Back in the Blogosphere

Friday February 8, 2013 I've just been so incredibly busy writing about crochet since the new year started that I didn't have any extra time or cro-thoughts to put here for fear of duplication! I've been doing double duty over at Talking Crochet eNewsletter since back in November. We now have chosen an associate editor who will be sharing the job with me. I'm excited to be introducing her in the issue that goes live on February 26. So, you'll have to wait until then to find out who she is. Never fear...I've been totally immersed in crochet as usual. I've been concentrating on working on some art pieces and also covering rocks like crazy. I've just not taken the time to write about it. I also plan to celebrate National Crochet Month (March) by announcing a very special project I have been working on for quite some time. I love surprises!

"Take-Out:" Crochet-covered river rocks. Why do I call this "take-out"? I spied these lovely river rocks in my friend's garage and she was so happy I liked them because they were just residing in a bucket and taking up space. She let me pick out a few and sent them home with me in this take-out box. So, the name stick in my head and I designed them to figuratively, not literally, convey the idea of food. Can you guess what food I am taking out? At this moment we are on vacation in Albuquerque, NM. It is quite unlike any vacations we've taken to Mexico over the last eight years. We wanted to go somewhere warm and thought NM would give us a little taste of the Mexico we so enjoy. Well, New Mexico is not so very warm we found out, but we did spend the first three days in Phoenix which is delightfully warm Also, unlike other vacations, we've spent some time with cousins. My cousin Sherry lives in Phoenix and we went to college together. She's an interior designer and I had looked forward to seeing the Phoenix "patio home" she refurbished and moved into with her husband four years ago. It is always a delight to see Sherry's design talents. If you live in or near Phoenix, Sherry is the designer to go to: Sherry has also just created a new website. where you can get all sorts of good advice on quality materials when considering a re-construction or re-modeling project. We walked to the Wrigley Mansion and had a look inside and we enjoyed lunch on the patio by the firepit of the Biltmore Hotel which we walked to as well.We walked quite a bit actually and had some great coffee and a tasty veggie drink at Dr. Weil's restaurant. We enjoyed the Super Bowl at Sherry and Doug's and her nachos were the hightlight. Or was it the visit from their son and daughter-in-law with their two darling girls, Katherine, age 5 and Sassy, age 2.

Precious Metals Rock: a little giftie rock I made for Sherry. It's the first time I added wire crochet to my rocks.

Brunch with Sherry's mom, Edith. Sherry and I are actually 2nd cousins and our mothers were cousins.

Doug & Sherry

At the Wrigley Mansion, looking down on Phoenix. Alan's cousin, Doris Ann, lives in Phoenix also. We had a delightful lunch with her at a great Mexican restaurant, Blanco. It had been some 30 years since we'd seen her, so there was some catching up to do.

We took in an fine art fair with Sherry and Doug. No pictures from inside, but this cactus was amazing!

When we moved on to Albuquerque, we were greeted by Alan's other cousin and Doris Ann's brother, J.E. and his charming wife, Helen. They've been such gracious hosts and had us to their house for a delicious New Mexican dinner and have also shown us around, given us tips and taken us to the Indian Cultural Museum. Helen's cheesecake with an oatmeal crust beats any I have ever had!

Inside a gallery, the light coming in and through this vase was a photo opp I couldn't pass up!

We took the Rail Rider on a day trip to Santa Fe

From the desolate landscape of Indian Territory between Albuquerque and Santa Fe to the feast of color for the eyes on Canyon Road in Santa Fe!

Jane Sauer's gallery on Canyon Rd. was a highlight.

Unusual architecture: note the mailbox imbedded in the wall!

Back in Albuquerque, we had a hot-air balloon sighting while having our morning coffee outside.

The Aquarium in Albuquerque

Old Town, Albuquerque

Craft vs. Fine Art: How is Crochet Blurring the Lines

I was awakening to the world of crochet in 1972,a time of immense artistic expression through fiber arts; and crochet was not the “ugly stepchild” at the time. In fact, Ferne Cone Gellar who I admire as a successful fiber artist said in “Knitting: The Stepchild of the Fiber Arts?” ( Fibercraft Newsletter 1978), “Has knitting been slighted among the areas of the fiber arts? The very word ‘knitting’ evokes images of the little old lady in tennis shoes. Over the years, I’ve learned to ignore all those jokes.” Cone Gellar went on to publish Crazy Crocheting in 1981 and encouraged her readers to create more than bedspreads, providing ideas such as “things to play with or to display on a shelf or hang on a wall.” A photo of single crochet from bread wrappers served as inspiration. In 1972 in her book, Creating Art from Fibers & Fabrics , Dona Meilach wrote: “Why are fibers and fabrics becoming increasingly appealing to artists? Most artists agree

Wartime Crochet With Attitude, Part I

Wednesday, October 30, 2013 Karen Ballard and I have a mutual love of free form crochet. We met for the first time in a class taught by Prudence Mapstone of Australia at the Chain Link Crochet Conference 2011. I admire Karen's vast knowledge of needle work history and am grateful for her willingness to share with us as my guest blogger this week. Karen wearing a World War II-era knitting hat with stubby needles on top Karen's Heritage Heart, with flowers symbolic of her heritage, is currently on tour with Prudence Mapstone's traveling "Hearts & Flowers Exhibition" in Australia and New Zealand World War 1 Attitudes About Crochet by Karen Ballard In 2008, I coined that term, "Workbasket Campaigns" to describe the organized efforts during World War I (WWI) and World War II (WWII) coordinated through the American Red Cross {ARC} and the Navy League to create needle crafted items. These items were mostly knitted but also sewn, qu

Crochet and Society: How Crochet has Contributed

Wednesday, September 4, 2013 Because I am passionate about crochet and because it plays such an important role in my life. I am constantly “thinking crochet.” I want to bring awareness about crochet to everyone in the world. They don’t necessarily need to achieve the level of passion that I have for the craft, but my dream is that our society in general would come to recognize crochet as a valuable art and craft. I also want to see the entire genre of crochet planted firmly on a continuum with all the other needle arts as a valuable pastime and art, and for the day to come when society stops confusing it with knitting! I have often joked that I am “covering my world in crochet” and that’s because I think crochet can beautify nature as well as contribute to many aspects of my community. I have been covering rocks for years and I turn them into sculptures or decorative o bjects. Claire Zeisler: Fragments & Dashes , Threads magazine, Oct/Nov 1985 My first cover

Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

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