>Broomstick Crochet Rides Again

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>Likely you missed the world premier of my Magical Broomstick: Crochet Lace in a Flash workshop last week at the NYS Sheep&Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY.  My inaugural class might have been small in numbers but huge in terms of enthusiasm and spirit.

Yes, it’s true.  I swatched.
I don’t bite.  Not today, anyway!

Megan, Pam, Jean and Ruth, intrepid crocheters all, joined me for a fantastic and fun flight through three approaches to Broomstick technique, tons of show and tell, umpteen swatches and not enough coffee.  Thanks to my class angel Diane Moyer for capturing the morning in photos.

Pam was wearing a Broomstick scarf she had already made, YAY!
In a pinch, these make awesome drumsticks.

After class I had the honor of sitting for a book signing at the Merritt Books author booth.  I lugged in a dozen garment samples from Crochet Lace Innovations and from my new self-published pattern line DJC Designs.  Scott Meyer, my genial host, thinks I know how to work a crowd.  Little did he realize that the crowd was loaded with ringers, fellow designers and crochet friends from CGOA and Ravelry.  We were all having such a jolly good time that it only looked like I was impressing the assemblage.

Since many of the fans stopping by to meet me already own my books, I sometimes offer to sign book plates, signatures to-go.  OOOPS.  Well, now that Scott knows those people weren’t all paying customers, ya think I’ll get invited back next year?

Next teaching-op for me is the Chester Springs Studio Holiday Fine Crafts event on November 13th for Historic Yellow Springs, a non-profit enterprise in Chester County, Pennsylvania that preserves and promotes the history and arts of Yellow Springs village.  Chester Springs Studio is a vibrant arts center that hosts classes, workshops and exhibitions in the visual arts.  My Magical Broomstick crochet workshop is from 1 to 3 pm, but even if you can’t make the class, please stop by before and after for mini-demonstrations and crochet Q&A.  Hope to meet you there.

>The State of Crochet

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>My eyes tend to glaze over when reading (well, OK, skimming) the sort of major industry report recently delivered from The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA).  The State of Specialty NeedleArts 2010 (the summary of this report is available to the public) is bursting with information gleaned from surveys from over 11,000 respondents, pre-digested and displayed as summaries, text, pie charts, graphs, lists, spreadsheets.  Gee Whiz.  Good thing they don’t make you wade through the raw data; the summary report is brain-numbing enough.  (It’s one of those little mysteries of life how someone like me, who cringes at the appearance on the page of more than one string of numbers at a time, managed to have a son who became an actuary.  More specifically he is the world’s best beat-boxing actuary, so in some ways he redeems himself.)

Yes, there was cringing aplenty when I first opened the file.  But almost immediately the miasma cleared as I found one fact that lit up the screen.  The single most-requested “fresh and new” product among consumers across the board turns out to be… wait for it…. crochet patterns.

WOWSERS! I nearly fell off my chair when I read that. I can’t remember if I squeeeed or not.  The only witness to that moment was my fat white Chihuahua and he’s not talking.  But I must have made some sort of noise.  The findings of this report completely validate what my colleagues are all about and what has been my mission for nearly a decade, namely providing crocheters with new crochet designs. While it may be a remarkable statement to the needlearts industry as a whole, it’s a total way of life for us hard-core crocheters.

The fact that there is a thirst for fresh crochet patterns isn’t startling news to everyone in the industry.  I am most fortunate to be working with companies, in particular Tahki Stacy Charles and Caron International along with web-based NaturallyCaron.com, who have been and continue to be supportive, appreciative, even pro-active about answering the call for crochet design.  This season, Tahki Stacy Charles unveiled two new patterns of mine, splashed across full-page ads in magazines and on their company website.

On the left  is September Morn, a fresh approach to traditional pineapple crochet, a genre that is dear to me.  Done in Tahki Cotton Classic Lite, this little vest is sweet and so trend-right for fall.

To the right is Song Sung Blue, long, lean and lacy.  It is crocheted seamlessly in Tahki Dove, a luxury blend of extrafine merino wool and alpaca.

It is my hope that this bit of information serves as an industry wake-up call, and not just for the selfish reason that I could always use another paycheck, but because the more crochet there is, the happier we be.  There are wholesalers and retailers who have not yet begun to actively court crocheters, or simply don’t know what interests us or how to reach us.  What you can do as a consumer to make your voice heard is to frequent shops, sites and events, talk and write about your craft, display your crochet on your body, and thus leave your mark of the hook everywhere you go.

>On the Road: Broomstick Crochet

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>It’s never a good thing to admit that you hear voices inside your head.  What has been pestering me for the past couple of years isn’t quite a voice, more like the tap-tapping of a pipping chick on its shell, the sound of an idea that needs hatching.  On the other hand, it could be the tick-ticking of a timer rigged to detonate a kilo of C4. Whether it’s a bird or a bomb… that sort of depends on you guys. For the voice I am hearing, the one I am poised to heed, is the call to teach.

There is a saying that those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.  That’s total rubbish and a disservice to and denigration of the profession.  For me, doing crochet is natural.  Designing crochet, while not always straightforward or easy, is a pleasure and a passion.  Teaching crochet is ungodly difficult. Teaching is ground not to be tread lightly or hesitantly.  Teaching demands patience, planning, preparation and perspiration, none of which I felt capable of giving until now.

Before I began writing my third book, Crochet Lace Innovations, I was convinced I would never teach.  I disliked school, classrooms and {choke} homework. I could never put myself in the position of inflicting any of that on anyone else.  HA!  It’s amazing and scary how writing a book can lead to self-discovery.  As I went on to write, “The optimal time to teach is when you yourself have just absorbed something so fantastic, are so totally fired up with the process that you simply can’t wait to share it with someone.  Great teaching isn’t about parading you expertise; it’s about bringing someone else to your skill level along the path where you’ve just been.”

I had always assumed that teaching would sap precious time and energy away from my primary mission, to design and share awesome crochet.  What I discovered over the past two years since writing those words in my book is that teaching crochet, explaining and demonstrating for others what I do, getting in touch with crocheters and pattern users face to face, will ultimately benefit my designing.  It is so worth what I will gain in return in terms of solidifying my own commitment to the craft, finding out what makes crocheters truly happy, making myself a better designer. All I needed to push me over the precipice into fully realized teacher hood was the same triumvirate as crime solving:  Motive, Means and Opportunity.  All three have come together in a cosmic confluence that can not be denied.  In other words, I have run out of excuses!

Although the material that crocheters most want to absorb from my brain concerns my chief MO, seamless garment design, I had to face the reality that it would be impractical and likely impossible to cover the subject in a single three-hour session.  And there would be much, much homework.  And I would have to be very strict about who could sign up, as a master-class on this level assumes students possess not only advanced crochet skills but also the stomach for it.  That class must wait for a future set of Motive, Means and Opportunity.

For my first gig I have chosen a more accessible topic, one that I know will be fun for all.  I am so excited about teaching this because it is crochet technique I absolutely love and can’t stop doing (Motive).  I not only dedicated a chapter to it in my last book, but have also been busily writing about it and offering Broomstick designs for publication, which you will see in the coming seasons, so I feel mightily empowered to show others how to do the technique (Means).  And I was asked by a really great guy, founder of the Merritt Bookstore family and genial book signing host Scott Meyer, to put together a demo to go with my scheduled appearance this year at the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY (BINGO…  Opportunity!).

So, on Sunday morning October 17th, 2010 I present the premier of Magical Broomstick: Crochet Lace in a Flash.  Follow the link to view the details and to sign up.  Registered students receive a free two-day pass to the Festival.  And my students will get, courtesy of Caron International and the Tulip Company, a complimentary Etimo cushion grip crochet hook.

Also, if you’re in my neck of the woods, please join me for an afternoon of crochet at the Chester Springs Studio, a vibrant arts center at Historic Yellow Springs in Chester Springs, PA, Saturday, 13 November, beginning at noon.  From 1 to 3 pm I will be giving the above Magical Broomstick workshop, with a wrap-around of free mini-clinics for crochet learning and Q&A before and after.

I guess I have to bite the bullet and create a blog page for my teaching schedule.  YIKES!  I never imagined doing that.  Never say never.  🙂

>Hitting a Smaller Target: Conclusion

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>Perhaps you thought I’d never get to the pay-off promised for this series of posts.  You’d be correct.  I totally intended to spill all I could offer about small sizing.  But the more I tried to put the answers into a set of blog posts, the more I came to accept that it’s not gonna happen in this blog-o-sphere.

What has happened since I started down that road a couple of months ago is that I’ve had a brain blast.  I decided to create small size designs and publish them as individual patterns.  Since there is no proven market for girl/tween/teen sized crocheted garment patterns, generally big girl sizes 6 through 16, I have been unable to find a traditional publishing venue eager enough to help me go there.  So I am planning to self-publish the lot.

I know.  I KNOW!  I have said here that I am a crocheter, not a publisher.  Never say never.  Put the blame squarely on my friend and now my boss, Vashti Braha.  Vashti has just rolled out the welcome mat for her new website, www.DesigningVashti.com, the ultimate crochet destination, pattern boutique and crochet information treasure trove.  Using her uncanny powers of persuasion and threatening me with bodily harm if I didn’t cave in, Vashti talked me into testing the self-publishing waters by inviting me to contribute designs for her beautiful site.  She offered me a comfy cyber-home for my new pattern line, DJC Designs, no deadlines, no hassles, and complete creative freedom.  But she needed a couple of patterns in time for the shopping cart going live this week. YIKES!

What to do… what to do… WHAT TO DO?

I did not want to rush into the girl designs just yet.  But I did have two pet projects that would take to download land really well.  Both designs are more like sets of patterns, encompassing multiple samples and requiring a crap ton of pages to spit out.  Think of these as fat patterns.  Bloated patterns.  Patterns with booklet tendencies.

The first DJC Designs pattern now available is DJC: Triangular Shawl and Variations.

Sample in Tahki Torino with beading
DJC: Triangular Shawl and Variations

Thanks to the designers’ options with Interweave, I retained rights for this little beaded wrap, originally published in the premier special issue of Interweave Crochet, 2004.  Now featuring new stitch diagrams, six fresh shawl samples in various yarns, instructions and suggestions for many gauges and sizes, this deluxe version of the Triangular Shawl will become your go-to pattern for gorgeous, stash-busting stuff for yourself and for gift-giving.

Next up will be DJC: PlayPlaid, a collection of four projects in a clever 3-color plaid stitch.  This is the pattern that includes the pieces I showed in the CGOA 2010 Chain Link Fashion Show last month in Manchester, NH.

Photo credit Alex Iannelli, used by permission

And, if I stop blogging and start seriously crocheting, in the coming season you will see the debut of DJC Designs, Too!, a series of designs including tops, cardigans, skirts, dresses and whatever comes into my head, in girl sizes 6 to 16.  Keep checking www.DesigningVashti.com for the latest DJC Designs patterns, or subscribe to the DesigningVashti newsletter for the heads-up.

>Awards of a Personal Nature

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>With a week of calm at home to reflect on the Crochet Guild of America 2010 Chain Link Conference earlier this month, I see that I have been remiss. Never is there enough time to thank all who helped pull off events of such magnitude and scope.  I tried to catch everyone during the eight days I was on site in Manchester, including the posse, the geeks, the models, the judges, staff, my book signing host, CGOA kahunas, corporate sponsors and the facilities managers at the venue (who could not have been more accommodating).  But I hope all who helped make this event happen and particularly those who chafed under my unrelenting and at times I am sure annoying bossiness will forgive but never forget how it all came together in the end.

There is a rule, a mantra, that must be expressed and impressed on every conference attendee each year.  Everybody say it with me.  “What happens at Chain Link…. stays at Chain Link”. What I reveal below is not a shattering of the code of silence, but a peek into what makes a code necessary.  No, just kidding.  This is my way of giving due recognition to those who worked so tirelessly yet managed to make it so much fun and to those whose contributions were not necessarily apparent to attendees.

So, here is the list of winners of this committee chairman’s Other Awards, ones you won’t hear or read about anywhere else:

“Unsung Hero Award” — Diane Moyer.  You might not recognize her name or know her face, but Diane was the busiest posse member on site.  She appeared at several major events throughout the conference, quietly and competently working her assigned tasks.  BRAVA!

“Hottest Skirt Model” — Kimberly McAlindin, who regaled us with her interpretation of her favorite Jazzercise routine while wearing my “Felina Skirt” sample from Crochet Lace Innovations during Thursday evening’s Market Preview.  You had to be there.

“Coolest Skirt Model” — Vashti Braha, who floated regally among the attendees that same night in my “Rohise” hairpin skirt.  Here’s Vashti in the skirt with Cari Clement during Awards Ceremony night.  Vashti is claiming her prize for the Weightless Tunisian Wrap design.

“Best Performance by a Tall Person” — Joshua McKiernan, who helped me take down 12 boob dummies (don’t ask) from the design competition display wall at show’s end.   Hey, Josh, I found the 12th set of hanging hardware, so no worries.

“Chicken Dance Diva” — Tammy Hildebrand.  Again, don’t ask.

“Most Appreciated Coffee Rescue by One of the Posse” — Leslie Urinyi.  Hon, I might have perished that afternoon without your timely and kindly intervention.  Why do I bother to drink it?  I should just hook up an IV.  Here’s Leslie and her award-winning design, the Tree Hat.

“Most Appreciated Food Rescue by One of the Posse” — Vashti Braha, who managed to snag the last piece of chocolate cake from the buffet for me, too, which I naturally ate first.

“Geeks Rule!” Award — KJ Hay and her husband Bradley (who also wins the “I could listen to him talk all day” award for his Adelaide accent!).  As the designated AV tech team for the Design Competition Awards Ceremony Gala, KJ and Bradlely cooked up the most amazing Powerpoint show and have raised the bar for what attendees can expect.

“Unstinting Sponsorship by Industry Suits” — This award must be shared by all who gave so generously and made this year’s design competition prize pot the richest ever.  Ginormous cheers to Caron International, Coats & Clark, Interweave Crochet, Boye, Leisure Arts, Crochet! Magazine and KJ Hay for the dollars.

“Catwalk Kudos” to the Fashion Show team of producers Jacque Kurman and Melanie Mays, emcee Karen Whooley and backstage coordinator Diane Moyer. Thanks for putting on such a great show.

The “I Can’t Believe We Are Doing This Again” and the “Best Disco Moves By a Dancer with Questionable Knees” Awards go to Cari Clement, the CGOA Board of Directors Liaison to my committee, emcee of the Awards Ceremony, and Queen of Club Caron.  Cari is a force of nature.  Don’t even attempt to argue with her or micro-manage her.  Best to sit back and marvel at her energy and commitment to crochet and the crochet community.  Sorry about the mess, Cari.

Club Caron, 2010.  Wish you had been there huh?

I sincerely hope to see everyone at the 2011 CGOA Chain Link Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 27-31 July, at which time we will get a chance to do it all again.  🙂