Jane's Hooked on Crochet

A place to write about my crocheting, things I'm learning, book reviews, ideas, projects in mind, works in progress, patterns, photos, fair entries, whatever...

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Crochet Eye Candy

I started this entry back in February, and I had a link to some beautiful crochet items. But there has been discussion in several groups that the site is loaded with copyrighted patterns that they may or may not legally be allowed to have on their site. So instead of posting that link, I'm going to spend some time searching some other sites. Hopefully, I'll find something beautiful to share.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Math & Crochet

Math and Crochet, two of my favorite hobbies!
I play with the numbers everytime I crochet a project; thinking about different number series as I increase in a round, calculating what fraction of the round I've worked on a doily, calculating different sizes of projects based on pattern multiple; I love it!
See what happens if you combine math and crochet, not just for hobbies and personal fun, but with serious math and science understanding:
"Lorenz Manifold"
"Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef"

If you find more examples of science and math modeling using crochet, please comment here with links.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Design in the Mail

Well, last week's homework for my online class at Crochetville was to get a design polished and in the mail. I finished the sketch, swatches, blurb and cover letter and got everything out in an email last Thursday. Now, just wait!
In the meantime, I've got some new ideas, I'm swatching some new yarns, and I've got colored pencils and graph paper on the computer table. In other words, I'm playing...no I'm working...playing at working...working at playing... Who really knows? I've got yarn, hooks, colored pencils, graph paper, I'm happy.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Eye Candy

Here's some very pretty crochet work...evening and wedding gowns for Barbie fashion dolls. Sometimes I get the urge to do a gown like this, then I think "what would I do with it?" But, sometimes before the county fair, I think about crocheting a dress for a doll, and then doing a doll cake in a matching dress. Wouldn't that be fun? I'd really have to plan ahead and start early. I have won ribbons in both categories at fairs before.

Off the crochet topic, a student at the dance studio brought in a Barbie today. It's the first official Alvin Ailey doll, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the modern dance company. This is a beautiful doll in a lovely white dress. Check it out "here"

Sunday, February 01, 2009

What happened to my week?

Has anyone seen that week that I seem to have lost? It's probably around here somewhere, possibly under a stack of paperwork or swatches. It's been a busy week, along with the usual; lesson plans, homework assignments, grading papers, plans for tutoring; I packed and shipped hats to Save the Children for the Knit One/Save One project, our local CGOA Chapter is planning and preparing for participation in the "Gathering of the Guilds" . I had to fill out papers for registration, program, and helping at the PA Farm Show, prepare a 1/4 page for the program, then keep the group informed with emails and posts to our Chapter site.
Our Guild meeting was Thursday evening where I brought everyone up to date, and we discussed what we might make for door prizes. I've printed out a lot of free patterns from the web that I might use in making some small door prizes.
I'm also taking an online class through "Crochetville" The class is Designing for Print Publication, and the teacher is Mary Beth Temple. Each week we have reading and researching to do, along with making some decisions. Along with the class I'm also listening to an audio program from the library entitled How to Prepare a Winning Proposal: An Effective System to Sell your Product, Project or Idea.
Edited: I forgot to add the Tunisian Crochet A Long that I'm trying to work on when I have a few minutes. I told the group that I wouldn't be able to work this as a CAL, but I print out the posts, and put them into a file folder. When things are quiet I sometimes swatch a little of one pice. It's a very complicated Guernsey pattern in Tunisian - ladders, cables, a variety of stitches. It's very pretty.

So papers, notes, file folders, swatches, audio tapes, more papers,...