Congratulations, Mary!

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

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

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

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:

• http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/butterflies.php
• http://www.learn-how-to-crochet.com/butterfly.html
• http://chiescrochetandknitting.blogspot.com/2007/03/butterfly-pattern.html
• http://www.crochetnmore.com/butterfly.htm
• http://www.maggiescrochet.com/maggies-crochet-monarch-butterfly-fridgies-pattern-p-250.html
• http://www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/crocheted-butterfly.shtml
• http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/adorn_butterfly_c01.htm
  

Crochet Inspiration with Willena Nanton

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

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

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.