My Blog List

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Treasury: Roses are Red



Treasury
Roses are Red
by delightfullycreated7.etsy.com



Friday, March 2, 2012

Dawg House!



DAWG HOUSE
a dining experience


Last night I had dinner with my boys (Keith & Ryan) they took me to a little place in Dobbs Ferry, NY – that opened a few weeks ago; I think they have eaten there almost every night since. I thought they were kidding when they told me this place had “hot dogs” with every kind of topping. They even had a “Smore’s Hotdog”! Yes, with chocolate sauce, marshmallows, and graham crackers – sounds weird, but my boys swear it is delicious. They tried to take me into trying that, I stuck with the easiest topping I could find – a chili dog with cheese. Loved it! One of my boys had a taco dog complete with salsa, Doritos, sour cream ,etc. My other son and his girlfriend, Samantha, are both vegetarians – well, they actually cater to the “vegan’s” in the family, serving, soy protein veggie dawgs! Another one of their unique “dawg’s” is the P&J dog: peanut butter, grape jelly & Cap’n Crunch cereal.

Opened just a few weeks ago, they have been busy ever since. As they say in their bio: “We are three guys with a passion for hot dogs. We put a creative spin on a classic American food. Our specialty hot dogs are unique. You might be unsure and surprised with some of the combinations as you read them off the menu, but it will all make sense as you are finishing your last bite”. Definitely will go back, still unsure of trying the hotdog with chocolate sauce, but I know before long my boys will have me trying that too!


This is their very strange but delicious menu for those who want something just a little different! http://dobbsdawghouse.com/menu/.


Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Creation of a Pattern!

                                The Creation of a Pattern

For those of us who Crochet or Knit, we are dependent on the many patterns we may use. Often we may find these patterns in books sold in a Yarn shop; online searches; or we may purchase a pattern from one of the many talented Pattern designers on Etsy (a source of all handmade items). It wasn't until I read one of the many threads in the "CrochetOriginals Team" about all what is involved in creating a pattern - I was quite impressed and had no idea of all the creativity that goes into the process from start to finish, that I wanted to share all that goes into the creation of these very intriquite patterns, we so often take advantage of. The artistic talent of these designers are similar to any artist who is about to design a work of art such as painting, jewelry designing, glass work, etc.


Crochetgal.Chevron Blanket Pattern

This is Crochetgal's  thought process in just how she creates her patterns from start to finish: "Publishing patterns takes a lot of time and effort. First you have to come up with the idea. Then you start making the first prototype of the item, writing down each step along the way". Once the prototype is done, then its time to revise it and write those notes into a format that someone else can actually read. Scratches on paper really don't help at all. After Crochetgal has all the basics worked out; then its time for the pattern to be tested. This is done by "testers" (who she hires and pays extremely well), and in turn gets some very well tested patterns. After all the testing is done, and the final photo shots are done, the completed work is then assembled with everything, along with any diagrams that might be needed. At this point you can either self publish or send the pattern to various magazines for publication.



Crochetgal. Shawl or Wrap Pattern
One of Crochetgal's goals for this year is to expand her shop, http://crochetgal.etsy.com
 more hooks cand needles as well as at least one other line of yarn. I have chosen three patterns from her shop, which I know you will all find very intriquing and will want to try.

Crochetgal.Ruffled Scarf Pattern

With my curiosity brewing, I also asked Sandy whose shop is:  http://SandyshCapeCodOriginals.etsy.com, what process inspires her patterns. Her response was, "Sometimes an idea pops into my mind's eye, and sometimes I have customers and friends ask me to design something because they can't find the pattern anywhere. Once she has a specific idea in her mind, she then looks for various types of yarns and colors to help work out the design.


SandysCapeCodOriginal.Legwarmers.Hat Pattern

According to Sandy this is when she usually starts writing, trying to think how I want the finished item to look, then as I work on the actual stitches making various changes along the way. Once finished with the pattern, Sandy then trys to get product shots of the items. "I sometimes put the pattern aside and then in a few days go back and make it again and I catch a lot of the mistakes that way". Sometimes she will have people to test the patterns. Depending on what she is creating the pattern for; "if it is for my own website, then I might ask someone; but if it is for a publisher, then I don't ask anyone". Another part of the process is having people with.different skill levels to work a specific pattern so she could see how easy the pattern is to read; and sometime to see if a beginner can actually make the item.



SandysCapeCodOriginal.Christmas Ornament Cocoon Pattern
 I am sure both Crochetgal and Sandy can attest that another hard part of designing a pattern is using wording so that people will understand and having them know what they want them to do in the way of stitches, assembling the finished pieces, etc. Sandy has included some videos with her patterns, as it is just easier to show a video rather than try to put some of the techniques into words. As she says, "Technology today has made pattern writing a lot easier".


SandysCapeCodOriginal.Crochet Animal Farm Pattern

Sandy is also in the process of opening another shop: http://SandysCapeCodOriginals.com
You can purchase any of these (as well as other) patterns from these shops, or any shop online, they can be emailed to you in a Pdf format, or mailed directly to you.

If you are interested in trying to create a pattern of your own, one can find the (USA) industry standards for patterns at www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards.html along with the designer guidelines. I have chosen three patterns from each shop, which I know you will all find very intriquing and will want to try. I hope this helps you better understand the artistry that goes into each pattern that we often use.