Downsizing my pattern stash!

I really have too much stuff in my studio.  Really.  So I decided it's time to de-clutter it a bit.

I want these patterns that were so useful to me to go to someone who will appreciate them.  At the same time, I need them to go - soon!  I need the space!

Normally I would go to eBay to sell them.  But I've heard too many horror stories from eBay sellers lately.  Things like buyers complaining to eBay, getting a full refund, and returning empty boxes to the sellers instead of the product they purchased.  What a scam! 

After some searching, I found an alternative to eBay that I'm trying out.  It's called unisquare, and I find it very easy to use (which is really saying something, as my computer skills haven't kept up!)  I posted my first 10 patterns last night, so we'll see how it goes.  I priced them all for $3 or less, as I would really like to send them all out soon.

Check it out! https://www.unisquare.com/members/coggercrochet/

moving to my own domain

I have finally launched my own website - I am so excited!  I will continue to blog there - please come visit me at dmcogger.com !!

Open Studio Weekend

The first weekend of October was the Vermont Craft Council's Open Studio Weekend.  After weeks of planning, building sign holders, hanging posters, and dropping off event maps at every location I could think of, the weekend arrived.

All of the things I have up on Etsy were displayed in the tent to the right, thus opening up the "production" part of my studio for visitors to walk through.

Saturday was a nice, sunny day. We had a total of 8 people arrive and look around.  All but one found me by following the signs; the one had picked up a map all the way down in White River Junction and drove up to find me.  I met and chatted with some wonderful people.

Sunday was chilly, damp, and dreary.  Two people stopped by after the church across the street let out, and two more came through around 3pm - that was it for the day.  Very disappointing.

But, as there can be a silver lining to most everything, I met a woman who fell in love with a pair of gloves I had made.  She did not have the cash for them, so we worked out a barter instead.  She had a large rabbit cage, which is something I was looking for.  My Angora rabbits are now happily in their winter (inside) home, while her hands are toasty warm!

My Crochet Muse

"When the muse is with you, work with it."

Needless to say, looking at the date of my last post, my writing muse went away for a while. In one respect, I am almost glad that it did, as it created time for new discoveries.

After meeting Sarah Mutrix at the Vermont Crafts Council spring marketing event, I visited her at The Art House in Craftsbury.  I had gone with the intent of finding out more about their new fiber studio.  I left with an opportunity to teach a class on Etsy!

The crochet muse struck hard shortly after that.  I became so obsessed with a pattern I was working on, I even special ordered the yarn!  It was well worth the effort, as Mary Maxim purchased the pattern.

I also started working tech editing for a couple of new clients.  The crochet muse helped immensely there, especially with patterns that did not have pictures to reference.  It is amazing how many talented designers there are out there!

On the crochet design front, I have had more ideas and subsequently made more submissions in the past couple of months than I ever have before.  All of this hard work paid off when the CGOA approved my application for professional membership!

Now I have to dedicate some serious time to creating product for Open Studio Weekend in October.  This will be my first year participating, and I want it to go well!  Come visit me if you are in the area!

VCC Spring Marketing Conference

Yesterday was the Vermont Crafts Council Spring Arts Marketing Conference.  I did not know what to expect, really, but thought it might be worth the time (and 3 hour round trip) to go.  I was not disappointed!  There was so much information, so many ideas, so many wonderful people; I wanted to share a few things that I learned there.

image by patpitchaya
 

The stories of the speakers and the obstacles they have overcome to get to where they are were inspiring.  The innovative solutions were amazing!  An artist, Peter Huntoon had purchased auction software and instead of selling for a fixed price, puts items up for bid – all from his web site!  A gallery director, Sarah Mutrux, announced the opening of a fiber studio in Craftsbury, Vermont.  Another speaker, artist Reed Prescott, introduced the project fundraising website of www.kickstarter.com, and told how it helped his business.

The afternoon was a series of workshops.  I started at the Vermont Arts Council, and picked up all sorts of information from start-up grants to insurance.  Lucie deLaBruere’s “Mobile Media Mania” was a how-to in using phones and tablets to capture not only photos, but audio and video that can be used in various ways online to promote your business.  Many times the importance of some sort of photo album online of your work was emphasized.  How to create and use QR codes (the blobs that smart phones can scan and read) was also covered!

QR code

“Isn’t That Pinteresting?”by Elissa Campbell  showed us how to use Pinterest, as well as social media in general.  I found it amusing that social media success can be broken down into 4 steps:  like, share, follow, and post new stuff.  Once you have an online portfolio, your only limit on how to use it to expand your business is your own imagination.

During lunch and breaks, the other artisans in attendance were very friendly and full of advice based on their own experiences.  This is the kind of support that is really needed for anyone starting out.  Little things, like having a plate of cookies or some sort of snacks available at Open Studio Weekend, are not published on the official guidelines, but are an added touch that most of the artisans do.

A great big thank you to all of you I met yesterday!!

Celebrate Crochet!

Welcome to Day 9 of the Tour through Crochet Country!  Happy Crochet Month!

I have a lot of things going on, so let’s get started!  As a new crochet technical editor, I am accepting designs at a reduced rate to celebrate crochet month.  Not a designer?  How about an idea for what to do with scrap yarn to support the charity of the month, Project Night-Night?

Scrap Yarn to Afghan Donation

Start by going through your stash.  Pull out all the partial skeins, balls, partial cakes, etc. of the same yarn weight.  If any require hand washing, throw those back into your stash. 

Now sort those scraps by color.  Place them on a table, from left to right, in order of the rainbow:  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.  Sort them again by dark to light within the same color group.

Working with 2 strands of yarn, starting with the reds, and a large hook (K/6.00mm or greater) make a 36” chain.  Verify the number of stitches can be divided evenly by 3.  Double crochet (dc) in 5^th chain from hook, chain 1, dc in the same stitch (V-stitch made), skip 1 chain,* (dc, ch 1, dc) in next stitch, skip 1 chain* across, dc in last chain.

All following rows:  Chain 3, turn, V-stitch in chain-1 space of previous row across, dc in top of turning chain.

When you run out of one strand of yarn, replace it with the next one in your color line up.  This will create a beautiful, one-of-a-kind rainbow afghan as the colors meld into one another.

The border can be done in your choice of grey, white, or black – whatever you have.  Sc evenly around, working 3 sc in each corner, and you’re done!

The Travel Afghan

As I do not have a picture of the scrap afghan described above (I donate them once they are complete), I thought I would share with you another afghan – one that my great-grandmother gave to me when I was a child in the 70’s.  She called it a travel afghan, as it was made while she was on the road touring the country back in the 1940’s.  When they came to a new town, she would pick up a single skein of yarn in whatever color caught her eye at the local 5 and dime, and work on the afghan while her husband drove.  This was the result:

The CGOA

While you are on your tour of crochet country, why not take a moment and check out the Crochet Guild of America?  They are an excellent resource for anything to do with crochet, for beginners and professionals alike!

A Crocheter’s Guide to Spring Cleaning

1. Announce to all occupants of the house that you are cleaning and not to be disturbed.
2. Gather together all of those unfinished projects (UFO’s).  Go through each one and prioritize when each will be completed (this year, next year, whenever).  If one catches your eye, it’s time to finish it.  Pull that one out, put the rest of them away.
3.  Gather together all of those crochet books and magazines.  Sit down and go through each one.  Bookmark those projects that will make perfect gifts, and also those that you just want to try. 
4.  Go have lunch.
5.  Look at your stash.  Feel the yarn.  Absorb the colors.  Organize it if you want.  Take note of what colors and fibers you are missing.  If you are lucky enough to find the perfect yarn in the right quantity for one of the projects you bookmarked in step 2, put the pattern with the yarn and go find a crochet hook.
6.  Make sure you have all your tools (crochet hooks, stitch markers, scissors, tape measure, pencil) next to your favorite crochet chair.  Chase the cat out of the room if necessary.
7.       Stash the stack of books and magazines at the bottom of the nearest bookshelf, put your stash back where it was, and sit in your favorite crochet chair.  Start on that pattern or UFO.  If anyone asks, you’re done with spring cleaning.  After all, anyone can do dishes.

More on the tour...

I hope you've had fun here at NEKCrochet!  Thank you for visiting! Don't forget to continue your tour - visit Angela Whisnant today.  Here is the rest of the tour schedule:

March 10	Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten	Renee Rodgers
March 11	Joy Prescott	Donna Childs
March 12	Pam Daley	Deb Burger
March 13	Tammy Hildebrand	Marty Miller
March 14	Jocelyn Sass	Jennifer E Ryan
March 15	Andee Graves	Kimberly McAlindin
March 16	Laurinda Reddig
March 17	Brenda Bourg
March 18	Rhonda Davis
March 19	Julie Oparka
March 20	April Garwood
March 21	Alaina Klug
March 22	Erin Boland
March 23	Margaret Hubert
March 24	Bonnie Barker
March 25	Kim Guzman	Susan Huxley
March 26	Susan Lowman	Michele Maks
March 27	Marie Segares	Brenda Stratton
March 28	Kathy White	Lori Carlson
March 29	Amy Shelton	Donna Hulka
March 30	Linda Dean	Kristin Dragos
March 31	Karen C K Ballard	Gwen Blakley-Kinsler

March is National Crochet Month

I have been spending the morning catching up on the blogs of the crochet professionals participating in the National Crochet Month blog tour.  Although today is only the 3rd day of the event, there is some fascinating reading to be done!

see the full tour schedule

It is amazing to me how many different niches there are to explore in the crochet world.  From the history to the future, from the tools to the runway, and everything in between, what I have read so far in this blog tour has been eye opening. I look forward to see what others are going to write!

My turn comes on March 9th, so please check back then for an update!

Busy, busy, busy

Although I freely admit to being guilty of neglecting my blog, I have been keeping busy. I needed to streamline my thoughts, reflect on where I've been, where I am now, and where I want to go in the world of crochet. It was high time to re-organize everything I was doing, incorporate all I was learning, into a business.

My new logo, shown above, is being used for everything from Etsy to correspondence with publishers.  I printed up business cards with the logo and contact info on the front, and then put the item specific info on the back.  For Etsy, this means title, fiber content, and washing instructions.  For publisher submissions, this means the title and issue of the publication along with the title of the design.

My desire to use the skills I learned in Crochet Insider's technical editing class led to a crash course in social networking and the development of a new, easier to navigate website.  Check it out at  

 http://sites.google.com/site/coggercrochet/ By posting a message on Ravelry, I have been getting TE work - practice to hone skills!

I am looking forward to participating in the Tour Through Crochet Country on March 9th to celebrate National Crochet Month.  Find the details at Crochetville.  Thank you, Amy Shelton, for all of your hard work for setting this up - such a great idea!

Online Classes at Crochet Insider

If you know how to crochet, can follow a pattern, and even make your own designs, what more is there to learn?  Plenty!!    In the world of crochet design, there are many, many things you didn't know you didn't know.

credit: scottchan

As I am pursuing my technical writing degree online, I am accustomed to online classes.  They require about 4 hours of work a week per credit, have special chat rooms and video tutorials.  To my surprise, so do the classes at Crochet Insider.  The discussion boards allow you to read the material, comment on it, and respond to the comments of your classmates.  There are links to helpful websites and video tutorials not available to the general public.

It's nice that there are no hidden fees or additional books to purchase.  The prices are reasonable.  Pay for the class with Paypal and you're done!  

The classes open your eyes to more details of the topic than you ever realized existed.  As details are an important part of crochet work, awareness of the how and why make your work that much better.  As an additional plus, you will make friends and connections with your classmates.  It can be very interesting to see how different people interpret the same thing in such diverse ways!

I highly recommend to anyone considering taking a class at Crochet Insider to do so.  Do not hesitate to email Dora if you have any questions - she's terrific at getting back to you!  These classes are reasonably priced, and the investment in yourself and your craft is worth every penny.

Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival

The dark clouds and rain could not keep me away from the 24th annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival! The weather may have been dreary, but I had a wonderful time.  There were the usual vendors there, but a few new ones as well.

As usual, I started at the tent that sold festival t-shirts, sweatshirts, and totes.  I always leave my purse in the vehicle (money and checkbook in my pocket!) and get a new tote bag for the goodies I know that await inside.  I was surprised that this year's logo was a sheepdog!

The first animal barn had alpaca, primarily Angora goats, and a few sheep.  My favorite local Alpaca producer, Snowshoe Farm, was in there with exactly the yarn I was looking for:  Alpaca Sock.  It's 50% Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Nylon 3-ply yarn that comes in 500 yard skeins for only $26.  They had a stack of cards on the table that held washing and care instructions (which they said I could take as many as I wanted) that are perfect for slipping in the package with the finished product.

At this point, my youngest found me to let me know that the Sister's of St. Mary were selling cashmere goat kids.  As I had adopted 2 Angora goats in July, I thought that it might be fun to try for Cashgora.  I know I will use the resulting yarn!  To my surprise, they had a silver Cashmere named Sugah.  The price was right, so I bought her.  My husband just rolled his eyes.

Back to the yarn vendors.  I had brought a list with me of weight and yardage needed for projects I have lined up.  I found everything I was looking for.  The best deal of the day was a luxurious lace weight:  70% baby alpaca, 20% silk, 10% cashmere, 1300 yards for $32 from Nightingale Fibers.  I can't wait to work with it!!

We stopped to talk with both the sheep dog demonstrator and the fencing people.  Then it was back through one more vendor area, where I purchased several skeins of hand-dyed superwash Merino from Dyenamics Yarn (430 yds each).  I also bought 100% blue faced Leicester wool, dk weight, 700 yard hand-panted skeins from Jan Marek Raczkowski.

My tote-bag full, it was time to go back to the truck.  We stopped again at the tote-bag tent to speak with the event coordinator to get directions to pick up the goat.  Sugah laid down on my daughter's lap in the back seat, and off we went.

I had apprehensions about an unsecured goat in the back seat, but she was incredibly well behaved.  For most of the trip home, she just sat and chewed her cud.  We made a stop for a leg stretch, where Sugah wanted out too.  She relieved herself, then got back in with the rest of us.  She did not make any mess in the truck at all, but rather waited until she was out (she went again as soon as we got home.)

At 4 months, Sugah is bigger than my 5 month old Angora goats. There was a little bit of adjustment as she figured out where the water and hay were, and while the Angora's figured out who this newcomer was, but all quieted down within an hour.

My only disappointment with this year's show was there were no Angora rabbits there.  I was hoping to find a female to place in a hutch between the two males I currently have.  But I suppose if there HAD been a rabbit there, I would not have had the space to get Sugah.  Sometimes things just work out that way!

Yates Farm Yarn Sale 2012

I just got my postcard from Hilda Yates.  This year's yarn sale is Saturday 10/27 and Sunday 10/28!

For those of you who don't know, Yates is a commercial sheep farm in Ascutney, Vermont.  Every year, Hilda Yates has a huge yarn sale of 100% wool in a large variety of colors for very reasonable prices.  If you get there on Saturday morning, she has a brunch buffet set out as well - everything from quiche to fruit salad!

Expect to grab a bag and go from room to room in their old farm house.  There are bags of various colors and sizes lining each room and even the hall!  There is bulky weight, worsted weight, sport and fingering weight.  Most of it is in hanks, but sometimes you can find cones.  There is roving in all sorts of colors.  If you are looking for something in particular, just ask!  Chances are Hilda has it.

While you are there, be sure to get on the mailing list so you can plan for next year's sale.  Hilda mails out postcards about a month before the sale is held.

Hope to see you there!

Time Management - Again

I know I've written quite a bit about time management.  Perhaps this is due to the fact that I am still trying to figure it out.  It's one of those things, I've determined, that the experts in such things can provide guidelines for, but one size does not fit all.  Everyone has their own set of distractions that need to be kept in check in order to get your work done, especially if you work at home.

One of the best guidelines for me was so simple, my jaw dropped when I read it.  Shut the door.  Three simple words.  Whereas I was working in the living room at the time, this proved to be impossible. I began to notice how many times a member of my family would enter the room to ask a question, turn on the television, argue over what channel to watch, etc.

This led to this summer's main project - build a studio.  I have been wanting to join in the Vermont Crafts Council's Open Studio Weekend, but needed a studio.  Now was the time.  Unfortunately for me, the studio was completed too late to join in the fall Open Studio Weekend, but it will be open for the spring.  The studio itself is heated, so I can work in there all winter long.

Hopefully, this will bring an end to the little distractions that make it difficult to work.  I had a sketch/swatch accepted by a major magazine this summer that included a zipper.  I had a good idea of how I was going to work up the sample, but it still had to be reworked a few times to get it right.  I did not get to the zipper until the day before I had to mail it back to them to be received by the deadline.  Wouldn't you know, I could not get that zipper in the way it was supposed to be?  Once I had the whole thing together, I discovered other issues that should be reworked as well.  I mailed it in, as I was out of time, only to receive a letter from the editor a week later that it could not be used due to various design issues (including the zipper).  The editor was kind enough to send it back to me.

I am still reworking that design.  I figured it I had that much trouble putting in that zipper, other people would as well, so I am trying to make it easier to do.  The next time I submit it, it will be right!

Summer Reading

Summer reading for me tends to be more like summer browsing.  I like to take crochet books and magazines, and after catching up on the articles, browse patterns.

credit:  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'll choose what it is that I want to make for whom, so I have plenty of time to find the perfect yarn.  If you're looking for something new, check these out:

All Free Crochet is giving away a free copy of Austentatious Crochet - all you have to do is enter.

Get a copy of Dora Ohrenstein's latest book, Custom Crocheted Sweaters:  Make Garments That Really Fit.  Almost everyone can use a new sweater!

Laurie Laliberte's new paperback has just been released - Quick Crochet For Kitchen And Bath - another great resource for gift ideas.

For the sports lover, check out another new release - Sports: Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey Knit and Crochet Patterns.


The amount of ebook patterns and crochet books is constantly rising.  It appears that Amazon has recently released several vintage patterns on ebook.

If looking at all of these patterns inspires you to create your own, pick up The Crochet Artist Memory to get it down on paper!

Deadline Reminder

The application deadline for the Herrschner's Afghan Contest 2013 is coming up fast - June 15th.  For more information, go to their website.  Speaking from experience, they are some really terrific people to deal with!

In a nutshell, all you have to do is download and fill out the application and get it back to them by the June 15th deadline.  They send you the submission tag.  Then get busy on finishing that afghan!  The finished 'ghan is due July 15th.

Obviously, not everyone can win.  One nice thing about this contest is that Herrschner's may opt to purchase the non-winning, honorable mention designs.  They will contact those they are interested in late summer.  It is a fun way to start getting published as a designer.

One year ago...

One year ago, today, I wrote my 12th blog post.  One year ago, this past week, I had sent in my application to the CGOA.  Part of that application was goals - what were they for 1 year? For 5 years?

What have I accomplished?  I have a blog, a website, and an Etsy store.  I have a pattern for sale on Ravelry.  I have a roomful of yarn and several notebooks with sketches and ideas.  I have a box of swatches and the look of total disorganization.

Well, thanks to the patience and guidance of my mentor, I have achieved my 1 year goal in regard to publication.  The routine of blogging needs work, as shown by my 86 posts in a single year!  With all that has gone on, any semblence of routine has evaporated.  The time has come to get serious.  Let's see if, in year 2, I can bring crochet from a hobby to a business.

Father's Day Fisherman's Hat

Almost a year ago, I started this blog. One of my first posts was about crocheting a fisherman's hat for Father's Day.  I finished the first hat in September, submitted it with a number of other such patterns for publication with a major yarn company for a proposed booklet.  Obviously, that did not pan out.

At the encouragement of my wonderful CGOA mentor, I figured out how to self-publish.  And tonight I finally figured out how to post it as a pattern for sale on Ravelry!

This hat has everything that the commercial ones do:  places to hang hooks and lures, a wide brim, and neck protection from the sun that can be rolled up and tucked into the hat on overcast days.  The tapered design allows it to fit a head circumference of 22" to 24".

The best part is that it works up pretty quickly.  If you are interested in ordering a copy of this pattern,

The Heat Is On

When the pressure is on - that's when you can really surprise even yourself.  The last half of April was harsh.  All of the semester-long projects were due for school, finals coming up fast....and of course, submission deadlines for 4 crochet magazines, and, why not, let's throw in a contract crochet audition.

Now that April is over and done with, I can look back and say "wow - I did all that?"  One look at my desk (which always seems to suffer the most) brings in a reality check.

Somehow I managed to get at least one submission into each of the mags.  Somehow I managed to get all school assignments done and in on time.  As far as the audition goes, my gauge was too different for the designer - it happens.

There is a short respite between spring and summer classes, which to me is the calm before the storm.  It will give me a chance to clean off my desk, and maybe organize a bit.  The calendar says I can do it all over again in July, only this time we can add it country fairs to the list!

It's Spring! Time To Think About Christmas?

There are all kinds of submission deadlines coming up - for Christmas and winter 2012/2013!

It is totally normal for publishers to work months in advance.  If you think about all that goes into a publication, it makes sense.  For those of us submitting, however, it takes a little bit of a mind twist.

credit: Anusom P nachol

Crochet!, Crochet World, and Interweave Crochet all have submission deadlines in April for next winter.  At a time of year when most people are sick of winter, even a mild one, and are looking forward to spring, it can be tough to look at a ball of wool and see the next great project.

The trick to dealing with the time delay is, well, not to worry about it.  If you are thinking Spring, design for Spring.  The publishers will be looking for submissions for their Spring 2013 editions in a few months and you will already have several ideas down!

By sketching your ideas when they are fresh in your mind, they are completely unique to you.  If they fit with the editorial calendar of a certain publication, wonderful!  If not, drop it in your portfolio.  The important part is to get those ideas down on paper, or typed/scanned into a computer.

This concept did not really sink in with me until this year.  I saw the "inspiration" on an editorial calendar and gasped - it was almost identical to a sketch/swatch I had made one summer almost 2 years ago!  Now I have to dig it out (moving is SUCH a good way of misplacing things!) and submit it and I'm done!  No stress.

Although I have to admit I get strange looks from people when they see I'm currently crocheting a Christmas stocking.....

Credit: digitalart

Something Strange Is Going On....

February in northeastern Vermont usually means several feet of snow on the ground with icy cold nights and cold and snowy days.  Not this year.  We have maybe 6 inches of ice crusted snow on the ground, with daytime temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

This is February???

Maple sugar season usually starts around the last week of February, first week of March.  This year it started last week.  Most disturbing of all is the wildlife.  Skunks and raccoon usually sleep through February.  This year they are out and about, starting their mating season very early.

This 'easy' winter has national broadcasters proclaiming how homeowners are saving 10% of their heating costs, not due to fuel prices going down (they've actually risen), but rather due to less heating being required. This mild winter is not unique to Vermont - it appears to be the same across the continental US.

What does any of this have to do with crochet?  Slow sales of wool products.  Hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves are generally all good sellers during the winter months, but not this year.  I suppose some of it can be due to a poor economy, but mostly I blame the weather.

The bright side of all of this is that the warmer temperatures make it easier to focus on spring and summer products, and to work with lighter yarns, such as cotton, bamboo, and rayon.  By starting now, more time will be available to complete entries for the summer fairs.  I wonder if fall will come early this year, too?

Crochet! Design Call-Out

Making the adjustment to living in a new home with a new life that includes 5 online courses, I have not had much time to devote to crochet.  Now that things have calmed down a little, I hope to rectify that situation.  This latest casting call may be the jump start I need to start contributing again.

For those of you who don't know, a design call-out or casting call is when a publisher has an idea for a book or special issue magazine, and they need design contributions.  Crochet! magazine is having such a call-out.

The reason I believe this may be the kick-in-the-pants I need to get going is the subject matter: all cold weather stuff!  I have an entire notebook full of designs I have made over the years that I could contribute, with very little work on my part.  I have photos of the finished items because I make them, year after year, for my own family and friends. My primary medium for many years was wool - sheep, alpaca, and llama.

I have tried in the past to whip up something for call-outs.  The problem is, they don't give you a lot of time - usually only a couple of weeks - to submit something.  If they take sketches and swatches, fine.  But some companies want the finished product!  Not being in a position to drop everything to create a design, I have learned, the hard way, to pass on those.

In this case, though, all I have to do is complete the submission form.  Perhaps I will get a design published this year after all!