The Happily Hooked on Crochet Club

HHCC is now on Facebook!

2012-01-27T19:05:00.000-05:00

While the page is still in development, you can still become a fan and start sharing in the joy of crochet with other Facebook users. To check out the page, visit http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Happily-Hooked-on-Crochet-Club/277382492298212?sk=wall. While you're there, give us a "like."

HHCC February 12th Meeting

2012-01-13T14:57:00.001-05:00

The HHCC's monthly meeting,

scheduled for Sunday, February 12th, 2012,

is being held at:

The Danbury Free Public Library
(bottom floor)
located on 170 Main Street, Danbury, CT
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Participants are asked to park in the A. Bardo parking garage (1 block away, located on 10 Library Place, hourly rate of $1.00 per hr)
or along West Street (metered parking, at the time of this blog entry, is free on Sundays; 2 hr limit)

Members and participants of the meeting are asked to bring chemo caps/hats as part of
the HHCC's "Hats from the Heart" campaign. Caps/Hats need to be adult size, for both men
& women. These will be donated to the Danbury Hospital.
(pictured above, on right, is a Lacy Chemo Cap designed by Dee; pattern can be found here.)
"Hats from the Heart" labels will be provided at the
February meeting; otherwise, labels can be downloaded/printed from here.

ALSO: Upon popular request, members interested in learning how to crochet the "Crazy Stitch/ AKA The Diagonal Stitch," bring yarn & appropriate sized crochet hook to practice with.

HHCC'ers Crocheted in Public

2012-01-09T21:05:00.000-05:00

The 1st meeting of the New Year was a lot of fun at the Danbury Fair Mall! Members showed off their latest crochet (and knit!) creations, worked on new projects and discussed various crochet stitches & techniques to learn in 2012:

Irene showed her pretty Bavarian Crochet baby blanket; Anna showed her incredible crocheted vest & flower; Fluffy showed her new Tunisian crochet hook; and Grace showed her "3 Blind Mice" (filled with catnip) inspired by a pattern from the Lion Brand website.

Stay tuned for news on where the February meeting will be held!

January 2012 Meeting

2012-01-07T15:42:00.001-05:00

The HHCC's monthly meeting,

scheduled for Sunday, January 8, 2012,

is being held at:

The Danbury Fair Mall, in the Food Court.

(1PM - 4PM)

WE'RE HAND CROCHETING IN PUBLIC!Bring a project to work on, items for Show & Tell,

and your #Crochet Wish List of techniques or stitches

you'd like to learn or teach.

Reminders: for those renewing their HHCC membership, or just joining:

If you are a member of the CGOA then you receive a 50% savings on HHCC annual dues!

If you renew or join the HHCC before the end of the March 2012meeting, then you are automatically entered into the Ruth Arbitelle Memorial Membership drawing!

Salvation Army Thanks HHCC Members

2012-01-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

Salvation Army Thanks HHCC'ers for Generosity

Elizabeth House Thanks HHCC

2012-01-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth House thanks HHCC'ers

Chance to WIN a HHCC & CGOA 1-Year Membership!

2012-01-01T01:12:00.019-05:00

Those who turn in their HHCC membership applications by the end of the March 2012 meeting will be entered into The Ruth Arbitelle Memorial Membership Drawing. The winner of this annual drawing receives reimbursement for this year's HHCC dues. Winner to be announced at the April meeting.

Recipients of the Ruth Arbitelle Memorial Membership:

2009 : Linda Maroney

2010 : Diane Gilbert
2011: Dee Stanziano

2012: Could be YOU!!

Reminder: If you are a member of the Crochet Guild of America, show your CGOA Membership card and get 50% off your HHCC dues!!

In addition, for the second year in a row, our member Dee Stanziano, is having a drawing for a ONE-YEAR CGOA Membership! Her drawing is open only until January 14th, so hurry on over to her blog for the details on how to enter!

Looks like 2012, Year of the Dragon, is off to a roaringly good start!

Custom Crochet Hooks for HHCC Members

2011-12-12T17:49:00.049-05:00

HHCC Mascot, "Happy"

At the December 7th "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" morning session, held at Panera Bread on Federal Road in Brookfield, HHCC members Dee, Grace, Ruth and Marilyn were discussing various crochet hooks. Dee showed them her new customized giraffe crochet hook she had requested and the discussion naturally went to "What if a crochet hook could be created for HHCC members based upon a photograph of the group's mascot?"

"Happy, the Crochet Hook,"
by LemonadeShop

Dee asked the hook creator if she was up for the challenge, designing a hook based upon a photograph -- and she was! (Pictured on right: The photograph, taken by Jeremy Pollack back in 2010: the mascot was hand crocheted by HHCC member, Chava. Pictured on left is "Happy, the Crochet Hook")
HHCC members can order their own "Happy the Turtle" crochet hooks directly, in sizes F-J, in either a Susan Bates or Boye style hook. Cost is $20 (includes $5 S&H): The Lemonade Shop

Please note the HHCC is not affiliated, nor receives any funds from this.

2011 HHCC Donations

2011-12-07T12:09:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt that members of the HHCC have big hearts. Throughout the year, members hand crocheted and knitted a variety of goodies to be donated locally. Then the items were sorted & labeled to make the distribution process easier.

On December 5th, HHCC President Grace, elf-helper KC, and HHCC Founder Dee, hauled the goodies to the local Salvation Army of Danbury, and the Elizabeth House of Danbury:

This SUV was stuffed with crocheted goodies created by HHCC members!

A Big Thank You to our members for their Generosity!!

Salvation Army:

1 blue bag = 35 sets hats, gloves, scarves

1 blue bag = 25 sets hats, gloves, scarves

1 white bag = 9 sets hats, gloves, scarves, 6 baby hats

1 white bag = 5 baby blankets, 3 toddler sets, 2 baby hats

1 white bag = 19 sets, hats, gloves, scarves

2 bags of various toys

Elizabeth House:

2 large boxes of various kitchenware goods

1 white bag = 20 sets hats, gloves, scarves

1 white bag = 5 shawls, 12 placemats, 1 oven mitt, 1 scrubbie
1 white bag = 4 baby blankets, 3 toddler sets

1 white bag = 12 sets of hats, gloves, scarves; 4 sets of potholders; 3 baby sets

Other: Dorothy Day House (via St. Edward's church):
assortment of hotel shampoos & soaps were also collected and were turned in for the Dorothy Day homeless shelter.

Not Pictured/Pending Donation:
variety of pet blankets in memory of Jean Leinhauser

HHCC Unveils New Club Logo

2011-11-30T13:14:00.004-05:00

EXCITING NEWS!

It was a lot of work, and well worth the wait: The HHCC's CafePress Shop has been updated with the Club's brand new logo!

HHCC Tote available at
www.CafePress.com/TheHHCC

There are lots of goodies - from coffee mugs to charms to T-shirts and totes; essentially all the goodies for wearing and using at various meetings and events!

How to order: visit www.CafePress.com/TheHHCC ((**Bookmark it!**))

Click on the goodies you want & then process your order. In about a week or two your goodies will arrive at the mailing address you give CafePress. If you do not order items from the Internet, please see either Grace or Dee to place an order for you; items will be shipped to either Grace or Dee and then delivered at the next meeting. Payment in full is expected prior to having the order placed for you.

EVENT: April 30, 2011 CT Sheep & Wool Festival

2011-04-02T12:47:00.000-04:00

The HHCC will be returning to participate in the 102nd Connecticut Sheep and Wool Festival, held in Tolland, CT, offering free beginner crochet lessons, and various demonstrations. This event is being held on Saturday, April 30, 2011.

For more information about the Festival, visit: http://www.ctsheep.org/sheep_and_wool_festival

HHCC'er Margaret Hubert to discuss FreeForm Crochet

2011-03-30T16:01:00.009-04:00

HHCC'er Margaret Hubert to discuss FreeForm Crochet at the New Fairfield Free Public Library on April 13, 2011. For more information, please contact the New Fairfield Library at 203-312-5679

Visit Margaret's blog at: http://margaretshooksandneedles.blogspot.com/

Location Change: "Coffee, Crochet & Chat"

2011-02-24T17:32:00.001-05:00

On February 17th, Borders announced they will be closing 200 of their 642 stores, effective immediately, as part of their bankruptcy/reorganization plans. The Borders store located on Federal Road is one of the 200 stores that is now in the process of being closed.

HHCC President Grace stopped by Borders earlier this week to discover the space reserved for patrons to gather has been closed off. A call for suggestions went out to the HHCC membership, and to the ConnecticutCrochet yahoo group. Three locations suggested look like they might be a good location to move to:

Panera Bread
The Danbury Fair Mall (seating area outside of JCPenney)
Molten Java (located in Bethel)

The HHCC members have been gathering at Borders for "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" sessions since 2003; since members are used to going to this end of town, Panara Bread seemed like a logical choice to investigate first.

Grace visited Panera Bread yesterday and spoke with their management. Grace is happy to report that Panera Bread is welcoming the HHCC's "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" sessions with open arms "... and the lighting is good, and so is their food!"

For the month of March, the HHCC will be trying out Panera Bread as serious contender for the new social-gathering location, open to non-members. Panera Bread is located on Federal Road (1/10th of a mile up the road from where Borders is/was located), in the ShopRite Plaza, near the new location of Joann's craft store. The meeting dates & times will remain the same:

March 2nd - 10 AM - Noon
6 PM - 8 PM

March 16th - 10 AM - Noon
March 30th - 10 AM - Noon

Panera Bread's address: 149 Federal Rd, #9, Brookfield, CT
Panera's Phone #: 203-740-0834
Website: http://www.panerabread.com/

CGOA Chapter News

2011-01-29T16:20:00.000-05:00

The HHCC is just one of the many growing Chapters of the CGOA. To read a summary of what the HHCC accomplished in 2009, and of happenings with other Chapters, such as The Hooked on Dutchess Chapter, and The Creative Crochet Guild of Long Island, check out the latest CGOA Chapter Newsletter. You will need an adobe reader to view it.

If you'd like to know if there is a CGOA Chapter near you, check out this page from the CGOA's website.

Or if you're interested in starting your own CGOA Chapter, click here for some great ideas.

DyakCraft is Coming to Town!

2011-01-27T13:21:00.011-05:00

The Northeast, which includes Connecticut, has had seven major snow storms since late December, resulting in record-breaking snowfall. The HHCC is in high hopes Mother Nature will decide to take a vacation the weekend of February 12th & 13th to ensure the roads and highways are for safe travel as The HHCC has invited Tom & Linda Dyak of http://www.dyakcraft.com/ to be our Special Guests!
Tom & Linda hand-craft beautiful crochet hooks, knitting needles & spindles. At the HHCC's ~~Febrary 13th~~ March 13th meeting they will be showing our members the newest addition to their line: Interchangeable Crochet Hooks!

In addition, HHCC members will be offered a basic Tunisian crochet lesson by its members. Members wanting to participate in this lesson should bring yarn & a Tunisian crochet hook with them (or buy some from Tom & Linda at the meeting!)

But what if the weather is bad?

If the weather is bad, then this program will be rolled over to March 13th.

Chance to WIN a HHCC & CGOA Membership!

2011-01-02T18:35:00.000-05:00

The December 2010 meeting was canceled due to weather. This means the HHCC will kicking off the 2011 Crocheting Season with a Celebration at our January meeting! Members and guests are invited to bring pot-luck food items, and a wrapped gift (value $10) to exchange with someone else in attendance.

In addition to the Celebration, 2011 Membership Applications will be accepted. Those who turn in their HHCC membership applications by the end of the March 2011 meeting will be entered into The Ruth Arbitelle Memorial Membership Drawing. The winner of this annual drawing receives reimbursement for this year's HHCC dues. Winner to be announced at the April meeting.

Recipients of the Ruth Arbitelle Memorial Membership:

2009 : Linda Maroney

2010 : Diane Gilbert

2011: It Could Be You!

Reminder: If you are a member of the Crochet Guild of America, show your CGOA Membership card and get 50% off your HHCC dues!!

In addition, our member Dee Stanziano, is having a drawing for a ONE-YEAR CGOA Membership! Her drawing is open only until January 14th, so hurry on over to her blog for the details on how to enter!

Looks like 2011, Year of the Rabbit, is hopping off to a great start!

Danbury Women's Shelter Thanks The HHCC

2010-12-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

Goodwill Cheer Delivered!

2010-12-04T17:20:00.001-05:00

In May 2010, designer and author Bendy Carter wrote an article for the May 2010 issue of Crochet! magazine about The Elizabeth House, a shelter for battered women in the Danbury, Connecticut, area, and how readers can help The HHCC collect crocheted goodies to donate to them. Catherine of Massachusetts sent a box absolutely packed with an assortment of items ... from crocheted potholders to coloring books (see image on the right). Thank you Catherine!!!

Catherine's wonderful crocheted goodies were added to The HHCC's, including two blankets the HHCC members crocheted from the Lands End/ Warm Up America "Feel Good" campaign (see image on the left for the completed afghan from last month's "Block Party"), and 10 of the Fiddler Shawls mentioned in this month's CGOA Chain Link newsletter.

To complete the donation to the Elizabeth House, 20 sets of hats, mittens & scarves; 3 baby sweater sets, and 6 more blankets were added to the collection. (To the right is HHCC President Grace, and elf-helper Casey, making the delivery to the Shelter yesterday.) This was the second time The HHCC has donated to The Elizabeth House since the Chapter formed in 2001.

Further goodwill cheer (see images on left and right) was spread to The Salvation Army of Danbury, where 86 hat, mitten, and scarf sets were donated, along with a baby sweater set, 15 Fiddler Shawls, and an assortment of brand new toys. The Salvation Army was delighted with the donations; this was the 8th time The HHCC has donated to the Salvation Army since the Chapter formed in 2001.

At the end of the day, these two local organizations benefited from millions of crocheted stitches by The HHCC members, and by the generosity of people like Catherine. Thank you to all those who helped make these wonderful donations possible!

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. - Hamilton Wright Mabie

HHCC'ers "Feel Good" at November 'Block Party'

2010-11-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

At the November monthly meeting yesterday, HHCC'ers gathered, armed with crochet hooks & knitting needles and generous hearts, to create squares for the Lands End "Feel Good"/ Warm Up America campaign.

The yarn, with characteristics similar to Lion Brands' Microspun yarn, was donated by Lands End; the HHCC received three cones which were wound into "cakes" and placed on each table.

Some members, like Nancy, had requested an individual cone; she worked up this pretty pumpkin-colored lapghan (pictured on right) at home, leaving the ends to be woven in at the meeting. It turned out so pretty that members requested she write up the pattern!
(Nancy will let us know if she does.)

Within a short amount of time there were enough squares to start the assembly of a lapghan. Dee was in charge of the assembly and decided the best approach was to use the "single crochet, chain one, single crochet, chain one" approach. "This joining technique is not only fast," she said, "but also allows for some breathing room when squares are not exactly the same size." Ruth replied, "Oh, I just love this joining technique for the same reasons Dee does, plus it looks so pretty!"

How to crochet squares together:
Step 1: Lay out your squares the way you want them to appear.

Step 2: Take a square from Row 1, and a square from Row 2, and place back to back, right sides facing out.

Step 3: Join yarn to first square, create a single crochet, chain one, single crochet into the second square, chain one.

Step 4: Repeat the process, alternating from square to square across to the corner, ending with a chain one.

Step 5: Grab two more squares and continue stitching until all squares for Row 1 and Row 2 are connected together. End of.

Step 6: Follow instructions from Step 2 - Step 5 until all rows are connected.
Step 7: Turn the afghan, and begin connecting rows in other direction in the same fashion.

For Show & Tell, Margaret brought in a variety of children sweaters & scarves she created from her crochet and knit swatches. "See, good can come from swatching!" chuckled Margaret. Everyone Ohh'd and Ahh'd over her creative stitch work.

HHCC member Elaine took advantage of getting some computer help from our "resident expert," Dee Jr. Elaine is new to working with computers; she learned how to create documents, save them, and email them. "I love computers," said Dee Jr, "and it was fun to help Elaine." Elaine stated about her lessons, "He's really good! He knows his computers! Now I can type up my patterns, save them, and email them off!"

Members also turned in their crocheted and knitted goodies that will be donated next month. Their generosity overflowed to a luggage cart! There is no doubt that at this monthly meeting HHCC's "Feel Good" about helping our local community! :)

These items will be donated the first week of December -- watch for our blog post with the details!

HHCC Celebrates Ninth Anniversary

2010-10-13T13:39:00.001-04:00

HHCC Founders: Clockwise:
Kay, Hilda, Ruth & Dee.

10-10-10, as in October 10, 2010, was a very special date indeed: it was the celebration of the HHCC's Ninth Anniversary!

In 2001 five ladies, who loved to crochet, decided they wanted to start a crochet club in the Danbury area; Dee was asked to "...look into it." Dee found the CGOA, became a member and learned about how to start a Chapter. Shortly thereafter Ruth Arbitelle (deceased), Hilda Nichols, Kay Perna, Dee Stanziano and Ruth Young made it official: The Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club, Connecticut Chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, was started! ... and the fun hasn't stopped!

Members gathered Sunday at the Courtyard by Marriot in Danbury to celebrate, bringing many different delicious entrees and desserts such as Casey's Cucumber Salad:

1 package of Persian Cucumbers (6-8 in a package)
2 large seedless Cucumbers
1 large sweet onion
Himalayan Pink Salt, ground
Fresh Black Peppercorns, ground
Rice Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Peal and thinly slice cucumbers and onion. Place in large bowl. Add pink salt, peppercorn, rice vinegar and olive oil to taste.
Allow to marinate for at least 1 - 3 hours; stirring gently on occasion. Enjoy!

Crista listens to members color choices.

Crista Grasso and Jeremy Pollack received a warm welcome as the HHCC's Special Guests

Crista kicked off the Anniversary meeting by teaching members how to create unique jewelry stitch markers for crochet and knit projects, as well as beautiful beaded pins, great for wearing with shawls and wraps! Crista also had on display a large variety of beautiful earrings, bracelets and necklaces from her Collection.

Jeremy autographing his book
for Candy

Jeremy did a fantastic presentation on "Product Photography," discussing how photography is really the art of collecting light. He provided a live demonstration of how a light effects a photograph and provided tips on how to get richer looking texture for crochet (& knit) pieces. Afterwards the members were invited to try the techniques.

Crista helps a member w/wire
bending while Andrea and Anna work.

HHCC's President, Grace, said, "I think everyone had a fantastic time; I know I did! Jeremy and Crista did great job, and I got Jeremy to autograph my book!" Grace also purchased one of Jeremy's prints of a sunflower as a birthday for her daughter. "Oh! She absolutely loved it!" Grace exclaimed when asked.

Anna said, "I had a great time and the guest speakers were great. I love my pin and my earrings. They are beautiful. I look forward to many more meetings with such a great group."

HHCCers celebrating Ninth Anniversary as CGOA Chapter.

Irene Tweeted: "Jeremy & Crista did great presentations for The HHCC 2day! You guys rock!"
Along with the Guest Speakers and yummy food, there was also cake and a drawing for prizes.

The HHCC: On the Move Again (Re: New Meeting Location)

2010-10-07T18:35:00.002-04:00

Back in July the HHCC announced that The Hampton Inn would be our new home. As with all nine-year-olds, growth spurts happen. This means that The HHCC is now calling the Courtyard Marriott of Danbury our new temporary home for the months of OCTOBER, NOVEMBER & DECEMBER 2010.

Courtyard® by Marriott®

3 Eagle Road

Danbury, Connecticut

Please note meeting time change:
The HHCC Monthly meetings will run from 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Directions:

From I-84 East to Exit 8 - Turn right onto Newtown Road, turn right onto Eagle Road.
From 84 West to Exit 8 - Merge onto US 6W, turn slight left onto Newtown Road. Turn right onto Eagle road.

Parking is free.

(Note: image of Courtyard® by Marriott® used with permission.)

HHCC Plans to Celebrate Ninth Anniversary!

2010-10-01T13:26:00.000-04:00

The month of October marks the HHCC's Ninth Anniversary. For the October meeting, open only to current members, The HHCC is pleased to welcome two guests:

Crista Grasso studied art in college at both The University of Connecticut and Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Art has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember, and with the urging of family and friends, she created her AmberTortoise Creations business in 2005, featuring her unique hand-made jewelry.

Crista draws inspiration from the world around her, primarily from the beautiful and sometimes surprising color combinations and textures in mother nature. Crista says, "Jewelry says so much about a person! It reflects your personality, your mood, your interests... It can say I am bold and adventurous, I am a little quiet and reserved, I am a happy person who loves life, or maybe that you are all of those things~ I know I am!"

Crista will be teaching The HHCC members how to make unique jewelry stitch markers for their crochet and knit projects.

HHCC Members will need to visit this webpage and pre-order their bead kits: http://ambertortoisecreations.com/crochet_club_October_10th

Jeremy Pollack, co-author of Photographing New York City Digital Field Guide (Digital Field Guides), is a Connecticut-based photographer with a wide range of interests. Growing up in the woods, his first love has always been nature photography which he started shooting with his father's Canon FT QL. As his passion grew over the years, so did the breadth of his interests. Today he shoots commercial and fine art photography, selling prints at art shows and online.

Jeremy will be offering Club Members instruction on how to create their own homemade Light Boxes for taking better pictures of their crocheted, and knitted, projects. Jeremy will include discussion on why the biggest enemy is a flash right in the line of the camera, provide hands-on interaction, and a demonstration of importing, sorting, uploading -- and more! Jeremy will be happy to autograph his book for HHCC members who bring it to the Anniversary Meeting.

HHCC Members will need to visit this webpage for their Light Box materials list: http://www.studiolighting.net/homemade-light-box-for-product-photography/

HHCC'ers "Feel Good" at CBS Early Show

2010-09-30T11:02:00.001-04:00

HHCC'ers helping to promote crochet
on the CBS Early Show

Beating the sunrise, HHCC members Candy, Dee, Grace, Irene, Jennifer, and Zip met up early in the moring yesterday -- in New York City --to help Brett Bara kick off the "Feel Good" Campaign on the CBS Early Show.

Brett Bara, host of the PBS program, Knit and Crochet Now!, teamed up with Lands End, who is donating 5,000 pounds of yarn to the Warm Up America organization. They are aiming to get enough crocheters and knitters to create some 64,000 6"x9" squares that will later be assembled into afghans and donated to people in need.

HHCC'er Zip feeds Dave Price, CBS Weatherman, yarn
with NYCCG members cheering him on.

The HHCC was joined by another CGOA Chapter: the New York City Crochet Guild, also celebrating their ninth anniversary this year!

In the picture to the right is Zip, wearing her Ribbon Winning Vest, feeding yarn to the afghan she was working on when CBS Weatherman Dave Price borrowed it for a weather update. To the left of Dave are NYCCG members.

At the event yesterday, Lands End gave those participating a scarf; and presented totes and fingerless gloves to those who completed scarves early during the taping. At the end of the two-hour show, Brett Bara exlaimed how happy she was with the progress and asked everyone to help promote this worthy cause. The HHCC, will continue on with this worthy cause by having a "Block Party," at our November meeting.

Crochet is Forecasted to be
Hot! Hot! Hot!

After the CBS Early Show taping, everyone was invited for a tour of the studio, of which HHCC'er Irene wasted no time to forecast that crochet will continue to be hot, hot, hot!

For more details, pictures and such about this event, please check out the following links:

CrochetingWithDee.com
AP Images
Yahoo News (in image see the NYCCG in background w/Brett Bara)
My Journey With Yarn and Beyond

Brett Bara appears on Connecticut News Station WTNH/Channel 8. Square crocheted by Dee recognized in segment! Click Here to watch the video clip: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/ct_style/community/wake-up-america.

HHCC'er Wins Ribbon @ Orange County Fair

2010-09-28T11:30:00.008-04:00

The HHCC would like to congratulate its newest member Zipporah on winning a Red Ribbon at the Orange County Fair!

Zipporah, a high schooler, not only designed her entry, but she also hand-spun the yarn for it!
Congratulations Zip!

HHCC'ers Win at The Big E

2010-09-25T10:53:00.085-04:00

Elaine Wins Blue Ribbon
& Sponsor Award

On Wednesday, September 22, HHCC members were just some of the 70,106 attendees at the Big E Fair. The weather in the morning was seasonably cool; in the afternoon everyone would be baking in near 90 degree heat. In attendance on this first day of fall: Candy, Casey (aka Mini~Dee), Celeste, Chava, Dee, Dee Jr., Diane, Elaine, Fluffy, Grace, Hilda, Irene and Ruth.

HHCC Booth

Upon setting up the booth, Casey, Dee, Elaine and Ruth learned how their crochet entries fared: they all won Ribbons ranging from Best in Division, Junior to Honorable Mention. Dee and Elaine also won the Sponsor Awards. The Connecticut Fifers marched in, representing 17 marching bands, kicking off the official start to Connecticut Day.

The HHCC members enjoyed meeting a lot of people interested in crochet. Many leaflets and crochet patterns were handed out. This was the eighth year the HHCC has volunteered to demonstrate & promote crochet at The Big E.

In the afternoon, The Connecticut Line Dancers came to The HHCC's aid by volunteering to model for The HHCC's first-ever Fashion Show. Even though it was 90 degrees, not including the humidity, they were great troopers swirling & twirling the crocheted Shawl Collection on the stage while HHCC President Grace emceed. The majority of the shawls featured in the show were crocheted earlier this year for a production of Fiddler on the Roof. The shawls will be donated, with other items, to the Elizabeth House, a battered women's shelter located in Danbury, Connecticut, in early December.

The HHCC & The CT Line Dancers team up for Crochet Fashion Show featuring shawls.

After the Fashion Show the Connecticut Line Dancers were up, showing all how much fun dancing can be. They called HHCC'ers Dee & Grace up to the stage to learn how ... Fluffy, who is also a member of the CT Line Dancers, said to Grace, "I have a video of you and Dee keeping in step with us. It was a lot of fun, and look forward to teaching you more steps!!"

Everyone had a great time!

The HHCC would like to extend a huge Thank You to the Connecticut Line Dancers, and to all the other volunteers in the New England State building!

The FeelGood program/ HHCC Block Party

2010-09-22T14:04:00.002-04:00

Lands’ End has teamed up with Warm Up America!, and with Crochet Today editor Brett Bara as their spokesperson, on an exciting project to help warm up families in need this winter. The Crochet Guild of America's member guilds have been invited to join in the fun. Lands’ End is donating 5000 pounds of their soft FeelGood yarn so that 64,000 blanket squares by a combination of groups can be knitted and crocheted. The goal is 2000 blankets by mid-December!!

-- AND THE HHCC WILL BE A PARTICIPATING CGOA CHAPTER!! --

The HHCC will be having a "Block Party" at our November 14th meeting. We will need volunteers to crochet or knit 6" x 9" (or 9" x 6") squares with the 153 pounds of yarn from Lands End, as well as volunteers to assemble them into afghans!

The afghans will be donated to the Elizabeth House of Danbury, a shelter for battered women & their children.

The HHCC will also be helping Brett kick off this event by joining her at the CBS Early Show on Wednesday, September 29th. Watch for HHCC members in the crowd as Brett interviews with the show's host about the FeelGood program.

Touching 1854

2010-09-15T19:45:00.006-04:00

At "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" today, HHCC President, Grace, brought in one of her latest treasures: a crochet hook from 1854!

The hook traveled from Dereham, Norfolk, United Kingdom. The handle is carved of bone, and unscrews at the bottom to store the extra crochet hook heads. The tip of the hook also unscrews, so that the desired hook size can be inserted & secured.

What makes this crochet hook intriguing is the stamping in the bronze body. It reads: I THOMPSON REGD AUG t 10 1854

Even more interesting, it is entirely possible the brass body could have been made in Waterbury, Connecticut, well known as the Brass City of the World!

What do we know about England and 1854? We know Queen Victoria was crocheting scarves to award to servicemen during what is known as the South African War. In fact, she awarded a total of eight crocheted scarves, one of which can be seen here, pictured on The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment website.

Also happening in 1854, The Ladies Complete Guide to Crochet & Fancy Knitting was printed.

"With a crotchet-needle in the hand, we join more pleasantly in conversation; the little implement fills up all embarrassing pauses. Its use gives feminine and domestic air, which men may smile at but cannot condemn. Under all circumstances, it is better than counting beads like the modern Greeks, or flirting with fans like the Spanish belles -- or flirting without fans, as sometimes happens to ladies of all nations."

Want to read more from the Ladies Complete Guide? Click here to read the 2005 article featured in Talking Crochet.

"Coffee, Crochet & Chat." Sometimes it is history too.

HHCC September 2010 Meeting

2010-09-14T16:23:00.002-04:00

The HHCC would like to welcome Cathy and Zipporah as our newest members!

What a great turn out -- in fact, the HHCC is currently working with the hotel to see if an even larger meeting room is available!!! (Details to be announced.)

At the Sepember meeting HHCC'ers started turning in scarves for the 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge, each receiving a collector's pin from Dee. Dee has 3 pins left. The scarves will be added to crocheted hats, mittens or gloves, in the coming months. In early December they will be donated to the Salvation Army located in Danbury; helping children and their family members stay warm during the cold winter months.

Earlier this year HHCC members came to Dee's aid in helping to crochet 30 shawls for a school production of Fiddler on the Roof. The DVD of that play was aired at the meeting, letting all the members see how their shawls made the show! (Note: The shawls will be featured in a Fashion Show at The Big E on Wednesday, September 22nd, in the New England State Building from 3PM to 4PM. Afterwards they will be donated to a charity in need.) Everyone enjoyed seeing the shawls in action!

Show'n Tell is always fun. Ann showed off a motif afghan that is currently on her hook; new member Zip showed the vest she's working on (and that she hand-spun the yarn for!), and Diane showed a shawl she knitted that "magically striped up." Dee brought a rare "Chester" brand Tunisian crochet hook to the meeting and presented it as a gift to HHCC President, Grace. Grace was thrilled! (see hook in top picture)

What is next for the HHCC? Stay tuned!

HHCC'ers Prepare for The Big E

2010-09-13T12:28:00.008-04:00

On Saturday, HHCC'ers Diane, Elaine, Grace, Dee and Ruth, traveled up to West Springfield, MA, to enter various crochet works into the Eastern States Exposition. Sarah, the coordinator of the needlecraft competition, remarked that this year they are seeing a big increase in the number of entries, and they are absolutely thrilled!

For the return trip home our HHCC'ers enjoyed a "Yarn Shop Crawl," visiting WEBs (including their bead shop), Northampton Wools, and Creative Fibers. They also stopped at Sylvesters for a fantastic (and very filling!) lunch. Elaine and Grace were thrilled to find crochet & knit books that were on their lists; Diane and Ruth loaded up on yarn; and Dee finally got her professional blocking board. Very happy shoppers indeed!

HHCC members will be returning to The Big E on Wednesday, September 22, well known as CONNECTICUT DAY, to promote & teach the art of crochet in the New England State Building. This will be the Club's EIGHTH year participating -- and this year will also include a Fashion Show featuring CROCHETED SHAWLS from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM!!!!

Hope to see you there!

"Most Expensive Ball of Yarn!"

2010-09-01T23:00:00.006-04:00

Every month the HHCC invites the public to join our members for "Coffee, Crochet, and Chat" held at the Borders bookstore located in Brookfield, Connecticut.

Members who attend always have a good time catching up with each other, and having a little "show & tell" of projects they are currently working on, or have recently completed.

Today was all about the yarn. A single ball of yarn!

Grace decided to bring in yarn she was winding into a ball, only it was a huge tangled mess! Several hands, including Margaret's and Dee's, jumped into action helping Grace reclaim -- or rather, retame --her yarn. There were several giggles, and great conversation about designing for crochet, finding great crochet books, and gee, is that ball of yarn still tangled?!

In the end, Grace eventually got her yarn wound into a ball, stating:

"Taking onto consideration the original cost of the yarn, all the time it took to untangle, (people too) and ball up, this has to be the most expensive hunk of yarn I have ever bought!"

Tangle & all, everyone had a good time!

HHCC'ers Win Ribbons at Bridgewater Fair

2010-08-23T15:15:00.004-04:00

This past weekend Grace, Dee, and Ruth, along with Jr. HHCC member, Casey (age 13), all competed in the Crochet Division at the 59th annual Bridgewater Fair -- and they all took home Ribbons!

HHCC President Grace entered her beautiful Laura Ingalls Wilder doily, and won a BLUE Ribbon. [HHCC'er Anna reports to check out the September/October issue of Piecework magazine for an article on Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane!]

Dee entered her Doris Chan Ling Collar, crocheted with yarn hand-dyed by HHCC'er Jennifer; and entered her "Pushmi~Pullyu" giraffe inspired purse. Both won BLUE Ribbons. She entered her "Pushmi~Pullyu" boy's vest; it won a RED Ribbon. Lastly she entered a scarf crocheted with the Amazing Needle that makes true knit stiches; it won a YELLOW Ribbon.

Ruth entered two items. She entered a granny square baby blanket started by another HHCC member, but completed by her. It won a WHITE Ribbon. Her thread doily won a RED Ribbbon.

Casey also entered two items. She entered a "Fiddler" Shawl used by her class for a school production of Fiddler on the Roof. She also entered a plastic bracelet, crocheted with Jelly Yarn! Both items won BLUE Ribbons.

CONGRATULATIONS HHCC'ers!!

crusader for crochet steps into the video world

2010-08-19T13:03:00.006-04:00

Full of fun & puns, Gwen Blakley Kinsler, founder of the Crochet Guild of America, and well known as the CrochetKween, got some crocheters together, including some HHCC members, at the recent CGOA Conference, to make this great "Crochet Anonymous" video:

"Enough is enough. It is time for crocheters to get a sense of humor, stand up proud and defend ourselves from the likes of the wooly bullies!" ~Gwen Blakley Kinsler

You can read about Gwen's inspiration behind the video at her blog here: http://crochetqueen-royalramblings.blogspot.com/2010/08/crochet-compartment-of-my-brain.html

You can find Gwen's Crochet books/patterns on Amazon here.

Book Review: Kids Learn to Crochet

2010-08-18T14:45:00.002-04:00

HHCC Book Review

Title: Kids Learn to Crochet
Author: Lucinda Guy & François Hall
Year Published: 2008

Rating: 7 out of 10 balls of yarn

Kids Learn to Crochet is a how-to book aimed at children from ages 6 to 9. It boasts the same style of photography/illustration as Guy and Hall's other works. The how-to illustrations are large and clear, with arrows showing the direction of movement. Photographs are used along the way, to clearly show what finished pieces of crochet should look like. It's the type of book that child and parent could both learn from together.

Charts and diagrams are used throughout the book to illustrate everything from color changes to where to place increases when working in the round. Although the style of charting and diagrams might not be considered "standard" in US crochet patterns, the explanations of how the charts work are clear, and they provide a great reference for visual learners.

The book teaches a slip knot, chain, single crochet, changing colors at the end of rows, single crochet increase, single crochet decrease, double crochet, and how to single crochet in continuous rounds. It does not cover half-double crochet, crocheting in rounds joined with a slip stitch, or decreases or increases using double crochet. It seams odd to leave these introductory topics out of a learn-to-crochet book, but the book already weighs in at 96 pages as it is.

Review by Lindsey Stephens of http://www.poetryinyarn.com/, HHCC Member

This book was provided to the HHCC by the Trafalgar Square Books publishing company. Members of the HHCC may borrow this book from the HHCC's Crochet Library.

Special Promotion: Crochet Today! magazine

2010-08-13T15:02:00.004-04:00

HHCC members love Crochet Today! magazine, and often discuss it at the "Crochet, Coffee, & Crochet" chats held at Borders bookstore located in Brookfield, CT.

Imagine their delight to find they could save nearly $72 off the cover price by getting a 2-year subscription for just $17.97!!!

(this post was edited; $5.00 coupon code removed as it stopped working.)

Book Review: Crochet Designs for Kids: 20 Projects to make for girls & boys

2010-08-10T12:42:00.000-04:00

HHCC Book Review

Title: Crochet Designs for Kids: 20 Projects to make for girls & boys
Author: Lucinda Guy
Year Published: 2008

Rating: 8 out of 10 balls of yarn

The first thing that will grab you about this book is the illustrations. Well, they aren't really illustrations, they are combination photo and illustration rolled into one. The real life garments are modeled by cartoon drawings. The style of the photo/illustrations created by François Hall is what makes Lucinda Guy's books instantly recognizable from across the bookstore. I think it's a great, innovative way of displaying children's items.

The whimsical designs are separated by season, with 5 patterns each for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. There are 9 garments, 4 accessories, 2 bags, 3 stuffed toys, and 2 blankets. Of the 9 garments, 2 are for boys and 7 are for girls, although I think some of them could really work for either gender. The size range for the garments is slightly narrow (ages 2-3, 3-4, 4-5), and I wish Guy had included a wider range. The garments are made in thinner yarns and avoid any unnecessary bulk.

The patterns in this book should be accessible to almost all levels of crocheters. All of the patterns call for simple stitches or stitch patterns (mostly single and double crochet). In fact, it's quite impressive to see how much cuteness can be created with a narrow repertoire of stitches. Lucinda Guy makes frequent use of crocheted appliques, embroidery detailing, and buttons, so be prepared for some sewing. (You could leave off these details, but it would really be a shame to).

Overall, this is a great book for anyone who wants to crochet for children in the 2 to 5 year age range. The designs are cute, and the patterns should work well for even beginning level crocheters.

Review by Lindsey Stephens of http://www.poetryinyarn.com/, HHCC Member

This book was provided to the HHCC by the Trafalgar Square Books publishing company. Members of the HHCC may borrow this book from the HHCC's Crochet Library.

HHCC August Meeting

2010-08-08T19:49:00.003-04:00

HHCC'ers gathered at the Hampton Inn for a casual meeting this month. Some of the topics discussed:

What is the difference between the Craft Yarn Council of America's Teacher Certification Course and the Crochet Guild of America's Masters Course?

Is there interest to bring the Craft Yarn Council of America's Teacher Certification Course to Danbury?

Oh, a field trip!
Mark your calendars!
Meet-up at Exit 2 off I-84 to carpool at 11:00 AM. Goal is to be at yarn Central in Hopewell Junction, NY by noon. After yarn shopping members will then travel to Montgomery, NY, to visit the historic Montgomery Mill.

The HHCC will be participating in Dee's 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge. Details can be found on Ravelry. HHCC'ers who participate will receive a 2010 Collector's Pin from Dee. Scarves will be donated to the Danbury Salvation Army in December complete with hats, gloves or mittens. ((HHCC members must RSVP to Dee to ensure they get a pin.))

Show & Tell ... it is always fun to see what is on & off HHCC'ers crochet hooks!

Book Review: Afghans & Throws: A Step-by-Step Guide to Knit and Crochet Designs, Patterns and Techniques

2010-08-02T15:03:00.001-04:00

HHCC Book Review

Title: Afghans & Throws: A Step-by-Step Guide to Knit and Crochet Designs, Patterns and Techniques
Author: Luise Roberts
Year: 2008

Rating: 9 1/2 out of 10 balls of yarn

This book caught may attention when I saw Crochet and Knit in the title. It’s almost impossible to find both in one book. I found this book to be a very comprehensive guide, not a how- to. It is not for the beginner, you need to know how to crochet or knit to be able to use this book. Also it is not a pattern book (there are 6 projects in the back not all afghans or throws). This book has several sections starting with tools for knitting and crochet and has over 30 sections each devoted a particular facet of crochet or knitting.

An example of the information is a table that covers sizing of beds with crochet and knit yarn calculations for multiple yarn types. The other sections cover color selection, embroidery, creating motifs to appliqué to a finished project, and more. It includes how to read both knit and crochet charts. Finishing and trims in crochet and knit. There is a section on stitches in crochet and knit. Each has a picture of the completed pattern, written instructions (for most) and the chart. There are sections on cables, weaving, texture and using beads in knit and crochet. Each section covers both mediums.

Definitely a book I would like to put in my library and it wouldn’t collect dust.
9 ½ balls of yarn out of 10 because the projects weren’t all afghans or throws.

Review by Diane George, HHCC Member.

This book was provided to the HHCC by the Trafalgar Square Books publishing company. Members of the HHCC may borrow this book from the HHCC's Crochet Library.

New (temp) Home for HHCC Monthly Meetings

2010-07-29T19:03:00.006-04:00

The HHCC is pleased to announce the monthly meetings for the next 5 months (Aug-Dec 2010) will be held at:

The Hampton Inn (hotel)

located on 81 Newtown Road, Danbury, Connecticut

Directions:

From I-84 East, take Exit 8. Right turn off exit. At the first light hotel is located on the left behind Friendly's restaurant.
From I-84 West, take Exit 8. Straight off exit in center left lane to merge straight onto Newtown Road. At the fourth light hotel will be on the left behind Friendly's restaurant.

Parking is free.

HHCC'ers at the Danbury Fair Mall

2010-07-19T12:17:00.006-04:00

For the July meeting, HHCC'ers met at the Danbury Fair Mall located in Danbury, Connecticut.

The Danbury Fair Mall is built on the same land the Great Danbury Fair used to be held (1869-1981). When the owner died he left the grounds to his children stating that it would “always be a place for people to gather.” The Fair ended in 1981 and in 1986 they opened the mall, inclulding the carousel that at that time could be seen from the highway. (several years later they added the parking garage which now blocks the highway view of the carousel.) You can learn more about this Fair by clicking here.

How is the Danbury Fair Mall connected to the fiber world? The daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder (author of the Little House series of books) had a daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. Rose lived in Danbury during the 1960s and is said to have been a volunteer at the Fair for the needlework entries (Rose authored the coveted book, The Woman’s Day Book of American Needlework in 1963).

In keeping with the spirit of the Fair being a gathering place, HHCC'ers enjoyed having their July meeting in the food court. "Crocheting in public is fun!" exlaimed the newest HHCC Jr. member (age 10). HHCC'ers were also encouraged to play "Crochet Bingo" with member Andrea winning for finding the most items with crochet at JCPenney's -- and for finding people at the mall who also enjoy crocheting!

Stay tuned to learn where next month's meeting location will be! :)

HHCC'ers Receive Honorable Mention!

2010-07-17T09:46:00.001-04:00

In the CGOA's 2010 Design Competition, HHCC members Elaine Brown and Lindsey Sephens received Honorable Mentions for their entries.

Elaine received her Honorable Mention for her Thread entry, "The Flowers are Alive; Daisy and Blackeyed Susan." Lindsey received her Honorable Mention for her Accessory Entry, "Free Spirit Tote."

To see their entries, and more beautiful winning crochet entries, visit Doris Chan's blog here for the complete listing

Congratulations Margaret!

2010-07-16T15:10:00.003-04:00

In the CGOA's 2010 Design Competition, HHCC member Margaret Hubert won Second Prize $200 (Interweave) for her “Fantasy in Purple and Lime” entry in the Daywear Category.

To see her prize winning design, and more beautiful winning crochet entries, visit Doris Chan's blog here for the complete listing.

Congratulations Margaret!

HHCC'ers Return from 16th Annual CGOA ChainLink Conference

2010-07-14T16:18:00.002-04:00

Several HHCC members attended the annual CGOA Conference well known as "ChainLink" and as The Knit and Crochet Show, that was held in Manchester, NH, last week. This was the 16th Annual Conference for the CGOA of which members Margaret Hubert and Dee Stanziano were teachers.

HHCC member Nancy wrote upon her return home from the Conference , "Got 10 hours sleep last nite, will probably need about another week of 10 hours worth to catch up from last week! lol"

Margaret blogged about her experience here; Dee uploaded some pictures here. Honorary HHCC'er Doris Chan headed up the CGOA's Design Contest, and with Caron Yarns she also hosted the evening Club Caron party.

HHCC'er Diane Moyer was there too -- with Dee winning her beautiful felted bag at the raffle held on Professional Development Day; the raffle helped raise nearly $1000 for the Lyme Disease Association!

In addition, HHCC'ers Andrea, Deb, Elaine, Hinda and Lindsey were there too! A fun time for all!! Join us at our next monthly meeting for more details :)

Another AM Coffee, Crochet & Chat Session

2010-06-17T14:15:00.005-04:00

HHCC members and guests have been gathering at the Borders bookstore located on Federal Road in Brookfield, Connecticut, for over 7 years!

The morning attendees of "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" have decided to add another gathering day: the 5th Wednesday of the month!

If you are in the area, please consider joining us in the Cafe area for some great coffee, crochet & chat:

Mornings (10AM - Noon) on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesday of the month
{{5th Wednesday 2010 dates: 6/30, 9/29, 12/29}}

Evenings (6-8 PM) on the 1st Wednesday of the month.

HHCC'ers help set the Guinness World Record!

2010-06-06T10:30:00.005-04:00

The HHCC is proud to have had members both volunteer and participate in the Guinness World Record attempt yesterday for Most People Crocheting at the Same time. HHCC members Jennifer and Dee (along with her family) were volunteers: responsible for handing out crochet hooks, yarn, and special Mets Stitch'nPitch totes to those who registered to take place in the event, and later serving as Witnesses towards the final count.

HHCC members Irene (and her husband), Judy (along with her family), and Dee's daughter all crocheted, with 419 other people, helping to set the record!!

Watch the WEEKEND INSIDE EDITION tonight, or read about this Record Setting Event here.

The event was held at Citi Field yesterday. Some of the Celebrity Sightings included: Debrah Norville (a crocheter!), Lily Chin, Mary Beth Temple, and Stacy Charles.

HHCC Member Achievement

2010-05-16T12:02:00.003-04:00

The HHCC would like to congratulate one of it's members for the following:

"I'm officially a Professional member of the CGOA. I've been an Associate Professional for two years, and I just got the e-mail that my application for Professional status was accepted!" ~Lindsey"

CONGRATULATIONS Lindsey!!!

If you are interested in taking your love of crochet to the next level, consider upgrading your CGOA membership to Associate Professional; it costs nothing extra! If you're not a member of the CGOA, visit www.crochet.org to learn more.

Crochet History in Connecticut

2010-05-10T14:52:00.002-04:00

If you are a fiber-lovin' resident of Connecticut, or just visiting, here are museums, parks, and history worth looking into:

Putnam Park, located in Redding, CT. This is the oldest state park in Connecticut, former winter encampment of 1778 for General Putnam's Continental soldiers during the Revolutionary War. On Exhibit are many fiber related artifacts, including a Spinning Jenny used to speed up the process of making thread.
Susan Bates, located in Chester, CT. The former home of the makers of crochet hooks, knitting needles and other sewing items. Prior to the products being named "Susan Bates" they had the name "Chester." This site was closed due to environment contamination. The local Chester Historical Society may have items on display.
Waterbury Button Museum, located inside the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, CT. This museum has over 10,000 buttons on exhibit, including buttons worn by George Washington.
The Woolen Manufactory, formerly located in Hartford, CT from 1788 - 1794. This was the first mill to use power, and produced the material that made George Washington's suit for his Inauguration as The United States First President. The Museum of Connecticut includes exhibits of Freedom Quilts.
The Danbury Museum, located in Danbury, Ct. "Mad Hatter" is noted in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. The term "Mad Hatter" is used to described the uncontrolable shaking caused by mercury poisioning; mercury was used to help in the felting process to make hats. Danbury was once the hat center of the world in the 19th & 20th centuries, having many residents exposed. To this day, there are still mercury traces in the banks of local creeks. ~~(Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, has of yet to be listed as one of their famous Danburians.)~~ Open most Saturdays; call for hours.

Edit: The HHCC would like to thank member Dee Stanziano for bringing to the Danbury Museum's attention the need to have Rose Wilder Lane added as a Famous Danburian.

Connecticut's 101st Sheep & Wool Festival

2010-04-26T19:42:00.008-04:00

This past Saturday, a most beautiful Spring day, Connecticut played host to it's 101st Sheep & Wool Festival. This was the 4th straight year the HHCC has been invited back to offer participants FREE beginner crochet lessons and various crochet demonstrations throughout the day! HHCC members were a little worried this year: would they arrive on time due to I-84 having been closed most of the previous night, into the early morning, due to a tractor trailor spilling its contents? They did! HHCC members drove in from all parts of the state, and immediately began setting up items for display -- and offering beginner crochet lessons! Every item on display was crocheted using natural fibers such as alpaca, bamboo, cotton, silk and wool.

Also on display was the wool HHCC member, Chava, brought back from Ireland with her, having dyed it herself with acorns, ashes, and green jello. HHCC member Dee (pictured on right) would later use some samples Chava gave her to demonstrate how to crochet with unspun roving.

Newbie HHCC'er, Judy, (pictured on left) brought her husband and daughters to the Festival. This was their first experience of a Sheep & Wool Festival. Judy writes, "The wool and sheep festival was great on Saturday. I must admit that I am very much looking forward to the one ... in Rhinebeck. I was pretty restrained at buying yarn, I could have definitely came out of there with so much more. The alpaca yarn is soooo soft."

Also in attendance, offering lessons and demonstrations in the HHCC's booth with Chava (not pictured) & Dee was Diane, Elaine, Fluffy, Grace, Irene, and Ruth.

Of course HHCC members also shopped! They purchased everything from Maple Butter and Sheep's Yogurt to roving and yarn! Everyone had a great time! :)

For more reading about the 101st Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival, check out these links of other participants:

http://graceysgoodies.blogspot.com/2010/04/connecticut-sheep-and-wool-2010_24.html

http://www.examiner.com/x-26813-Hartford-Knitting-Examiner~y2010m4d25-Sheep-Wool--Fiber-festival-review

(photos by HHCC's Irene & her hubby Alex, and Dee)

HHCC Happenings...

2010-04-23T14:28:00.005-04:00

The HHCC has grown so much! ... we are currently in the process of finding a new location for our monthly meetings. If you are interested in attending, please contact us for more information until an official announcement of our new home is made.

We are also experiencing some technical difficulties with our website. We are working with our website host, webs.com, to correct the problems. ~~The url, www.crochetclubinct.org is currently not connecting to our site. Please use http://crochetclubinct.webs.com until further notice.~~

EDITED: Our URL has been restored. Please resume using http://www.crochetclubinct.org to visit our website.

In other news, members of the HHCC will be at the 101st Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival tomorrow; in the white barn. Stop by to take advantage of our free beginner crochet lessons & crochet demonstrations! http://www.ctsheep.org/101st_annual_sheep_and_wool_festival

HHCC'ers Out & About in Ridgefield

2010-03-28T15:53:00.004-04:00

Author & Designer Mary Beth Temple was in Connecticut yesterday, teaching a crocheted shawl class at Nancy O's yarn shop located in Ridgefield.

HHCC'ers Kathy, Fluffy & Irene enjoyed Mary Beth's class (and loved that Nancy O had the latest Interweave Crochet magazine in stock featuring a new afghan pattern by Mary Beth, and new patterns by HHCC'ers Margaret Hubert and Doris Chan!) and will be sharing details with the HHCC'ers at the April monthly meeting -- they would love to have Mary Beth come and teach a workshop for the HHCC!

We look forward to seeing the shawls Kathy, Fluffy and Irene crochet!

March 2010 Meeting

2010-03-15T13:35:00.005-04:00

The HHCC's March meeting was, shawl we say, full of shawl talk! Many members participating in the CAL turned in their shawls, much to the delight of Dee. In a matter of two weeks, the group has nearly completed the 30 shawls needed for the school drama club!

It was fun to see all the different shawls ... one shawl crocheted by Jennifer caught the eye of many members. She took a few moments to explain how her shawl was based on the granny square, a well known motif in the crochet world!

As part of the meeting's program, the shawls were used to demonstrate what a difference blocking can make to crocheted projects. Using Nancy's blocking board, Dee's blocking wires from www.yarnbazaar.com and a household iron, many members, like Fluffy, exclaimed, "I never knew blocking my crochet work would make such a huge difference!!"

Why using blocking wires? Dee says they make her "... life, or rather, blocking, simplier and quicker!" And it was! She quickly inserted the wires along the edges of the shawls, pinned the wires in place on the blocking board, and then steamed the shawls with the iron. Within minutes the shawls went from looking homemade to hand-made! What a big difference!

As part of the demonstration, YarnBazaar offered HHCC members an exclusive discount (good until the end of the month) so they can enjoy the ease of using blocking wires too! Not a member of the HHCC? Go here to join!

NOTE: This meeting was also the LAST HHCC meeting that will be held at the Danbury Hospital. The group has grown so much it is time for us to move to a new location! While we await the announcement of where the new home of the HHCC will be, the April meeting is being hosted at Margaret's house. If interested in attending the April meeting, please contact us for more information. The HHCC would like to thank the Danbury Hospital for all the years they let us meet there! :)

Happily Hooked at the Bethel Library

2010-03-14T10:48:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, during one of the heaviest rain storms of the season, HHCC members, Dee, Grace, Kathy, Priscilla, and Ruth offered FREE beginner crochet lessons to those daring to venture out to the Bethel Library.

There were many smiles, giggles, and crochet stitches taking place. ConnecticutCrochet yahoo group member, Linda, also joined in offering crochet lessons to participants. Everyone had a great time! :)

The HHCC would like to thank the Bethel Library for hosting this annual event.

HHCC'ers Nominated for CLF Flamies Awards

2010-03-11T16:34:00.004-05:00

The HHCC is proud to announce the following HHCC members, representing 6 of the 23 categories, for their nominations in the 2nd Annual CLF Flamies Awards!

Best Crochet Blog & Best Crochet Designs for Adults: Doris Chan

Best New Designer: Karen Drouin

Best Free Form Designer: Margaret Hubert

Best Crochet Instructor & Best Crochet Designer for Children: Dee Stanziano

The CLF is the "Crochet Liberation Front" group hosted on Ravelry.com. This is the 2nd Annual Awards, known as "The Flamies!"

To cast your vote, please go here. Voting takes place until March 22, 2010. On April 19th the winners will be announced on the Getting Loopy Show.

Congratulations HHCC'ers!

HHCC Celebrates NatCroMo

2010-03-04T17:07:00.006-05:00

The HHCC is Celebrating National Crochet Month (known as NaCroMo) with a crochet doily exhibit at the Bethel Library. The display features doilies made by members of the Club and shows a small sampling of what doilies can look like -- and be! The display will be up for the month of March.

Members of the HHCC will return to the Bethel Library on Saturday, March 13th to offer Free beginner crochet lessons. The Library happily reports that the seats are filling quickly! If you want to take advantage of this free lesson, please contact the library to reserve your spot! http://www.bethellibrary.org/

Several HHCC members jumped at the opportunity to assist member Dee Stanziano with a pressing challenge: to crochet 30 shawls for her daughter's school drama club by the end of the month! Knowing she would need assistance, she turned to her Chapter members! Now, with so many Chapter members offering their time, and yarn, for the cause this challenge has turned into a CAL: Crochet Along and will count towards the CGOA's NatCroMo CAL. The HHCC participants are currently discussing local donation possibilities for the shawls once the school is done with them.

What are you doing for NatCroMo? Consider joining the Crochet Guild of America, and/or The HHCC. (If you're already a member, you can always give a membership to the crocheters in your life!)

HHCC: In the News

2010-02-24T09:42:00.004-05:00

The HHCC is mentioned in an article, written by Paula Moliver, for the Examiner.com web site. The article is about joining up with a crochet guild to learn how to crochet, perhaps making crochet hats similar to those being worn by the Swedish ski team. You can read the article here: Go for the Guild

The HHCC would like to extend congratulations to member Nancy Smith for having one of her designs featured in the latest Caron.com newsletter. You can read the Caron newsletter here, and check out Nancy's design (pictured on the right) here.

A congratulations is also extended to HHCC member Margaret Hubert, whose newly published book, The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet, is now in it's 2nd Printing!

February Meeting

2010-02-22T10:12:00.000-05:00

At the February meeting, members donated 77 adult sized Chemo Caps as part of the HHCC's annual Hats from the Heart campaign. These chemo caps were donated to the Danbury Hospital. Another donation is scheduled for the late fall.

Members also received a tutorial by HHCC member Dee on how the Ravelry online community is beneficial for crocheters (as well as knitters). Discussion included how to look up patterns, yarn, groups and more! Ravelry is free to use and the HHCC has a group there open to the public.

2010 Meeting Dates

2010-01-01T11:24:00.002-05:00

The HHCC's monthly meetings are scheduled for the 2nd Sunday of the month. Sometimes the monthly meeting dates are changed due to holiday conflicts. Below are the meeting dates for 2010:

Sunday, January 10

Sunday, Februray 21 (meeting date changed due to Valentine's Day)

Sunday, March 14

Sunday, April 11

Sunday, May 16 (meeting date changed due to Mother's Day)

Sunday, June 13

Sunday, July 18 (meeting date changed due to CGOA Conference)

Sunday, August 8

Sunday, September 12

Sunday, October 10

Sunday, November 14

Sunday, December 12

Meetings are held at the Danbury Hospital, located in Danbury, Connecticut, in the Conference Room next door to the hospital's pharmacy, from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM.

Happy New Yarn!

2010-01-01T00:01:00.004-05:00

The HHCC would like to wish everyone a Happy & Healthy New Yarn Year!

A new calendar will soon be posted to the HHCC's website, including meeting date changes for February, May and July due to holiday conflicts. Is there something you want the HHCC to consider doing for 2010? Get in on the planning by attending the January 10th monthly meeting!

... and don't forget, it's Membership Renewal time!! Renew your membership, or join the HHCC for the first time to be in the drawing for the Ruth Arbitelle Memorial Membership! Who will win it for 2010? It could be YOU!

HHCC members are asked to start crocheting (and knitting if they'd like) adult chemo caps that will be donated next month to the Danbury Hospital as part of our "Hats from the Heart" campaign. Members may get tags for the hats at the meeting, or from the HHCC's website.

A December to Remember!

2009-12-13T18:38:00.002-05:00

Today the HHCC enjoyed celebrating the holidays with Honorary HHCCer Doris Chan! Doris brought with her beautiful garments that were featured in her first two books, Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace, and Everyday Crochet: Wearable Designs Just for You. She also provided us with a sneak peek at her newest book, Crochet Lace Innovations: 20 Dazzling Designs in Broomstick, Hairpin, Tunisian, and Exploded Lace, which will be out in April of 2010!

Doris also showed HHCC'ers Tahki's new Cotton Classic LITE yarn (talk about delicious!), and taught many members how to crochet the broomstick technique that will be featured in her newest book! She also had a drawing for a brand new set of Etimo crochet hooks! Thank you for spoiling us Doris!!

While this was going on, members also enjoyed feasting on a variety of potluck foods & drinks, as well as pulling on a piece of yarn to receive a holiday gift from "Secret Santa."

Unfortunately, while the meeting was taking place Mother Nature decided to change her plans from light rain to freezing rain, catching everyone by surprise! Road crews scrambled to get the roads sanded but not in time for several HHCC members who were trapped on various roadways and highways for hours on end due to slick roads; this prevented them from attending. We are happy to report no HHCC'ers were involved in any accidents while trying to get to the monthly meeting, or while returning home! For those members unable to attend today, the HHCC will be holding the "Secret Santa" exchange for them at the January 2010 meeting!

2009 was a great year for the HHCC and it's members! We'll see you in January 2010! :)

HHCC Celebrates 8th Anniversary with Lily Chin

2009-11-12T16:29:00.000-05:00

The Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club, Connecticut Chapter of the Crochet Guild of America, recognized in 2006 by Governor M. Jodi Rell for local charitable crochet donations, celebrated it's 8th Anniversary in November!

Founded in 2001 on the cusp of 911, Ruth Arbitelle* (deceased), Hilda Nichols, Kay Perna, Dee Stanziano and Ruth Young banded together to create a CGOA Chapter dedicated to the art of crochet, all while having fun. Under the current leadership of Grace Gardiner, HHCC President, the group has blossomed to 50 members, continues to aid local charities, and travels around the tri-state area promoting crochet.

At the November meeting, the HHCC members welcomed Lily Chin to teach her popular, often sold out, workshop, "Crochet Tips & Tricks."

Fun was had by all! There was a smorgasbord of various treats, the official anniversary cake, and Lily autographing her brand new book, Crochet Tips & Tricks, Shortcuts and Techniques Every Crocheter Should Know." HHCC President Grace said, "[Lily made] our anniversary celebration so very special. I believe I can speak for all those that were able to attend, we learned so much and had a great time doing it!"

*To learn more about Ruth Arbitelle, please visit our website at www.crochetclubinct.org

Yarn Estate Sale: Ruth Arbitelle, HHCC'er

2009-11-04T20:31:00.005-05:00

Ruth Arbitelle was one of the Founders of the Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club. She was a big participator in the events, workshops, and charity drives the HHCC had, and often times would enlist the help of her husband, Ron. Ron is best known as the HHCC's Auctioneer.

Ron has been busy sorting through his wife's stash. He has been finding it everywhere! ... and now he is having a Yarn Estate Sale ... with yarn priced from 50 cents to $1.50. Half of the proceeds Ron will be donating to the HHCC.

When: Saturday, November 7, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM (eastern time)
Where: 7 Belmont Circle, Danbury, Ct. Click for Map

... acrylic, alpaca, cotton, wool ... from basic yarns to designer, Ruth collected it! The photo shown is not even the tip of the iceburg! Tell your friends, come with empty vehicles!

Notes from the October HHCC Monthly Meeting

2009-10-12T13:02:00.007-04:00

The month of October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The HHCC, in wanting to recognize this, donated 55 Chemo caps, as part of the "Hats from the Heart" campaign to the Danbury Hospital yesterday. Breast Cancer is mostly known to women, but men can be diagnosed with it too.
Members of the HHCC have now turned their charitable efforts towards the Danbury Salvation Army, crocheting (and knitting) hats, scarves, gloves/mittens for toddlers to 18 year old children in need, along with a New (unwrapped) Toy drive. Please contact the HHCC for more information on this.

Elaine Brown was awarded her Ribbon and Sponsor Award she had won at The Big E. Elaine was thrilled, stating she created a "magic ball" of six different yarns to create the yarn she used in her hat & scarf combo. What will she buy with the WEBs $100 Gift Certificate? She's thinking of getting a yarn swift and a few other goodies... Congratulations Elaine!

HHCC member Kathy brought in the Nov/Dec issue of Crochet Today! magazine. During Show & Tell she described how she was flipping through the magazine when she noticed a familiar looking garment in an advertisement for Red Heart yarn. In fact, Kathy had seen part of the garment, a sleeve, being worked on at a "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" session during this past summer. She recognized the pattern belonging to fellow HHCC'er Dee Stanziano. Dee had no idea, and was pleasantly surprised to see it published so soon. The pattern is available for free on the Red Heart yarn website. Congratulations Dee!

Patty showed off pictures of her beautiful new grand-baby, and Karen announced a brand new "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" session to be held on the 1st Wednesday of the Month, from 10:30 AM to Noon at the Bayberry Kntting Shop in Plainville. And newest member, Deb Seda announced the birth of a brand new CGOA Chapter: The Creative Crochet Guild of L.I. of which she is the founder of. Congratulations Patty, Karen, and Deb!!

Many HHCC members are looking forward to attending the New York Sheep & Wool Festival next weekend, and the following weekend they will be volunteering at the Stitches East event being held in Hartford, CT.

Please note: The November and the December HHCC montly meetings are for MEMBERS only. Guests are welcomed to come to the January 2010 meeting, and to the "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" sessions. Please contact The HHCC for more information.

Details from The 2009 Big E

2009-10-06T10:27:00.000-04:00

On September 23, members of The HHCC traveled to West Springfield, MA, to participate in the Eastern States Expositon, well known as The Big E. September 23rd was Connecticut Day, and The HHCC was there to promote and demonstrate crochet.

The members displayed a vast variety of projects to highlight the many different types & techniques of crochet, and also provided free beginner lessons (and supplies!) to those interested. Casey, one of our Junior members, blogged about the Big E here.

The HHCC would like to welcome Linda into the fold; Linda became an official HHCC'er at The Big E!! Welcome Linda! :)

Prior to attending, several members entered their items in the Fair's Crochet Competition. Congratulations go to Casey, Chava, Dee, Elaine and Ruth for winning a variety of ribbons in many categories for Crochet! In addition to winning a Blue Ribbon for her hat and scarf set, Elaine also won "Best Use of Color," winning a $100 Gift Certificate from WEBs yarn store. And, according to the Big E Event Coordinator, this year there were more crocheted entries than knitted. This is a huge accomplishment as crochet was slated to be removed from the Fair barely 8 years ago due to lack of interest! Congratulations HHCC'ers!

The Perks of Being an HHCC/CGOA Member

2009-09-26T17:19:00.007-04:00

There are many reasons why being a HHCC/CGOA member are wonderful! To name a few:

you get to attend workshops for free or at a reduced rate
assist local charities in need as a group
make new friends
increase crochet skills & knowledge
go on field trips and/or do demonstrations
borrow from the lending library
HHCC'ers get access to the exclusive HHCC yahoo group
and local yarn store discounts too!

Library:
The CGOA has a fantastic library that will (reportedly) reopen soon to it's members, complete with books, magazines, leaflets, patterns and videos in the collection. It is known as the Linda Sauter Library, and is currently being cataloged by the Cajun Crocheters CGOA Chapter.

The HHCC also has it's own lending library, and is in the process of reopening. Nancy has taken over the position of HHCC Librarian. If you are an HHCC member and looking for a particular pattern, talk to Nancy at the next monthly meeting!

Discounts:

If you are a member of the CGOA, your HHCC yearly dues are cut in half!
Show your CGOA Membership card at the Bayberry Knitting yarn store located in Plainsville and get a 10% discount.
Show your HHCC Membership card (coming soon!) to the Yarn & Craft Box located in Pawling, NY and get a 15% discount. (The HHCC Membership card is coming in January 2010; for now, just let Marie know you are an HHCC member)

It's easy to join!
To join the CGOA, go to ... http://www.crochet.org/

To join the HHCC, complete the form on this page and bring it with you to a meeting!

Join us and become Happily Hooked!

HHCC'ers to Demo @ The Big E

2009-09-18T09:22:00.006-04:00

The HHCC is proud to announce their return, for the 7th straight year, to the Eastern States Exposition.

The Eastern States Exposition is the ninth largest state fair held in West Springfield, MA. It is commonly known as The Big E.

HHCC members can be found at the Fair, on Wednesday, September 23rd, known as Connecticut Day. Look for them in the New England State building (or just ask where the Cream Puff building is).

HHCC members will be demonstrating crochet during the day.

Additional information about the fair can be found here: http://www.thebige.com/.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

If you are an HHCC member and need a ticket to the Fair for September 23rd, please contact Dee. Free tickets are a 1st come, 1st serve basis.

September Meeting: Double the Pleasure

2009-09-14T11:15:00.002-04:00

The HHCC's September meeting this past weekend was hosted by HHCC member Margaret Hubert. Margaret graciously opened her home to Club members, offered lunch, and instructions on how to crochet double-sided fabric, based upon her latest book (being released on January 1, 2010), "The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet: Basics, Patterns, Projects for All Methods of Crochet."

There was also a drawing for a variety of goodies, from delicious yarns to Margaret's out of print/hard to find, freeform book, Fun with Free-Form Crochet; everyone won a prize.

In addition to all the fun Margaret provided, the Club also celebrated another HHCC Founder's 80th Birthday: Hilda Nichols. Hilda is very involved in crocheting for charity, both for the HHCC's charity drives, and for her local senior center. Happy Birthday Hilda!

The HHCC returns to it's normal meeting location, The Danbury Hospital next month. Members are encouraged to bring yarn & hooks to help make hats and scarves to be donated to our local Salvation Army in early December.

The HHCC would like to sincerely thank Margaret for hosting such a wonderful meeting! She's the "Hostess with the Mostess"

Notice: September Meeting LOCATION Change

2009-09-03T10:03:00.000-04:00

The HHCC's September 13th meeting will be an "away" meeting, hosted by a HHCC member who will also be providing lunch.

Attendees are encouraged to bring 2 balls of yarn to play with, of complimenting or contrasting color, equal in weight of 3 or 4 based upon the guidelines from www.yarnstandards.com, along with the appropriate crochet hook size for the yarn. The technique of double sided crochet will be demonstrated.

For those who would like to attend as guests of the HHCC, please contact the HHCC for driving directions PRIOR to the meeting date.

The HHCC's October meeting will return to being held at the Danbury Hospital.

Caron Connections Highlights HHCC'er

2009-08-30T18:14:00.006-04:00

In the latest edition of Caron Connection enews, HHCC'er and budding designer Nancy Smith is highlighted for her newest crochet design, "Aqua Blue," featuring crocheted cables on a dazzling scarf.

You can read Caron's newsletter here, or watch the fashion show of the Aqua Blue Scarf crocheted with Naturally Caron's Spa yarn, here. Want to give the pattern a try? It's Free, and can be obtained here.

Want to learn more about Nancy's yarn world? Visit her blog at http://www.nlsstitches.com/

Congratulations Nancy!

Mother-Daughter Duo Sweep Blue

2009-08-23T13:56:00.003-04:00

Casey Stanziano, one of two children who enjoys being a member of the HHCC, recently won 3 Blue Ribbons in the Junior Division at the Bridgewater Fair. She entered a gold hat made of Jelly Yarn, and a purple backpack; both designed for her American Girl Doll, Nikki. She also entered a glittery black tie she designed for her Dad to wear at the recent CGOA ChainLink Conference that was held in Buffalo, NY. Casey is 12 and wrote about the fair in her blog here.

Casey's Mom, and an HHCC Founder, Dee Stanziano, recently won 5 Blue Ribbons and 2 Trophies for her crochet at the same fair. She entered a red cotton hat with bundles of bullion stitches for the trim; a sequined bag crocheted out of pink thread; and a pink beaded necklace. She won the Trophies for her grey and black sweater, and for her aqua wrap.

Congratulations!

Thank You Grafton Fibers!

2009-08-16T22:09:00.008-04:00

Today, at the montly meeting, members of the HHCC enjoyed Guests Linda and Tom Diak of http://www.graftonfibers.com/.

Linda handed out supplies of foam blocks, felting needles, beautiful roving, and steel crochet hooks, then instructed HHCC members how to make her famous felted handles for steel crochet hooks. Meanwhile Tom was busy fielding questions and selling their beautiful hand-turned crochet hooks, knitting needles and roving. The HHCC was very delighted to have Linda and Tom visit with us -- and for our new "toys."

The HHCC would like to sincerely thank Linda and Tom for hiking down to Danbury from Vermont to spend the day with us!

Edited to add: For more pictures & information about this meeting, please see HHCC member, Margaret Hubert's blog at: http://margaretshooksandneedles.blogspot.com/2009/09/happily-hooked-on-crochet-chapter.html

HHCC'ers Return from ChainLink

2009-08-11T11:53:00.003-04:00

Many HHCC'ers ventured north to Buffalo, New York, last week to attend the Crochet Guild of America's National Conference. The CGOA was founded in 1994 and this year marked it's 15 Anniversary!

HHCC members who attended: Casey, Dee, Diane, Doris, Elaine, Grace, Irene, Jen, Kathy, Margaret, Nancy, Priscilla and Rosalie. Thus far, please visit Casey's, Dee's, Doris', Margaret's, and Nancy's blogs for details and photos of the event.

Notice: August Meeting DATE Change

2009-07-23T09:02:00.007-04:00

For those wishing to attend the monthly HHCC August meeting, please note there has been a date change. The Club will NOT be meeting on the 9th due to many members attending the annual CGOA National CHAINLink Conference being held in Buffalo, NY.

The meeting date has been changed to Sunday, August 16th.

The meeting time, 1-4 PM has not been changed. The meeting will be held at it's normal meeting place, the Danbury Hospital.

The Special Guest for the August meeting will be Grafton Fibers. Linda Diak will be demonstrating how to create felted handles for steel crochet hooks. Members wanting to try this are asked to bring their own hooks. Tom Diak will be selling his delicious handturned crochet hooks and knitting needles.

For details from the July meeting, please visit with Margaret's blog.

Notice: July Meeting Location Change

2009-07-10T13:11:00.002-04:00

The July HHCC monthly meeting location has been changed. The meeting will be hosted at the home of an HHCC member.

If you are interested in attending the July meeting, please be at the Michaels Arts & Crafts parking lot, located off Federal Road in Brookfield, CT, before NOON, on Sunday, August 12th.

This will be a Yarn Swap meeting, concentrating on crocheting summer chemo caps for the men & women in need at the Danbury Hospital.

Please contact The HHCC for additional information.

Congratulations, Mary!

2009-07-05T12:33:00.000-04:00

The HHCC would like to extend their Congratulations to CGOA member, Mary Sevillo from Queens Village, NY, for creating the winning logo design to be used for the CGOA's 15th Crystal Jubilee Anniverary!

For her winning design, Mary has received a one-year CGOA membership renewal offered by The HHCC, along with an augographed book offered by The Northern IL Chapter (NIC), the very first CGOA chapter, and CGOA Founder Gwen Blakley Kinsler. Mary's winning design will be used to create a limited edition commemorative pin which will be available for purchase at the National Conference next month.

Look for other great items featuring the Anniversary Logo at http://www.blogger.com/www.CafePress.com/CrystalJubilee

For additional information about the Logo Contest, click here.

The HHCC would also like to congratulate the runners-up, Jan Scogin, and Jane Matthews, as well as all the other participants in the Logo Contest! :)

HHCC Current Activites

2009-06-20T12:06:00.005-04:00

HHCC members are encouraged to crochet chemo caps for the Danbury Hospital. Summer Chemo Caps, including for men, are in dire need. Please bring your chemo caps to the July meeting.

HHCC members are encouraged to crochet something to enter into competion to help show how wonderful crochet is! Should a ribbon be won, terrific! Should after viewing your entry, someone be inspired to pick up a crochet hook for the first time, or after a long hiatus, even better!

The CGOA Design Competion: must be original work, and must be a member of the CGOA. Visit http://www.crochet.org for additional information.

The Big E is the ninth largest state fair in America. Entry forms must be received by The Big E by August 15th. Items for hand delivery must be brought to the August 16th meeting. Members of the HHCC will be demonstrating Crochet @ The Big E on Connecticut Day, Wednesday, September 23rd, in the New England State Building. Come see us!

Fly Like a Butterfly: June Meeting

2009-06-15T11:56:00.005-04:00

The June meeting featured guest, Jack Blumenthal, Senior Vice President of Lion Brand. This was Jack's first time visiting with the HHCC'ers, and he delighted our members with facts and trivia about Lion Brand.

While Jack spoke to our group, members worked on crocheting butterflies for the Butterfly Project. Thus far the Club has 23 created and will continue to collect them (to be shipped at a later date).

HHCC member, Nancy, has taken over the position of HHCC Librarian, and has compiled a comprehensive list of material that will be available for loan to HHCC members. This list will be uploaded to the HHCC Yahoo group, and later added to the HHCC website for easy viewing. The HHCC is delighted to add Vanna White's popular book, Vanna's Choice Color It Beautiful Afghans to our growing library collection. Vanna's book was donated and autographed by Jack.

The HHCC would like to thank Jack, and Lion Brand, for their time & generosity. The HHCC hopes to have Jack visit with us again next year. :)

June Meeting

2009-05-24T10:41:00.000-04:00

Our June Meeting will have Guest Speaker Jack Blumenthal from Lion Brand. HHCC members and visitors wishing to participate, are asked to bring various Lion Brand yarns to to crochet butterflies for the Butterfly Project.

For members wanting to get a jump start on crocheting butterflies, the following are free patterns listed on the Internet:

Crochet Inspiration with Willena Nanton

2009-05-17T19:30:00.001-04:00

The May meeting today with Guest Speaker Willena Nanton was a huge success! Accompanied by her lovely assistant, who also happens to be her twin sister, and a crocheter, Willett, together they WOW'ed members of the HHCC with her stunning, one-of-a-kind crochet creations!

Willena is a huge Barbie collector, and often times attends the Barbie Conferences. The Barbie Conferences, much like the Crochet Conferences, offer an opportunity for fans to model their own creations -- except those at the Barbie Conference must wear designs inspired by garments worn by Barbie. Willena is the only attendee to entirely crochet hers, including the shoes! Her favorite Barbie designer is Byron Lars. In the picture above is part of the garment she fashioned after the "Nne Barbie" doll designed by Byron. (If you're wondering about the value of the Nne™ Barbie, it is no longer available from Mattel, the doll maker. After market, the doll currently retails for about $250. Willena has not put a price tag on her crocheted version.)

What is the reaction to Willena's crocheted fashions at the Barbie Conferences? She brings the house down, just as she does at the Crochet Conferences! Willena's favorite crochet hook to use is a Susan Bates crochet hook. Size G. But not any Susan Bates hook -- it's the very hook she learned how to crochet with some 30 years ago! She has used it so much that the colored coating is starting to wear off! -- and what happens if she looses her beloved hook? "The world stops and we all look for it!!," she exclaimed.

The HHCC is honored to have had Willena Nanton as our Guest Speaker and now looks forward to the National Crochet Conference, wondering what she'll WOW us with next!

Freeform Crochet: On Display @ LionBrand Store

2009-05-11T12:21:00.002-04:00

In 2007, HHCC members Margaret Hubert and Dee Stanziano united with 98 other artists from around the world, who are also members of the International Freeform Artists Guild, to create Earth, Air, Fire, Water using the technique known as freeform crochet, also well known as scrumbling.

This impressive collective work is available for purchase, with all proceeds going to the Women for Women International. In honor of this global artistic challenge, Margaret Hubert will be offering a Freeform Crochet Workshop at the Lion Brand Store located in New York City, on Sunday, July 26th. The will be on exhibit in the Lion Brand gallery until August 1st. Contact Lion Brand for more information.

CGOA Announces Design Contest

2009-05-09T20:59:00.001-04:00

The following announcement is by Jean Leinhauser, CGOA Design Contest Committee:

We now have the complete judging panel and I'd like to announce them:

Doris Chan, author and designer
Brett Brea of Coats and Clark
Michele Maks of DRG (Annie's Attic, Needlework Shop, etc.)
Cari Clement of Caron International
Jean Leinhauser, Creative Partners, Craft Yarn Council

We added the category of Art Crochet, so the categories are:

Fashion ( for men, women, kids, babies)
Home Decor (afghans, throws, place mats, doilies, tablecloths, bathroom and bedroom accessories, etc)
Accessories (scarves, jewelry, hats, socks)
Crochet as Art (created for display as art rather than for utility)

Designers must be members of CGOA, and may enter as many projects as they wish. They do NOT have to be professional designers. Each completed project with its entry form (downloadable from the CGOA website, Members Only section) must arrive in North Carolina by July 15, 2009.

Projects will then be shipped by CGOA to Buffalo, where they will be judged and
displayed at Chain Link. All entries will be returned to the entrants. No patterns are required. No entries will be accepted after July 15.

Each category will have a first place winner of $300, second, $200 , and third, $100. From the first place winners a Grand Prize winner of $1,000 will be chosen.

To enter, you must be a CGOA member. If you are not a member, but would like to join, you can do so here.

To locate the entry forms for the CGOA Design contest: go to the CGOA website, then click on the Members Only section, enter your member info (member number and a password) and it takes you to the forms.

HHCC Revives Website

2009-05-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

For years the HHCC had a website, but it was outdated and hard to navigate.

It was thought that having a Blog would be easier for us to post information. At first this worked well. But as new material was added, the older blog posts were pushed away, making it more difficult to find relevant information, difficult to navigate.

The HHCC is proud to announce the return of it's website using the new address of: www.CrochetClubinCT.org -- where all that information you are looking for is just a click away, including the HHCC Calendar.

The HHCC will remain using this blog for posting current information about meetings & events and will continue operating with the old www.TheHHCC.org address.

Interdependence Tree Project: Completed

2009-04-29T09:06:00.007-04:00

At the HHCC's March 2009 monthly meeting, members & visitors were encouraged to crochet leaves for the Interdependence Tree Project. At that meeting, a total of 50 leaves, created by: Hinda Alder, Celeste Caprio, Karen Harney, Rosalie Hollingsworth, Grace Gardiner, Diane Gilbert, Margaret Hubert, Irene Iannelli, Chava Karlovich, Nicole Lewis, Anna Margan, Kathy Philips, Dee Stanziano, and Sheila Sweet were crocheted and then mailed in to the International Fiber Collaborative. The HHCC leaves are acknowledged on the Gallery of Leaves here.

The International Fiber Collaborative then created and assembled the tree, which was then showcased at the Big Springs Park. The project is reported to have people participating from 23 countries, and 39 states from the U.S. The tree, measuring approximately 28 feet tall & 25 feet wide, with over 7000 leaves, will be taken down and installed at the Earlyworks Childrens Museum in Huntsville, AL, for display in August.

To see the tree in all its glory, click here. It was an honor for the HHCC to contribute to this Interdependence Tree Project.

Crochet Display & Demo A Success!

2009-04-26T16:23:00.011-04:00

Yesterday, members of the HHCC participated, for the third straight year, in the annual Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival. Although the weather was unusually hot, this did not discourage the HHCC in showing how wonderful crochet can be with both crochet stitches & techniques, but also with natural fibers such as alpaca, corn, silk, soy, and wool. In addition, what made participating this year even more special, was that it was the 100th anniversary for the Connecticut Sheep & Wool festival, having first begun way back in 1909 -- before the invention of the radio or television, and when only 8,000 cars were on were on American roads (a total of 10 miles of which were paved)!

Our reception at the festival was great! We met many new people, and got to talk with many people we met at previous festivals, such as with Tammy who learned about Tunisian crochet and crocheting with unspun roving. Changing people's minds about what crochet is -- and can be -- is a very rewarding experience! We were not alone: it was also great to see Lady Shirret there promoting crochet!

Visit Dee's and Nancy's blogs for more information and pictures from this event.

EVENT: April 25, 2009 CT Sheep & Wool Festival

2009-04-16T11:17:00.002-04:00

Members of the HHCC will be participating in the 100th Anniversary of the Connecticut Sheep & Wool Festival being held in Tolland, CT.

This will be the third attendance as volunteers for the HHCC. Members of the HHCC will be in the White Barn, offering free beginner crochet lessons, a demonstration on Tunisian Crochet, and a demonstration on crocheting with unspun roving.

For more information about the Festival, please visit: http://ctsheep.com/100th_annual_sheep_and_wool_festival.

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May Meeting 2009

2009-04-13T15:26:00.003-04:00

The May meeting is going to be on the third Sunday the 17th, same time, 1:00 - 4:00,same place, at the Danbury Hospital in the conference room next to the phamacy.We are proud to annouce our guest speaker Willena Nanton of the NY City crochet Guild.She's going to be talking to us about her crochet designs and inspirations that havebeen wowing many at the fashion shows in Manchester, Chicago, etc....Bring a project to work on. Vistors welcome....bring along a friend or two.

Willena Nanton does not have a website. You can see some of her work featured at sistahcraft

Images below from the 2008 CGOA Fashion Show where the crowd was "Wow'ed!" by her one-of-a-kind creations:

Knit One, Save One "Brown Bag Luncheon"

2008-10-24T20:30:00.006-04:00

On Monday afternoon, October 20th, HHCC members Grace, Elaine, Linda and Dee traveled to Westport, Connecticut. They joined staff members from the Save the Children foundation for a brown bag luncheon. Grace, Elaine, Linda and Dee had a great time teaching them how to crochet!

What is "Knit One, Save One?" Here is the official news release from the Craft Yarn Council of America:

Big Stars Make Little Caps to Help Newborn Babies

Knitters and crocheters nationwide are mobilizing to help save babies lives. And there are a list of prominent knitting and crocheting celebs who are doing their part as well, including Save the Children Artist Ambassador Gwyneth Paltrow, actresses Rebecca Romijn, Debra Messing, Lisa Edelstein, Vera Farmiga, Mischa Barton and Patricia Arquette.

The campaign is called Knit One Save One and it’s sponsored by Save the Children (STC), the global health organization, and Warm Up America (WUA), the industry charity that works with volunteer knitters and crocheters to provide afghans and clothing for people in need. (For all of you crocheters out there, our apologies for being left out of the name. Our friends at STC came up with the name before we were onboard, but this is definitely for crocheters as well as knitters.)

The campaign is bringing U.S. knitters and crocheters of all ages together to draw attention in Washington, D.C. to the nearly 4 million newborn deaths that occur each year in developing countries. Participants are asked to create one baby cap to keep a newborn warm during the first critical hours and days after birth, and to write a personal note to the President-elect asking him to lead the way in reducing newborn deaths globally.

The campaign that kicked off at the end of August will continue through December 31, 2008. Early next year, Save the Children will take the personal notes to the new President to Washington, D.C. The caps will be distributed to mothers and newborns through Save the Children’s community health facilities in Africa and Asia.

Hollywood’s biggest stars made little caps in all colors and wrote personal messages to the mom and baby on a tag attached to the cap. Gwyneth Paltrow knitted a raspberry-colored baby cap gathered at the top and finished with charcoal trim. Paltrow’s cap tag says: “As a mother of two children who mean everything to me, I share your joy. Love Gwyneth.”

All of the leading ladies’ baby caps and cap tag messages can be viewed at www.savethechildren.org/knitonesaveone. An interactive web game on this page lets fans match the caps to their favorite stars. To view a special video message from Lisa Edelstein, visit Save the Children’s nonprofit channel on YouTube at www.savethechildren.org/youtube.To download a Knit One, Save One action kit, which includes cap patterns, cap tag and more information about the program, go to www.savethechildren.org/knitonesaveone, or call 1-800-728-3843. Knitters and crocheters can also download patterns at the Warm Up America web site: www.WarmUpAmerica.org.

10/08

For more information or photos, please contact:
Mary Colucci
212-570-9883
917-570-9558
cmcommunic@aol.com

If you are on Ravelry, join the growing number of Crocheters and Knitters getting involved at the "Knit One, Save One" group!

Knit One, Save One Collections

2008-10-02T11:54:00.007-04:00

The Caps to the Capital campaign from 2006/2007, sponsored by the Save the Children foundation, was a huge success having collected some 282,000 caps, helping to save many tiny lives.

This program is being reintroduced as "Knit One, Save One," part of Save the Children's Survive to 5 program.

On October 1st, at the monthly "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" morning session, held at the Borders bookstore located in Brookfield, CT, 18 caps were collected.

Additional collections will take place on:
Wednesday, November 5th, and
Wednesday, December 3rd
at the morning sessions of "Coffee, Crochet & Chat."

All caps collected by the HHCC will be hand-delivered to the Save the Children world headquarters before the December 31st deadline. Please note you do not need to be a HHCC member to donate hats!

For more inspiration, if you are a member of the Ravelry web site, please join us at our Knit One, Save One group.

HHCC Charity Drives

2008-09-24T10:07:00.004-04:00

Members of the HHCC are encouraged to participate in the three main charity drives for the year:

Hats from the Heart Campaign: From January to April members are encouraged to crochet adult sized chemo caps for donation to the Danbury Hospital. The hats are needed for all seasons, and need to be made of the softest of fibers. This campaign is called Hats from the Heart as the first group donation is made around Valentine's Day.

Baby Preemie Sets: From May to August members are encouraged to crochet preemie baby sets that include a little cap and afghan. Afghans should measure 18" to 24" square and be made of acrylic. (Nylon will melt when the items are sterilized.) The caps should range in size from fitting an average orange to an average grapefruit. Donations are made to the Danbury Hospital in the early fall.

Salvation Army: From September to the last week of November, members are encouraged to crochet (or knit) hats, mittens and scarves in a variety of sizes and colors. The items are gathered at the meetings and then sorted/labeled one evening at the Borders bookstore (date to be announced) to make it easier for the volunteers of the Salvation Army. Sizes up to teen/adult for both male and females are needed. Donations of new, unused, unwrapped toys is also encouraged. At a determined date, members wanting to participate in the drop~off at Foster Street in Danbury are asked to wear a Santa Hat.

If you are not a member of the HHCC but would like to participate in any of the charity drives, please do! For more information, please contact us.

October: HHCC Anniversary Meeting

2008-09-21T10:29:00.005-04:00

The Happily Hooked on Crocheting Club was founded in October of 2001. To celebrate the start of it's eighth year, Club members are celebrating with a masquerade party!

Participants are to wear a crocheted mask and are asked to bring a small dish of "finger food" to the October 12th meeting.

Prizes will be awarded for various categories including "Most Original." The Annies Attic pattern book, "Crochet Costume party Masks," is available to Club members for $1.00. Note supplies are limited! Books will be available at the October 1st "Coffee, Crochet & Chat" morning session (10AM - Noon) at Borders Bookstore located in Brookfield. Contact Dee for more information.

The Big E: HHCC makes 6th appearance

2008-09-20T10:51:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, September 17th, members of the HHCC traveled north, to West Springfield, Massachusetts, to promote the art of crochet at the Eastern States Exposition, America's ninth largest state fair. This was the 6th year the HHCC has participated in this event. Many thanks to Sarah, the coordinator of the New England State Building!

It was also the first time the HHCC was sponsored by a yarn company. FEZA yarns, new to America, provided yarn to HHCC members to crochet with for the day. Thank you FEZA!! Entry photos taken by HHCC member Chava.

Welcome Crocheters!

2008-09-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new Happily Hooked on Crocheting website/blog!

We used to have a traditional website that became difficult to maintain. With our new blog we'll be able to keep information about our group current, fresh.

If you are in the Danbury, Connecticut, area and would like to join us for a meeting sometime, please do! As our guest your first meeting is free. Should you decide to join us there are local dues. How much depends on you! Local dues are $18 a year, prorated. If you are a member of the Crochet Guild of America, then your local dues are only $9 a year, prorated!

Not ready to become a member but want to hang out online with other Connecticut Crocheters? Then we welcome you to join the yahoo group called "ConnecticutCrochet."