Watching for the apocalypse...

Someplace in America right now:

Me: (looking out window) No Zombies, no walking dead...this is the most boring apocalypse ever!

Later that morning: an alert goes out about some ne'er-do-wells, posing as officials and dressed in hazmat suits, coming to door-to-door, claiming to test for virus, then robbing houses. They are reportedly driving a white van.

Dear Husband: Are you watching for a white van, now?
Me: (at window) This apocalypse just got interesting again.

...

Me: (still at window) If they come, the code phrase is: "Wait right there--my wife's getting dressed." And I'll run and call the police.

DH: (unintelligible)

...

DH: I don't want to see you standing there, watching out the window.

Me: (backing up two steps) Can you see me now?

DH: (unintelligible)

...

DH: Are you still looking out the window!?
Me: Okay, I'm getting dressed.
DH: What? Are you telling me to call the police?



(Photos of my crocheted monster hats courtesy Crochet Today! magazine and Interweave Crochet magazine)

Signs of the times!

Just in case you could use a crochet-inspired laugh right about now:



...she hid the liquor, too.

Crochet in Color--and a free pattern!

I am obsessed with color and its applications. I came up with an exercise illustrating the concept of "split complementary" color combinations. Complementary colors are those that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Red's complementary is green, so red's split complementary colors are those either side of green on the color wheel: yellow-green and blue-green.

Each flower here is an example of split complementaries, a satisfying combination of colors. I made these in thread, and I pin a bunch of them to a sweater when I need a little color. The same pattern can be used to make larger "corsages" in yarn.

Since March is National Crochet Month, I'd like to send you a free digital copy of the pattern. Send an email to donna.childs.crochets at gmail dot com, and I will send you the pattern in April--just in time for  making spring flowers!

Here are some related links from my blog:

Color Inspiration

"How long did it take you to do that?"

Yarn Bombing!

Yarn bombing outside the convention center during last week's Chain Link Crochet Conference.

#HatNotHate

Lion Brand yarn company is promoting an anti-bullying campaign. Make a blue hat, or wear a blue hat in October to show your solidarity.

Check out the website here:

http://hatnothate.org/#home

Thank you, Ravelry!

Ravelry.com, the knit and crochet international online community with 8.5 million members, posted this yesterday:

New Policy, effective immediately

We are banning support of Donald Trump and his administration on Ravelry. We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is unambiguously support for white supremacy. For more details, read this document: https://ravelry.com/content/no-trump

Pride Month  

Happy Pride everyone!

I have a lot that I want to say about why it's important that we recognize and celebrate Pride and talk about it here on Ravelry. I'll be able to do that next week. Right now I just want to speak to the LGBTQA+ folks that make up our community: 

We see you, we love you, and we support you 🏳️‍🌈✊🏿✊🏼✊🏽✊🏻✊🏾

--Casey

Yarn!

I got to see wool being processed into yarn at Harrisville Designs, a small yarn mill in New Hampshire.

Fibers being mixed for tweed here, and white roving being spun there.

Yarn plied and wound onto spools, then spools wound into skeins.

Watching this process gave me an insight on why yarn can be expensive--it's very labor intensive to produce skeins of yarn. Harrisville Designs sell their own yarns in a lovely shop down the road from the mill. They also do custom orders for other companies. The history of Harrisville yarn mills date back to the 1700s. (For more about their fascinating history, check out the link below).

We grabbed lunch at the general store next door--the best sandwiches! If you want to visit this beautiful community nestled among the hills and streams in a quaint part of New Hampshire, or if you would like to order some of the gorgeous 100% virgin wool yarns of Harrisville Designs, check out their website:

https://harrisville.com/