Crocheted Finger Puppets

Go to www.mossonline.com to see a unique set of crocheted finger puppets - five puppets - each one a mini sculpture of a "terrorist" according to the adverstisement for them. Different.

Crochet Meeting

The Northern IL chapter of the Crochet Guild of America held their meeting today. So much crochet passion in one room! It is fabulous. Show and Tell produced a wide array of delicious colors - pink, red, yellow, beige, green, grey, gold, silver -- like an endless flower bed bursting into bloom, each bloom more delightful than the next. Shrugs, afghans, granny squares, purses, necklaces, baby blankets, chemo caps, sweaters, even a pink corvette convertible all created from long, flexible, shapeless materials.
What fun to create! Bountiful beauties hooked together, and in the hooking, drawing us into one group with a single focus. Glorious crocheters sharing glorious art.

Yarn Cleaner Upper

For my birthday (which was on April 3rd for those of you who forgot), I got a helper to pick up after me. You know -- all those yarn snips that decorate the carpet with such a luscious delightful array of color. My helper's name is Robbi. He was quite expensive, but since I only had to pay a dowry ( and most of that paid with points earned from Amazon. com) he will save me money in the long run, and save my back and knees in the even longer run. I don't have to pay him a salary, just give him a new filter once in a while and feed him a few watts. When I started writing this Robbi was sweeping my kitchen floor. Then he kept nudging my foot and now he is gently, soothingly rubbing against my foot. "Oooh, Robbie, that feels good."

I had to pick Rosie up off the floor so Robbie wouldn't suck at her fingers and make her sing -- and yes I finally attached her arms so she's beginning to look more like a normal gerilla. If this keeps up, I'll have to get a license for operating a Zoo.

Do you speak crochet?

Each area of learning seems to have its own language. Listen to those computer techies! Bites (as in dog bites??), mother board, DOS (mispelled DOES?), gigabytes (Giggling dog bites?), lan, virus (computer got a cold??), Ram (saw a car ram another once), ROM (romp? rump? Rome?) MHZ, MB (a bank?), bugs (get antibiotics for my keyboard), memory (where have I heard that before?) -- you get the idea.

Crochet has its own language, too. It has both a spoken one (Frogging, UFO's, WIP, chains, hookers, Size H, crab st (a holy crab??), and it has written languages. The one that makes pattern reading easier for me is that of symbols. I love patterns in symbols because they visually explain the pattern. I have a list of symbols which I've drawn to help myself and my students speak crochet symbol language. Email your request for them to crochetaway133@sbcglobal.net.

Rosie Gorilla2

(Continued from Rosie Gorilla) No one around. Taking a deep breath, clutching my cell phone, I crept back into the living room.
"You are not imagining my voice," came the voice again. "It's me, on the floor. For gorilla's sake, will you come here and pick me up? And then finish me? I feel helpless without arms and legs."
"This can't be," I thought. "I'm too old for an imaginary friend, and as of 30 minutes ago I seemed sane." I walked over to the crocheted form on the floor.
I swear it looked up at me and smiled. "How could it smile? Oh well - I did crochet its mouth smiling."

Crochet Rosie

Rosie Gorilla

"Finally, you finished my mouth. You crocheted my left arm ages ago, so when are you going to attach it to me?"
"Huh!! Who said that? Who's here?" I froze in terror in my recliner. I was all alone at home. I didn't have any company, except for a few pantry moths.
CLINK! I dropped my crochet hook and the red gorilla I was crocheting as I cautiously stood up. I couldn't see anybody, and suddenly I had to pee. I was so scared. Dare I move? The voice was close, but I couldn't see anyone as I slowly looked around, and stepped over the partially finished stuffed animal on the floor.
"Ouch! You dropped me on my head," said the voice - a girl's voice.
"Uh. Uh. I must be going nuts," I thought.
"Look down and pick me up, will ya?"
Zoom. I zoomed to the bathroom faster than a ball of yarn could roll down stairs, and locked myself in. I sat on the throne with fear and confusion. I didn't sleep well last night, maybe I am hearing things because I'm sleep deprived, or I'm really losing it. It was quiet now, just the usual tinkle, tinkle. I must of imagined the voice. I have a tremendous, fabulous, humongous, colorful, delightful imagination -- but this was over the edge. It couldn't have been that newly stuffed, newly faced, red limbless, loopy gorilla talking. Absolute silence in the house. I grabbed the cell phone from the pocket of my jeans, and thought about dialling 911. Except what would I tell them? To come and get me out of the bathroom because I was going nuts? Or to come and check my living room for a talking crocheted red gorilla? If I called and they rescued me from the bathroom, and/or from the gorilla??? they might take me away in a white jacket.
I held the phone in one hand, just in case, and slowly opened the bathroom door with the other. I held my breath and almost wished to find an intruder so I would know I wasn't nuts. I peeked around the corner, and stepped silently into the hallway. (To be continued)

Spend Today Crocheting

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Spend it crocheting.

Pink Elephants

Pink Elephants are frequently used to indicate that a person has had too much alcohol to drink. He or she can't see straight because they are drunk - so they, figuratively speaking, see pink elephants. I've created Pinky No Drinky Elephant. I crocheted two in the last few days. These are mini Pinky's. In a group of people going to a party where booze flows freely, give the crocheted pink elephant to the designated driver. This crocheted, cute elephant is the only pink elephant he will see during that exercusion into alcohol territory because the owner of pinky may not drink and no one may serve or offer booze to the holder of the pink elephant. Pinky no Drinky was created in memory of my brother, Sonny, who died a horrible death from his alcoholism. If you would like to join in my crusade to save lives by making the designated driver obvious, and a to force a choice to be made before the drinking begins, crochet Pinky no Drinky and give it to your friend, college student or your loved one before it is too late. Pinky no Drinky saves lives. Request a Pinky pattern by e-mail to: crochetaway133@sbcglobal.net.

Crochet Connection

Crochet has taught me many lessons, and is connected to all of my life. Crochet has emotional, psychological, physical, spiritual and practical connections.

How do you crochet when you are angry? How about when you are sad? When you are jumping for joy?

Why do you crochet? Is the journey less important, not important at all, or more important then the destination?

A friend, Carol, was watching me crochet, and asked what I was making. I told her. Carol said "What are you making that for?" In other words, what was my destination. The light bulb clicked on in my head, when the answer dawned on me. I didn't have a destination -- I was just enjoying the journey tremendously. I told her, "I'm crocheting this because I like to crochet." Carol was baffled by my answer. Carol is a number cruncher and everything must add up for her. Reaching the correct answer is all that mattered for her. Sometimes I crochet to reach a destination - but rarely. How about you? What do you crochet for? Why are you crocheting your current project? To take the journey or to get there? Please let me know. My e-mail is crochetaway133@sbcglobal.net. I am dodie -- crochet kookie dodie.

Happy Connections! Let your hook take you on your journey.