A Golden Opportunity

My bags are officially unpacked, and the sound of the washer machine is now purring in the background as I sit to catch you up on the latest at Bonnie Bay Crochet. For the past several days I've been in Golden, Colorado for some work with Craft Daily, which films and distributes (via internet subscriptions) craft instructional videos. I am particularly excited about this project because I was able to film 6 one hour long videos, each walking through the step by step process of creating a project from my first book Contemporary Celtic Crochet, which is going to be available very soon! This will be especially helpful for the crocheter who knows many stitches but has been hesitant to dive into a sweater project. The videos are hosted by a delightful young lady named Ashley Briggs (left in photo below), who was instrumental in helping me to feel relaxed and making my job easy! 

 

These ladies were so much fun and worked hard too!  The dress form is showing a sneak peak of the "Busking Beauty" Sweater Wrap made using Cestari's Cotton/Wool blend yarn.

Getting ready to shoot the first project: notice that table on the left holding all those supplies that are off camera.

A behind the scenes look of the stage...

I felt just about as tired as I look in this photo following two full days of filming for Craft Daily. Ashley was wonderful and she knows a lot about crocheting!

After two full days of filming, my husband and I headed to Breckenridge to celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary a week early. This was my first time driving in the Rocky Mountains, which proved to be a very worshipful experience! Despite experiencing some mild altitude sickness (due to the reduced oxygen at 10,000+ feet), we had a very sweet, memorable time together. Rather than tell you about it, let me show you...

Watching the sun begin to set from Look Out Mountain outside Golden, CO...

We were amazed at the view as we watched the many thunderstorms develop in the distance followed by a continuous lightening show! Now I understand John Denver's lyrics in the song Rocky Mountain High when he sings, "I've seen it raining fire in the sky..."

Visiting Red Rocks in Morrison...

An elk cow who came up to me near the summit in Rocky Mountain National Park...

A most memorable traffic jam!

An elk bull grazing right along the road.  For the record, we stayed in the car!

We enjoyed breakfast at this Parisien bakery in Breckenridge.

A view of some of the slopes at Breckenridge.  All we need is some snow!

New Free Patterns: Divine Textured Throw & Pillows

Are you looking for an afghan project that you can carry with you even in the summer heat?  The Divine Textured Throw & Pillows is crocheted one square at a time and can travel with you where ever you go this summer! Make one for a Christmas gift, or use a neutral color for any time of the year!  If you aren't up for a large project, try your hand on a pillow two.  As always, if you need any help with these stitches, simply check out the free instructional videos (under Aran crochet) on this site.  

Crochet: A Guilty Pleasure?

How many of you have ever suffered from guilty feelings because of the time you take to crochet, or knit, or enjoy any other craft?  If this is you, I hope to free you of this by the end of this discourse.  As a woman past the half-century mark I have worn many hats in my lifetime:  daughter, sister, friend, student, band member, drum major, veterinarian’s assistant, secretary, clerk, teacher, wife, etc.  But honestly, none have been more rewarding or more demanding than being a mother in the home.  When I became a mom, I also became the family nutritionist & chef, nurse/doctor, hairstylist, fashion consultant, seamstress, educator, mentor, psychologist/counselor, interior decorator, driving instructor, diplomat, referee, not to mention the more than occasional & all purpose maid.  My mom used to say, “A man’s work is from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done!”  I dare say that in many ways she was right, making my seemingly forever unfinished work my main source of guilt whenever I crochet, or do anything that is mainly for my pleasure and not for the purpose of serving others.

 To get to the root of this issue, our first question should be, where is this guilt coming from?  From a family member?  Friends?  An unseen enemy?  Or our own impossible expectations?  When I think back to when I was a much younger mother, I think there was a combination of issues at work in my heart.  The main issue was very legitimate:  It was more important to take care of my very young children who had many immediate needs.  I was in an intense, yet wonderful season of life where my children needed help with everything from eating, diapering, bathing, to tying their shoes.  However, that season has passed, yet I found the guilt remained.  Why?   

I believe one reason why guilt remained was having unreasonable expectations of what my home should look like.  Try as I may, my home will never look like those decorator magazines at the supermarket because PEOPLE live in my house!  These inhabitants also have a tendency to leave many “signs of life” throughout the house as well.  (Since becoming a crochet designer, I may even be the biggest offender of this!)  Am I saying never to clean your house?  Absolutely not!  Please don’t tell others that I said we can abdicate our responsibilities here.  I just think it is self-defeating to not rest or pursue a hobby until every molecule of dirt and dust is removed.  They do have places like this, but they are usually sealed off rooms in laboratories, and they are not where people live!

 Another question to ask ourselves is this:  “Am I trying to please or impress someone else too much?”  Or how about this one:  “Am I competing with ‘the Jones’?”  If your answer is yes to either of these, I would encourage you to check your heart and ask why it is so important to please or impress these folks.  Once you discover the answer, you find that you can take time to relax and rest.  Even God rested on the seventh day after creating the universe!  If you are trying too hard to please other people, you may have created an idol in your life that is best destroyed, especially if it is running your life and controlling your joy.

Pursuing a craft or hobby like crochet makes us nicer, more joyful people to be around, and who doesn’t want this?  Medical research has also shown that crafts like crochet and knitting can improve your physical and mental health.  Many of us already knew this before researchers added their credence to the discussion, but this information does further encourage me and relieves any remaining residual guilt.

 Another thing I often hear from people is this question:  “When do you find the time?”  Here’s my abbreviated answer:  We all have extra minutes in our day that can be harvested and put to good use if you look for them.  Do you commute on a bus or train?  How about a doctor’s office where you will be waiting in the waiting room for 20 to 30 minutes?  Relaxing time watching a program on television?  What do you do for those 10 minutes while you are waiting for supper to finish cooking in the oven?  How about that time you may be spending on social media?  If you look, it isn’t hard to find the time.  When we make the most of our time we might just surprise ourselves with what we can accomplish, including ridding ourselves of misplaced guilt!

A Day at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival 2014

Whew!  What a fiber-filled fun day!  Today was my first trip to this local sheep and wool festival, and even after attending several knit and crochet shows, I've never seen anything on this large of a scale. Let me show you!

 Lots of yarn-bombing on the split rail fences near the entrance...

My friend and shopping buddy admires the Aran stitching...

 

Enjoying a wonderful day with a dear friend... 

This is my kind of cotton candy!

This nosey fella is what this festival is all about...

One of the more interesting things today was learning about the many different spinning wheels available on the market today.  This one has dual pedals, and is small enough to be stored in the overhead luggage department on an airliner.

I promise you that I don't generally pay much attention to men's legs or leggings, but today was an exception!  I guess these Aran beauties come in handy while wearing a kilt!

Beautiful buttons always seem to catch my eye and attract my camera!

 

These handmade buttons are made of ceramic.

There were sweaters and patterns available for everyone.

Even sheep puppets are shy!

 

This is my kind of shake:  no calories or cholesterol!  Mmmm...

More spinning wheels...

These were some of the most beautiful hand-woven ponchos I've ever seen!  These are made by Stewart-Murrell Handwoven Designs (msmurrell@gmail.com) from Malta, Ohio.

Of course I had to add one of these beauties to my collection.

Wouldn't this be a nice Christmas gift?  (HINT, HINT!)

Another perspective on these beauties...

This talented lady filled the building with her beautiful melodies on the hammer dulcimer...

Meet "Wanda" the baby Alpaca!

A New Spring Pattern to Help Celebrate National Crochet Month!

Today is day 24 of National Crochet Month (Can you tell I'm a Jeff Gordon fan?) and a month long blog tour of crochet designers sponsored by Crochetville!  To have day by day updates, please "LIKE" Bonnie Bay Crochet on Facebook, and I'll be sure you get daily reminders in your news feed of the new free patterns which will be available to you for the rest of the month, as well as other crochet news.  

The charity that we are sponsoring this year is "Halos of Hope", which is a wonderful organization that provides handmade hats to those suffering from cancer.  Should you wish to donate either money or your own hand crocheted hats, you can find the address to send them here.  If you are looking for hat patterns, you can find some on the Halos of Hope website, or choose your favorite pattern! 

Since the theme for this year’s tour is Spring, I am offering this easy “Spring Gig Bag” as a free pattern for a limited time.  Even a beginner could give this one a try!  I even have a video for this stitch here. You will need to scroll down to the fifth video on this page.  (A left-handed version is also available here.)  The pattern is below.  

I also recently posted a new video series for beginners on how to read a crochet pattern.  You can find them here.  By the end of the third video you will have read patterns to complete a matching hat and scarf set.

Also be sure to check out photos from our recent crochet demonstration at our local library to celebrate National Crochet Month.  

 

Spring Gig Bag

by Bonnie Barker

Description:  Bring in the spring with this colorful, easy to crochet gig bag!  Made of all natural, renewable materials, you will find it easy to clean, practical to use, and it won’t break your budget.  It is a great way for a beginner to learn the double stitch and crochet in the round.  Don’t forget to add a pair of stunning fused glass buttons by Diane  Irvine (diirvine.com) to really make your bag pop!

Skill Level:  Beginner/Easy

(Note:  Should you need help with any of these stitches, free instructional videos are available at BonnieBayCrochet.com.)

Materials:  2 balls of  Peaches & Cream in Bright Blue (#1742, 100% Cotton yarn, worsted weight, 120yds/109m, 2.5oz/70.9g)

Crochet hook size H (or 8) or size needed for gauge

 Yarn needle for sewing & hiding loose ends.

One pair of wooden handles (8” x 4”)

2 Glass Buttons 

Gauge:  7 sc = 2”, 4 rows = 1”

Let’s Begin...

Ch 25

Row 1:  Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.  Turn.  (24 sc)

Row 2:  Ch 1, sc in each sc across.

Rows 3 - 6:  Repeat Row 2.  (Bottom of bag completed.)

[Note:  Row 7 will be worked around all sides of the bottom of the bag.  At the end of each row below, join with a sl st to first st of the row.]

Row 7:  Ch 1, * sc in each sc across, ch 1, turn 90 degrees, sc in same space as last sc (corner made), sc across end of rows to next corner (1 sc per row), ch 1, turn 90 degrees, sc in same space as last sc.  Repeat from * around.  (60 sc)

Row 8:  Ch 1, * [sc, dc] across row to corner.  Work [sc, dc] in next ch-1 corner, in each of next 6 sc, and in next ch-1 corner.  Repeat from * around.  Turn  (80 sts)

Row 9:  Ch 1, [sc, dc] being careful to work each sc in dc (of previous row) and each dc in sc (of previous row), thereby establishing the double stitch pattern.

Rows 10 - 34:  Repeat Row 9.  Do not finish off, but continue to handles.

Handles

Row 1:  Work [sc, dc] over first 24 sts.  Leave remaining sts unworked.  Turn.  (24 sts)

Row 2:  Work [sc, dc] being careful to work each sc in dc (of previous row) and each dc in sc (of previous row).

Rows 3 - 7:  Repeat Row 2.  At the end of Row 7, finish off, leaving at least 14” of yarn to sew around wooden handle.

 Opposite Handle

Skip 16 sts (on Row 34), join with a sl st in next st.  Repeat Rows 1 - 7.

 

Button Flap

Ch 9.

Row 1:  [sc, dc] across.  Turn.  (8 sts)

Row 2:  [sc, dc] across row, being careful to work each sc in dc (of previous row) and each dc in sc (of previous row).

Rows 3 - 14:  Repeat Row 2.

Row 15:  Ch 1, sc, dc, sc, ch 2, sk 2 sts, dc, sc, dc.  (Button hole made.)  Turn.

Row 16:  Ch 1, sc, dc, sc, [dc, sc] in ch-2 space, dc, sc, dc.  Turn.  (Button hole completed.)  Turn.

Rows 17 - 18:  Repeat Row 2.

Rows 19 - 20:  Repeat Rows 15 & 16.

Row 21:  Repeat Row 2.  Finish off leaving at least 10” strand of yarn to sew flap in place.

Finishing

Using a yarn needle, fold each handle flap over the wooden handle and sew to Row 34 of bag.  Sew button flap to one side of bag, and buttons on the opposite side to correspond to button holes of flap.  Hide loose strands.

Celebrating Crochet at the New Gaithersburg Library!

 

My daughter's monkey pointed the way to our room upstairs.

What a wonderful day!  Not only did the sun come out and the temperature finally get out of the frozen zone, but many people came out to learn how to crochet today!  Yes, it was just about perfect, but instead of telling you all about it, I'd rather show you!

From the moment we started at 11:00, it was hopping!  Thankfully a couple of my crochet buddies came to my rescue and were quickly put to work.  We had around 50 people come by throughout the day.

What a gift to be able to teach the next generation.  It was such a joy to see children and adults showing so much interest in this amazing art form!

Lily, one of my younger students patiently instructs a beginner in making a chain & beaded bracelet...

Here are some examples of Lily's work...pretty impressive for a 13 year old, huh? She has also interested some of her friends in this craft.

The only thing more beautiful that this lady's hat is her beautiful smile!

This young man enjoyed making one bracelet so much that he made another!

My hero, Vicki C. helps another new crochet student...

Our "Guess the Fiber" table where guests could feel different yarn samples and learn from where the fiber comes...

Bonnie helps someone become reaquainted with crochet...

I want to give a special thanks to Coats & Clark, (who make Red Heart Yarn and Susan Bates crochet hooks) for donating the crochet leaflets and crochet hooks. All of the crochet hooks have a new home and hopefully will be put to good use in the days to come!  Thanks also to Roman Santillan at the Gaithersburg Library for the generous use of the beautiful new room.

Stay tuned as National Crochet Month continues, and please stop by on March 24th when I'll be offering a new and easy crochet pattern for you!

March is National Crochet Month!

Today is the beginning of National Crochet Month and a month long blog tour of crochet designers sponsored by Crochetville!  To have day by day updates, please "LIKE" Bonnie Bay Crochet on Facebook, and I'll be sure you get daily reminders in your news feed of the many new free patterns which will be available to you.  

The charity that we are sponsoring this year is "Halos of Hope", which is a wonderful organization that provides handmade hats to those suffering from cancer.  Should you wish to donate either money or your own hand crocheted hats, you can find the address to send them here.  If you are looking for hat patterns, you can find some on the Halos of Hope website, or choose your favorite pattern!