CGOA Chapter News

Our meeting Thursday was affected by the weather. Threats of snowstorm and white-out conditions reduced attendance to 4. We ended up with a dusting.
The meeting started with business. The CGOA has changed the by-laws, before an application for a chapter had to have 5 CGOA members, now it must contain "at least one" CGOA member. With 2 of us, we can apply for official chapter-ship! That's part of this week's paperwork. Next we discussed possible names for the chapter, I like Capter Area, but that could be just about anywhere, so we're thinking about Harrisburg Area. I was hoping for something a little more creative, one suggestion was Hook, Yarn and Stitches. Hmmm
The main part of the meeting was Tunisian! I taught the Basic Afghan Stitch (that's how a lot of people think of it, because of the big interest in the '70s). I also taught them the Knit stitch, Purl and Reverse; we also covered topics such as selecting a good hook size for the fiber, types of hooks, working into the back of the starting chain to get a nice bottom edge, working into the last stitch on the left edge to get a nice edge, and binding off. We all have a nice little sample swatch to take home.
In February we've scheduled a trip to a LYS, and to the Gathering of the Guilds.
The March meeting is still under discussion, there is interest in learning to crochet with wire and carving a hook. I'm not an expert in those areas, it might be a little late to arrange a guest speaker. But, I can start looking, and maybe schedule a guest for later in the year.

Doily finished

I finally completed the doily on Monday evening. I took it along to our Sit N Stich at Borders Tuesday evening and got a lot of compliments. I love this pattern, and it's gorgeous in white! It looks like a snowflake, as someone last night mentioned.
I'm hoping to get this blocked before heading off to work tonight. (Just spent 1/2 hour talking to a parent about Mathcounts Competition, this Saturday, so I may not have time for blocking.)

Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery

Discovered this on my Google search for that "punk-doily" maker. At the Contemporary Crafts Museum & Gallery in Portland, Oregon there will be a discussion on Gender and the Evolution of Craft. Wish I lived closer.
"The scope of her lecture is the evolution of craft beyond its many stereotypical iterations – ”women’s work” – and beyond its often disdainful reputation in the high-art world. She will touch on the meta aspects of contemporary craft – namely, the fact that many crafts, particularly those made by women, serve to comment on the domestic realms of the past. She will also reflect on how the new “hipness” of craft is represented in today’s popular culture."

Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting

Today's New York Times has a review of a museum exhibit on needlecraft "article". The exhibit is "Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting" and is at the Museum of Art and Design in Manhattan through June 17th. This entry title links to the Museum's page on the exhibit.
The review of the exhibit is full of things of interest, I think I'd like to go and see this exhibit. However, the article is also negative, the reviewer evidently didn't find much "radical" or "subversive". One piece she did find to qualify is a crocheted piece! Read on:
"The works most in keeping with the show’s politically charged title are more interactive and collective, or more related to performance. For example, Cat Mazza’s collectively crocheted “Nike Blanket Petition,” a campaign against sweatshop practices represented here in a series of photographs, will be sent to Nike’s corporate headquarters."
This reviewer also mentions some artists she feels should have been included -
"So many more artists might have been included whose work explores the social aspects of knitting and lace or who more radically recast these forms: Simon Perotin, of the punk-doily creations; the artisans in the Church of Craft; Ms. Zittel; Ms. Auerbach;, Mr. Drain; and so on."
I'm on a Google search to find out more.
There are also public events and weekend workshops related to the exhibit. Several of the events were Jan. 25th, opening day. However, this Monday's should be fun - an "edible lace high tea" with an artist who is a food designer. The lace is made of tiles of different kinds of chocolate! There's a lace I can love!
Workshops involve scale "room-sized artworks and miniature sculptures"; structure from nature; fiber-arts techniques and personal expression; tatting, finger knitting, felting; fibers and figures - mathematics. So I've found 2 workshops that I'd like to go to, first the March 4th Making Ends Meet - relationships between artists and their work; and second the June 3rd Fibers and Figures - "learn how art and math unite in fiber artworks to create beauty for our everyday lives".

Latest doily

I started a doily the day after Christmas while visiting with my mother-in-law. I only managed to do a few rows before I left for North Carolina, then it was about a week before I got back to it and worked a row or two at a time. When I got back home it was another week of trying to catch up on things at home before I got back to the doily. But I managed several rounds at the Tuesday night at Michaels this week.
The pattern is from a 1915 Priscilla book Centrepieces and Edgings. I downloaded the book from "Antique Pattern Library" . I love this group! They buy a book that is in the public domain and scan it. Then upload the scans to the internet for members of the group to download and print. They can do that because these books are no longer under copyright. Copyright laws are very complex, but we should all Be Familiar with the Basics and understand what we may legally copy.
The pattern has 6 points, with 4 spiderwebs making up diamonds. It was an early American book, and the terminology is British. I'm "translating" two or three rows at a time, then working those rows to make sure I've written it correctly. Next I want to type up my written "translation" so it's easier to work the next time.
I think I have about six rounds left then I have several to block. I hope to get some pictures soon.

Okay, maybe I can start to catch up. Nope, not possible, but I can a little done at a time.
After spending almost 3 weeks out of state, I'm only 1 week behind in lesson plans, and homework assignments, but 3 weeks behind in grading papers. If I'd only thought of having daughter #2 help with that while she was home. She's taken my classes for 5 years, and she assisted for 2 years after that. She knows what she's doing!
Having asked the shawl ministry at the church for 5 shawls for family members, I thought I'd better get back to the ones on my hook. I finished one from Homespun in Cyprus, a beautiful green that shades from off-white to a medium green. I worked it in Tunisian doubles on a P hook, this fabric is so soft! I'm also working on one that I'm alternating rows of Homespun Baroque (kind of a heathery, medium purple) and Homespun Tudor (a creamy base with some slate blue and purple). I pick up my color change on the left side, so that the new color slides through the loops of the first color. That makes the color changes a little softer, more muted. It's a great trick when you have a variegated that's a little strong, alternate with a solid color, making the color changes on the left.
The new Family Circle Easy Crochet has a beautiful baby layette in antique white. I may decide to make up the blanket for the shawl ministry. We give one to each baby baptized at the church.

Dec. 9 my Father-in-law passed away
Dec. 13 service and funeral
Dec. 19 my oldest brother's father-in-law passed away
Dec. 26 &27 service and funeral
Dec. 28 my next-to-the-oldest brother passed away
Dec. 31 Family gathering & Celebration of Life
Jan. 2 memorial service

I've been out of state from Dec. 25th through Jan. 12th. Have not done much crocheting.

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