tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53166618019820373302024-02-20T05:18:35.628-05:00Twisted StrandsMy life seems composed of Twisted Strands--strands of DNA (my job), strands of yarn (my crochet passion), and the interweaving of all the threads of our lives.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-80581012807429969952011-07-17T00:19:00.001-04:002011-07-17T00:19:00.593-04:00Hookin’ Up! My Review of Poppy&BeeToday is my day in the month-long <a href="http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2011/07/hookin-up-project-kicks-off/">Hookin’ Up project</a> being run by Kathryn over at <a href="http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/">Crochet Concupiscence</a>. I’m reviewing the blog <a href="http://poppynbee.blogspot.com/">Poppy&Bee</a>, which is written by Natalie in New Zealand. I was excited to talk to Natalie, since New Zealand is one place I would LOVE to visit sometime. I’ve heard it is so beautiful there. One thing New Zealand is known for is its sheep, and where there are sheep there is YARN!<br />
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Poppy&Bee is a fairly new blog, just started in January as a companion site to Natalie’s <a href="http://www.poppyandbee.com/default.html">online store</a> of the same name. (Poppy & Bee are the nicknames of her two young kids by the way.) Natalie left her teaching job and is now a WAHM, selling her handmade crochet goodness and being home with her kids. What a great life! I know I at times fantasize about quitting my job and crocheting for a living, I bet others of you do too.<br />
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Reading Poppy&Bee, I feel like Natalie is taking me along on her journey as she establishes her business. Selling at craft markets, photo shoots for her website, networking with other crafters, oohing and ahhhing over new yarn. She writes with a nice friendly conversational tone, like we’re just having a chat over coffee (or would it be tea in NZ?) She has a fondness for owls, as do I, and this is my absolute favorite of her items:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWOZY4XnXwRqkBYv_4BJwx5VebGGqee1IrhWTUfNIdTJ59ZNl_QdccM9xsubMzl28_x9VgMDI8imdYbSWkWj4Y1jd8gckJgcMptaIDolZqkHb-s78q4Nt3qjWQEtRiH9mUW_yMEahrGM/s1600/owl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWOZY4XnXwRqkBYv_4BJwx5VebGGqee1IrhWTUfNIdTJ59ZNl_QdccM9xsubMzl28_x9VgMDI8imdYbSWkWj4Y1jd8gckJgcMptaIDolZqkHb-s78q4Nt3qjWQEtRiH9mUW_yMEahrGM/s320/owl2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Is that not ADORABLE!! (And the baby’s cute as a button too lol.) And she makes these hats in all sizes from newborn to adult. I’m in love.<br />
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I asked Natalie a few questions about herself so we could get to know her better…<br />
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<b>When did you learn to crochet? I see that your blog is fairly new, what inspired you to start an online store for your crochet work?</b><br />
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<div style="color: #741b47;"><i>I learned to crochet while still young, maybe 8 or 9 years old. My Mum and my grandmother are both very talented handcrafters and I was always watching them and trying out whatever they were doing. Crocheting took a very long hiatus until I had children, and I recently started up again after leaving full time work to be at home with Poppy and The Bee (my darling children).<br />
The online store came about because I really am so used to being able to find things online myself, and enjoy the process of listing and presenting things online. I like being able to say ‘head over to poppyandbee.com’ – easy with no need for anyone to search through etsy or felt or anywhere else – even though I do list on those two sites as well. Being online allows me to spread the New Zealand Crochet love internationally too – and so many people are looking for the fine NZ yarns, and I am very lucky to have easy access to them here, and then to be able to make them into something yummy and handmade to share is fabulous!I would love to blog much more than I do, but I seem to run out of hours in the day to fit everything in! I’m working on a way to function without sleep – but am not having much luck yet.</i></div><br />
(Natalie, if you find a way to do that, LET ME KNOW!)<br />
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<b>What are your favorite things to make? Favorite yarn? </b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i style="color: #741b47;">Ooooooh – favourite yarn at the moment is Possum (I know, I know – but in New Zealand they’re pests destroying our native vegetation). An amazing fibre with similar properties to Alpaca – and a lovely feel to it when working it. Mix it in with some NZ Merino and you have squishy yarn heaven. My fingers sigh when I start using it! Favourite things to make? I’m working through my hat phase at the moment – I have about 120 patterns in my ‘make me now!’ folder. I’d love LOVE to spend some more time on shawls and lace-weight work, but now that I sell what I make, it’s really hard to price them to sell with the hours and hours they take to make. The eternal dilemma of the crochet garment maker! I’ve started a pair of socks about three times, and love Amigurumi just for the frivolous distraction.</i> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><b>How hard or easy are you finding the WAHM life?</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #741b47;">Loving it! I find it impossible to have enough hours in the day (particularly because I procrastinate about the sensible ‘Mum’ jobs like tidying, cleaning and groceries in favour of crocheting), but love being able to collect my children from school. The Bee tells me he loves having an ‘At the Door Mummy’ after school. I am a primary school teacher, and even though last year I taught where he went to school – I was never at his door at 3pm to collect him. Now he loves stumbling out for a big cuddle and tells me all about his day without having to wait. I do miss teaching and my cool and lovely colleagues I’m working on a way to incorporate it into crochet by running lessons and developing learn to crochet kits, but definitely don’t miss the hours and hours of prep!</span><span style="color: #0c343d;"> </span><br />
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So that’s <a href="http://poppynbee.blogspot.com/">Poppy&Bee</a>! Natalie recently did an interview with New Zealand Handmade too, which you can read <a href="http://www.newzealandhandmade.co.nz/2011/05/conversation-with-natalie-of-poppy-and.html">here</a>.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-89394754857132479132011-07-16T12:18:00.000-04:002011-07-16T12:18:49.401-04:00Hookin' Up Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiywOIOYEctv1D0v8nE4M0M4Cm7f_RXQ9PtoM-9pMisWuouyphtmHeFW8EqWRehqao-jkfrq8xmhztYnm_Kmna7_EIK3WK-wFeRjr5XCfBQsQRzaPAsgxKTLU53XdeeEM2LeEf-cZaIY/s1600/hookinup.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="122" width="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiywOIOYEctv1D0v8nE4M0M4Cm7f_RXQ9PtoM-9pMisWuouyphtmHeFW8EqWRehqao-jkfrq8xmhztYnm_Kmna7_EIK3WK-wFeRjr5XCfBQsQRzaPAsgxKTLU53XdeeEM2LeEf-cZaIY/s320/hookinup.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
So tomorrow is my day to post a blog review for the <a href="http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2011/07/hookin-up-project-kicks-off/">Hookin' Up project</a>, which means that today MY blog is being reviewed. Jen at <a href="http://www.ripitgood.net/2011/07/16/hookin-up-project-twisted-strands/">Rip It Good</a> has written such a nice review of Twisted Strands, I'm so flattered, thank you Jen!<br />
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And be sure to check back here tomorrow when I'll tell you about a very special blog!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-64505201303323640402011-07-15T04:01:00.000-04:002011-07-15T04:01:01.728-04:00FO Friday July 17thI missed FO Friday last week too, what with being out of town, so I haven't had a chance to tell you about my wire and bead crochet class. It was awesome! We spent about six hours working on our necklaces, alot of that time was spent just trying to decide on what beads we wanted to work with. Making the necklace was actually fairly simple, you thread the beads onto the wire and crochet a chain, moving a bead up into your stitch every once in a while, however close or far apart you want them. The instructor kept saying "there aren't any rules, just do what you like, very freeeform"--that doesn't work for left-brained me, I need structure and patterns to follow lol! Another woman in the group is an accountant and we got a good laugh out of our need for "rules".<br />
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I chose a copper colored wire (28 gauge) and red coral chips for my necklace, along with a lot of other red and pink beads. The necklace has 5 strands, and the instructor did all the finishing for me, made the clasp, etc. So here it is....<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5937499727/" title="necklace2 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5937499727_fa867b55bf_z.jpg" width="423" height="640" alt="necklace2"></a><br />
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It's just the right length for how I like to wear necklaces:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5937499493/" title="necklace1 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5937499493_f144fef959_z.jpg" width="499" height="640" alt="necklace1"></a><br />
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I wore it to my yarn playgroup last night and someone asked me right off "oh did you crochet your necklace?" I've gotten several compliments on it, which is fun of course. And the store where I took the class has an AMAZING selection of beads, so I bought some more and I hope to be making some more jewelry soon!<br />
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Head over to <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/">Tami's Amis</a> blog to check out more lovely FO's!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-87923820172858831362011-07-13T14:59:00.000-04:002011-07-13T14:59:33.003-04:00WIP Wednesday July 13thI'm back! I missed out on WIP Wednesday last week due to a business trip--I really tried to write a post before I left but it just did not happen. Too many things to do to make sure the rest of the family survives while I'm gone! If you have kids and do any traveling, you'll know what I mean.<br />
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The best part of traveling is that I get more time to crochet! Not only on flights and while waiting in airports, but during conference talks as well. On all four of my flights I made sure to choose an aisle seat on the left side of the plane, so my elbow could stick out in the aisle and not bump a seatmate while I crochet. You do have to be careful that your elbow doesn't get smashed by the drink cart tho. Now how many people do you know who pick their seat assignment based on their crafting? Yes I am a geek, I know it and I don't apologize for it lol.<br />
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So, I got eight squares done for <a href="http://www.knit-a-square.com/">Knit-a-Square</a> during my 3-day trip! Not bad at all. And I FINALLY used up all the purple wool yarn that I got in the yarn swap back in February! As you can see, I have now moved on to green:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5934081419/" title="P1040101 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5934081419_5bf26151a4_z.jpg" width="640" height="581" alt="P1040101"></a><br />
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I also started a new scarf this week, the pattern is Clapochet, it's a crocheted version of a knitted shawl called Clapotis. I'm making it narrower as a scarf instead of a shawl, like I did for the <a href="http://twistedstrands.blogspot.com/2011/06/wip-wednesday-june-29th.html">Crocus Bud</a>. I'm just not a shawl person, but I do like accent scarves! The yarn is YUMMY, it's a merino/cashmere/nylon blend, soooo soft. And the color is such a rich variegated earth tone, I love it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5934081521/" title="P1040104 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5934081521_ce50d09a75_z.jpg" width="488" height="640" alt="P1040104"></a><br />
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So that's what's on my hook this week. Be sure to check out lots more lovelies over at <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/2011/07/work-in-progress-wednesday-49.html">Tami's Amis</a>!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-129163634718230712011-07-02T19:54:00.000-04:002011-07-02T19:54:12.572-04:00Hookin' Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2106wGL61eOjhf5LT7yEqdV_wArTGS56pVd8miimNf4JhEcE-uyF1sXTW9-qVdl1LtmOIRx0C62UzBecvERLQj4FC-3dmfSH9gOoTH5Nl7X8MK1rC45meBP-RvmqgLvjO6RQBJ_2ArWU/s1600/hookin.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="122" width="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2106wGL61eOjhf5LT7yEqdV_wArTGS56pVd8miimNf4JhEcE-uyF1sXTW9-qVdl1LtmOIRx0C62UzBecvERLQj4FC-3dmfSH9gOoTH5Nl7X8MK1rC45meBP-RvmqgLvjO6RQBJ_2ArWU/s320/hookin.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
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I wanted to let you in on a fun crochet blog project going on this month! Hookin' Up is being hosted by Kathryn on her blog <a href="http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2011/07/hookin-up-project-kicks-off/">Crochet Concupiscence</a>. Each day one of the participating bloggers will review the next blog on the list, and I'm looking forward to finding out about some cool new blogs that I haven't discovered yet! On July 16th, my humble blog will be reviewed on <a href="http://www.ripitgood.net/">Rip It Good</a>, and on the 17th I'll be reviewing <a href="http://poppynbee.blogspot.com/">Poppy and Bee</a>. You can see the whole blog list <a href="http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2011/07/hookin-up-project-kicks-off/">here</a>, and as of right now when I'm writing this post, there is still one spot left for someone on the 23rd, so if you have a crochet blog and would like to join in the fun, send Kathryn an email!<br />
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In other news, my bead crochet class was AWESOME today! I am currently wearing my new necklace, and even The Teenager really likes it! I don't know if I can wait till FO Friday to show it off, so you might be seeing it sooner lol.<br />
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Have a lovely weekend!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-74372474480671055102011-07-02T06:00:00.001-04:002011-07-02T06:00:03.155-04:002011--Mid-Year ReviewSince 2011 seems to be half-gone already, impossible as that seems, I decided I ought to check in on some of my goals that I set for myself way back in January, both for <a href="http://twistedstrands.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-last-day-of-christmas.html">craft things</a> and the <a href="http://twistedstrands.blogspot.com/2011/01/other-parts-of-my-life.html">other parts of my life</a>. I seems I may have fallen just a <span style="font-size: small;"><i>teensy </i></span>bit off the wagon in terms of some of the things I said I was going to do this year. Oops.<br />
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As far as crafting goals, there are 3 things I said I wanted to do this year:<br />
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1.<a href="http://www.knit-a-square.com/"> Knit-a-Square</a>: I want to make at least as many blanket squares as I did last year, which was 108. Total as of 7/1/11 is 43. So I'm not halfway, but I have some good stitching opportunities coming up in the form of business travel and vacation, so that square count should be heading up nicely over the rest of the summer.<br />
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2. Bead crochet: This is actually a goal left over from 2010 as well, but today is the day! I decided the only way I'd get started is to take a class, so from 11-5 today I shall be crocheting with wire and beads--I'm psyched!<br />
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3. Crochet myself a sweater: Uh-oh, I forgot that I set this goal. And I STILL have no idea what sweater I would make for myself! I need to stop dithering and just pick something and DO IT.<br />
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Other goals I set this year:<br />
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1. My physical well-being: I'm still walking about 4 days a week, and I feel pretty good. I have decided to try Tai Chi as an exercise to increase my balance and flexibility, I've got a couple of dvds, and if I just get out of this chair and stop reading everyone's great blogs, I might actually start doing the exercises!<br />
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2. Spiritual growth: I'm still listening to the <a href="http://dailyaudiobible.com/">Daily Audio Bible</a> podcasts every day, so now I'm halfway through the Bible. This has been a real blessing to me, and I know I'll stick with it the rest of the year and finally have read the whole Bible!<br />
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Earlier in the year I was trying to set smaller monthly goals too, and let's just say that particular practice has fallen by the wayside lately. Life sure gets busy, doesn't it? But perhaps summer is a good time to try and get back in the swing of things, right? SO--in July I am going to set myself a goal of:<br />
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1. Use my tai chi dvds!<br />
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2. Clean up my spare bedroom/craft room--oh dear, it has gotten bad.<br />
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3. Do at least 2 family activities--hey, it's summer!<br />
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And how about all of you? Did you make any resolutions back in January? Let me know how you are doing on your own goals!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-690749808461759022011-07-01T04:00:00.000-04:002011-07-01T04:00:11.796-04:00FO Friday July 1stAUGH!! It's JULY! No no no, can't be.<br />
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Anyhoo, this week I can show you my finished prayer shawl:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5881781689/" title="P1040078 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="P1040078" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5881781689_9d3dc1fe66_z.jpg" width="623" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5881781923/" title="P1040080 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="P1040080" height="276" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5034/5881781923_02976cd996_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I think it came out very nicely, and I finished it just in time, since I can't face having something big and hot on my lap when the weather tops 90 around here. The pattern can be found <a href="http://www.bhg.com/crafts/knitting/clothing/beautiful-crocheted-shawl/">here </a>if you are interested!<br />
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I also made a cute little something this week:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXz1M2pPrvLH0yzfDR7tzzhq7PN72eIbBuFeN_UxZC3W6JmphmPSwH5XtknUh3e7GMtITmGHJzkbUj5vu4bAsDx2cQ-ZGK3C1UubNEXfLBgWJh6Tmb90ba4NMkL3WW9fC_1-FNhTiE66M/s1600/P1040096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXz1M2pPrvLH0yzfDR7tzzhq7PN72eIbBuFeN_UxZC3W6JmphmPSwH5XtknUh3e7GMtITmGHJzkbUj5vu4bAsDx2cQ-ZGK3C1UubNEXfLBgWJh6Tmb90ba4NMkL3WW9fC_1-FNhTiE66M/s320/P1040096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I think this heart is just adorable! I learned a new stitch too, the edge of the heart is done in Crab Stitch, also known as Reverse Single Crochet. It's not a hard stitch, although it feels kind of awkward at first, and mine definitely is not consistent all the way around. I watched a couple of videos on Youtube to help me get the hang of it, just search for "crab stitch crochet". The motif is part of the <a href="http://www.caron.com/projects/ss_party/sspar_teen_throw.html">Teen Throw</a> free pattern on the Caron Yarns website, and it's designed by Andee Graves who is an absolute sweetheart! She has a wonderful blog too, you can visit her <a href="http://mamas2hands.wordpress.com/">here</a>.<br />
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Tomorrow is my Wire and Bead Crochet class--can't wait! Maybe I'll have something awesome to show you next Friday. Have a great weekend! And check out more Finished Objects at FO Friday over at <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/">Tami's Amis</a>.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-39669934643418552822011-06-29T16:37:00.000-04:002011-06-29T16:37:06.590-04:00WIP Wednesday June 29thToday's Work In Progress is a very l-o-n-g project--my crochet learning curve. Talk about something continually in progress! I guess I would consider myself an intermediate level crocheter--I can read patterns and charts, I can do alot of stitches beyond the basics, I've tried some techniques like Tunisian and mosaic crochet. On the other hand, I've never made something where fit was crucial, and I've tended to stick with "ordinary" yarns. So, the Crocus Bud scarf that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago was my very first project with sock yarn. Last I showed you it was being blocked:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5833961011/" title="P1040056 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="P1040056" height="640" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/5833961011_0677f4c740_z.jpg" width="233" /></a><br />
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And here it is all done!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnT4YtRjzD0wxppFSk5afLSP_5NfDoYXOkEbVGpT0hxn7E3NLyFd4tk2keXyfcaXNkSWs0v7UF-BKqxlkgyVE3wnAkoCMOhXKON6joJzq237rMWsDpHevkA-B0rVIxFTF6aYXr4rSLjE/s1600/P1040091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnT4YtRjzD0wxppFSk5afLSP_5NfDoYXOkEbVGpT0hxn7E3NLyFd4tk2keXyfcaXNkSWs0v7UF-BKqxlkgyVE3wnAkoCMOhXKON6joJzq237rMWsDpHevkA-B0rVIxFTF6aYXr4rSLjE/s320/P1040091.JPG" width="190" /></a></div><br />
Close up:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcT6S3Kg3kO6bGWgnpGZEtV46g2NfjjMVPbWSZB27ywSgLBX6L1Y98bvOs4-vNUtIhangL8UgMPf4K30cojhQaOa35LnuR5MlsHYG1kLeCMAQcchs53ZG0z-4u2R8Qco_xyJB4-j_jjQ/s1600/P1040095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcT6S3Kg3kO6bGWgnpGZEtV46g2NfjjMVPbWSZB27ywSgLBX6L1Y98bvOs4-vNUtIhangL8UgMPf4K30cojhQaOa35LnuR5MlsHYG1kLeCMAQcchs53ZG0z-4u2R8Qco_xyJB4-j_jjQ/s320/P1040095.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
I really like it, but I noticed something when I put in on--it wasn't holding the block. The scarf was getting longer and narrower instead of staying in the nice open lacy pattern. I thought maybe it was just the weight of the yarn, the pattern calls for lace weight where mine is in sock weight. Or maybe I needed blocking wires instead of pinning it out. Or maybe I hadn't let it dry thoroughly when I blocked it. So I blocked it again, and let it dry for about 3 days, but still the same thing. So I asked around on Ravelry and learned a WHOLE BUNCH of stuff I didn't know about sock yarn! For instance, many sock yarns are a blend of wool and nylon, which helps the yarn "spring back" into shape better after it's stretched. That's a desirable property in a sock, right? But not so much in a lacy scarf. Dug out the label for my yarn--75% merino, <b>25% nylon</b>. Eureka! There's my issue. <br />
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One raveler gave me a lot of helpful info to consider:<br />
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"More than anything, spring back has to do with quite a few factors and can’t necessarily be applied the same way to each and every yarn. Those factors are: nylon content; natural fiber content (is it superwash wool? is it low crimp fiber that will hold a block great, like cashmere, alpaca, llama, cotton? is it a toothier wool, like shetland, as opposed to a high micron count like merino? does the yarn have a high twist, lots of bounce, or low twist, little or no bounce?); manmade fiber content, other than nylon (rayons like bamboo block really well, acrylics can be “killed” with a steam block, but it has to be done very carefully so as not to melt the acrylic); and how the blocking is done."<br />
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Other helpful things I learned:<br />
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1. Sock yarn is generally "fingering weight", but a fingering weight yarn might not be sock yarn. Sock yarn is usually blended to be well-suited to socks (doh!), like my yarn with 25% nylon.<br />
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2. Many sock yarns are made with superwash wool, which can behave quite differently than other wools when you get it wet to block it, it has a tendency to grow alot but shrinks back when it dries.<br />
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I may try to steam block my scarf, or I may just frog a few rows to shorten it, since it's a bit long as is. Definitely was a learning experience for me! And I'll know a bit more going into my next "fancy yarn" project.<br />
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Be sure to head over to <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/2011/06/work-in-progress-wednesday-47.html">Tami's Amis</a> for more great WIP WednesdayJuliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-31623211351179285162011-06-22T13:27:00.000-04:002011-06-22T13:27:05.875-04:00WIP Wednesday June 22ndThis Work In Progress Wednesday is sponsored by......<br />
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<div style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">SUMMER VACATION!!!</span></b></i></div><br />
Yes, summer vacation is FINALLY in progress here! Today was the last day of school, and I confess I am feeling a bit nostalgic. I walked Miss G home from school for the <i>very last time</i>. The last time we will ever walk home from school together, since next year she will take a bus to middle school--sniffle sniffle! Last Friday was the 5th grade closing ceremony, and it was so sweet. Then last night was the 8th grade closing ceremony for The Teenager, and "sweet" wouldn't exactly be the word I'd choose to describe it! There's a WHOLE lot of change that goes on between 5th grade and 8th grade! And speaking of changes:<br />
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Miss G, on her first day of kindergarten:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5860163399/" title="gracefirstday by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="gracefirstday" height="640" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/5860163399_fc64aea1f8_z.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Miss G, at the end of 5th grade:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5860774672/" title="5thend by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="5thend" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5108/5860774672_fa720534a3_z.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><br />
The Teenager, on her first day of kindergarten:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5860163357/" title="hannahk by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="hannahk" height="640" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5860163357_6ce65b93ef_z.jpg" width="404" /></a></div><br />
The Teenager, on her way to the 8th grade dance last night:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5860715646/" title="8thend by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="8thend" height="640" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/5860715646_495e4755d0_z.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />
Ummm, wow. Where did those kids COME from?<br />
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In other news, I've got nothing new on the hook but I finished my prayer shawl and my scarf this week! I'll show them off on Friday. Now I'm trying to decide what to start next--gee, maybe I should peruse my huge Ravelry queue, ya think?<br />
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Hope you all are having a great week, and thanks for stopping by!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-43382230920493913892011-06-15T07:00:00.001-04:002011-06-15T07:00:00.592-04:00WIP Wednesday, June 15thWoo hoo, I actually have something to show this week! Did you know that Saturday was Worldwide Knit and Crochet in Public Day? So I went out and crocheted in public! My yarn playgroup always has an event for WWKCIPD, in fact the first time I met these lovely folks was two years ago at this event. We had a great time and got alot of nice attention from passersby. I forgot to take photos though, darn it--I was too busy FINALLY starting on my Crocus Bud scarf. Last month I showed you the shawl pattern and my swatch <a href="http://twistedstrands.blogspot.com/2011/05/wip-wednesday-may-18th.html">here</a>. Well, thanks to crocheting in public on Saturday and a couple of long meetings at work this week, I've got it done already and it is blocking as I type!<br />
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I think I'm going to love it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5833960869/" title="P1040055 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/5833960869_95460d1de2_z.jpg" width="353" height="640" alt="P1040055"></a><br />
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Couldn't get the whole thing in one picture, it's about 6 feet long:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5833961011/" title="P1040056 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/5833961011_0677f4c740_z.jpg" width="233" height="640" alt="P1040056"></a><br />
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Like my fancy blocking mats? Yeah, beach towels. Whatever.<br />
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I've also done six squares so far in June for <a href="http://www.knit-a-square.com">Knit-a-Square</a>. I don't think I'm ever going to finish up this purple yarn!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5834515294/" title="P1040060 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3368/5834515294_6e16db4e00_z.jpg" width="640" height="393" alt="P1040060"></a><br />
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Other than that I have been enjoying our FABULOUS weather this week, what a welcome break from the 100-degree stuff we've had recently. Oh, and I found an almost-new gas grill for $35 at a yard sale on Saturday! Ours is all rusted out and we were looking at new ones so this was quite the score.<br />
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If you'd like to participate in WIP Wednesday on your blog, head on over to <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/">Tami's Ami's</a> and join the fun!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-42005717114488069392011-06-02T07:51:00.000-04:002011-06-02T07:51:52.751-04:00Thankful Thursday June 2ndSuch an easy choice today for Thankful Thursday! <br />
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Happy Anniversary to the most amazing husband. I can't believe we've been married for TWENTY-SEVEN years! We're not possibly that old. But then again, I look at these young people and think "who in the heck ARE they?"<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">June 2, 1984:</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5790008398/" title="wedding1 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="wedding1" height="604" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5790008398_ccb325c0b4_z.jpg" width="451" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5790008430/" title="wedding2 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="wedding2" height="428" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/5790008430_cfa27e8b10_z.jpg" width="604" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><strong>I love you sweetheart!</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-66898551894921741512011-06-01T17:40:00.000-04:002011-06-01T17:40:52.801-04:00WIP Wednesday June 1Holy crap, it's June already! And to be honest, the only thing I'm working on this week is keeping cool. We've been having a spiffy heat wave since Sunday, today was a bit cooler as it only got to 94 instead of 97 or 98! Tonight we are supposed to get some thunderstorms, I'm looking forward to a little relief.<br />
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So that's it, nothing to see here but a woman trying not to melt into a puddle. Oh, here's a good idea:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5788101884/" title="hot by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="hot" height="260" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2415/5788101884_1b58fcd167.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-21116474970619485162011-05-25T10:12:00.000-04:002011-05-25T10:12:53.046-04:00WIP Wednesday May 25It's Wednesday again? ALREADY?? And the last Wednesday in May, too. Our weather is getting decidedly more summer-like around here this week. Don't like the hot and humid, nope nope nope. I'd better finish my prayer shawl before it gets too hot to have the thing on my lap!<br />
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But no prayer shawl to show today, instead I have a new square (and another started) that I've made for my favorite charity, <a href="http://www.knit-a-square.com/">Knit-a-Square</a>. I'm rather behind on my goal of nine squares per month, but I know I'll catch up when I have vacation time and trips over the summer. Anyway, here's this new pattern I LOVE:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5758024397/" title="P1040046 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2289/5758024397_8c16b8b1e1_z.jpg" width="640" height="383" alt="P1040046"></a><br />
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I'm still working through all the purples that I got in my yarn swap back in February, lol! Remember this?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5502291654/" title="P1030579 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5012/5502291654_25d667f8f8.jpg" width="418" height="500" alt="P1030579"></a><br />
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I got this pattern from <a href="http://skyesimagesoflife.blogspot.com/2011/02/crochet-washcloth-weave.html">Skye's Images of Life blog</a>. She starts with a chain 46, but for me a chain 31 gave me a square about 7 inches wide, then I added a hdc border to bring it up to 8 inches for Knit-a-Square. I think I will make several of these! And to see what other folks are up to for WIP Wednesday, just hop on over and visit <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/2011/05/work-in-progress-wednesday-42.html">Tami's Ami's blog</a>.<br />
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And I can't let today go by without mentioning another special Work-in-Progress. A very long-term project in fact, one that's been going on for exactly twelve years today! Happy birthday, Miss G--we love you!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5638545467/" title="gracetj by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5309/5638545467_e6ce822aeb.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="gracetj"></a>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-39523210552475738292011-05-18T05:59:00.000-04:002011-05-18T05:59:00.354-04:00WIP Wednesday May 18thSee, I promised, I do have something new for this week! I have started making a scarf using the Crocus Bud Shawl pattern. Here's the shawl:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14585928@N08/2358193563/" title="205 colrainlacecrocusbudshawl by teleutao, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2215/2358193563_f160329582.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="205 colrainlacecrocusbudshawl"></a><br />
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Pretty isn't it? It's a Valley Yarns pattern, and you can buy it <a href="http://www.yarn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/categoryID/B3DF6F32-51AE-4588-8DA5-8248B6CBB500/productID/41883384-4FED-4C45-BBA7-CADDAA4E881B/">here </a>if you're interested.<br />
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I'm making it much narrower, as a scarf instead of a shawl. And I'm using a sock yarn instead of lace weight that it calls for. I made a swatch and blocked it, and I think it's going to be very nice!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5723538725/" title="P1040024 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/5723538725_bf8577ec0d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P1040024"></a><br />
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I'm still working on my prayer shawl, hasn't changed too much since the last time I showed it to you. And I've made a few more charity blanket squares. I feel like I've been spinning my wheels a bit lately, time to get back in the crochet saddle!<br />
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Have a wonderful Wednesday!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-35590206443557407392011-05-15T17:58:00.000-04:002011-05-15T17:58:59.926-04:00My finds from MD Sheep and WoolI haven't shown you what I bought at the Sheep and Wool Festival last weekend! Now first may I say, I am pretty much on a yarn diet, meaning I don't buy new yarn unless I have a specific use for it. And there are literally HUNDREDS of vendors at this show, and I'm not much of a yarn connaisseur (wow I spelled that right first try). Some folks come to this festival specifically to pick up certain yarns from certain vendors, and some of that stuff is EXPENSIVE. Those weren't the booths where I spent most of my time. <br />
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First off, they have some really fun buttons to buy (the kind you pin on, not the kind that go through buttonholes). My FAVORITE one that I got last year is this one:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5723540187/" title="P1040030 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2416/5723540187_89386b09bd.jpg" width="500" height="440" alt="P1040030"></a><br />
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This year I found this one!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5723540471/" title="P1040031 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5723540471_e67908ebc1.jpg" width="500" height="489" alt="P1040031"></a><br />
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Man of the House is not amused. But I was happy because I actually found several with crochet mottos instead of all knitting sayings. Here's all that I bought:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5724094704/" title="P1040029 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/5724094704_63a4007b38.jpg" width="500" height="385" alt="P1040029"></a><br />
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I bought these two adorable little finger puppets:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5723542305/" title="P1040043 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3560/5723542305_9512017b6a.jpg" width="500" height="423" alt="P1040043"></a><br />
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And this pin:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5724095540/" title="P1040037 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/5724095540_895c19212e.jpg" width="500" height="468" alt="P1040037"></a><br />
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And this magnetic shawl clasp--now I need to make a shawl.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5724097348/" title="P1040041 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/5724097348_284e28e852.jpg" width="500" height="498" alt="P1040041"></a><br />
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I think this little cutie is my favorite--it's a little zippered felt pouch to keep things like yarn needles and stitch markers in. Adorable!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5723541865/" title="P1040042 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3145/5723541865_5ac9baa468.jpg" width="500" height="391" alt="P1040042"></a><br />
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I also bought some things to help with my resolution to make some jewelry--beads, glass pendants, and little balls made out of felt. There WILL be jewelry making going on here!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5724096206/" title="P1040045 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2590/5724096206_fcf5ba2ccb.jpg" width="500" height="309" alt="P1040045"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5723541121/" title="P1040039 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5723541121_e2fbf65aea.jpg" width="500" height="304" alt="P1040039"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5724093680/" title="P1040027 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/5724093680_582c81117e.jpg" width="500" height="314" alt="P1040027"></a><br />
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And finally, yes I did buy a bit of yarn. I love to get a bargain, so I got these small skeins from a bargain bin of "mill ends"--the ends of a color run that aren't big enough to make a full skein. I plan on making some skinny scarves, or maybe even using them in some jewelry!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5723539353/" title="P1040026 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/5723539353_936dbb1791.jpg" width="500" height="404" alt="P1040026"></a><br />
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And all that fit in one little bag! Not like some of the people who were walking around the festival--when you're a spinner, you need a LOT of fleece!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713938360/" title="What a good son! by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/5713938360_7e94ed5523.jpg" width="372" height="500" alt="What a good son!"></a><br />
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And don't be too shocked, but I do have something new for WIP Wednesday this week--I promise!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-34571343837867941712011-05-13T15:45:00.000-04:002011-05-13T15:45:14.695-04:00How I spent my Mother's Day<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713928286/" title="Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2132/5713928286_f03f26a17b.jpg" width="500" height="383" alt="Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival"></a><br />
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Actually, I spent a good bit of the whole weekend here--9 hours over 2 days. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I had such a great time! Sheep judging, sheepdog demonstrations, great lamb to eat, and HUNDREDS of vendors selling everything a fiber lover could possibly want!<br />
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So what was there to see? There were sheep:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713371299/" title="Guess what, more sheep by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2450/5713371299_a0feb9eb1b.jpg" width="500" height="310" alt="Guess what, more sheep"></a><br />
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And more sheep:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713932456/" title="Yep, they are still sheep by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/5713932456_b311154fbb.jpg" width="500" height="349" alt="Yep, they are still sheep"></a><br />
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And more sheep!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713930670/" title="And more by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/5713930670_04c9cb0075.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="And more"></a><br />
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Somehow I got an awful lot of pictures of sheep behinds. They also have some very cute fronts of course:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713377797/" title="Sheep by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/5713377797_e8ebdab3c7.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sheep"></a><br />
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Awwwww! And there were alpacas too! I love alpacas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713368373/" title="It's an alpaca! by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/5713368373_1d0964351b.jpg" width="500" height="451" alt="It's an alpaca!"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713368611/" title="Another alpaca by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/5713368611_580c5d9f8f.jpg" width="500" height="366" alt="Another alpaca"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713929700/" title="And even more alpacas! by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3410/5713929700_7f00bf2bf0.jpg" width="500" height="318" alt="And even more alpacas!"></a><br />
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And there were so many beautiful things to look at. Some were on display by vendors:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713378269/" title="Love this green crocheted wrap by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/5713378269_90c38bcf64.jpg" width="248" height="500" alt="Love this green crocheted wrap"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713376899/" title="Map sweater by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/5713376899_8d03f4dd75.jpg" width="500" height="416" alt="Map sweater"></a><br />
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Some were entered in a judged competition. These next two pictures are felted--they look like watercolor paintings!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713377123/" title="Flat felting by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="Flat felting" height="378" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/5713377123_3ee373a7bb.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713938222/" title="Another gorgeous felted picture by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="Another gorgeous felted picture" height="353" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2355/5713938222_0450e23a6c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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And other things were being worn by their creators!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713937406/" title="Cute crochet hats! by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="Cute crochet hats!" height="294" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/5713937406_b4c66307dd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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On Sunday I watched the Sheep to Shawl competition--amazing! Each competing team has 5 members--a shearer, three spinners, and a weaver. And they have 4 hours to shear a sheep, comb and spin the fleece into yarn, and weave it into a shawl! Each team comes with their loom already warped (all strung with the threads needed to make the shawl), then as the spinners get yarn made, the weaver creates the shawl. It was so cool to watch.<br />
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Combing out fleece:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713389507/" title="Combing wool by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="Combing wool" height="333" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/5713389507_af715d96c9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Three spinners and a weaver in action:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713950900/" title="The whole Peddlar team by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="The whole Peddlar team" height="330" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/5713950900_7e845f9d23.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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There was a junior team too:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713390721/" title="The whole junior team in action by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="The whole junior team in action" height="311" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/5713390721_d43cc53c88.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Their finished shawl:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713394717/" title="The junior team's shawl by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="The junior team's shawl" height="305" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2063/5713394717_638fd7c1ca.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The 2nd place winner--isn't this gorgeous?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713394983/" title="This shawl came in second place by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="This shawl came in second place" height="433" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/5713394983_9353a59089.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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And the winning shawl on the right:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5713397407/" title="So lovely, and all in under 4 hours by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="So lovely, and all in under 4 hours" height="447" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2667/5713397407_1a4bd0e28c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I have more photos up on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/sets/72157626705909302/with/5713388411/">my Flickr page </a>if you'd like to see them. I had an absolutely MARVELOUS time, and I can't wait till next year!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-40984468599552778052011-05-04T17:30:00.000-04:002011-05-04T17:30:15.908-04:00In case you're looking for me this weekend....You'll find me right here!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sheepandwool.org/catalog_art/2011_cover_art_goodwin.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="570" width="400" src="http://sheepandwool.org/catalog_art/2011_cover_art_goodwin.gif" /></a></div><br />
This is one of the biggest fiber fests in the whole country, and it's only 10 minutes from my house! How lucky am I? Last year was the first time I went, and WOW it's amazing. Actually it was a bit overwhelming, huge and packed and it was really hot. This year the weather looks cooler, and I'm planning on spending most of Sunday there, and probably part of Saturday too. What better Mother's Day present than a day immersed in all things yarnilicious?<br />
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Anyone else who's planning to be there?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-36616646186491329112011-05-02T15:51:00.002-04:002011-05-02T15:51:26.388-04:00It's May!And nobody tells it better than Julie Andrews!<br />
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<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pljyjiIMH9o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-13161273798036301352011-04-28T19:46:00.000-04:002011-04-28T19:46:53.804-04:00Thankful ThursdayBUSY! Life has been crazy busy lately. (Perhaps you noticed that I haven't done a blog post since Thankful Thursday last week?) I started filling in activities on the Master Calendar for May, and I don't see any sign of a letup.<br />
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SO--today I am going to be thankful for being busy. I have lots of meetings going on about Miss G's upcoming transition to middle school, and I am grateful for all the teachers and therapists who care about her and want to help her do well. I've got lots going on at church, and I am so thankful we found this church family and how involved and connected we are there. We're having a yard sale on Saturday, and I'm grateful for the abundance of things that God has blessed us with, and perhaps someone else will buy them and enjoy using them. I'm going to a Pampered Chef party tomorrow night, and I'm so thankful for friends and for the chance to have a fun evening out. Work is very busy, but I am SO grateful for a good job and coworkers who are also good friends. The Teenager has lots of stuff going on, and I give thanks that she likes school and has friends and activities that she enjoys so much.<br />
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So today I choose to be thankful for my busy busy days, because it shows me how much God has blessed me in all the different areas of my life. And I can use one more blessing--the energy to keep up with it all!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-48131638372894387172011-04-21T17:23:00.000-04:002011-04-21T17:23:46.081-04:00Thankful Thursday April 21Today I am so very grateful for friends. The kind of friends that time and distance seem to have no effect on. When we were in Williamsburg this week we saw some people that were very good friends when we lived there, which was quite some time ago. We haven't seen these people much more than a half-dozen times in the past 24 years, and yet we can sit down with them and chat like almost no time has passed at all. I know that we all have changed, but when we get together it is truly like "old times". Those kinds of friendships are very special and such a wonderful blessing. And that's my Thankful Thursday for this week!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-27509529201632567972011-04-20T18:50:00.000-04:002011-04-20T18:50:37.351-04:00WIP Wednesday, April 20thThe main thing that is in full swing this week is...<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><em><strong>SPRING BREAK!!</strong></em></span><br />
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Finally, spring break is here and so is spring. Both have been a long time coming this year. We just got back from four days in Williamsburg, had a very nice time. It's a very special place for us, it's where Man of the House and I met and fell in love (awwww!) and where we spent our first three years of married life. I got my bachelor's degree at William and Mary, and hubby did his graduate work there. We still have some friends who live there and it was so nice to visit with them. And it was our first visit there when the kids were old enough to appreciate the historic stuff, so we did a bunch of touristy stuff in Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown.<br />
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We saw lots of the usual sights of Williamsburg:<br />
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The Wren Building (on the W&M campus)<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5638545617/" title="wren by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="wren" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5102/5638545617_83bf27db43.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The Governor's Palace<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5639121870/" title="P1030809 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="P1030809" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5639121870_9794e0abb4.jpg" width="326" /></a><br />
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The Magazine<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5639122356/" title="magazine by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="magazine" height="396" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5639122356_16d3f16376.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Miss G hanging out with Thomas Jefferson<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5638545467/" title="gracetj by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="gracetj" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5309/5638545467_e6ce822aeb.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Man of the House ended up in the stocks--well-deserved I am sure!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5639122258/" title="stocks by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="stocks" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5264/5639122258_3b47f20319.jpg" width="448" /></a><br />
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And there were tulips in bloom EVERYWHERE, it was absolutely gorgeous.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5639121922/" title="P1030836 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="P1030836" height="248" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5222/5639121922_c31a9f6e8a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5638545535/" title="tulips by dna diva, on Flickr"><img alt="tulips" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5638545535_7b48e95e8b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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We had a very nice time! And now the Teenager is off to the second half of her excitement, her long-delayed trip to NYC to see Phantom of the Opera. This is the trip that was supposed to happen after Christmas but got wiped out by that pesky <a href="http://twistedstrands.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-6th-day-of-christmas.html">blizzard</a>. She is beyond excited! And Miss G and I get to hang out at home by ourselves for a couple of days and settle back in after vacation. I'm looking forward to some down time.<br />
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No new crochet to show you today, I made a couple of blanket squares and did a few more rows on the prayer shawl while I was away. I'm hoping to have something new on the hook next week tho--if I can just decide which project I want to make!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-5403236869809866112011-04-15T16:01:00.001-04:002011-04-15T16:03:13.177-04:00The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef ProjectIf you spend any of your time in the fiber world, you may have heard about the <a href="http://crochetcoralreef.org/">Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef project</a>. It was begun by Margaret and Christine Wertheim, two sisters from Australia who wanted to bring attention to the devastating impact that global climate change is having on coral reefs. It turns out that crochet is an excellent medium for creating coral shapes, and at the same time is an excellent model of complex geometry--who knew! Here is a bit of background from their website:<br />
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<i>One of the acknowledged wonders of the natural world, the Great Barrier Reef stretches along the coast of Queensland, Australia, in a riotous profusion of color and form unparalleled on our planet. But global warming and pollutants so threaten this fragile monster that scientists now believe the reef will be devastated in coming years. As a homage to the Great One, Margaret and Christine Wertheim of the Institute For Figuring instigated a project to crochet a woolen reef. <br />
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The sisters, who grew up in the state of Queensland, began the project in 2005 in their Los Angeles living room, and for the first four years of its life the Reef took over their house, gradually expanding to become the dominant life-form in their home. At the same time the project began to expand into other cities and countries until it has now become a worldwide movement that engages communities across the globe from Chicago, New York and London, to Melbourne, Dublin and Capetown. The Crochet Reef is a unique fusion of art, science, mathematics, handicraft and community practice that may well be the largest community art project in the world.<br />
</i><br />
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The Crochet Coral Reef has become a traveling project as well now, with satellite exhibits touring to various cities around the world. One of these shows has been at the Smithsonian in Washington DC for the past several months, and I finally got down to see it last weekend--just in time since it's only there for another week. It was AMAZING. In addition to some pieces from the Wertheim's original reef, local crocheters from the DC area had made pieces and combined them into a huge mound of "coral" in the center of the exhibit. It was so cool! I could have spent hours looking at all the individual pieces that went into making the reef--the colors and shapes and detail were just incredible. I also took a ton of photos but somehow the pictures don't do justice to the three-dimensional nature of the sculpture.<br />
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Here is a video of Margaret Wertheim explaining how the reef began and what it has come to mean. It's about 15 minutes but really well worth watching! <br />
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(The direct link is <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_wertheim_crochets_the_coral_reef.html">here </a>if your browser doesn't like the embedded video.)<br />
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And some of my own photos:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5619562911/" title="reef14 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5068/5619562911_c40d3ea224.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="reef14"></a><br />
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Look at the details! In this picture, the piece on the left with the blue and purple is a giant clam:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5620152466/" title="reef13 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5303/5620152466_fcd4c17169.jpg" width="485" height="500" alt="reef13"></a><br />
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Part of the reef was done in whites and grays to show the "bleached coral" that happens when sea temperatures get too warm and the coral die and lose their color:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5620152078/" title="reef10 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5029/5620152078_af7a5a79db.jpg" width="500" height="383" alt="reef10"></a><br />
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And look at this adorable sea urchin!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5619562025/" title="reef8 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5069/5619562025_5d44063f04.jpg" width="500" height="472" alt="reef8"></a><br />
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Branched coral:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5620151482/" title="reef6 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5620151482_7bdf65a2f3.jpg" width="500" height="347" alt="reef6"></a><br />
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This one is all beaded crochet--WOW.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5619561517/" title="reef4 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5268/5619561517_61ac346889.jpg" width="500" height="356" alt="reef4"></a><br />
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I love this photo--see the jellyfish hanging in the middle?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5619561155/" title="reef2 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5143/5619561155_220368059c.jpg" width="396" height="500" alt="reef2"></a><br />
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I put some more photos in an album over on my Flickr page if you'd like to see those as well, just click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/sets/72157626498666010/with/5619561155/">here</a>. And if you get a chance to see one of the exhibits, DEFINITELY GO! And if you want to go to the one in DC, move quickly, it closes on April 24th.<br />
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Have a wonderful weekend!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-81345363345381088452011-04-14T20:28:00.000-04:002011-04-14T20:28:51.364-04:00Thankful ThursdayI am thankful for SO MANY things today, and topping my list are:<br />
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---An absolutely beautiful spring day today,<br />
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---SPRING BREAK FINALLY and the next 10 days off work,<br />
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---All of my online friends who understand the excitement of yarn,<br />
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---And my wonderful hubby who's having a birthday tomorrow. Love you sweetheart!<br />
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Hope you are having a good day today too!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-73661336517409377152011-04-13T21:47:00.000-04:002011-04-13T21:47:00.902-04:00WIP Wednesday, 4/13/11Can't believe it's Wednesday again. Time just keeps flying by, we're nearly halfway through April already! (Got your taxes done yet?)<br />
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I don't have anything brand new to show you, but I did get a LOT done on my prayer shawl this week! It helped that I had an all day training seminar yesterday and I crocheted for about seven hours during the talks. And I would have gotten more done but I ran out of yarn lol! Here was my prayer shawl last week (13 rows finished):<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5593403948/" title="P1030684 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5593403948_e90dd14702.jpg" width="500" height="299" alt="P1030684"></a><br />
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And now today--37 rows done!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5617635056/" title="P1030781 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5225/5617635056_58a4e0a6ed.jpg" width="500" height="433" alt="P1030781"></a><br />
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The pattern only calls for 6 more rows before doing the edging, but I think I may want it a bit wider than that. But I feel like a made great progress this week! I'm itching to start some new things but I don't crochet for myself during Lent, so for the next ten days I'll keep working on the prayer shawl and blanket squares.<br />
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I also wanted to show you some lovely crochet I found at a thrift store:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnadiva/5617635158/" title="P1030783 by dna diva, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5617635158_6921968178.jpg" width="500" height="176" alt="P1030783"></a><br />
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It's a dresser scarf, or small table runner perhaps, about 44 inches long. It's in very good condition, but I really don't have any place I would put it on a dresser or table. I'd love to incorporate it into something else, like stitch it to some fabric and make it into a bag maybe? I'd love to hear any ideas any of you might have for something to do with it!<br />
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Happy crocheting!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316661801982037330.post-14768653733423009632011-04-09T13:40:00.000-04:002011-04-09T13:40:58.653-04:00April ResolutionsLooks like I'm a bit late reporting in on my <a href="http://twistedstrands.blogspot.com/2011/03/wip-wednesday-sort-of-for-march-2.html">March Resolutions</a>, the Crochet and Knitting Blog Week took over my regular schedule for awhile there! Annnnd.....it really doesn't matter anyway because my March resolutions pretty much went unresolved. Oopsie.<br />
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Since I have a bunch of new followers recently, I'll fill you in that back in January, I set a couple of long-term goals for the year, and decided to also make a couple of short-term resolutions each month. The long term ones, I'm happy to report, are going well! As the weather is gradually getting better I've been walking outside more, although I must say that Crochet Month and Blog Week did keep my keister (kiester? keester?) parked in front of the computer quite a bit. And for my spiritual goal, I'm still listening to the <a href="http://www.dailyaudiobible.com/">Daily Audio Bible </a>reading every day, and I am really getting alot out of it. It's helping me recognize some areas in my life where I've been putting in considerably less than my best effort, and I think I'm turning some of that around.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">But then there was March</span>. In March I intended to find three more new meals to put into my incredibly boring menu plan, and to get everyone working on ten minutes of straightening up around the house every day. Ummmmm, not so much. So hey, I guess I better keep those goals around for April eh? Maybe some of my newer followers can help me out with the meal thing. In fact, I'll make it a challenge! Post a recipe here, or email it to me, and at the beginning of May I will pick my favorite. Whoever sent it to me will get a small token of my appreciation! (I have no clue what, but surprises are good right?) And I'll include those who gave me meal ideas last month too. <br />
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Hope you are having a great weekend wherever you are! I'm going to see the <a href="http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/hreef/">Hyperbolic Crochet Reef </a>tomorrow at the Smithsonian, I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be sure to tell you all about it next week!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08045545867857921498noreply@blogger.com3