Entering another season

I have been crocheting less and listening to music more.  Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  I tend to get into the music and the lyrics.  The lyrics from this Fleetwood Mac song written by Stevie Nicks seem to really hit home these days

http://www.songlyrics.com/fleetwood-mac/landslide-lyrics/

--can the child within my heart rise above?

--can i sail thru the changin' ocean tides?

--can I handle the seasons of my life?

i don't know.....

A Light Read

I wanted to mention a new book that was just released a few months ago.  Every crocheter has to have one.  It's an easy read and they call it an "essay collection. . .specifically for crocheters."  Filled with humor and sarcasm. 

It's called Hooked for Life, Adventures of a Crochet Zealot by Mary Beth Temple.She is an author, designer and the host of the Getting Loopy podcast. She has requested when buying the book to click on the Amazon link at her website.  I  am a third of the way through the book and my favorite essay so far is "Greetings from Mount Yarn."  If you have a "mount yarn" you have to read the book.

The Allotrope Ciliated Bag in Crochet

As mentioned earlier, I wrote a pattern.  And then I wrote another one.  The new pattern will be available on Ravelry in a few days.  I have a wonderful group of internet friends who have volunteered to test the pattern for me. (I can't mention their names because I don't have their permission) It's good to have a few pair of eyes to catch the mistakes and give you feedback.  
This pattern is for a bag which is super simple to make.  It's a good design for a beginner and I want the pattern to be easily understood. 
There is a story behind the name of the bag. If you are curious go to your online dictionary and look it up. The Free Pattern for the Allotrope Ciliated Bag in Crochet can be found here. You have to be a member of Rav to get to it.   

Day of the Dead Crochet Skull Pattern

This is my first pattern. I've added a link to my blog today. It's a free download on Ravelry. I made my first skull for my son. After he saw it he wanted a whole set in different colors to use as coasters in his new home. A friend of mine suggested a Day of the Dead set. My other son wants it appliqued on the back of his jacket. Then there are totes and sweatshirts and biker jackets it can be appliqued on. Someone else I know wants to frame her skull and hang it as a piece of art on her wall.

Enjoy! I would love to hear your ideas.

Pulling Out My Hair

I don't consider myself a designer. I'm more of an improviseur but nevertheless I have converted a couple of knit designs into crochet designs. They are simple designs and if they were not simple I wouldn't have been able to convert them because I do not know knittenese. And if there were more felted bag patterns offered in crochet I wouldn't have had to do it in the first place.
I have been asked to write patterns for several of my designs (do I dare say the word) to share with my fellow crocheters. I never wanted to write a pattern. I enjoy the time crocheting much more but after being asked several times I decided to write a pattern. First pattern was just a coaster pattern. Maybe 5 rounds. O.K. This takes some time but I can do it. The second pattern was a bag. Wow! The competition is fierce and I'm offering these patterns for free. Is it worth the time and the hassel? I don't know.

The picture above was provided by Dorothy Ada, a long time friend who has a great sense of humor.  She was one of my pattern testers and decided to embellish her skull. I thought the picture fitting for the title.

A New Adventure

I am selling online now. Starting out slow. Considering doing some of those marketing things that most people do when promoting their handmade crafts. You can find me at:

http://www.crochetenthusiast.artfire.com

Current Crochet Challenge

I have attempted to crochet clothing. Something other than hats and scarves. (still loving hats and scarves) One success and one failure, so far. Not only is the crochet technique a challenge to learn but finding the right pattern and learning how to fit it to a larger woman's size. And then there is the right kind of yarn to pick. Texture, color, weight. And the washing and the blocking and how is it going to turn out when I'm done. I'm not giving up yet. I'm determined I will get the mesh crochet pullover I have always coveted and it will fit. We will see.

In the meantime, bags are still my #1 love.

Currrent Reading List

I finished reading The Friday Night Knitting Club. It's a "feel good" kinda book and not the type I normally read but I am glad that I did. I have decided that the "sweater left unfinished" that she talks about is going to stay unfinished. It's going to become "unraveled" to become something else.

I am currently reading Outlier's. It's non-fiction and very interesting. I am about halfway through it. I plan on reading Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman soon. Probably another "cute" novel but I can't resist. And then there is always an inspirational book by Joyce Meyer that I could read. I haven't decided which one of hers will be next.

My Favorite Projects to Crochet

My favorite projects to crochet are handbags, totes, purses, bags, whatever you want to call them, so I have added a few pictures to my blog. To my internet friends who have gotten to know me they are nothing new. They are the same pictures I have on Flickr and Ravelry. One of these days I will get creative with some pictures but photography is not my forte. Some of the patterns are free and some were purchased. If anyone is interested in the free pattern links send me an email or leave a comment and I will get back to you.

What we have known all along

A friend shared this video with a group I am in and I had to share it with you. It's called Knitting For Your Health and it's done by CBS. It shares a lot of good stuff which we have known or suspected for a very long time, like "Everything old is new again" and "sewing mends the soul." They also share a scientific study done by the Mayo Clinic which proves that memory loss is decreased by 30-50% in people who involve themselves in activities like quilting, knitting, crochet and other sewing activities.

I know for myself that I picked up the hobby a few years ago to improve my mental health. My memory loss was getting so bad. It's still not great but it has improved a great deal in the past 3 years. The repetition of crochet has always been soothing to me and working with the different colors of yarn gives me a creative outlet I really enjoy.

When I found crochet sites on the internet that's when the hobby exploded for me. I am constantly amazed and inspired by all the things I see others have created with the yarns we have available today.

Thumbing thru my podcasts today

I was thumbing through my podcasts today and happened to find one by Yarn Thing: Crochet and Knitting Podcast that has an interview with Kate Jacobs. It is titled Kate Jacobs: Friday Night Knitting Club & Knit Two. I learned about the book through a group of friends on the internet and had to listen to the interview. I thought it was a very good. Marly had some really good questions for her. The original air date was 4/21/09.

Marly is a designer and I came across her name from a Ravelry group I joined called Interweave Crochet. Marley is the Administrator and the Moderator of the group. I just recently learned she is one of IC's designer's when I received my first issue of IC last month. I plan on attempting her Tremendous Tote when I get some WIP's done.
On her radio show she has some very interesting topics as well as interviews with Robyn Chachula, another designer for IC, and Marcy Smith, the editor of IC. So it looks like I have some catching up to do.

A quote from The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

I ran across this quote the other day while reading this book. It was so appropriate to where I am at on several levels. I am not a knitter but the wisdom of this book still applies.

starting again

Every knitter has a sweater left unfinished; the bags of bits and pieces stashed away and never picked up again. And why? A change in fashion? A change in season? If that was so, you'd just pull out the stitches and use the yarn for something new. No, there's a secret hope that makes you hold on, to dream that you'll get it right someday, that you'll go back and take it up again and it will finally come out right. That this time all the pieces will fit. The mistake is waiting until you feel renewed enough to give it another try. You simply have to pick up the needles and keep at it anyway.