Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

Monday November 8, 2010 Those of you who know me know that I am a sort of Peacenik from way back! Yarn bombing really speaks to my sensibilities! I had a blast last Friday bombing a perfectly darling bench in front of my favorite local yarn store (LYS), Fuzzy Wuzzy Yarn Store in Arlington heights, IL www.fuzzywuzzyyarns.com The occasion was the first anniversary of Fuzzy Wuzzy, my new fiber home. Thursday afternoon and evening I stitched like mad and made a colorful strip that included both crochet and knit patches. I had eyeballed the bench for size on Wed. when I was there and took of from there. Easy Friday morning after exercise and looking like crap, I slinked on over to the so as to attach the strip before Chris the owner arrived to open the store. I kept my eye out for cops and I was lucky because only one lady walked by and a bus was idling behind me, but I don’t think the driver was aware! I stitched it on in 20 minutes. Nearly froze but the smile on my face kept me warm...

I'm excited about cowls. Why you ask? I am going to Mexico, a warm spot, for the winter. What would I need with a cowl? I don't NEED one; it is just that I love crochet and cowls are the newest;and there is so much potential for designing them. My fr;iend Vashti,www.designingvashti.com, has started a blog just for cowls. Check it out at http://crochetcowls.blogspot.com Over the weekend, I crocheted a cowl designed by Sheryl Means and it is in the current issue of Interweave Crochet Accessories. It is called "Marcelle's Fancy Neck Wrap" and is easy-breezy to make. I used Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky. Here is a scan of it; I hope you can get an idea. I am without a camera for a few days. I really love the feel of the alpaca on my neck and it will go on display tomorrow at my LYS as a shop model and a potential crochet-along. Sheryl kindly gave me permission to teach her design pattern. I love Sheryl! She is the co-owner of Yarntopia in Katy, TX. She and her partner, A...

Our luck is holding out because the temperature is remaining balmy although the leaves are turning colors and drying and the winds are beginning to blow. As a "feel" of fall begins to fill our senses, my thoughts are turning to my first-ever winter in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. You will be hearing more about my life and house in Ajijic when we get there and you can read earlier posts from my vacation there in 2009: http://crochetqueen-royalramblings.blogspot.com/ajijic-jalisco-mexico-augsept-2009.html As I begin to make lists about what to take to Mexico I began to also think about what a different life it is there. I feel like my soul has one foot in Mexico and one in Chicago. I am, afterall, a Gemini, and I do have two personalities. I have clothes for Mexico and clothes for Chicago. The same goes for jewelry. There is some overlap but somehow certain pieces of apparel just work better there than here in the Midwest! Now, don't get me wrong...I have friends here in Chica...

Monday, October 18, 2010 I am on my computer every day and I check into Facebook and Ravelry daily too. I am proud of my internet skills and I am appreciative of my sharp braincells as a result of the HUGE learning curve I have embarked upon to get to where I am today. I am slightly annoyed at those who like to say that those who spend time on Facebook has "no life." I just write off comments like that as jealousy or lack of confidence to navigate their way. I have a life and that's what I write about. In 1992 when I was taking the first baby steps in forming the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA), I was using an Apple computer merely like a keyboard. The internet was just starting to bubble and my dear friend and neighbor, Gerry, and I were both starting to learn. Since she and I were the only "contacts" we had, we decided that each time we would send an email, we would have to let the other person know. It wasn't like today when we just pop on the computer fo...

Of course in my crochet-friendly, fiber community at my LYS, I am exposed to many knitters who are doing marvelous projects that I greatly admire. For years I have been feeling like I "should" be able to knit. I even went so far as to buy the Debbie Bliss How to Knit book and I learned to knit-stitch from a student nurse when I was working at the hospital. I had a weekly crochet group there for our clients with dementia. Heck, I know how to do every other type of needlework and have tried them all, embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint, quiltng, tatting, sewing.....Why not knitting? Somehow, though, the knitting book never came off the shelf and I never went any further than knit-stitch. So, last week the day finally came when I woud receive some professional knittig lessons from Chris at Fuzz Wuzzy Yarns. Chris owes me for crochting ashop model for her store-see "My Crochet Home" I am taking my pay in services and product rather than cold hard cash! She is providi...

a> Tues. October 5, 2010 I was honored to be invited by Cari Clement of Caron Yarns back in August to participate in a new Crochet Guild of America committee: The Hall of Fame. Since then our committee has met a couple of times and we have established the guidelines for this great idea that Cari has initiated. It's got me thinking about all those wonderful crocheters from the 70s that I so admire. I still have their books and find inspiration from them each time I take a peek. Who do you admire in the crochet world? Who has inspired you? Who has made a lasting impression on you? Here are the basics: "The CGOA Hall of Fame will reconize those who, over the years, have made a significant and lasting contribution to the art and craft of crochet. We invite all CGOA members to send us suggestions of people to nominate. Don't neglect to consider..... Who inspired your teachers? Who runs your favorite art-to-wear shop? Who wrote your favorite books? The possibilities are endl...

Thursday, September 30 ...and I am stoked!! Is it the crisp air and golden sunshine? Is it the premiere of all my favorite "must-see TV" shows: House, Glee, The Office, Thirty Rock and Grey's Anatomy? Is it the excitement in my LYS for crochet and my classes filling up? Is it the anticipation of dear s-i-l, Alice's visit next week and our late-night fiber talks? (She is a marvelous quilter and has a Masters in Quilt History)? Is it my long-anticipated appearance on Getting Loopy this week? Or is it just plain too much caffeine?? We our without internet until Oct. 6 thanks to an ATT-Snafu of the first kind! (Lonnnng story) so I started out making daily trips to Starbucks to check email. It's a comfortable community there. Are the emplyees paid more than minimum wage, because they seem really happy and polite? Or is it the caffeine they sniff all day? The wi-fi is FREE too, but I was spending a fortune on pumpkin-spice latess! Lucky for us, dear neighbor and frien...