If you live a yarn-centric or yarn centered life, chances are good that you enjoy working with more than one yarnie technique.
Crocheters often weave.
Weavers often knit.
Knitters often embroider.
Embroiderers often crochet.
Tatters often crochet.
Spinners use their yarns in
all kinds of ways….
Some of us love to
explore all of the above.
And why not bring all  these strands together  in one piece? This is often called free form work.
I call it  a ‘Cross- Currents’ approach to the fiber arts.
This photo is the back of  a Cross Currents Jacket
in which I used handspun yarns,
with crochet, weaving, knitting,
embroidery, spool knitting  and tatting.
How do you pull together all …read more

Bonnie Pierce is one of the queens of freeform crochet. She’s also incredibly funny and bubbly and just all round terrific. (And her husband, Bill, is one wonderful guy, too!)
Here are her websites: elegant crochet and elegant crochet freeform
On the friday evening of the conference, Bonnie and I got giddy and disolved into giggles as I was showing her the basics of shuttle tatting:

Her students were cracking us up, and we decided that a busy table full of laughing women (at the end of a lonnnnng day) is not exactly the best place to learn something as odd as tatting.  …read more

Freeform friends meet up at the Knit and Crochet Show!
Over the years, lots of great friendships have been formed because of a neat list on yahoo-
the International Freeform group….
Usually on the Friday evening of a conference, the freeformers will get together and it’s always fun….

There’s Bubbly Bonnie and me and darlin’ Pirk!

And gorgeous Myra and wonderful Jorel in her galaxy vest and marvelous Mel wearing colors that she doesn’t usually work with (but it turned out great)

And then we grabbed Margaret and said, “Get into this picture!”
Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

There’s a wonderful yahoo group of freeform crocheters that has been running for years. A bunch of us have been on it for a really long time and have become friends over the years by email and through conferences.
One of the people on the freeform list is Beth Boshears. Beth’s bundle of joy and a real sweetie.  It was great fun to finally get to meet her…. and oh no! I didn’t get a pic of her!
Beth blew me right out of the water when she handed me ‘an apple for the teacher’ when she was taking one of my …read more

Ready for a burst of inspiration?
Then get ready for some delight, and click on the link to crochet artist, Sharon Mann.
Her crocheted dolls are frabjous, just frabjous!
SHARON MANN 

The website has just gone public for a glorious online exhibit of freeform crochet, called: Through our eyes.
It’s from The International Freeform Fiberarts Guild and is incredibly beautiful.
There’s a book to accompany the  exhibit.
Hooks up to this one!

Bonnie Pierce is a real delight. She’s also a fantastic designer and teacher.
Today’s inspiration is her website:
Bonnie Pierce 

I mentioned in another post that being a member of the Crochet Guild of America (I’m Canadian but that is irrelevant in the world of crochet) has lots of neat benefits.
One of them is that I have become friends with all kinds of wonderful designers over the years. One of the most dynamic people you will ever meet is Prudence Mapstone, one of the queens of the freeform crochet and knitting world.
Here’s her website: Knot Just Knitting 
Prudence’s work is exquisite and truly spectacular!

One of the great joys about teaching at crochet conferences is getting to meet other designers and teachers. One of the most delightful people you could ever wish to meet is Margaret Hubert.
Margaret is in full glory with her series of books of really wonderful crochet designs, ranging from freeform to plus size crochet.   Here’s her website: Marvelous Margaret