Welcome to the new series "Getting To Know You" on the blog. This is an opportunity for our members to share a little bit about themselves, and for us to learn more about each other and continue the family feel after leaving the annual conference. Although we may crochet by ourselves in our own homes, we are not alone in our love of crochet, and we have more in common than we realize. By sharing our experiences and knowledge, we will all learn something new about each other and the art of crochet! This month, enjoy getting to know...

Jennifer Williams - I like to go by Jenn

Location:  Crittenden - a small town in northern Kentucky.  I grew up here, lived in California for 30 years, and have returned to my roots for retirement.

How many years crocheting and/or how did you learn to crochet:

I've been crocheting, with varying intensities, for about 45 years.

My grandmother taught me to crochet, and my interest was rekindled in the 8th grade by a teacher who taught us after school.  My grandmother crocheted beautiful doilies, and I proudly display many of them in my home.  I also remember a hideous scarf that we worked on together.  It was about 8 feet long, maroon, with horizontal stripes of white, red, teal, and yellow.  

In school, I distinctly remember a few crochet projects.  One was a neon green acrylic bikini, and another was a very large (and heavy) purple cotton mouse pillow.

In college, I completed an Annie's afghan kit, which my parents use to this day.

Do you crochet with your left hand or right hand and how do you hold your hook: 

I crochet right-handed, with a knife hold.  I don't remember this being a choice, it's just what I've always done.

What is your favorite hook:

When working with worsted weight yarn, I prefer an H or I Boye hook.  I've become quite fond of the clay grips, and usually have a hook grip design from Day by Day Crochet in my hand.

What is your favorite yarn:

I suppose as our experience grows, our taste evolves.  Since I've begun creating garments, a dk weight is my favorite.  It has a nice drape.  I enjoy alpaca, and any interesting mixes - silk, bamboo, linen, hemp, etc.  My new home has a lot of heat and humidity, so open designs in lighter fibers are a new interest.

What is your favorite crochet stitch, and why:

The most intriguing stitch to me right now is a cable stitch.  I find it to be more challenging.  For me, crochet patterns and stitches are like puzzles, and a complex cable stitch is a great brain teaser.

Do you prefer a written pattern, a chart, or both, and why:

I have always had a knack for reading patterns.  I've taken classes in chart reading, and can do it, but prefer to use the chart as confirmation, or as a backup in case I get stuck. I don't like following videos to make projects.  I like puzzling it out for myself, and also controlling my own pace.  To me, following a pattern is like reading the book, and the video is watching the movie.  

What is your favorite item to make and why: 

Creating a crocheted garment has always been my ultimate goal. Once I found the Get Squared program, created by Jenny King, I've been able to have great success creating garments.  I also enjoy shawls because of the interesting patterns and possibilities, as well as their versatility.  Shawls can be draped over a chair, incorporated in an outfit, wrapped around the waist or head, used as a robe (at home or traveling), one size fits all, and they are a welcome gift.

Who do you crochet for? Yourself, family, friends, pets, charities? 

At the risk of being  called a "selfish crocheter," I have to say that I crochet for myself.  I've made hats and sweaters for new babies, an afghan for a friend's wedding, shawls and slippers for friends. But there is always the fear of being crushed by a recipient who won't like the item, or won't use it.

Have you ever participated in a yarn bombing? 

At one time, I began yarn bombing an adult tricycle with an attached "trunk," called The Crochet Bike.  I taught crochet out of the trunk, and could also ride the bike around.  I've used The Crochet Bike when demonstrating at Michael's, and also at The Maker Faire.

How long have you been a CGOA member, and what is a fond memory from a CGOA Conference that you’ve attended? 

 I've belonged to the CGOA for 6 years.  Stitches West was near my home in California, but I wept tears of joy when I discovered the CGOA annual meeting.  I've attended 2015 in San Diego, as well as 2016 in Charleston, and am looking forward to Chicago in 2017!  My favorite memory was participating in the fashion show in 2015 modeling my Get Squared cardigan, and hearing ahhs from the audience when it was revealed that I made the cardigan in one weekend.

Do you belong to a local CGOA chapter in your area? 

There isn't a CGOA chapter in Northern Kentucky where I live, and one of my goals is to change that by starting a group.

What are your crochet goals for the future: 

I believe that we all have a "crochet calling," an area that ignites our passion.  Mine happens to be teaching.  I have no children, and I believe that my legacy - the evidence that I have walked this earth and that it is different for my time here - is to pass along the skill of crochet to others.  I've taught at Michael's for 5 years, and am looking forward to teaching classes on Get Squared for Jenny King.

Any crochet tips that you would like to share:  

From my years of teaching, I've developed some tips and tricks...

• Large Bobby pins make good stitch markers, and are easy to reposition.
• Dental floss containers are fine yarn cutters when traveling.
• Print out the TSA regulations for hobbies and carry them with you.
• Photocopy patterns from books and magazines for portability and so that you can mark on them.
• Bags that hold produce at the grocery become good yarn carriers and dispensers.  Choose the crinkly bags with a zipper top and holes for ventilation (contain mini bell peppers, cherries, grapes, etc), wash and air dry.  Zip your cake of yarn into the bag, using the ventilation hole for dispensing.

Do you have any other favorite past times, interests, sports, or crafts you enjoy doing?

I invite my parents, Hazel (87) and Leo (88) to dinner once a week.  It's a chance for me to try new recipes, be creative, use some of my nice things, and to honor them.  

I enjoy crafty things, like coloring, cold process soap making, creating bath salt mixtures, and decorating.

Anything you would like to share, not covered above? 

 In addition to my parents, my supportive boyfriend Tim lives nearby.  I retired this year from my career as a sales trainer for a biotech company, and couldn't be happier with my new life.  

Here's a really short, easy recipe:

Pumpkins spice bars

Mix together 1 box of spice cake mix and 1 can (15 oz) of pure pumpkin.  Pour into a greased pan and bake at 325-350 for 20-25 minutes.  

Thank you for sharing with us Jenny, it's been fun "getting to know you"!

Become a CGOA member today, click HERE to join.

Have a great day!
Carolyn

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Brought to you by blogger contributor:

Carolyn Calderon

The Purple Poncho

If you would like to be a featured member, please contact her HERE.

Getting to Know You - Jenny Brigham!

Welcome to the new series "Getting To Know You" on the blog. This is an opportunity for our members to share a little bit about themselves, and for us to learn more about each other and continue the family feel after leaving the annual conference. Although we may crochet by ourselves in our own homes, we are not alone in our love of crochet, and we have more in common than we realize. By sharing our experiences and knowledge, we will all learn something new about each other and the art of crochet! This month, enjoy getting to know...

Jenny Brigham

Location:

Fort Collins, CO

How did you learn to crochet and when?

Both my mother and my grandmother did a number of crafty things such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, and quilting. They taught me to do all of them, but crochet is the one that really stuck with me. It wasn’t until college that I really got going on making blankets and scarves, so I’ve been actively crocheting for about 30 years now.

Do you crochet with your left hand or right hand and how do you hold your hook? 

I’m right-handed and I hold my hook like a knife. I’ve tried to do the pencil hold but it just doesn’t feel right to me.

What is your favorite hook? 

I don’t have a favorite hook, though I’m partial to wooden hooks. I’ve been trying out some of the ergonomic hooks but haven’t found a favorite one yet. I do prefer the tapered hooks rather than the inline hooks.

What is your favorite yarn? 

I crochet with just about every type and size of yarn, though I don’t much care for using the bulkier yarns. My favorite is lace weight alpaca and alpaca blends. I also enjoy doing thread crochet.

What is your favorite crochet stitch, and why?

It’s easier to tell you what my least favorite crochet stitch is….Catherine wheels. For some reason I struggle to get them correct.

Do you prefer a written pattern, a chart, or both, and why?

My preference is a written pattern, though I find charts very handy for the more complex sections of a pattern. It’s so helpful to be able to visualize how something is supposed to look.

What is your favorite item to make and why? 

I enjoy making all sorts of different things; blankets, stuffed animals, doilies, shawls, tablecloths, cowls, scarves, cat beds, ponchos, towels, etc. Probably my favorite project I’ve ever made was the first stuffed animal I made for one of my grandsons. It’s a stuffed orangutan that we named Otis.

Who do you crochet for? 

I crochet mostly for my friends and family, for charity, and occasionally for myself.

How long have you been a CGOA member, and what is a fond memory from a CGOA Conference? 

I’ve been a member of CGOA for 3 years. My first CGOA conference was in 2014 in Manchester, NH. What a wonderful introduction to CGOA it was! I took classes from Susan Lowman and Jenny King, and I met so many other wonderful people. It was the 20^th anniversary celebration that year and I won one of the large door prize gift bags at the banquet. It was stuffed full of patterns, yarn, and fiber wash. The very best part of that conference though was being matched up with a Buddy. My buddy was Susanna Tobias. We hit it off and are now close friends.

Do you belong to a local CGOA chapter in your area? 

There wasn’t a CGOA chapter near to where I live so I started one. The Crochet Guild of Northern Colorado came into being in January 2016. We have about 20 people who participate regularly. We have a monthly meeting, usually on a Saturday or Sunday, when we talk about guild business, plans for charity projects, show off our completed projects, help each other, and share ideas. We also have evening get-togethers once or twice a month that we call Crochet & Chats. Those are casual evenings at a local coffee shop, restaurant, or library.

Earlier in the year we made and donated 50 scarves to a yarn bombing. It was a “pop-up” art installation that the town of Windsor, CO did for Arbor Day. We made scarves that were displayed on trees along the main street of Windsor. The scarves were then donated to local homeless shelters.

For World Wide Knit (and Crochet) in Public Day in June we spent the morning crocheting at a local coffee shop.

At our July meeting we had our first yarn swap that we called “Christmas in July.” Everyone left with new-to-them yarn to play with.

Our current charity project is making teddy bear loveys (part blanket, part stuffed animal) for an organization called Life for the Innocent. They work with kids in Southeast Asia who have been impacted by human trafficking. Life for the Innocent currently has about 700 kids in foster homes and they have asked for teddy bear loveys as Christmas gifts. One of our guild members works with Life for the Innocent so she connected us with the organization. Our chapter has committed to making 100 loveys by November 1. We’re about half way there!

I’ve always known that crocheters were kind and giving people, and starting a local chapter of the CGOA has proven it once again. The people in our group are so supportive of each other. We have members of all skill levels and interests so there’s no end to the number of conversations and ideas that get shared. A few of my favorite things about our guild are:

·       *  Motivate each other to try new things

·       *  Share crocheting tips and tricks

·        * Share information on stores, sales, fiber festivals, workshops, etc.

·        * Share yarn for making charity projects

·        * Discussions on pros and cons of different types of fiber, stitch markers, hooks, websites, blogs, etc.

·        * Have someone who understands to commiserate with when you’ve had to unravel a large project

·        * Have someone to celebrate with when you complete a big project!

Each meeting is like getting together with old friends, even though I’ve know them all less than a year.

What are your crochet goals for the future?: 

I just recently earned my CGOA Masters of Advanced Stitches & Techniques, and am now starting on the Craft Yarn Council’s Certified Crochet Instructors program. I have also started doing some contract crocheting, and hope to branch out into tech editing patterns.

My biggest goal though, is to get busy on all of the projects that I have patterns and yarn for, but just haven’t started yet!

Thank you for sharing with us Jenny, it's been fun "getting to know you"!

Stay connected with Jenny and her CGOA chapter:

Facebook:   Crochet Guild of Northern Colorado OR on Meet Up

Become a CGOA member today, click HERE to join.

Have a great day!
Carolyn

_________________________________________________________________________________

Brought to you by blogger contributor:

Carolyn Calderon

The Purple Poncho

If you would like to be a featured member, please contact her HERE.