bouncing off the walls with excitement

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

I just had my first article proposal accepted! Theoretically, come October, I will be a published author. I've submitted a proposal for an article on looking for inspiration in vintage patterns to Crochet Me, and it was accepted for the October/November issue! Here's a rough idea of the article:

The title of the article would be "Everything Old is New Again," and it would focus on vintage patterns and the possibilities of creating modern, fun garments from these patterns. I believe it's too easy to focus on the hideously ugly patterns of yore. But by looking at the lines of the garments, rather than the outdated color palettes and crunchy yarn choices, modern crocheters can use vintage patterns today. Fashion is all about revisiting the past and updating it with a twist. I can't endorse the current 80s revival, having lived through it the first time, but it's an example of a recycling of fashion. Much of 70s fashion was merely a reinterpretation of the long clean lines of the 30s.

And here is part of the response I received from Kim, Crochet Me's editor:

Thank you for sending me your idea! I absolutely love it -- especially since many non-crocheters have a pigeon-holed view of crochet as "hippy" or simply out-of-date. Busting open people's imaginations by giving them some inspiration and information to retool vintage patterns would be fabulous.

Even more fabulous -- she thinks there is enough there to justify a multi-part series! I can't think about work right now, I'm too excited. Hurrah!

Walking the floor over ... yarn

The FiberArts Market up in Oakland (offered in conjunction with the CGOA and the knitting equivalent which I can't remember the name of for the life of me) was fun and I dropped loads of cash. Smaller than Stitches West, which I went to earlier this year, but also less packed with crazy people. Jenny was working for the Stitch Diva for a few hours, so I had plenty of time to walk the floor (hence the post title). What did I find out? Well, apparently, crochet & spinning are hot because there seemed to be a lot of interest in demonstrations. And, to no one's surprise, the CGOA still seems to have no idea how to reach out to younger, more fashion forward crocheters.

But, soft! What light from yonder window breaks? It is handspun, hand-dyed yarn in a plethora of colors and textures. I found incredible yarn of the same weight and feel as recycled sari silk, but which was made of banana leaf fiber (bought 4 skeins to go with some great Art Fibers yarn I bought back in December). I purchased a huge hank of hand-dyed loopy mohair -- 8 ounces, 900 yards for less than $30. That's a whole sweater! I also got a hank in the same colorway (brown, green, gold & purple) in a tencel ribbon (400 yards) that will make a fab tank. I also visited the booths of stores I'd purchased from at Stitches, West Valley Alpacas and Lisa Souza Knit & Dyeworks, and got more yarn to complete my (yet-to-be-designed) hippy cardigan. And I found a few vintage (1970s) knit magazines to add to my collection (not that I need more, not after visiting Fern, but an obsession is an obsession). Ooh, and Jenny picked up an advance copy of the Stitch Diva's new crocheted bolero for me -- I'll finally use the Habu Textiles bamboo I picked up in New York last year!

Jenny also go to meet Kim, the editor of CrochetMe magazine. Jenny will have a pattern in the upcoming August/September issue (it's her swinging hippy vest), and I wrote the description (well, dictated over the phone while at a WeHo SnB meeting is more like it), so be sure to check it out when it's up (I'm sure I'll post about it). Jenny has inspired me to submit some articles and maybe even a pattern or two, so I'll let you know how that goes.