Hello crocheters!

I'm Marcy Smith, former president and current board member of CGOA. My work this year focuses on helping to develop CGOA's education programs. It's pretty exciting and I can't wait to tell you how it all shakes out. My day job is editor of Interweave Crochet and crochet content strategist for FW Media. I get to work with crocheters Every Day, which is pretty swell.

If you missed the post by Tammy Hildebrand, Veep of CGOA (and a fine friend and fellow Tar Heel as well!), do check it out. Tammy gives a terrific tour of CGOA, crochet.org and all its benefits. I second everything she says about the special fibery goodness of CGOA, particularly the annual conference. See all the fun Tammy is having in those pictures? It’s even more fun in real time. Come join us. 

And a big shout-out to Crochetville for organizing our monthlong celebration. Because, you know, we all crochet every day, but it is a most excellent thing to devote every day of a whole month to celebrating crochet. It takes a good bit of time and effort to organize us all. So, thanks Amy and Donna!

Before I get started here, I want to ask you: Who is your favorite crocheter? Ruminate on that while I tell you what I've been up to.

Lately, my daughter and I have been crafting together. She is sixteen, going on seventeen, so it’s nothing short of remarkable that this is even going on. We have great fun (really!) taking a project from a quick idea to a finished product, both of us contributing suggestions and materials as we move forward. Here are some things I’ve learned as we’ve worked together.

Now is the time to make a thing. Don’t put it on a list. Don’t say you’ll do it on the weekend. Do it now, when the idea is fresh and new and ready for nurturing. Working with someone else can be especially nice, because one person may see a use for a thing that you hadn’t considered. Which brings me to …

Nothing is too precious to use. That ball of yarn you’ve been hoarding saving for just the right thing? Use it right now! The adorable notebook you’ve been afraid to make a mark in? Open it up and sketch your next project.  The special bead nestled in velvet? String it on thread and wear it.

Open yourself to inspiration from others. Pinterest is a terrific idea-generator.  Seeing how other people use yarns and beads and paper and whatnot is a fine way to whet your creative appetite. That said, remember …

You are the maker. Don’t worry about exactly duplicating that nifty necklace on Pinterest. Use it as a launching point to create your own great thing.

We are all makers, but we can get caught up in a list of Things to Crochet and forget to really enjoy crochet. Or maybe other work gets in the way of crochet.

So here’s the thing: When’s the last time you crocheted a thing for yourself? Not for a client, relative or friend in need. Can’t remember? Then the time is now. I’m going to give you a little recipe to jump-start your creativity AND make a gift for yourself.

This recipe, also, comes from my daughter. As a toddler, she put together the most amazing outfits, from her pink Mary Janes to her yellow-hat-with-the-pink-flower, with all manner of textures and colors in between. At the very end, she’d throw on a macaroni necklace that pulled the outfit together in a most excellent way. My latest obsession takes a page from her book of style by crocheting my own brand of “macaroni necklace.” Bead crochet necklaces!

The necklace is super-simple. I know you can crochet fabulous, complicated things. This isn’t one of those things. You’re going to make a beautiful object, using skills that are second nature to you, in a very short period of time. And you’re going to relax your mind so that it can dream up one of those fabulous, complicated things (but no pressure—really the goal is to relax your mind Right Now and crochet a present for yourself. Because you deserve it.)

Here’s the recipe: Go fetch crochet thread and beads. If you don’t have beads (and why not?), go get yourself a tube of them from the local craft store. (We’ll still be here when you get back.) Get beads that make you want to sing, because of their color or shapes or variety. While you’re there, get yourself one of those narrow, flexy needles with the big eye for stringing the beads.

If at all possible, tuck your beads & thread & needle & hook into a bag—throw a notebook in there, too—and go to a coffeeshop or bookstore. By yourself. If you can’t get away, tuck yourself into a nook with a cup of tea. 

One of my bead necklaces in progress.

String all the beads on the crochet thread—do not fret over the order of color or size; just thread them on as you pick them up. When they’re all strung, leave a 6” tail, make a slipknot, then *crochet a few chains, slide up a bead, crochet a few chains, slide up another bead, rep from *. Easy-peasy. There are a variety of ways to arrange the chain lengths and beads—follow your intuition. Pause occasionally to jot down any ideas that flow into your mind as you mesmerize yourself with the chaining and beading.  When you’re done, clip, leaving a 6” tail. Tie the tails together in an overhand knot. Put on the necklace. 

The necklace I wear all the darn time.

Wear your necklace as much as possible—it will go with everything!—to remind yourself that you are a creative being. A maker.

So, who is your favorite crocheter? If the answer is not YOU, it should be. Say that out loud: "I am my favorite crocheter!" Wow! Stunning, isn't it? Isn't it awesome that you CAN crochet? It is. Totally a Stuart Smalley moment. Wallow in it for a second or two.

Happy crocheting.

Happy National Crochet Month from CGOA Vice President, Tammy Hildebrand

If you are anything like me and I think most of you reading this are, EVERY day is a day to celebrate crochet, but there is just something fun and exciting about setting aside an entire month to celebrate in an even bigger way than usual. I certainly have enjoyed reading all of the blog posts from many of CGOA's professional members and the daily giveaways from Red Heart Yarns have been fantastic. We are so grateful to Crochetville for their never-ending support of the Crochet Guild and I would like to thank Amy and Donna for once again hosting this blog tour.

Crochet has always been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember. I learned to crochet and created my first project at the desk of my second grade teacher, Mrs. Crooks. My great grandmother had crocheted but she was gone by this time and no one else in my family (still to this day!) crocheted or knitted. So CGOA is even more special to me as our members are my fiber family!

I have had the honor to serve in a number of different ways including mentor coordinator, professional development chairperson and now as vice president, and with each new venture, I find myself learning more and benefiting by the experience. Isn't it so neat how you set out to serve others and in return you find yourself being blessed! So I encourage everyone to get involved! Look around our website and see where your talents might be best put to use.

We also encourage you to explore and take advantage of the many wonderful resources CGOA offers. There is the "Masters Program" , recognition as a professional in the industry as well as a mentoring program for aspiring professionals, design competition, local chapters, national and retailer discounts and so much more! And don't forget the high light which is our annual conference when we all come together and take over a conference center for what is always too short of a time! This Summer the Knit and Crochet Show will be in San Diego, CA! You want to do everything possible to be able to attend! Not only is it a fantastic opportunity to learn and network, but we sure have some fun! I hope to see many of you there!

Tammy Hildebrand
CGOA Vice President
https://www.facebook.com/HotLavaCrochet
https://www.facebook.com/Healthybeginswithyou

CGOA twenty years strong!

Mary Colucci

Board of Directors, CGOA

Executive Director, Craft Yarn Council

Wow, it’s been 20 years since CGOA was formed. I remember meeting CGOA Founder Gwen Blakely Kinsler back in the mid-1990s when she was organizing the first Chain Link conference. It’s amazing to see how CGOA has grown from that small group of enthusiasts to a national network of crochet fans.

CGOA is credited with raising awareness of crochet in the industry. Before CGOA, the yarn industry tended to be more knit-centric. As CGOA provided crocheters with a more unified voice, yarn manufacturers and publishers took notice. They began to realize the diversity of crocheters and the need for finer yarns, a more extensive selection of crochet patterns and they responded with exciting new yarns and an array of magazines specifically devoted to crochet.  

The organization also reached out to crocheters nationwide to create local chapters. Today, at guild chapters around the country, crocheters regularly gather to enjoy the camaraderie of their shared passion.

CGOA’s national conference also has evolved. Its educational programs now provide members with the opportunity to take classes from nationally and internationally known crochet experts. Most importantly, the conference continues to serve as a community meeting place for crocheters from around the country to meet, greet, and share.

Of course, CGOA has done much more, including developing its acclaimed Masters Program. It’s this program that provides members with the opportunity to build their expertise with guidance from crochet experts.

From a personal perspective, CGOA and TKGA national and its chapters have always been tremendous supporters of Craft Yarn Council’s education initiatives. When the Council organized Knit Out & Crochet Events, it was guild members who committed to staff the Learn to Crochet and Knit tables at these venues. They literally taught thousands of novices how to crochet and knit. We couldn’t have done it without them and hopefully in the process many of these newbies went on to join that local guild.

Guild members have also been generous supporters of Halos for Hope, the wonderful charity that is being supported by the Crochetville blog tour,  Warm Up America! and other industry charities, along with some of the Council’s more fun events like I Love Yarn Day, which is the celebrated on the second Friday of October. A number of guild chapters planned special events on that day to teach crochet to others and once again helped to raise awareness of the craft.

CGOA and its chapters have created an amazing community, which should be celebrated in March and year round! 

Celebrating National Crochet Month 2014

Welcome to the next stop on the Crochetville blog tour in celebration of National Crochet Month. We'd like to thank Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka for putting this event together again this year. I hope you are enjoying all of the stops and you can find the complete list here in case you missed any of them.

Please join us in supporting Halos of Hope as we collect handmade hats for cancer patients. You can find all of the details here including where to ship your hats and many hat patterns you can use.

For those of you who don't know me, I am Tammy Hildebrand and I currently serve as the Vice President of CGOA. It is an exciting time as our board of directors are working on many new ideas to bring as much value to your membership as possible.

If you haven't visited our Facebook page yet, please stop by. This is where we post our announcements making it the perfect place for you to hear our latest news. We wouldn't want you to miss out on anything!

In celebration of National Crochet Month as well as the fact that our Facebook page is approaching 30,000 fans, we would like to offer you the opportunity to win a prize! We value each and every one of you and hope you will consider joining CGOA if you are not already a member. You can read the top 25 reasons to join on our website but there are just too many benefits to list them all.

To enter for your chance to win a copy of Rustic Modern Crochet, simply leave a comment on this blog telling us why you love the Crochet Guild of America! You can also earn another entry by "liking" our Facebook page if you aren't already a fan. Please share the crochet love by sharing our page and let others know about CGOA! We will also select 5 additional entries to win the pattern of their choice (up to $9.99) from Crochetvile! Good luck everyone! We will announce our winners next Monday, March 24.

Tammy Hildebrand

http://hotlavacrochet.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hot-Lava-Crochet/260649393965228

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Get Hooked!

Kudos to Amy and Donna for this cross-country crochet tour….it’s been amazing.

I’m lucky because I work in the yarn industry. I live crocheting and knitting 24/7. I sometimes point to my work and my natural aversion to “regular” group meetings as the reason I never joined my local guild sooner. Then I had an epiphany or you could say I got “hooked” (sorry, I couldn’t resist) when the Craft Yarn Council, my employer, organized the first Knit-Out & Crochet events in New York City in the late 1990s. I reached out to area guild presidents asking for volunteers to help us teach crochet basics. The response from the guilds was amazing and that’s when I first got to meet so many of the members of the New York City Crochet Guild. 

I confess the other reason I hesitated joining the guild was that while I love to crochet and knit and have since I taught myself as a kid I’m happy stitching moderately easy to easy intermediate projects. I don’t aspire to tackle complicated projects so I assumed I’d be laughed out of any guild because I wasn’t creating drop-dead gorgeous projects. Of course I was wrong. I came to realize everyone is at a different level, has a different interest and there are no crochet police lurking at the meetings! It didn’t matter what I crocheted so much as I shared a love of crochet and fiber, which I certainly did.  What is most appealing about the guild meetings is that they are just plain fun. There’s lots of cheering when members show off projects during Show and Tell…and lots of laughs that come with sharing.

Then my involvement with the Warm Up America Foundation brought me to CGOA national and I’m currently a Board member, another epiphany. Hopefully, many of you have heard about this national charity (www.WarmUpAmerica.org) where crocheters and knitters volunteer to create afghans for people in need.  I set up a booth to promote the charity at the Knit and Crochet Show, which hosts both CGOA and TKGA conferences. Of course, seeing the displays of new yarns at the marketplace was great but it was meeting the crocheters from around the country that made the trip so worthwhile. Then there were the classes, informal get- togethers and fashion show that rounded out an amazing weekend.

Ok, I confess I’m probably not going to tackle any expert projects any time soon, but I took away so many ideas from the show that I could incorporate into my own level of projects. Seeing first hand how other crocheters, as well as the industry’s top designers, are using all the interesting new fibers and colors with basic stitches, was inspiring. I’d urge every crochet enthusiast to try to get to a national conference---there are two a year and they rotate around the country—but if you can’t, check out your local guild or start your own. I promise, you’ll get hooked too!

Mary Colucci

CGOA News from our President

While I know many of you and you me, I know that most of you are probably wondering who this person who, for 2013, will be your president.  My name is Cari Clement and I live in Montpelier VT with my husband and two Maine Coon cats.

There's so much we're working on this year:  the new website, increasing membership value, linking up with more chapters, putting together this year's By the Board pattern book, increasing our presence - and contests - on Facebook, and so much more.  I also invite you to create your own page on crochet.org.  You can link to your own website, your Etsy site, your Pinterest board and lots more.  Hope to see your page up soon!

While you'll soon be able to "meet" all your board members from their upcoming profiles on crochet.org, I thought I'd give you a bit of my own background.  I learned to knit at the age of 8 from my mom, an avid knitter, but I'm a self-taught crocheter, having picked it up while in college, thanks to all the inspiring crochet of the 60's.  My degree (from UMass) is in Textiles, but from the Fashion and Marketing/business standpoint.  Yes, I'm probably more of an entrepreneur than anything, as I've only worked for other companies for maybe 3 or 4 years after graduating from college until I sold my last business, Bond America, and joined Caron International as their Creative Director back in 2003.  Late 2011 Caron was sold to Spinrite (Bernat, Patons) in Canada and I became the Editor of two new magazines:  Knit 1-2-3 and, of course, Crochet 1-2-3.  Some of my other experience includes owning a fabric/yarn store in the 70's, a freelance knit and crochet design business in the 80's and a yarn and knitting machine store in the 80's.  When I'm not crocheting or knitting, I love spending time with my daughter, her husband and their two kids, who live just down the street.  I'm also a gym rat every weekday morning, an avid beader (bead crochet, embroidery, kumihimo), gardener and traveler.  In 2003 I founded Rwanda Knits, a non-profit that has helped women in Rwanda earn a living through knitting (and crochet).  The 150+ women now have a knitting center and run a self-sustaining independent business.

My passion for crochet stems from the nature of the needleart itself: free - and fabulous.  While, yes, there are rules and there are patterns and there are charts, there's just one hook and one stitch - and with them you can go wherever you want.  It's the passion of crocheters and the talent of the amazing designers, most of them professional members of CGOA, who have really inspired me.  (I even learned to do Tunisian entrelac, finally master Doris Chan's foundation stitches and, at a conference, learned to do Darla Fanton's reversible bead crochet.)  The skill of the tech editors, without whom there would be no accurate patterns anywhere, is totally amazing.  And the teachers, both professional and the rest of us who teach whoever is willing to learn, who keep skills growing.  However, it's all of you, the CGOA family, who make all of us work as hard - and have as much fun - as we do.  And it's you who we need to hear from:  ideas, suggestions, criticisms, questions, expectations met and unmet - whatever's on your mind you'd like us all to hear - and act on.

As President, I hope to see the organization through some significant, positive changes this year which include a plan for bringing on many more members, increasing membership benefits to all members, building the crochet.org website, working to make conferences the best they can be, launching a scholarship program, supporting Susan and Jane while they make the Masters Program grow and develop, involving more CGOA chapters being spearheaded by Mary and Jack, helping contribute to Tammy's amazing social media projects, working with Marcy on making that website run like clockwork and working with Karen Knies, our Executive Director, to make CGOA the best it can be.  Yes, it takes time - but we have the will - and the skill - to make it a reality.

And a thanks to the duo at Crochetville for making this tour possible!

- Cari Clement

National Crochet Month and the CGOA Masters Program

First of all, I want to thank Amy Shelton at Crochetville for putting together this National Crochet Month Blog Tour: “A Tour through Crochet Country”! Please consider supporting Project Night Night, the charity we’ve chosen to support during March, 2013, for National Crochet Month. For more information about Project Night Night and this crochet blog tour, please visit the Crochetville blog post here: http://crochetville.com/a-tour-through-crochet-country-natcromo-blog-tour/.

I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Susan Lowman. I’ve been a professional member of CGOA (Crochet Guild of America) since 2003. In July, 2012, I was asked to join the CGOA Board of Directors as the secretary and Liaison to the Masters Committee. In October, 2012, I became one of the two Co-Chairs of the CGOA Masters Committee (the other Co-Chair is Jane Rimmer). I’ve also been a Masters portfolio reviewer since September, 2010.

I thoroughly enjoy being an active member of CGOA, which is comprised of members of all ages, skill levels and nationalities. We’re all very supportive of each other and help each other improve our crochet skills and knowledge. Corporate, professional and individual members mingle effortlessly at the annual CGOA Conferences and on the CGOA website. We support and encourage each other in our crochet endeavors, whether we’re professionals or hobbyists. We all love crochet and we speak the same crochet language!!! Joining CGOA is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. Many professional opportunities have opened up in my crochet career (and in many other crochet designers’ careers) because of being a CGOA member and attending the annual conferences. My crochet skills and knowledge have improved through CGOA, too. I can’t imagine not being part of such a fantastic organization with members who are dedicated to the advancement of crochet!

As Co-Chairs of the Masters Committee, Jane and I work to improve the Masters program, correct errors in the program, oversee the portfolio reviewers, train new portfolio reviewers and answer questions about the program. I am passionate about teaching and helping others improve their crochet skills and knowledge. I consider it an honor to be part of the CGOA Masters program and to carry on Jean Leinhauser’s vision for the program.

The Masters program is a way for CGOA members to assess their crochet skills and knowledge, as well as to show their mastery of crochet stitches and techniques. Once enrolled in the CGOA Masters program, each candidate receives the written instructions for the course, which is comprised of making 48 crochet swatches and answering 13 questions. The Masters candidate compiles all of their swatches and their answers to the questions into a portfolio. When they’re all done, they notify Offinger Management Co that their portfolio is ready to be reviewed (Note: Because of the huge response to the program, there is currently a waiting list for reviews). Once the candidate reaches the top of the waiting list, their portfolio is reviewed by 2 volunteer Masters portfolio reviewers and returned to the candidate with a detailed written review of the work in the portfolio. If the candidate passes the program, they receive a certificate of completion and a Masters pin, as well as recognition in the CGOA newsletter and at the CGOA Conference. If the candidate has too many errors in their portfolio to pass, they are given the option to correct the mistakes and resubmit the new swatches/answers for another review. Hundreds of CGOA members have enrolled in the Masters program, testing and increasing their crochet skills/knowledge through the Masters program.

CGOA has had several Masters programs in the past, which are no longer offered. In 2010, the late Jean Leinhauser created the current Masters program, “Master of Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques”. For more information and/or to enroll in the Masters program, please visit the CGOA website here: http://www.crochet.org/?page=MastersInfo.

When I’m not working on the CGOA Masters program, I’m busy blogging and designing crochet patterns for publication on my website at http://www.TheCrochetArchitect.com, as well as in crochet books and magazines. To see all of my published crochet patterns, please visit my Ravelry designer page here: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/susan-lowman. I also tech edit crochet patterns (to find the mistakes and correct them before the pattern is published) and teach crochet classes, as time allows. I’ve taught crochet (and shuttle tatting) classes at the CGOA Conferences in 2009, 2010 and 2012. I’m scheduled to teach 6 crochet classes at the upcoming CGOA Conference in Indianapolis this year in July. I’d love to meet you in one of my classes at the conference this year! You can see the full list of crochet (and knitting) classes offered at the conference here: http://www.knitandcrochetshow.com/. I’m not sure when registration begins, but if you’re a CGOA member, you’ll receive an e-mail when it’s time to register for the conference.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look inside the CGOA Masters program. If you’re not a member of CGOA, I hope you’ll check it out and seriously consider joining. And if you can’t attend a CGOA Conference, please look for a local CGOA Chapter to join so you can connect with other crocheters in your community! The CGOA website is http://www.crochet.org.

I’ll be blogging again on my website on March 26^th for my “designer” stop on the National Crochet Month Blog Tour. Please stop by and see what I’ll be giving away that day!

Happy crocheting,

Susan Lowman