On My Talent Corner

Today I am interviewing one of my friends from one of the craft groups I attend. She is multi-talented and has a lot of fun with her hobbies.

I'll let her talk:

I started to develop an interest in needlepoint when a group of my friends met every week to work on their crafts. Some were crocheting, some knitting and one woman was working on a needlepoint project. It looked interesting and decided to try doing it. I brought a small canvas and with her help made my first needlepoint. It was the beginning of years filled with making many different needlepoint's. I love doing them but have a special interest in making faces. There is something special about capturing their expressions. It's almost like bringing the canvas to life. Right now I am working on people from other countries. It's important to me to do their eyes right and their hands.

OK so let me ask you a few more questions about the crochet side.

Q: When did you first learn how to crochet?

A: It was around 1993.

Q: How did you learn? From a family member, friend, or organization?

A: It seems that I always knew how to make a square. I'm not sure how I learned.

Q: Why do you enjoy crocheting so much?

A: I always enjoyed making the lap blankets for the seniors. It's such a need you feel you are helping out. And because I have such a great teacher I have expanded more with my crochet.

Q: Well thank you for that comment. What are some future projects you would like to make?

A: Sweaters for my new great grandchild. Presently I am working on a baby blanket for the baby and a hat.

Q: What benefits do you get from crocheting?

A: Satisfaction of seeing the happy smiling faces of those I make items for.



Her new great grandchild has sparked her desire to pick up her crocheting again and she has not stopped. The lap blanket on the right is called the Jacobs Ladder and she had to make it because it is a reminder of her dear late husband Jacob.

She also has another special talent and that is writing. She writes such beautiful short stories and poems that really make you think. What did I tell you, she is multi-talented.

Another Sheep and Wool Festival

Welcome to new members of my blog site. I don't blog as often as I use to. I hope to get back to a regular schedule but for now as things happen or as I think of something of interest I will post. I've been very busy this year teaching knitting and crochet, I'm attending computer classes myself, and just the old life happens gets in the way. I say go with the flow because 'IT IS WHAT IT IS'.

This year has been crazy but I did get a chance to go to another festival. Have you been able to hit any of the festivals? Well, you still have a chance to because there are a couple more around central NJ and others that will happen around the globe. Visit the Knitter's Review website for a list of the festivals around the world.

This past weekend Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11, 2011 there was the Garden State Sheep Breeder's 17th Annual Sheep & Fiber Festival. It is a much smaller festival than the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival or Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival, which I might add is coming up October 15th and 16th. But this festival was very nice. it was held at the Hunterdon County Fairgrounds in Ringoes, NJ.


I took some pictures to share and my favorite was the sheep dog that was herding the ducks. I've never seen a sheep dog gathering ducks. It was so funny and cute.

The vendors at the fair were very friendly and they were mostly from the local area. I took a hand spinning lesson and enjoyed it so much to be able to learn something new. My Sunday knitting group has been trying to talk me into trying it for a while now and when this festival came up I said OK. The lesson was free which hit my pocket very nicely. And they gave us a hand spindle that was made out of a CD and dowel. I thought that was so ingenious how creative we can become and use things that could help save the environment. But that is my practice one. I wanted a real one. So I supported one of the locals and purchased a hand carved spindle made out of several different woods. It was very reasonably priced so that was great. I already had some fleece from my trip to West Virginia last year so I am set.











One of my friends that I was with purchased some fleece and needles to do needle felting. That's why I purchased the fleece and I had got the needles on my trip to WV. But I never got to do it. So now that she got it and I know she will be doing it since she loves making stuffed animals and can't wait to try it, guess what - I now have a partner that I can do needle felting with. I go over her house now to knit and it is because of her that my bear I crocheted is finally almost finished. The pieces had been sitting around for a year waiting to be put together. There is alwasy a part of the process we don't enjoy as much.

How could anyone ever say they are bored when there is so much to venture into. Just in the world of the needlearts we have such a variety (which is my favorite word by the way) to do. Let's find what we love and do it. Even if it is not in a large way we can still enjoy what we love to do.

Enjoy the pictures and think about what festival you would like to attend. If not this year then next year. Have fun.