Captn's Log: Crochet Date; Thurs May 14

The morning came far too early for this night owl. Husband, transported daughter and I to the Mt. Vernon Train Station (Mt. Vernon, WA State), where daughter & I boarded the Amtrak to Portland.

It is about a 5 hour journey, so we brought our hooks and yarn to keep us company!

Please note the very cool skull cap I crocheted, most of it in Bernat Glow in the Dark yarn. It's a cool cap, which doubles as a night lite :) (Just kidding it doesn't glow that long, but it does glow brightly!)

We met some lovely ladies from Bellingham, WA along the way, most of them older than I, and most mystified by crocheting, or knitting, a few were quilters. We decided we could all live in the sisterhood/brotherhood of textile love.

We had a few stops along the way, first was Everett, then Seattle, then Tacoma and a few more. I missed a couple cause I was taking a well earned nap! Sara got a neat shot of the Seattle stop.

We arrived in Portland in good time, the rain having turned to beautiful blue skies. We met up for dinner with some very good friends. I won't say how long I've known by dear sister/friend and her hubby, but let's put it this way, it makes us feel old to say it! Then, I got back in time for the Market Show Preview! WOW some really great stuff folks! More on that later...but here's what I've gotten so far:

Several skeins of Newton's Country Yarn, one of them a lovely bamboo/brushed cotton, 950 yds! WHOOT. I also picked up a Laurel Hill Ebony hook, looks like an M to me, love it! The gentlemen from Laurel Hill are really neat folks, good to meet them and hear the story behind this really cool company!

After that we free formers started to "hook up", and I got to see dear Mel from Connetticut, Bonnie & Bill Pierce from Washington State, as well as Jacqui from Australia who I got to meet in 2007 in Oakland, she looks great! and a new addition to our little cadre of crochet madness, Sarah who works for Crown Mtn. Farms!

Tommorrow I have my first class in the afternoon with Jennifer Hansen looking forward to that, and this should just be fun! Ooooh and tomorrow night is the Free Formers official party. Hoping to hook up with more folks. I'm hear hanging around the hotel...I'll leave a note in the hospitality room so folks can find me ;)

Anyway, goodnight and sweet fiber dreams! Capt'n out! (Sorry, I'm exhausted and I was feeling all trek-ish :) )

This is my view from the hotel...wish you came now doncha!?

Off to the CGOA Regional in Portland, Oregon!

I'm excited!

Tomorrow morning my daughter and I head up to Mt. Vernon, WA. in order to take a train to Portland, Oregon. Our destination is the CGOA Regional event at the Doubletree Hotel in Portland, Oregon. It's also called the "Knit and Crochet Show" and well, I have protested the name in the past (what else who you have me do), but the name of the show has nothing to do with the Crochet Guild of America, the "show" is owned by Offinger Management. But, they've done better listing crochet in their literature, and class notes. So, I give them a crochet nod.

I am taking a class on broomstick (jiffy) lace from Jennifer Hansen of Stitchdiva Design Studio, and a class on advance free form with Myra Wood.

I am also looking forward to going to Voodoo Donoughts because even though I grew up in the Portland Area, I have never been there, and I don't know how on earth I ever missed such a place! I mean donoughts shaped like voodoo dolls? With red "blood" filling? I mean really! Me, who loves the first Shrek movie specifically because of the "Gingerbreadman" getting tortured? "No, NO! Not the MILK!"

I digress.

So, it's a good thing that as part of my last minute preparations for the trip, that I have double checked what I need for the class. Um...Yeah. Sure I had it memorized, NOT!

So, I don't think I have the correct sticks for Jennifer's class, nor do I have the kind of yarn Myra called for in her class. Sigh...I barely EVER work with worsted weight yarn, so now I have to go digging through my stash one more time.

Yes, I will blog from the event! Yes, I'm taking pics! Yes, I have cool stuff to wear! I even made special elven slippers for crocheted yarnie goodness to wear in the halls ;)

Crocheting Hats as fast as I can, PLUS More results...

Hey there!

Well, I've gone on a crochet hat binge. I decided I need a whole bunch of hats to wear in Portland. I can crochet up a basic hat in 45 mins, but these are taking up to three hours due to color changes. I've made a "Dutchboy", and now working on a Beret, I made daughter a glow in the dark Skullcap. That took all of an hour, because I actually took a break. Am I getting wiser with age? Or more easily distracted? Shshshsh don't answer that...

So, I've been keeping an eye on our Charts/Don't Care poll, new results:

99 For having charts included in patterns
26 don't care
1 really really hates charts

Hmmmm...Next question of those 99 how many buy Crochet World?

So, don't forget to look for your crazy "Fearless Leader" in Portland, I'll have my shadow and gorgeous 15 yr old daughter with me. She's in it for the yarn and an obligatory trip to Powells Bookstore ;)

I'll post pics of the hats soonish like ;)

Come on crocheters, get with it!

Ok, crocheters, hookers, babies, dears: Listen up.

We need more of a web presence. Don't leave it all up to your beloved folks on the blogosphere, and on twitter...Come out, come out where ever you are: Stand up loud and proud, be counted.

I mean really it's not that big a deal. Get a Twitter account, and tweet away about your pretty projects and fun things. I would love you to outnumber the weirdos selling weird things with not real photos of "models" (or porn stars, at least that is what they look like to me)... Join and then follow me, I'll follow you I promise and we can sing great crochet music online together! I'm Camanomade on Twitter as well as on Ravelry.com.

Don't forget to join us on Ravelry either!

Oh and one more thing, I want to see mega hookin' representin' in Portland! Let's show em a good time folks!

Some results...and FROGGIN'

Hey there minions and ring leaders!

Today I was checking out our "Charts/No Charts" thread on Ravelry, and so far we have 151 readers (so um...if you haven't checked in wanna do it), and so far here are the results:

77 are for
24 are in the against/don't care camp.
1 person feels strongly enough to disagree (which wasn't really an option, but we get your point. You don't like charts :) )

Now down to doughnuts...I have to FROG...

I don't mean a little frogging, but a lot of frogging. I have to take a part my "stupid" Fearless Leader Vest. The front panels aren't going with the back at all, the shaping is not working...and I'm just annoyed. I won't have it done for Portland, but I have a cute little bolero number that I finally finished to make up for it.

SIGH....The front panels will end up in a different sweater entirely. The back will be a SUPER FEARLESS LEADER CAPE! Cause dang it, it's too cool to just leave unfinished. But, I only have about two weeks until Sara and I hit the rails south to Portland. I may take it to work on, though it's pretty heavy.

I think I'll just leave it home. I mean when you have to carry your own luggage you start thinking about things like that.

Back to the bolero...ooooh it's cute :) I put brass bells on the bottom of the vest, so if you hear jingling in Portland it's me :)

CLF News and other things...

It's a beautiful sunny day as I write this post. I'll try not to make too many mistakes as I rush to finish blogging and head out side to enjoy the sunshine! In the Pacific NW you have to grab the sun when you get it!

I've been crocheting up a storm getting ready for the CGOA regional in Portland, Oregon (also known as The Knit and Crochet Show). Got my train tickets and the event packet showed up in the mail this week so WHOO HOO! Ready for PDX, as soon as I get that free form vest done. It's looking pretty spiffy, but the back is taking me forever to finish!

At the same time I'm working away at the "Crochet in Chains" book, slowly but surely, this book will manifest. I've figured out some layout issues that were bugging me, nothing technical, purely aesthetic, sleeping on the problem fixed it!

I've begun recieving submissions for our 3rd book, "400yds or Less" which will have some cute, fun and quick crochet projects. Keep those rolling in!

So, now I am off to Cama Beach State Park to see if our Interpretive Specialist, Tina Dinzel Pedersen needs my help at the information desk. It's a sunny day, and that makes folks want to play at the park. I like working at the information desk, even when it's slow, because I can sit and work on the book!

Before I leave my library sanctum, I want to remind you that the CLF First Ever Book is still available at Amazon.com or the e-book is available for $9.99 on lulu.com. Thank you again to all who have purchased the book(s). It was our first effort and an amazing one, I think we'll all be pleased with the next few books as we've figured out how to move ourselves forward.
That being said, I'm so proud of our first ever book! I hope you enjoy it!

International Crochet Day: September 12

ATTENTION ALL CROCHET ENTHUSIASTS!! Are you READY!?

Beloved master hook enabler and hooksmith Jimbo (of jimbosfrontporch.blogspot.com fame) decreed Sept. 12th of each year to be International Crochet Day!

How are you going to honor this illustrious day of crocheting goodness?

Here are some ideas Jimbo has offered on the CLF Message Board:

• Crochet in public
• Teach someone to crochet
• promote Internatinal Crochet day in your blog

Other members have said they shall parade the streets of where they live festooned in crocheted lovliness!

What is Fearless Leader doing for International Crochet Day?

HAH! I am in Portland from the Knit and Crochet Show (I know it should be Crochet and Knit show but you know....one day we shall over come such sad titles of events)...

Come by booth 514 at the Oregon Convention Center to liberate your hooks!! We'll crochet loud and proud (or quietly with elegant ease...either way works)...

Thank you to our dearest Jimbo, hook maker extraordinare!! In fact he is one Hookalicious Dude...and I now honor him with the Hookalicious Award for outstanding, bodacious, awesome hook enabling!! Congrats Jimbo!!

Da Book...

The Book will be released after the Fall Show in Portland...I have ordered the proof, but I'm not sure all of it is going to print as clear as I would like to see it print...so I'm redoing the book (formatting and sizing etc) to ensure that our wonderful CLF Minions are displayed as they deserve...

I am indeed a strange kind of perfectionist, especially when it comes to those I care for...and I really do love all of my wacky, creative, soulful, and inspiriting CLF Members...Really I do! So, we're re-formatting the book...(Yes, I do have it memorized by now :) ) and it will by perfect when it's printed!!!

In the meantime what will I have for show in Portland for the Knit and Crochet Show?

T-shirts and buttons and keychains and some samples from the book :) Postcards and well, the chance to meet myself and my family and I get to meet you! Head on Down to the Oregon Convention Center Sept 12-14 for a rockin' good time :)

Let's make some noise!