Stitch of the Week at the CGOA Message Board- part 2

Stitch of the Week from the CGOA Message Board.

Left: Week #4 - Spider stitch

Middle: Week #5 - Tulip stictch

Right: Week #6 - Waffle stitch

My grandaughter has already claimed the center one for her bath :)

Crafty Hair Sticks and/or Shawl Pins

Well...here's something new and different. I like different! These items can double as a hair stick or shawl pin. You will be noticed! Just like grandma's hat pin...this also acts as a weapon (!!??) African Porcupine Quills...who'd have thought! They sure grow them big there (and these aren't even the longest!); I hope I never run into one still wearing his quills...
The hairsticks/shawl pins will be for sale on BrainsBarn.com as they are made.
** Note: Porcupines are grown/raised for food in Africa; by- products are either used there or exported; nothing is wasted.

2007 New Jersey State Fair

2007 New Jersey State Fair....Wow...1st Place Blue Ribbon PLUS a Special Award Ribbon. Who'd have thought? Crochet class for Scarf or Shawl; special award for best in class...basketweave stitch done in a beautiful soft Colibri yarn from Austria. It has a slight shimmer to it with very muted coloring.

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An unexpected 1st Place Blue Ribbon...and first time I ever entered the Lacemaking class. Above is an Irish Crochet Heart Rose in size #30 thread and done with a steel hook #11 (also first attempt at using a thread smaller than #10). The item is also from the course I took at the 2007 CGOA convention with Kathie Earle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A 2nd Place Red Ribbon for the "once-a-year-let's-do-it-for-the-State-Fair-doily".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A 2nd Place Ribbon for the Crocheted Lisette Sweater Shawl; pattern by Carolyn Christmas of GourmetCrochet.com. I had this at the 2007 CGOA conference and wore it to the Fashion Show Dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now this really was a surprise...3rd Place Yellow Ribbon for Jewelry: Other (meaning that it is not Strung or Woven). I started making the above Hairstick/Shawl Pins just recently and thought I'd add it to the other items for the Fair. I'll be making more and they will be selling on the BrainsBarn website and our upcoming shows.

Judge's comments will be known this Sunday when I pick up all the items... :)

CGOA 2007 Convention...Fashion Show & Silent Auction

The highlight of the convention has arrived...the Chic Street Fashion Show and Silent Auction. This year's donations on monies collected for the "bag auction: will go to the Helping Hands Foundation . Brian bid on and won 3:
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Bag #6...donated by Nancy Nehring, author/designer/teacher/hook collector

This bag is absolutely breathtaking!! My jaw dropped when I saw it...as I had just taken an Irish Crochet course that morning with Kathie Earle. I can appreciate the work and time that went into this piece. It also has tiny, real pearls worked into the stitches. It's a pleasure and a joy to look at...it deserves a display case so it can be seen and it will have one...

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Bag #13...donated by Diane Moyer of pawprint creations

Absolutely FUNKY! I love FUNKY OOAK creativeness and this IS it! Lining is a gorgeous royal purple with embroidered butterflies...actually this bag is perfect for a Red Hatter!
Diane was so gracious and thanked Brian for bidding and winning her creation.

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Bag #17...donated by Dee Stanziano, designer/teacher. Dee's Blog A clutch size bag done in freeform by Dee. Bag has a chain for shoulder use or it can be tucked inside and held as a clutch. It's lovely! Dee also won second place in the People's Choice Award. Here's a great picture of Brian and Dee; Brian gave Dee the ribbon; he kept the purse...LOL! Dee also has a pic of Brian on the runway just after he was announced high bidder. What a hoot!...he did get lots of whistles! That's MHubert on the other side of Dee holding up the Helping Hands placard for pics...and on the side of Margaret you can see a little of Prudence's freeform bag. Dee has many more pics of the auction on her site rather than duplicate them here...see link above for that entry.

I am more than interested to know what next year's silent auction will be?? Brian now has the Bra made by Dee from the 2006 convention; this year a bag...all in freeform. Could it be that he is going for a whole outfit by Dee?? As we expect to be at next year's convention...only time will tell! Stay tuned! Personally, I can't wait!

Here's a photo after the silent auction: our table won a total of 7 bags. Dee's blog has it all! She was really busy with her camera:
For Fashion Show pics see here .
For links to other convention pics see here . I'm still going through them!
Vashti Braha was a showstopper in her unforgettable creation. See the story here

CGOA 2007 Convention...Day 3...07/14/07

OK...last big day ending with this evening's Chic Street Fashion Show.

Should I admit that one (meaning me!) should not take an Irish Crochet thread class at 9am in the morning??!!

Kathie Earle's Irish Crochet Heart Rose. The woman is amazing...her samples prove it to me...no question about it. Also see this page for 2 samples of her work featured on the Guild of Irish Lacemakers site.

Good thing that I finished the homework- and Kathie was gracious enough to compliment my work...especially for a leftie. But she couldn't figure out why the roses were excellent and then the classwork was so-so. LOL...and more LOL!

I mentioned that I needed my tensor light and magnifier and that I never even tried to thread crochet this small--especially at this time of the day!! I was hyperventilating to get an even chain with a picot for the heart shape...with a steel size #11 hook and size #30 thread.

This threadie thought she was pretty good with #10 thread and a steel size #6 or #7 hook but this is another ballgame! I loved it though and am happy to report that I frogged the classwork and redid it. Will have to let Kathie know I didn't give up! The woman has the patience of a saint...

Kathie also gave each one in the class a rememberance...a pin so fine that I studied it at home under a magnifier! What beautiful work and something for this threadie to strive for...if my eyes and fingers hold out! Thank you Kathie!~~~~~~~~~~
I met up with Brian and we took off for the Market...

Natalie and Ann of DreamWeaver Yarns are 2 young, hip women and a pleasure to talk to...

Brian finally got to meet Tom Diak of Grafton Fibers . Knowing that the subject would be woodworking/turning, I chatted with his lovely wife, Linda. Did you see that creative Mermaid??

One couldn't go through the market without stopping to chat with Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss. What a hoot those 2 are together!! Made our day...Brian is still talking about how much he enjoyed them! You couldn't say enough about these 2 ladies and the contributions they've made to the art of crochet!

Onto the FreeForm booth to really study the art that was displayed. Myra Wood put the wallhanging together and has a stunning site showing off her creative works. It includes links to other sites and an invitation to join the FreeFormers group.

Katharyn Crippen Shapiro of CrippenWorks has the most luscious rollups for your crochet and knit supplies. We ordered 3 rollups from her great choice of fabrics and sent plenty of our friends her way...

I won a door prize! A tote bag and 2 skeins of Aran yarn from Irish sheep! It was donated by The Irish Ewe , a vendor from Maine. Brian wound one hank on a nostepinde and presented it to her as a "thank you for your donation". She loved it and yes, replaced my skein. LOL!

I then had it in my head that perhaps I should try knitting. Free classes were offered by Coats & Clark in the marketplace. But!- if I was going to do this then the lease Brian could do was to try the Learn to Crochet class. You had to have been there...good thing I or he didn't grab the camera.

I kept "hooking". This was worse than the first 2 times I ever tried to knit. I'm too far gone on crocheting to even get used to holding 2 sticks...let alone ever hoping to finish an item in this lifetime with any kind of speed.

Brian at least got to crochet a chain and the start of his first row. Don't know what happened then but he gave up too...LOL! Didn't look bad to me even though he needed to work on tension...

We have learned that I can't knit or make hooks; Brian can't crochet.
End of story...and an appreciation of what each other does...

Short rest and getting ready for the Chic Street Fashion Show...deserving of it's own post...

CGOA 2007 Convention...Day 2...07/13/07

After a late night again...at JD's bar/restaurant...and Brian and I playing with our sleep number bed...let's not go there...was I glad I didn't have a morning class scheduled.

As it was I was scheduled to take "Beginner's Guide to Tunisian Crochet" with designer/teacher Darla Fanton in the afternoon. What a lovely woman!...and a great teacher. She has to be to teach this left-hander! I like it!...and have since bought a Tunisian Stitches Crochet book plus a pattern book. If I get comfortable with it there's always Darla's Illusion Crochet to look forward to if offered next year.

For backup I have friend Amie of NexStitch with her online video tutorials for the Tunisian/Afghan stitch(es) ; that's reassuring!

Anyway...Darla's class was informative and relaxed...an asset to the learning process. The booklet received is so helpful and I've referred to it many times already. I love the knit and purl stitch done in CROCHET! And I've actually learned something NEW...proving one can teach an old dog new tricks (except for knitting...and I'll get to that later!) LOL!

Darla's website can be seen here ; her blog can be seen here . Both are well worth a looksee...Darla also graciously signed her booklet handout for me after class :)~~~~~~~~~~
Attended the CGOA Chain Link Annual Meeting at 6pm. We had missed it last year and was glad to make it this year to hear Rita Weiss, our CGOA President talk of all the interesting things she has planned for the CGOA Organization. Also read the September issue of Crochet! magazine's Newsletter.

Not a member yet?...Think about it and supporting your art...
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Off to the FreeFormers Dinner. What a great group of talented people! It was great to catch up with friends not seen from this group since the year before.

Plenty of pictures to see...rather than duplicate see Margaret Hubert's blog ; Crochet with Dee blog for more pics and don't miss Dee's pics of the FreeFormer booth at the Market and her story of "the tree".

The highlight of the evening (besides being with this group) was connecting again with Prudence Mapstone .Don't miss this site...her work is astounding!

What a gracious and busy lady! At the close of the convention on Sunday she was off on a knitting cruise...featuring "her" of course and leaving that afternoon from Boston. This was one time I wished I knew how to knit!

And it's also the second year she spotted us before we spotted her (as she is always surrounded)... What an honor that she says hello and how have you been...can you tell we both are "Prudence groupies" ??
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OK...so it was a semi-late night already and we missed the Crochet Coffee get together from 9-11pm. Off to JD's for a nightcap...and then to bed! I have a 9am class...

CGOA 2007 Convention...Day 1...07/12/07

Our trip to the 2007 CGOA Chain Link Convention this year was great! Lots of friends and good times. Hubby Brian and I were on the go all day every day till checkout on Sunday, 07/15:

We arrived on Wednesday 07/11 after a 6 hour drive from NJ with an easy check-in at the Radisson Manchester in NH.
Within an hour of arrival we had dinner at JD's Cafe with friends from CGOA chapters Houston H-Town and Crochet Texas! -and surprise to us- Melody MacDuffee! What a gracious lady she is and it was a delight for us to meet her. She talked of her upcoming trip to Africa to teach a village her beaded crochet. A designer and teacher of overlay crochet, Melody has created a site that can be seen here .
Perhaps I'll feel confident enough to take her overlay course next year if it's offered again.

5 FUN Friends: (Back L to R):Bobbi, Christy (Front): Tina, Carole, Saundra

Thursday, 07/12/07:

After a late start on Thursday catching up on needed sleep (already) Brian and I had brunch and bumped into more friends after we registered and received goody bags... yarns I had my first class scheduled with Lily Chin at 2pm in her soldout "Crocheted Tips, Tricks and Hints". Lily is a delight to meet...taking the class was well worth it just for hearing and watching her in action. I sat beside my friend Amie of NexStitch...see her blog for her conference reviews here .
Even though I have Lily's new book "Couture Crochet Workshop" ...some tips were helpful to see visually and questions could be asked right then and there to the designer herself. Lily also graciously signed my book at the end of class :)

Thursday night's Keynote speaker was Cari Clement of Caron International. She did a good job of talking about crochet as a fashion statement and showed pictures of outrageous retro designs from a favorite vintage magazine I happen to have in my collection...Ladies Home Journal, 1976.
After Cari's speech it was time for the preview opening of Market Street. Beautiful and luscious yarns to be seen. Being more an impulse shopper at something like this I would have really done some damage if crochet patterns were seen made out of the yarns. For next year, hoping to attend, I will have some patterns of things I want to make with me and will just match yarns needed to/for them...lesson learned...and no further comment.