Crochet News and Events Archives - Page 4 of 6

Posted on June 22, 2016September 4, 2019 by Vashti Braha — 1 Comment

How to Get CGOA Conference Updates

Collect them all! This limited edition pin commemorates the 2016 event and is available for purchase at the event.
2018 “City of Roses” theme for Portland, Oregon location.
2020 festive New Orleans theme. Looks like fun!

This post was first written in 2016 about the upcoming Chain Link Conference for that year (July 13-16, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina). I updated it September 4, 2019. Check the CGOA homepage to find out about all future conferences.

Maire-Treanor-Manchester-NH.jpgMaire Treanor, a crochet teacher CGOA has brought over from Ireland to teach at conferences. — Maíre Treanor, a visiting CGOA teacher from Ireland in previous years.

The Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) hosts and boasts the longest run of annual crochet conferences in the USA. It’s pretty amazing what the CGOA has accomplished! Not only that, teachers have often been flown in from other countries for the event.

The event is called Chain Link. The first one was held in 1994. Sometimes there has been a single national-scale event; other times a regional Chain Link is held in addition to a national one. For a time, CGOA and TKGA (the national knitting guild) even held their events jointly.

Here’s what I do to stay current on last minute changes, meet-ups, and other late-breaking news as each year’s CGOA conference gets closer.

Great News Sources for CGOA Members

Chain Link, the Member Newsletter

If you’re already a CGOA member, look for the members’ Chain Link newsletter that is inserted in the center of your complimentary issue of Crochet! Magazine. Look especially for the autumn issue of the magazine; back in 2016 when I wrote this, mine arrived June 20, a month before the conference.

In fact, that’s what gave me the idea for this blog post. I noticed that whenever I’m getting ready for the big crochet conference of the year and a Crochet! issue arrives, I drop everything and turn first to the member newsletter.

The President’s Letter

The President’s Letter on page 1 of the newsletter always mentions special event preparations and highlights. This year (2016), Susan Sullivan talked about:

$5000+ design competition cash prizes
A photo booth, crochet lounge, and other event features
Yarn bombing in Charleston!

Pineapple drawing with "TKGA+CGOA 2016 CONFERENCES"; in 2016 the knitting and crochet guilds held a joint conference. — In 2016 the CGOA conference was held jointly with the TKGA (knitting guild) event.

I learned of the 2016 pineapple theme on page 6. I’m not sure if every conference has had its own theme, so this is fun to think about. For example, what if I get to the conference and everyone’s wearing some kind of pineapple lace thing but me? I don’t crochet lace pineapples very often. I think about crocheting a small one to pin to my conference badge. Or maybe gather a string of small ones into a flower shape?

Pictured below are the event themes for more recent Chain Link conferences. From 2017 on, CGOA’s conferences went back to being a stand alone event. (CGOA’s then-management company owned TKGA until 2017.)

Yahoo Groups for CGOA Conference Talk

Sometimes I find out about formal and informal conference happenings in these two Yahoo groups: [CGOA_Membership] and [CGOA-TKGA-Buddygroup].

Good Conference News Sources for Everyone

If I were not yet a CGOA member, here’s how I’d stay well informed (and inspired!) in the month leading up to the big conference:

I’d check in periodically with the CGOA Ravelry Group. See especially the Charleston 2016 thread. It’s a great way to learn from crocheters who live in and around Charleston, and from CGOA members who have attended several conferences. Board members pop in to answer questions there. I’ve been finding out about restaurants and yarn shops to visit in Charleston and which classes people are thinking of taking.
I’d check in periodically at the conference area of CGOA’s website.
I’d “like” CGOA’s Facebook page and get notifications when the page updates.
I’d Search “#CGOA” (with the # hashtag) in Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I find interesting stuff this way. Try #crochetconference too. This is how I found out that some folks driving to the conference are going to yarn bomb their car with crochet. I’ll be driving up this time too. Fun to know that I might spot crochet on the freeway! Or be spotted!

[I would join before the CGOA conference happens because the conference classes cost less for members.]

Posted on June 21, 2016August 7, 2020 by Vashti Braha — 1 Comment

My Ideal Crochet Conference Clothes

Sleeveless fine black knit top outlined with big pink crystals!

Updated August 7, 2020.

Pictured above: two views of my favorite top, dating from 2006-2008. I wore it to the evening banquets until I wore it out! On the left I’m modeling the Giant Roses Wrap and Smart Set With Swing skirt for Crochet! magazine, January 2007 issue. On the right is the Spun Sugar Cocoon in the 2006 book New Ideas for Today’s Crochet by Jean Leinhauser & Rita Weiss [link goes to my project page for it in Ravelry].

Conference Clothes to Pack

I’ve re-committed to the Z-CoiL® shoes so now I can focus on the conference clothes. At home in Florida I wear jeans and light-colored t-shirts (with or without Z-Coils). For the past 25 crochet conferences I’ve packed almost no jeans or t-shirts.

Lots of crochet conference attendees wear their most comfortable jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers and that’s great! That’s the easiest packing of all. (People do tend to dress up for the Saturday night banquet.)

Please don’t let what I’m about to say worry you if you’re a first-timer and you want to wear t-shirts and jeans! My choices are based on how I want to wear my crochet designs, and on all the professional, organizational, and event roles I play. (Designer, teacher, presenter, model, director, officer, etc.) So, ideally my conference clothes meet several needs at once.

Tops That Work

A comfortable and flattering black top with colorful embroidery served me well — Wore this top to many events too; it’s a Chico’s
“Travelers” fabric so it always looked and felt great.

For these reasons the tops I pack are mostly plain stretchy black (or other neutral color), with different sleeve lengths and neckline styles. You can see many of them in the photos further down.

The best conference tops work great under a striking crochet vest, wrap, or cardigan and:

are made of a breathable material that travels well
look stylish enough
work for both daytime and evening
don’t hold on to shedding yarn fibers!

A close up of the top on my mannequin. On display: Lotus Color Chips.

These tops are perfect for modeling and I pack extras for attendees who didn’t plan to model on banquet night. Other neutral colors can work too, like charcoal, navy, tan. I had a favorite conference top in charcoal. Still trying to find its replacement.

It’s surprising how hard it is for me to find simple classic conference clothes like these in neutral colors other than black. I think people don’t want to look at a lot of black all the time in crochet classes.

Nowadays for teaching I look for softly colored breezy tunics to wear.

Tops for Crochet Activism

Conference clothes to make this vest pop from a distance as crochet activism! — Minuet: designed to make crochet
very visible at a knit-centric event.

When I want the maximum spotlight on a crocheted garment, I wear it over black. There’s just no better background and frame for crochet textures and colors. It really makes the crochet pop from a distance, such as a fashion runway.

Crochet activists know that we need in-your-face crochet magnificence that pops even across a city-block-long convention center walkway. Why?

Non-CGOA yarn industry events have long been knit-centric. You betcha I’ve brought all the inkiest-black clothing to wear under high-contrast crochet. I’ve watched people lock eyes on it a block away. I blogged more about the Crochet-In and other crochet activism we’ve done out of exasperation with the sidelining.

The Bottom Half

Good decisions about conference clothes depend on the level of air conditioning in the hotel, and in conference center rooms. It can fluctuate dramatically from room to room and by time of day. Crocheted shawls won’t keep my ankles from freezing.

Pants: I look for the same qualities as in tops. Additionally, I love a wide waistband that sits a bit below my waist. A long boot cut in a structured fabric looks best with the Z-Coils. I have a clear picture of what works the best for me, but sometimes I have to shop too much to find it.

Skirts and dresses can work for evenings. (Few look good with Z-Coils for daytime). A pair of semi-sheer black pantyhose/tights has often come in handy when I’m asked to model a skirt or dress for the banquet fashion show. For example, I wore them under the crocheted pants I’m modeling, below. In yesterday’s post I’m wearing them with high heels to model Urmie’s kick-pleat skirt.

Five Kinds of Belts?

Not all at one conference! The photos below span many years. I’m normally not a belt wearer, but…I wear a lot of things at conferences that I rarely wear at home.

5 views of belts I wear with my conference clothes — That wrapped tie belt (4th from left) is my crocheted Barbed Wire Belt in silver glitter Jelly Yarn! (Here it is in black.)
That’s the Weightless Tunisian Wrap on the far left. Then our own Lotus yarn in Grenadine that Doris crocheted into a Lotus Bolero and fitted pants. On the far right I’m toting Quencher and the free V-Stitch Cocoon Shrug.

Not everything goes with the shoes. Too bad! I won’t compromise there, despite my stylish friend Annie’s consternation. If ever there were a time when Z-CoiL® shoes are indispensable, this epic conference is it—the teaching (15 hours over 3.5 days), the show booth, and of course helping the Hall of Fame committee celebrate the wonderfulness that is Doris J. Chan!

Some years I get lucky with these brands: White House/Black Market, Ann Taylor, Chico’s. I found almost nothing I can use the other day, though—only capri pants, lovely skirts, and prints. I’m all ears if you have other brand suggestions for me.

By the way, I’ve also resumed editing and refining the class handouts now that my houseguest has left. We had a fantastic week rollerskating, tracking night blooming cereus, and visiting the mermaids of Weeki Wachee.

Posted on June 10, 2016October 25, 2018 by Vashti Braha — Leave a comment

Crochet Class Yarn Sponsor: Lorna’s Laces!

Why is a crochet class yarn a big deal?

Crochet classes at national CGOA conferences are a big deal. In fact, they have been the raison d’être of the event since the first one in 1994. Of all the places I’ve taught crochet, this event is my first choice. These classes are unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced–as a student in many of them too, not just a teacher. Each one is intensive and three hours long (sometimes double that). They’re not cheap but you get what you pay for and more. I’ve also made life-long friends in these classes.

For some in-depth CGOA classes, the yarn either helps make the most of the 3 precious hours, or it can actually add obstacles. Conference attendees have to try to pack the best yarns and crochet hooks for the classes ahead of time, and it’s not easy. You can’t even buy the right yarn in the conference market if the class takes place before the market opens. Stitch Games is one of these classes this year.

The crochet class yarn for Stitch Games could make or break that class! Lorna’s Laces really came through. They are graciously (can I say heroically) providing enough of the perfect hand dyed yarn for everyone in the class to use.

How Does a Crochet Class Get Sponsored?

When a yarn company donates yarn for a CGOA class, it means the teacher has carefully selected that yarn as being the ideal way to experience the class topic. S/he then contacts the yarn company personally.

For Stitch Games I’ve swatched and designed with a gazillion yarns since 2009. I’m happy to say that Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, in bolder colorways, is the ideal crochet class yarn. We’ll have a full three hours-worth for everyone in the room.

Posted on June 4, 2016September 10, 2020 by Vashti Braha — 1 Comment

Today’s Sarasota Yarn Shop Class

First half of the Florida Peaches Handbag shown with the variegated yarn I'm using, and real FL peaches on my tree!

First posted in June, 2016. Updated in 2018.

I taught a small, intimate two-hour crochet class in my favorite Sarasota yarn shop today. It was a test of a few ideas I have for next month’s Stitch Games class in Charleston.

Color-POP-corns

A few days ago I imagined using the popcorn stitch to show one way to group colors of a bold variegated yarn. I’m glad I crocheted a swatch in time for this class. It was perfect. I think I’ll turn it into a summer handbag.

UPDATE: Florida Peaches Handbag is done!

Some of the students were surprised that you could get the look of alternating two or more yarns with just one yarn. I hadn’t thought of this advantage, but it’s true. Sometimes, alternating different strands of yarn in a project interrupts the crochet flow, so that’s why this is an advantage. It’s nice to have this built in option with just one ball of yarn, if you know how to do planned pooling.

Color Stacking 101

Rows of double crochets keep each color of a variegated yarn stacked in columns — Simple rows of double crochets (UK: trebles).

Susie, a student in today’s class, crocheted this swatch. It’s color-stacked double crochet. Susie is actually the resident crochet teacher for the shop! Isn’t it beautiful?

You can use a taller crochet stitch like the double crochet (dc) if each color in a variegated yarn is long enough. In this swatch, the yellow is barely long enough for one full dc, but it looks cool the way it shades into the green, doesn’t it?

For the handbag I used half doubles (hdc or UK: htr) for the aqua, and dc for the peachy popcorns.

The yarn I wanted to use for the Jempool Scarf pattern had shorter colors, so I used (soft, loose, stretchy) slip stitches. You can see another color-stacked slip stitch project at the top of this page.

Both of these yarns are exclusive custom colorways hand dyed for this Sarasota yarn shop, A Good Yarn. I’ve used several of their custom yarns for class samples: Seshen, Bonefish, Bare Bones, Tunisian Spoonbill, and Slip Stitch Ikat Cowl.

I’ve tested many CGOA crochet class topics at A Good Yarn over the years, and a subtropical theme always seems to work well 🙂 The handbag looks just like Florida peaches against the Florida sky.

Posted on June 1, 2016September 10, 2020 by Vashti Braha — Leave a comment

2010 CGOA Runway: Tunisian Weightless Wrap

Vashti Braha modeling the Tunisian Weightless Wrap, CGOA fashion show 2010 in Manchester NH

At least one of these photos was taken by Doris Chan at the Chain Link Conference fashion show, 2010, Manchester New Hampshire. View full size.

Found these photos I’d forgotten about! They was taken at a crochet conference in 2010. I’m modeling the Tunisian Weightless Wrap because it won an award in the CGOA Design Contest.

CGOA Design Contest, 2010

Read my short article on the very first year of the contest (2008). It has since become an exciting annual event, thanks to Doris Chan’s tireless efforts in the early 3-4 years of it.

The Weightless Wrap is the inspiration for one of my longest running crochet classes on Tunisian eyelet meshes. I’ve just completed the 2016 class resource page for it–that’s how I found these photos again.

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