Local Yarn Shops, Tunisian Crochet and Fun with deZengo

      My friend deZengo and I dropped my kiddos off at their Mimi's house and, after stuffing myself full of the fish and chicken I was craving from a certain fast food establishment, headed off to the Tunisian crochet class we had signed up for.  I was feeling a bit sympathetic for the lovely people at this shop since they were not familiar with what happens when De and I get placed into an enclosed structure together.  But, armed with yarn and our newly purchased Tunisian crochet hooks we settled in at the shop's teaching table for four hours of crochet.  :) 

This is our teacher, Susan, and the creator of the lovely pattern we were working on: 

    
      Tunisian crochet is also referred to as Afghan crochet although it is not in any way limited to stitching up afghans.  In fact, it's boundaries are really only limited buy the skill and imagination of the person using the techniques.  It is kind of a hybrid between knitting and crocheting and is a lot of fun once you learn some basic stitches.  It creates and thick and plush fabric and provides some really interesting texture in your pieces. 

     The pattern we were learning was a cabled pattern which left me somewhere between Frustration and Total Bliss.  It was actually really simple once you got into the groove and the pattern and stitches were very easy to learn thanks to the talented teaching skills (and apparently unlimited patience) that Susan had. 

Here is De when she started: 

And later on.....   De with her WTF did I let Leila talk me into this, grrrr :D

And here is my foundation chain... It sounds very important, doesn't it? 

Ta Da!!

Here is Susan's lovely sample scarf.  My scarf does not look like this.

I told De she better drop that crochet hook at some point and get a few pics of me before everyone thinks I made this whole thing up: 

Look at me, mom.  I'm Tunisian crocheting :D

My piece which does not look like Susan's but it made me happy.



     So class was awesome and De and I cut up enough that I think Susan was a little relieved when we decided to finish up and take a stroll around the shop.  Being a yarn shop virgin, I should have thought to take De's credit cards from her at the door, but sometimes you have to let people live and learn from their own experiences, bwhahaha!!  

     If you have not had the pleasure of trolling around in a local yarn shop, it is an experience that you really shouldn't live without.  Why are local yarn shops so important to the fibers community?  First, they offer a shared common experience.  Whether you walk into a yarn store a complete beginner or an seasoned crafter, there is no sizing up, no judgement.  Just helpful friendly people who love what they do and are more than happy to pass that love on to you.  The second is knowledge.  These gals know their stuff and are willing to answer questions, help you with fiber selection, patterns- whatever you need.  Third- therapy.  When you walk into a yarn shop you will encounter people that are willing to spend unlimited amounts of time listening to you ramble on about how many pieces you have on needles, how you fudged up the last piece you were working, each family member you made a present for (and what you made)  etc., etc... AND they even seem to be interested in hearing all this stuff from their customers.  I don't know very many regular therapists that act that excited over an hour long description of your last felting fiasco. 

    The Yarn Patch, nestled away on the Cumberland Plateau in Crossville,  Tennessee is a truly lovely place.  Every square inch is filled with love for needlecraft and they invite people to pick up, touch and love on the skeins and hanks of yarn as long as it takes to make a selection.  Here are a few shots of the shop I took: 

Some of the lovely ladies in one of the knitting groups that meet at the shop: 

    
     If you are ever in our neck of the woods, The Yarn Patch needs to be on your list of places to go.  But make sure you call me first.  Because I always need an excuse to go to the yarn store :D