I hope to create another fun little flower pattern before the end of the month. I will try not to neglect the blog too badly, but if I’m absent you’ll know where I’m off to.

Hope May is a month of renewal and happiness for all of you.

Happy NatCroMo!

March 1, 2012February 29, 2012Celebrating, CrochetLeave a Comment

It’s National Crochet Month here in the US, and on Ravelry it is being celebrated as International Crochet Month…since that is a very international crowd and there is a fun Party going on over there if you’d like to join in.

This is a month to celebrate all that crochet is and can be. The multitude of myths about crochet abound, and I am planning to blog about some and “de-bunk” them thru-out this month. We will also be taking a look at some of my own crochet history, as well as solving some of my crochet “mysteries”.

Starting with one of my very first crochet hooks. I’m not sure when this crochet hook came into my possession. But best guess is it was around 40 years ago. Looking at the markings on the hook it is an older Boye J hook. One side of the thumbrest says, “Boye” , the other says, Size J U.S.A. It doesn’t have any mili-meter measurements on it.

So I’m curious, does anyone have any idea when this hook might have been manufactured by Boye? Leave your thoughts in the comments and maybe we can figure out this minor mystery together.

Another Crocheter

February 19, 2012Celebrating, Crochet

One of my very favorite things is getting other folks excited about crochet. So I teach, whenever and where ever I get an opportunity. Last night I was in Denver at the LambShoppe’s PJ Jam and I had a great time working with the lovely Jill to help her “re-learn” crochet.

She said it had been many years since she had crocheted and she had known how to make granny squares. She had inherited her grandmother’s crochet hooks and some other needle-crafting supplies so wanted to get back into the craft.

She had decided to make a scarf for her first project, so I taught her a simple V-st pattern. And before we all knew it she was stitching away. It was so exciting to see her having a great time playing with yarn.

She did an awesome job with my rule #1 when crocheting: You have to have Fun!

My Little Purple Wagon

February 12, 2012Celebrating, Health and Self Care, Product ReviewsLeave a Comment

Okay, it’s not really a wagon. But it does sort of behave like one.

This is my new Tutto Carry-on. It has 4 wheels that can go in all different directions, an incredibly strong yet lightweight frame, and a nifty telescoping handle that allows me to either push or pull the case when it is full.

After my recent trip to Phoenix for the TNNA Winter Show I knew I needed a better way to carry stuff at shows I attend. My neck, shoulders and back were not happy with me hauling around heavy totes. My big black bag will still be useful at shows and conferences, but hopefully this little “wagon” will also serve me when I need something that can manage the weight better than my shoulders.

What is really nifty is how it folds up so I can store it easily between trips. I’ll give a more comprehensive review in the Fall once I’ve tried it out on a trip.

17 Days of Silence

January 25, 2012Celebrating, TNNALeave a Comment

Wow! January is nearly over and that Bang I was talking about in the last post has created a sonic Boom.

I came home yesterday from Phoenix, Arizona where this past weekend I attended my first ever TNNA show. And that dear readers is why I have been so quiet.

Even though I was only there Friday afternoon thru Tuesday morning, there was a lot happening before I left home. Simple family life stuff, like making sure the laundry was caught up enough that my husband wouldn’t send the boys to school in garments that can stand on their own. And not so simple household emergencies; like the water pressure dropping so laundry, showers and baths became challenging to schedule.

Of course, life isn’t complete if amongst the household mayhem we don’t have some wild shifting design and writing deadlines. Packing for the trip to TNNA also added its own flavor as well.

Fortunately all was not lost, everything was taken care of as needed and I left bright and early Friday morning for the Denver International Airport. Flight delays and travel adventures aside, I was thrilled to make it to my hotel in Phoenix. A quick change into warm-weather clothing, a brisk walk to the Convention Center and I was officially at TNNA.

The main reason I was there was to help the talented Mary Beth Temple by setting up her display for her pattern line “Hooked for Life Publishing” in the Bryson booth, whilst she was occupied teaching classes. Which is why my badges say “Hooked for Life Publishing” and “Bryson Distributing, LLC”. Of course it was a bit confusing because people kept asking me where Tenafly, New Jersey is. The first time I was baffled.

Once things were set up I was on my own until Monday afternoon to take things down. Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the show hours were all about traveling the show floor and exploring the variety of products that vendors were offering to retail outlets to sell.

There was yarn, yaRN, and YARN everywhere I looked. Colorful, beautiful, touchable yarn. In my opinion this was pretty darn close to heaven. A vertriable visual feast. I made a very long list of yarns I will be encouraging my favorite LYSs to get in store so I can swatch like a mad thing.

Every evening after the show floor was closed I spent going out to dinner and hanging out with my designer friends that were there. It was great fun to talk yarn and design challenges with others who share my obsession.

Clearly sleep was not a priority during this weekend. Once I’ve caught up a bit and recovered the missing brain cells, I will be posting some exciting stuff. Including reviewing some goodies that I was given at the show.

Bang! 2012 is Rocking Already

January 7, 2012January 7, 2012Celebrating, Creativity, Crochet Design, Humor1 Comment

Here we are one week into 2012 and I’m looking at my resolutions and goals once again. Didn’t we just do this?

I know I’m marking myself as gaining in years with this comment, but it does really seem like every year is passing by more quickly than it’s predecessor. Of course it could be explained mathematically. Yeah, like you didn’t see that one coming.

It’s all about proportionate relative POV (point of view). For a child 5 years old, 1 year is equal to only 1/5 of his life experience. So that year seems to pass slowly as he anxiously awaits each of the markers of the passing year: Halloween, Christmas, his 6th Birthday. Where for me at 48 years, 1 year is equal to 1/48 of my life experience and those same markers seem to come along at warp speed.

This New Year started off with a bang, work and family life were both keeping me on my toes, so getting to the blog has been a bit delayed. Finally found a moment to think about what my resolutions are for this year.

#1 – Make time every week to play with my children. This has actually been going pretty well as the boys got lots of Legos and some board games for Christmas. I figure I need to make the effort to play with them while they want me to, as they are growing up so fast.

#2 – Do more volunteer work with organizations that matter to me. I love going to the CGOA conferences each year to learn new techniques, spend time with crocheting and designing buddies and shopping the unique offerings at the marketplace. I’ll be doing more with the CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) this year than ever before. Because I’ve agreed to work with Doris Chan and Shari White as part of the CGOA Design Competition committee.

#3 – Purge my household and creative “stuff” to create more space in my home and office. Yes, I seem to have this resolution every year (or some version of it) but it is a never-ending process as more “stuff” seems to come in on a daily basis.

Modeled-with-Rock — M2H Designs: Tumbling Leaves Scarf

#4 – Publish at least 8 crochet designs in my M2H Designs line. Just this week I published the first one of the year, Tumbling Leaves Scarf. If I can manage to do that at least every month I’ll fulfill this goal easily.

#5 – Finish 2 fine art pieces of a good size. Say at least 1 foot by 2 feet. With all the design and writing work I’ve been doing recently, my art studio and art supplies have been getting lonely. I’ve also been wanting to make time to explore using more textile pieces and techniques in my “fine art” work.

#6 – Get back into a regular Yoga practice again, working up to doing an hour of yoga 3 times a week by the end of the year. I have found my life more sedentary with the work I do now (design and writing), so making myself stick to regular exercise is becoming more important to my overall well-being.

Out with the Old, In with the New

December 31, 2011Celebrating, Latest NewsLeave a Comment

It’s been a chilly windy end to the year up here on my mountain. I have spent a good part of yesterday and today tidying my work areas in preparation for the busy months ahead. Sort of my own version of out with the old and in with the new.

Sarah had been helping me, but today had to take a rest since she caught the stomach bug I had nearly a week ago. So we are keeping her curled up on the sofa with warm blankets and a cozy fire in the wood-stove.

I will have some new designs in my M2H Design line to show all of you early in 2012.

In the meantime, I’m wishing all my readers a very warm healthy and Happy New Year.