Meeting Highlights: Destash Swap Meet

Shark Week feeding frenzy?  No, that was us, faced with an almost alarming amount of yarn and books to swap and share.  Everything was put on the table, with each donor giving a brief description and explanation of the donated item.  After everyone had a chance to look at the stash, auctioneer Maxine went item by item through the yarn stash.  If two people wanted the yarn, a quick negotiation was held, with the yarn going to the person who wanted it more than the other; if both people wanted it equally,  a quick drawing was held.  Six people were in on the drawing for a bag of rust-colored bamboo blend skeins.  There was something for everyone, from thread to Christmas novelties to bulky weight yarns.  Someone contributed a small stack of vintage thread crochet magazines and books of doily patterns--too bad we didn't film the wheeling and dealing that took place to divvy those up, as it was amazing!  Almost everything found a home.

(This is a first for us: not one single project was held up for show and tell. Not one! We were so anxious to get our grubby mitts on the swap yarns and books that bragging rights were the last things
on our minds. Check this space in three months time to see projects made out of this stuff.)

After the exhilaration of the swap, we held a brief business meeting.  Pictures of the proposed new meeting space were passed around and the price discussed, as well as all the pros and cons.  We voted to go ahead and secure the space for six months; Carol and Maxine will finalize arrangements.  We have enough money in our Treasury to secure the room for at least three months.  The new space is located in Prospect Park (near the Textile Center), not far from our current location.

We have been very loosely organized (never even elected officers!) but now need a bit more structure, particularly if we have the financial responsibility of renting a meeting space.  It was suggested that we explore the idea of dues; currently, we have a suggested donation of $1 for each meeting attended.  Five people volunteered for a steering committee that will develop a basic outline for our organization, from officers to bylaws.  The committee's recommendations will be presented for approval by CTC members in a month or two.  We have a meeting schedule that goes out through April, so the program committee needs to meet again to work on some new topics.

Please continue to think about how you can contribute to the group's mission.  We already have specific volunteer offers regarding the blog and charity projects, but we need more helpers.

The next meeting will be January 14, 2012 in our new space!  Peggy will lead us through a felting project to produce a handbag.  A materials list and pattern link will be provided in the January meeting preview.  You will need two skeins of 100% wool worsted weight yarn (no super-wash).

Carol's Moebius

A number of people saw my moebius at the November meeting and asked me for the pattern.  Fortunately or not, I did not use a pattern.  I had done a search for moebius patterns on Ravelry but found nothing that would work with the yarn I intended to use, so I made my own pattern.

There are some interesting facets to the moebius that present some design challenges.  The first challenge is the starting chain.  Once you have crocheted your starting chain, you twist one end 180 degrees and slip stitch it to the opposite end--easier said than done.  Also, in many designs, the beginning chain appears very obvious; unless you want that beginning chain to be a design element, it can look like a flaw.  The second challenge is to design a stitch pattern that does not have obviously different front and back sides--unless you want that difference to be a design element.  As you crochet the moebius, you crochet both edges at the same time, only one edge will show the right side of the stitch pattern and the other the wrong side.  Another challenge was my choice of yarn, which is self-striping.  I didn't want the yarn to fight with a stitch pattern; as the garment grows from the center outwards toward the edges.

I took 2 classes on beginning chains at the CGOA conference; one was dedicated solely to foundation chains, the other to non-chain beginnings.  I used a foundation double crochet (fdc) lattice to begin my mobius.  The fdc is shown on the bottom of the picture at the left, with a second row of dc lattice.  After examining my first completed moebius, I think I should have used a foundation triple crochet (ftc) lattice instead (upper sample).  As you can see by the two samples, the triple lattice ends up the same height as the actual dc lattice of the mobius.

The next picture is of my dc mobius, in which I crocheted into each dc  of the row below.  The green stitches in the center are the fdc lattice. You can see that the stitch height is noticeably shorter.  If doing this pattern again, I would use the ftc instead and use dc throughout the rest of the moebius.  The yarn is Noro Silk Garden with an I hook with 75 stitch units (one unit being a dc and ch, ending with a dc 1, ch1, dc).  I used 2 full skeins.  The stitch pattern was deliberately simple to feature the yarn, not the stitch pattern.  There are some basic moebius directions on Ravelry. 

My second moebius was made of Noro Silk Garden Sock with an H hook.  The foundation is about 125 stitch units as this garment is intended to cover the shoulders.  The same fdc lattice was used.  Instead of putting a dc in every dc to create a lattice, I put my stitches into the chain space to create a mesh.  I randomly used blocks of  hdc and dc stitches.  DC were put into stitch blocks composed of hdc, and hdc into blocks of dc.  This was done to give a subtle shift to the rows, to de-emphasize the stripey look caused by the finer yarn and the larger moebius loop.  The colorways in the two garments aren't the same, but they are similar.  However, the end result is very different.

There have been some requests to make this moebius the subject of an upcoming meeting.  Web 2.0 is the topic for February, but because of equipment requirements, we might want to schedule that meeting for a later date and do the moebius instead.  Also, basic garment construction is scheduled for the spring.  If we do devote a meeting to the moebius, I will provide a written pattern.  The main focus would be on learning how to create the fdc lattice upon which the garment is constructed.

Chapter Growth: Our Next Phase

The Crochet Guild of America, of whom we are a chapter, defines itself as a “not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of crochet.” The American Heritage Dictionary defines a guild as “an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards”.

The one thing these definitions have in common is that the purpose of a guild is the organized advancement of the craft itself, and not just practice of the craft. So far, we have been very successful in growing organically by concentrating on practicing our craft with little attention paid to the “organizational” aspects of the guild.

As a group, we are ready for the next phase of growth. However, the lack of space at our current location is hindering us. Last month’s meeting is a perfect example. It was well-attended,  but the room was so packed that no one could move, limiting interaction to those sitting next to each other. We couldn’t look at each other’s projects, and anyone who would have been more comfortable observing the instructor from a different angle was just plain out of luck.

We need to move.   Fortunately, we have located a suitable place to hold meetings for the foreseeable future. It’s centrally located, with ample parking.  It features a well-lit room with a large table (plus room for additional tables), and even space to store materials (such as our attendance book and extra handouts) between meetings. This space is not free but the rent is reasonable.  It is within our budget as long as we continue to provide quality experiences that attract members to our meetings.

If we are to make this move, we need to take stock of our organizational structure and make changes that support the health and growth of the group. This means establishing a steering committee of four to six members who will determine how to take care of organizational tasks on an ongoing basis.  These tasks include:

• Maintaining the member list, keeping records of member attendance, communicating with members
• Collecting and dispersing chapter funds
• Soliciting meeting suggestions from members, producing meeting schedules with topics, arranging for topic presenters, assisting presenters, soliciting meeting evaluations from members
• Coordinating blog efforts, administering our Ravelry group, training members to author and use the blog
• Finding community projects, coordinating group efforts to contribute to community projects, publicizing community projects

At the December 10 meeting (2:30pm to 4:30om at Borealis Yarns), we will lay out details about the move and ask for volunteers for the steering committee. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting and look forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic.

Destash Swap Meet: December 10 Meeting Preview

We hope you can join us Saturday, December 10 from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM at Borealis Yarns for our first ever DeStash Swap Meet. And just what is a Destash Swap Meet and why would I want to come? Glad you asked. If you google "swap meet", you'll find a variety of definitions and lots of crazy events. Our definition:

• An informal gathering to barter or give away gently used (or excess) tools, yarn, books, magazines, or crochet work (such as trading times and skills)

You've all heard the old saying - one person's trash is another person's treasure. Well, in our case, one person's excess stash might be another person's treasure. If you want to make room in your yarn basket for Christmas gifts, this meeting is for you. Or if you're hunting for bargains, this meeting is for you as well.

There's only a few rules / guidelines:

• The meeting starts at 2:30 PM but swapping will not begin until 3:00 PM to give everyone a chance to look over what's available.
• Each person gets to decide whether they want to barter or give away their own items - so think about which option you'll take with any items you bring and, yes, you can give away some and barter others if you wish. If you're giving items away, we'll put them all in a designated area and have some blank raffle tickets to use to decide who gets any items that are wildly popular (like my lime-green Lambs Pride). If you want to barter, then you decide what's a fair trade and how to choose between competing bidders.
• We encourage you to bring something if you come, although it's certainly not required. If you don't have any crochet-related items to barter, you could bring something like a plate of Christmas cookies as there are some of us who can be easily bribed with goodies.
• If there are any leftover items, we are investigating several local charities that will accept craft and yarn items so you be assured that items you no longer want will go to a good cause.

After the Swap Meet is over, the second part of the meeting will be to discuss chapter business: review the past year and our plans for the next year. We'll post another blog entry with more details a few days before the meeting.

Hope you can join us!

Something Beautiful

I went to my local yarn shop in search of someone I’ve never met.  I asked the women knitting at the work table if any of them worked at Company X.  One did.  I asked her if she knew Ms. Y.  She responded in a warning tone, “She’s a crocheter.”  I said that was okay, as I’m a crocheter as well.  I explained that I only know Ms. Y through the email list for my guild, that I wondered if perhaps she was one of the women who gather at the yarn shop during the lunch hour.

Alas, Ms. Y does not frequent the shop.  But this got me to thinking.  Knitters routinely gather at yarn shops to knit and chat, but crocheters do not.  Why is that?

Knitters work with at least two needles at a time and many, many loops.  If there is a problem, say the knitter doesn’t understand the pattern or stitches are dropped or the knitted fabric looks nothing like the picture, help is required.  The knitter seeks out an expert—frequently a yarn shop employee.  When the crocheter, working with one hook and one hoop, gets stuck, what does she do?  She punts.  She improvises, she works out her own solution—it might not be what the pattern called for, but the problem is solved and on she goes. 

Maybe the simplicity of the craft gives us an inferiority complex—one hook, one loop, that can’t be hard.  Or perhaps the simplicity inspires improvisation.  Sometimes improvisation is forced on the crocheter simply because she doesn’t know any others who practice the craft.  Many of us learned to crochet from our grandmothers, and now being of “grandmother age” ourselves, have lost the personal connection.  Whatever the reason, we tend to go it alone.

But we are not alone.  We have a guild that meets regularly.  We have a blog, and email communication.  We have topics of study.  I don’t know about you, but I come away from our meetings feeling really pumped.  I get to learn something new, show off my recent accomplishment, and solve my pattern problems.  Got a problem?  Just show your project at a meeting and you’ll get a solution—or three or four or more!  We crocheters are improvisers and each will come up with her own solution, you just take your pick.

The problem is that the guild just doesn’t run itself.  It needs a lot of help.

Our meeting space is really too small.  A committee has come up with some basic requirements.  What we really need is some members who will actively search for a new space.

We have a great blog.  But we only have two people who regularly contribute to it.  We have only one person who photographs projects.  What we really need are more contributors, and more photographers. 

What I’ve learned by attending meetings is that we have a lot of talented members with many skills and interests.  Some also knit, some spin, others weave.  Some are skilled at felting.  When guild members are stuck on a crochet question, they know they’ll get a solution (or three or four or more!) at the next meeting.  But wouldn’t it be great if we knew who to contact between meetings, or who might offer some non-crochet help?  We all know how to crochet, but are there tricks to working with handspun yarn?  What we need is a sort of skill bank.

We have a guild presence on Ravelry, but no one monitors it, and most of us members probably ignore it.  What we really need is someone to welcome new members, someone who will contact group members and let them know we’re going to pay more attention from now on.  It really is a shame when someone posts a question and months go by and no one responds.

A few members attend all meetings, but most only attend a few meetings each year, and some have never attended any meetings because they live too far away.  How do we make decisions and move forward as a guild when membership and attendance is such a moving target?  What we really need is more of a dialog, whether it is through our blog or through our presence on Ravelry. 

What we need if for you to speak up.

The fact that our members are willing to drive many miles to attend a meeting is an indication of the uniqueness of our group, and of the difficulty in finding like-minded crafters.  The fact that so many are willing to be shoe-horned into such a tiny space just to learn a new technique is evidence of the enthusiasm of our members.

A few of us have put together some ideas regarding the direction of our group and a new meeting space.  These ideas will be presented at our December meeting.  For those who are unable to attend the meeting, a simplified version of these ideas will be posted on this blog a few days before the meeting.

What we want from you is feedback.  I’ve put some issues out for you to think about now.  When the proposal regarding our future direction is posted, read it carefully and think about what you want from the group, and what you might be able to contribute.  If you cannot attend the December meeting, we sincerely hope that you will reply directly on the blog about the proposal (not to the email notice). 

Project Gallery November 2011

The Project Gallery photographer was preoccupied with learning new Tunisian stitches and neglected to photograph some of the excellent examples of  Tunisian crochet, including a lovely silk scarf crocheted by Barbara and a lavender scarf by Julie that was made out of a unique novelty yarn. Not only that, but some shots aren't exactly in focus. Profuse apologies for that!

Maxine is experimenting with felting Boku, a new yarn for her.

Jeanne created this sweater using double strands of worsted-weight yarn.

This is a detail of a shawl crocheted by Peggy that also uses doubled strands--in this case Vanna's Choice and the lighter weight Vanna's Glamour, which has a fine metallic thread throughout.

This mobius by Carol utilizes Noro Silk Garden. A mobius is crocheted in a continuous loop. After crocheting the foundation chain, one end of the chain is given a half-turn before joining to the opposite end. As you continue to crochet, the moebius grows from the center outward. The foundation chain is light green in color (easily visible on the left side of the picture).

Meeting Hightlights: Tunisian Crochet

The study topic for the November meeting was Tunisian crochet.  Maxine and assistants Julie and Barbara walked us through a simple dishcloth utilizing six different Tunisian stitches.

Some things to remember about Tunisian crochet:

• Naming conventions are not standardized in Tunisian; pay particular attention to pattern instructions.
• Tunisian creates an extremely dense fabric; you might want to use a hook two or three sizes larger than usual for the weight of yarn used.
• Pattern rows are composed of two passes:  one in which loops are picked up and placed on the hook and another in which the loops are taken off.
• Chain the same number of loops as stitches desired for project; the loop on the hook constitutes the first loop on the forward pass.
• Learn to recognize all of the parts of a Tunisian simple stitch, as different stitch patterns are determined by where you insert the hook.
• Count the loops on the hook after each forward pass to help reduce the chance of accidentally increasing or decreasing the number of stitches in a row.

 Common problems are:

• Getting accustomed to using a longer and heavier hook than commonly used in crochet.
• Not lifting loops high enough on the forward pass, or not making all loops the same size.
• Excessive curling (which can be tamed by using a Foundation single crochet instead of a regular chain, or using a regular crochet stitch to outline the project.
• Not inserting your hook in the correct place for the stitch pattern, resulting in a mutating stitch pattern.

 There are a wide variety of Tunisian resources on the Internet.  Tutorials can be found on http://www.knitdenise.com/pages/tunisian-crochet-central and on http://www.stitchdiva.com/.  A Tunisian crochet forum can be found on http://www.ravelry.com/, including list of resources.

The December meeting will have two parts.  The first is a business meeting that will cover a variety of topics, including a new  meeting space and recruiting volunteers to share tasks currently done by Carol and Maxine (the blog!).  The second part will be a swap meet.  Items to swap can include yarns, books, equipment and services (such as finishing another's incomplete project).  Specifics on how the swap will work will be included in the December meeting preview.

Tunisian Crochet: November 12 Meeting Preview

Maybe you've never tried Tunisian before because those long hooks look a bit dangerous - or maybe the last time you tried it, it was called it afghan crochet because the only patterns available made a stiff and sturdy fabric that was great for nice warm afghans but nothing else- or maybe you're like the presenters this month and can't get enough of Tunisian crochet.

Whatever your experience with and comfort level towards Tunisian, we invite you to a come to the meeting on Saturday November 12th 2:30pm at Borealis Yarn and learn more. Maxine will lead us through creating a Tunisian washcloth with Julie and Barbara assisting. By the end of the meeting, everyone should be well on their way to completing a sampler that shows some of the beautiful stitches available in Tunisian. You'll go home with a nice project plus a handout with instructions for all the stitches as well as links to videos and other web resources specifically for Tunisian.

For this meeting, you're need to bring the following items:

• Approximately 1 to 2 ounces of worsted weight yarn - 100% cotton is great if you really want to use the sampler as a washcloth. One small skein of "kitchen cotton" will be a gracious plenty for one or two samplers - Peaches & Creme brand or Sugar'n Cream brand are usually available at stores such as Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, Michaels, or even some Walmarts.
• A Tunisian hook size J10 6.00mm if you can find one (some of the Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts stores do stock them). If not, bring a regular J10 hook (Susan Bates, Boye, or other brand with a shaft the same diameter as the rest of the hook) and, using the magic of a simple household item (a plastic straw - there will plenty the right size at the meeting), you'll be able to make your own Tunisian hook in 5 seconds flat.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

Midtown Global Market: October 29 5th Saturday Outing

Want to just hang out with some like-minded women?  Come to our Fifth Saturday social gathering at Midtown Global Markets on October 29th.  We'll gather at noon on the south side of the building, facing Lake Street.  There is a seating area near the windows overlooking the street.  (Just hunt for it, it isn't hard to find.) We'll lunch, chat and crochet for about two hours.  The Market usually has free music on Saturdays; on the 29th, Cadillac Kolstad (piano-based blues/rock) will perform starting at 12:30.

Global Market is collection of ethnic restaurants and shops with something for everyone, whatever your taste in food.  It's located in the old Sears building on Lake Street and 10th Avenue East in Minneapolis.  If you know where Abbott Northwestern Hospital is, the Market is just two blocks south.  Parking is free in the adjacent parking ramp; just have your ticket validated by any restaurant or shop where you make a purchase.

Hope to see you there!

Project Gallery October 2011

Peggy finished her first sweater and it looks terrific.

This cowl, also by Peggy, is sure to sell a lot of yarn for Lion Brand. The yarn is called Amazing, and it sure looks amazing.

Peggy and Wendy both finished the scarf pattern we worked on at our last meeting. Wendy chose purple and Peggy chose a light variegated yarn--both are Plymouth Encore.

Carla is making thread crochet ornaments for a craft sale where she works.

Maxine made this yellow shawl, which has large motifs around the outside edge. [Sorry about the shadow over the image--the shawl is a solid golden yellow.]

What is this? A half-dicky? A fichu? Modesty lace? Jodi crocheted this little lacy insert. It has ties that attach it to bra straps. Wear one when you want to fill in a neckline but don't want to wear a cami or shell under another garment.

Meeting Highlights: Project Session

We took the month of October off.  Instead of focusing on a single topic or technique, we used the time to work on whatever projects we each had at hand.  This was a great opportunity to seek help with troublesome patterns and to show off completed projects.  Once again, we had a new member attending for the first time.

We will have a Fifth Saturday meeting at Midtown Global Markets on October 29th. We meet at noon, (ending probably 2 hours later), on the south side of the building, facing Lake Street.  There is ge seating area near the windows overlooking the street.  You just have to hunt for it.  This will be a purely social event, a chance to try different ethnic foods, chat and crochet.

The Market is located in the old Sears Building at 925 East Lake Street in Minneapolis.  There is a parking ramp next to the building; if you buy lunch or make any other purchase, the merchant will validate your parking ticket (remember to bring your parking ticket into the market with you).  The program committee will get together following the "meeting."

Our next monthly meeting is Saturday, November 12th, at Borealis Yarns.  Julie and Maxine will lead us through a simple project featuring Tunisian crochet.  Look for an email message and blog posting closer to the meeting date; it will contain all the project requirements.

Project Gallery September 2011

Jodi finished her doily at last, and it is stunning.

Here is a detail from a shawl that Julie is crocheting.

Peggy is using a new yarn, Lion Brand Amazing, to crochet a cowl. She has finished the project. We look forward to seeing the end result--the colors are terrific.

Meeting Highlights: Reading Patterns and Charts

The September meeting focused on reading patterns and charts, but the biggest hurdle to overcome was doing the Foundation Single Crochet with which the pattern started.

Some things to remember when doing foundation chains:

• Starting and stopping while chaining can result in an unsightly stitch in the middle of the row.  To correct this, frog back to the stitch before the unsightly one, making it easier to get back to uniformity.
• Foundation chains are not limited to single crochet, but can also be done in hdc, dc and tr stitches.

Something to remember when attempting a new pattern:

• Read the pattern through before starting so you are familiar with the stitches and how the pattern progresses.
• If there is a chart, read the pattern through before starting, then compare written instructions to the chart to see whether you can rely on the chart alone (at the Conference, there were many complaints that one or the other was "off" and you don't know until you start to crochet).
• Always go to the back of the magazine or book to see how that particular publisher designates stitches before starting your project; while the basics are the same (sc, dc, tr, etc), there are differences where post, cluster, and bobbles are concerned.
• Print off a copy of your pattern before you start and keep it with your project.  When dealing with a pattern in a magazine, you might want to make multiple blown-up copies that you cut out and paste in a single column on another sheet of paper, making it easier to make notes and follow your pattern.
• Use a sticky note to mark your progress through the pattern.  If your pattern says something like "repeat rows 4 through 8 until project measures X inches long," make sure you write on your sticky note the row number of the pattern repeat where you stopped.

 We meet again on October 8th at Borealis Yarns.  We will work on UFOs--unfinished objects.  Bring along a work in progress for an afternoon of chat and crochet.

Update: Finding New Location (September 2011)

There is now a google doc available to record details about options for a new meeting location. Click (was the link, no longer active) to view the document or to edit it (anyone who clicks on the link is authorized to edit the document). As you'll see, it's a spreadsheet style document with our criteria listed on the left and then a column for each specific location (three listed at this point ) with details about how whether they match our criteria.

In addition to the locations listed, several people have suggested public meeting rooms at one of the counties in our area (Hennepin and Ramsey are the two that are within the central corrider). Hennepin County rooms, including libraries, are listed and can be reserved at http://www.hclib.org/pub/info/meetingrooms/ but we cannot reserve any one room more than three months in advance. Ramsey County libraries rooms are listed on http://www.rclreads.org/services/meeting-rooms but you have to contact individual libraries for reservation information.

At this point, we are still collecting location information. You can help by collecting the type of details you see in the document and it's easy for anyone to add information directly to the document.

• If you have a new location to list, create a new entry in the first empty column to the right, with detailed information as shown with the other three entries.
• If you have comments about any of the locations listed, add a comment in a new cell at the bottom of the column.

If you prefer not to edit the document directly, please send the details to Maxine and she will add to the document in your behalf.

Reading Patterns and Charts: September 10 Meeting Preview

Do you love to crochet but feel like you're looking at a foreign language when you try to read a crochet pattern? Have you tried to decipher symbol diagrams but they look like heiroglyphics (or maybe chicken scratchings) instead of helpful  instructions? Or maybe you've struggled through instructions but sure would like some tips to make reading them easier? If any of these ring a bell with you, then we hope you can join us on September 10 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm at our regular meeting spot, Borealis Yarns.

The meeting will be a formal meeting with instruction from Hilary and a chance for everyone to practice their pattern-reading skills on a specific project. The project that will be used for the class is Sweet Lorraine Lace Throw, a Doris Chan pattern that is available in the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Crochet. This is a wonderful pattern that can be modified easily to make anything from a quick scarf to a luxurious stole.

You'll need to bring the following materials to this meeting:

• A copy of the pattern if you have the magazine.
  (If you don't have that particular issue, there are members who have volunteered to share their copy at the meeting.)
• One or more skeins of a solid or heather yarn (the pattern does NOT work up well in variegated yarn)
• Appropriate size hook for the yarn

Although the pattern is published for worsted weight yarn and size I9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook, Hilary says the pattern scales up and down beautifully. So you could use sport or DK weight for a lighter, lacier scarf or a bulky for a heavier scarf suitable for cooler weather.

Hope to see you at the meeting!

Need help in finding new location for larger group (August 2011)

The good news: Crochet Twin Cities is growing - thanks to the enthusiasm of our members and the publicity of the recent conference.

The not-so-good news: We may soon outgrow our current meeting location at Borealis Yarns.

At a recent program committee meeting, we took stock of the situation and the result is this post, which a request asking all members to help scout-out a new location, keeping these requirements in mind:

• Ample and easily-accessible parking (free preferred, low-cost would be OK)
• Central location - roughly within the area bounded by I-35E east, I-35W west, I-694 north, and I-494 south
• A room that is large enough to accommodate 20 - 30 people
• A room with good lighting and air flow
• A room that is private (as our current location is) as opposed to public (table in a library)
• Free or very low-cost - at this point we don't have a dues system, just suggested $1 donation per person per meeting so our budget is minimal
• We don't think a restaurant or a bar is a good option for our group (it's awkward because people feel obligated to buy food and drink.)

At the recent conference, these were some of the ideas that other chapters offered for meeting rooms:

• Community centers
• Libraries
• Churches

If you have a suggestion for a specific location, please send an email to Maxine or add a comment to this blog entry. I will post compile all suggestions (we actually have some already) and post a google doc that we can use to track our ideas.

There will definitely be an opportunity to "cuss and discuss" this topic at the end of the next meeting. We want to keep our meeting focus on crocheting but also take care of any chapter business if needed.

And a final note: Our current location is securely registered for us as long as we need (thank you Carol) so this is not a crisis situation. We're just being proactive and, if we do find a new location that's suitable to the group, they'll be plenty of notification.

Meeting Highlights: Granny Squares and More

We had an excellent turnout for our August meeting.  Of course, some of us were still coasting off the high of the CGOA Chain Link Conference.  Gail and Carol taught us the basics of granny squares, triangles, hexagons and rectangles.  Three (Kathy, Shelly and Jean) were attending their first Crochet Twin Cities meeting—welcome to all!

As mentioned in the blog post on the CGOA Chain Link Conference, Gail won a $250 gift certificate
by crocheting the most hats for the Northern Illinois Chapter hat challenge.  She agreed to bring in the five skeins she purchased with her winnings.  The skein on the top right is a silk/mohair blend and feels absolutely wonderful--you have to touch this one to believe it.  The middle skein has teeny tiny beads every few inches (click on the image to blow it up and see those little beads). The skein on the bottom left is alpaca, harvested and spun right here in Minnesota.  We all look forward to seeing what Gail will do with these yarns. 

On to the business of the meeting: grannies.

Granny squares are frequently made of groups of three double crochets (dc), with a shell (3dc, ch3, 3dc) in the corner.  You can work from one side only, so that there is a right and a wrong side, or you can turn after every row, resulting in no right or wrong side.  Some things to remember:

• There are many, many variations on the basic granny.  To see some of them, consult a book of crochet motifs, such as Edie Eckman's Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs.
• If you choose to have a right side and use a single color for several rows, you likely will slip stitch across two dc after joining a round. 
• The number of chains between groups of 3 dc can depend upon the weight of the yarn used.  When using a cotton worsted weight (like Sugar ‘n Cream), you might want to use three chains (or more) in the corners and two chains on the sides.
• Grannies do not have to be square, and they don't all have to be the same size.   Different sized motifs can be used together.  Search Ravelry patterns for granny and you will see many different uses.
• Hexagonal grannies can be made to that they lay flat (check out a motif book for examples).  They can also be constructed similarly to squares.  Use the same proportions as for as square, but instead of four groups of three dc in the first row, use six groups of three dc and proceed as for a square.  The result is a motif that will not lay flat, but it will fold up into a flat L-shaped motif.  This flat L motif can be used as the basis for a sweater for babies or adults.  Check out Ravely for examples for an adult shrug or a baby sweater.

Rectangular grannies can be any length you desire.  Carol’s granny did not start with a basic chain, but with a series of connected loops (ch3, dc into first ch, and repeat to desired length).  This is the same method that Red Heart yarn distributed in a recent email.  Click this link to see a YouTube tutorial.  Carol's method of joining rounds used double crochet (where two chains were used in corners) or half double crochet (where single chains were used, as on the sides of rectangles).  This method of joining is familiar to those who make doilies and need to join rounds in areas that use large numbers of chains.   Carol used this method of joining with heavier yarns, such as cotton worsted; using slip stitches across double crochet can result in noticeably denser areas when using heavier yarns.  On Ravelry, you can link to a free jacket pattern by Caron that uses various sized grannies in one garment.

If you want more ideas for using granny squares, check out Interweave Crochet’s free eBook, which contains 8 different project patterns.  http://www.crochetme.com/Crochet-Granny-Squares/

According to our survey, many of you are interested in entering the Minnesota State Fair and other fairs.  For show and tell, Kathy brought a wool crocheted hat and scarf [picture on the Gallery post] that won a blue ribbon at the Dakota County Fair.  Carla brought along the booklet outlining what you need to do to enter your crochet project in the Minnesota State Fair.  You can also view the entry booklet online.  Apparently, not all judges are created equal, with some giving more points to projects in white or ecru (meaning, projects in other colors are downgraded).  If you do enter the state fair, you will receive a document outlining how your project was judged.  There is still time for you to enter the Minnesota State Fair.  Get those entries in!

We had a good number of show-and-tells at this meeting, including Jeanne wearing the dress she had been working on several meetings ago.  Check out the project gallery post for photos.

For the September meeting, Hilary will be presenting a topic that came out at the top of the member survey: reading and understanding crochet patterns and symbols.  The project we will work on is Doris Chan’s Sweet Loraine Lace Throw (or scarf), found in the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Crochet.  If you don’t have that particular issue, members will share their copies at the meeting.

Project Gallery August 2011

Due to popular demand, Joan graciously brought in a dinosaur hoodie that she had been working on for her grandson several years ago; the idea was intriguing and we wanted to see how it turned out. The pictures don't do it justice. The dinosaur "scales" start at the front of the hood and continue down the back to the bottom edge of the garment. It is so cute!

And because sisters can't be left out, Joan crocheted a princess hoodie for her granddaughter. Every princess needs a crown; this Joan fashioned out of crocheted flowers attached to the hood. A matching flower decorates the hand warmer. She used leftover yarn to make a matching hat and a "princess tiara" headband. Yes, those are "jewels" on the golden "tiara." The cute factor for hat, hoodie and headband was way up there. The wide variety of projects done by our members is truly inspiring.

Several of our members spin as well as crochet. Carmelle is one such person. She also dies her own yarns. She spun and dyed the yarns used in this shawl project. Maxine helped her finish off the project, which has been a long time in the making. The bottom of the shawl is lined with large motifs.

As some of you already know, Peggy recently had surgery. She is spending some of her time at home crocheting bookmarks. Gail, as always, is involved in using crochet to help and comfort people. Through Angels of Hope, she sent Peggy this angel.

Several months ago, Jeanne was working on a dress project that has dogged her for several years. When she says that she's been working on the dress for three years, don't be too sympathetic--she has only been crocheting a little longer than that. Few of us would attempt anything so challenging as a dress when just a beginner, but our Jeanne did, and this is the wonderful result--fits perfectly. Jeanne also finished the doily that she was working on at the Chain Link Conference.

Kathy also brought in several things to share. If you want to know what a blue-ribbon winner looks like, take a look at this hat and scarf set; Kathy won her ribbon at the Dakota County Fair. Kathy used a clever twisted loop closure with the perfect button on this felted purse.

Marilee belongs to a group with a Minnesota hot dish tradition--fifties food with Jell-O. And to serve it up right they use vintage patterned potholders and hot pads. Here's one that she has completed (on the left) and one in progress. You crochet two identical cloths, then single crochet them together with a contrasting color. 'Fess up, we all have potholders like this at home--but how many of us (besides Marilee) know how to make one?

Here's an example of one of Melanie's garments, done in thread crochet with size 10 cotton thread. Beautifully done and it fits perfectly. Now you can see how she earned her Master's Certificate from CGOA.

Carla brought in two broomstick lace hats. The lighter colored one was supposed to have a border of crocheted cables. After taking a Chain Link class in Tunisian, she decided to do that to the bottom of the dark blue hat. The rim crocheted, folded inside, and the edge attached with single crochet to give the edge a thicker, warmer feel.

Report from Zoe the Pig (August 2011)

Zoe the Pig is our treasurer. She has been collecting donations since last fall. Now she has her own blog page that reports on the amount of donations and how the money is being spent. (Plus her picture is on the page.)

Zoe has been a bit lazy in getting her report on the blog. Mostly because, up to this point, group expenses have been so minimal that members have been directly purchasing / procuring any items needed. And all money that Zoe has collected up to this point is still in her belly.

Thanks to the crochet conference lat month, things are changing. The conference was so successful that members need more of the guild "business cards". We don't want to impose on our donated source again so the group needs to authorize use of Zoe's funds for getting a professional print job. That means that it's time for Zoe to start posting a treasurer's balance sheet - so be sure to check out the Treasury page.

Update: March 11 2012 - Zoe is retiring! Treasury page has been removed. Instead, members will receive information about the treasury at monthly meetings.

Roving Crochet Reporter: Chain Link 2011 Conference Hightlights

What do you call someone who has attended every single Chain Link Conference but one?  Our Chapter President, Gail!

Yes, folks, Gail has attended all but the very first conference.  Her advice to us before the Minneapolis conference was to stay in the conference hotel, as you don’t want to miss any opportunity to meet other crocheters and make contacts.  Nobody heeded that advice, but Melanie and I wished we had.  I bussed to the conference (only a 20 minute trip, with one transfer) but Melanie drove from the far southwest suburbs (a very long drive).  And boy were we tired!  The three-hour classes require a lot of concentration.  Two tough classes in a day, and when it’s time to go home, the butt is dragging and the brain isn’t functioning, making for a tough commute whether you are doing a short bus ride or a long drive.  Consider that lesson learned.

What do you call someone not afraid of a challenge?  That’s Gail, again.  She took up the hat challenge issued by the Northern Illinois chapter.  Gail crocheted 190 hats.  Someone else did 208 hats.  The rules said you have to be present to win, and Gail was there.  So she has another name:  winner!  The prize was $250 to spend in the market place.  Gail spent that on five (yes, 5!) different skeins of luxury, fantasy yarn.  Silk.  A fine blend that has strung with teeny tiny beads.  Hand-dyed.  If you are going to win some money, don’t spend it on average stuff.  All I can say is, now I know what a $50 skein of yarn looks and feels like—it’s pretty darn nice!  We are all eager to see what she does with these yarns.

Lynn was also a winner—of the door prize at local yarn shop, 3 Kittens.  She’s looking forward to spending her gift certificate.  Lynn did not take any classes, but had a great time shopping and visiting with other crocheters on Friday.  What a treat to meet Evie Rosen, who started "Warm Up America".  She was there to teach beginner knitters, and graciously helped Lynn with some questions she had on a knitting project she was finishing up.  Rosen has such a great sense of humor and was very helpful.

One of the best things about attending conferences like Chain Link is meeting like-minded crafters.  The entire place was packed with potential friends, every one enthusiastic and willing to share.  Small talk was absolutely unnecessary—everyone just jumped right in.  As one person said, these were friends just waiting to be discovered.

The place was packed with what I call “walking refrigerators.”  For some people, “art” is what you buy and hang on your walls.  For others art is what you paste on your fridge—or throw on your sofa, or pin on your purse.  There were some lovely pieces thrown casually over shoulders (I remember a lavender alpaca lace shawl that I wish I’d photographed).  Everyone was willing to model or answer questions.  Melanie wore some sweaters crocheted from thread that caused the rest of us to drool.  Carla wore a shell that she had crocheted.

Another highlight was simply getting to know chapter members better.  Yeah, attending the conference is rather expensive, but if you are spending the money, might as well splurge on lunch at the conference hotel.  A number of us did that, and we discovered we enjoyed each others’ company even when we weren’t concentrating on crochet.

Let’s talk about classes.  All teachers aren’t created equal, but it can be a thrill to take a class from someone whose name you recognize from publications.  Julie took a tunisian class that inspired her to return to a lace-weight shawl that she had earlier set aside.  [A picture of that project was included in the 5th Saturday summary.]  Everyone walked away from class with swatches.  The smarter instructors provided attendees with tags to label the swatches.  You think you will remember what you did when you get home, but I’m here to tell you that isn’t always the case.  From some of our own chapter meetings, it is apparent that some (like Gail and Maxine) are pretty religious about tagging swatches.

Some tips learned:

• From a Lily Chin class:  don’t just tie knots in the tail to indicate hook size when doing swatches, crochet picots onto the last row crocheted—less likelihood that you will miss a knot and assume the incorrect hook size.
• Another tip mentioned in every class I took:  buy a complete set of hooks from one (each?) manufacturer.  Hooks tend to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer (and some older hooks are not similarly sized and/or shaped with modern hooks from the same manufacturer).  The differing hook shapes between manufacturers can trip you up when you are trying to make gauge.  Making gauge is the biggest problem in crochet.
• Buy one more skein than the pattern requires and swatch swatch swatch.  Since making gauge is such a problem, you need to swatch.  If you are worried you’ll run out of yarn or mess it up too much by frogging samples, give yourself a break and devote an entire skein to swatching.

Another word about classes:  I took three different ones from past president Marty Miller, who believes that if people are taking technique classes at a conference, the manufacturers should provide some yarn to work with.  My entire take of free yarn was fifteen skeins, including one ball of thread; most of it was cotton, including top brands. Not everyone came away with yarn from their classes—I sort of lucked out.

Two of our members participated in the professional development day, Gail and Maxine.  One person might be interested in doing contract crochet, another might be interested in designing, and another might be interested in the editorial side of producing patterns.  The professional development day provides a chance to make contacts with people in areas like this.  After hearing some of the teachers talk about what happened on Wednesday, I wished I had participated, even though I have no goals other than enjoying my craft.

Not sure who attended the banquet, but we know for sure that Melanie did.  She says it was wonderful to receive her Master of Crochet Stitches and Techniques pin on stage.  One of the best things about the banquet was the fact that you could actually sit there and knit and crochet!!  How many banquets/meetings have you been in where you really wanted to be able to do that and couldn’t?  Vickie Howell was a the commentator at the style show – filled with fun fashions!  Would love to have seen those, but will have to wait for CGOA to update their website.

The final bit of goodness was holding our 5th Saturday meeting at the conference and having some

Minnesota people as well as members of other chapters join us.  It was great that some of our members came to the conference even if they didn’t take any classes; some, like Jeanne and Jodi, came specially for the 5th Saturday meeting.  [There is a better picture with the 5th Saturday posting.]

The whole thing was a blast--hope I can go again.  And I hope I'll see you there!

UPDATE: August 13 meeting

We did not have enough interest for a formal StevenBe tour so our meeting location is:

• Meeting room at Borealis Yarns at 1340 Thomas Avenue in St. Paul (2:30PM-4:30PM). As part of this informal meeting, Gail will demo basic granny squares for anyone who needs a refresher.

In addition to the normal project sharing, we'll also allow plenty of time to share tips, ideas, and information from the recent conference. It was a very exciting and informative conference so it will be great to share our experience. We hope you can join us!

Highlights of our Chain Link 2011 Conference Get-Together

Our Fifth Saturday outing was held at the CGOA Chain Link conference. Some of us had been attending classes at the conference for several days before the meeting, and some came specially to the conference for the meeting. We covered some of the conference highlights (Gail’s winning the Chapter hat challenge—more reporting on that in another posting) and spent some time welcoming other conference attendees and potential chapter members to our group. Through Gail’s efforts we added three new names to our email list. 

Remember those stickers handed out at our last meeting? Carol put one on her back, which prompted someone in her first class to ask, “Do you know you have a sticker on you back?” Well, yes, she did—it was there to attract attention. And so it attracted the attention of other class members, including Brenda Bourg, editor of the Chain Link, a CGOA publication within Crochet! Magazine. Brenda came to our meeting to ask if we would write an article summing up the conference, to appear in Chain Link. Yes, we most certainly will write the article! The article will be an excellent opportunity for us to attract new members to our chapter.

As always, there were some projects to share. Some knitters had told me the first rule of attending a conference is never to bring a lace project or anything that requires concentration as you will screw it up. Our chapter members broke that rule royally. Lynn was crocheting a doily in size 20 thread (I was impressed). Julie’s tunisian class gave her the confidence to bring this lace-weight tunisian project to work on at the conference.

Jean, not usually a doily crocheter, brought this project to work on.

But we were all duly impressed that Joy would bring this doily in size 40 DMC Cordonnet (yes, 40!) to work on. Joy is not yet a member, but we sincerely hope she will join us.

A member of a MI chapter stopped by to chat about how we organized our chapter and tell us the process which her chapter is going through.  A member of the Northern Illinois chapter told us that her group meets in a public library—which, of course, is not available for free.  We met a crocheter from Rochester who thought we weren’t too far away and would be interested in attend a meeting.  The interest is out there, we just need to keep working to grow our group.


 [For a closer look, just click on any of the images in this post.]

Room Change: July 30th Get-Together

Our July 30 5th Saturday outing will be held during the Knit and Crochet Show at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis during the Noon-2PM break.

ROOM CHANGE: We will be meeting in the Nicollet registration area (tables near escalators).

Hooking-Up at the Conference: July 30 5th Saturday Outing

The excitement is building as members anxiously await the arrival of the CGOA Chain-Link Conference and Knit/Crochet Show which is being held July 28 through July 31 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

This is the first time the conference has been held in the Twin Cities and it's a fabulous opportunity to increase your skills by taking first-rate classes not to mention shopping for the latest yarns and tools in the marketplace. But even an more important opportunity - and one that's free - is the chance to meet and mingle with other people who are just as enthusiastic about crocheting as we are.

To help make the most of meet-and-mingle opportunities, here's a guide to "hooking-up" with other Twin City crocheters - both existing members and potential members:

• At the last meeting, Carol distributed stickers (similar to our "business cards") that anyone attending can slap on their bags or badges - that way, we might attract the attention of other Twin City crocheters who do not know about our chapter. Click (was link, expired now) to view and download the PDF file if you want to print your own - formatted for an 8.5 x 11 sheet with 4 stickers per sheet.
• If you'd like to know what classes other members are taking - or if you want to let others know which you're taking, we've created a GoogleDoc to share this information. A GoogleDoc is similar to a Word doc file but online instead of on your computer; this one can only be assessed and viewed by people on the Crochet Twin Cities email list. (Link was here but expired.)
• Our July 30 5th Saturday outing will be held at the conference hotel during the Noon-2PM break. LOCATION CHANGE: We will be meeting in the Nicollet registration area (tables near escalators).

If you have any other ideas for "hooking-up", please add comments. We hope to see you there!

Meeting Highlights: Thread Crochet

Gail led us through the crocheting of a simple thread flower motif.  Well, maybe not so simple, as there were tons of questions.  Gail thoughtfully provided samples of the motif in various stages of construction.

Crochet stitches are the same whether using thread or a bulky yarn, but if you are using thread, you need to watch your tension and gauge more closely.  Too tight or too loose in one section and your doily might not lay flat.  Some people tension yarn the same way whether using worsted or thread, while others need to add another wrap around a finger when using thread.  Others find changing their grip (pencil or knife) helps with gauge.  Judging by the samples in the picture, we are well on our way to success.

Stickers similar to our “business” cards were distributed to those who will be attending the CGOA Chain Link Conference this month.  If we slap stickers on ourselves, we might attract the attention of attendees who do not know about our chapter.  Carol will have more cards and stickers available at the conference.  Those who want to make their own supply can contact Carol and she will send you a pdf master.  Gail has been in contact with the conference managers; hopefully we will have a space where we can meet on Saturday between the morning and afternoon sessions.

We will have a “split” meeting in August.  You have a choice:  attend the regular meeting at Borealis and learn the intricacies making granny squares (regular, half and hexagonal) with Gail, or go to StevenBe’s shop on Chicago Avenue for appetizers ($5 contribution suggested) and see a yarn shop built on personality.