Freeform Crochet

I found this while looking at some other sites. I could have used it a few weeks ago when we were having the rain & sleet & such, but it's still cool to see anytime. I can't say I have done much in the way of freefrom, but it does intrigue me.
so check it out:

Click here: 2007 International Freeform Crochet Exhibits

_enjoy_

Payton update: no new news

Hooked on Annie's Favorite Crochet?

You probably know, if you got the June 2007 issue of "Annie's Favorite Crochet" that "Annie's Favorite Crochet" and "Hooked On Crochet" merging, with a "bright cover wrap" announcing the news in August. I'm not too thrilled about it and there was no real reason given - just "in order to serve our readers better". How does getting one magazine instead of two serve me better, unless the magazine is a total of 94 pages, double the current page count.
I shouldn't complain, I don't even know what it's going to be like yet. Hopefully it will be a good thing. But I'm never happy when a crochet magazine bites the dust.

Payton update:
They put a feeding tube in his nose so they can bolus a liquid feed. The pain medication is making him very lethargic and he doesn't want to eat. So they did this because he needs a lot of calories to help his body heal. They are supposed to take out some staples on Tuesday. They have to put him under to give him a bath because of the pain and they can't have him thrashing around.

why it's good to go to a sheep & wool festival;)

You may have heard of this story. It might even be a big joke for all I know, but I'm sharing it with you because I think you might need a laugh.

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=376854


Payton update:

Resting comfortably, he's getting a little upset that he can't see his younger brother or play. Unfortunately, until he can walk again, he can't see his younger brother (he's not quite a year old) due to all sorts of precautions they must take so the kids in that area don't get infections.

ripple pattern

I crocheted a _lot_ of ripple stitch afghans in the '70s with those lovely '70s colors;) You know, the avocado green and harvest gold stuff, the yarn in the ripple stitch kit. I recently bought a wool one at a thrift shop, intending to felt it and maybe make a bag or a hook holder with it. But crochet felts differently than knit. A knitted article will felt so you can't see the individual stitches. The felted crochet afgan still shows distinct stitches.

But this isn't really about my experiments in the washer. I found a great blog, where the blogger made a bright ripple and it looks _great_. None of that going crazy because you can't really tell the difference between the 3 shades of light blue. (Am I the only one who has done that - switched the lighter shades proper place and not realize it until 12 rows or so?).

here's the spot:

Click here: yarnstorm: on the crest of a wave

and here's the Payton update
He had the third surgery yesterday. They bumped it up a day because his foot was swelling. They had to remove the dressing to look at the foot, so they decided to go ahead with the fourth skin graft. He is doing okay and healing well. Thanks for all the letters of support for me and my family. Payton still has a long way to go, but it looks like it's going well.

me, a winner?

I was quite pleasantly surprised when I read my mail tonight. I always read Dee's blog (sometimes several at once, trying to catchup)

CrochetingWithDee.com ~ Cheering for the Art of Crochet
Subject: And So She's Back ...

If you click this link, you will see that I was the guest blogger that won the hat from Dee. *wow* I'm so excited. It looks like a pretty sweet hat in the picture.

Payton update:
He is scheduled to have a fourth surgery on Wednesday. he is healing well. The doctors think the upcoming surgery may be the last. He'll have to have rehab to learn how to walk again. Payton's not happy with nurses now, but that's to be expected. But it also means myolder sibs will have to change out of their scrubs before they visit him....
if you'd like to send a card to Payton, here's the address:

Payton Potochney
c/o Johns Hopkins Hospital
600 North Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21287

thanks!

guest blogger - my favorite stitch

Many of you know (and follow) the "Crochet With Dee" blog. She asked for guest bloggers and I put in my two cents - here's the link in case you are interested:

http://journals.aol.com/crochetwithdee/CrochetWithDee/entries/2007/04/20/guest-blogger-robin/2083

As for Payton, they did a third surgery today and he is doing about as well as can be expected for an almost 3 year old kid having 3 surgeries in less than a week. They have now charged the 2 juveniles as adults in the case.

And maybe tomorrow I will post a shawl I made....

wired crochet

This is a link for wire crochet (that somebody posted somewhere else). I read the article and thought it was very clearly explained. You might want to check it out
www.torontosun.com/Lifestyle/2007/04/14/4013440-sun.html

I thought the tea lights were very cool.




Update on Peyton - he will have another skin graft surgery on Thursday. They have to use his own skin so it doesn't get rejected :( poor kid.

www.examiner.com/a-680196~Family_of_burned_toddler__Charges_too_light.html

some sad stuff

*sigh* my older greatnephew, one of the ones that got a bee, is in Hopkins with chemical burns on his legs. If you have heard about the child that went down a slide that had sulfuric acid on it, that's my great nephew.
http://wjz.com/video/?id=26721@wjz.dayport.com

He will be in the hospital probably 4 weeks or more, so if possible, think good thoughts about Peyton & his family....

the zine scene and amigurimi

A zine is one of those "labor of love" type of publications, it can be small like the old style "TV Guide" or larger, as the size of a "normal" magazine. But what do zines have to offer that a mainstream magazine doesn't? A lot more variety.
I recently purchased some issues of "Croq" from www.croqzine.com
I have to tell you, they did give some major freebies. I got a small magnet with "Croq" on it, a small pin from Frosty Lime Designs (www.frostylime.com). The pin appears to be made out of a small piece of china that has yellow roses on it. How did they know I loved yellow roses? So no kickback from theim in the traditional sense, just some cool freebies. Plus I got some ads for other zines.
I bought the Winter 2006, Issue 3 of "Croq" because they had a pattern of an amigurimi bee by Tamara Bower-Snow (www.roxycraft.com). As always, M's Bower-Snow's instructions were clear and concise. Her bee turned out to be much cuter than mine - but I still like mine. You can see that I didn't do the wings quite the way she did the wings. I just changed it a little bit. I made these to give to my two greatnephews for Easter (Payton, going on 3 and John, goin on 1) and they were well received.
But "Croq" is not strictly about crocheting (or any one particular craft).The Winter 2006 / Issue 3 has articles about podcasting, preparing for a craft fair, homeschooling and "The Church of Craft" as well as many recipes. Other issues have articles about do-it-yourself moving, recycling fabric and kids crafts. I haven't finished the set of "Croq" I have ordered, (work interferes) but I find it a well crafted publication. There is enough variety in the articles to keep any crafter interested. I'd suggest you at least take a look at it just for the fun of "Croq". All the contributors are very enthusiastic about their subject and seem to really enjoy themselves. Besides, where else can you find a magazine about amigurimi and homemade applesauce as well as do it yourself moving? Give it a try, it's really cool.

Knitty Gritty and Hairpin Lace

I do not receive a kickback* from "Knitty Gritty", Jennifer Hansen (or "Stitch Diva") or Ed Jenkins. I just want to share what I thought was a great show on hairpin lace.

Last Friday (April 6) on "Knitty Gritty", Jennifer Hansen from "Stitch Diva" was on the show to give a tutorial about hairpin lace. Vickie Howell, the host, kept referring to hairpin lace as a knitting technique, but M's Hansen told her it was a _crochet_ technique. (woo hoo!) If you ever wondered about how to create hairpin lace or even what you would do with it, I suggest checking out that particular "Knitty Gritty" (if you can). M's Hansen gave clear, concise instructions and showed how to combine hairpin lace and knitting. It was if your friend stopped by and showed you how to do a new skill. But the hat she created could be adapted to a crochet hat.
M's Hansen gave a tip I thought was _very_ helpful - okay, to me it was. She said when you are making hairpin lace, always make it longer than you think you will need. That way, when you match up the two (or three) pieces to crochet together, you will always be able to match the stitches precisely. Whatever hairpin lace you don't need can be eaily unraveled.
I was really impressed with the way she demonstrated the technique. And the hairpin lace tool she used was just _gorgeous_. I have an ancient Boye hairpin lace pin. It does the job, it's practical and it's probably older than I am, but I was quite impressed with the Ed Jenkins beautiful hairpin lace tool.
I'm including the link to the tutorial on the "Stitch Diva" site:
http://www.stitchdiva.com/custom.aspx?id=73

I'm thinking of maybe a shawl using hairpin lace....

*but if they offered me a kickback, I would take it.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Start saving up your money for a yarn splurge because the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is May 5th and 6th, 2007 at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Maybe you don't want to buy a sheep (it probably be energy efficent for your lawn), but there is a lot more to see and do at Sheep and Wool.
This is the 34th annual Sheep and Wool . Nope, I haven't attended all 33 of them;) But I have attended a lot of them and generally enjoy myself immensely. There's lots of yarn and animals (llamas, alpacas and rabbits as well as sheep) and lots of friendly people willing to show you various techniques.
If you intend to go, make sure you wear comfortable shoes. There is a good deal of walking on sometimes uneven surfaces and it's not the place for your stilleto heels - unless you're comfortable in them. Make sure you take a hat or sunglasses or something to block the sun - generally it's a warm (bordering on hot) sunny day and you will need the shade. Sunscreen is a good idea, but I always forget to bring it or if I bring it, I forget to use it.
No pets are allowed at Sheep and Wool. The only dogs allowed are service dogs. They are very strict about that rule. So if your dog is not a service dog, please keep him/her home. It can get very hot in a car and generally it's not a dog's idea of a good time to be cooped up in a hot car all day.
Bring cash as well as plastic. Lots of vendors take plastic, some don't. And some have minimum amounts you have to charge on your plastic. You may just want one of those fork recipe holders for a few bucks, so it's just easier to have the cash. You might want to take address labels or an ink pen with you - some places have sign ups for their mailing lists and you might want to join them.
I'd advise bringing a large bag. You might even want to tuck some water or a snack in it. Yes, you can buy the festival bag with the cover art on it at Sheep and Wool. But it's usually a tremendously long line to get one. And don't worry, if you don't get a chance to buy one at the festival (or the t-shirts /jackets /mugs), you can buy it online after the festival. That gives you a bit more money to spend.
The book you are given when you go into the festival has a map in it. You can check out and decide where you want to visit first. I usually walk up and down the aisles in the same way each year. Sometimes there are returning vendors in the same spot. One display that always amazes me, no matter how much I see it, is the woman spinning the angora yarn right off the bunny. The bunny is so docile while she gently plucks the fur and spins it.
Don't worry, there's a lot more types of yarn than just wool. There are some amazing hand dyed skeins that will just knock your socks off - well, at least they knock_my_socks off. There is almost any kind of yarn you might want to buy, yes, even Red Heart. I got a bag full of chenille for $5 one year, all it needed to be untangled. If you are interested in spinning your own yarn, they have bags of roving. It's a total yarn experience.
If you go, you might want to make a list of books you want - I always find something new there. Plus you don't have to special order it or pay postage and handling. Or you can look them over and think "hey, maybe I don't want this after all".
There are places to eat and drink at the festival. They sell lamb burgers, as well as regular burgers, fries, ice cream, the usual festival stuff. I think they even sell a deep fried Twinkie, or they did at one time. I'm definitely not that adventurous in the food department.

So there you are, all sorts of info on Maryland Sheep and Wool. Did I mention it is free admission and free parking?
here's the link:

www.sheepandwool.org

crochet acronyms for online groups

if you are involved with any online crochet groups, you've probably seen a lot of initials - you may know what some of the terminology is, you may not. Just to shed a little light on the acronyms and the meanings, I decided to post a list here. It's only a partial list, I'm sure there's a lot more out there I don't know about - or that may have slightly different meanings depending on your group.

Here goes:

IMHO = In my humble opinion
FWIW = For what its worth
LOL = Laughing out loud (sometimes )
OTOH = On the other hand
OTOP = On the other paw
RT*M = Read the * manual (or RT*FAQ)
ROFL = Rolling on the floor laughing
TIA = Thanks in advance
TTYL = Talk to you later
AA = Annie's Attic
ASN = American School of Needlework
ACADD = Adult Crochet Attention Deficit Disorder
BF = Boy/Best Friend
BION = believe it or not
CLADD = Crochet Listers Attention Deficit Disorder
COC = Church of Craft
AFAIK = As Far As I Know
AFAICT = As Far As I Can Tell
ATM = At The Moment
BHG = Better Homes and Gardens
BTW = By the Way
CC = Crochet Cramp
CGOA = Crochet Guild of America
CL = Crochet List
CP = Crochet Partners
CREMA = Computer Reading E-Mail Addiction
CSTRX = Coaster Exchange
CTH = Crochet Tolerant Husband
CYL = Catch You Later
DD = Dear daughter
DF = Dear Father/friend
DH = Dear husband
DIL = Daughter-in-law
DM = Dear mother
DS = Dear son/sister
DW = Dear wife
FAQ = Frequently Asked Questions
FGX = Friendship Granny Exchange.
FIL = Father-in-law
FO = Finished Object
UFO = Unfinished Object
FUFO = Finished Un-Finished Object
FFUFO = Framed Finished Un-Finished Object
NTBFUFO = Never To Be Finished Un-Finished Object
Frog = Rip-it, Rip-it (Ripping out stitches to do over.)
FWIW = For what it's worth
FYI = For Your Information
GD4C = Granny's Daughters for Charity
GF = Girl Friend
HAMS = Have Actually Made Something
HAS = Hook Acquisition Syndrome
HOWB = House Of White Birches
HTH = Hope That Helps
HWHN = Husbands Who Hardly Notice
IAE = In Any Event
IMHO = In my humble opinion
IMNSHO = In My Not So Humble Opinion
IMO = In My Opinion
JMHO = Just My Humble Opinion
JM2C = Just My 2 Cents
IOW = In Other Words
ISO = In Search Of
ISRN = I'll Stop Rambling Now
ITD = In The Dark
JOMRS = Just One More Round Syndrome
KM = K-Mart
LA = Leisure Arts
LFL = Leaflets for Less
LOL = laughing out loud
ROFLPM = Rolling on the floor laughing peeing myself
ROFLWTIME = Rolling on the floor laughing with tears in my eyes
= Grin
= Big grin
= Very big grin
LB = Lion Brand (brand of yarn)
LYS = Local Yarn Store
MAM = Mile a Minute afghan
MAS = Magazine Acquisition Syndrome
MASS = Multiple Acquisition Syndrome Syndrome
MIL = Mother-in-law
NRN = No Reply Necessary
OT = Off Topic
PAS = Pattern Acquisition Syndrome
PCA = Pattern Collectors Anonymous
PIGS = Projects In Grocery Sacks (materials bought but project not
started yet)
PILL = Projects I've Lost Lately PLMK(Please let me know)
PMS = Procure More Stuff Puffy = the envelope that the exchange stuff
comes in
RACK = Random Acts of Crochet Kindness
RDFC = Running, Ducking For Cover
REMA = Reading E-Mail Addiction
RH = Red Heart (brand of yarn)
RSN = Real Soon Now
RTM = Read the manual (or RTFAQ)
SAHM = Stay At Home Mom
Sig. = The signature on the bottom of your post.
Sightings = Anything that is seen or heard about our craft on
television, in movies or on the street.
SIL = Sister-in-law
SITD = Still In The Dark
Snail mail = mail delivered by post office
SNB = Stitch and Bitch, the book or a group that meets for stitching (and I guess, bitching)
SO = Significant other (boyfriend/girlfriend)
SS = Simply Soft (brand of yarn)
TAS = Thread Acquisition Syndrome
TBD OOTD = To Be Done One Of These Days
ThUD = The Usual Disclaimers
(not affiliated with the company mentioned)
ATUD = All the usual disclaimers
TIFN = That's It For Now
TTFN = Ta Ta For Now
TY = Thank You
UDO = Un-Designed Objects
UPGS = Unfinished Project Guilt Syndrome
URB = Un-Read Books
USO = Un-Started Object
WCS = WIP Completion Speed
WIP = Work in progress
WIM = Work in mind
WM = Wal-Mart
WTH = What The Heck
XS = Cross Stitch
YAS = Yarn Acquisition Syndrome
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary


I have to admit, I forget a good deal of these myself and end up typing out the whole phrase. But at least if I type "Thanks in advance", nobody thinks I am talking about a transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Crochet Insider

The new issue of "Crochet Insider" is up and if you've never taken a look at it, please check it ou. It has wonderful interviews by various crochet folks as well as patterns and reviews of books.
One of my favorite pieces this time was the story of the "Yarn Princess" and her stash. It's a little difficult to feel _that_ sorry for her;)
Plus there are interviews - Margery Winter, Kim Werker, Jean Leinhauser, Adina Klein, Jennifer Hansen, Lily Chin and Doris Chan all have interviews you can read. It's interesting to me to see how a designer thinks and plans the projects.
The Gallery has lovely photos of finished projects - almost any type of project you can think of. I particularly like the tea cozy, but it wouldn't work for me - I drink the tea too fast.
There's also a yarn review, which is pretty cool. Want to find out what Skacel is going to have out for this summer? Check it out.

Here's the link:
http://www.crochetinsider.com/index.html#