Happy so-called spring! I think the seasons are having a slight identity crisis here in Pennsylvania. After a gorgeous weekend--gardening! spring cleaning! not shivering!--it was a very cold and blustery week, topped off by a light snow yesterday morning before it changed to rain. All of my daffodils are blooming but I haven't even been outside to enjoy them. We haven't seen the frogs since it got chilly again. There has been plenty of non-weather warmth to tide me over until spring comes to stay. First was the amazing gift of being profiled on Denise's blog, http://voiedevie.blogspot.com/. She took the time to ask many questions and to think about the answers. It was really great timing for her to publish this profile of me, while Flamie voting was going on. The awards will be announced on April 18 via Mary Beth Temple's fiber arts podcast, Getting Loopy http://gettingloopy.com/. A few days ago I had the opportunity to visit the home studio of a friend from our local knit/crochet group. Wow! She has the whole basement for her crafts, which include sewing, beading, quilting, and more, along with knitting and crocheting. The beaded items she makes are exquisite, and the studio was brilliantly organized. It gave me some ideas for reorganizing my (very limited) space.
Next Saturday, April 9, I will be doing a book-signing and Tunisian crochet class at The Knitter's Edge in Bethlehem, PA. I can't wait to see the shop--the reviews have been stellar, and I know the co-owner because she works for Plymouth. She's always been very supportive of my work. The class is either full or close to it, but if you're in the area and would like to come for the signing or just to say hi, please check the link for directions to the store. http://www.theknittersedge.com/about.htm
I've been making a bunch of baby gifts, mostly sweaters and blankets. This little sweater is worked in Tunisian honeycomb. I made another sweater using regular double crochet but didn't like it as much, so I altered the design for Tunisian. I think I'll try one in Tunisian double crochet next--the honeycomb stitch is fairly thick, so Tdc might be a good choice for a lighter-weight garment. I haven't done a lot of baby clothes before but I like them because they are so quick to complete! Working on the sweaters has given me a lot of other ideas.
I'm beginning to pull the designs for my next book together. I hope to have some uninterrupted time this week to pore over my idea file, stitch dictionaries, and yarn samples. Swatch city!