Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

World Intellectual Property Day

Thursday, May 3, 2012. I'm running just a bit behind because International Intellectual Rights Day was April 26, 2012. Yes, you're right, there's a special day for almost anything! I will have to find out when to celebrate International Blogger's Day! I had a recent experience of my own that got me thinking, AGAIN, about designers' rights. I taught a crochet class at a bead store and provided written instructions for an original design bracelet. I taught them how to crochet and how to crochet with wire and beads using this pattern. Each student went home with her copy of the pattern. A month or so after the class I got an email from one of the students proudly telling me that she had finished her class bracelet and was making more. She went on to say, that she would use the class model to promote and sell the others she was making! I gave it some thought and then answered her in a professional way. I told her that as a "friendly reminder" I had given her the design for her own use and it was not legal to receive income from making someone else's design. I didn't hear from her again and I don't know if she was embarrassed, mad or just made a mental note to never do that again! On April 27, 2012, Interweave Publications celebrated World Intellectual Property Day along with the U.S. Copyright Office, American Chamber of Commerce, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and others around the world to give credit to the talented writers, designers, artists, photographers, and innovators who work with us to share with readers and customers their products and ideas. To mark the occasion,they released a new eBook for artists and crafters, Know Your Rights: Copyright 101, to raise awareness for the issues surrounding copyright and the problems with copyright infringement that are currently impacting our industry.The 10-page eBook is available for free download in each of Interweave’s 10 online communities for artists and crafters. Here is the link to the downloadable crochet version: http://crochetme.com/media/p/135139.aspx Cut and paste it in your browser. Know Your Rights: Copyright 101 for Crocheters

This down-loadable book is chock full of important information. Clearly, it does not replace legal counsel, but it certainly clarifies many many issues that we often wonder about. Geared to the specific craft, it has separate sections that answer concerns held by crafters, designer/authors and shop owners. I highly recommend taking the time to read this e-document and to download it for future reference! "Most people think of pirated movies or music when they hear about copyright violations," says Eunny Jang, [an] editor at Interweave. "But we answer questions about copyright for crafters, artists, designers, and authors every day—copyright and other intellectual property issues are a big deal in the DIY marketplace, where the "I can do that!" spirit and respect for original, independent design and authorship need to coexist peacefully.” Questions around copyright can range from simple queries, like 'Can I make a copy of a pattern?' (Answer: For your own use, yes; to give to a friend, no) to more complex issues, like 'How can I be inspired by other artists without infringing on their intellectual property rights?' (Answer: By executing your vision independently, and asking permission where necessary). "Ultimately, copyright is about protecting the creative process, ensuring that the creator of a work can benefit from that work," adds Jang. "Our goal at Interweave is to educate our consumers about what copyright is, and why it matters—and to give authors, artists, and designers everywhere the tools they need to protect their own rights so they can continue to create new works and share them with the public." Once you've read this booklet, please think about all the time, energy and creativity that designers and authors offer up to make your crocheting experiences happy ones.They are just trying to make a living like everyone else. It's so easy to make copies these days; so, think TWICE next time before you hit the "copy" button!

Preserving Crochet History

Tuesday April 24, 2012 I've been super busy since I last blogged in early april and my thoughts and fingers have been swirling all over the place so much that I couldn't focus on just one topic. Today is the day it came together: looking at history as a learning tool to be inspired and to not repeat things which perhaps were mistakes, but to keep moving forward. Much of my energy has been focused at Cro-Kween Designs on Ravelry. We finished a CAL (Crochet-Along) on April 20: Go Green, Kween. Particpants used repuposed materials to create something interesting or at the very least, used green colors of yarn. My moderators of the group chose one winner which made them smile when they looked at her/his project. BizzieLizzie from Scotland is quietly creative and always comes through with something amazing. She was the hands-down winner with this:

and her prize from the Kween was a Cro-Kween Designs pattern of her choice. She chose Himalaya Series: Himalaya Tank

Also, over at Cro-Kween Designs we are preparing to start our newest CAL: The Kween's Cabo CAL. I will lead a tutorial, step-by-step for participants to not only make their own cabochon but to embellish it as a brooch, as well. This is a sample and each particpant will choose their own graphic to start with.

A great group of creative participants have joined in and we are all looking forward to getting started on May 1 after a brief "rest" during April. Yeah, right; like our hands and hooks ever take a break! What does all of this have to do with history, you ask? Throughout history, crocheters have had excellent skills and have not asked for or expected fame and fortune. They crocheted out of necessity and for enjoyment and passed down excellent technical skills to their ancestors. We, who look at vintage/historic patterns are the recipients of these past skills and are inspired by them. I find the same thing on Ravelry and at CGOA: there are humble crocheters in our world who don't expect recognition or fame. They purely enjoy their craft and get satifaction from creating whether they are recognized or not. I've spent the last few weeks taking a trip down memory lane and looking back at the history of Juried Art Exhibits which have been a unique and important contribution of CGOA to not only members but the public at large. I will be presenting the Founder's Award ($100.00) to one winner who entered the CGOA Design Contest at the Chain Link Crochet Conference June 27 in Manchester, NH. The winner of this award will be the one work that best exemplifies the spirit of CGOA. While I am making the brief presentation, I will have a slide show running behind me with highlights from ten years of fantastic and fascinating crochet art from past juried exhibits. I'm very excited to be able to present a glimpse of the wonderful art we've seen at conferences yet again! Can't reveal anything yet, but so excited to have the old slides from years' past digitized. If you have never attended a Chain Link Crochet Conference. My presentation is just the tip of the iceberg of the crochet nirvana that takes place this summer! Check out the class offerings here: A member of my CGOA local chapter has entrusted me to find a home for her crochet book collection with crocheters who really will appreciate them. I picked up many, many boxes last week and thanks to my daughter, Bethany, we got them all loaded in one trip from the city of Chicago. I dare say she collected these books over a period of 40 years or so and it is quite a gem of a collection! There's lots of history here that will be preserved in part in our chapter library and in part in the cozy confines of crocheters who are chapter members. There is history of how design and designers have evolved; there is vintage historic patterns and there is hours and hours of crocheting happiness! I've been organizing my bead stash and bringing it back from total chaos! Along the way I took another trip down memory lane to Kate Coburn. She was my bead-crochet mentor back in 1994. Like so many people, extreme creativity has most likely lead her to new adventures and she has rarely been heard from since. I've had her books for all these years and greatly admired her. I have also preserved the 6 tubes of seed beads she once gave me just waiting for that day when I would make one of her gorgeous jewelry pieces. That day has come and I have completed the "Brocade Flat Band"

It is on the blocking board now. This necklace pattern has three parts and is from Kate's book, Tubes II.

I strung up the beads for the second flat cuff today and my fingers are itching to start bead-crocheting. If anyone knows of Kate's whereabouts, please let me know. I want to tell her I've reached back in history and am finally making her necklace that I've admired all these years!

International Free Form Crochet Guild

Monday, April 2, 2012 Wow, it's April already and before I get started on free form crochet, I want to share a couple of pictures of my last couple of days celebrating National Crochet Month in March. My friend, Rita,

and I got together to do sparkly things (as she says). She wanted some help with making earrings.Rita is an art therapist and is very creative. She inspired me and best of all, she gave me a sampling of some really iteresting beads she inherited. Yeah! More earrings coming soon! Here's a pair I created that day; they had been in the cue for a while.

I've been a fan of free form crochet for quite some time. My crochet "roots" date back to the 70s when I first learned to crochet. So, I lean toward and admiration of the style was prevalent in those days: colorful, creative and mixed media with no material left untried. "If it bends, it can be crocheted" is my mantra! As a benefit of my membership in CGOA, I was privileged to meet the Gurus of free form crochet and originators of the moniker "scrumble," James Walters and Sylvia Cosh in 1995 when they taught at our conference that was held in New Jersey. In 1997, when the conference was held in Chicago, James and Sylvia again taught. After the conference was over, they stayed with me a couple of days and I remember feeling that it was a complete and hard to imagine honor to have them crocheting in the afternoon sunshine in my living room while I cooked dinner for them. This is the gift

that Sylvia was crocheting, not realizing that it was for me! It was a treasure then and has so much more meaning now that she is gone. Sylvia died of ovarian cancer in 2000. I have been a member of the International Freeform Crochet Guild (INTFFCG) for some time. There is a yahoo group where we communicate and we have an annual challenge in which anyone who is a member can participate. I have submitted my freeform creations the last three years and each year a photo book of the challenge entries is created and sold and the profits go to charity. In 2010 our theme was "Somewhere in My World" this was my submission

and it depicts the juxtaposition of my desire to live in two worlds: Chicago, USA and Mexico.I can't remember exactly how i did it, but I combined the freeform CAL at NatCroMo with the Challenge theme. In 2011 our theme was "Mythologies, Stories and Fairy Tales" and this was my entry:

She is a Freeform Fiber Fairy and called out, "Finesse Me." The deadline for completing the 2012 Challenge was March 31 and we have until April 15 to send in the photos of our creations following this year's theme, "Reinterpret a Work of Art or Piece of Music" I won't be able to show a photo yet as we must keep it a secret until the book is published. I must say that I probably enjoyed this challenge the most so far. Here some examples of other free form crochet I have done over the years:

Scrumbled-Yoke Sweater

Freeform Vest (front)

(back)

Hummingbird Brooch

Bead-Crochet Scrumbles

Brooch Made for Oprah Winfrey

Cloissonne'-Inspired Heart

Free form scarf inspired by Prudence Mapstone Class: Chain Link 2011, Greenville, SC

March is National Crochet Month

Tuesday, March 20, 2012,, Today is primary election day and I hope everyone is off to the polls, like me, to exercise your rights! March is also National Crochet Month.

Started in 1998 by the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA), it was first designated as "National Crochet Week" and was meant as a time for all of us crocheters to celebrate our love of the craft and treat ourselves to some special crochet activity, tool or just "me-time" to do what we love to do! The Craft Yarn Council and their various retailers were already celebrating National Craft Month in March, but we didn't believe that crochet was getting the attention it deserved. So, we hitched on to the them in March and celebrated crochet as an organization. At the Time Pam Oddi was the CGOA President and also the webmaster. As our organization grew and we wielded more influence, we expanded the celebration to a whole month. Shortly thereafter, organizations like the Craft Yarn Council jumped on board and influenced retailers like JoAnn and Michael's to begin celebration crochet as a marketing tooland as a special entity of its won. In 2007, National Crochet Month went International when a group of Ravelers on ravelry.com started NatCroMo. Each year, CGOA joins in NatCroMo as a sponsor and many, many volunteers (hopefully all CGOA members) make this a huge party all during the month.

How will YOU celebrate? I am celebrating all month long by appreciating that I am home and now have my full complement of supplies. In Mexico I enjoyed lots of crochet, but at times I was stopped in my tracks from finished a project because I had forgotten some vital material or other piece to the puzzle. I came home with quite a few WIPs! It feels good to finish them one by one. My freeform challenge project for the International Freeform Crochet Guild (INTFFCG) is grabbing lots of my attention. It is due to be finished April 1 and I am happy and excited about how it is turning out. It must remain a secret, though, until the full color photo book is published some time this summer. Stay tuned.... Also, on March 7, I began another celebration of crochet: Cro-Kween Designs, my fan page,

turned two-years-old on that day. we're having a virtual party for the group with delicious crocheted food and drinks plus games and prizes. Tonight we'll be having a live chat in the group's chat room. Please join us at 6PM central time here: Just click into the chat room and join in on the conversation! It is always both sad and happy to find a vacation ending, especially a relatively long one. We enjoyed one month in Mexico and are glad to be back home. Home is, after all, sweet! It takes a good deal of time to unpack, put things away and get re-organized and re-oriented to a different lifestyle than we lived that last month. But all is well and it is great to be home.

Sweet Departures

Tuesday, March 13, 2012 As they say, "the closer to departing from vacation, the quicker the time flies." So it goes for us too. Tomorrow we leave and this week has been a flurry of both activity and anticipation. It all had to be fit in: the massage, that last manicure, gifts to take home, gifts to leave for friends here, crochet projects to finish and farewell lunches. Our taxi is coming at nine in the morning; not an unreasonable hour. So, the packing has started as well as the worry about overweight bags! As I wandered through my week, the following photos will describe what caught my eye and caught my fancy: