Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

A most interesting article on the evolution of crochet as an "intangible cultural heritage" by Yang Yang in the publication called "Shine." "In 1992, the new Minhang District appeared in Shanghai. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Center tracing the origins of crochet as a Shanghai 'intangible culture'". Sun Yingdi: Waterlillies, a nod to Claud Monet's painting Lin Huau: Crossover Creations merges Xinzhuang crochet and Tibetan garments

Yesterday, in the car on the way to my granddaughter's volleyball game after school, my son-in-law made my day! Normally pretty buttoned up and thinking thoughts far from my orbit, my daughter reminded him to tell me about his recent Board meeting.  Are you getting curious yet? He is the newly appointed Treasurer at his kids' school and shared that he was very surprised to see another board member crocheting during the meeting! This is not something he commonly sees in the many board meetings he attends, but it was more surprising in this instance because she is a high-ranking attorney in her day job. I quickly assured him that this is perfectly normal for any male or female who is passionate about crochet; and I am one who always has my traveling crochet bag with me for just these kinds of activities! . only wish I had been there to meet her! Apologies to my readers for having been out of sight for so long. More recently in May I had knee-replacement surgery; and although I am

 Nancy Grace Hutson, is a self-taught artist who pursues her artistic vision by combining her love of crochet with her drawings on archival paper. Not only will her artwork be on display at Sow's Ear in Verona, Wisconsin now through February 27, but she will also teach a workshop on her method of "free-style" crochet. Sundrops courtesy of Sow's Ear Sundrops : close-up Nancy's "themes for her crochet wall hangings are nature-based: a flowing river, clouds in the sky, the sun through trees. Even her abstract pieces – her vision of sun drops falling onto a lake, and the wild sky colors behind a three-dimensional tree branch – come out of playing with natural images. Mixed Media; crochet over wire for 3-D effect, courtesy Hutson Hutson is also displaying a few of her drawings, which she says are “colorful, rhythmic, and playful.” Also displayed is the coming together of her drawing and crochet media, with a drawing framed in creative crochet shapes." The Fl

Freeform crochet artist, Karen Ballard shares that a sampling of her freeform crochet, beading and weaving will be featured at the ARTFactory exhibit, Wild Webs , in Manassas starting October 15 and running through December 4, 2021. Also featured is the U.S. premiere of 50 Years of Flower Power Prudence Mapstone's Freeform collaborative crochet and knit art. "Freeform art is unrestrained by patterns, techniques, materials, shapes or colors. Over 200 artists representing 24 countries collaborated on the 35 x 5 foot piece that commemorates 50 years since the term flower power was coined in Berkeley, California, and used as a passive resistance slogan for non-violent protest against the Vietnam war.  Fifty Years of Flower Power Ballard is an author, textile and bead artist who has lived in Northern Virginia most of her life. She is the 2020 Crochet Guild of America Hall of Fame recipient. Mapstone was born in Sydney Australia and currently lives in Brisbane. Karen Ballard: NC N

  Healing Through Art  by Cheryl Chojnacki; Daily Herald; September 28, 2008 "The Awakenings Project won a Celebration Recovery award in 2006 for Outstanding Contribution to Recovery by a Non-Profit Organization. The project plays a vital role in the well-being of many who struggle with mental health issues. Through Awakenings, some are discovering, for the first time, that mental illness has an upside. Virginia Goldrick, at the Eckert Center for Mental Health in Elgin, Illinois explains, "Some people see mental illness as a burden, as limitation. But it can also open your eyes to many things-not just to human suffering, but also to the depth of human spirit. In her 1993 book  Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament , Dr. Kay Jamison builds the case that mental illness often goes hand-in-hand with artistic ability-citing Lord Byron, Robert Schumann, Vincent van Gogh as examples. The initial idea was to investigate Kay Jamison's claims of t

Chicago Tribune,  4/9/2003 Making Peace with Yourself (while the country is at war) by Barbara Brotman; Chicago Tribune, April 9, 2003 "Between the war and the economy, there is enough anguishing news to turn a concerned person into a despairing one. How do we navigate a worrisome world without being engulfed by it?"  Although those words were written in 2003, they are eerily familiar to me today; and, I suppose, to many of you! I have pretty much stopped watching the national news; the enormity of our daily problems leads me to despair as I am unable to solve the world's problems! I'm also done talking about the "mask/no mask" controversy. Just because I am pretty much isolating again and have very little to report when I check in with friends near or far, it doesn't mean I have to fill the void with negativity. Today, we have a seemingly never-ending pandemic thrown into the mix of everyday life.  There is plenty we can do to bring happiness to each d