Requiem for Velma

Darlings, it's been a couple of weeks since my last blog. I apologize. I've been in kind of a funk lately. My beautiful tiny black cat, Velma, died in her sleep early in the morning on January 8th.

I'd had Velma and her sister, Roxie, since they were tiny baby kitties. When I brought them home, they each fit in my cupped hand. I was there when they learned how to purr. Velma saw me through eleven and a half years. Four apartments. Five significant others.

Around Thanksgiving, I noticed that she was developing some growths on her chest. Around Christmas, I saw that those growths were impeding her lung capacity. Through it all, she ate, drank, played, and snuggled just like always. But I knew I had to do something. I was waiting for my first paycheck after our holiday break from the opera to take her to the vet. She had other plans. My roommate, Sarah, woke up first that morning. She went into the kitchen and saw Velma lying on her side under the kitchen table. On a normal morning, Velma would bounce up when someone entered the kitchen in the morning to see if there was kibble or fresh water to be had. This time Velma didn't move a muscle. Sarah came into my room and said, "Dawn-Marie, wake up sweetie. Something is wrong with Velma." I got up quickly and dashed to the kitchen. I touched Velma's cold little body. She was gone.

Sarah and I surmised from Velma's position that she hadn't suffered. She was lying on her side, all four legs extended, tail curled gracefully behind her. It appeared that she had gone to sleep and simply forgotten to wake up. The silver lining is that Roxie got to see Velma. Got to know that she had died, that she hadn't just gone away and not come home. She got to mourn Velma as Sarah and I did. Roxie was disconsolate that day. She was listless and occasionally let out a mournful caterwaul. I was scared that she would never be my happy, silly Roxie again. Thankfully, in the past couple of weeks, Roxie has learned to love her only child status.

Velma was the alpha cat. However, she was a savvy alpha cat, allowing the physically dominant Roxie to believe that she was the alpha most of the time. It was beautiful to watch her machinations! Roxie played checkers while Velma played chess. When We moved into the Barbie Dreamhouse, Roxie stayed in the cat carrier for so long that I worried that she was sick (She wasn't; she was just chicken!!). Velma, on the other hand, sprang out of the carrier to find out what new adventure she was on. She explored every inch of the apartment and rubbed her face on everything, claiming it as her own.

Velma loved gyro meat and french fries. She loved ice cream -- the cow milk kind, not the coconut milk kind, thank you very much -- and was rather disappointed with me when I went vegan. She loved yarn. Oh, how she loved yarn! Roxie lost interest in yarn very early in my crochet journey. But Velma was obsessed with it til the very end. One of my favorite pictures of her was one I took just over a month ago. I was crocheting in bed and she fell asleep in the middle of the skeins of yarn. I captioned the photo, "My shop foreman, sleeping on the job!"

Velma had just this summer discovered the joys of iced coffee. I tried to shoo her away from my glass, but she just kept sneaking back to lap it up. Just what I needed, a caffeinated cat!!

Velma was a beautiful, funny, nurturing little weirdo. My world got much smaller when she left me. I took comfort in the fact that she died on David Bowie's birthday. And then Bowie died two days later. But that's another story for another blog.

That's all the news for now. This week's Stitch 'n' Bitch is Thursday at 7pm at R Public House. I hope to see you there. They make a mean vegan pizza. Until next time, Peace, Love, and Yarn!

Stitchin' and Bitchin'

Hi, sweeties! Happy Thursday! I hope you're all kicking major butt in your chosen endeavors in 2016.

Tonight is the first Stitch 'n' Bitch of the New Year. People are often very curious about the term Stitch 'n' Bitch. No, we're not a bunch of bitter old broads sitting around and knitting our enemies' names into our work like Madame Defarge. We do a lot more laughing than bitching, actually. It rhymes, friends! It just rhymes! No, I didn't make it up. Debbie Stoller has a series of knitting and crocheting books called Stitch 'n' Bitch. So I lovingly appropriated the term. Yes, we will teach or advise if you've always wanted to learn to knit or crochet, or if you're a neophyte and need some guidance on a project. No, you don't have to knit or crochet to hang with us. We don't discriminate. People draw, fold origami, do bookbinding, quilt, cross-stitch, or just sit and chat. All of these things are totally acceptable.

Years ago, when I started my Stitch 'n' Bitches, it was just my beloved Matt Andersen and me working diligently on our projects. Matt is deaf, so he can't talk while he knits or crochets -- he must choose one or the other! So when other hearing people joined our merry band, they were surprised at how quiet our Stitch 'n' Bitch was. I had just grown accustomed to stitching in silence. (People who know me well are laughing at the prospect of me doing ANYTHING in silence!) On the rare occasions when Matt is able to join us, I do a LOT more bitching than stitching. In sign language, of course!!

Tonight's festivities are at Rogers Park Social, 6920 N. Glenwood. The merriment begins at 7:00. Please feel free to join us if you're in the neighborhood!

Here's a picture of my very talented friend Victoria and me crocheting at the Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest in August.

That's the news for now, my darlings! We'll see you at Social if you're able. Until next time, Peace, Love, and Yarn!!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2016, my darlings! I hope your holidays were filled with laughter and love. Mine most certainly were, and I'm looking forward to a brilliant, creative, and joyful new year.

Stitch 'n' Bitches are making a triumphant return in 2016! If you have a portable craft that you like to play at, please join us for crafting, socializing, and imbibement. You don't have to be a crocheter or a knitter -- we don't discriminate. We've had pen and ink artists, illustrators, bookbinders, quilters, cross-stitchers, and even loved ones who don't craft and just want to hang out! We'll be at Rogers Park Social, 6920 North Glenwood, this Thursday at 7:00. This will mark the return of our first and third Thursday at Social, second and fourth Thursday at R Public House, 1508 West Jarvis. For more information, join the Facebook group, Rogers Park Stitchers.

These fine establishments are also the homes of my Tipsy Craft Circus neighborhood craft markets. We'll be at R Public House in March and September, and at Rogers Park Social in June and November. If you or someone you love is an artist or crafter who wants to sell their wares in a fun and laid-back environment, please get in touch with me for details on those events. 

I'm working on some new projects and building inventory so I can take my Etsy store live again. It's been dormant for an embarrassingly long time, and it's time to make things happen in the online market arena. Here are a couple of my new items that I'll be selling on Etsy.

These are my harpist gloves. This yarn is so delicious and soft, and my best friend Sarah says they make her feel kinda tough when she wears them!!

This is the prototype of a coffee cozy I designed. I sold a bunch of these for Christmas gifts!! They were a very popular gift for teachers.

I'm also excited about learning some new stitches this year to up my crochet game. I was inspired by my dear friend Victoria to learn the primrose stitch, and it was life-changing! Now I want to learn more specialty stitches. And when I learn them, I'll share them with you.

That's about all the news for now. My goal is to publish two posts a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, so we'll see you back here on Thursday. Meanwhile, Peace, Love, and Yarn!

Sometimes I Cook Too

I wasn't intending to blog today. To be honest, I wasn't intending to do most of what I've done today. But I'm on staycation, so I go with the flow!! It all started when I texted my gal pal Johanna to see if she had a gown I could borrow for an upcoming fancy dress function. She asked if I wanted to come over tomorrow and watch movies with her. Well, of course I do -- she's delightful!! She said she'd supply the wine, so I offered to make snacks. Being mostly vegan, I find it's beneficial to show up with food to share so that I'm guaranteed to have something that I can eat and the omnivores learn that vegan food is delicious and fun.We couldn't decide between savory and sweet, so I said I'd bring both. Johanna is gluten-free, so I said I'd make vegan gluten-free brownies, black bean hummus, and spicy oven-roasted chickpeas.

Which brings me to why I'm blogging. These recipes need to be shared! I had made the brownies before, but with all-purpose flour. The other two recipes are new and so very delicious! I've included links to all three recipes below.

The brownie recipe is from Minimalist Baker. I love the recipes on Minimalist Baker! The only changes I made were I used chia eggs (1 Tbls. chia seeds and 2.5 Tbls. water) instead of flax eggs, and I substituted Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Flour for the all-purpose. I also added in a very healthy 1/3 cup of chocolate chips, as recommended.

The black bean hummus recipe is from My Recipes.com. It's my first experience with this website. Rest assured, I'll be back. I left out the cilantro, because when I went to the grocery store I thought I had cilantro at home. When I got home, I realized that was not the case. And I wasn't feeling another trip to the store. So my black bean hummus is cilantro-free. Not everybody likes cilantro anyway. Oh, and I used the juice of a whole lime. I like lime.

The last treat I made, the spicy oven-roasted chickpeas, came from Chow.com. This is my maiden voyage with this website as well. I was not disappointed! The chickpeas are crunchy and have just the right amount of bite to them. I hope I can keep my hands off of them for tomorrow! And if I can't, they're so easy to make, I'll just make another batch!

That's the hot news for now. Last night's Stitch 'n' Bitch at R Public House was really fun! I won't be at next Thursday's even at Rogers Park Social, as I will be on vacation in scenic Portland, Oregon, but Victoria and Meg will be there, and they're really cool girls!! If you're in in the vicinity of the 1500 block of Jarvis Avenue tomorrow between noon and 10 pm, check out Rogers Pork, a block party with food, drink, art, and music,Until next time, Peace, Love and Yarn!

The Muse

There’s been a persistent little voice in my head lately whispering, “Write a blog, DM! Write a blog!”  Several times of late I’ve sat down in front of a blank screen on my computer, just waiting for The Muse. The Muse did not come. I think this is why Hemingway drank so much rum. And then yesterday, my lovely cousin Beth said, “Have you blogged in a while?” I confessed that it had been quite some time since I’d written a blog. My conversation with Beth got my wheels spinning, but we were at Wrigley Field on a family adventure, so I just ate peanuts, drank beer, and sang, “Go, Cubs, Go!”

This morning, as I was lying in bed, The Muse said, “I’m ready!” So I quickly got dressed, grabbed my laptop, and ran over to the Heartland Café for a delicious vegan breakfast and copious amounts of coffee and I began to write.

I spent a lot of time explaining The Muse to my campers at my various arts camps this summer. Often Inspiration makes us wait until she’s ready. In our Google-driven society where we possess immediate answers at our fingertips, we no longer cultivate patience and artistic thought. Kids are often derailed by waiting for Inspiration. “I don’t know what to draw, what to paint, what to build,” they’d lament, fear and frustration in their eyes. “Doodle,” I’d say, “or write, or smoosh clay in your hands. The Muse will come. You just have to encourage her with Play.”

 Kids are no longer encouraged to think creatively. The education system, as it were, has taken away art and music and physical activity – what I like to call Fun Disguised as Pedagogy – and turned today’s students into rote-learning, test-taking, fact-spewing robot people. They don’t learn how to think; they learn how to regurgitate. And even toddlers know how to use a smart phone or a tablet, but take the screens away and kids are lost! “Scissors?? Paint?? Mod Podge?? I don’t get it!!” There’s also no grey area, no room for interpretation. “Is this right?” The children ask repeatedly, desperation in their eyes. I respond brightly, “This is art camp. It’s very difficult to be wrong here.”

We’re all born artists. Be it music or sculpting or painting or sewing or gardening or cooking or acting or writing, we’ve all got it. Music also teaches math. Visual art can teach chemistry. Performing art teaches physiology and kinetics. All of these endeavorsa teach history and geography. Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” We need to encourage our intelligence to have fun. We need the music, the art, the theatre, the beauty to tap different parts of our brains. Einstein played violin and developed the theory of relativity. Einstein did not take standardized tests. Let’s all – every one of us – let our intelligence have fun. And if we have young people in our lives, let’s encourage them to let their intelligence have fun too.

Those are my thoughts this week. Please join us for Stitch ‘n’ Bitch this Thursday from 7:00-9:00 at R Public House, 1508 W. Jarvis. Also mark your calendars for the Tipsy Craft Circus, a Neighborhood Craft Market, on Saturday, September 19, from noon-5:00, also at R Public House. Until next time, Peace, Love, and Yarn!

Jazz, Baby!

Darlings, I've converted another one!! My dear friend Andy McGuire, the music teacher at Kilmer Elementary in Rogers Park, had never crocheted before. Apropos of nothing, he decided he wanted to crochet a blanket that was big enough to wrap himself up like a burrito. He's 6'3". Having spent a substantial amount of time with Andy, both socially and in his classroom as a coach for his after school rock band, I know how ADD he is, so I confess that I was skeptical that he would make it through a giant blanket as his first project. And in all fairness, I do not possess the patience to finish a man-sized blanket.

Nevertheless, two and a half weeks ago I invited Andy to come to the stitch 'n' bitch at R Public House and taught him how to start his ginormous project. He caught on quickly. Singers usually do, I find. He really enjoyed crocheting too, even when his project was in its infancy and didn't really look like much. I again cautioned him that a blanket for a tall man was a lofty first project, but his enthusiasm would not be thwarted.

That night, when he got home, he stayed up and did a second row. Then he would text me every couple of days saying, "This is really fun!" "I just finished another skein!" "It's up to my waist now!" He was -- dare I say it -- hooked!

Saturday night Andy sent me this picture.

His progress amazed me! Yesterday afternoon he texted me to tell me that his blanket came up to his chin. At 11:00 pm he texted me to report that his blanket reached his nose. Although he had told me that he was going to make only his blanket -- "one and done," he had claimed -- I had a feeling he was going to be a crocheting man. I asked him what his next project was going to be. He said he had a pregnant colleague and wanted to make her a baby blanket. (!!)

I sent him this picture of my current baby blanket project and told him I could teach him the pattern.

The following is a transcript of our texting conversation.

ANDY: Oooooh!!! That's cool!!!

ME: It's just doubles and chains. You've got to count a lot for the first two rows, but after that, it's a cakewalk.

ANDY: Hmmmmmm. I can count!

ME: Yeah, but you're a musician -- you can only count to four!!

ANDY: Sometimes 6

ME: I count 6 in three -- sometimes two.

ANDY: True

ME: The starting chain is 129, then you've got to count twos, threes, and fives (??!??) for the first row!!!

ANDY: Eek. That's a lot of meter changes.

ME: It's jazz, baby!!

 At 1:49 am, Andy sent me this picture. Jazz, baby!!

So that's the news for now. Lyric has a performance of "Tosca" tonight which is going to keep me from Rogers Park Social, but I'm willing to bet there will still be a gathering of the faithful for stitch 'n' bitch from 7-9. And don't forget Toddler Music Jam at the Common Cup Friday morning at 10:00. Oh! One more thing! Here's a picture of my adorable second cousin Addison (the one who chooses the color of my bangs) at her third birthday party. Photo credit to Colton Loeb.

 Until next time, darlings, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!!

Baby Things

Darlings, don't drink the water!! It seems as though EVERYONE is pregnant, or knows someone who is!! I'm making baby hats, baby booties, baby blankets like a boss! I just updated my order list. I've got four baby blankets and two baby dresses on my docket right now!!

One of my coworkers at the opera is due in two weeks. She's having a girl. She has a sweater in which to bring her precious angel home from the hospital, but she wanted a girly little hat. So I made one of these.

 It's a new pattern. I'm really happy with it. And I had extra time and extra yarn, so I decided to make her some coordinating booties as a gift with purchase. They strongly resembled this.

I started with a pattern, then I went rogue on the tops of the booties and used the same lacy pattern that I used in the hat.

Baby things are awesome to make because they're so cute and tiny, and they take so much less time than grownup stuff. Those booties took me one act of an opera to make, and it was my first attempt at that pattern. I think this is the time to rekindle my romance with all things adorable and tiny. I'm always seeking to up my crocheting game, and I think it might behoove me to start small. And people tend to spare no expense for adorable baby things, so that's a nice bonus.

That's all the news for now. This week's stitch 'n' bitch is Wednesday from 7-9 at R Public House. And don't forget my Friday morning Toddler Music Jam from 10-11 at the Common Cup! Until next time, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!

Mothers Make Invention Necessary

Darlings, have you met my mom? I adore her! She's my best friend, my strongest supporter, my head cheerleader. She's sweet and funny, she has a very generous spirit, she's exceptionally kind to all of God's creatures, and she bakes a mean cookie! I may be eating some of the aforementioned cookies as I type.

When this amazing human needs something from me, I try my best to deliver. Just last evening, as she was dropping me at the Metra train station after we'd seen the Chicago Harp Quartet at Fermilab and had a lovely dinner at the Country House Restaurant, she asked me if I had any new crocheted designs that she could buy for a friend for her birthday. Well, I've been spending most of my time on music, not on yarn, of late. I knew it was time to find some new projects. All I needed was a little push! And when the woman who birthed me, put me through private school, and saw me through my goth phase in the eighties asks if I have new crocheted awesomeness, then new crocheted awesomeness I will create! 

I got on the train, logged on to Ravelry, and started searching for something fun and quick to make. I decided on slippers, probably because it was snowing and my feet were a little cold. There are a lot of really delicious slipper patterns available on Ravelry. I searched through all of the patterns and decided on these. 

So cute, right?? And the pattern looks really easy. Here's a link to that pattern. I'm going to make purple ones with grey trim. I can't wait to go button shopping! I'm going to make these adorable slippers at my Stitch 'n' Bitch at R Public House this Wednesday, January 14, from 7:00-9:00 pm. 

And that is how necessity became the mother of invention, or how my mother made invention necessary! I hope my mom's friend (whose identity and birthdate I cannot divulge in case she's reading this blog right now!!) really enjoys being the first gal on her block with a pair of these from my hook. Mom's getting a pair for her birthday next month too. She already knows -- I'm not spoiling anything!

That's all the news for now. I hope to see you Wednesday night at RPH!  They've got new stuff on their menu since I was there last. I'm excited to try something new! Friday morning, my guitar and I will be at the Common Cup for Toddler Music Jam! The first one was a huge success!!

Poster design by Matt Andersen, IMGmatters.com

Also, you can hear the Chicago Harp Quartet tonight from 8:00-10:00 on WFMT, 98.7 on your FM dial. Until next time, my darlings, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!

My Brush With the Plague

Darlings, my two weeks of funemployment is over! Today I return to work. And I spent my last day of vacation in bed, nursing a cold.

I felt the cold coming on for days. The sore throat would lurk in dark doorways and leer at me around corners. I could hear the footsteps of sinus pain following me home at night. The earache would pull curtains aside from darkened windows and ogle me as I passed. And then on Saturday, the symptoms got bolder. No more peeking and sneaking -- they were nodding and tipping their hats at me when I entered a room. Rude little bastards -- why were they wearing their hats indoors when a lady was present? My throat hurt. I was congested. My ears felt funny. I couldn't get warm. 

I went about my business as planned, but I knew the Plague awaited. I took my temperature; a respectable 98.3°. I tend to run a little cool. I pushed water, ginger tea with honey and lemon, vitamin C, and clementines. **Side note: clementines are my new obsession. Nature's candy!! So delicious!!** I filled my vaporizor, climbed in bed, and watched "White Christmas" to soothe my spirit. I would not let the Plague win!

And then I awoke Sunday morning to the dreaded realization

               that the Plague

                                   had won.

My head was pounding, my ears were achy and kind of draining a little, my sinuses felt as though there was an anvil on my face. And my throat was so very dry and scratchy. So I did what any Gen Xer would do -- I turned off my alarm, rolled over, grabbed my cat to snuggle me, and went back to sleep. For four hours. I made more tea, heated up some soup, and headed back to bed. 

I spent all of Sunday babying myself, drinking tea, eating soup and my beloved clementines, and alternating between napping and watching documentaries on Netflix. I began, slowly but surely, to feel better. The pain and pressure have subsided. And in retrospect, Plague or not, that might have been the best way to spend a snowy Sunday at the tail end of my Christmas break!

That's about all the news for now, my angels! Tonight is the first Stitch 'n' Bitch of 2015 at Rogers Park Social. I'll be there the first and third Monday of the month. And don't forget that my Toddler Music Jam starts this Friday morning, January 9, from 10:00-11:00, at The Common Cup. Be well, avoid the Plague, and as always, until next time, Peace, (Radical)Love, and Yarn!

Bring It, 2015!!

Darlings, I'll admit it. I am one of those New Year, New Me people. I'll wait while you roll your eyes. I have always been a firm believer in using benchmark days -- New Year's Day, my birthday -- as the start of a journey to a better me. I'm such a benchmark addict, I remember making a list of changes I was going to make ON MY MOTHER'S FORTIETH BIRTHDAY!! The list was entitled, "Because I Have a Forty-Year-Old Mother". It contained things like organization and weight loss -- all the usual suspects. And lo, these many years later, I'm still a disorganized plus-sized model!!

But this year is going to be DIFFERENT! (Again, I'll wait for the eye-roll.) This year, my resolution is simple: to Just Be Happy. And most of the things that make me Happy are really good for me. Meditation, swimming, yoga, biking, eating relatively healthy foods, journaling, crocheting, making music, making art, hanging out with kids, hanging out with positive and creative people, reading, going to the beach, dancing.... I assume that a heightened level of organization and time management would also make me Happy, and I'm enough of a fan of the scientific method to try that out. I'll report back on my progress in a month or so. Pizza, ice cream, and bourbon also make me Happy, but sometimes a gal needs to fall off the wagon -- and take pride in getting back on said wagon -- in order to be truly Happy!

In the past few years, I've been creeping toward Happy. I guess when I was younger, I never really felt I deserved True Happiness. But I learned something important once I started moving toward Happiness. The Happier I am, the more productive I am. The more productive I am, the bigger impact I'm able to make. And guess what! That impact makes me Happy!

So this year's New Year's Resolution is simply that: to Just Be Happy. If what it takes to make me Happy changes, so be it. I am a work in progress.

That's about all the news for now, darlings! Stitch 'n' Bitch starts at Rogers Park Social on Monday, January 5, at 7:00pm and at R Public House on Wednesday, January 14, at 7:00pm. Toddler Music Jam at The Common Cup starts at 10:00am on Friday, Jaminary 9. Wishing you a Happy and prosperous new year, and as always, until next time, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas, darlings!

It's been much too long! I hope this post finds you happy and healthy and surrounded by people you love! I hope your shopping is done, your stockings are hung, and your eggnog is spiked!

Lately I've really been missing writing this blog, and as I've got a couple of weeks off of work for the holidays, I thought Christmastime was the best time to jump back in. So here I am, ready to regale you with stories of my yarn adventures.

December has been a month of simplification for me. I canceled all of my Stitch 'n' Bitches. I said no to social obligations. On Sunday I deleted the games off of my phone and my tablet and left Facebook groups in which I have lagging interest. No more pointless distractions! No more time vortex. I want to focus on music and art. And yarn. Lots of yarn.

2015 will see the return of The Blog, the streamlined stitch 'n' bitch schedule, the continuation and impeovement of the quarterly Craft-Tacular Art Spectacle, and a new, exciting musical endeavor! I've been learning to play the guitar, and I play for the kids in my Mom 'n' Tots art classes, so I thought it would be fun to do a toddler music time at the Common Cup Cafe, 1501 West Morse Avenue in scenic Rogers Park. The owner, my good friend Ruth Hoekwater, liked the idea too. So starting next month, I'll be rockin' with the babies on Friday mornings at 10.

Here are some projects I've been working on in December. I've been trying to up my game on the things I make, putting my own spin on some tried and true patterns.

Jill Silverman rocking her sassy pastel hat

My new fingerless mitts, fortified with thumbs

Grrl Genius Cathryn Michon plugging her new movie, 

Muffin Top: A Love Story, in her bespoke sport-weight 

fingerless gloves, a gift I made for her Chicago premier

Uber-talented tenor Chase Taylor sporting a heavyweight 

skully on closing night of Lyric Opera's "Porgy and Bess"

Darlings, it's great to be back! I'm so excited about what the new year has to offer. I look forward to sharing my adventures with all of you. May your days be merry and bright. And, as always, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!

Could it be True??

This morning I awoke to a miracle!! The sun was not only holding court in the sky, it was actually warming the atmosphere in a rather aggressive way! My roommate left the house in a T-shirt and jeans. I was a little less optimistic -- I topped my T-shirt with a hoodie. I was outside in Chicago, wearing a mere two layers! I know, I know -- it's going to be fifteen degrees colder tomorrow, and temperatures will live in the forties again for the next week or so, but today -- today was a miracle!!

Spring Cleaning has begun here in Barbie's Dreamhouse. I started in my room Saturday, and Sarah started her room today. I can't wait til the day when we can fling open our freshly-cleaned windows to allow sweet spring air to replace the stale, sad winter air that has taken up temporary residence here. I'm so ready to leave Winter 2013 behind me!!

Here's the photo spread of the Craft-Tacular Art Spectacle that the awesome Kirk Williamson put in Nightspots magazine.

One of my Facebook friends thought that the Minion hat on my head was Brunhilde braids, which inspired me to design and crochet a Brunhilde hat. I'll be done with it before the next blog is posted, so we'll have pictures of that project then.

That's all the news for now. Come and see me at the R Public House Stitch 'n' Bitch on Wednesday. And until next time, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!!

Laryngitis

Darlings, I'm sorry this post is a day late. I've been feeling a little sorry for myself since I woke up Wednesday morning without a voice. If you know me, you know that sotto voce does not suit my lifestyle. I had to text in sick -- couldn't call; no voice -- to my Wednesday morning early childhood arts class. I had to cancel Wednesday night's Stitch ’n' Bitch at R Public House, even though I had promised to teach one of the servers to crochet. I had to back out of my Thursday afternoon session of helping to coach my music teacher friend Andy's after-school rock band. Worst of all, I couldn't call my mommy!! About all I could do was lie in bed with my loyal cat nurses, Roxie and Velma, drinking blueberry smoothies and watching Hulu. And not talking. At all.

On the upside -- because if you know me, you know there's always an upside -- I rekindled my love for Aaron Sorkin's late-90's series, Sports Night. The writing is divine. The ensemble is top-notch. The situations are still relevant sixteen years later. I just wish they hadn't had to employ that damnable laugh track! But it was how they did things back then. It would behoove everyone with Hulu or Netflix to dip into this series. I adore Aaron Sorkin!!

Yesterday afternoon I dragged myself out of bed, clothed myself for the out-of-doors, and slogged down to Belmont and Racine to spend some quality time at my favorite urban hideaway, Thousand Waves Spa. I had to steam away the germies that  imprisoned my voice, as though I were Arielle or Rusalka. And like Arielle and Rusalka, I had to get back to the Water! (At this point, I'm dropping the Rusalka simile -- she dies at the end!!) For a mere $20, Thousand Waves gives you three hours of unlimited hot tub, sauna, and steam room, along with relaxation room and tea! They supply the robes, towels, and slippers. It's always my goal to visit once a month. I usually make it once a fiscal quarter. Well, the waters and the steam did me right! I'm able to talk today! And I'm also able to blog from a happy place!

So that's the news for now. Have a great weekend! Create something -- ANYTHING -- this weekend!! And until next time, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!!

Progress!

Saturday morning I crocheted my first daffodil!! I did it out of white crochet thread with an E hook -- the smallest hook with which I've ever completed a project! I wanted to do a mock-up to see if the size would work for jewelry. This size will work for a lapel pin, hair clip, or embellishment for a hat or bag. I'm going to try -- brace yourselves -- a C hook and embroidery floss. I'm growing; I'm changing.

I also made a visit to Tom Thumb in Evanston in search of crochet rings. They're plastic discs that look like washers, and you crochet around them to make things like this.

I didn't find crochet rings at Tom Thumb, so I swung by the hardware store and got various sizes of metal washers, which I will trace on plastic and cut out to crochet around. I'm getting so serious about this crocheted jewelry!!

I'm also getting serious about the future of the Craft-Tacular Art Spectacle. As of last night, I have venues lined up for my June event, my September event, and my holiday extravaganza!! I'll keep you posted! (The June one is on the 14th at R Public House!)

So that's the news for now! Check back Thursday for more tales from the front! Or come and craft with me Wednesday night at 7:00 at R Public House, 1508 West Jarvis. Until then, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!!

Everything's Coming Up Roses (and Daffodils, and Pansies, and Sunflowers...)!!

Happy Thursday! As I mentioned on Monday, I want to try my hand at more delicate crochet patterns and jewelry. You know how sometimes you mention a desire, and then Divine Providence jumps in and rearranges the universe so that you receive your desire? You know, because God is an artist, and by creating, we become playmates with God? Well, Tuesday I had a really lousy, weather-related headache, so I just lay low and pretty much stuck to my room after I taught my morning Early Childhood Arts class in Evanston. That evening, my roommate Sarah came home with a gift for me from our friend Betsy, who owns Armadillo's Pillow Bookstore. It was a copy of Suzann Thompson's CROCHET BOUQUET, a book with tons of crochet flower patterns!!

These flowers will be great as trim on blankets, shawls, and hats, in addition to making really fun and pretty jewelry! I announced that I wanted to try something new, and a book that I didn't even know existed was hand-delivered. That's a miracle, in my eyes!

My very handsome friend, Robbie Chandler, sent me a great quote from screenwriter, director, composer, actor, Renaissance man, et cetera, et al, Joss Whedon.

This is what we need to do! Whatever creative energy it is that we can put out into the world, we need to get it out there. Paint. Dance. Cook. Garden. Beautify your world! And beautiful things will come back to you. Darling, everything's coming up roses!!

That's the news for now. Mark you calendars for Stitch Night at G & L Tavern on Grace and Leavitt on Mondays at 7 and R Public House, 1508 W. Jarvis, on Wednesdays at 7. Until Monday, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!!

Spring Awakenings

Wow, it's been a very long time since I've posted a blog!! I've really been missing all of my friends in the blogosphere! I have it on good authority that, despite our wretchedly brutal Midwestern winter, spring IS coming, so I decided it was time to come out of hibernation and write.

This past Saturday I hosted the second installation of the Craft-Tacular Art Spectacle, the neighborhood craft market that I plan to hold quarterly.

It was bigger and better than the first one, and isn't that always the goal? This time we had it in the Glenwood bar. Colm Treacy generously welcomed us to take over his bar, Chad Luellen graciously managed to keep the takeover from being too hostile, and, along with Chad, hot geek Danny Flowers kept the drinks flowing.  In addition to designing yet another great poster, my very talented roommate, Sarah Bell, organized some awesome local musicians to play for us. Sarah and I even got up to sing ourselves!! This event has become an excuse to hang out with my friends under the guise of selling our wares. We've got the next one scheduled for June 14th at R Public House in Jarvis Square.

I've been thinking about going outside my comfort zone for the next craft market. I'm looking at lacy wraps and crocheted jewelry. What's that you say? You didn't know that jewelry could be crocheted?? Here are some pieces I found on Pinterest. I'm intrigued by this stuff!

I'm going to post again on Thursday and let you know my progress on crocheted jewelry. Mark your calendars for June 14th, and until next time, Peace, (Radical) Love, and Yarn!!

The Craft-Tacular Art Spectacle is Coming!!

Darlings, it is a mere nineteen days until the first ever Craft-Tacular Art Spectacle!!

There's so much to be done! Posters and flyers to distribute, emails to send, event invites to post, marketing galore! And I have to make sure my vendors have everything they need to be successful. It's exciting and fun! It's like a planning a wedding without the bridezilla!!!

I also have to crochet a bunch of stuff to sell. Hats and scarves and fingerless gloves and baby blankets and baby hats and flower pins -- lots and lots of flower pins!!

I made two hats last night and one and-a-half this afternoon -- I feel like I work in a sweatshop!! And that's the way it's going to be around my house for the next two and-a-half weeks!

Don't nobody bring me no bad news!

Well, I'd love to chat, but those fine crocheted accessories are not going to crochet themselves! It's back to work for me! I believe the lovely and talented Emily is stitching at G & L Tavern tonight. I'm not going because it's snowing and I'm still recovering from throwing my back out at work last Wednesday. But go in my stead and tip that Matt Roben behind the bar handsomely, because boy-howdy, is he handsome! Until next time, my darlings, Peace, (radical) Love, and Yarn! XOXOXO

Crocheting to Wagner

Today is the dress rehearsal for "Parsifal" at Lyric Opera. With intermissions, the production runs five hours. Wagner had a lot to say!

I have an established and proud history of crocheting to Wagner. Three years ago, I dressed the supplementary men's chorus for "Lohengrin". I decided to crochet a skull cap for each of the gentlemen I dressed. Each act was an hour, and, coincidentally, it takes me about an hour to crochet a hat. So I brought in a bag of different colors of yarn and asked each of my guys in turn what color hat they wanted. He'd tell me, go onstage to sing for an hour, and when he got back, his hat would be waiting for him on his desk.

Last year we did "Der Meistersinger". I dressed the circus performers. There was lots of crochet time. I was able to crochet a knight's helmet with a  movable face guard, and have those circus fellas start teaching me how to juggle.

And now it's Wagner again. I brought three crochet projects to work on, and I even got a little juggling in! I love my job!

Sooooo that's the news for now! Easy, Drink, and Be Crafty is at R Public House tonight at 7. Until next time my darlings, Peace, (radical) Love, and Yarn! XOXOXO

Let's Get Moving!

"What you want is on the other side of fear."
                                                                     -- Jack Canfield

Yesterday morning, four of my friends that I met through Lyric Opera ran a 5k. I've always said that I only run when I'm being chased, but seeing Facebook posts from Linda, John, Alejandra, and Evan got me thinking that, in light of my recent twenty-pound weight loss and my desire to step up my physical activity,  I might be ready to start training for my very own 5k.

I had heard about a training program called Couch to 5K (C25K), so I Googled it. It's through a website called Cool Running. No, not like the movie about the Jamaican bobsledding team!! I read through the C25K plan and decided that I'd give it a try. It's a nine-week program; three training sessions a week, starting relatively slowly with a five-minute walk to warm up, followed by twenty minutes of intervals of 60 seconds jogging and 90 seconds walking. I'm starting training this very afternoon!

I posted on Facebook last night about my intent to start training and my friends who inspired me. Alejandra commented that I should let her know which 5k I decided to run so she could be there rooting me on. So I Googled Chicago 5k 2014 and found the Warm Your Heart 5k, an indoor single loop run at McCormick Place on February 23. So this is my goal. I am now a runner. Well, a jogger! Start small!!

That's all the news for now! I'll be at the G & L Tavern this evening for some stitching, bitching, and Bears football. You should come by too -- the bartender is ADORABLE!! And I'll be at R Public House on Wednesday at 7:00 for Eat, Drink and Be Crafty!! Until next time, my darlings, Peace, (radical) Love, and Yarn! XOXOXO

Grandma's Legacy

I guess I was about seven when my grandma taught me to crochet. She was my primary caregiver, and she crocheted voraciously. The crocheting strengthened her hand-eye coordination after her stroke. It also eased the pain in her arthritic fingers. I was fascinated by the dancing of her crochet hook and the beautiful fabric she created out of simple yarn. I begged her to teach me. She was very patient and kind, as she was whenever I asked her to teach me something. We had our differences and frequently fought like cats and dogs, but she was a gracious and skilled teacher.

Grandma made afghans and pillows, lap robes and goofy 1970's toilet paper covers. She crocheted these silly chickens that fit over the plastic eggs that L'eggs pantyhose used to come in. She made countless lap robes that she donated to "old folks' homes" (she was the same age as the majority of these "old folks"!). She made at least one special item for each of her nine grandchildren.

Through the many moves of my adult life, my beautiful round pillow with the braided chains in variegated pink, blue, and white yarn got misplaced. I consoled myself in the knowledge that I didn't need the THING that Grandma made because she gave me a more precious gift in the SKILL to make my own things.

And then my mom did something miraculous. She pulled from her sewing room an afghan that Grandma had crocheted in the 80's. It was one of her "Indian Pattern" afghans, worked in rows and rows of single crochet, every ninth stitch a double crochet into the row beneath. Then in the next row you start your nine count a stitch earlier, so you end up with a diagonal line pattern throughout.

Grandma made this particular afghan with scrap yarn from her myriad other projects. It's very Joseph's Coat of Many Colors! It's also very cozy, and I love it! Mom gave it to me because she thought it would look fabulous on my red couch. It does.

For this picture, I covered the couch in the afghan to show off the array of colors Grandma combined. I also put the pillows I made on either end to make it more artistic and meaningful. Roxie accessorized the photo with herself, because she has to get her paws on everything I do!

The bonus miracle here is that I have a ton -- A TON!! -- of scrap yarn and had been thinking about how I wished I had this very pattern to put that yarn to work. And here comes the afghan, out of Mom's sewing room and into my arms!

So that's the news for now. Don't forget the Stitch 'n' Bitch at RPH tonight! 7:00! Bring your friends! And as always, til next time, Peace, (radical) Love, and Yarn! XOXOXO