Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

For many years, B. J. has sent me a lovely and meaningful Christmas gift. After receiving this year's gorgeous installment to the collection, I got to thinking... My usual thank-you note just does not suffice after all these years; I have to do more. Because I love to blog, why not share my love for B.J. here! 2020 Knitted Hat We've known each other for 26 years, and met at the first Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) conference in Chicago. The friendship has endured all these years because of our common passion for thread crochet, bead crochet, crochet in general, and our love of working together for CGOA. Academically, BJ earned degrees in psychology from the U of Illinois, Chicago and photography from Columbia College. When we met, she had just retired as a financial officer and production manager at the ABA Press (the official publishing company of the American Bar Association) in the area of publications.  One year I was the lucky recipient of "Taste of the ABA," a ...

Just when I thought my visit to long-time firends, Bob & Sherry, in Mansfield, Ohio couldn't get any better, Sherry Googled  yarn shops in the area; and was pleasantlty surprised to find that Alpaca Meadows is a mere fifteen minutes from her house. She had never been there and knew I would enjoy it, so she made an appointment for us to check it out. We were warmly greeted by Julie Petty who has owned this adorable Farm Store and studio which specializes in alpaca yarn for 10 years. Classes are offered for students to learn new skills in needle-felting, crochet, and knitting. The store is abundantly stocked with beautiful crochet samples made from alpaca, and crocheted by Julie herself. With her huband Matt, they own 20 alpacas, and she has a line of yarn from her own herd as well. Alpaca Meadows owner, Julie Pettty Crocheted samples Although small, we easilybrowsed the store for over an hour. It is chocked full of color, fiber andf all manner of fiber-related craf...

Honk! Beep! Vroom! by Cathy Smith This new book published by Martingale  has not only projects for children but also for adults. Crocheters everywhere will enjoy making these interesting vehicles as gifts. Eight projects complete with moving parts are featured including a police car, taxi, ambulance, convertible care, dump truck, VW Beetle, bus, and firetruck.

September 10, 2014 As I watch the arc of the late afternoon sun gradually shift, my thoughts can't help but think about the next season that will be upon us: Autumn. I  enjoy Autumn, almost as much as I do Spring. The colors are gorgeous and delight us as new shades appear almost daily tease us with waning sparkle as the sun hits the leaves. the smells, the foods and the holidays during this season are nothing but good. The waning sunlight is only a tease only if we let our thoughts migrate to what is coming next: Winter! I live in the Midwest so I have learned to adapt to four distinct seasons, each with their pros and cons. Those of you in other, more stable climates, might not be able to relate in quite the same way. There is a certain satisfaction to re-arranging the closet and preparing to wear clothes that almost seem like new again since they've been under wraps for months. Our crochet habits are seasonal, as well. Many people do not work on afghans in ...

Friday, May 16, 2014 I'm happy to introduce my guest blogger for this week, Charles Voth , aka The Stitch Stud . Charles and I are cyber-friends who have never met face-to-face. We connected on Ravelry, not only because of our love of crochet, but also because we are both fluent in Spanish and have lived in various countires in Latin America. I have a great respect for Charles' talents and enjoyed having him as my tech editor for designs I published in the British publication, Inside Crochet.    As we approach the 20th anniversary of CGOA, this type of connection with pure strangers is the most wonderful thing about the guild. The crochet thread tugs us together in a very good way! Charles Voth, aka Stitch Stud   I was wondering during my long drive home from Indianapolis a couple of weekends ago why so many people crochet and knit. I was fortunate to attend the National Needlearts Association’s trade show, where wholesalers of yarn, yarn crafts, and other nee...

Monday, December 23, 2013 There is nothing like a holiday party filled with crocheters and their stash of creations that become gifts to their fellow stitchers! This year I belong to two chapters: my go-to Northern IL Chapter and my new neighborhood chapter: Chicago Crochet Connections, so it was twice the fun! On December 8th in Chicago: 4 of us "connected" at the CCC chapter. It was a horrible Sunday afternoon, snowing and slushy so the group was small. Crocheters are not ones to let a little weather keep them away; so maybe it was the ticking of time and fewer shopping days this year! Chicago Crochet Connection On December 14 in Rolling Meadows: We always have a beautiful spread of each member's best treats. Whoever wants to bring a crocheted gift joins in on our very exuberant "exchange a gift and steal" tradition. This year I got a lovely cup and saucer with "hot chocolate on a stick." It was from Anthropologie, which I love, and was e...

Tuesday, January 1, 2013 Happy New Year to all my followers and all my Best Wishes to you for a happy, prosperous and productive 2013!Today is a day for reflecting only fleetingly on the past year and more importantly, on what's to come in the New Year. There are many joys during the holidays, getting together with family among the most important. Happily, we had the entire immediate family at our house this year. As the grandchildren grow so quickly, it is important to make the most of that opportunity. Soon they will want to stay home and enjoy Christmas morning in their own house. I still, all these years later, remember the first time we decided to go to Grandma and Grandpa's houses (two sets of grandparents in one state) for Christmas with the kids. We lived in South Florida and made the trek to Indiana with the kids, dog and gifts in tow. As I recall, the girls were young enough that we were able to hide Santa's gifts fairly easily. I don't remember all t...

At his mother's wake, Tom was telling my friend Debbie that his mother was half-way through the ripple pattern afghan slated for the last grandchild to receive one of Grandma's coveted creations. Tom went on to say that he would love to find someone to finish said afghan as a wedding presentfor his niece, Beckee, because this granddaughter was engaged to be married in October. Serendipity took over and Deb told him she knows just the person, Crochetqueen , who might take on the job of finishing the afghan. The rest is "history." Beckee's Ripple Afghan: 120 rows, 40 hours I haven't done the ripple pattern in years and crocheting afghans is not my thing, but the sweetness of the tradition intrigued me. Sixteen grandchildren had already received blankets and the bride-to-be was anticipating her afghan. Only 240 rows left to be completed were preventing the circle of love from being closed. No one in the family apparently has crochet skills, ...