photo by Jim Findlay copyright

So, I am going to make a short list

of some of the posts

that I loved the most this year.

Hands down, my absolutely

MOST favorite post has to be

the announcement that:

I am a granny!

Sweet Baby James

changes

E V E R Y T H I N G for us….

Sigh… a moment out for blissing…. okay, I’m back…

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Albert Einstein says that

being creative

means looking at the world

and seeing it in new ways.

Well… I saw the creative potential

in the paper streamers that the

Blue Man Group fired out

of a special effects canon

and ended up

spinning them into paper yarn

and then designing

a wonderful Shadow Scarf….

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

One of my most popular YouTube videos

this year was the one

on how to make

Flowers on the

Vintage Flower Loom.

Here’s the link to the

post and the video:

Vintage Flower Looms

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Another really popular

video is a tutorial

that I made on

how to wind yarn with a

nostepinne.

Here’s the link

to the post and

video tute:

Nostepinne

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

This year, I have switched

formats in the way that

I self publish my

designs.

I am focusing on

the pdf format,

because readers have

told me that this is

how they want to

purchase their books.

So, Spooligarumi,  and so are Weavagarumi and Virtuoso Vests.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Sock knitting is one of my great passions.

I live in clogs and crocs,

which are really

really hard on socks,

so I am constantly darning

my socks.

Another of my most popular

video tutes is

‘A new way of darning socks’

So, there you have it… a few of my favorite posts from 2009- I have more fave posts, so will gather them up for you, soon!

I hope that you have lots of lovely memories from this year, too, and not just painful ones because of the economy.

Things will get better. And all shall be well…..

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Ellen Gormley copyright

I love doing interviews

with other designers

and hearing about

the design process in their lives.

Today, I am interviewing

the lovely and talented Ellen Gormley.

My questions are in green

and Ellen’s answers are in black:

1. How did you create your life as a designer?

Like everything else, my design career has evolved. Long before I quit my “real job” my co-workers and I would talk about what we would do if we could do any profession we wanted. I used to say, “I want to get paid to crochet!”. When the kids came along and we decided I would stay home with them, I decided that I would spend $100 pursuing crochet. I made decision charts about various ways of crocheting for profit… craft fairs, custom orders, publishing, etc. And I decided to see if I could sell patterns so that I wouldn’t have to sit in a booth all day (who would watch the kids with DH busy working?). Also, I knew I didn’t have the time or temperament to mass produce items for sale.

2. Do you have a favorite  aspect of all that you do?

I’m a compliment junkie. Time and resources are limited for our hobbies, so when someone chooses to spend her (or his) free-time on one of my patterns, it is a huge, huge compliment. What a thrill!

photo by Ellen Gormley copyright

3. What aspect of being a designer

is most challenging to you?

The most challenging part of designing is grading garments.

When I do math, I have to “show my work”

so that I can follow what I’m doing.

It is very easy to get myself confused.

I find that if I write out my rationale long hand, it’s a little easier (but still hard!).

photo by Ellen Gormley copyright

4. What part of designing

is the most rewarding to you?

When I see photos posted

of projects that crafters

have made from my patterns,

it’s the best thing

in the whole experience.

5. How long have you been designing  professionally?

I began designing in 2004. I have been crocheting on and off since I was 10 or so. I have been crocheting steadily since 1994.

6. What triggers your creativity? What is most inspiring to you?

It is really inspiring to make a gift for a specific person. What looks good on her? What colors does she like? How will she use it? I find smooth yarns more inspiring than textured ones. Smooth yarn feels like more of a blank canvas with limitless possibilities.

7. Are the fiber arts your main focus?

Yes, the last few years I am all stitching. As a child I was obsessed with spiral-graph drawings. I was a photography major in college, until the world went digital at the same time I got busy with family. Growing up, my Mom and I were always doing some sort of stitchery, embroidery, macrame’, basic sewing, cross-stitch, etc. But since 1994, I have been consumed with crochet expanding to knit.

8. What is your favorite way of getting your work out into the world?

While I love Ravelry, I’m having much fun posting about my work on Facebook and Twitter because it allows my Aunts and Cousins, high school friends, to be exposed to the art that I love.

photo by Ellen Gormley copyright

9. Does where you live

influence your work in any way?

We live in Southern Ohio

where winters can be cold

and summers are hot.

The winter necessity for fun hats and scarves

has really influenced

the projects I make.

10. Where can people buy your work?

My blog and Ravelry.

www.GoCrochet.com

http://www.ravelry.com/stores/ellen-gormley-at-gocrochet-designs

11. Do you maintain a blog or website? If so, what are their urls?

www.GoCrochet.com is my blog and there is a gallery link from it.

12. Do you have a crafting or arts community that influences you and is important to you? (online or ‘real life’). Is it important to you to be in touch with your peers?

I participate in a ‘Crochet and Chat’ at our local library. Online, I participate as much as I can. Participating with others in person is really important. Designing can be very isolating. It’s so secretive until the project is published. There is so much that can’t be said. Meeting with friends in person alleviates much of this and the common love for the craft is very inspiring. It is also humbling because there are so many very talented crafters out there!

photo by Ellen Gormley copyright

13. Do you have an all time favorite

piece that you designed?

I have a soft spot for

my daughter’s First Communion Dress.

I thought about that dress for months before I started.

Still there are things I would do differently,

but she liked it

and it’s now part of our family history.

14. Is there a project or product that has ever flumoxed you and just refused to work out?

I’m sure there is, but everything evolves so much from the initial idea. Oh, I know one, there was a tote bag once that just didn’t want to be structured like I wanted it to be! No matter what I did, it was floppy.

15. Many designers are immersing themselves in self publishing. Is this part of the way that you work?

I do have several patterns for sale as PDFs. I definitely see advantages to self-publishing. Many of the technical aspects of self-publishing; charts, graphics, etc are somewhat intimidating. Right now, I’m content to let others work all of that out and let me spend my time designing and stitching. It is also fun to be part of a publication with others so that you can share and talk about the experience. There is camaraderie in being part of a traditional publication that is missing from self-publishing.

16. Is there anything that I have missed that you would like to share with the readers of Hankering for Yarn?

I’m a mom. I crochet at soccer games and swim practice. I design because I love it, but it also contributes to our family’s income. This is a business and without business people creating, there would be much less crochet to consume and inspire.

AND:

1.  Ellen has a book coming out in Spring 2011.
2.  An interview with Ellen can be seen in the upcoming season of Knit and Crochet Today/Now

Thanks, Ellen! wishing you even greater success with ‘Go Crochet!’

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

People have been very clever about spotting the potential of small common objects- for instance: The Poptop rings or tabs from drink cans.

Pop tabs have double openings that are easily crocheted over. And, since they are so easily found, and quite uniform, they are great  building blocks for making all kinds of neat things.

Crocheters, being a very creative lot of folks, have taken the pop tabs and have been finding ingenious ways of combining them with yarn.

Here’s a link for a tutorial on crocheting over pop tabs to make flowers. It’s a great starting point for developing lots of fun ideas:

How to crochet with pop tabs

Neat!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Have you ever MADE a snowflake?  I have!   I am willing to bet that you have, too!

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I was thinking about making snowflakes,

and it struck me that I could use

copper wire to make snowflakes.

So, of course, I had to give it a try.

What do you need to make

a wire snowflake?

Copper wire , a piece of foam,

straight pins

needle nose plyers with a cutting notch

graph paper,

a compass

a ruler,

and a pen or a pencil.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Draw a circle with

a 1 inch (2.5 cm) radius.

Work your way

around the

circumference

of the circle,

with the compass,

intersecting

the circle 6 times.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Draw a line from point to

point across the circle 3 times.

Draw a 1/2 inch line 1/4 inch from

the end of each line.

Stick a pin

at each point

on the circumference,

and

1 at the center.

Twist a loop

in the wire

for a hanger.

Stick  a pin

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

in at the end

of each of the ‘T’s

and wrap loops

of wire  around

each of  them.

Work your way

around

the arms of

the snowflake.

Go back to

the center

before moving on

to the next arm.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

When you have got

all 6 branches

of the snowflake

wrapped with

a little cloverleaf,

then pull the pins

out.

Wrap the tails

of wire

around the branches

of the snowflake

to secure them.

Pinch and squeeze

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

the wire

to shape the

snowflake

any way

that appeals.

After you have

finished wrapping

it, you can pound it

with a hammer if you’d like.

You could make

your snowflake

larger or smaller-

feel free to experiment!

Happy Snowflake making!

I thought that it would be fun to find some links for making snowflakes and came up with these ones: (Have fun!)

Clip art: snowflake-clipart

Paper: How-to-Make-6-Pointed-Paper-Snowflakes/

Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

Crocheted:  tons of crocheted snowflakes

Knitted: knitted snowflake motif

http://tiajudy.com/SnowStar.htm

bead weaving: http://www.sandradhalpenny.com/9451.html

Felt: http://www.purlbee.com/felt-christmas-stocking/2008/12/13/super-easy-snowflake-stocking.html

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The flowers from

flower looms work

beautifully  in combination

with crochet.

I quite like using

unusual yarns with

the flower looms.

This is slubbly quite

hefty silk handspun

in a shawl.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Here are a

bunch of flower loom

flowers in another

shawl- also all

made in handspun yarns.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The rainbow  flower

was made with

spool knitted cord

on a flower loom.

The white flower

was made with chained

yarn…..

so you can really play with

your yarn before you use it

with a flower loom.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

What are those flowers part of?

Well…

a wild and wonderful

freeform crocheted, spool knitted,

tatted, woven, sewn, sculpted

doll made with all manner of

found objects.

Yes…. her

head REALLY is a vintage

shaving brush.

Aren’t her shoes cute?

The red square was made with a

magic loom and soft ribbon.

flower looms and freeform crochet photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Here’s the back of the doll.

I used black  ribbon with

the flower loom,

and with the magic loom,

and a fair amount of spool knitting,

and crochet, with lots

of vintage buttons, a little lego,

beads, and found objects.

Putting together

all the diverse elements

in a cohesive way

can be challenging.

flower looms and freeform crochet photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

But, seeing the possibilities

for creative adaptive re-use,

aka: Upcycling found and

discarded objects and

using them to create

wild and funky dolls

that are an expression

of human experience

is one of the great joys of

my life….

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

My day went sideways when I found out that I had a big whalloping error in my  crocheted Shadow pattern. ERG!

I re-did the chart and fixed the error in the text and sent out the corrections to all the people who had ordered the pattern.

Then…. I noticed….. that….. AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH……. there was another typo!

I ran, screaming from the room….. and then came back and fixed it, and sent the correction off agaaaaaaaaaaaain!

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Through all the ‘ruptions’

Ms Kitty was keeping me company,

purring away,

and looking all squidgie eyed at me,

telling me that she still loves me,

even though

I was having a horrible

terrible, no good  awful day….

It’s so nice to know that

even when the day falls

off the charts, that

Ms Kitty still nobly

loves me through it all.

My husband also loves me and ‘there, there’d'  me and consoled me.

I wanted to pay crochet tribute to them both,  but I couldn’t find any patterns for crocheted husbands.

It’s so much easier to find crocheted cats….. soooooo…..

I am hereby having a mini  Carnival of Crocheted Cats.

Starting off with my own tribute to the crocheted cat: I love crocheting cats, and designed a book of them several years ago:  Noreen’s crocheted cats That book’s not free, so I needed to find a few free cat patterns for you.

Here’s a whole bunch of free kitty patterns:

A whole page of  many many many Cat_Theme_Free_Patterns

And more free-crochet-stuffed-cats

Amigarumi crochetedCat

As we all know, cats love toys, so here are a few links of some crocheted Cat toy patterns:

Cute cat-toys-free-crochet-pattern

another-cat-toy-pattern-crocheted

Cats and yarn and crochet hooks- what a natural combination!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

Oops…

this yarn isn’t

crocheted, it’s

spool knitted.

I spun it from

a variegated roving,

but found the color breaks

to be too sharp.

So, I plied it with a thin

slubby strand of brown silk thread.

This toned down the color breaks and made the yarn more visually cohesive.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

This golden

yarn was just a little

bit flat looking.

Combining it with a

strand of very thin

variegated thread gives

it depth and more

life- it’s a far more interesting

fabric than when the gold

yarn is used on it’s own.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

I crocheted these two

Shadow Scarves

using  red merino/possum

lace weight yarn from New Zealand.

The shadow scarf on the left

was crocheted with just the red yarn

and a size ‘H’ (5 mm) hook and is

delightful.

I wanted to see what would happen if

I combined a strand of the variegated thread

with the red yarn. I also wanted to try taking

the laciness factor up a notch, so I went up

one size of hook, to an ‘I’ (5.5 mm).

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The variegated thread

really punches up the

impact of the plain red yarn.

Even though the variegated thread

is very thin, it has tiny slubs,

so it dramatically increases the

texture of the finished fabric.

Wonderful!

Oh…. I just realized that the one

thing that I haven’t done (doh) is

to crochet or knit the variegated thread completely on it’s own.

I’ve been so caught up in combining it with other yarns, that I forgot to try it on it’s own.

This particular thread came from Salt Spring Saori, and is kind of one of a kind, I think, as Terri brings in unique yarns from Japan.

Watch second hand stores for interesting threads and yarns- and garage and yard sales, too! Also, don’t be afraid to combine serger threads and sewing threads with your yarns to create interesting crocheted, knitted, spool knitted or woven fabrics.

You never know where you’ll find fun threads and yarns. And, when you put them together with other yarns, you might just be surprised by the fascinating textiles that you can create!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

There are also tutorials

on the web

for spectacular

masks for

crocheters and

tatters.

Here are links for some dazzlers:

Have you seen the tutorial for the exquisite Tatted Mask on Instructables? Awe inspiring!

And, here’s a link for a gorgeous Hairpin Lace  Mask from Stitch Diva.

If you are looking for something a little more whimsical, then Melissa Mall’s crocheted critter  1/2 masks on Crochet Me might be just perfect: Critter masks

If you would like to be inspired  by the sculptural potential of crochet, then definitely check out the crocheted mask gallery of

Nicki Hitz Edson: Gallery

The woven masks of Susan Barrett Merrill are breathtaking. They are an exploration of spirit and soul: Zati Masks.

And what if you need a snoozy little mask to ease your naptime? Ah, then, the  Goodnight Mask by Regina Rioux Gonzalez is the answer.

So…. there you have it… yarn is unmasked as the secret ingredient of all manner of masks, from giddy to glorious!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

super finishing techniques for crocheters by Betty Barnden

I absolutely LOVE

‘Super Finishing

Techniques for

Crocheters:

Inspiration, projects

and more for

finishing crochet projects

with style’ by

Betty Barnden

published by

St. Martin’s Griffin.

This book is just plain fabulous. Don’t be fooled by the title- there is just so much more than just finishing techniques in this book.

It’s really a source book of  creative potential that will give crocheters the opportunity to take their crochet to a whole new level.

There are construction techniques, collars, pockets, motifs, edgings, fastenings, creative touches, trims, alternative approaches that will inspire leaps of creativity, and tons of ways of making adaptations.

There are also some basic designs that Ms Barnden shows how to make one of a kind by putting together the wonderful stuff she compiled in previous chapters. This is just all totally yummy!

Super Finishing Techniques for Crocheters is one of those books that is destined to become a treasured companion for crocheters of all skill levels.  It’s amazing that sparkles don’t tumble out of the pages when you pick it up and thumb through it.

Do I love this book? Absolutely! Do I give it the total thumbs up? Absolutely.  It’s a good ‘un.  Top of the charts for this one.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Sleep just went out the

window as I thought

about how

I could use the

crocheted shadow

scarf as a necklace.

I should have just gotten

up and crocheted it then,

but I lay there, squeezing

my eyelids, trying

hard to NOT think about

crochet, and longing

to be asleep…..

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Eventually,

I managed to

fall asleep, but

leapt out of bed

to grab my

crochet hook

bright and

early.

I thought that

the crocheted

shadow would

work really well

with a huge lump

of amber that I had

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

crocheted into a wire necklace.

But.. I was surprised to discover

that it didn’t work at all.

The crocheted shadow

wanted a very small

and restrained

piece to close it,

thank you very much.

Interesting how these

things speak to us, isn’t it?

Well…. many years ago,

a dear friend (who has since

passed on) gave me a lovely

little ‘heart in hand’ pin.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

It works really well with the

crocheted shadow.

I also really like

it with a vintage

bakelite heart button.

I love it!

The crocheted wire

is flexible and really quite

luscious.

Crocheting wire is really hard

on your tendons, arms, wrists,

fingers, hands, shoulders and muscles.

Is it worth it?

Yup.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn