It’s Mother’s Day - I’ll be fixing all her favorite things for mine

But there are always other women who influence our lives, so I thought I tell you about one who just might be responsible for my addiction to string

Crochet is probably the very first fiber art I learned as a child. With two working parents it was a wonderful gift from a neighbor that “got me started” So here is a thank you to the late Shirley Eustis for talking the time to share a craft she loved with the little girl next door. I think she enjoyed teaching me, since she had only boys and in the early 50’s fiber art was not done often by boys.

But what really got me “hooked” on yarn like string, was the generosities of a “Real” yarn shop owner:
Mrs Goldman

This time last year I had the great pleasure to speak with that then about to retire owners of Goldman’s Yarn. They were retiring after SEVENTY YEARS “in the business” These shop owners NEVER made that child feel that her choices in techniques were inferior. Mrs Goldman also never made me feel bad when I chose “practical” yarns. What she did was to instill in me a respect for the craft and a belief that I should always use the best materials I could afford and do the work to the
highest standard I was capable of.

She knew, that in order to spend time (cause the Lord knows I did not have very much money) in her store I was giving up another special treat. Twice a month, if there was a show we could agree on, my brother and I were allowed to take the bus to the theater and see a movie - about a block from her store.

My brothers ‘covered’ for me. They went to the movies after escorting me to the store, and came back for me after the show. We never lied, but eventaully we did get “caught”. Once we could sit down again, and after my Dad visited the shop, I had permission to continue.

Mrs Goldman took the time on more than one occasion to show me more advanced stitches, the basics of Knitting, how to read BOTH Knit & Crochet symbol based patterns -

If you are finding my reference charts useful, you can thank Mrs G - she also was quite the beliver in swatching

Mrs G is the person most responsible for my determination to be an excellent craftsman in whatever needlearts I choose to pursue - she made it important to know the tools and techniques - to practice them until I got it right -without making it a chore - She taught the joy of accomplishment.

Did I mention my love of Needlepoint started in Goldman’s? (I still have that piece, a bargello done in shades of blues - I remember she was not completely happy with me substituting something for white but she could see it was what I want.

I could recite a long list of small kindnesses this lady and her staff provided but you get the idea - like helping me find the exact yarn in the sale bin - looking back I even wonder if it really belonged there or was just another example of how a wonderful lady made me her customer for life or at least a hefty portion of the life of her business. I don’t think I have ever purchased a Needlepoint Canvas from anyone else

After 9/11 everyone talked about how they did not know there were nice and caring New Yorkers. But for those of us who lived there, we know that Real NEW YORK Attitude can be found every day in the Millions like Mrs G.

Somehow TNNA will be the poorer without a chance to greet this wonderful couple.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the women who influence our lives

Wheat

Be sure to let me know what you think..

A friend sent me a link to a news a story from yesterday because she knows I enjoy it when these sorts of information sources support concepts I have been proposing for months in this case about two year, but ego aside….

Sites like MSNBC include surveys. Taking the surveys can tell you a great deal about the survey taker.

If there was any doubt in my mind about the driving forces behind so called News Stories, this survey relieved that doubt.

How ugly is it that the TWO of the three stories offered for my opinion on their coverage were the Don Imus Firing and the Parentage of Anna Nicole’s baby. Are those really the such important issues?

Exactly when did the News become ENTERTAINMENT,

SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WTF THEY WERE THINKING

To ask If MSNBC Coverage of Virginia Tech was FUN TO READ

I may not have agreed with his Politics, but I sure miss the likes of Walter Cronkite

Thank goodness for the Wall Street Journal

Wheat

Be sure to let me know what you think..

Believe or not, I cleaned this up to be as gentle as possible.

I am almost positive it will, at best upset a few people and at worst really T-off some others.

So why write it? because sometimes it is needed to give a strong opinion even when it may be an unpleasant truth instead of what people want to hear.

CAN Crochet be CONVERTED To KNIT?

IMNHO - the best information about this can be found in the
Lion Brand FAQ

>>>
Question:
How do I convert a crochet pattern to knit?
Question: How do I convert a knit pattern to crochet?

Lion’s Answer to BOTH:

Knitting and crochet use stitches that are different sizes and shapes.

You can’t “convert” a pattern from one to the other.

Each pattern must be totally redesigned and even then, it’s not always possssible.

With all due respect to various authors, every book I have seen on this topic was not worth the investment either of money to buy it or time to read it.

Could you learn this in a class, maybe if the instructor was extremely well grounded technically and made it very clear that you are NOT converting, you are RE WRITING IN A DIFFERENT Discipline. And if you already possess the basic skills your your preferred craft, be it knit or crochet.

Otherwise, these books are not really helpful. Most of what I have read on the web about how to convert a pattern is so entirely simplistic and totally ignores the nuances of the differences in the finished fabric that at best, be it book or web “how to” are a nearly fool proof recipe for disappointment - your disappointment that is.

Just as “designing” for different size ranges often requires a nearly complete re-write of a pattern (unless you want really ugly fitting garments) Creating a similar look in another technique requires you have reasonable basic skills in BOTH techniques.

The truth is you can, IF you are technical enough to write your own patterns - and many experienced crocheters are, create a similar looking garment but you cannot convert “stitch for stitch” no matter what is says on all those websites.

If converting patterns is your goal, then you need to build your library of stitch instructions, and learn all the basic skills, including shaping, increases and decreases, shaping and oh yeah, that most dreaded of words, SWATCHING and not just a single swatch, if you want to create crochet instructions from knit, you need to plan to make several swatches.

Nancy Nehring is teaching a series of classes at CGOA this summer on designing simple garments and progressing into shaping - There are few people more qualified, as a technician and as a teacher to learn these skills from.

But IF the look and feel of knitting is desirable, then you need to get into Tunisian/Afghan crochet and learn those stitches. I believe there was still some seats in Darla Fanton’s Beginning Tunisian class is place to get grounded in that crochet technique.

Once you have learned these basic skills, you will be able to CREATE the look you want instead of being disappointed by the result attempting to “convert” without adequate skills and experience.

Wheat

P.S. my favorite “tool” for converting - sewing patterns but that is a blog-a-mentry for another day.

P.S. Jr, if you want to send me any website that you think has instructions that will really work, I am more than willing to look and give them a fair try.

Be sure to let me know what you think..

Plans Change - Decisions Don’t

About 1/2 way thru her sessions on Search Engine Optimization & Successful Website marketing, Cricket posts a link to the following essay
Plans Change - Decisions Don’t

It includes an essay from motivational speaker Zig Ziglar.

All of us have significant dates in our lives, I had written last November about how I view birthdays, but for a whole host of not always amuzing reasons, April 1st is another “significant” date each year.

After several months of struggling with “new to me” software, getting it to work “the way I want” it is time and past time to begin moving forward again

So here’s to Spring and New Beginnings, and maybe having some fun along the way, learning to love the detours, but always keeping my eyes on the “desired” destination.

Wheat

Be sure to let me know what you think..