Gothic Lolita totally Kitschalicious

Gothic Lolita top
Originally uploaded by pdxWoman

Ok this is dang cute and funny! CLF Member PDXWoman made this fantastic Goth Dolly!

Check out her pattern notes on Ravelry.com...brilliant!

PDXWoman you are duly awarded the Kitscalicious award for making a heck of a fun Gothic Lolita doll, that my 14 yr and I both love!
(Well, and you're from Portland, cause well, I grew up there and we all know it's cool)

Hookalicious! Repurposed and BEAUTIFUL!

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Originally uploaded by laughingpurplegoldfish

CLF member Laughingpurple created this great recycled/repurposed bag using all manner of materials from fabric remenants to repurposed yarns...this is very very cool...and for that she is DULY AWARDED the Hookalicious Award for innovative crochet...

Rock on Laughingpurple!

You can see more of her fabulous work on her project page on Ravlery.com

Over 2000 members and still growing!!!

Minions are numbers continue to swell! I've even had a few emails asking how to join our rowdy rank and file and so here is a message to all who wish to be in the cool crowd of the Crochet Liberation Front! (2010 members last I logged in!!! WHOOT! not bad for a joke, eh?)

If you are on Ravelry.com then look us up under Groups, CLF and Crochet Liberation Front will both work!

If you aren't on Ravelry, then do it now go to http://www.ravelry.com and sign up for an invitation! It's still in Beta testing and so they let on a few folks at a time so as not to overload the server etc...It's worth it to get on! Companionship, community, folks with the same interest, different intersts, and project pages and amazing one on one contact with designers, publishers and afficionados like you and me who just LOVE what we do!!

Once you get onto Ravelry then find the Crochet Liberation Front under groups, hit the join button and come say howdy!!

I've got a lot of work to do on the website I know, and that too shall happen...when? When these two little hands can get to it...for right now all I have is keychains and buttons listed, but I will have t-shirts up and running soon...

Hook on! Live Long!

crochet dress

crochet dress
Originally uploaded by taevastkukkund

Wow if this doesn't set our Picot Free, what does?

CLF Member Heidicrochet made this fantastic dress! It is GORGEOUS! I wish I had a figure that would look good in such things, but alas and ahem...tis not the case! But for those of you who have yet to be attacked by stretch marks and gravity, I wish you the ability to wear such a beautiful garment!

Heidicrochet you are duly awarded the Set My Picot Free award for a phenominal dress!

Pansy Garden is TOTALLY Hookalicious!

Pansy Garden
Originally uploaded by CaraDandelion

Ok I normally reserve the award for doll items etc to the Kitschalicious award cause well...you know it's doll stuff...but I think this is a brilliant idea, lots of fun and totally Hookalicious!

CLF Member CaraDandelion made these cute little dolly purses, adapting a pattern called "Plain Pansy" by Suzann Thompson in the Crochet Bouquet Book.

These are so cute and sweet! I'm better they work up pretty quickly too! What a fun little gift for the holidays or birthdays of those who love their dollies!

Mmmmm...Strawberries!

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Originally uploaded by beadygirl33

Toatlly Kitschalicious! As you know I am a sucker for crocheted food ;) How much fun is this!

CLF Member Beady used a pattern called "Fresh Strawberries" By Beth Dougherty to make these deliciously fun fruits!

Congratulations Beady! You are duly awarded the Kitschalicious Award for funky and cool crochet!

Remember folks you want to go to http://www.ravelry.com and sign up for an invitation if you have not joined already! It's free, it's fun, and that's where you can really get into the swing of things with the CLF HQ!

The International Yarn Smackdown...Bring it ON!

Ok all you lads and lasses who doesn't like a good smack down?

Registration for the International Yarn Smack Down is open until July 31st, 2008 for one of the wackiest "death by" events in the whole wide planet!

Crocheters there are special events just for us!


Crochet Amigurumi (deliver death with a smile);
Crochet Stole;
Crochet Granny Square;
Crochet Hat

Who doesn't love the idea of an international food fight where you can throw crocheted (and knit) toast at each other!! This is a mixed event of crochet and knit, and well it sounds like too much fun!

The organizer of this event has bent over backwards seeking how to be inclusive to our love of all that is hook-able! So throw her a bone (crocheted please) and sign up, represent the hook, and have fun!!!

For more information please check out the web page here:http://www.yarnsmackdown.com/
The Blog:http://www.yarnsmackdown.com/blog/
and if you still don't have the information you want you can send them a message from here:http://www.yarnsmackdown.com/contact.html

CLF FIrst Every Book Update

So, how's the book coming?

Very well thank you!

I took a bit of time off yesterday, which had less to do with needing a break and everything to do with two growing kids who have both spurted up in height in the past month, to the point where clothes were not fitting, and they needed new clothes! EGADS!

They are both closing in on me...what is a fearless leader to do...like all great Global Dominator's I am short...Taller than Napoleon, and shorter than Attila the Hun.

All jokes aside, the book is shaping up beautifully. I had my cousin take a cursory look through the first two sections (second pair of eyes and all that, to catch formatting issues), and she who doesn't crochet much (but sews often) was very very impressed with the quality and calibre of the patterns and articles. She liked the layout and design as well. Now, we could assume that because she's family she's biased...OK, let's understand this, my cousin and I are like night and day (of the same 24 hours) as loose as I am, she is tight, as open as I am she can be closed, as devil may care as I can be, she is cautious. So, that is why I had her vet the book, if she likes it, it's good. She would never lie to me, or try to make me feel better. Believe me, I've known her since before she was born!

I also had an older friend look at the book, she is primarily a knitter, though she does crochet (and rather well, just lacks the confidence). She's an older woman, "pushing old" as my son would say, and she was totally enthusiastic about many of the patterns. Some of which got exclamations such as, "Oh my goodness, I never thought you could do that in crochet! Oooh that would be so much easier with a hook."

"Oh my! That is a lovely pattern, look at those charts!"

and..."This book would be worth buying, even my old Scottish heart would approve of the expense."

Yay! I love these testaments.

My cousin even gave me the slogan to put on the back of the book cover, "All the crochet patterns you've ever wanted, but just couldn't find."

And that my friends is the truth...

Totally Hookalicious!

Dress and hat front-view
Originally uploaded by nanndee

This little outfit is toooooo sweet. I love little baby clothes. There is that time when kids are little that they look cute in anything, but when we make beautiful things they can look like cherubs!

CLF Member NannDee made this (and I believe designed it, but I could be wrong, I don't see any pattern listed in her projects page on Ravelry.) ETA: NannDee did not design this, she said it's a Leisure Arts pattern...HOWEVER, she has a Hookalicious hand and it doesn't diminish the award in the least!

It is too darn cute, well made and well just sweet. It reminds me of the little dresses I used to buy for my daughter (yes, I crocheted but back then I was scared of garments).

NannDee, you are duly awarded with the Hookalicious Award for Beautiful Crochet!

Set My Picot Free with a Snood!

snoods 008
Originally uploaded by thelittlewriter

Ok, first of all I like snoods because of how that word sounds...say it with me: sn ooooooo dah...Roll it around, play with the sounds...Snood is a cool word (yes, yes I am odd...but then you know that already) She added a few beads and used Priscilla Hewitts pattern: Chignon Net. You can find the link by going to thelittlewriter's project page on Ravelry.

I think she did a lovely job. Snoods are a picot freeing event in and of themselves...

Thelittlewriter you are duly awayded the Set My Picot Free Award!

Hookalicious Beret!

beret2web
Originally uploaded by marybethtemple

CLF Member, MBTemple (Mary Beth Temple) designed this fabulous beret! Check out her projects page on Ravelry for more details! This is just too sweet, and I love all the pics of it...hard to chose which to blog!

MBTemple, you are duly awarded the hookalicious award for a stunningly pretty beret... (I love berets!)

Picot Freeing Parasol

parasolnik02
Originally uploaded by kroowka8

Ok, I have awarded Krooka (clf member extraordinaire) recently and in general i try to space out repeating awards...but due to members claiming this set their picot free I will instead just blog this...

WOW...this is a gorgeous parasol. Check out Krooka's Ravelry project page, or just click back on the link to see her photo stream on flickr. This is one talented woman....

Krooka you totally rock the hook!

Prudence Mapstone at Seattle Yarn Gallery

(CLF Members Smurf, PrudenceM, and Camanomade (aka, Alison, Prudence, Laurie)

Ok gang! I got to meet THE Prudence Mapstone today...sigh...she is not only brilliantly talented, but also very kind and sweet! It was indeed a pleasure to meet this vibrant, innovative, and creative person!

(Left to Right: Virginia, beautiful vest, Prudence)

On top of it all I got to meet Virginia, owner of Seattle Yarn Gallery, and let me tell you they go STRAIGHT to our Crochet Friendly LYS list! Great shop, good selection of everything. Virginia is a wonderful lady, gracious, informed, and a jewel! Her daughter (who's name I didn't get) is quite a talented needle worker, and as accepting of all that is fibery goodness too! located in West Seattle on California street, good parking and not hard to find! Check out their website HERE.

(Alison/Smurf and baby Smurf both sweet as can be!)

BEYOND on top of it all I got to meet our dear member, Smurf (aka Alison in real life) and her new wee baby who was such a dear through the whole workshop! He slept like a little lamb, and is cute as a bug! So awesome to meet her face to face, especially since she'll be heading back to Oz in the late fall/early winter!

I also got to meet Kathleen (who's card is in my jeans at home, and I'm borrowing bandwidth at a friend's house...long story don't get me started!) who organized the cruise that is taking Prudence and some very lucky folks up to Alaska! So glad they got to deport from Seattle! Kathleen is a lovely lady, so glad to get to meet her!

And LaCheryl, last but certainly not least her, I got to meet her in Oakland last fall, and boy were we surprised to run into each other at the workshop! LOL...She's one of the lucky one's heading up to Alaska with Prudence! All in all it was a great day and very cool to represent to CLF and enjoy such grand compnay! (And find another yarn store!)

Hookalicious Shawl!

DSCF3068
Originally uploaded by dozia

CLF member tatia made this gorgeous shawl...I love the motifs, it looks beautiful and comfy, which is a totally hookalicious combination!

Congratulations Tatia you are duly awarded the Hookalicious award for outstanding crocheted pretty!

Franz is completely Kitschalicious!

cute_ninja
Originally uploaded by bassethound04

OK this little fella is toooo cute! Mr. Franz the Ninja was made by CLF member bassethound04 using the pattern Cute Nija by Julia Stitches. Very very very cute indeed!

Bassethound04 you are duly awarded the Kischalicious award!

Renaissance Roses Sets our Picot Free

Renaissance Roses
Originally uploaded by blond violinist

CLF Member Violinknitter, used a Helmut Hass pattern to make this beautiful fillet blanket! Gorgeous and well made!

Violinknitter you are duly awarded the Set My Picot Free award for outstanding crocheted coolness!

CLF Representing at Seattle Yarns

Get ready for a report of my visit to Seattle Yarns, July 5th! I get to meet Prudence Mapstone, I'm truly all a quiver! The Queen of Scrumbles...she is truly Scrumblicious, I can't wait to be in her presence! Maybe just being in her aura will rub off and I'll have a billion more ways to be inspired in my crochet. I'm always up for more crochet...

Taking my camera, wearing the CLF t-shirt (I found a supplier of good t-shirts that's well printed, AND well priced! HOT DOG!) sporting keychains and buttons, I'll be CLF geeked out!

Prudence has spent years setting our picot free and like I said, I'm a quiver to meet her!