Teaching, book correction etc

Good Morning Everyone,

First I want to tell you about an error that a
reader found in my book Hooked Throws.  It is on
page 33, the instructions for the Delicate
Web Wrap.  In the very last sentence it says
"ending with 3 dc in same st as beg, join with
Sl st to form last corner, fasten off".  It should
be  "ending with 3 dc in same st as beg, ch 3,
join with a sl st".  I really appreciate readers
alerting me to any errors found.  Thankfully,
they have been few and far between.



One of my new students, who has only been
 crocheting for a very short time has just
completed a magnificent felted bag.  Carolyn
has given me permission to share her lovely
bag with you.



Carolyn arrived at class with a copy of my HOOKED
BAGS, asking for help making Pocket Bag of Posies
on page 19.  She decided that she wanted to try
felting.  When I explained that if she followed those
directions, using the yarn called for, felting would
not work.  So,  we chose a much heavier yarn and a
much larger hook than the original yarn called
for, we also added a few more stitches to allow
for the shrinkage that occurs while felting.  Carolyn
 chose Lopi Yarn, and she made her flowers and
leaves using instructions from FUN WITH FREE FORM
CROCHET.  I think that you will agree her bag is
FABULOUS!

PS; The bag was photographed in front of THE YARN
AND CRAFT BOX,  in Pawling, New york, where
I have been teaching for a long time.
Marie Stewart, owner, has always been very
supportive of knitters and crocheters
alike, and has always offered knit and crochet lessons.
http://www.yarnandcraftbox.com






HAVE A GREAT DAY!

MARGARET

Isabelt

Hi Everyone,

I know its not knitting or crochet, but it is fashion (and its my
blog so I can write about something I like  :-).  Besides its
fun to be able to give  two creative young women a "plug".

A few weeks ago a dear friend wrote to me and told me that
her daughter-in-law and her daughter-in-law's sister had
invented a fashion accessory which they had high hopes
of selling lots of.  They call it Isabelt.

I happened to be leaving for the New Hampshire conference
when I received the e-mail and almost forgot about it.  Due
to a "happening" at the conference it was brought to my
mind and I told a few of my fellow free formers about isabelt.
They teased me unmercifully all weekend (you know who you
are), oh they had lots of fun with me. 

Any way, I guess I will have the last laugh, because
Suze Yalof Schwartz,
Glamour Magazine's  executive fashion editor, just
wrote about the isabelt and she LOVES it!
 For more information http://isabelt.com




Have a great  day!

Margaret

Excerpt from  Suze Yalof Schwartz blog.

Three fashion inventions I never knew I needed and now I can't live without

You might think this is crazy (I did when I first saw it)
but it's a clear strap that you wear as a belt when you're
wearing a long sweater or shirt over jeans. It keeps you
from getting that bulky lump (from a normal belt) and/or
from exposing your "coin slot". It really is the best way
to salvage your low rise pants. I absolutely love it.

Happily Hooked on Crochet August Meeting

Good Morning Everyone,

Things are beginning to quiet down a little
and I can breathe again.  Final book
projects done, two designs for magazines
 done, waiting for yarn for a new project to
arrive, so a few days to catch up.

Sunday was the August meeting of the Happily
Hooked on Crochet Guild, a chapter of CGOA. 
I have been a member for over 5 years now,
and have seen the group grow into something
really special.  We had two more new members
join us this month.  In addition to all the charity
projects that we do, its a fun, social group.
Members continually volunteer to teach each
other new skills, share hints and tricks and 
offer encouragement and support to each other.


One of our new members, shared her crocheted
fabric strip basket.  The picture does not do it
justice, it is beautiful.




Everyone busily crocheting and chatting.





This month we had a yarn exchange, everyone
brought in some yarn, we put it all on a table
then everyone chose some different yarn to
take home with them.



Here's Dee, crochetingwithdee.com
chatting with two new members.


Busy, busy


On an entirely different note, I will be teaching classes
at the Oakland, CA Knit/Crochet conference,
coming up in Sept.

Two of my classes, Finishing Your Crochet Like a Pro,
and Adding Crochet to Your Knitting, are in danger
of being canceled for lack of sign up. Quite some
time ago I asked what kind of classes students wanted
and changed my class schedule to meet the responses
that I received.  It is difficult to come up with, and then
develop new workshops, so I hope that in the next 2
weeks more students will sign up .
 I would hate to have to take them off my list of offered
classes.


Have a great day!

Margaret

LATEST BOOK FINISHED

Hi Everyone,

The last two weeks have been hectic to say in the
least.  I had deadlines looming for my latest book,
and "gremlins" invaded my life.  Every single thing
that could have gone wrong - DID!

Wednesday morning, I  sent in the final
materials needed to complete the book, worked
with the tech editor for a bit, now all that needs
doing is going over the last 7 sets of instructions.
The photo shoot is next week.  I am still not at
liberty to discuss the contents , but lets just
say its a departure for me.  Definitely a little
out of my comfort zone,  different than anything
 that I have done so far.

When I sent in the last of the materials, I thought "I
cannot do this anymore, I'm done, I have nothing
more in me".  I spent the next two days doing
nothing.  I read a little, I Looked through the new
25th anniversary issue of Vogue Knitting.  What a
 fabulous issue it is too.  I did some previously
neglected catching up with e-mails, errands, mundane
things, etc.  Two whole days, no needles or hooks in
my hands. 

Last night, I decided to look through the stack of fashion
magazines that I have been collecting, next thing I knew
I was dragging out old knitting magazines from the 70's.
Very soon, without my even realizing it, a germ of an idea
started cooking in my brain.  I started dragging out yarn
and needles and hooks, paper and pencil.  Before long
I had a bunch of swatches and sketches and a new idea
for yet another book.  This morning, Looking at the mess
that I had created last night, and the fun that I had doing it,
 I realized that there is no way I can stop
doing what I do.  I don't know if this new idea will lead
any where, but I do know that I will pursue it. 
Sometimes all it takes is a day or two to recharge the
batteries, and I am off and running again.

Have a great weekend.

Margaret

PLUS SIZE CROCHET

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE,

Yesterday I was doing a happy dance because
 I finally finished all the projects for my latest book.
This one is going to be all knitting projects.  Sometimes
people forget that I do both knitting and crochet.  I think
that this is mainly because my last 6 books have all been
crochet.  I do love to do both though, and sometimes
I combine both methods in my work.

 Today I would like to share a peek at the cover
of my book, PLUS SIZE CROCHET, which will be
 in the stores in the fall.  It is already on amazon.com
 taking pre orders.  The cover picture on amazon
 was an early photo, the one below is the latest
one that I have received. When I saw the almost
finished book I was really excited about it and
cannot wait till it is out.



NEW COVER





THIS IS THE FIRST VERSION OF THE COVER
AS SHOWN ON AMAZON, THEY ARE THE SAME
BOOK.



Have a great day,

Margaret

Catching up

Good Morning Everyone,

I'm doing a happy dance this morning, as I finally
finished the last project for my latest book.  I am
a little late with this last piece, as my deadline was
August 1st, but things just kept happening to delay it.

My friend and fellow fiber artist
Prudence Mapstone
knotjustknitting.com    
just returned to her home in
Australia after attending the NH conference,
teaching on a cruise to Bermuda, then flying
directly to another
show in Australia.  Prudence is a dynamo.
 While on the
cruise,  She did an evening talk in a shop in Bermuda.

Prudence spotted a copy of my book HOOKED HATS
in the shop so she took a picture for me.  Gaynelle,
holding the book, is owner of the shop along with her
daughter Wendi.  The shop is called Needles,etc and
is located on the Duke of Clarence St, St Georges, Bermuda. 

I was able to take a fairly decent photo of the new
CROCHET! magazine with my jacket on the cover.
My photo does not do it justice but the magazine is
filled with lots of great crochet projects.



Have a great weekend!

Margaret