CGOA Celebrates 20 Years ~ Part 7: The Pattern Line

Monday, June 16, 2014

Since I am still basking in the glow of my chapter's 20th anniversary party on June 14, I will include a few photos from the event. Our committee, chaired by Barb Collister and including me and Dorothy Hansen, worked for about a year planning this event to celebrate the very first CGOA and our members. The 3 of us on the committee attended the very first chapter meeting in June 1994.

The Celebration Committee

Our guest artist, Pate Conaway

An array of the unusual materials with which Pate crochets!

Members enjoying each other's company

I created a rather amateurish video the best I could during the party and it will be posted to the CGOA website sometime after the conference in Manchester, July 24-27. We hope you will enjoy hearing the voices of some of those who were there at the very beginning!

Now, on to the CGOA Pattern Line we go! Back in 2000, Jackie Young designed the very first pattern for the line, Crochet Socks. They are as timely today as they were then and a great tool to learn to make basic socks.

2000-Crocheted Socks by Jackie Young

Jackie conceived the idea and was instrumental in making the line a success. Back then, there was not nearly the profusion of upscale fashionable crochet patterns, and there was demand for such items. Where better then the Crochet Guild to find talented designers who could bring exciting fashions to the market?

Jackie recruited the designers; some of whom donated their designs to the line. She also formated the final documents and even did photography. At the time, volunteers were staffing booths at consumer and trade shows such as Stitches and The National Needlework Association. Wemade the patterns available for sale at wholesale prices for local yarn stores.

Nancy Brown, who served as President of CGOA from 2000-2001, worked closely with Jackie and she developed a yarn line for CGOA called CGOA Presents. Many of the patterns in the line used those yarns and were supplied to the designers. However, the patterns are written generically, so today crocheters can choose their own yarns.

Here are some highlights from the CGOA Pattern line; you will recognize the names of some of today's top designers! So, if you are in the market for fashionable crochet patterns, go to the link above and order yourself a pattern to celebrate 20 years of CGOA!

2002-Fiesta Shawl by BJ Licko Keel, a member of my CGOA chapter, Northern IL Chapter

2003-The Fling by Gwen Blakley Kinsler. Modeled with her daughter, Bethany.

2005-Mesh Mini Jacket by Rosalie Johnson, a member of my local CGOA chapter ~ nicrochet.com

2005-Two-Way Sweater Shrug by Marty Miller who served as CGOA President from 2009-2011

2005-Criss-Cross Shrug by KJ Hay. KJ is a very busy tech editor for magazines today.

2005- Chain Link Capelet & Purse by Vashti Braha who designs, blogs and teaches at Chain Link Conferernce

Jacket with Freeform Appliques by Margaret Hubert. Margaret is an author, designer, and frequent teacher at Chain Link Conferences.

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