Welcome and Thank You for visiting my blog. I am under construction at the moment, but I hope to have some designs online very soon.
I want to make this blog about improving crochet, elevating the Art; I hope to have an impact on the advancement of what is often called "the humble art of Crochet". Crochet has always been the people's Art, and I would love to see it get the recognition it deserves, while improving the quality of the fabrics we make so that they are uniquely crochet-beautiful!!!
I am currently 61. I have been knitting, crocheting and quilting since my Grandmother and Aunt came in and sat me on the couch at the ripe old age of 5, and announced that it was a crying shame that I was already 5 years old, and still didn't know how to knit, crochet, etc.. I thought I had done something wrong, so I was worried. But, when i found out they were trying to help me and teach me a wonderful skill, I kept working with those needles and that hook, as well as the squares of fabric they gave me to sew together, until I could turn out a product that they approved of. Trust me when I say that took quite a while and a lot of hard work. :-)
My Grandmother's father was a Stone Mason. After producing a prodigious number of daughters (13 in all) he died. Perhaps it was the enormous amount of estrogen with which he was surrounded. At any rate, he left my Great Grandmother with a stone house and 13 girls to care for. She made her way in the world by teaching the girls to knit, crochet and quilt and selling what they made. Thus, to my Grandmother (who was the eldest of the 13 girls) these crafts were important to survival. She made postage stamp quilts, (quilts made from postage stamp sized pieces of cloth) and NOTHING was wasted in her home.
Growing up around this influence, I strongly believed in practical designs that work hard and last. Beauty was something that was the result of making each garment a perfect confection of good design and well done handiwork: I believed (and still believe) in elegant, not extravagant design.
This has changed a little bit with time, because I believe that too many crochet designs of the old school look a bit like rugs that someone tried to make into a wearable fabric. I confess that I do not crochet antimacassars, nor am I intrigued by garments with too many holes. I like to work in lace, but I like the lace to be prim- beautiful, but practical.
My family believed that life is full of surprises and it is best to be prepared, so running about with a garment that will offer no comfort in a cold wind, or be worthless on a dark and stormy night stranded away from civilization, is not my cup of tea. To be fair, I have designed some, out of curiosity and because I like the stitches. However, I will not offer much of this line on my website.
To me, a woman's beauty is in her mystery. We enhance our beauty when we are not revealed. I believe that what we conceal is what is sought after by the men who clamour for our attention. When a woman is modest in her apparel, a man must dig through many layers to get to her truth, and, of course, he will never, EVER make it all the way- there will always be great secrets in reserve. My crochet, knit and quilt designs reflect this point of view.
I will be selling patterns on my site that are clear and well written, so you don't have to struggle to figure out how to make the garment. I have been appalled by the flawed patterns in various high priced designer magazines. If you follow my patterns with reasonable skill, your fabric will be strong and beautiful, and you won't wind up on row 3 or 30 wondering how in the world the designers (or their ill paid workers) managed to make anything remotely resembling the beautiful picture on the cover page using the instructions they have given to you. In other words, my patterns will consistently produce the fabric in the picture.
I will start putting up patterns very soon, but we are moving (on the physical plane, not on the etheric-here in this blog spot).
Other things I may offer here include Chinese tea recipes for various conditions- things I use to stay healthy, and, if their is an interest, perhaps some of the fruits of my many studies.
So, I hope you will feel welcome here, that you are in sympathy with my attitude, that you enjoy my patterns and my blog and that you and I will become friends in due time. Now I am off to have a cup of tea.
Blessings and Light,
LindaSue
