crochet techniques – Page 2 – The Crochet Architect

January 6, 2020January 5, 2020

Learning New Things in the New Year!

Happy New Year to all of you! I hope you had a wonderful 2019 and are looking forward to a great 2020!

What kind of New Year’s resolutions do you have for this year? I’m resolving to self-publish more patterns this year than I did last year. Last year I self-published 4 designs: Scarfie, Cowlie & Hattie; Sassy Stripes Baby Blanket (knit); Polish Stars Potholder; It Takes All Colors Snowflakes Afghan. But that’s more than the previous year when I didn’t self-publish ANY designs! However, I was working hard on my 2 Annie’s videos in 2018 (Crochet ER: Fixing Damage & Mistakes and Learn Filet Crochet), so self-publishing took a back seat that year! If you’d like to take a look at my new Annie’s videos, you can find the Crochet ER video here and the Filet Crochet video here.

I have a stockpile of crochet and knit designs that I’ve designed over the past 5 years and they’re beginning to get out of hand! So my biggest New Year’s resolution is to self-publish a good amount of those patterns this year (and over the next few years, as well!). I like to make sure my patterns are as clear as they can be before publishing them, so I don’t like to rush things! And I also get distracted with other things along the way (are any of you like that or is it just me?)!

A year or two ago, I came up with a new twist on a crochet technique and I’m eager to release a few patterns using that new technique twist to the public so you can enjoy this new twist, too!

Did you learn any crochet techniques last year? Are there any crochet techniques that you’d like to learn this year? I love learning new techniques/skills and passing along what I’ve learned along the way to the students in my classes, whether that’s in person or through videos!

I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be teaching 2 crochet techniques at the annual IOLI Convention (International Organization of Lace, Inc) in Mesa, AZ in July of this year! I’ll be teaching a 12-hour class on Irish Crochet and another 12-hour class on Bruges Lace Crochet! I’ll also be teaching two 6-hour classes on Irish Crochet. This all takes place the week of July 19 – 25, 2020. For more information about this convention, check out the IOLI website here. There are lots of teachers and lace techniques being taught. It’s going to be a fantastic convention!

Here are photos of the projects in my 12-hour Irish Crochet and Bruges Lace Crochet classes at the IOLI Convention:

Here is a direct link to my 12-hour Irish Crochet class. And here is a direct link to my 12-hour Bruges Lace Crochet class.

Since I learned to do bobbin lace 2 years ago this month, I’ve been even more fascinated with all kinds of lace techniques: crochet, knit, bobbin lace and more! I’ve gone to a couple of Lace Days that the IOLI Lacey Ladies Guild puts on in Phoenix, AZ and I’ve just begun to learn a needle lace technique called Aemilia Ars. This is my first attempt at making that lace:

It’s by no means perfect, but it’s a start! I have a long way to go in improving my needle lace skills, but at least I’ve made the initial jump into learning how to do this gorgeous lace technique! It’s challenging to learn a new skill or technique, but it’s a great way to keep our brains active!

I hope you all have a great year learning new things and improving your skills. I look forward to meeting some of you at the IOLI Convention in July!

Happy crocheting and lace making!

Susan

March 6, 2019July 27, 2019

2019 CGOA Conference

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 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

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

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

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

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:

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.

I hope to see many of you at the conference!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

January 4, 2019January 4, 2019

Another new Annie’s video!

I have another announcement for you this month! It’s my newest Annie’s crochet video class: “Learn Filet Crochet Using Thread and Yarn!”.

Filet Crochet is such a great crochet technique! I’ve been doing Filet Crochet for several decades now! I’ve designed a bunch of Filet Crochet patterns and taught this technique at the CGOA Conference many times, as well as at the 2018 Interweave Yarn Fest. I LOVE Filet Crochet! You can crochet so many different kinds of things with it! You can combine it with other crochet techniques, as well.

Here are a few of the designs I’ve done over the years, some simple and others more complex:

Filet Heart Coaster, published on TheCrochetArchitect website

Give Thanks Placemat Set, published in Oct. 2008 Crochet World magazine

Filet Coaster from my Annie’s class, “Learn to Crochet With Thread”

Lovely Decor in Filet Crochet book, published by Leisure Arts in 2010

If you’d like to see all of my published Filet Crochet designs in the past 20+ years, check out this Ravelry search. Most of these designs are done with crochet thread, but a few of them are done with yarn. If you’re interested in the Europa Scarf, which I designed in 2010 with Naturally Caron Spa yarn (a now discontinued yarn), you can download the free pattern here. You can also download several free Filet Crochet patterns on the Red Heart website.

No matter what you use for filet crochet, the technique is the same! It’s just the size of the yarn/thread and hook that makes the difference (and, of course, the pattern)!

This Filet Crochet video was filmed at the same time as my other new video, “Crochet ER: Fixing Damage & Mistakes”, which came out last month. You can read all about that video in my previous blog post here.

Here are a few photos from filming this new Filet Crochet video:

And here are the 2 class projects from my new Filet Crochet class that you’ll be able to make when you sign up for this class:

In this class, I teach how to work the closed mesh, open mesh and lacets that comprise Filet Crochet patterns. I also teach how to read and follow Filet Crochet charts, as well as how to calculate the number of chains in the starting chain for a Filet Crochet pattern that is only charted (not written). And I teach 2 ways to make your Filet Crochet mesh more square.

The first thing we work on in the class is a practice swatch. With this swatch, you will learn to work the open and closed Filet mesh, as well as lacets. You’ll also get practice following a Filet Crochet chart. Once you’ve mastered the swatch, you can move on to make either or both of the class projects: the Filet Elephant Baby Blanket and the Filet Name Banner.

The Filet Elephant Baby Blanket pattern includes written instructions and a Filet Crochet chart. In the video, I demonstrate how to make the elephant blocks, as well as how to join the blocks to create the blanket. There are 2 edging options, which are both demonstrated in the video, along with the special stitches used in each edging. Because this blanket is made with yarn, it’s a great way to learn to do Filet Crochet (without any intimidation that using crochet thread and small steel hooks might present!).

Seaming/joining blocks for Filet Elephant Baby Blanket

The Filet Name Banner pattern includes a chart for the whole alphabet, as well as the edging, so you can make any name or word you’d like for your Filet Banner. In the video, I demonstrate how to make your customized chart for the name or word you choose to crochet. Then I demonstrate how to crochet several of the rows, following your custom chart.

Making Filet chart for Filet Name Banner project

You can get creative with how you’ll use your Filet Name Banner. You may want to use it as is or mount it in some way. To give you an idea of how you may want to mount your banner, here’s a photo of another Filet Name Banner that I crocheted many years ago showing how I mounted the filet piece on some fabric and hung it on the wall with a painted wooden dowel:

If you’re not comfortable using crochet thread and you’d like to learn to crochet with thread, you may want to check out my other crochet video class with Annie’s called “Learn to Crochet With Thread”. In this thread crochet class, my goal is to help you feel comfortable using crochet thread for your crochet projects. Who knows? You may come to love thread crochet as much as I do!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at my new Filet Crochet class for Annie’s! If you’d like to take a look at this video class, as well as watch the free class overview and introduction segments, 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 I would appreciate your support!).

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at my new Annie’s video class!

Happy Filet Crocheting,

Susan

January 19, 2018

I’m Teaching Again!

Who loves learning new crochet techniques? I certainly do! And I love teaching new crochet techniques, too!

I’m super excited to announce that I’m teaching 6 crochet classes at the 2018 Interweave Yarn Fest in Loveland, Colorado from April 12-15! Woohoo!!! This will be my first time teaching there and I can’t wait to meet new crocheters, see crocheters who I already know, see the yarny goodness in the marketplace and have lots of fun!

Here are the 6 crochet classes that I’ll be teaching at this year’s Yarn Fest:

Intermeshing Crochet

Thur., April 12 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

I learned this fascinating crochet technique over 10 years ago and I really enjoy it! The front and back of Intermeshing Crochet pieces usually look different because of how and where you make your stitches. It’s a really, really cool technique! It’s the same technique as in the “Interlocking Crochet” book by Tanis Galik. If you’ve tried this technique on your own and you can’t understand it, I’d be happy to help you figure it out in this class!

Beginning Bruges

Thur., April 12 from 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

I’ve enjoyed the Bruges Lace crochet technique for many, many years! I LOVE anything lacy and this technique is lots of fun! It looks very much like the Bruges Bobbin Lace that’s so intricate and time-consuming. I just learned to do bobbin lace (2 weeks ago) and soon I’ll be able to do “real” Bruges Lace with bobbins instead of a crochet hook! But I still love to do Bruges Lace in crochet! This technique can be done with yarn instead of crochet thread for those who aren’t comfortable with smaller crochet hooks and crochet thread.

Irish Crochet Intro

Fri., April 13 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

I’ve been crocheting doilies with crochet thread for decades now, some of them in Irish Crochet! While my good friend, Kathryn White, was working on her Irish Crochet book for Annie’s about 5 years ago, she taught me some more Irish Crochet (she’s an expert in Irish Crochet)! I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned with you in this class!

Magical Mosaic Crochet

Fri., April 13 from 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

I can’t remember how long ago I learned mosaic crochet. There are so many variations on how to work mosaic crochet. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses (like is it reversible, how many stitches can you work in a row, are they anchored, etc). I started working on a new crochet design a few weeks ago with some mosaic crochet in it and I enjoy this technique very much. I’m sure you will, too!

Fantastic Filet

Sat., April 14 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (6-hour class)

I’ve done Filet Crochet for almost as long as I’ve been crocheting (over 40 years now)! I absolutely LOVE this crochet technique! You don’t have to enjoy thread crochet to enjoy the Filet Crochet technique. I’ve made filet afghans, shawls and more with this technique (using yarn)! In this 6-hour class, I’ll teach you everything you need to know to be successful with basic filet crochet, as well as more advanced filet crochet (like increases, decreases, diagonals and lots more!).

Polish Star

Sun., April 15 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This is one of the slightly newer crochet techniques to me. It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy it, too! You work basic crochet stitches according to the pattern. Then you weave the loops to create the Polish Stars! It’s so much fun to see the stars take shape right before your eyes! If you’ve ever seen this technique and wanted to give it a try, I’d love to have you in this class!

To read more about my classes and all the fabulous classes being offered this year, check out this link. To read more about the Interweave Yarn Fest, check out this link.

I hope to see many of my friends and meet new friends there! If you read this blog post and you sign up for some of my classes, please drop me a note and let me know! Or tell me in class!

See you in Loveland!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

June 1, 2017June 1, 2017

Teaching or Taking Crochet Classes?

Are you a life-long learner, like me? I absolutely LOVE to learn new things!!! I’ve taken so many classes over the years, mostly in crochet. It’s so much fun to learn something new, especially new crochet (or knitting) techniques!

I also LOVE to teach others new things such as crochet, knitting, tatting, paper quilling, etc! Next month, I’ll be teaching 5 crochet classes at the CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) Conference in Itasca, IL, just outside of Chicago. There will be over 50 classes available to take and so many crochet techniques to learn! If you’re a crochet enthusiast, like me, this is THE PLACE to learn more about crochet! Here are the classes I’ll be teaching at the conference:

Beginning Bruges Lace Crochet – Wednesday, July 26th from 6 – 9 pm

Beginning Filet Crochet – Thursday, July 27th from 2 – 5 pm

Invisible Repairs – Friday, July 28th from 9 am – 12 pm (Note: This class is sold out!)

Intermediate Filet Crochet – Saturday, July 29th from 9 am – 12 pm

Intermediate Bruges Lace Crochet – Saturday, July 29th from 2 – 5 pm

I’m really looking forward to teaching these 5 classes! I always enjoy meeting new people at the conference and spending time with old friends! Everyone is so friendly there and willing to help each other out with any questions they have, whether it’s crochet-related, hotel-related or anything else. I love to inspire others to learn new things and stretch their crochet knowledge and skills!

To learn more about my crochet classes, or any of the other classes being taught (and to register for classes and events at the conference), just go to the CGOA website here.

There are many things going on at the conference besides crochet classes, too. There is a show floor with vendors selling crochet-related items, a design competition (for CGOA members), the CGOA Masters pinning ceremony, the induction of the newest CGOA Jean Leinhauser Crochet Hall of Fame winner (this year it’s Carol Alexander), the CGOA Masters Day, a professional workshop, a designer meet & greet (where designers can meet with editors and sell their designs) and a fashion show. To read all about the conference, check out this page.

If you’ve been to the CGOA Conference before, what is your favorite part of the conference (if you can name only one thing)? If you’d love to go, what would be some of the classes/techniques you’d love to learn?

Happy crocheting,

Susan

January 25, 2017

Celtic Cable Crochet Book Review

Have you tried any textured crochet stitches before? You know, like a front post double crochet (FPdc), back post double crochet (BPdc) and similar stitches? I love the texture that can be created using these textural stitches! I’ve been using them for years. I used FPdc and BPdc in my Pediwick Scarf and Swanky Cowl designs.

Just a few months ago, I came across a new book that uses a lot of textural stitches in it. It’s called “Celtic Cable Crochet” by Bonnie Barker, published by Interweave. I met Bonnie at a CGOA Conference many years ago. She’s a very talented designer and a super sweet person, too! Bonnie came out with her first book using textured stitches called “Contemporary Celtic Crochet” that was published in 2014 by Fons & Porter Books. To read my book review of that book, check out this blog post. Both of these books are fabulous for crocheters who love texture in their crochet projects!

Anyway, here is Bonnie’s newest book, published in October, 2016:

As you can see by the cover, there are 18 projects in this book for garments and accessories. There are cardigans, sweaters, ponchos, cowls, wraps, scarves, wristers, boot cuffs, hats, bags and more in this book. Here are my favorites:

These are the Cabled Boot Cuffs. They are made with DK weight yarn and come in 2 sizes: x-small/small and medium/large. They look like a lot of fun to make and wear! I haven’t crocheted or knit any boot cuffs, so I think this one may be put on my list of projects for 2017!

This is the Emerald Celtic Weave Infinity Scarf. This infinity scarf can be worn over your shoulders with a brooch or shawl pin. Or it can be doubled and worn as a cowl. I love cowls, don’t you? They’re so easy to wear and they never fall off like scarves!

This is the Lavena Poncho that is shown on the front cover of the book. It is made with worsted weight yarn. It looks so stylish to me! If you’re a poncho person, this one looks scrumptious!!!

This is the Satinées Wine Wristers. They are made with superfine weight yarn. I love the color of this yarn and the texture of these mitts/wristers! They’d be a great addition to any outfit to keep your wrists warm in the winter! And mitts/wristers are quick projects to make!

This is the Tic-Tac-Toe Messenger Bag. It is made with worsted weight yarn. The bag and strap are lined with fabric, which helps them keep their shape. If you’re not afraid of sewing machines, this bag would be quite stylish to wear!

This fabulous book has step-by-step instructions & photos for the textural stitches at the back of the book. Also, Bonnie has a Youtube channel with lots of videos for her designs and many of her textural stitches here. So, if you’ve never crocheted any textural stitches before, you’ll be quickly learning how to work them and will soon come to love textural stitches, as I and many crocheters already have!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at Celtic Cable Crochet. You can purchase this book on Amazon here or on the Interweave website here. To read about Bonnie and follow her designing career, check out her website here.

Happy crocheting,

Susan

July 25, 2016

2016 CGOA Conference Afterglow!

It’s so nice to meet other crochet enthusiasts! I just love it! And teaching them some fun crochet techniques is the best!

It’s been almost a week since I got back from the CGOA Conference in Charleston, SC, which ran from Wednesday, July 13th through Saturday, July 16th. What a conference it was!!! For me, the highlight of the conference was teaching 5 crochet classes to lots of eager students!

On Thursday, July 14, I taught a full day class on Writing Crochet Patterns. These ladies were eager to improve their pattern writing skills and were excellent students! Here is a photo of the fabulous students in that class:

The next day, Friday, July 15, I taught 2 classes: Polish Stars and Intermeshing. I had lots of eager students in these 2 classes, also! The Polish Stars class was the largest of my 5 classes. The students learned how to crochet the rows of stitches and chain loops/spaces, along with how to weave the chain loops/spaces to form the Polish Stars. I demonstrated how to weave the stars and everyone did great! It’s so fun to see the stars emerge before your eyes!!! Here are the students in that class:

Right half of Polish Stars clss — Right half of Polish Stars class

In the Intermeshing class, my students learned how to crochet the alternating rows of stitches and chain spaces so the 2 colors are woven together! This is a fascinating crochet technique that is also called Interlocking Crochet. Intermeshing designs are all reversible and many have different designs on the front and on the back. Here are the students in that class:

Then, on Saturday, I taught 2 more classes: Into to Irish Crochet and Symbol Crochet. This was the 2nd time I had taught the Irish Crochet class. The first time was at last year’s Annie’s Craft Festival in Fort Wayne, IN. I love crochet techniques which utilize crochet thread. I think that Irish Crochet is one of the prettiest crochet techniques! These students did great and asked some very good questions! They learned to make an Irish Crochet rose, 2 leaves, mesh and a border in their class project. Here are the students in that class:

In my Symbol Crochet class, my students learned how to read and follow a symbol crochet chart, both in rows and in the round. If you’ve never learned to read a symbol crochet chart, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s a visual representation of the finished project. It’s a lot easier to follow a symbol crochet chart than a written pattern, too! Here are the students in that class:

I had so much fun meeting the students who I didn’t know and seeing the students who I already knew! They were ALL excellent students and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching EVERY ONE of them! I want to send a special “Thank You” to all of my students for taking my class(es)! You’re the best!!!

More highlights of the conference were (in no particular order):

Meeting and getting to know 4 newbies: Barbara, Renate, Cynthia and Linzi. I was their buddy and answered any questions they had about the conference to help them feel more at home there! I hope you all enjoyed every aspect of the conference! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of them (boohoo)!

Doris Chan was inducted into the Jean Leinhauser CGOA Crochet Hall of Fame on Friday, July 15. Doris was the 6th inductee into the HOF. The ceremony included a cake walk on stage of everyone who was wearing one of Doris’ garment designs that night! I’m so blessed to know Doris through CGOA! She’s a warm, sharing, caring person and a fabulous designer! She really deserved this honor!

The design competition and the awards ceremony was also held on Friday night. My good friend, Kathryn White, won the grand prize and people’s choice awards for her stunning Baroque Jacket! She made it in size 30 thread and it took her 9 months to complete! Congratulations, Kathy!!! Here’s a photo of Kathryn wearing her winning jacket:

Kathryn White wearing her award-winning Baroque Jacket

The CGOA Masters Pinning Ceremony was on Friday night, too. There were quite a few people who completed the Masters program in the last 12 months. They each received their pin in the ceremony. Congratulation to all of the new CGOA Masters graduates!

The banquet and fashion show on Saturday night. The food was delicious, as usual, and the room was electrifying! I modeled in the fashion show and had a blast doing that! The emcees for the fashion show were Lily Chin and Tamara Kelly (of Moogly). There were lots of door prizes that night such as yarns, patterns, hooks and more! I won a set of Clover Amour crochet hooks while I was modeling! Woohoo!!! Here’s Teresa and me modeling my 4 crochet cowl designs in the fashion show:

Teresa and me modeling in the fashion show

After the conference, I stayed an extra day (Sunday) to do some sightseeing with Jane R. and one of my newbies, Barbara W., who is a Charleston local! We had a really nice time shopping at the City Market, which is a covered area 4-6 blocks long, with local craft, souvenir and food vendors. Since all 3 of us are crafters, we really enjoyed it! Here’s a photo of the market:

We had a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant and some chocolate afterwards! Since it was a rainy day, we drove around to see some of the local architecture. We stopped at Waterfront Park and saw the pineapple fountain. Here’s that fabulous fountain, along with Jane:

We also sat on a swing and relaxed! Here are Jane and Barbara on the swing:

That night, I went swimming in the hotel’s pool and jacuzzi! I haven’t done that in years, which is way too long for someone who grew up with a pool in her backyard in Southern California!!!

The next day, Monday, I got ready for my plane and flew home. When I was downstairs in the breakfast area that morning, I was joined by Tammy Hildebrand, her grand daughter, her mom and Amy Shelton. I had lots of fun meeting Tammy’s grand daughter, Willow, and playing with her! Here we are having lots of fun with Fruit Loops cereal:

So there you have it! Everything you always wanted to know (and more) about the CGOA Conference. I hope you’ll join us at next year’s CGOA Conference in Chicago, July 26-29, 2017!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

March 15, 2016

Announcing 2016 CGOA Conference Classes

Don’t you just love learning new crochet stitches and techniques? I do! And I love teaching others new stitches and techniques, too. I love to encourage others and help them succeed with crochet techniques that may be too confusing to learn through the internet or books. There’s nothing quite like learning something new “in person” from a “real life” teacher!

Well, the class listings are up on the CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) website now and I’m very excited to be teaching 5 classes at the CGOA Conference again this year! This year’s conference will be held from July 13 – 16 at the Embassy Suites in North Charleston, SC. I hope you’ll consider attending the conference this year and learning some new crochet techniques from some fabulous teachers!

The 5 classes I’ll be teaching this year are:

Let’s Get Writing on Thursday, July 14 from 9 AM – 5 PM (with lunch from noon – 2 PM)

Playful Polish Stars on Friday, July 15 from 9 AM – noon

Intermeshing on Friday, July 15 from 2 – 5 PM

Intro to Irish Crochet on Saturday, July 16 from 9 AM – noon

Simplifying Symbol Crochet on Saturday, July 16 from 2 – 5 PM

In my 6 hour Let’s Get Writing class, I’ll teach my students how to write their own crochet patterns like a pro! This class is perfect for beginning designers or anyone who would like to learn to write crochet patterns. We’ll go over everything that you’ll need to include in your patterns and you’ll even start writing your first pattern in class! I’ve been writing crochet patterns for close to 20 years now and tech editing patterns for over 11 years. Wow! Where does the time go? I really enjoy teaching others what I’ve learned to help them be successful! It’s a lot of fun to see new designers spread their wings and sell their first crochet design!!! ALL crochet designers were beginning designers at some point in their lives! I wish there had been a class like this when I was a beginning designer!

In my Playful Polish Stars class, I’ll teach my students several ways to crochet their Polish Stars: the “traditional” way and my “new, improved” way. Then we’ll weave the chain loops “correctly” to see the stars take shape before our eyes! Polish Stars may look complicated, but once you know how to make them, they’re a lot of fun!

In my Intermeshing class, I’ll teach my students how to crochet 2 layers of intertwined fabric with 2 contrasting colors of yarn. The intermeshing technique is wonderful because you get 2 different designs: one on each side of the fabric. I LOVE this technique and I enjoy teaching others to do intermeshing, as well. As you can see by the photo above, the right side and wrong side are completely different! If you’ve always wanted to learn intermeshing, now is the time! This is the same technique that’s in Tanis Galik’s book, “Interlocking Crochet”. I just have a little difference at the beginning of my pieces than Tanis has, which I like better!

In my Intro to Irish Crochet class, I’ll teach the basics of Irish Crochet, from crocheting the Irish Rose and Leaves to adding the mesh background and the edging to your Irish Crochet piece. We’ll be making the Irish Crochet piece above that I designed last year when I taught this class at the Annie’s Craft Festival. I really enjoyed teaching that class and my students were so eager to learn this crochet technique. I even learned some things from them (which isn’t that uncommon)! It’s great to learn things together!

In my Simplifying Symbol Crochet class, I’ll teach my students how to read and follow symbol crochet charts, which are much easier than following a written crochet pattern. We’ll read and follow charts for projects in rows and in rounds in this class. Once you can read and follow a symbol crochet chart, you’ll be able to make anything you want, even Japanese, Russian, Ukrainian or Spanish crochet patterns, without having any knowledge of the language! Above are some of the many crochet symbols that you’ll learn in the class.

To read about all of the crochet classes at this year’s conference, check out this page on the CGOA website.

If you’ve never been to a CGOA Conference (aka: Chain Link Conference or Knit & Crochet Show) before, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s a fabulous time to meet other crochet enthusiasts. You’ll learn more crochet techniques and stitches to further your crochet skills and knowledge at the conference and come away with many new friendships to last a lifetime! If you’re not a CGOA member, there’s no time like the present to join! Just go to the CGOA website and check out everything that CGOA has to offer! It’s wonderful to belong to an organization that is dedicated to furthering the art of crochet!

If you’re already a CGOA member and you’ve attended the conference before, what did you like most about it?

Happy crocheting,

Susan

February 27, 2016February 27, 2016

Book Review & Giveaway: Fair Isle Tunisian Crochet

Do you love Tunisian Crochet? Have you ever tried it? It’s a really fun crochet technique! I’ve been doing Tunisian Crochet for many years now and I always enjoy the rhythm of working the stitches on and off the hook! I also enjoy finding new Tunisian Crochet patterns. One of my designer friends, Brenda Bourg, has a new crochet book out called “Fair Isle Tunisian Crochet”. It’s a fabulous book! If you’re not sure what “Fair Isle” is, it’s a technique where you change yarn colors across the rows to make a certain design, like a snowflake. There are some other techniques for changing colors across the rows, such as Tapestry crochet. But unlike Tapestry Crochet, Fair Isle doesn’t involve working over the unused color. The unused color is just carried across the wrong side of the work until it’s needed again. Anyway, here’s a photo of the cover of Brenda’s new book:

Brenda is a fabulous designer, as well as a really sweet person! She even mentioned me, along with many other crochet designers, on the acknowledgements page of her book! Now that’s really nice!

There are 16 projects in Brenda’s book: 2 boot cuffs, 1 jar cozy, 1 bag, 3 headbands, 3 cowls, 2 mitts, 2 sweaters and 2 afghans. Each project includes written instructions, as well as a color chart. The projects look like they’re knitted because Brenda has worked them in the Tunisian Knit Stitch and the Tunisian Purl Stitch. If you’ve never done these stitches before, don’t despair! Brenda has included complete instructions in the front of the book along with color step-by-step photos explaining how to work the Tunisian Knit Stitch, the Tunisian Purl Stitch, the Tunisian Seed Stitch, increasing, ribbing, the foundation row and binding off. Almost all of the projects in the book have no shaping, except for a little on the 2 sweaters.

Here are my favorite projects in Brenda’s book:

The Ivana Mitts look really nice and don’t look too hard to make. They’re made in flat rows, then the right and left edges are seamed, leaving a hole for the thumb.

I absolutely LOVE the Annabel Bag! I love the striking contrast between the black and the multi-colored yarn (it’s Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable, which is one of my favorite yarns!). At 16″ wide x 14 1/2″ long, the bag is a nice size to use for crochet/knit projects!

The Cora Sweater has a really nice all over snowflake-like pattern to it. It looks super comfy and I can imagine wearing it with lots of outfits!

I LOVE the Elisha Afghan! It looks like it could be made in joined squares, but it’s worked in 1 piece, eliminating the need for seaming. I love the colors in this afghan and the snowflake design, too!

This is just a sampling of the projects in Brenda’s book. To see all the projects in this book, check it out on Ravelry here.

If you’d like to order this book, check it out on Amazon here.

The book retails for $21.95. It has 16 projects on 112 pages with lots of color throughout.

Now for the fun part! The publisher has graciously agreed to let me give a copy of the book away on my blog! If you live in the US and would like to win a FREE copy of Brenda’s new “Fair Isle Tunisian Crochet” book, just leave a comment below and you’ll be in the running! And if you’re subscribed to my blog, you’ll get 2 entries in the book giveaway! I’ll pick and announce the lucky winner at random on Tuesday, March 1^st. So stay tuned to hear who wins!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this book review. Good luck everyone!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

January 6, 2016

Filet Heart Coaster CAL

Are you familiar with CALs (crochet-a-longs)? CALs are organized groups of crocheters who often crochet the same project at the same time, kind of like a group of people crocheting together in person! However, many CALs are held through cyber-space instead of in person! Some CALs are held for a specified length of time and some are ongoing. But one thing that is common to all CALs is encouraging each other and helping each other with our projects. Questions are very common about what yarn/thread to use, the pattern and more. There’s lots of sharing going on in CALs, too. KALs are much like CALs, except KALs pertain to knit patterns, not crochet patterns.

If you read last week’s blog post, you’ll know that I started a Ravelry group as one of my New Year’s resolutions. In that new group, I’m holding my very first CAL (in time for Valentine’s Day!). Around 10 Ravelry group members will be crocheting my Filet Heart Coaster pattern, starting next week and running until Feb. 14. And I’ll be there to answer any questions that may arise while these participants are crocheting their coaster(s). This coaster is crocheted in the filet crochet technique and has 2 layers for added absorbency. If you would like to learn to do filet crochet, this is your chance! I’m discounting the cost of this pattern by 50% for CAL participants, too. So for less than $2, YOU can learn to do filet crochet!

I’ll be crocheting along with the other group members. I decided to make my coaster larger with some Omega Sinfonia yarn instead of using size 10 crochet thread. It’ll be interesting to see what size it turns out! I think it’ll be potholder/hot pad size, which will be nice!

If you’d like to join my Ravelry group and participate in this CAL, I’d love to have you join us! You can find the group on Ravelry here. Why not take the first step and learn your first crochet technique this year?

Happy crocheting,

Susan