VogueKnitting Live - Second Time Around

Well another successful event has passed. Over 3,000 people came through the doors to shop at the Market Place, take classes, watch the fashion shows and take advantage of hob nobbing with other needle artists. The weather held up for us which was great. Saturday was better than Sunday. The wind was brutal on Sunday. The event was held at the Hilton Hotel and I walked from 42nd Street and 8th Avenue from the bus station to 52nd Street and 6th Avenue and my face was cold. But no snow and that was great.

There was a nice variety of vendors to choose from and a lot of ansious shoppers to see what they could buy for new projects or add to their stash of goddies. The fashion shows were fabulous. Trendsetters Yarns included designs with mitered squares and the colors and styles made you want to go get the yarn and start making one of them. I loved the details of the garments shown at the Vogue's fashion show. And guess what! Vogue is coming out with a Crochet Magazine this Spring and they featured two items from the magazine. Look at the pictures below. The dress has great details.







With the other fashion shows that I got a chance to see, they had some beautiful items. I loved the sweaters, jackets and tops that the front was sort of plain but the back had the surprise of a beautiful inlay of design, so it made the garment pop. And the spring colors were great. There were other fashion shows that kept all eyes peared as to what was next.

As with any event they get better and better in time. This is only Vogue's second event and it went smoother than last year. In fact too smooth for me because last year as a volunteer I was running around here there and everywhere and I liked that. I had more time this year to walk around the Market Place and see the fashion shows which was nice also.





This year I helped pack things up from the Market Place at day end on Sunday. We were running around and I enjoyed that. Ok call me crazy but it was fun to me. It was also sad to see all of the vedors packing up since the Market Place was not open on Monday. Classes were held all day focused on learning hopefully something new or improving on what you have some knowledge about.

There were a couple of new additions to this event. One was a yarn tasting section. Yes, you could go from table to table and and there were balls of yarn from the different vendors and you could try them out to see if you liked working with them. I know that was one feature I liked when I went to the Lion Brand store in New York. They had a section against the wall when you came in where you could try their different yarns to get a taste and feel of how it would be to work with them. I think it is great because there is nothing worse (well there might be a few worse things) to buy yarn and start a project and say I don't like working with this yarn. So that was a great feature. And the yarn balls were in pottery bowls that if you wanted to purchase any of them the business information was on the bottom of each bowl. There were some beautiful pottery bowls. The other addition were more fashion shows, 12 infact for the two days. What an array of new patterns to choose from. The ones I got to see were packed with excited people that were ancious to see what the designers came out with this year. It was an inspiration to want to knit more, learn more and to be able to do some of those more intricate designs.

People always think that there is nothing for the novice knitter in the VogueKnitting magazine. Well Vogue does from time to time have more easier patterns and they showed a couple on the runway. So don't scratch off the VogueKnittng magazine all together if you are a beginner knitter. Look at it as a future endeaver and something to work towards. Look at the magazine and pick out a couple of patterns that you would like to work towards making. Put them on your bucket list.

There was also a panel I enjoyed of ones that are in the business. This was to help those that are interested in starting a business in the knitting arena. For me it was a reality check as to the fantasy of what you would like to do and the reality of what it is in real life. It was the reality of committment, dedication, money needed, and sacrifices to be made. Yes, these are things that most businesses require as a check-off list of realities. But we still live in our dream worlds and we sometimes rush into doing something without, as they continued to point out, doing our needed research so as not to have to go through the pitfalls that could be avoided. I know it got me thinking since that was something I wanted to do. And one brought out that there is nothing wrong with having a regular 9 to 5 job and doing a side business.

I had fun and of course I always enjoy meeting other volunteers as we talk about what we are making and what was purchased from the market. For us volunteers, a special added treat was receiving Kaffe Fassett & Brandon Mably's new book on color. What beautiful designs are featured in that book. I think I will put one of those designs on my bucket list.

If you got to attend then I hope you enjoyed yourself either taking a class, shopping at the market place, or just watching fashion all around you to inspire you to enjoy your needleart even more.

It's 2012

It is another new year and it is already the sixth of the month. I feel goals are so important to set for the year. They could be daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals and/or yearly goals. But setting some realistic goals is a must.

If you don't grab the time as it is passing you by it will be 2013 and you will say I haven't been able to accomplish a thing. I've made my goals and I hope that I can get through most of them. There will always be those things that we continue to struggle with. For me it is cooking. That's the key ingredient to support my body with what it needs so that I can stay healthy and be able to continue doing my needlearts. But as I fall I get up brush myself off and try again. I know since I don't like to cook it will continue to be a struggle for me. I'd rather sit knit and crochet even though I love to eat I don't like to prepare the food. I always said if I had money that would be the first thing to welcome into my life - a chief. So I continue to fight with that in hopes that this year I can go longer with eating healthier.

I love to look at the TV shows Chopped, Cake Wars, Iron Chief and some of the other cooking competitions. It just shows that we really could never say we are bored with food, we just have to explore what is out there. On those shows they truly explore some really interesting and strange combinations of food that we would never think go together. I sit there and say that would be great to make and I would love to try that. Then reality sets in and a little voice reminds me that I don't like to cook. Those are the 'wouldn't it be nice' thoughts.

I have to say I did pretty good last year but when it came down to my schedule changing I fell down. That goes with the exercising part also. During last year (that sounds so strange since we are only in the first week of the New Year) I did really well going to the park at least three to four times a week to walk. Then I started school and that was it for the walks. So I fell with that but it is time to get back up, brush myself off, and continue working on my health regiment.

It is good to reflect on last year as to what went right and what went wrong. It is not good to dwell on it for too long because you have to go forward with this year. So what about you? What are some of your goals for this year? Do you have a game plan or do you still have to plan your game strategy? The year just started so you have time. But just remember that time is slipping by so grab hold and place your stake in making this a successful year of reaching your goals.

Be safe and continue to have fun.

Zone In

It is the end of another year and at times I said where did the time go. As my earlier post from November 3rd said I did get a lot that I wanted to accomplish this year. But now we are entering a new year. It is time to zone in on all of the choices we have to enjoy during the year. It is also a time to write down some life goals we would like to accomplish. If you haven't started a goal list get moving because the clock is ticking forward and it is not stopping for no one to catch up.

I really appreciate sites like Knitter's Review which has already posted the 2012 Calendar for most knitting and fiber festival events that happen during the year around the world. Great for travelers. You can plan your traveling around craft events. Now how fun is that.

My first event for next year is coming up quickly and that is VogueKnitting Live happening for three days from January 12 - 14, 2012. I volunteered last year for their very first event and this year I will be returning as a volunteer. I had a blast. Not only seeing all of the knitters and crochters coming through the doors but also the fashion show of the different garments that people made.

Even though I was volunteering I had fun. I worked with one vendor from Ireland. That was special to talk with someone from another country to see what is happening in the knitting world over there. And being able to enjoy the array of beautiful Aarn sweaters and new yarn she brought over. Seeing all of the different displays from the vendors was quite interesting also. I talked with the Crochet Dude from Knit and Ctochet Now and in that little bit of time I could tell that he is a very down to earth and nice guy. And I can't forget meeting and working with the other volunteers which made it interesting as to why they were there and what they like to make and do with their needle art.

So stay tone for the pictures and my spin on the event. Those that will be planning their trip to the city to go to the event I hope you have just as great of a time as I will.

Dying Yarn

Well it is at the end of another year. In the past I would take the time out to reflect back on the year and see what happened, what went wrong, what goals did I meet, and what goals still need to be worked on. Then there is looking at the new year ahead and I would ask myself what goals would I like to accomplish, what would I like to do within that year, and if there are any specific changes to be met within the next year.

Because of the craziness of loosing my job and life happening in general, I lost the momentum of seeing what I could do within the year that I've never did before. So I am starting that again. When I look back at this year to see what I got to do new I did accomplish some things. I got to enter into a couple of county fairs and festivals, I went to a couple of free sponsored festivals I've never been to before, I had the opportunity to teach more and especially at one of the festivals (North Jersey Fiber Festival), and as you can see below I got to try yarn dyeing for the first time.


I had a fun time at a workshop sponsored by the Shore Fiber Arts Guild. The workshop was on dyeing yarn. I had heard people talk about dyeing yarn but I never tried it myself. Well, it was time to try it and see what all the hype was about. After arriving at the home of one of the guild members that was hosting the event, I started getting excited about learning the process. Everything is a process. Everything was set up and ready for us to go.

I started with cotton yarn. I didn't know it had to be washed first. So I used something to wrap the yarn around to release it from a rolled up ball. The excitement started to rise. First, I had to wash it in some Woolite then rinse, rinse, and more rinse. If you've used Woolite you know even a drop can make a lot of suds. I put a little more than I should have because I was naturally thinking of regular detergent since I haven't used Woolite in a long while. After getting the soap out it was time to lay it out and see what I could do with it.

The guild member that was hosting the workshop was so kind as to mix the chemicals for us and get them ready for us to take a go at it. I had two balls of yarn and so I figured I would do a solid and that would mean to dump it in the color. The other I would paint different colors on so I could have a little variegated goin through it. That was a fun day. Not only because someone else did the work of mixing those strong chemicals so it freed us up to play, play, play but because we had a group of guild members that got together to do something we had not had a chance to do before.

How about yourself? If you did not have the opportunity to do something new then there is a chance in a couple of months to take a go at it. Of course you don't have to wait until then you can do it today. But have fun planning and expanding.

I'm Not Perfect

I was talking about making errors in a class I was teaching and one of the students was so surprised to know that I make mistakes also in my knitting and crochet. I wish I could say I don't, but not true I do. As I explained, no matter how long you do anything in life there will be that 'oh no' moment. There is no perfection.

As you work on more and more projects you will come across instructions that you think should go one way but then you find out they go another way and oops you have an error. Or you should have purled where you knitted. And there is always the decreases where you make an extra so that you have less stitches or you are doing increases and you have more stitches. And I could go on and on.

I tell my students to embrace their errors because if you don't make errors then you will never know how to work through them and you won't learn what could go wrong. You could also help someone else that is in a bind because they are stuck on an error.

There is such an excitement when a student learns how to fix their errors. That moment comes when after the basics are absorbed in the mind they got it. And when at that moment they are home and they can actually fix their error. They come back into class and they are so elated that they actually did it on their own. It's that WOW moment in learning. You feel like you can accomplish anything or almost anything.

So don't be scared to make errors. Be open to say, hey I made an error so what and fix it right there and feel proud that you can fix your errors with ease. And if you don't know how to fix errors then sit and play. Make a sample of knitting or crochet and include some errors and try to fix them. Practice makes improvement.

Enjoy the learning and growing process.

Knitting Events Defined

From time to time I hear something that is disturbing to me. Knitting and crochet are dying out. Say what? Where do people get these ideas from? Knitting and crochet are booming. As we go forward each year there are more and more events that include the needlearts. There are new and returned knitters and crocheters all the time. I meet them through my classes I teach, when I am out and about I get into conversations with the 'I wish I could do that' person or a person that is knitting or crocheting and loves to talk about what they are doing.

Our wonderful world of the Internet has opened wide the scope of what is going on in the needlearts with conversations live, Ravelry, free pattern sites, and much more. I think what happens is that people either are not into using the computer or they don't know how to do the right search on the Internet.

To open the conversation about events that I have been to (and I have posted a few on my blog with pictures) and other events going on just around my side of the world what do we have? What can they think of next to do with the needlearts. Have you ever heard of yarn bombing? Well, it is the latest that is going on by using knitting and crochet for more artistic expression.

Yarn Bombing (knit graffiti or street art) - This is done worldwide. No there is no bombs involved but pure fun. Have you ever saw something like a chair or statue that could use a spark of color or pizzazz? That is what happens at a yarn bombing. An item is chosen to knit or crochet a covering for so that it stands out more and so that people know knitting and crochet is still much alive and growing in interest and creativity. Check out this exmaple Yarn Bombing.

Yarn Crawl - Have you wanted to visit yarn shops just to get a feel of what they carry and if you have any questions about a certain type of fiber? Then going on a yarn crawl would be for you and for any other needleartist wanting to expand and explore. It is like a little adventure. So what happens is several yarn shops in different areas will open their doors for people just to come and browse, see what they have, test some of the yarns. Some yarn shops have give-a-ways, raffles, prizes and other specials going on.

And there is more going on.

What is...

Ravelry - Have you wanted to find a pattern for a particular project and can't find one? Have you made an item and wish you could see what other people did with that same pattern? Would you like to connect with more needleartists and don't know where to go? Would you like to post your projects somewhere to show them off or keep more organized? Then Ravelry would be the place. You can do these things and more. It is a free community site to connect with other needleartists. You sign up to join and the rest is history. You can join groups, connect with your friends that knit or crochet and meet new people and then meet up at a festival or event. It is fun but very addictive so I would suggest not spending all your time on this site because you need time to knit and crochet too.

World Wide Knit In Public (WWKIP) - This is just what the name implies knitting or crocheting in public. It's a way to make it known that knitting and crochet is not going anywhere but growing. And it shows how portable it can be. It is also a stress reliever for all those involved with it as you can see when going to one of these events how happy everyone is and troubles are put aside for that day. It is also a way to meet new needleartist and get with old friends. Read the history of this wonderful event WWKIP.

Knitting and Crochet Conventions - These feature great classes, wonderful choice of vendors, fashion shows and more. The two main ones that I have attended are Stitches Convention and Vogue Knitting Live Event. If you do a search on knitting conventions or crochet conventions you might just see one coming your way.

Knit and Crochet Outs - a day out with other knitters and crocheters is always fun and you get to learn from another fellow knitter and crocheters. And guess what? They have started back with the one in Manhattan as well as in Washington, DC -Yeah! But for the past four years (I can't believe it has been four years already) I've been going to the Harlem Crochet Out and Knit2 event in NY. I've been helping out with teaching those that come by and want to learn either how to knit or crochet. It has been fun every year. Supplies are donated from yarn companies so that the ones wanting to learn can get a kit of yarn and needles or hook to get them started and on their way to join the rest of us in the world of the needlearts. (see post September 23, 2010)

Knitting and Crochet Groups - You might remember the time when you didn't know who out there was knitting or crocheting so you stayed in your own house and did your crafts by yourself. No need to do that anymore because groups are forming all over. It is fun to meet other crafter's and see what they are doing, get ideas, tips, and enjoy not sitting home alone but enjoying a group setting. To start with you can either call your local library to see if there is a group that meets there, look under www.yahoogroups.com or www.meetup.com. And depending upon where you live you could find other sites that connect you with groups that have your same interests. You can also put in the search engine 'knitting groups' or 'crochet groups' and put in your town or state and see what comes up in your area.

Sheep and Wool Festivals - Have you been curious as to where yarn made of wool comes from or have you seen yarn spun into a hank of yarn? Well then a sheep and wool festival would be the place you would want to visit to get the answer to those questions and more. I have posted pictures from Maryland's Sheep and Wool Festival as well as NYS Sheep and Wool Festival held in Rhinebeck, New York State. But then this year I added a couple more that I went to. (see posts for pictures October 17, 2010; May 2 and 3, 2010; September 15, 2011)

Craft Cruises - Look up Craft Cruises to find one that suites your budget and the place you would like to go.

Those that have explored the world of knitting and crochet know and see how huge this arena is. You have to tap into the source. If you don't know then it is time to know so that you can also join us in more fun, creativity, and relaxation. I hope by posting this about the different events, if you are a person that did not know about these events, that stayed home to knit and crochet, that thought you were alone only because no one in your immediate area that you knew of is involved with it, that this will open the world of knitting and crochet more for you and you will be able to enjoy planning to get involved in some of the activities during the year.

But don't forget about taking a class here and there to expand your skills. Knitting and crochet groups are fun but people there want to work on their own projects or for charity and to be able to have time to socialize.

You can do a search on the Internet to find an event nearest you or again tap into sites listed above for the community of knitters and crocheters to find out more information. I've posted the Knitters Review before but this is a great site to get the list of events happening all around the world. You can also do a search on the Internet to find knit-out's, craft cruises and other events nearest you or add one or more to your vacation. It is all about tapping into the community of knitters and crocheters to find out more information.

Would you like to know what to do with all that stash of yarn you own? Look at this video clip below and get some ideas. Now please don't think I am by any means encouraging this.

Crochet it all.

Have fun planning for next year's events.

I Love The Theatre

I was at one of my knitting groups that I attend and a couple of the ladies started talking about Broadway plays. In my mind I started reminiscing about my years of going to the theatre either for a play or some other performance. As you might know by now, one of my favorite words is variety and that is what I seek out when I would go to different shows. Since the economical situation hit me I haven't been to a show in over two years. I tell people that I am on a sabbatical with travel and shows. But these are things that I enjoy besides my needlearts and I will return to them as my situation levels.

The theatre is such an exciting place to be. My aunt exposed me to the theatre as I was growing up. I love the theatre and I have seen many different performances locally as well as when I traveled. The top of the list is seeing a great performance on Broadway in NY City. But where did these actors and actresses start out? Small local theatres. I'm sure you might even remember seeing someone acting at a local theatre and then you find out that WOW they made it to Broadway in a show. Local theatres can put on some wonderful productions of some of your favorite plays and shows. And the local theatres have other shows that are not found on Broadway. Below is a picture of just a portion of shows I've seen.



My favorite place in NY is TKTS. To read about the TKTS organization click on link TKTS Discount Booth. If you have ever been walking around Time Square at Broadway and 47th Street and saw this long line of people that would be the half price ticket line. There are a couple of other locations and the link above can help you with finding out where they are.

Today we are trying to pinch those pennies, dimes and quarters - OK money itself as a whole. But I can't remember the last time I paid full price for a Broadway play. If it wasn't the half price ticket line it was standing room. Yes, some theaters have a section in the back where that you can stand through the performance and see it dirt cheap. Then when I was a student I would get student discounts and they were phenomenal prices. Some local theatres have discounts or days you pay more and other days you will pay less. And then there are the specials that have popped up more these days with the economy the way it is.

But going back to the half price ticket line, I've met so many people during the years of standing on that line from all over visiting New York City. We were all waiting until they put up the list for that day of plays you can get a discount on. Not all performances are 50% off but there is a discount. For me it had to be 50% off and that was easy since I would pick out at least three plays to make sure one of those choices would be on the board.

Why do I like the theatre so much? It's another world of creativity. The actors and actresses must recreate themselves while on stage. The character that they are portraying might call for a serious person and that might not be how they are out of character. They might have to laugh when they have a reason to cry. And I appreciate the array of talents especially of singing and dancing, creativity of the stage sets and the costumes which all bring the theatre and shows alive. Again, it is all about enjoying what you love and love what you enjoy. And if you could get paid for it how sweet is that.

So if you haven't seen a play or a show of some sort, I would recommend a trip to New York City to the half-price ticket line or visiting on-line your local theatre's website and look at the list of performances that are being presented. You will be surprised how hooked you could get as you see the different forms of talent through the theatre. Just save a seat for me because I will be returning.

Enjoy.

More Free Events - Yeah!

Well even though this year brought on its challenges, I was able to at least get to several events that were local. I attended and volunteered at the Annual Harlem Crochet Out and Knit 2 in Harlem, New York. It was really nice. No stopping them over there, even if it has to be on a street corner it worked. I've been going to the event for the last three years. I don't want to miss it. You can see every year it gets better and better. Hurray to the Crochet Out Lady, as she is known. I didn't take any pictures but you can keep up with their web blog by hitting the link above.


Another event that I enjoyed was at Bayonet Farms in Holmdel, NJ. It was my first time going to this event and I enjoyed myself - as usual. The focus there was on artist painting in Plain air (outside). So you could see all of the artists sitting in different spots trying to get different angles. Some of them entered the contest and others were there for pure fun and relaxation.

What I also loved about this festival is that there were a couple of local restaurants that supplied the food that you could buy. No festival truck vendors (not that we don't enjoy the funnel cake because we do but once in a while you need real food) and it was delicious. A place I want to go to for a meal in the future.


There was also the scenery that surrounded us like this beautiful tree. And of course I love my animals and there was a lake that had all of these cute frogs hopping around.

Onto the next festival on the same day was at the Historic Longstreet Farm. Here they dressed up in colonial times and also had demonstrations of a variety of things. They have farm animals there so you could milk a cow (which I did do in the past there), go on a hey ride and I even picked Green Mountain potatoes and you could keep them for free. Now that is a bargain and one I enjoyed. There was music at both festivals which is always nice. And I entered a couple of knit and crochet items in their competition. I won first place for my bracelet and won a couple other ribbons. All in fun.

And my friend entered one of her beautiful needle point pieces and won first place. Hurray!



There were also demonstrations on spinning, weaving, rug hooking, knitting and crochet. Such a variety to see and appreciate the array of talents and creativeness.








The summer is filled with wonderful events to attend. If you haven't had a chance as of yet to experience one, then think of next year as to what you would like to try and go to. It really is enjoyable. And if you did have a chance to go to some events this year, I hope you had as much fun as I did and you learned about something new.

On My Talent Corner

Today I am interviewing one of my friends from one of the craft groups I attend. She is multi-talented and has a lot of fun with her hobbies.

I'll let her talk:

I started to develop an interest in needlepoint when a group of my friends met every week to work on their crafts. Some were crocheting, some knitting and one woman was working on a needlepoint project. It looked interesting and decided to try doing it. I brought a small canvas and with her help made my first needlepoint. It was the beginning of years filled with making many different needlepoint's. I love doing them but have a special interest in making faces. There is something special about capturing their expressions. It's almost like bringing the canvas to life. Right now I am working on people from other countries. It's important to me to do their eyes right and their hands.

OK so let me ask you a few more questions about the crochet side.

Q: When did you first learn how to crochet?

A: It was around 1993.

Q: How did you learn? From a family member, friend, or organization?

A: It seems that I always knew how to make a square. I'm not sure how I learned.

Q: Why do you enjoy crocheting so much?

A: I always enjoyed making the lap blankets for the seniors. It's such a need you feel you are helping out. And because I have such a great teacher I have expanded more with my crochet.

Q: Well thank you for that comment. What are some future projects you would like to make?

A: Sweaters for my new great grandchild. Presently I am working on a baby blanket for the baby and a hat.

Q: What benefits do you get from crocheting?

A: Satisfaction of seeing the happy smiling faces of those I make items for.



Her new great grandchild has sparked her desire to pick up her crocheting again and she has not stopped. The lap blanket on the right is called the Jacobs Ladder and she had to make it because it is a reminder of her dear late husband Jacob.

She also has another special talent and that is writing. She writes such beautiful short stories and poems that really make you think. What did I tell you, she is multi-talented.

Another Sheep and Wool Festival

Welcome to new members of my blog site. I don't blog as often as I use to. I hope to get back to a regular schedule but for now as things happen or as I think of something of interest I will post. I've been very busy this year teaching knitting and crochet, I'm attending computer classes myself, and just the old life happens gets in the way. I say go with the flow because 'IT IS WHAT IT IS'.

This year has been crazy but I did get a chance to go to another festival. Have you been able to hit any of the festivals? Well, you still have a chance to because there are a couple more around central NJ and others that will happen around the globe. Visit the Knitter's Review website for a list of the festivals around the world.

This past weekend Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11, 2011 there was the Garden State Sheep Breeder's 17th Annual Sheep & Fiber Festival. It is a much smaller festival than the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival or Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival, which I might add is coming up October 15th and 16th. But this festival was very nice. it was held at the Hunterdon County Fairgrounds in Ringoes, NJ.


I took some pictures to share and my favorite was the sheep dog that was herding the ducks. I've never seen a sheep dog gathering ducks. It was so funny and cute.

The vendors at the fair were very friendly and they were mostly from the local area. I took a hand spinning lesson and enjoyed it so much to be able to learn something new. My Sunday knitting group has been trying to talk me into trying it for a while now and when this festival came up I said OK. The lesson was free which hit my pocket very nicely. And they gave us a hand spindle that was made out of a CD and dowel. I thought that was so ingenious how creative we can become and use things that could help save the environment. But that is my practice one. I wanted a real one. So I supported one of the locals and purchased a hand carved spindle made out of several different woods. It was very reasonably priced so that was great. I already had some fleece from my trip to West Virginia last year so I am set.











One of my friends that I was with purchased some fleece and needles to do needle felting. That's why I purchased the fleece and I had got the needles on my trip to WV. But I never got to do it. So now that she got it and I know she will be doing it since she loves making stuffed animals and can't wait to try it, guess what - I now have a partner that I can do needle felting with. I go over her house now to knit and it is because of her that my bear I crocheted is finally almost finished. The pieces had been sitting around for a year waiting to be put together. There is alwasy a part of the process we don't enjoy as much.

How could anyone ever say they are bored when there is so much to venture into. Just in the world of the needlearts we have such a variety (which is my favorite word by the way) to do. Let's find what we love and do it. Even if it is not in a large way we can still enjoy what we love to do.

Enjoy the pictures and think about what festival you would like to attend. If not this year then next year. Have fun.

Life Happens

Do you like roller coasters? I use to ride on roller coasters but then I got really scared and couldn't deal with the incline and the descent. No thanks. I don't do roller coasters anymore.

But life can be just like a roller coaster with its ups, downs, twists and turns. As there are different sizes of roller coasters there are different life roller coasters that you get caught up on. I couldn't blog because I was caught up on a children's roller coaster but one that took some maneuvering to get off.

The thing about life's roller coasters today is they have become a free for all. More and more people are finding themselves on them and not being able to get off. With the job situation, money crisis, and caring for families, life's twists, turns, ups and downs just has a lot of us dizzy or trying to find air to breath.

I have started a school program for six months. I am taking a Microsoft Office Certification. I am enjoying it. So that has kept me busy studying and attending class. Even though I haven't kept up with my blogging I have been knitting and crocheting because I don't have to think with it and that is the place I want to be in.

So what have I been doing with my needlearts? I am making this top and it was designed to be made out of cotton. Well, because I am on a yarn diet I have been using what I have for now. I had some acrylic yarn that was the same multi-color so I used that. I had to calculate for the difference in the yarn weight and away I went making it. But then when I got to shaping the sleeves I could tell I would not be able to finish both sides with the yarn I had. What did I do? I forgot to calculate the yardage and went by the amount that it called for in the cotton. Silly girl. I had to improvise by working two rows multi and two rows of the solid tan for the sleeves and neckline. The picture shows the results. I love it. So now I don't feel so silly anymore. It is still a lesson learned to be extra careful as to all calculations and yardage so that all that work in a garment won't go to waste.

We buy single skeins or hanks and we don't know what to do with them. Try mixing colors or change the color at the neckline, stripe it, or trim the bottom and top of a garment in that yarn. There is so much you can do to use what you have. That is called being super creative with yarn. You might be pleasantly surprised what a beautiful combination you can make.

Have fun!

My First Blue Ribbon

Have you ever went to a county fair? Well, I haven't been to one in a long time. I went to the Monmouth County Fair and for my return to the fair I did something that I've never done.

The fair has a lot of things that you can enjoy. Of course what would a fair be without the cotton candy, gyro's, kettle corn and other goodies that we really shouldn't be eating. But since the fair comes around only once a year some of us make exceptions to our diet rules. There are also the shows like the pig racing and wood carving competitions. Of course I gravitate to the animals especially the babies. They are so cute.




























There were other competitions and I entered two. Guess what two? Knitting and crochet. I got a first place blue ribbon for my crochet shawl by Doris Chan and second place red ribbon for my knitted neck warmer by Arcadia Knitting. It was fun going to the fair and looking for my two items amongst all the entries. And I enjoyed looking at the other entries.



In past years I would try to do at least one thing that I've never done before during the year. So for this year I entered my first contest. I've never been competitive but again it is all about doing something new.

Since the year is still buzzing with other fairs I thought I would enter another fair. I might as well enter in the fair of my own county of Middlesex. So I did. This time I entered my crochet top by Belinda Carter, my headband that I made up with Aran stitches, and my sample stitch crochet scarf that I made up for my class I was teaching. Well I received a blue ribbon for the crochet top and two second place ribbons for the headband and scarf.




There are many categories that an item could be entered under. So the next time you hear of a fair in your neck of the woods, enter one of your completed projects in and see what happens. You might be surprised. And you know what? It is all just to have fun and expand your horizon.