I just love learning new things, don’t you? I’m very happy to announce that I’ll be teaching 4 online crochet classes next month for the annual CGOA Conference. I’ve taught each of these classes before in person and I’m excited to teach them online/virtually! The nice thing about online/virtual classes is there’s no travel necessary to attend the classes/conference. You can attend classes in the comfort of your own home, which saves lots of time and money! Each crochet class will be taught at Central Standard Time (US time zone) through Zoom. It will be fun to learn new things, so give it a try!
If you’ve never heard of CGOA (Crochet Guild of America), check out the benefits of membership here. I’ve been a CGOA member since 2002 and I started teaching at the CGOA Conference in 2009! It’s a wonderful organization with lots of crochet enthusiasts, including lots of crochet hobbyists, designers, editors and publishers! CGOA members enjoy discounts on classes and lots of other things.
Registration ends soon, so register today for the classes you want to take!
Below are the 4 classes I’ll be teaching at the virtual CGOA Conference next month.
Invisible Repairs: Tuesday, July 20 from 9:00AM-4:00PM CST (with 1 hour lunch break)
Click on video photo for more information
Repair torn, cut, chewed or burned projects
Replace stitches and chain spaces, locking them to bottom strands in the row or round above
Invisibly seam first and last rows in a crochet cowl
Bring damaged crochet projects back to life again
Intro to Irish Crochet: Friday, July 23 from 1:00PM-4:00PM CST
Click on video photo for more information
Introductory class
Learn to make basic Irish Crochet rose and leaf motifs
Learn to make a background for joining your finished motifs
Learn a simple Irish Crochet edging with picots
Reading & Understanding Crochet Patterns: Monday, July 26 from 1:00PM-4:00PM CST
Click on the video photo above for more information.
By learning how to read a pattern, you’ll be able to crochet exciting new projects
Learn the rules for reading a crochet pattern
Learn abbreviations, right/wrong side, right/left side, right/left front
Bring your crochet pattern questions to be answered
We will make some practice swatches in class
Fantastic Filet Crochet: Wednesday, July 28 from 9:00AM-4:00PM CST (with 1-hr lunch break)
Click on the video photo above for more information.
Learn the basics of Filet Crochet
Learn open mesh, closed mesh, lacets and square mesh
Learn increases, decreases and diagonal stitches
Learn to read a Filet Crochet chart
We will be making a beginning Filet Crochet project and intermediate swatches
I hope to see/meet many of you in my CGOA classes next month!
Here’s a link directly to the CGOA web page to read about all the classes being offered at this year’s CGOA conference and to register for classes.
Happy crocheting to all of you and keep on learning!
I LOVE to teach crochet! And I LOVE to learn new crochet techniques! Don’t you?
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be teaching 5 classes at the CGOA Conference this July in Manchester, NH. Not all of my classes are crochet, though. I’ll be teaching shuttle tatting again this year, too!
First, I’ll tell you a little about the CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) Conference. This takes place every year (sometimes twice a year) in various cities across the US. It is open to CGOA members and non-members. There are dozens of classes taught by many talented teachers, some very well-known! We have a marketplace with vendors who sell everything from luscious yarn/thread to hooks, books and supplies. We also have a banquet and fashion show, as well as some fun events in the evenings. And I can’t forget about Professional Development Day (PDD) where established crochet professionals share what they know about running a successful crochet business. PDD takes place the day before classes begin, on Wednesday, July 10 from 9 am – 4 pm.
For all the scoop about the conference, visit the CGOA conference pages. Here is a list of the events going on at this year’s conference. Read this page to find out about all the classes being offered. And one last thing, CGOA has a design competition each year for CGOA members only. There are prizes in 6 categories ranging from $100 – $300, with a grand prize of $1,000! There have been some fabulous entries each year! It’s so much fun to see the entries at the conference and find it who wins in each category!
Okay. Now to list the classes I’m teaching and when each one is offered.
Thursday, July 11 from 9 am – 5 pm (with lunch from noon – 2 pm)
Tatting the Old-Fashioned Way
Tatting the Old-Fashioned Way class
Tatting is such a fascinating and delicate craft. I taught myself to tat over 20 years ago. I’ve learned more since then and I really enjoy teaching others so they’ll be successful in their tatting projects. In this class, my students will learn the basics of tatting and start tatting this beautiful necklace with buttons, beads or charms. This is the only 6 hour class I’m teaching at the conference this year. Yes, it takes that long to learn to tat and get your head wrapped around how to do it! But I’ll be there to teach my students and answer all their questions. If you’ve always admired tatting and want to learn to tat, sign up for this class early. I’ve limited this class size to only 20 students.
Friday, July 12 from 9 am – 12 pm (noon)
Invisible Repairs
Invisible Repairs class
I’ve taught my Invisible Repairs class at the conference for the past 2 years. This has been a popular class and I’m thrilled to be teaching it again this year! In this class, I teach my students how to repair their damaged crochet projects, no matter where the damage is located. There is homework for this class so we can all do the repairs to the same swatches in class. And I’ll be demonstrating how to do the repairs in class, as well. This technique also works great to invisibly seam the last row to the first row on crochet cowls!
Last year, I filmed a crochet video class for Annie’s on this same topic called “Crochet ER: Fixing Damage and Mistakes”! If you can’t make it to the conference and would like to learn to repair your crochet projects (or someone else’s crochet projects), check out my Annie’s video class.
Friday, July 12 from 2 pm – 5 pm
Intro to Irish Crochet
Intro to Irish Crochet class
I LOVE Irish Crochet and I really enjoy teaching this class to other Irish Crochet enthusiasts (who don’t know where to begin). In this class, I’ll be teaching how to make the Irish Crochet rose and leaf motifs. I’ll also teach how to make the background and the edging that you see in this photo. This is an introduction class, so we won’t get into more advanced Irish Crochet techniques. But once you know the basics of Irish Crochet, you can always learn more on your own or with books.
Saturday, July 13 from 9 am – 12 pm (noon)
Intermediate Filet Crochet
Intermediate Filet Crochet class
This is my Filet Crochet class for those who already know the basics of Filet Crochet (open mesh, closed mesh and lacets). In this intermediate class, you’ll learn to do increases, decreases, diagonals and a whole lot more! Once you learn these intermediate Filet Crochet skills, you’ll be ready to tackle that more complex Filet Crochet pattern you’ve had your eye on for so long!
If you don’t know the basics of Filet Crochet yet, and you’ve been wanting to learn to do Filet Crochet, check out my Annie’s class called “Learn Filet Crochet Using Thread and Yarn”. Then if you want to take your Filet Crochet to the next level, why not sign up for my intermediate class at the CGOA Conference (or before for the best rates)!
Saturday, July 13 from 2 pm – 5 pm
Simplifying Symbol Crochet
Simplifying Symbol Crochet class
This class is always a lot of fun to teach! I learned to read symbol crochet charts several decades ago through Magic Crochet and Decorative Crochet magazines. I love to make doilies and the patterns in these magazines were mostly written in crochet symbol charts. As a visual learner, I find these charts so much easier to follow than a lengthy written crochet pattern! And they look so similar to the finished project, too!
If you haven’t learned to read symbol crochet charts yet, this is your chance! You’ll learn all the basic crochet symbols and lots of more complex symbols, too. You’ll learn to follow a symbol crochet chart, both in rows and in rounds. And you’ll practice what you’ve learned making 2 small projects/swatches in class. Once you learn to read and follow symbol crochet charts, a whole new world of crochet patterns will open up to you! You’ll even be able to follow symbol crochet patterns in other languages including Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Ukranian!
If you’ve taken any of my classes in the past, you know how much I like to have nice, precise class handouts. I print them in color and bind them like a book to they’re a great keepsake to refer to later on after the conference. I charge $5-$8 for these handouts (depending on the quantity of photos/pages), which is what it costs me to print them at home, with the price of toner cartridges, nice paper, card stock and binding combs (to use with my binding machine). Here’s a look at my class handouts:
My Class Handouts
If you’re going to the CGOA Conference, class registration begins next Wednesday, March 13 at 12:00 pm (noon) Central time. Once again, here’s the CGOA website to find out more about the conference and CGOA in general. And if you have any questions about the conference, I’d be happy to answer them for you.
Do you have any beloved doilies with holes in them? Have you purchased some old crochet doilies or centerpieces at estate/garage sales only to find they have holes, cuts or burns in them? Do you know how to repair the damage so the repairs are invisible? Last September, a friend brought me one of her doilies to repair that had seen its better days! Because I’ve learned to repair crochet projects, I was eager to take on the challenge of repairing her doily. Here’s a photo of the doily with the holes in it:
Frances’ Doily before repair
I’m sure you can see the large hole at the right edge of the photo, but I found a small hole in the doily, too. So I set out to repair both holes.
Small hole in doily
Large hole in doily
Luckily, I had some crochet thread in my stash that was pretty close in size and color, so I was able to invisibly repair the doily last month. It took a few hours, but I think the time is worth the end result, don’t you?
Frances’ Doily after repair
Here’s a close up photo of the repaired large hole:
Large hole in doily repaired
I can hardly even find the hole any more! That’s because I used my “Invisible Repair” technique that I teach in my Annie’s online class called “Crochet ER: Fixing Damage & Mistakes”. I LOVE this technique!!!
If you’re interested in learning to fix damage and/or mistakes in your crochet projects, check out my class here. I’d love to hear your success stories of the repairs and/or fixes you’ve made!
By the way, Annie’s is having a 50% off sale on their online classes today (through 11:59 PM Eastern time). Here’s the link if you’re interested in purchasing any of their online classes, including my Crochet ER class, today.
Two months ago, I went to Berne, IN to film 2 crochet videos for Annie’s. Today, the first of the 2 videos is being released on the Annie’s website. I’m SUPER EXCITED about this video! The name of the video is “Crochet ER: Fixing Damage and Mistakes“. I’ve been teaching this topic for 2 years at the CGOA Conference: how to invisibly repair damage to your crochet projects and how to fix mistakes. I LOVE being able to repair any crochet project and I’m THRILLED that Annie’s asked me to do this video!!! Now YOU can learn how to repair damage to your projects (or anyone’s projects) and how to fix the mistakes in your projects (or anyone’s projects) invisibly!
Crochet Stitches Identification Swatch
In this video, I teach you how to “read” your stitches by showing and explaining how each stitch looks on the front and back of the stitch. This is VERY important in learning to repair or fix crochet projects. You have to know what stitches were worked (or were supposed to be worked) in order to replace the stitches correctly! When you know the differences between the stitches (how many horizontal, vertical and diagonal strands each stitch has on the front and the back of the stitch, as well as where those strands are located), you’re able to decipher any crochet project and come up with a “game plan” for how to repair or fix it!
Granny Square Swatch before and after repair
Solid Popcorns Swatch before and after repair
Ripple Swatch before and after repair
In the video, I also demonstrate how to repair 3 crochet swatches (the Granny Square swatch, the Solid Popcorns swatch and the Ripple swatch). You’ll be able to crochet each of these repair swatches (with the included instructions for each swatch) and repair your swatches along with me, enabling you to feel confident repairing your own full-size projects!
Popcorn Rows Swatch before, during and after fixing mistake
Uneven Edges and Hole Swatch before and after fixing the mistakes
If you make mistakes in your projects (and let’s face it, who doesn’t make a mistake every now and then?), you’ll be able to fix your mistakes invisibly by following along with me as I fix mistakes in the included class projects (the Popcorn Rows swatch has a missing popcorn in it and the Uneven Edges and Hole swatch has 2 uneven edges and a hole in it). You’ll be able to crochet the class mistake swatches (with the included instructions for each swatch) and follow along with me as I fix the mistakes in those swatches in class. After fixing the mistakes in your class swatches, you’ll feel more confident to repair the mistakes in YOUR crochet projects!
To successfully repair or fix any crochet project, you’ll follow the steps that I outline in the class video (in order). I’ll be with you every step of the way, showing YOU how to successfully repair or fix YOUR crochet projects. This is wonderful knowledge for EVERY crocheter to have! I’ve used this knowledge/technique to invisibly repair many crochet projects, even projects worked in the back loop or projects with post stitches, which can both be very tricky to repair or fix invisibly! Now YOU will be able to repair or fix any of YOUR crochet projects, as well!
I had a blast working on this video and I hope it will enable you to learn to repair and/or fix your crochet projects with confidence! If you have a question, you can ask me in the class question forum and receive an answer from me within 2-3 business days (usually sooner). My goal for this class is to enable as many crocheters as I can to succeed in repairing and fixing their (or someone else’s) crochet projects invisibly (so no one knows where the repair or fix was made!).
Here are some extra photos from filming this video (some serious and some silly!). I really enjoyed dressing for the part of the “doctor” in the crochet “Emergency Room” (ER) by wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope!
Crochet ER class set
The crazy doctor (me) getting ready to perform surgery on a crochet swatch
Checking the “heart beat” of the crochet swatch
Most of Annie’s video crew and me on the set
If you’d like to take a look at this video, including a free preview, check it out HERE (Note: This is an affiliate link, so if you click on this link and purchase the video through the link, I’ll receive a small commission to help compensate me for my hard work! It won’t cost you any extra to purchase the video through this link and your support would be greatly appreciated!).
If you purchase this video, remember that I’m here to answer your repair/fix questions through the “Ask the Instructor” feature on the Annie’s website. I want YOU to succeed in repairing and fixing YOUR crochet projects so no one will ever know where the repair or fix was done (I have a hard time finding the invisible repair I made to the afghan that our puppy chewed a hole in 3 years ago!).
Happy crocheting and happy repairing and/or fixing your crochet projects!
Now that I’m back from teaching at the Interweave YarnFest in Loveland, CO last week, I thought I’d write a blog post about my next teaching engagement this year.
I’ll be teaching at the CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) Conference in Portland, Oregon from July 25-28, 2018! I always LOVE teaching at the CGOA Conference! There are so many lovely, friendly crocheters at the conference, both professionals and hobbyists! It’s great to meet new crocheters there and spend time with so many of the crocheters who attend every year (or almost every year)! I’ve been attending the CGOA Conference since 2003 and teaching there since 2009. It’s so much fun! If you’ve never attended, I hope this will be the year you make the decision to go and meet like-minded crocheters who all speak the same language of crochet!
To read all about the conference, check out the CGOA website here. To register for the conference, go to this page.
Here are the classes I’ll be teaching in July:
Wed, July 25, 6 – 9 pm:
SIMPLIFYING SYMBOL CROCHET
About the class:
Symbol crochet diagrams are much easier to read and follow than written crochet patterns. Once you learn symbol crochet, you’ll wonder what you ever did without it! You’ll learn what each symbol means, thus enabling you to read and understand symbol crochet diagrams from any pattern, even foreign crochet patterns with international crochet symbols! You’ll even try out your symbol crochet knowledge by making 2 small projects from symbol crochet charts in class. This class includes instructions on starting/working in the round and making motifs, both techniques found in the CGOA Masters of Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques program.
Simplifying Symbol Crochet class
Thur, July 26, 9 am – 12 pm:
MULTIPLE MOTIFS
About the class:
Do you love the look of projects made with crochet motifs, but don’t enjoy weaving in all the ends? Then this is the perfect technique for you! With this method of crocheting motifs continuously, instead of separately, the number of ends is decreased dramatically, saving you time and energy! In this class, we’ll make continuous crochet motifs worked in joined rows. You’ll learn how to follow the necessary symbol crochet charts with this motif method. Once you’ve learned how to make many motifs using one continuous strand of yarn or thread, you’ll feel confident tackling any continuous crochet motif pattern.
Multiple Motifs class
Fri, July 27, 9 am – 12 pm:
INVISIBLE REPAIRS
About the class:
Do you have a crochet project that’s gotten cut, torn, chewed, etc? Do you want to learn how to professionally repair it? Then this is the class for you! In this class, you’ll learn how to repair all sorts of crochet projects, replacing the “bad” stitches and making your repairs “invisible”! You’ll learn how to replace stitches and chain spaces in the middle of a row, locking the top of the new stitches to the bottom strands of the stitches in the row above. Your work will look as good as new! Learn how to bring your damaged crochet projects back to life again! This technique also works great to “invisibly” seam the first and last rows in a crochet cowl!
Invisible Repairs class
Fri, July 27, 2 – 5 pm:
BEGINNING BRUGES LACE CROCHET
About the class:
Bruges Lace Crochet mimics the decorative Bruges Lace made with bobbins in Bruges, Belgium. Bruges Lace Crochet is a fabulous technique and is easy to learn. In this beginning class, we’ll make several different styles of Bruges Lace, as well as curve the lace and join it to make circles, squares and triangles. Once you’ve learned the basics of Bruges Lace Crochet, you’ll be ready to tackle more complex Bruges Lace patterns. If you’re not a “threadie”, don’t fret! Bruges Lace isn’t just for thread crochet. It can be done with yarn, as well. Come and learn to make basic Bruges Lace in crochet.
Beginning Bruges Lace Crochet class
Sat, July 28, 2 – 5 pm:
Intermediate Bruges Lace Crochet
We’ll take Bruges Lace Crochet to the next level in this intermediate class. You’ll learn many more variations of the lace itself, more joining techniques, and how to curve the lace over itself for more variety. We’ll explore more intricate Bruges Lace designs and you’ll learn how to achieve them in this class. Prerequisite: Beginning Bruges Lace Crochet class should be taken before taking this intermediate class (or have knowledge of the Bruges Lace technique).
Intermediate Bruges Lace Crochet class
I’m excited to be teaching these classes. Last year, my Invisible Repairs class sold out and I was able to add a 2nd class for this “technique” of repairing crochet projects invisibly. This year, I’m teaching Multiple Motifs for the first time (this is also called Continuous Crochet Motifs, which I’ve blogged about before)! I always enjoy teaching Bruges Lace Crochet and Symbol Crochet!
I hope you’ll consider attending the conference. If you attend for the first time because of reading my blog, please stop me at the conference and let me know (or leave a comment below)!
If you’ve attended the CGOA Conference before, what do you enjoy most about the conference?
