WOW! Ok, I owe Tina Barseghian a HUGE thank you for taking the incoherent ramblings of a mad woman and writing a very very smooth article!
Yes, today I managed to track down TWO copies of the magazine at a Barnes and Noble and hour south of me (it's the closest one to me), and I have another two ordered. Yeah, I'm a nerd, I get excited to see my picture in a magazine. Yup, I do.
Yes, I have forced people to read the article in front of me, while I stand their grinning like the proverbial cat with feathers AND cream dribbling out of my mouth. Yes, I looked at my husband and said, "Not bad for a joke!"
And yes, I did giggle for almost half an hour after reading it.
Who knew a joke could be this funny for so long!
Our beloved Dora Ohrenstein of Crochet Insider fame is quoted, as is Jennifer Reeve of www.craftkitten.com, thank you guys!
In honor of this moment, I have made a new reference page on our website: Video Links.
http://www.crochetliberationfront.com/Videos.html
They aren't all how tos, some are just cool crochet. Though I think my favorite how to is the How to crochet a hackey sack, the young man doing the video is so cute (though he's of an age where that would cause eye rolling.)
There will be more on the list, but so much crochet goodness out there, just need to get it in one spot!
Happy Hooking to all!
ABOUT THE CLF
- Fearless Leader of the CLF
- Everywhere, No where
- I started the CLF as a joke on Ravelry, back in July of 2007. The joke was on me, we're a real group, that seeks to liberate ourselves from stereo types about our craft and ourselves. Other than being called "Fearless Leader", I'm a designer, mother, editor, wife, hand spinner, yarn addict, incessant reader, and over all geek in the coolest of geeky ways.
Beware Defamers of the Hook!
Like Joan of Arc, and the Scarlet Pimpernel we are here to seek Justice!
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Showing posts with label Crochet Today Magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crochet Today Magazine. Show all posts
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Hunt for Crochet Today...
Ok, the world conspires against me.
It appears the distributor of many magazines in this region (NW Washington) has gone under. Magazine racks in three counties are bare, of much except muscle building magazines. (ew?)
So, I'm heading down to Lynwood and the Alderwood Mall B&N to see if I can find the damn magazine. If I can't get it there, I will drive to Belleview and the Crossroads Mall. I want you people to understand I will have driven an accumulated 120 miles to find the damn magazine.
You know what, It's time to just subscribe to them all. Cause I'm sick of this.
LOL...
I have hope though, I can't wait to read the article. I've been teased and I want my satisfaction.
It appears the distributor of many magazines in this region (NW Washington) has gone under. Magazine racks in three counties are bare, of much except muscle building magazines. (ew?)
So, I'm heading down to Lynwood and the Alderwood Mall B&N to see if I can find the damn magazine. If I can't get it there, I will drive to Belleview and the Crossroads Mall. I want you people to understand I will have driven an accumulated 120 miles to find the damn magazine.
You know what, It's time to just subscribe to them all. Cause I'm sick of this.
LOL...
I have hope though, I can't wait to read the article. I've been teased and I want my satisfaction.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Fearless Leader in Crochet Today!
Ok, I've said it was coming, I really did, but I didn't realize the July/August Issue of Crochet Today was out in June! Egads!
There is an article about yours truly, and the Crochet Liberation Front and I hear it's pretty good ;) It was a fun interview (which of course happened months ago), and now I need to hunt down me a copy! It's like trying to catch a rabbit in a brier patch in these parts, I may have to take a 40 minute drive to my nearest Fred Meyer's (store) to see if they have a copy.
It's always kinda funny when these articles happen, I know it's gonna happen, I did the dang interview over the phone, but until you see it in print, it's not really real. It feels weird when you see yourself or read your quotes, and you think, "Did I really say that?" sometimes I think I sound silly, and other times I wonder at how those words came from me!
It's kinda fun to see all of this happen, especially since it started out as a joke. We're obviously not a joke any more, but I like to pretend we are, because then I don't get all nervous like...cause really folks, I'm kinda shy ;)
Oh, and look at the bottom of the page. I put up our store on Zazzle.com, we have all kinds of CLF goodness. I'm working on coming up with more bumper sticker ideas. I kinda like the "Stash" one, it made me chuckle, and would work for those who enjoy crafting in general :) LOL
Remember every little bit adds up and helps this Fearless Leader keep working on CLF stuff!
There is an article about yours truly, and the Crochet Liberation Front and I hear it's pretty good ;) It was a fun interview (which of course happened months ago), and now I need to hunt down me a copy! It's like trying to catch a rabbit in a brier patch in these parts, I may have to take a 40 minute drive to my nearest Fred Meyer's (store) to see if they have a copy.
It's always kinda funny when these articles happen, I know it's gonna happen, I did the dang interview over the phone, but until you see it in print, it's not really real. It feels weird when you see yourself or read your quotes, and you think, "Did I really say that?" sometimes I think I sound silly, and other times I wonder at how those words came from me!
It's kinda fun to see all of this happen, especially since it started out as a joke. We're obviously not a joke any more, but I like to pretend we are, because then I don't get all nervous like...cause really folks, I'm kinda shy ;)
Oh, and look at the bottom of the page. I put up our store on Zazzle.com, we have all kinds of CLF goodness. I'm working on coming up with more bumper sticker ideas. I kinda like the "Stash" one, it made me chuckle, and would work for those who enjoy crafting in general :) LOL
Remember every little bit adds up and helps this Fearless Leader keep working on CLF stuff!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Crochet Magazines: A crictical eye...
We have a lot of discussions about crochet magazines in our on-line communties, and I thought to myself why not take a gander at the three that CLF members often choose to read. These three are in alphabetical order (not preference).
Crochet!
Crochet Today!
Interweave Crochet
Taking all three and really looking through them with an eye to the following I created this special Fearless Leader Report.
Art Direction (This is how pretty the pictures are, the color theory involved in the side bars etc)
Layout/Readbility (This is how the text is presented, how the photos line up, use of white space etc)
Use of charts/diagrams and how they fit into the layout scheme
Quality of patterns (are they cute/fashionable/usable/well written/easy to understeand).
Now I get nothing out of this, and I'm not going to slam anyone, I just want to make a few observations. Let's keep this possitive.
Let's work out of order on my list here for a second. Pattern Quality.
To be honest, all three of these magazines have good patterns. All of them share designers. I think what is the difference in presentation of the finished articles in the photos has a lot more to do with the yarn companies that commission designers than the designs themselves. Yarn companies (Especially Coats and Lion Brand) STOP giving away your UGLIEST dye lots to the designers for their crochet patterns. Color and fashion are matters of personal taste, but if I was someone who did not know how to substitute in a pattern, I'd almost never make anything out of these two companies yarns. They have LOTS of fab colorways, time to use them.
So, all three magazines have good patterns, so why do people say Interweave is better most often? (At least CLF members). I would say it's about the fashion items. I think IC has more fashionable wearables, in better color ranges making them visually appealing. I do not think the patterns are better written than in the other three magazines, I think they are all on par.
Art Direction:
To be honest I think Crochet Today! Probably has the best art direction and layout. I find it a very easy to read, well planned magazine. It's proprietory though, owned by Coats and Clark, and so it will always be limited to those yarns. Not that I think Coats has bad yarn, I buy my fair share, but it shall always be limited to that.
Interweave Crochet is next on my list for Art Direction, I think they have some of the very best photography though, and the magazine is always visually appealing. I think there could be more done with the white space, but in general I think IC is a beautiful magazine which aids it's popularity.
Crochet! Ok, this is where things need to change up. The patterns in this magazine are every bit as good as what you find in the two above. And I love how they often include quick and easy projects along with fashion items. BUT and a big but, they really need to work on their art direction. The color schemes often do not work with the photographs, and it is some of the worst photography I've seen. You do not use the same color background as a garment in this kind of work...and it happens over and over and over. The worst offense yet was a really cute sweater with ruffles, but the photo showed NONE of the ruffles. This is a big n0-no. Crochet! Needs to understand that MOST crocheters are very visual and rely as much on the photos as they do the written words.
Crochet! Also needs a cleaner layout, and better color useage in sidebars etc. Again the QUALITY of what is in the magazine is great, if you get past the art mistdirection. And you know most people don't have time to sit pouring over a magazine to see what I was looking for.
I think Crochet! has had some great articles on construction and crocheters, and Interweave does as well. I have a harder time finder Crochet Today! in my area, but when I do find it I enjoy reading it.
This is just my opinion, and we know that opinions are like noses, we all got 'em and they all smell :) But, frankly, I do buy all three magazines when I can find them, I think all three of them offer enough different to warrant their purchases. But with a little more detail Crochet! could vastly improve it's market share, and it's following.
See it wasn't too painful, and next time you get your Crochet! magazine take a closer look, because I think the patterns are lovely. (I just use other colors most of the time, especially for blankies!)
Crochet!
Crochet Today!
Interweave Crochet
Taking all three and really looking through them with an eye to the following I created this special Fearless Leader Report.
Art Direction (This is how pretty the pictures are, the color theory involved in the side bars etc)
Layout/Readbility (This is how the text is presented, how the photos line up, use of white space etc)
Use of charts/diagrams and how they fit into the layout scheme
Quality of patterns (are they cute/fashionable/usable/well written/easy to understeand).
Now I get nothing out of this, and I'm not going to slam anyone, I just want to make a few observations. Let's keep this possitive.
Let's work out of order on my list here for a second. Pattern Quality.
To be honest, all three of these magazines have good patterns. All of them share designers. I think what is the difference in presentation of the finished articles in the photos has a lot more to do with the yarn companies that commission designers than the designs themselves. Yarn companies (Especially Coats and Lion Brand) STOP giving away your UGLIEST dye lots to the designers for their crochet patterns. Color and fashion are matters of personal taste, but if I was someone who did not know how to substitute in a pattern, I'd almost never make anything out of these two companies yarns. They have LOTS of fab colorways, time to use them.
So, all three magazines have good patterns, so why do people say Interweave is better most often? (At least CLF members). I would say it's about the fashion items. I think IC has more fashionable wearables, in better color ranges making them visually appealing. I do not think the patterns are better written than in the other three magazines, I think they are all on par.
Art Direction:
To be honest I think Crochet Today! Probably has the best art direction and layout. I find it a very easy to read, well planned magazine. It's proprietory though, owned by Coats and Clark, and so it will always be limited to those yarns. Not that I think Coats has bad yarn, I buy my fair share, but it shall always be limited to that.
Interweave Crochet is next on my list for Art Direction, I think they have some of the very best photography though, and the magazine is always visually appealing. I think there could be more done with the white space, but in general I think IC is a beautiful magazine which aids it's popularity.
Crochet! Ok, this is where things need to change up. The patterns in this magazine are every bit as good as what you find in the two above. And I love how they often include quick and easy projects along with fashion items. BUT and a big but, they really need to work on their art direction. The color schemes often do not work with the photographs, and it is some of the worst photography I've seen. You do not use the same color background as a garment in this kind of work...and it happens over and over and over. The worst offense yet was a really cute sweater with ruffles, but the photo showed NONE of the ruffles. This is a big n0-no. Crochet! Needs to understand that MOST crocheters are very visual and rely as much on the photos as they do the written words.
Crochet! Also needs a cleaner layout, and better color useage in sidebars etc. Again the QUALITY of what is in the magazine is great, if you get past the art mistdirection. And you know most people don't have time to sit pouring over a magazine to see what I was looking for.
I think Crochet! has had some great articles on construction and crocheters, and Interweave does as well. I have a harder time finder Crochet Today! in my area, but when I do find it I enjoy reading it.
This is just my opinion, and we know that opinions are like noses, we all got 'em and they all smell :) But, frankly, I do buy all three magazines when I can find them, I think all three of them offer enough different to warrant their purchases. But with a little more detail Crochet! could vastly improve it's market share, and it's following.
See it wasn't too painful, and next time you get your Crochet! magazine take a closer look, because I think the patterns are lovely. (I just use other colors most of the time, especially for blankies!)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Flamies: Part DUH
That's what we're calling the Grand Finale of the Finale Process on Getting Loopy this coming Monday Night (March 30th, 9pm EDT/6pm PDT). For those not in the know, the first annual Crochet Awards (known as the Flamies) happened on March 16th 2009. The last eight winners/categories got lost in technoland.
Poor Mary-Beth found that her virtual switchboard had "poof" disappeared, along with the guests...We had odd thoughts that leprochauns had abducted our winners to get at the statuettes...but alas it was merely a technical glitch.
So tune in tomorrow night, Monday March 30th for the CONCLUSION of the Flamies on Getting Loopy with Mary Beth Temple! If you can't join us live, please download the archives...
For some reason she's willing to have me back on the air, and once again I promise to be good, and I'll talk louder...I'm terrible about that, I actually have a rather loud voice and so I tone it down not to blow out speakers and often over correct...sigh...
Anywho...More fun news about the CLF!
We are in the very first issue of the New UK magazine called Inside Crochet! I look forward to seeing what they have to say about us there! (link to come...I'm on dial up at the moment, so it's torturous...Tuesday I'll reblog with all the juicy links)...
The CLF First Ever Book is being reviewed in the May-June '09 issue of Quick and Easy Crochet magazine! That was so exciting I couldn't sleep after I found out!
And...I and several other CLF members have been interviewed by Crochet Today Magazine about the CLF and our wacky ways...That should be out in the July/August '09 issue in time for our Second Anniversary!!!!
Now just in case you think my head's getting too big...think again. I would like to remind you I am the mother of teens...My ego gets dented back into shape on a daily basis ;)
Poor Mary-Beth found that her virtual switchboard had "poof" disappeared, along with the guests...We had odd thoughts that leprochauns had abducted our winners to get at the statuettes...but alas it was merely a technical glitch.
So tune in tomorrow night, Monday March 30th for the CONCLUSION of the Flamies on Getting Loopy with Mary Beth Temple! If you can't join us live, please download the archives...
For some reason she's willing to have me back on the air, and once again I promise to be good, and I'll talk louder...I'm terrible about that, I actually have a rather loud voice and so I tone it down not to blow out speakers and often over correct...sigh...
Anywho...More fun news about the CLF!
We are in the very first issue of the New UK magazine called Inside Crochet! I look forward to seeing what they have to say about us there! (link to come...I'm on dial up at the moment, so it's torturous...Tuesday I'll reblog with all the juicy links)...
The CLF First Ever Book is being reviewed in the May-June '09 issue of Quick and Easy Crochet magazine! That was so exciting I couldn't sleep after I found out!
And...I and several other CLF members have been interviewed by Crochet Today Magazine about the CLF and our wacky ways...That should be out in the July/August '09 issue in time for our Second Anniversary!!!!
Now just in case you think my head's getting too big...think again. I would like to remind you I am the mother of teens...My ego gets dented back into shape on a daily basis ;)
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