Don't know if you can see it or not in this pic, but it snowed most of the day today. I didn't get another pic after the ground was white, but believe me, it snowed like crazy!

So, you can see below how I kept myself busy today (as well as yesterday). It was an excellent day to stay inside and crochet! I didn't go to church today, as I have been fighting a combination of my allergies and the tail end of a nasty cold. So, I decided to keep my germs to myself!

Dear friends, heirlooms and crochet

Today I went to lunch with a dear friend, Joyce. We go at least once a year to a Japanese restaurant in Springfield for sushi. Joyce and I have been friends for several years now. We once worked together, and she is now retired, but we still see each other and chat with each other. I have been fortunate in my life to have many folks in my life whom I consider dear friends, and Joyce is one of those. She and I share many things, including a love for all things handmade. Today she gifted me with these vintage pattern booklets, which once belonged to her mother. Joyce's mom was once a gifted knitter and crocheter, but can no longer enjoy these endeavors. I am very honored that Joyce would give them to me; she knows I will add them to my vintage pattern library (I am a sucker for the old-timey stuff and can't pass up vintage patterns when I find them in flea markets and antique shops!).

It seems needlecrafting is in my genes; I had a great-great aunt on Mom's side who once owned a shop where she sold items she and her sisters had sewn and crocheted. You would think some items might have come down to my Mom, but alas, none have. We only have the stories. For me, it's not so much about the stuff, but it's more about holding something in my hands that was made by the hands of my foremothers, women whom I will never know. What were they like? Who taught them how to crochet? What did their work look like? Since they sold their work in the shop (and I understand the shop was quite successful in the day), I can only assume their work was top-notch. Knowing how skilled my own Mother is with a hook and a string should confirm this, as she learned her craft at the knees of these women.

I love the "Father Knows Best" look on this one!

Most of the booklets are mid to late '40's to early 50's. One is dated 1946, another 1950, the others not dated, but in the same style. So even if I can't have anything heirloom from the distant generations in my family, I can cherish the heirloom patterns of one of my best friends mother. My grandson was the recipient of a gorgeous hairpin lace blanket that Joyce's Mom had made and I was delighted to find the pattern in one of these booklets. The heirlooms will start with my own Mom, who has made a beautiful doily, and quilted table-topper and a counted cross-stitch sampler for me. I told her this year I would love to have a crocheted throw. She said she had never thought about making me one, since I crochet so much myself; but I told her I wanted one that SHE made. So, she's swatching and playing with some design ideas, which is even better than using a pattern, since mine will be the only one in the world like it!

 

I hope ya'll cherish the little things that you have recieved from generations past, whether they are "things" or stories. I am thinking there is a lot of design inspiration in these; now where did I put my hook?

This year I propose not necessarily to make resolutions, but to continue with some of the things I already do, but just do them more often and with more frequency. Here are some photos I took this year to help illustrate what I mean....



...I will remain curious.

I will continue to use my creativity. 

I will appreciate the beauty that God creates....

I will have more fun. 

I will fish more often. 

I will rest more and enjoy a good backrub whenever I can.

I will enjoy God's bounty and take time to smell the flowers (and make tea from them, too!)

I will continue to meet interesting new people, make new friends, and keep the old ones close to my heart.

 

I will walk...A LOT more!

I will love more, pray more and let those I love know it!
May ya'lls New Year bring many blessings and I pray you will enjoy the Lord's favor! Until next blog, keep those hooks and needles flying and may your yarn never tangle!

Renee'

Don't forget to visit me at www.crochetrenee.com

Topic: not crochet...

Those of you who know me well know that not only am I a crochet designer, but I am a physical therapist as well. I work primarily in an outpatient orthopedic clinic, but occasionally have to work a weekend in the hospital. I don't share that here, typically, because we are bound by federal Hippa laws to protect the privacy of those we serve, so usually the easiest way to comply with this is not to share anything. But I have a story to tell that I think will touch someone and will disguise the person I am talking about so that their identity is safe.
I went to see a gentleman today to get him out of bed and walk him. I was rather well acquainted with him as well as his wife, as his wife had been a patient of mine in the clinic at one time or another over the last 5 or 6 years. As we began our walk, I inquired about his wife, and by the way he drew up short and looked at me, I knew I had said something wrong. "Oh, Renee', she passed away this summer." to which I replied, "I am so sorry...I did not know."
In my some 20 years of working in health care (dentistry, then PT), I have lost patients, which is to be expected. We all die eventually, right? It just took me by surprise and as we walked down the hall (tears running unashamedly down my face) , he shared with me how his wife had gotten ill and finally just couldn't fight anymore.
The thing about this couple is this; they were special people to me. They were open about being Christians and they both loved the Lord. You could see and feel the love they had for Him, for each other and for their fellow humans. As to the lady, who I will call Milly (not her real name, by the way) she was extra special. She had lost a leg as a young woman, but you would have never known, because she used her prosthesis so well you couldn't tell. She survived breast cancer and radical mastectomy....twice. In more recent years she developed multiple other health problems, yet every time I saw Milly, she had a smile on her face and I never heard her say a bad thing about anyone. She was genuinely loving and caring and never felt sorry for herself. I often thought of her in amazement that her faith was so strong that none of her circumstances seemed to get her down.
I often tell people that I have been called to this profession of caring for people because it keeps me from taking myself too seriously and prevents me from having my own pity parties. I see so many people who are challenged in life, that it reminds me that I have nothing to complain about. Oh, that more people could see some of what I see, that they could also realize how truly blessed they are!
I have no doubt that Milly is in heaven, whole and healthy, looking down on her family, waiting for the day they will join her. Nevertheless, I miss her, and will never forget her. You just never know what kind of impact you will make on others, but she definitely made one on me. I won't say good-bye, Milly; rather I will say, "See ya later"

Okay, so you've all heard me blathering on about my win in the CGOA design contest. This is a new photo of the dress hanging at the show...I still don't have a photo of the model wearing it yet. But it seems there is a wrong I need to make right. That's right...I have messed up! I was so excited about my win that I have slighted the model, Kimberly McAlindin, by misspelling her last name in my previous post. So, to make it up to her, I have created a new page on my website called "Industry Insider Interview". After further consideration, I am going to make this a new monthly feature on www.crochetrenee.com . So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!!!!

Grand Prize Winner CGOA Annual Design Contest!

So, I turned on my Computer Thursday evening to check my email. The first thing I saw was several posts had been put on Facebook, congratulating me. For what? Seems I won the Grand Prize in the Crochet Guild of America's annual design contest! I wasn't sure when the judging was taking place, so it took me by surprise, to say the least! Several folks have wanted to see pics, so I decided to blog about it and share.

Some people have asked how long I worked on my entry and did I design it specifically for the contest. I had actually entered the contest last year, but didn't win anything. Fortunately, Jean Lienhauser (who was last year's judge) agreed to give me a personal critique on my entry, which was very helpful. Before I left the conference, I had a good working concept of the next year's entry and actually bought all of the yarns for this dress before I left the market there.

The elements on the bodice were made from Berroco yarns, Seduce, Bonsai and Lumina and Prism Custom Dyed Yarns with a half-skein of Impressions in the Dune colorway, with a couple of other yarns thrown in for good measure (sorry, couldn't find the other yarn labels). The skirt is made of three skeins of Alpaca with a Twist's Fino, a 70% baby alpaca, 30% silk laceweight yarn. Yum!


I am told that Kimberly McClinden modeled my design when the winning entries were announced. It is my understanding that she WORE this dress! I also heard via Mary Beth Temple's podcast, Getting Loopy, that Mary Beth used double-sided tape to ensure that Kim would not have any embarrassing mishaps on the catwalk, if you know what I mean.

I hope everyone enjoys the pics. I would like to first thank the Good Lord for giving me the ability and the inspiration to create, my Mom for putting a hook in my hands all those years ago, and my husband for getting my entry in the mail in time to meet the deadline!!! Have a great weekend everyone and check out the links above for info on a couple of my designing associates, and of course, don't forget to visit me often at www.crochetrenee.com

So long, Austin!

Well, it's my last day in Austin, Texas. After the conference ended around noon today, I walked the six or so blocks to a place I had scoped out on Tuesday called, "Wiki Wiki Teriyaki", where I had a bowl of Udon for lunch. If you aren't sure what udon is, it's a broth full of soba (buckwheat) noodles, veggies, and in this case, grilled tofu. It was pretty yummy. After that, my next mission was to return to Hill Country Weavers, as I needed one more ball of yarn to complete a project I had started. As most of my yarn loving friends know, it is very important to match the dye lots so the color is consistent. After that I got some iced tea (it is pretty hot out, after all) and sat at a table outside all of these little vending trailers. The building just the other side of this Airstream is actually the yarn store.

More of the vending trailers. Seems the SoCo area of Austin is very busy on Saturday with outdoor artists, street musicians and vendors. As mentioned in my previous post, SoCo is a very "artsy" section of Austin, and might I add, very colorful, both literally as well as figuratively, and is a great people watching venue.

This is the night time view from my hotel room...the man-made lights are pretty, but they still can't hold a candle to the lights the good Lord has made!
I've had a great time in Austin. Too bad CGOA or TNNA don't have a convention here, because it would be an awesome venue, and I would most definitely attend! Any of my fiber-loving friends have any pull in this area? Think about it....

I am off to pack my bags to head back for Arkansas in the morning! Take care & God Bless!