The Shtick I Do

I've had this particular book for a couple of years ( *looks at calendar* oh, more like 10 years) and I've dabbled with it some (nothing past Chapter One, mind you) and I decided to pull it back out. Literally, PULL it back out from the darkest recesses of my closet floor. You know what I'm talking about. That corner where our "oh-my-goodness-I-can't-stand-to-work-on-this-thing-anyMORE!" goes. Yup, I knew you knew what I was talking about. After I straightened out the curled up corners and removed the 7 layers of dust from the cover, I sighed. You know it well, sigh with me, that sound of determined resignation that threatens,  "Either I'm gonna win . . . or I'm pitching you in the trash." I do believe this thing is destined to live at the landfill. As you know, if you've read this blog even once, I am a crocheter . I prefer crochet. I like one hook over two needles. One hand free to manipulate the yarn the way it was meant to ...

Do you ever take a day off from crochet? Knitting? Crafting of any sort? If this is your hobby sure, you've taken a day off. But what if it's your career, or just something you do to keep from watching that brain-rotting stuff they call daytime television . . . have you ever given yourself permission to take a day off?  Crochet isn't my business, although I'd love to make it that. And it's more than a hobby. Hit up Google search and type in " define hobby ". This is what you'll get: an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure . Well, I do get pleasure out of it but I also feel called to crochet. Kinda weird, right? Most people get " called " into ministry, teaching, nursing, even being an astronaut. But crochet? I don't know. It's something I can't quite explain. My hubby and my kids would call it an " obsession ". Obsession as defined by Google search: " an idea or thought that continually...

How many times have you watched a TV show or made-for-TV movie and seen something crocheted? Maybe a slouchy beanie in one scene, a beautiful afghan laying on the back of a sofa, stuffed toys in a baby's crib. Very short cameos by lovely crocheted items. But did it excite you? Me too!!!!! My family just rolls their eyes and shakes their collective heads. But I find it invigorating!  So how do you think I felt when I saw Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson (yes, that says Joan, not John) walking through an ART GALLERY FULL OF CROCHET?!?!? Your assumption would be correct. I freaked. I record my favorite shows and watch them later - just so I can fast forward through the commercials. Whoever thought commercials needed to be recorded a kajillion times louder than the program needs to have a life sentence of listening to the worst offenders. In headphones. Without a remote control. Anyway! I digress. I was so excited I actually spit out my drink because I was trying to gasp, yell, la...

Well, yes, I do crochet in church. On Sunday mornings, during the sermon and during Sunday school, in my Wednesday night small group; I crochet everywhere I go. It's who I am. I take it with me to the doctor's office, on road trips, to school functions with my kids. Family reunions at the park, do I have my crochet? Yes. Yes, I do. This is Marie sporting the hat I made today, yes, in church. That's hat Number 25! I think crocheting in church is okay.  I can still answer questions during group discussion and   I'm not pattern reading, I can listen without messing up or having to count stitches, I don't mind to set it down while we stand and sing. Children love coming up to me after church and seeing how far I've gotten on the hat. Most are amazed, and so are their parents, that I can get one completed by the time the sermon is over. I understand some people might have an issue with my desire to crochet in church. I understand where you're coming f...

Let me introduce you to one of my cohorts in crochet, the  Styrofoam head . I've had her for a couple of years now, but before we became so close, I would look at others' crochet posts and be envious of their heads. Kinda silly, isn't it? Jealous of a Styrofoam head? Sorta like being jealous of a plastic lamp? (10 extra points if you know that movie reference!) I finally decided I needed one when I got started, in earnest, making hats. Previous to this I would use things like lamps, large balls of yarn, my children. Let me state something here: My children are only Thing s sometimes . (*gasp* another reference! Do you know this one? C'mon! It's easy!) I got my head at Sally Beauty Supply , with a coupon, for about $2.19. Which is nominal when you compare to other places. Now I'm in the market to get her a boyfriend. I've seen some around but keep hesitating to purchase him. I'd rather pay another $2.19 instead of the $10+tax that I keep seeing him at...

Alrighty, Shtickers, here's the dealio! I have had COUNTLESS  issues responding to comments left on my and my mother's blog from various posts of ours. I have finally figured out the issue after weeks literally weeks  of research and dead ends, and I want to share the information with you. This is very important for your image. For instance, I felt terrible not being able to respond to someone who had taken the time, not only to read my post, but to leave a comment and feedback. What kind of blogger does that make me look like? A snobby one that doesn't give two you-know-whats about the thoughts and feelings and input of my readers. That's SO NOT ME!! Not to mention, it is my hope that this post will help you to better understand the settings that we fiddle with in our dashboard and also to make your blog more "reader/user-friendly". I want to go ahead and add this disclaimer - this is a tutorial for Blogger and Blogger only. I haven't had this many is...

Hello there, again. =D I've been lurking in the background of the Crochet Business Blogger Challenge by Sara Duggan of MomwithaHook . I'm getting the emails and I'm reading them and I'm getting all excited . . . then I stop and think. I don't really have a "business". Sure, I sell a few things at Christmas or when someone wants a baby item, but do I qualify? I'd like to have a "business". So yes, I will jump in with both feet and see what this is all about! Well, lo' and behold, I have to make a blog post every day?!?!? For 31 days?!?!? What the what? I do good to make my weekly blog post and it's a struggle to make it something interesting. Guess what? That's what this whole challenge is about! It's to kick me out of that hole I'm in and help me get better at what I am falling in love with doing; blogging about crochet. And yarn. And whatever-else I happen to be happy about.  Well, after thinking more on it, and...