Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

Saturday, October 19, 2013 Beastly Crochet by Brenda K. B. Anderson Halloween is just around the corner and this book arrived from Interweave Press just in time! The pattern for Hubert & Cletus (on the cover) will be of particular interest because they are a cute and sneaky way to hide the candy you steal from your kids' stash! Who better to write a book about Beastly Crochet Critters than Brenda K. B. Anderson who designs costumes for a living? A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Brenda designs costumes for Sesame Street Live and various sports teams mascots. Now, in her first book, she teaches crafters how to make their own collection of monstrously cute accessories and toys in Beastly Crochet – 23 Critters to Wear and Love. Brenda’s talents as a designer are evident throughout the book,  including an array of literal monsters in the form of toys and Amigurumi. However, the majority of the projects are wearable accessories and garments for kids and adults who like...

Monday, October 22, 2012 Maybe it is because I live in a suburb of the huge metropolis of Chicago or maybe it is because I have more time to notice these days, but I am finding many exciting, educational and fun activities through our library system. Not only can I take advantage of my own library offerings, but I can also attend a program in any other village/city for little or no cost. Recently, we have attended several offerings that I want to share here. It is the 100th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts this year and I have signed on to their alumni site, but had not yet gotten too involved. Last week I attended a program presented by Juliette Low , the founder of Girl Scouts, portrayed by an excellent historic reenactor. She stood in front of a lovely, artistic panel which brought us to the woods with her little tri-pod campfire on the floor. "Juliette" talked to us like she was there on a camp-out with her "girls" as she called them. She was dressed in a GS un...