Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 As they say, computers are like husbands: you can't live with them but you sure can't live without them! Since my email was hacked on Jan. 6, I have had a non-stop challenge to get back to working order. I've had so many calls to ATT and Yahoo, that I now recognized the customer service agents' voices! I have learned to work the system and request to be connected to "Tier 2" support because I know I will need it! I still have one minor issue to resolve, but basically, I am back in working order. I pride myself as someone who is pretty computer savvy and if not, willing to learn. For my age, I think I have come quite a long way. That is probably the one benefit of this whole fiasco: I have learned a lot! During the many occasions while I was kept waiting for an ATT agent to answer my call, I was not grinding my teeth or biting my nails. Crochet is my sanity, but by now you know that! Yes, of course, I was crocheting while waiting...

Sunday, January 8, 2012 It's time to blog, but where do I begin. My holiday season was interesting, to say the least. From the joys of preparing for the arrival of the whole family and the grandchildren's visit to the downside of having their little germ-infested entities in my space! They look innocent, don't they? My spirits were buoyed by my honor of being named Awesome Crochet Blog: Free Form Crochet as I lay as a very bland sickie thinking of all I could be doing if I didn't have the stomach flu!! Held together with duct tape and string, I was able to enjoy New Year's Eve with hubby Alan and dear friend Gerry. We went to a Second City performance, "Christmas in the Heights" and laughed ourselves silly! I ate lightly afterwards; it was a strange New year's feast but so be it. Practicality first! Just as I was getting back my appetite, a delightful gift of Fannie Mae Pixies arrived and I was back in the business of eating! We e...

December 23, 2011 In case I don't get to blog on my regular blogging schedule on Monday what with having the family and grandkids here and all the eating we will have to be doing, I shall post my pre-Christmas joy today! I was awarded the 2011 Awesome Crochet Blogs Award for Freeform Crochet by Kathryn of Crochet Concupiscence . Kathryn , You said in your write-up that I am "friendly," but you are a sweetheart. You offer so much in your blog and yet you are always so appreciative and giving to others. I really appreciate this award and am honored to receive it from you! Stay tuned...I am very excited about another free form project I have in the works. This award has giving me a spark of inspiration to make it my best yet! Thanks again and have the happiest holiday ever! Read about the winners in other Awesome Blog categories:

Monday, December 19, 2011 Christmas has come early!! Three new books have been added to my library. It seems my friend Josie in NYC likes to touch and feel books! She orders them and then if she doesn't think she'll ever crochet anything from them, she kindly sends them on to me. Thus I acquired Crochet So Fine by Kristin Omdahl and Creating Crochet Fabric by Dora Ohrenstein. Both are lovely books and I might just have to make the honeycomb neck warmer in Kristin's book RIGHT NOW!  Or maybe it would be a good idea to finish the cowl that I have on my designer's drawing board!It only uses one skein so should be quick. Dora's book is a masterful tome about all aspects of crochet. She has put a lot of work and study into the information she offers. It is a must have for any crocheter's shelf. Last week I bought a funky little book at Half-Price books: Downtown DIY Crochet: 14 easy designs for city girls with style.This book is cleverly put together with drawi...

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 You know they say, "Give and you will receive." I was the "buddy" of Melissa Horozewski at the Chain Link Crochet Conference in 2011 in Manchester, NH. She was a delightful person to get to know and to accompany to some of the activities throughout the crochet-filled weekend. At the time she was working on her book, which was untitled. Last week I was quite surprised and excited when her autographed book, Austentatious Crochet, arrived in my mailbox. In her accompanying note, Melissa expressed her gratitude for my helpfulness as her buddy. The buddy program has been a resounding success for CGOA, and I was happy to be a part of it. It is not tough work and crocheters are the easiest people befriend! Now on to the the review... During our brief weekend together, Melissa and I didn't get a chance discuss topics beyond our common passions for crochet. WOW! I didn't know how literary she is! In her bio Melissa says that if a ho...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 Early one morning last week, I was dressed and ready to go out, dressed in crochet, but wanted to get the crock pot going with arroz con pollo to simmer all day. Suddenly, I realized I was missing one ingredient: a can of diced tomatoes! The chicken and all the seasonings were in the pot and I had no other choice than to run out to the grocery to buy the can of tomatoes. No problem, I thought; I will turn it on low and be back within 20 minutes. It will hardly be heated up by then and I'll just throw the tomatoes on top. I created "Americana Jacket" in probably 1997 and published the instructions to make it in February 1999 in Arts & Crafts Magazine. (The crock pot story will continue). I don't know if that magazine still exists and I consider the jacket a bit tattered by now, but I do enjoy wearing it, especially in the fall. Denim is timeless and well, it has crocheted sleeves. I was just about keeping on schedule until I got in ...

Monday, October 31, 2011 There is something about October and Halloween time that really strikes my fancy. Is it the crisp leaves, drying and falling? No, they make my nose itch! Maybe it is the crisp air with sunshine, if we're lucky. No, it reminds me of winter not far behind! It has to be the color or maybe it's the apples! Fall colors are not ones that I do well, so I really do appreciate being surrounded by them in nature. It is a gradual process as the chlorophyll is spent and the array of oranges, rusts and browns phase in and jolt the senses against the perfectly clear blue sky? Why is it that some burning bushes turn bright red much sooner than others? Try looking at the big picture: a line of colorful trees in a park, blasts of color along the highway. Apples are so fine just by themselves but amazing when they become a part of the myriad of recipes that I just have to make this time of year: apple pie, apple crunch, fresh apple cake with cream cheese icing, ...