Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

It is no coincidence that our beloved association was named a Guildand its soon-to-follow affiliate groups were named Chapters. As the Founder, along with other generous volunteers with knowledge of by-laws, we began to create them for our association. In 1995, when our pursuit of 501c3 status was granted, our bylaws regarding this issue read as follows:

“Section 4 Chapters 4.1 Names and Domain Local Chapters, State Organizations and Regional Organizations, termed chapters in these Bylaws, who wish to become members of the CGOA shall adopt a name including “Chapter of Crochet Guild of America”. CGOA shall assume no liability for its chapters. 4.3 Recognition Chapters shall adopt Bylaws consistent with these Bylaws and the purposes of which shall be substantially the same as those of the CGOA. Chapters may be unincorporated or incorporated under the laws of the state in which the chapter is located.”
On November 3, 2017, the Membership voted to approve updated By-laws and this section did no…

My trip continued to Portland, OR where the 24th Annual Chain Link Crochet conference would begin on July 26. I arrived early on Tuesday evening to take care of some committee matters and my dear friend Bonnie Meltzer picked me up at the airport and shuttled me to here home in Portland where I was the guest of her and husband, Richard.

Since the #chainlink2018 took place in Portland, Oregon in July, I took advantage of the travel westward to also visit my sister and brother-in-law in California. Although it was a short visit, they showed me wonderful hospitality and we took in the highlights of the Carmel Valley region.



Alice and I share a love of the fiber arts and she was a professional textilian before she retired a couple of years ago. Her love of quilts and quilt history and she is still continually creating works of art in her "Playhouse." Once a textilian, always textilian!

First stop on our agenda was the quaint little town of Pacific Grove where we enjoyed wandering from resale  shops, to the ocean, to a great restaurant for lunch and best of all, a yarn shop that just happened to to have a small quilt exhibit on display. The photos I took are not necessarily the best quilts, but the ones to which I was attracted.




After lunch, we hiked high up in the hills above the ocean for some cool breezes and…

My sweet and very crafty granddaughter, Chloe, has wanted to learn to crochet since she was about 4 years old. Needless to say, I have exposed her to my non-stop crochet habit, but we've had to wait it out on a frustrating journey for official lessons until just the right age and motor skills.

My book, Kids Can Do It Crocheting, written with Jackie Young (Daugherty), has been around Chloe's house forever; and she's been around my house a lot since I moved near her in 2015. Every Summer, I organize Gigi's Craft Camp on a weekly basis for both grandchildren. Jack, almost 7, has become more interested lately as his small motor skills develop. Chloe, 8 1/2, has long been interested in crafts of all kinds. She has woven potholders, made bracelets by weaving rubber bands and creates many things with "Duck Tape!"

There is a craft box in my yarn studio just for the kids separate from my own craft drawer. Every week, we try a different craft and each year Chloe has as…

Each year as the birthday of my dearly departed husband, Alan, draws near on June 23, I begin to cocoon. Thankfully, I have my crochet for comfort!

Shortly after he died, I began to crochet shawls for Threads of Compassion, the charity of the Indiana Donor Network. I can feel great pride in doing this work; because with utmost courage, Alan donated his brain to research on his incurable disease at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Both locally and nationally from the Mayo Clinic, I experienced compassion for what he was going through.

It is almost two years until the day of his death; and it doesn't get easier. I draw happiness for the creativity I put into my crochet. It's colorful and can be a bright spot in my day; it is soothing as the smooth or rough fibers flow through my hands. I'm taken away to a place from the rhythm of crochet that is both nostalgic and distracting.

Just like the vibrant colors of yarn fade after years and much usefulness; so too did my h…

Last weekend I was wearing a crocheted shawl which according to my Ravelry Project Page, I finished making in 2000. It's called the Short Shawled Vest and was designed by Kate Coburn.