Crocheting with Beads Class Giveaway!

I have been spending more and more time TEACHING lately!  It's very exciting to see students inspired to crochet, try out new skills and create handmade projects.

Locally, I teach at Silk Road Textiles.  It's a terrific, large, bright fabric and yarn store with classes on all things sewn and stitched. They also carry my books and have many of my book samples on display.

June 13-15, I'll be teaching in Sharonville, Ohio (North of Cincinnati) at the Original Creative Festival.  I'm scheduled to teach Introduction to Bruges Lace Crochet and Introduction to Tunisian Crochet. For more information, check out their website. 

You may know that I teach on many of the new episodes of Knit & Crochet Now! Found on PBS create and past seasons (before me) are available on DVD.

Also, if you can't travel to Cincinnati, or get Knit and Crochet Now, or you can get all of that and still want more... you can see me at Annies Catalog/ Online Classes Most of you already crochet, but if you want to see the basics or get the FIVE patterns included in the class, you can with the class "Learn to Crochet"! 

Or, if you are ready to go beyond the basics and learn 5 beading techniques shown on several projects, you can get the class "Crocheting with Beads".  You can also see Tunisian classes at Annie's by Kim Guzman and Thread crochet classes by Susan Lowman.

I'm allowed to give away a FREE "Crocheting With Beads" class!  YOU can enter to win.  A bit about how these classes work.... You create a free account with Annie's. Likely you already have one. Then when you buy the class (or maybe get it free!) when you log into your account, there is a tab that says, "My classes" and that is where your class will be.  It's there, waiting for you any time you want to watch it. You can watch it over and over. You can pause or just watch sections. You can watch it 5 minutes at a time or watch it straight through.  There are written pdf project materials available for you to download and print if you wish. You can even ask questions.

More than just crochet, Annie's has classes on knit, papercrafting, quilting, sewing, and beading & jewelry.

To enter to WIN your free "Crocheting with Beads" Class, please leave a comment on THIS post by midnight, Friday, April 19, 2013.  I'll randomly choose a winner from entries and announce the winner on Friday, April 19.  The winner will need to email me with your email so I can get you hooked up (get it?) with your free class. The winner must email me by Friday April 26th, 2013.

PLEASE in your comment, give your first name, last initial, and some kind of identifying location, city, town, etc.  PLEASE comment with your favorite way to learn, what you'd like me to teach you, what event you'd like me to attend, or anything about learning crochet. :)

The loss of a crafty friend

We lost our dear friend and next door neighbor, Dottie on Wednesday morning. Above is a photo of her from when I taught her to crochet in 2008. We met in 2006 when we moved to this house. We moved in September and by December she had invited us to her and her husband's home for their annual Christmas party. It had been a neighbor tradition for some 30 years.

Dottie had a fabulous craft/sewing room with an awesome view of the River. She was a great quilter and gave Chickee sewing lessons. She helped Chickee make the above quilt and the little purse below. Dottie made a quilted purse that I keep out all the time full of crochet hooks and notions. Oh, Chickee doesn't want me to show them, she wants to make her own post for Dottie on her blog, which is at www.Chickeechats.blogspot.com

I have posted about Chickee's sewing projects in previous posts, you'll find them under the label "teaching crochet"

Here's the previous post of 2008 when I taught Dottie and other neighbors to crochet. here

Dottie was a wife, mother, Christian. She was also a senior champion trick water skier. :) She and her husband, Ron, went to the Costa Rica rain forest in the 2008 to go zip-cording through the jungle. She was an inspiration in many ways.

Chickee's sewing projects

Chickee has had the benefit of our delightful next door neighbor who has an awesome sewing room with a terrific view and great skills. Dottie has given Chickee just 2 sewing lessons and has dubbed Chickee a "natural". I'm so impressed with her little quilt! It has a backing, and batting inside, it has some basic quilting on the surface it has the nice edging thing (is it called binding?). Wait until I show you what she made in her 2nd lesson. (I think I need to take some lessons....). Chickee said she wants a sewing machine of her own! I know she can't reach the pedal and Dottie had to teach her using a push-button on/off mechanism on one of her machines.

I'm getting excited about the CAL. I'm thinking of questions to ask you to help guide the design (to some degree). I will do quick 1-2 day polls on different directions a "purse" could go, so you'll need to read everyday if you want to offer input. That is, if the purse option wins. There is still a couple days left to vote!

Crochet and Chat, meeting 2

Meeting 2 of the Crochet and Chat at the library was this week! We taught two more people how to crochet, and helped this lovely lady who already knew! Susan M came and visited with us. Hi Susan M! She is making a beautiful afghan out of Malabrigo wools.

Here is LibrarianAnna (on Ravelry) who is our librarian and co-teacher and sign interpreter extraordinaire. Anna here is showing Susan K about making a flat circle. Sorry to catch you with your mouth open, Anna.We also had two new friends join us, Julie and Rachel, who both learned very, very quickly! This meeting, I was very glad that I taught myself how to crochet left-handed! Boy was it hard switching back and forth, back and forth between hands to give everyone the best view, but I'm so glad you all were patient with me. I think it worked pretty well.

Teaching Crochet, part 1

Whew! We taught 5 women how to crochet last night. Thank God! (really!) for LibrianaAnna, who knows competent sign language, because I am language challenged! We had one student who uses sign language and without Anna, I would have been in a pickle. Still, it was a good class. I think everyone had mastered sc by the end and learned some important concepts that will carry with them through their crochet addiction. I brought my camera, but then I was too busy to take photos! The students marveled at all the unusual fibers I brought to show.

Here is a photo of Captain, playing play-doh with our Niece. Too cute.

What's new?

We have been super busy, and our schedule is almost, almost, calming down. Tomorrow I start the "Crochet and Chat" series at the local library. Me, and librarianAnna (on Ravelry) will be at the library for the 2nd Tuesday of each month for Sept, Oct, Nov & Dec. I am excited. I am preparing for a variety of crochet friends to show up. Maybe some brand new beginners, maybe some intermediate crocheters, maybe some lefties. I am now confident with my left-handed crochet, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to teach any lefties without the usual frustration and awkwardness. Last night I worked to make some "starter" kits so that each student will have INSTANT success! I also finished a funky hat that I may teach. I made it in 4 different colors so that the students can see which area of the hat corresponds with each lesson. Secretly, I'm hoping that there will be a HUGE variety of people with different skill levels there so that some people can be working on their own projects and socializing while some are learning and uh, getting addicted. I'm also bringing a bag of great yarn to tease them with! I'll keep you posted. Any tips out there from you veteran crochet teachers?

Chief with cat

I'm out today, super busy, I'll be back Monday! Anyone in Southwest Ohio area, Tuesday starts my teaching gig/gathering at the Miami Township library. E-mail me for more info at
Ellen at GoCrochet.com

Chickee and Charlie and a Cool Thing

Chickee is very excited because Charles the King has begun to grace her with his company more and more lately!

So the kids yesterday begged me to take them to the library. We usually go to the "Big" library on Thursdays, but they convinced me to take them to the "little" (closer) library yesterday instead. So, I had trouble finding a parking space and we finally get there and I am thrilled to see a display of knit and crochet books. The kids become thrilled when they find the assorted Barbie and Scooby Doo movies that they had been unable to find at the "Big" library. I'm thrilled because of the display. We go to check out and of course, I can't resist telling the librarian that I am happy to see the display. The usual 'oh do you knit/crochet' discussion ensues. She says, something like, "it would be great to do a crochet program here at the library". I reach to give her my card when another librarian approaches and she says, "I read your blog, I'm Anna from Ravelry" I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, and then , get this, she says, "I made your Sunny Spread" and I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT!!! How cool is that? So, HI ANNA!!!!! you made my day. It only could have been better had she whipped the blanket out from under the counter and said "And here it is!". But actually, I have seen it on Ravelry.

Too cool.

Crocheting on the Cliff

Another crochet get-together on the cliff! A few of my neighbors and I have been getting together once a month for a little cheese and crackers, a little crafting, a little show and tell! It's been so much fun! Kay (in the near white) already knows how to crochet and is making my Sunny Spread from Crochet Today Remember how I told you the day I met her she brought in that pattern saying it was the reason she bought the issue, and she had no idea that I lived in the area, designed the pattern and that we would meet mere days later? How cool is that?

On the couch is Dottie and Mo, both of whom are excellent sewers and crafters. I am teaching both of them to crochet (yay!). Dottie is also the senior trick water-skier of the United States at 70+. She is way cool. Mo is in accounting and uses her free time to volunteer with her Church. You all are so much fun!

Lynn's second lesson

Between lessons, Lynn went out and bought herself a set of hooks! I can't believe she didn't buy any yarn! But, she called me for a second lesson, so we got together. This lesson she learned how to make a slip knot, how to sc into chs and how to change colors. Her tension is much improved and she is feeling much more relaxed. I'm thrilled for her because she is excited about learning something new. Her son, (Chief's age) is so interested in crochet and watches are lessons with interest! I am going to keep him interested a few more lessons then either encourage Lynn to teach him or offer to teach him myself.

Lynn's next lesson I plan on teaching her hdc, dc and maybe some pattern reading tips. I am careful when I teach her, that I use the exact words and phrasing that she will read when it comes time to read a pattern. Hopefully when she reads instructions they will be familiar to her because we have been using proper terminology all along.

Teaching Neighbors

A few neighbors have wanted to learn how to crochet. When my neighbor, two doors down, had foot surgery, and was stuck in the house, it seemed like the perfect time to gather for a little lesson and company! I was thrilled how fast the three newbies picked it up! We also hada fourth neighbor, who already knew how to crochet but came for the fun! I teased the ladies that they could pick any nicknames they wanted for the blog, like I do for Chickee and Chief... but they declined. We're thinking about making this little get-together a monthly thing! Wouldn't that be fun! Oh, I hope it works out.

Here's one of the highlights... the new neighbor who already crochets, I'll call her "K", I met her at this get toghether, and she walks in with... The January issue of Crochet Today....another lady asks, "Ellen, do you have a design in this one?" and I said, "as a matter of fact, I do!" So K says, "which one?" and I show her Sunny Spread, and she says, "That's why I bought this issue!" I was floored! What an honor and a thrill! I don't know if I will ever get used to people liking my stuff! I think I read Robyn of Crochet by Faye saying something similar recently (to paraphrase) "somebody other than my Mom likes my stuff!" LOL!

I did it!

I taught my friend Lynn how to crochet. How much crochet do you need to know in order to say, "I know how to crochet" ? Well, Lynn picked it up pretty quickly (I think). I've only taught a few people how to crochet, most of them, kids. By the end of our lesson, Lynn was sc and turning and going back and forth and talking at the same time! I had taught her how to rip out stitches when you make a mistake and how to turn, how to ch and sc, and the anatomy of a stitch to help her know where to insert the hook and how she knows when she is "done" with a stitch and a row. So I'm very pleased! Like I said in an earlier post, I gave her a "starter" that was about 4 rows of 15 sc, and let her start from there. I'll have to teach her slip knot, chs, and working into the chains next. She was so excited she made me make her a list of what to buy at the craft store so she could keep going. Of course, I let her keep the starter ball, and because she's a good friend, I let her borrow a good hook (not a disposable hook!) Very, very cool.