CGOA 15th Anniversary! Crystal Jubilee

The CGOA is celebrating its 15th Anniversary!! Part of the celebration includes a contest for an anniversary logo. The contest was announced through the CGOA Membership group and on Ravelry. The winning logo, designed by Mary Servillo of Long Island, NY, will be added to the CGOA website, and will be made into a lapel pin that will be available to members attending the Chain Link Conference in Buffalo in August. I've just found out that the logo will be printed on canvas tote bags which will soon be available at Cafe Press. Isn't this a fabulous design promoting crochet and the CGOA!

I've added the logo to my sidebar, below the CGOA logo. They look fab together!

There are other fun things being planned to celebrate the CGOA Anniversary. Get more information by checking the "CGOA website" and the Yahoo group CGOA Membership, and I'll try to keep you posted, also.

I've never been dsylexic...

but lately I seem to find the wackiest things in some of my writing. Look at this sentence in the last post "I'm awaiting ready" I think that I must have meant that "I'm already waiting". Maybe I'm not dsylexic, I just need more caffeine...or maybe less caffeine and more sleep...

Crochet-wise what's one the hooks? I'm working on two baby sweaters as part of a CAL in our CGOA Chapter. They are from the Lion Brand website, and the pattern is Short and Sweet Child's Cardigan.

Then I'm swatching some new fibers as part of a Ravelry Learn Crochet group CAL. They're doing a Learn Symbol Crochet Mystery CAL. I'm swatching the stitch pattern in Plymouth Wildflower DK, a cotton acrylic blend that is soft and has good stitch definition. Then I'm also swatching a Jarbo Garn Tropik, which is a bamboo, cotton, acrylic blend. The yarn is soft, has a nice sheen and great stitch definition. Too bad that it's the only skein in my stash. I bought the skein at A Likely Yarn in Abingdon, VA. I only wanted to play a little and find out how it worked up, etc. Now I wish that I had enough to do this Mystery CAL. I think that I have nothing in the stash with enough yardage for this project...must make trip to LYS.

I also have a whole couch full of swatches for a baby afghan in Tunisian. Lots of ideas, most look great, but not sure that I have the perfect combination yet. Back to work.

Crochet Vacation!

I'm planning my summer crochet vacation, a simple week-long trip to Buffalo to attend the CGOA Conference. While there I'm hoping to see Niagra Falls and see some of the architechture of the region. I need to find a travel guide as see what else is "not to be missed". I'm just been in touch with a CGOA member from Texas, and they're planning a weekend mini-conference in October. Do you think I could convince my husband that I need another crochet vacation?
Well, as I'm thinking about my simple crochet vacation, classess, business trip; I just read in the Crochet Insider about Dora's crochet vacation...She's researching the origins of crochet and is traveling to Sarejavo, Albania and Istanbul!!
Maybe I should find a topic to research and get "research grant" money for a trip!

Oh well, I wish Dora a great trip, luck finding information, and I'm awaiting ready about the travel and the crochet information that she discovers.

Collecting crochet

This past weekend I took a trip to Western PA and spent time with family. I stayed at the home of an aunt and uncle, they live just across the road from another aunt & uncle, with whom my parents and older brother stayed. We have lots of cousins, and assorted other relatives in the area, and had plenty of time to visit.
I took a recently completed doily as a gift to my aunt, as I know how much she loves crochet lace. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful laces she has throughout the house, frequently coming across an old pice lovingly displayed on a lamp table or dresser. It was great fun to recognize design styles and have some idea of the time periods when the particular item was crocheted. A doily in the guest bedroom was in antique white thread with a border in purples, probably made in the 1940's or 50's. The pineapple tablecloth made from large squares in a golden thread is probably not older than the 1980's, while the blue doily in the master bedroom is definitely made in the 2000's...I made it only a few years ago.
If you're interested in old crochet lace, read this article from the current issue of Crochet Insider.
"Antique Crochet Beauties"

Crochet article by Dora Ohrenstein

"Summer is Crochet Season" is a wonderful, crochet-positive article about yarn companies that are featuring crochet patterns and crochet support. Some of the companies mentioned in Dora's article are Tahki•Stacy Charles, Universal Yarn, Nashua Handknits, Garn-studio/DROPS Design, and Caron International. I LOVE the crochet designs on the Garn-studio/DROPS Design website, I've drooled over many for years, it's time that I selected one and actually made it! I feel that Caron has recently come into the crochet world with it's manufacture and support of the NatuallyCaron products Country and Spa. Some of the designers mentioned - Doris Chan, Vashti Braha and Kristin Omdahl! I've made a summer top with Spa and absolutely love it. I'm trying to decide on another project with this fiber.

Universal Yarns is developing a pattern line with Mary Beth Temple, to be called Hooked for Life, the name of her recent book. The article includes a photo of a mesh-y cardigan in raspberry worn over a white, raspberry print dress,...to die for!
This should be a fabulous line, I can't wait to see the designs.

The article includes links to many of the websites, so I'm off to shop, and drool over patterns!

Home from Abingdon

It seems I left myself stranded in Abingdon, only in blogland, not in real life. I'll tell you a little about Sunday's drive home, and then what's been happening crochet-wise since arriving home.
Sunday we were up fairly early, and we packed up cars and hit the road. It wasn't a very exciting day - I drove and drove, stopped at a rest stop, drove some more, stopped for gas, drove some more, stopped at another rest stop, drove, stopped for very late lunch - there was a Michaels near the diner so I did spend a little time looking at the new yarn department and picked up a few of the free patterns for the Michaels brand yarn, drove more, and finally arrived home.

I'm glad that I got this fun trip to visit with family, and got in some sightseeing, craft shopping, and yarn shopping, too.

More about Abingdon

Saturday morning we were up very early! We met M and her boyfriend at the Farmers' Market, where the biscuits and sausage were the recommended starting place. I got a pork tenderloin on a biscuit, yummy. And down the line further selected an Ethopian blend coffee. We ate at a picnic table in the shade and I watched two young ladies at a nearby booth crocheting. We then shopped the rest of the market, and I contemplated a beautiful necklace of silver and a blue gemstone. Lovely, lovely, but finally decided it was a little rich for my taste. We bought fresh cinnamon buns and enjoyed them before we left for more walking tour of the town. Sat. was the annual Plumb Alley Days, where the community has booths or handcrafted items, flea market, overstock from local stores, yard sales, etc. We each bought a few small things and walked many blocks in the sun before Mom & Dad bought some lemondade and found a nice bench in the shade, and M and I continued shopping & buying! The local bagpipe band marched the length of the alley and played. When M & I decided we had finally seen all there was to be seen, we had a walk back to the bench, and then a long walk back to the car. M went to work, and we took another driving tour, what else was there to be seen in Abingdon? Well, we found out that most everything to see was right in the downtown area. But we found a fast food place for lunch, and then returned to town and Stage II where we saw Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. This was an excellent production! After we were back at the motel relaxing Mom said she could have seen it a second time that evening! After the theatre we all agreed that Alison's was the place to go for dinner. This time I got the baked potato soup and a sandwich.
Then M had to go to work again, and we went back to the motel to relax. We had a great chance to visit, and lots to see and do. Special thanks to daughter for hosting a tour of Abingdon and for the theatre tickets. And thanks to parents for the motel room and all the great food. I had a fabulous trip!

Greetings from Abingdon, Virginia written May 22

Greetings from Abingdon. I spent yesterday (Thursday) morning and afternoon driving, then met daughter #2 and my Mom & Dad at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon. We had dinner at the Ellis Soda Shoppe and Grille. The Ellis Soda Shoppe is a building on the National Register of Historic Places, and was originally a pharmacy - the building has lots of character - and the Grille had great food.
Daughter (M) went to work and my parents and I went to Barter's Main Stage to see Jimmie Rodgers America's Blue Yodeler. I'm not a big yodel fan, but was familiar with Jimmie Rodgers & his music. The actor did a great job and had a great voice, I also liked the actor who played the blues harmonica - I will admit a love for blues harmonica!
This morning (Friday) we met at the Theatre and went to IHOP for breakfast! Next, a tour of the Abingdon Winery, where we each chose a variety to sample. I liked them all, M bought a bottle of a sweet blush; I bought a bottle of that and a very sweet red that goes well with dark chocolate. Now I just need someone who'll enjoy a glass of wine with me. Then we set off on a walking tour of historic Abingdon. We started at the Cave House, another historic building. The name comes from a limestone cave that runs under the house. The building is currently a shop for local artisans. Wow! Quilts and quilted wall hangings, weaving, tatting, crochet, wood carvings, stained glass, pottery, handcrafted folk music instruments, and so much more. We all enjoyed the items that filled this house. I bought an embroidered book marker for my Dad & M bought a used book. From there we walked to Zazzy'Z Cafe and Coffeehouse, where the rest of the group relaxed in the Coffeehouse and browsed books. I spent time in A Likely Yarn, where I browsed knitting and crochet books and some yummy fibers. I bought an old magazine, Vogue Knitting International Crochet from 1994, as well as some lovely, bright pink yarn, a cotton and acrylic blend, plus a skein of Jarbo Garn Tropik, a bamboo acrylic blend in a soft green. I talked knitting, crochet and books with the owner, Janet Woolwine (really!). She recommended French Girl Knits, and suggested that crocheters needed a book of that kind - with hip, not old-fashioned garments. I recommended books by Doris Chan and Lily Chin. The store is moving to a new building further into town, on Monday and the owner said that she'd order some of the books that I'd recommended, as she's have more room. She handed me a business card that includes a place to record your own knitting needles and crochet hooks. She said she was getting new ones made with the new address, so I asked if I could have a few more for members of the Guild Chapter - she handed me all that cards left on her counter. So look for a small treat at the meeting on Thursday.
I'm highly recommending that you visit A Likely Yarn at "A Likely Yarn" and visit the store at their new location on Pecan Street if you get to Abingdon.
Then we had lunch at Alison's where the baked potato soup was highly recommended. I was the only one who didn't order the soup, as I was just too hot to think about hot soup. But had a few spoonfuls of M's, and it was fantastic, even after it cooled off.
We took a break from the heat and chatted in M's housing, and then took a walk around the Shakespeare Herb Garden. M went to work for the evening and we did some errands, got gas in the car, and stopped at Dairy Queen for Blizzards. We're now winding down for the evening, I've got a new crochet magazine along with the latest issues of Crochet! and Yarn Market News that I had brought along.
We're starting early tomorrow morning at the Farmers' Market. We've been promised some yummy southern biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and strawberries.

Knitting Scouts

Check out this site, Cast On. They've come up with some fun badges for knitters to earn. It's all in fun. If you think that you've earned one of the badges you can click on it and add it to your blog. Well, some of these badges are excellent for other fiber artists! Like crocheters. And I've definitely earned a few, but we have to change the word knit to crochet. First off is the Math 1 badge: I will Impress you with my Math Prowess


"... a whiz at substituting yarns and calculating gauge, can space increases and decreases evenly and is fully comfortable with the basic math encountered in all... projects." crochet projects

And an advanced math badge: I will Crush you with my Math Prowess

" has applied the principles of higher mathematics to (crochet) including, but not limited to hyperbolic planes, Fibonacci sequences, Klein bottles, Moebius strips, fractals and Flying Spaghetti Monster hats".
Oaky, I'll admit that I haven't done any Flying Spaghetti Monster hat, but I've got the rest!

CAL progress

I just wrote & published a nice post about the CAL, and then found that it was all stuff that I had written in the last post (below). Now I have to find something else to write about.

I'm having fun with this CAL, it's in the Learn Crochet group at "Ravelry". BTW, the Maryland Sheep & Wool that's featured on the Ravelry home page is the one that I opted NOT to go to last week with several members of the local CGOA. My husband reminded me that there's just not enough allergy medication I'm allowed for me to go where there is dust, dogs, sheep, and wool!
We have about 14 ladies participating in the CAL, some are new to crocheting and learning the stitches, others know stitches and are learning to read patterns, and others are learning about the helpfulness of stitch markers and the importance of counting stitches.

I hope you've all check out Ravelry. It's the most informative group since CGOA. With these 2 groups I get new information every day - new yarns, new patterns, new techniques and helpful hints, new names in design, and new friends.