Missing in Action?

My Mom actually sent an email to ask if I was lost... So,What have I been doing between the post of Aug 1st and the 10th? There's been potential for a lot of Big Things, and actually accomplishing a lot of little things.
The CGOA Professional Membership got a call for designers to submit afghans for a new book. Hmmm, am I allowed to mention who, people, company? It was a rush and they needed lots of designs, fast! The designs would have to be almost at the completion stage as they needed the finished model in hand before the end of the month. I started pondering the designs that were on the hooks, and on paper, and thought I might have time to finish something if I worked day and night.
The very next day I got an email, same company desperate for contract stitchers to work up some designs for above mentioned book. That's guaranteed work/money and I can crochet fast. I accepted the contract and settled down to await The Box.

In the meantime, I'm selecting a motif for the crochet-a-long at Antique Threadwork, and stitching the motif in #10 thread. That's the variegated star motif posted on Friday. I also worked up a slight variation to create a mini doily. Just to get people thinking about what else you could do with the motifs. We don't always want to make several hundred of the same motif for a tablecloth or bedspread. I know I don't, bring on the next motif, bring on the next new stitch pattern, bring on another technique!

On
"The Tunisian Crochet Goup" there has been a lot of complaining about the stitch descriptions in the 101 Easy Tunisian Stitches book, available from Annie's Attic. Complaints about loads of errors, I've only found one small error so far. I think the complaint really should be that the descriptions of complicated stitch patterns are good, if you've gotten a good grasp of the basic stitches; if you don't understand where to put your hook for a "knit foundation" versus a "simple stitch foundation" or a "plain foundation", the descriptions can be quite confusing. Although the book has a picture of a swatch of each stitch pattern, once you get beyond the basic stitches there are no more pictures to show where to put your hook. So, I've spent some time swatching a few of these stitches and posting detailed help to the group.
Still in teacher mode, I signed up for an online site called AllExperts, as a crochet expert. Anyone can post a problem in any subject, the moderators email one of the "experts" and they answer the question or refer the person to a site for more help. I've answered several questions including one on how to extend a Tunisian piece on the left and the right sides of a row. On Crochet Partners, I've helped with a Dress Bookmark that I've made many times. Luckily the person had worked in a variegated thread, and posted pictures! I was able to explain what to do by color!

Monday evening I taught another Beginner Tunisian class at Michaels, just one student, but we scheduled the class just for her, as she was in from out of town. It was a fun class, with time for chatting.

Tuesday evening was our Crochet in Public at Borders. I think I must have been working on the star motif. Crystal finished her first doily ever! She started it at a Guild meeting where our topic was working from a chart. I'm so proud of this young lady! And the doily is gorgeous, I'm going to borrow my Magic Crochet back from her and make this doily myself in the future.

I'm been doing a lot of swatching of stitch patterns, both for the CGOA Membership group's Stitch of the Week, and Tunisian stitches. I have an idea for a Tunisian project that might be submitted for publication, or published independently so that I can also use it as a class. Then yesterday, still waiting for the contract Box, I started another Tunisian baby afghan. I need to type this up, take photos when finished, make a swatch, and put together a folder. This one should definitely be submitted for publication. Get it together!

This morning The Box arrived. I need to sort out all the swatches and works in progress (WIPs) in the living room, and organize my work area for the contract.
Ready GO!