Monday, January 5, 2009

The Glamorous Life.........of a Crochet Designer

Some people think that the life of a crochet designer and teacher is really glamorous! Crocheting all day long, whenever and whatever you want to, traveling to different conferences to teach classes, meeting all the crochet "stars", getting published in books and magazines, getting to do what you love to do - crochet! What could be better?
Well, there is nothing better! I love what I do - I love to crochet, I love to design, I love to write patterns, I love to teach crochet, I love to plan my classes, I love to tech edit! I love everything about crochet and being a crochet designer and teacher - except one thing! Weaving in ends! As my students will tell you - I don't like that part! If I could, I would forever banish ends from my projects. Or figure out some way to make them disappear.
I am always telling a story about a baby Granny Afghan I made a long time ago - for a friend's baby. It had 100 granny squares - 3 rounds, 3 different colors. 6 ends to weave in for each square. And 6 x 100 is 600 ends! I never finished it. I never wove those ends in. I never gave it to the baby. I still have the blanket, and use it as a throw in my family room. The ends are still there, and I call them a "design decision". :-)
Well, I now have another story to tell about how I hate weaving in ends. But I can't tell it yet - you'll all have to wait awhile for that. But I can tell you that I had MORE ends to weave in. About 658 the way I figure! And I did it! I wove them all in, and I saved most of them. I even took a picture of them, so you can see how many there were. (And how glamorous this designer's life really is!)
Don't bother counting them, just trust me! There were a gazilliion of them. But I did it! I wove them all in!
I think I'm going to save these and put them in a safe place, so that whenever I have ends to weave in, and I'm not looking forward to it, I can look at these ends, and tell myself that I did it once, I can do it again!

4 comments:

Faridah Zayla said...

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Del said...

Hi Marty, I love your designs and reading your blogs.

I especially liked your Spiderweave Cardigan published in Interweave Crochet. I've done it more than once and in different yarns.

Someone on another site asked me for your pattern but I assume it's copyrighted. Would you have any interest in responding to the person who made the request? Is there a place where she could buy the pattern?

Thanks!

Marty Miller said...

Hi Del,
Thanks for your complements! I'm glad you liked the Spiderweb Cardigan, and I, too, have made many, in various yarns. The design kind of grows on you! :-)
The pattern is copyrighted by Interweave - and should not be copied. But, the magazine is available at various places. I'm not sure if Interweavecrochet.com still as it, but if it doesn't, I know that ebay would have it, or some other site. Your friend, or you, can do a google search for the issue. I'll figure out what issue it is, and do a google search myself, and let you know.
I'd be happy to tell this to your friend, if you would like to send me her email address.

Thanks again, and please keep reading my blog.
I also have another blog - http://thecrochetdoctor.blogspot.com
Don't forget to check it out, too.

I just did a search - it's in the Spring 2007 Interweave Crochet. If you put those words into the search box, you'll get many sites that still have the magazine for sale.

Del said...

Thank you so much. I have that issue and I did exactly what you recommended.

BTW, I think it was just brilliant to do use foundation double crochet for the edges. It's a beautiful, neat effect.

BTW, just for what it's worth. I also call your pattern the sun star cardigan. Hope you don't mind but the first time I saw it, that's what came to mind.

Best wishes!