Chain one, teach too!

Another adventure in teaching crochet will be heading to a college campus near you!

That's right folks, I am at it again with this wild idea that I should teach people how to crochet. Brilliant, huh?

Usually, this teaching happens at my house, in a loud, party-type setting. Not this time, oh no. I'm taking it outside (weather permitting) and teaching crochet in public.

Now, this might not sound like much. I crochet by myself in public all the time! But this time I am teaching crochet. My fervent hope is that people walking by us will go, "Hey whoa wait! What is this?!" and stop, stare, and stitch with us.

Think it'll happen? Stay tuned: my first teach-in-public day is Saturday. We shall see, hmmmmm?

All my love,
Carolyn Michelle

Photo Source: free-craft-patterns.com: a vintage collection.

Festivity

First, to kick off the festivity, a few quick pictures of the highly successful Beat Black Friday event:

Since Thanksgiving, the Christmas spirit has been in the air here, even though our local farmers, my father included, are trying to discourage such things. It's been a hard fall: the unharvested corn stands in the fields as relentless reminders of that. December and stuff still isn't harvested?? Nevertheless, I'm patiently waiting for our first major snowfall, which is scheduled to hit on Wednesday. They are talking 6-10 inches. Now, that doesn't sound like much, but out here in the boonies it's not easy to drive some of the roads when they are clean. So, if this storm comes, we're in for a snow day.

YAY!

I'm so ready for the festivities to begin: my extended family is coming in to town on the 20th to celebrate Christmas with us and my beloved Caleb gets home from college, for good, on the 18th.

Above all, I'm only eleven days plus nine final exams away from glorious Christmas-Break freedom. Glorious!

As the day of Christ's birth is fast approaching, I'm filled with a sort of, child-like glee: I love this time of year. Despite the biting cold that nearly drives me to become a hermit, despite the crabby-pants politicians who tell me I can't say Merry Christmas and still be socially acceptable, despite the shopping frenzy and the late-night finals cramming and the terribly icy roads...I still love this time of year. For me it's a time of togetherness and fellowship that just doesn't happen often enough. Wonder and mystery still play into my Christmas season. It's nothing short of magical.

All this goodwillishness is making me want to go hug someone...

In other news: There is a tentative Fiber Freaks event in the mix over this lovely Christmas break. Keep your ears open for more details as they come.

Hope you all are having as good of a week as I am.
-Carolyn Michelle

Not another...

Not another blog post starting with the phrase: "Wow it's been a while." It seems to be the trend this time of year. I can't tell you how many blog posts I've just got done reading that began the same way. It just seems that nobody has been keeping up anymore! Oh well....if you can't beat 'em...

Here we go:

Wow, it's been a while!

Some quick updates before I start any new banter:

The Bethesda Alley Walk was a success for me, but not so much for my mother and sister. It's a shame that it turned out that way, because that means I probably will not be able to show there next year. A solo show just is not in the books right now.

School has started and now is in full swing. Between all the play practices and homework I finally managed to finish my first (and only) afghan. In down time during my Journalism class, I've been teaching some of my classmates how to crochet.

The college search has wound down to a close. I have my sights set on NIU's Art program. Now all that's left is to get accepted and get a billion scholarships.

Easy?

I'd rather tat a bedspread then burn it than have this crazy anticipation. (If you know how to tat, I think you appreciate that allusion)

In new-er news:

There is another Fiber Freaks Event on the horizon....

Presenting:

BEAT BLACK FRIDAY!!

When? On November 27th, 2009 (Aka, Black Friday)

What Time? 10AM-10PM (Aka, Open House)

Where? At 16027 Campbell Road (Aka, The Glenny Farm)

Who? Awesome crafty people who'd rather make some Christmas presents (Aka, YOU!!)

Are you excited by the prospect of waking up at the crack of dawn on November 27th just so that you can stand in long, boring lines and fight with some half-crazed soccer mom about who saw the Tickle-Me-Elmo first? I didn’t think so.

This year, take matters into your own hands: join your favorite Fiber Freaks for the first ever Beat Black Friday craft-a-thon. There's no limit to what you can make: be it a potential gift for a loved one, or just something experimental. So, come on over, bring your projects, and kick-off the Christmas season by doing something that’s low on stress and nice to the wallet. Because, seriously, who wants to spend more time and money on those exhausting shopping trips?

Now, I am aware that my readers (if I have any left) are probably not going to be in the Rockford, IL area during the Thanksgiving season. So why am I posting all the info about the Fiber Freak's Beat Black Friday event? Because I want to inspire my readers to try and organize their own Black Friday event in order to spread the crafty love and save some moolah. So, bust out your yarn stash and snag Santa's list on November 27th. Make this Christmas a handmade holiday! Oh, yah, and don't forget to post a blog about it and tell me how it went!!!

So there you have it folks: this post is proof that the insanity continues, even when I fail to document it on this lovely blog! I'm making an effort to stay back online, just because I miss you all so darn much.

All my love,

Carolyn Michelle

Home, Sweet Home

Read about my adventures in Spain and France here.

Man it's good to be home! I had a blast on the trip, but alas, my aformentioned "crocheter's block" has only gotten worse. I bought some yarn that was made in Barcelona, Spain only to be asked by many people, "Que vas a hacer con lo?" "What are you going to make with it?"

Uhhhhhhhhhhh......

I think I'm in need of some serious crafty interventions. My shop hasn't been updated in MONTHS, I haven't made any new patterns since...since.....oh man.

So, in stride with that, I think it's time once again to have a Fiber Freaks event. Yes, an event. I just have to make some all-important phone calls and arrange a date, time, and food-provider.

I have a few tricks up my sleeve, so....be ready!

I plan on hosting the event BEFORE I go to Chicago on July 12th. By the time I get back from Chicago and School of the Art Institute, all my frineds will have had fantastic tans and wonderful parties without me. And with my luck, everybody will be on Vacation in August, the only month I'm actually HOME.

But, yes. An event. Tell me what you guys think?

Missed you all!
-Carolyn Michelle

The Fiber Freaks Update

Sorry about the long wait for this post. Life went a little berzerk for a while. Getting back into the swing of school is almost as hard as going back at all. My alarm clock is SO not my best friend right now.

Okay, without further ado, here are some quick shots from the Fiber Freaks party on Saturday December 27th:

Top to bottom: My new sewing machine!!!!!!!!!, the jelly donut pinchusion I found time to make, Sammi (in blue) making some shrinky dinks with Jessie Jo crocheting in the background, and me, freaking out a little.

The party was a total success. Everybody made some super spiffy stuff. I only wish I had a ton more pictures to show you. The whole thing was like a whirlwind, I only remembered to ask Tara to get her camera out at the last second. Too bad, there were some great projects. Such as:

-Sammi's rainbow crocheted american girl doll turbin

-Jessie Jo's Huge massive lime green knitted scarf

-Rachael's crocheted acorn

-Tara's tiny tiny tiny shrinky dink cupcake

-Kody's crocheted bug

-Dan's crocheted...thing

-Danielle's crocheted "Texas tie"

And about a trillion others.

There are a few more pictures on my Flickr so check em out!

In other news, two new shop items, go look!!!

Love you lots!!!

-Carolyn Michelle

Christmas wonderment

Christmas was full of wonder this year. It was such a joy seeing new members of my family get to participate in the traditions I have grown up with. My favorite being the annual sharing of the cheesy tates. You really can't beat something like Grandma's cheesy tates. yumyumyum. I have some cheese tate leftovers in the fridge right now. I'm thinking lunch.

I really hate to go off and list what I got for Christmas (because that's really not interesting or even polite) but I would like to tell you about one key gift: a sewing machine.

I GOT A NEW SEWING MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is the best gift ever ever ever on the face of the earth ever. EVER.

You get it.

It's a Brother brand machine, Project Runway Limited Edition spiff-tacular beast of computerized stitch selection glory. Yes, glory. It even automatically adjusts the stitch length, width, and tension for me when I change the stitch. Thank God above who created such clever sewing machine engineers! I am really really stoaked about this.

Thank you bubba, Tara, and Daddy...if you guys read this. <3>

In other news, we are one day away from one HUGE explosion of creativity in the Hedgehog household. Fiber Freaks!!! I can't believe it's already here...

In case, somehow, you missed the e-mail and previous posts and would still love to join us, here's the 411:

Where: My house (directions through e-mail)

When: 11am-10pm come as you please

What: FIBER FREAKS!!! Crocheting, knitting, and sewing like madwomen (and men)

Bring: fiber of any sort, an opened mind and FOOD!

See you there?

Hope you guys are feeling as blessed and fuffilled as I am. May God guide you throught this crazy weather safely!! Have a wonderful day, enjoy your gifts :D

All my love,

Carolyn Michelle

More Information About Fiber Freaks:

What: The first ever meeting of the Fiber Freaks Group
When: Saturday December 27, 2008
From: 11am-10pm open house style
Where: My house (directions when you rsvp)
Rsvp: ASAP

So, as you know, the Fiber Freaks are just a group of freaks like me getting together to learn and teach crocheting, knitting, sewing and what not. Now I have more information as to what the Fiber Freaks will be doing at our first ever meeting-thingy...

Got some extra yarn that you'll never use? Bring it along for a yarn swap! If somebody else has some yarn that you like perhaps you can convince them to trade with you. You never know! So bring along some yarn and swap to your hearts content! Other things you could bring to swap: old clothes, fabric, felt, hooks/needles, misc. craft supplies, sewing machines (like I said, you never know!), pretty much anything...

Also, what's a crafty party without food? When you come be sure to bring some snack-type food or dish to pass to share with the group. That makes it easier on me and Bubba, preparation wise. I'd rather be teaching you guys how to crochet than slaving over a hot stove.

Know how to crochet, knit, sew, or what not? You might be called upon to teach some newbies. It's no big deal, I'll make sure they play nice.

Remember to bring you latest project! I can hardly wait for this EPIC event...it's gonna be good.

Luck, Love and Hedgehogs Design (and Bubba) are hosting...

...The first ever meeting of the Fiber Freaks group. What are the Fiber Freaks? I'll tell you! The Fiber Freaks are people who are obsessed with the art of manipulating fibers into wonderful creations. (Aka, people who crochet, knit, sew, embroyder, tat, felt etc etc etc).

Basically, the story goes something like this, there are a ton of people at my school and in my family who are interested in learning to crochet (or knit or sew or what-have-you) so I have contrived this sort of...club thingy called the Fiber Freaks. There are at this point no "meetings" or "memberships" for the Fiber Freaks, just a group of wierdos getting together to get crafty. Care to join us?

Saturday, December 27th
At my house (I'll give you directions when you RSVP) near Durand
From 11am-10pm, open house style
Rsvp asap by e-mailing me for more details...

Luckloveandhedgehogs@hotmail.com

There will be people to help you with the basics of crocheting (or knitting or sewing or what-have-you) as well as plenty of opened electrical outlets if you care to bring your sewing machine. All ages and experience levels are welcome.

What better way to spend the Saturday after Christmas than crafting with your favorite silly people?

In other news, I got my car stuck on my road last night after babysitting (yeah, I'm fine Jen, it was no big deal). The road was really drifted over and stuff so my dad had to come and plow me out. Praise God for trucks! Hope you guys are liking this cold weather...I'm not enjoying it too much. Coldcoldcold. Perhaps I need a coffee...

All my love,
Carolyn Michelle