Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

Crochet Kaleidoscope ~ Shifting Shapes and Shade Across 100 Motifs is a fantastic book.by well-known designer Sandra Eng. You may recall my recent post about the Violet Protest . I have now finished the five squares I committed to send to this exciting project; and I used Sandra's book as a reference for making each square. Along the way, I decided to review the book for you because I enjoyed it so much. Included in the 100 designs are not just run-of-the-mill designs, but unique squares and also chapters on Circles, Hexagons, Triangles and other shapes as well. Publshed by FW, Eng says the book was "born out of her love of crochet, color and geometry." Her readers love crochet and color; geometryis a fantastic bonus that contributes to her unique design abilities. Karen Manthey, named by Eng as " Technical Editor Extraordinaire , has provided her diagram creation skills for each motif." She has been well-known in the crochet industry for years for her amazing ...

Transformation I started to think about titles that would convey my feelings in a  piece of art to memorialize my husband, Alan Kinsler, on 6/7/2016. The date is significant because we both knew he was dying of Corticobasal Degeneration , an incurable  brain disease. It struck me that I needed to hold on to some of the extra medical equipment that had been so necessary for his use and comfort. Although none of this equipment was enjoyable, I knew that I wanted to use it in a way to make the discomfort and his death transform into something that would honor the  memory of his courage throughout the painful 10-year journey we traveled together. He died on 7/1/16.

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 di...

Soul Mate Dolls ~ Dollmaking as a Healing Art Sparked by a recent trip to   American Girl Place (AG)  in Chicago with my granddaughter, Chloe, I’ve moved into “doll mode.”  My own AG doll has lived with me for at least ten years and I possess life-long love dolls! The joy of crocheting fashions in miniature, made it necessary to have someone to wear the fruits of my labor. My granddaughter, Chloe, has enjoyed playing with my doll when she visits; and now, as she approaches the age of five influenced by an older friend, she has begun to want her own. Two years ago I put “dibs” on a plan to be the special one to buy her first A G doll since I am the one who loves dolls, unlike my daughters who were never very caught up in doll play. On the calendar for two months, our special “Girls’ Day Out” finally arrived! I tried my best to contain my excitement to an acceptable level. It was a great outing for all of us, including high tea at the store with the newl...