California Next Month!

Happy National Crochet Month! Time for a quick recap of January and February before telling you what's going on in March, and the exciting news for April.

January started with a family trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. Could not have had a better combination of relaxing, exploring, and activity with wonderful company. The diving and snorkeling were so stunning that my husband said he felt like he was in an aquarium screen-saver. 

Next was nine days in Pittsburgh, and just like that January was gone. I did get some design work done on both trips. Can't reveal much about that yet, but here's a sneak peek:

Blue Heron Egyptian Mercerized Cotton.

In early February I was in NYC to teach Intermediate Tunisian Crochet at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio. Excellent students and we got a lot accomplished. One thing I learned was suggested by the Education Direction, Gretchen: instead of reviewing the basic stitches in class, assign them as homework to be completed ahead of time. That would weed out students who were not fluent enough for Intermediate work, and would also let us spend all of the class time working on new techniques. Great idea, and I will set things up like that next time.

We had a lot of simply gorgeous weather in February! I know it's probably not good for the plants and animals to have 70-degree weather in winter, but there's no way I can complain about it. I walked at Longwood Gardens with friends several times. The Orchid Extravaganza is spectacular. I also got some weeding done around here and cleaned out our little frog pond. Check out the last photo in the slideshow below and see if you can spot the raft of frog eggs. Looks like we'll have some tadpoles soon!

I've been juggling different types of projects. One writing assignment was my first for Frederick (Maryland) Magazine, about the gardens at Longwood and at nearby Winterthur. It was a quick turnaround article for their March issue, and I understand a copy is already on its way to me. I also wrote a feature for The Hunt Magazine about Longwood's restored Main Fountain Garden, which is set to reopen in May after a 2-year, $90 million renovation. It felt good to do some travel writing even though the destinations are in my own back yard! That piece will be published in the summer issue.

At the same time, I've been forging ahead with the new book. I'm including submissions from other designers, as well as my own work (including the Blue Heron item above). Projects have started coming in and I am thrilled with the quality and variety of the finished items! Some of the patterns have required more attention than others. (I wrote more about that on FB; not worth rehashing here.)

Later this month I'm scheduled to teach Beaded Crochet at the Lion Brand Outlet in NJ. It will be my first time there. I expect to be doing some shopping while I'm at the outlet.

One of the beaded techniques I'll be teaching at the Outlet.

Here's another one.

Then it will be April and I'm excited to have been invited by Compatto Yarn Salon in Santa Monica to do a book-signing and brief Tunisian crochet demos as part of the 2017 L.A. County Yarn Crawl! As the Crawl's website says:

"Imagine the perfect Southern California weekend… Beautiful spring weather, great friends, your needles, hooks & yarns. Add to that a special invitation from dozens of LA County LYSs to visit & browse, enter to win great prizes, learn a skill, and pick up some great yarns, patterns and supplies. Hang out with yarn-lovers, meet-up with your internet friends and discover local yarn shops you’ve always wanted to visit....From Santa Monica to Santa Clarita, from Claremont to Long Beach and every square mile in between, your LA County LYS’s are putting on a yarn party just for you!"

I love this idea, and I hope to have time to visit some of the other participating shops. My appearance is Friday, April 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Compatto. (They provide bagels and coffee, very nice!) I'll be signing copies of Crochet Cowls, Tunisian Crochet for Baby, Crochet Scarves, and a few of my other titles. If you are in the greater L.A. area, please come out and see me...and if you know anyone who is out there, please spread the word!

A fringe benefit of my trip to Los Angeles for the Crawl is the opportunity to stay with my son who lives out there, and to see an old friend or two. Nothing wrong with combining business and pleasure. 

Chance to win "Crochet Cowls," two days left!

Karen at I Hook Design wrote a gratifyingly thorough review of Crochet Cowls. I know how long a review like that takes to prepare, especially if the reviewer actually makes a project, as Karen did, and I deeply appreciate that. Readers do, too. Looking at a book is one thing, but putting a pattern through its paces is another.

Karen is offering a copy of the book to one lucky winner. Enter here for your chance to win!

In other news, Lion Brand published my "Fishermen's Wool Wrap" as a kit, available here. I had fun designing and crocheting this project, which has three bands of different patterns. Here are some pictures:

Crisp fall weather arrived this weekend right on schedule. I took advantage of the cool temperatures and dry conditions to spend several hours tidying the yard today. I cut down the peonies and clematis, trimmed some over-exuberant vinca, and gave some evergreen bushes a haircut. Still not done but that was enough for one day. I'm not sure I'll be able to lift my arms tomorrow after all of that clipping!

October is going to be filled with crochet events and a new book project. More on all that in a later post. Meanwhile, don't forget to read the blog post at I Hook Design and enter for your chance to win a book.

Tunisian Crochet class at Lion Brand Studio; upcoming events

Yesterday I was in New York City. There was a slightly odd feeling in the city; a bomb had exploded the night before, just eight blocks from the Lion Brand Yarn Studio. There was a large police presence. Sixth Ave. was closed off starting at 14th St. I had to detour a bit to come back on 15th St. the right direction, but it wasn't a big problem. Parking restrictions are not in effect on Sunday and I was fortunate to get a spot right out front. 

That's one big ball of yarn!

I was pleased that all of the students who signed up for the class made it, too. 

It was cool to see this chalkboard set up outside:

Honored to be mentioned with Dora Ohrenstein!

One reason I love to teach at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio is that they have a dedicated classroom upstairs. It's nice not to be in the midst of the shop floor. Thanks to Gretchen, the Education Director, for inviting me to teach at LBYS.

The "Introduction to Tunisian Crochet" class went great! I love to see folks get excited about the technique. Reminds me of when I first learned Tunisian simple stitch from a book. I couldn't get over it! It created such interesting fabric and was so much fun to do. I had brought samples of Tunisian garments for them to ooh and ah over. We went through the basic stitches (Tunisian simple, knit, purl, and full stitch), and we talked about how to tame the curl, how to work the final row to make things look neat, and how to read Tunisian crochet symbol charts. 

Some of the students are interested in continuing their Tunisian crochet education with more advanced techniques. Maybe we can arrange a follow-up class to work on Tunisian lace, other stitch patterns, shaping, and working in the round.

We were all so busy concentrating on the class that I totally forgot to ask someone to take a picture of me in action! You'll have to use your imagination. I always spend a lot of time walking around the table to check on the students' progress and help them with any problems. 

Downstairs in the shop, the staff and the selection are top-notch. 

The picture doesn't do justice to the yarn display.

And it was nice to see my classes and book-signing listed on the bulletin board.

There's the Crochet Cowls book and a note about the Firelight Turtleneck master class.

Which brings me to some upcoming events at the Studio and elsewhere:

Wednesday, October 19th, 6:45-8 p.m., Crochet Cowls book-signing and fashion show at the West Chester Public Library, 415 N . Church St., West Chester, PA. Phone 610-696-1721. Register here. Free.

Thursday, October 27th, 6:30-8 p.m., Crochet Cowls official book launch/signing and fashion show at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio, 34 W. 15th St., New York, NY. Phone 212-243-9070. Register here. (All yarn purchased that evening is 20% off with the substitution sheets included with books purchased at the Studio.) Free.

Friday, October 28th, noon-1:30 p.m., Firelight Turtleneck Master Class, Lion Brand Yarn Studio, 34 W. 15th St., New York, NY. Phone 212-243-9070. Register here. Cost: $45 plus materials.

Firelight Turtleneck. (Photo: Shanken Photography Inc.)

I hope to see you at some of these events! It's always nice to connect with other crocheters.

Join me for Live Facebook Video, Tuesday August 16th!

I'm excited to have been invited to connect with you through a Facebook Live Video on Annie's Crafts page next Tuesday, August 16, 12:30 p.m. EDT (11:30 a.m. Central, 10:30 a.m. Mountain, 9:30 a.m. Pacific)! I'll be talking about the "Learn to Crochet Ripples" class plus a new mini-class that Annie's is offering. I'll also show you tips for keeping the correct stitch count when you work in the round, and I'll be answering as many live questions as possible. There will be a class giveaway, details to be announced during the broadcast. I hope you'll join me in my studio!

I've watched some live videos that other instructors have done and I've really enjoyed them. It's a fun way to learn something new in an informal way, and to get to know the teachers' styles. 

To get ready for the broadcast I purchased this nifty flexible tripod thing to hold my iPhone:

Phone holder

That way the phone is raised up and you won't be looking up my nose! The tripod also holds the phone in position when I use the camera on the back so you can see my hands during stitch demos. Being fairly (well, very) new to the iPhone and its capabilities, I was in a bit of a panic about connecting properly and making sure I would be able to do a quality video. Amy at Annie's was wonderfully helpful and patient; we did a little run-through last week and now I'm confident that I will be logged on at the appointed time without any trouble.

To join the live video, you'll need to go to Annie's FB page. Use the link in the graphic above. I'm looking forward to meeting you there! 

TNNA Recap

What a great weekend at The National NeedleArts Association trade show! Here's my recap. (I apologize for having so few photos. I'm still getting used to my iPhone.)

My official Designer/Teacher badge

Friday after registration I attended the Yarn Group fashion show. There were almost 100 pieces and most of them were quite lovely. A lot of shawls and scarves, the usual assortment of sweaters and tops, and also some dresses and skirts. I took notes on the yarns that were especially appealing to me. 

The entrance to Sample It

"Sample It" was next. I've missed a few shows, and this was different from what it used to be. Formerly there were a lot of products displayed in a hallway, and you could take little pieces of yarn. Nothing was for sale. The new Sample It is a small (but intense!) cash-and-carry area. Folks were selling kits, bags, books, and other items. It was a bit of a madhouse but nice to see that business was brisk.

Quite a scene at Sample It. Love the shawl. Less excited about the hair.

I caught up with designers Karen McKenna (website here) and Dora Ohrenstein (website here) in the reception area. Karen gave me a copy of her new book, which I'll review in a subsequent blog. Dora is also working on a new book. Nice to catch up with them, if only for a short time.

After a late dinner with my husband at a Korean restaurant a few blocks from the hotel, I sat down to map out my strategy for Saturday. I wanted to make sure I got to all of the manufacturers whose yarn I used in my upcoming "Crochet Cowls" book so I could show them the finished projects and some sample pages. I also wanted to talk to some publishers, check out the yarn that really appealed to me at the fashion show, and chat with some smaller yarn companies to find out if they would be receptive either to purchasing independent designs or offering yarn support for designs published in books or by the designer.

(An aside--D.C. drivers are crazy! In the span of a few minutes we saw a driver in the right lane turn left by crossing over two other lanes that were going in his direction, and another driver who completely blew through a stop sign to make a right turn. Not to mention the constant sirens. Washington is a wonderfully walkable city as long as you watch out for nutcases behind the wheel, but isn't for drivers who are faint of heart.) 

Saturday was the big day for me. I had my finished samples, some books, and promotional postcards in a rolling suitcase, and the show directory and a notebook in a lightweight tote bag. ("Stuff management" is key to surviving these shows without exhaustion!)

One of the aisles at the show

I was very pleased that some of the small manufacturers and/or those who are relatively new to TNNA were enthusiastic about the idea of crochet and Tunisian crochet design. It's nice to feel like there are opportunities out there for designers. It was also wonderful to see folks whose products I use regularly, including Plymouth, Blue Heron, Brown Sheep, and Louet North America. I'm delighted to have finally met Stephanie from Space Cadet Creations. The people at Madelinetosh could not have been nicer! I had purchased their yarn for one of the cowls in my book, and they seemed thrilled with the sample and eager to provide yarn for my future projects. I saw designer/author/instructor Mary Beth Temple only for about two minutes but it was better than nothing!

Got a lot of good information!

Some absences were felt as well. I missed Crystal Palace and Abuelita. I learned from the Westminster Fibers rep that they will no longer be distributing Rowan yarns; I hope the new distributor works out well. All of the designers were working hard, so there wasn't much time to sit and chat. Apparently we are part of "Business and Creative Services" now. There was a BCS meeting from 3-5 p.m., but since I had signed up for a focus group meeting the next morning, I didn't want to sit in yet another meeting so I skipped it. I hope the group will publish a summary of what was discussed.

It was a long but productive day. I've learned to take good notes so it's easier for me to follow up once I'm home. When I emerged at 4 p.m. it was over 90 degrees! Glad I only had to walk a block to get back to the hotel. My husband and son had been at the Nationals-Phillies baseball game. After cooling off and cleaning up, we walked to Chinatown for dinner. My son is in D.C. for the summer, working at a company in Arlington. It was a lucky coincidence that TNNA was in Washington so we could see him.

Sunday morning I participated in a cross-disciplinary focus group. You may have heard that the company that has been managing TNNA's trade shows is no longer going to be doing it. As part of the decision process for picking a new management company, TNNA is trying to get a feel for how the shows and the organization can best serve its members. It was interesting to hear the perspective from people in manufacturing, wholesale, and retail, especially because not all of them are in the yarn group. I was able to express my exasperation and that of other designers about the lack of transparency in selecting classes. We would like to know exactly what TNNA is looking for so we don't waste our time writing proposals that have no chance of acceptance. The photo below shows comments from a class I taught at TNNA in January 2008. None of my class proposals have been accepted since then--and nobody has ever given me a reason why. Go figure. 

With comments like these, no wonder I haven't been asked to teach again!

All in all, a successful show and a good way to get energized for some new designs and projects. Now it's time to do the necessary follow up and start working with some of the luscious fibers I saw on display.

Nailed it! (Or maybe not.)

I confess that I don't like fussing with my fingernails, but I understand that in this business my hands have to look decent. I've never had a professional manicure, and I don't want one. (I know there are people who love getting them, but it just doesn't appeal to me.) I consider it a success if my nails are clean and don't have any jagged edges, but when the occasion calls for it I break out the nail polish.

Part of my problem is impatience. I hate waiting for polish to dry! Yes, I've read all the tips on "8 things to do to help nail polish dry faster" and "Nail polish mistakes we all make." I apply it in thin coats rather than thick globs; I do it outside where there is good ventilation and a breeze to help it dry faster; I wait longer than I think I should have to between coats; I've tried the extremes of running cold water over the nails or using a space heater to blow hot air on them...but even when the nails seem dry I'll invariably do something that puts a dent in the polish. Something as innocuous as putting my hand in my pocket can damage the finish. This may explain why: "Although nails will appear dry within 20-30 minutes, it actually takes a full 24 hours for nail polish to fully dry." Yikes! I'm starting to have sympathy for oil painters. 

It doesn't help that I work in the garden, play the piano, crochet, type, and rarely sit calmly doing nothing with my hands at rest. 

When I was on HGTV's "Uncommon Threads" the producers were very firm about wanting nails to look professional. I purchased fake nails and glued them on. They looked really nice! A little longer than my regular nails, but not too long. Everything was fine until I went to take out my contact lenses that night. Ah, the Law of Unintended Consequences! My right thumbnail was way too long and would scratch my eye if I continued the attempt. I ended up trimming it back to its natural length. The filming went fine and nobody commented on my nails. Eventually the fake ones fell off. Sort of weird when that happens in public.

The instructor packet from Annie's before I did the "Learn to Crochet Ripples" class (available here) was also very specific: "Fingernails should be clean and polished with neutral, light pink or clear topcoat. Professionally manicured nails look the best, but make sure the nails are not dominant and won't pull attention away from the demonstrating (no French manicures, please)." I found a nice light pink nail polish and brought it with me to Berne. The night before the first day of shooting I forced myself to sit like a statue at the desk in my hotel room for 20 minutes until the nails were dry. They were indeed inspected--and approved!--the next day

I've been able to go polish-free between then and now, but with The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) trade show coming up this weekend, out came the bottle of pink stuff. I'll have to take it with me because I dinged the nail on my left pointer...while I was writing this blog post.