Come join us!

Hey All!
Welcome to the last week of NatCroMo! Here at crochet.org, we're all about crochet every day, every week, every month of the year.

And, for four days each year, we are totally about crochet. These are the days we leave everything behind except our hooks and yarn, and we head to a place to be with crocheters 24/7 for four solid days. It's even more fun than it sounds. It's the annual Knit and Crochet Show aka Chain Link, being held this year in beautiful Manchester, New Hampshire from July 23-27.

I've been to lots of different sorts of conferences in my various careers, and often you look around and say, "This is all very well and good, but I wouldn't want to spend my life with these people." Chain Link? Not like that at all. You want to spend every day forever with these people. Everyone at the conference is there to crochet, learn about crochet, talk about crochet, wear crochet. These are your people. It's the friendliest conference ever. That pattern you just made? You'll likely meet the designer at Chain Link. And you'll meet other people who made that design, each putting their own mark on it. And you'll all have a grand time talking about your adaptations.

Pictures, or it didn't happen, you say? Here you go:

From the left: Susan Lowman, secretary of CGOA and head of the Masters Program; Amy Shelton, past president of CGOA and mayor of Crochetville aka the hostess with the mostest on this NatCroMo tour; yours truly, Marcy Smith, editor of Interweave Crochet magazine and happily president of CGOA for 2014; and Doris Chan, designer of the dress we are all wearing (Rockin Red Dress), with Doris wearing her own variant of this design.

More fun than you can shake a stick at here. Oh, and those bags on the right? Full of goodies that get handed out willy-nilly at Fun Night. (Really? Every night is Fun Night)

And if you crochet up all the yarn you packed? Not to worry -- there's a marketplace where you can score more yarn and hooks.

If you've been to Chain Link, you know -- and I'll see you in Manchester in July! If you haven't been yet, registration opens tomorrow. Come join us. You'll be glad you did. (Check out the classes and events, and sign up for your faves. If you have a design you'd like to enter in the design contest, do that. And if you have a project you'd like to show off in the fashion show, get your form in. First-time show attendees should be sure to sign up for the Buddy Program, too!) On Wednesday, July 23, we'll be yarnbombing Manchester! Check the site to find out where to send your swatches by June 1.

There are more blogs to come on the NatCroMo tour! And, there's still time, always time, to donate hats to Halos of Hope, the focal charity for the tour.

Happy crocheting and all the best,
Marcy Smith