International show is on line now

The International Freeform Crochet group's 2010 show is on line now, click on the link to see http://www.freeformcrochet.com/. The picture above shows my piece in the show. The colors are inspired by a print of a painting by my stepfather, Allan Nance. There's a photo of the print on my page at the show's website.

There are lots of interesting entries to see, lots of creative ideas in the show. I'm looking forward to being able to leaf through a book of all of the freeform pieces. Our group publishes a small book of each show as a fundraiser for an international charity (not sure which one it is this year), and we'll be able to order books in a couple of weeks from blurb.com. Myra Wood is the one who puts it all together, and she always does a beautiful job. I'm glad to have finally entered one of these challenges!

knitting ahead of season

Too bad it will be a while before I can wear this, it's the Pas d'Arbres scarf by Spirals on Ravelry. If you are a Raveler, you can buy her download for only $2.00. It's a simple design, easy to knit. The way it spirals naturally is lots of fun.
I used almost 3 hanks of Koigu purchased on vacation last year at Purl Soho.

(almost) finished freeform purse

The Cardinal purse is newly finished, all except for the strap. The one that came with the purse is a bit homely, but I haven't found a replacement. Until I do, it will just have a homely little strap! Must get to the craft store.......
BTW, there is still room in the freeform class at Cozy this Sunday. It will run from 5:00 - 8:00. Call 919-286-3400 to register by tomorrow!

Freeform Class to run this weekend

If any of my local knitting and crochet friends are interested in learning something about freeform knit and crochet, I'm teaching a workshop this Sunday the 16th from 5:00 - 8:00 at Cozy. It's such a fun and addictive technique! So far, I've used freeform mostly for bags and purses. The picture above is my current work in progress--using freeform crochet and knit to cover an old purse from Goodwill! When I use an existing purse for my base, I don't have to sew a lining or pockets, and it already has a handle. In this case, I will replace the handle because I don't like it, but normally it's not an issue.
In Sunday's workshop, we'll get some hand's-on experience with freeform techniques, and we'll talk about ways to use freeform pieces to create one of a kind projects. Please contact me if you have any questions, and please contact Cozy at 919-286-3400 if you're interested in signing up for the workshop. Join the fun!

sock adventures

I've started some new socks for John using Berroco Sox. The design formed by the yarn is really cool! I started a toe up sock, then couldn't decide about the heel. Last week I picked up Wendy Johnson's Toe Up Socks For Every Body and found the heel instructions I need. The manly aran sock uses the same number of stitches, even, so I can just jump into that pattern and do a gusseted heel flap on this sock. Excellent!