Go Vest, Young Man

Just thought I’d share with you the infamous vest which will never see the inside of a certain crochet mag. I may publish it myself; put the pattern for sale on my web site. We’ll see. Any reactions out there?

Back to the Madness

The redesign of the sweater vest has begun in earnest. I only have 3 weeks to complete the project (why do I agree to work under these conditions?). While waiting for the yarn to arrive, I took advantage of the down time to complete a couple projects. I had been wanting to redesign the Cluster Hooded Scarf – at least the hood section. I never liked the way the hood was formed…too pointy at the crown, even though, I must say, that my design is much less pointy than others I have seen. Still, I felt there was room for improvement. So, it is now done and available on the web site Hookerbear Creations. To commemorate my recently celebrated 59th birthday, the pattern is available for a limited time at only $3.59. I have also completed the initial sizing for the Shifting Sands Shell. This should be available next week.

Speaking of awards (weren’t we?), the Shifting Sands Shell and the Cluster Hooded Scarf recently won 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, in the Miscellaneous Knit and Crochet category at a local county fair. The Swellegant Elegance Cotton Sweater won 1st place in the Men’s and Women’s, Knit and Crochet Sweater category at the same fair. My friend Cay won 2nd place in that category with her beautiful crocheted sweater. I’m pleased that our crochet items placed so high. All the items are entered in two more fairs this summer. I’ll report back with the results.

The eyelids are getting heavy…need sleep! Let me leave you with some words of wisdom:
When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.

Think about it.

Shifting Sands Shell

Hi Folks:

I have emerged from my disappointment over the hassle with the sweater vest to plow back into projects which were put on hold for the past few weeks. I an very near completion of the Shifting Sands Shell pattern for Women’s sizes XS-L. As a matter of fact, if all goes as planned, the pattern will be available on June 10. While unforeseen circumstances could delay publication (the polar icecaps could melt, California could break away from the continent and sink, I could finally lose what’s left of my mind!), I am confident that date will be met. So, until publication date, the pattern is offered to my subscribers at a pre-order price of $5.00. Please go to Shifting Sands Pre-order to take advantage of the reduced price. As a reminder, here’s a photo (also clickable)

Next on my agenda is the sizing of the Swellegant Elegance Cotton Top for sizes XS-L (1X-5X is already available on my website, Hookerbear Creations). I anticipate that pattern being ready by mid-July.
Thanks to all who have already pre-ordered the Swellegant Elegance and the Shifting Sands (when it was called Shimmering Shells)patterns. You patience is greatly appreciated. You all know how much I value your continued support and encouragement.

Close, but no cigar!

It hardly seems possible that it has been over one month since I last wrote to you. It has not been time spent idly, I must tell you. About ten days prior to my last entry brought a new assignment from a major crochet magazine. I was asked to design a pullover vest based upon my Kilroy sweater. I worked feverishly trying to make this work, but the time frame was not favorable to a successful completion of the project. I was able to finish the model, but the pattern itself was woefully impossible to write. Try as I could while rapidly approaching my deadline, I just couldn’t corral all the sizing into a readable, accessible format without running way over my space allotment. Alas, the pattern was rejected…at this time!

After a brief, but helpful, discussion with the editor, I will be redoing the vest, changing the look drastically, though still retaining the stitch pattern in places, and substituting solid bands of color at points where the stitch pattern proved to be problematic. I think it will work. I’ll let you know.

In the meantime, nothing else on my plate was touched. The Shifting Sands Top pattern is still in progress, as is the regular sizes of the Swellegant Elegance. I had hoped to make the latter available tomorrow, but so much time has elapsed since I last worked the pattern, I may well have to work up another model to get a better handle of the sizing challenges. Again, I’ll let you know. The Shifting Sands is a bit easier to replicate. As a matter of fact, the owner of the LYS where I teach has asked that I make one for her. The pattern is mostly written but I will take the opportunity to tweak the instructions a bit. So the Shifting Sands should be available by next weekend.

The difficult experience with the “Kilroy” vest project has soured me on continuing work on the other two vests I had in the works. I may come back eventually, but, for now, the Basket Weave Vest and the vest based upon the “Gatsby” pattern are no longer in progress and I have ripped both. The yarn is waiting for more inspiration.

In the few days since the “Kilroy” disappointment I have completed work on the revisions to my web site. Nothing fancy, mind you, but a bit more pleasing to the eye. Stop by, if you wish, at Hookerbear Creations.

Breaking News

For a limited time only, for my newsletter and blog readers and subscribers, the entire Hookerbear Collection is available for $35.00 at Members Only Sale

Happy Memorial Day!

We Have a Winner

I know I said I would announce, on 4/16, the winner of the design naming contest but, since the top (formerly known as Shimmering Shells) is finished and I have taken photos and and I’m so psyched over some exciting news (hold on to your knickers, I’ll spill the beans in a minute – this really is exciting – for me, any way), I thought I would make the announcement one day early. I hope this doesn’t screw up anyone’s calendar )

There were so many creative and thoughtful entries. Twenty of you took the time to send me your suggestions and I do appreciate all the input. So, without further ado (may I have a drum roll, please…) the winner entry is:

Isn’t this exciting? I had no idea so many of you would enter. I didn’t think anyone read my blog and my newsletter. You folks are really great in your support.

Oh…I do get carried away…

The new name for the Shimmering Shells Top is:

You know, so much goes into designing a garment. One has to consider a particulr style and how a chosen stitch pattern can be incorporated into that style. And then there is the sizing. OY! Don’t talk to me about sizing. I think I dream in Crochet-ese now.

Sorry. Aren’t you glad you don’t have a plane to catch?

The winning entry in the design re-naming contest is:

“Shifting Sands” Shell, sent in by Darlene Koske.

Congratulations, Darlene. I will send along the pattern when it is ready for publication. Please feel free to choose one other of my patterns as part of your prize. Please email me with your choice.

NOW, for my exciting news. Y’all remember my Continental Cable Scarf which was published late last year? Well, the same magazine (the name of which begins with a “C” and ends with a “!”) has asked me to design a men’s v-neck sweater vest for the January, ‘10 issue. How cool is that? The only hitch is that I was only asked to do this 2 weeks ago and the yarn just came yesterday and the whole kit and kaboodle, model and pattern, is due 5/15, just over 4 weeks from now. I’m experimenting with some different design elements (probably not a great idea, given the the time frame, but you know me…) so everything has to go smoothly. There’s not a lot of wiggle room. It’s so nice when the publisher comes to the designer with a pattern request. Just when I was becoming convinced that the mags and yarn cos and all the other powers-that-be were continuing to turn a deaf ear to the rather loud clamor for men’s designs, this assignment falls in my lap. Very cool, indeed. Here’s a little sample of the stitch pattern. And you thought I was only good at texture. HA!!!

Happy Tax Day!!!

I Dreamed a Dream

As evidenced in my past posts, I am a singer. Being able to perform, either individually or in a group, has presented to me many incredible, indescibable moments of joy and satisfaction. My time on stage has been limited, as it is now, because of complications from my asthma or the medications I use to control the disease. Nevertheless, I always rally and find my voice for one more chance to reach within to express what truly is the beautiful in my life. But in those moments when my voice fails me I can take delight in the talent of others. There are so many much more blessed than I whose talents I admire and appreciate. It is always exciting when I can witness someone finding his/her voice and I revel in the excitement of appreciation and adulation surrounding the event.

The following video was shared with me this morning. I have been watching it over and over and over again, holding back tears in the process. Please share in this marvelous moment.

New photos, a contest and a sale… oh, yes… and body armor.

There have been requests to see my progress in reworking the Shimmering Shells pattern using Noro Silk Garden Sock. So, without further ado, here is the original concept made with hand-painted, silk/merino (unfortunately, not available commercially) and the new design-in-progress:

I have decided that the design needs to be renamed..the Noro doesn’t shimmer like the  original did. Therefore, I am holding a contest to rename the shell. The winner receives a free copy of the pattern (once I’ve completed it) PLUS a free copy of any other of my patterns. Check out Hookerbear Creations. Please send any and all submissions to Contest. Deadline for the contest is 4/15. I will announce the winner on 4/16.

I have previously announced to my mailing list subscribers that, to celebrate the return of my web site to cyberspace,  I am offering them any of my patterns for $5.00. I am happy to extend the sale to my blog readers. Simply visit my web site, Hookerbear Creations, then send your selections to Patterns and will respond with a Paypal invoice. Please do not order directly from the web site as you will be charged full price. The sale ends Sunday, April 5.

I have completed the Gatsby Sweater variation. It is the very first item of crochet I have made expressly for ME. Sigh. I don’t like it. Oh, I love the design (of course I’d say that, wouldn’t I?), but the yarn is all wrong. I used a cotton/acrylic blend and it is simply too heavy, even in sport weight. Think body armor. If I get brave I will take a picture. But the sweater is just a bit too warm for the moderate climate of the SF Bay Area. I promised I would wear it this afternoon to teach my beginning crochet class (rookie hookers are so impressionable…don’t you just love it?) but I doubt I will last long into the class before shedding the sweater. We’ll see.

The best-laid plans of mice and men…

In the inimitable words of Robert Burns (adapted), “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. I imposed a deadline upon myself to have my revised website up and running by January 1. Well, I’m three months late and it’s still not quite complete. But it’s online now and my latest patterns are available. The older stuff is available too, but you’ll have to email me if there’s something you need and I don’t have paypal for you to access. I’m always happy to invoice. You can always reach me at peter@hooker-bear.com.

So….Hookerbear Creations is available for your viewing pleasure. It’s not what I had envisioned. Truth be told, it’s not very professional BUT it serves the purpose of restoring my presence in cyberworld.

In a couple weeks I will be teaching a beginner’s crochet class for parents and children.  This concept came to me earlier this month as I was teaching the 10 year old daughter of  the LYS owner. While this child was exceptionally bright and quick to learn,  it occurred to me that if her mother (or father) was learning along with her, that additional resource could help her retain the skills I taught her and could enable her to advance in her knowledge. So, I immediately put forth my proposal to Bente, her mother (and my boss) who readily embraced the idea.  I really think we are breaking new ground, at least in my neck of the woods. I can’t wait to begin. Wish me luck. I’ll keep you posted.

Spring has finally sprung which means my birthday is just around the corner. (Well, since my birthday is in June, the corner is, at least, in sight!) Remember when we couldn’t wait to be older? Remember when we  would count the days until our 16th birthday so we could get a driver’s license? How difficult was the wait before our 21st birthday?

Well, folks, I do not want any more birthdays. I do not want to be any older.  This year I will be 59.   59!!!!!!!!!!!!! How did this happen? No one asked me if I was ready to be old.  Holy smokes! Next year I’ll be 60!!! Wait a minute. I won’t be 60 if I don’t want to. I hereby declare that my 59th birthday will be the last I acknowledge. The government knows how old I am but I’ll be damned if any one else is gonna find out!!! Oh crap. I just told you.

In This My Home

Last Saturday, in the city I call my home, one lone, desperate individual took the lives of four police officers. I sit here, having just watched, on television, the end of a three hour memorial attended by more than 20,000 fellow officers and citizens, saddened and outraged that this could happen…anywhere! These four men died simply because they were doing their jobs.

I came of age in the turbulent 60’s. In those days, many of my peers had little or no respect for cops. As it was, we called them pigs. We had no regard for anyone in authority, anyone whom we held responsible for the troubles of the day. Just as we (incorrectly and unfortunately) blamed the military for the Viet Nam war, we blamed the police for enforcing any law which we felt oppressed us. Some even help the cops responsible for the commonplace race riots of the times. It’s all so simple to single out a group or groups and vent all anger, misplaced or not. But it is folly and irresponsible.

I’m not saying that there has never been legitimate complaint against law enforcement. Though not commonplace here, racial profiling does exist. There has, in the past, been selective enforcement of the law, favoring public officials and/or their families. But none of this gives excuse to the tradegy visited on my community.

We are all diminished by the horror of last Saturday. Oakland has longed suffered, by comparison, in the shadow of it’s big sister across the bay. It’s citizens have worked hard and long to dust off the undeserved reputation of violence and intolerance. I can only hope and pray that the outpouring of love, gratitude and respect shown by my fellow citizens today will translate into a renewed attitude and determination to make Oakland a home of which we can continue to be proud.

Follows is the Congressional Resolution introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland:

1ST SESSION H. RES. ll

Honoring the lives, and mourning the loss, of Sergeant Mark Dunakin,

Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege,

members of the Oakland Police Department in California who were

brutally slain in the line of duty.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

RESOLUTION

Honoring the lives, and mourning the loss, of Sergeant Mark

Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel

Sakai, and Officer John Hege, members of the Oakland

Police Department in California who were brutally slain

in the line of duty.

Whereas since May 17, 1792, when Deputy Sheriff Isaac

Smith of the New York City Sheriffs Office was killed,

more than 18,270 Federal, State, and local law enforcement

officers have died in the line of duty;

Whereas on Saturday, March 21, 2009, in Oakland, California,

Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans,

Sergeant Dan Sakai, and Officer John Hege, all of theOakland Police Department, were killed by gunfire while

serving in the line of duty;

Whereas the senseless slaying of Sergeants Dunakin, Romans,

and Sakai, and Officer Hege represents the first

multiple-fatality shooting incident of law enforcement officers

in the United States in more than a year, and the

first time in more than 15 years that 4 law enforcement

officers were killed by gunfire in the line of duty in a single

incident;

Whereas the killing of Sergeants Dunakin, Romans, and

Sakai, and Officer Hege represents the deadliest incident

involving California public safety officers since the infamous

‘‘Newhall Incident’’ occurred nearly 40 years ago in

Los Angeles County on April 6, 1970, when 4 California

highway patrolmen were killed in a gun battle with

2heavily armed suspects, an incident so traumatic and

shocking to the Nation that it galvanized the movement

to reform police training procedures, firearms use, and

arrest techniques;

Whereas the slaying of Sergeants Dunakin, Romans, and

Sakai, and Officer Hege serve as a reminder that the

risks assumed by police officers daily in serving and protecting

their communities continue to be enormous, ever

present, and lethal, even as the number of law enforcement

officers killed by gunfire in the United States has

steadily declined over the last 20 years;

Whereas the bravery, devotion to duty, and love of community

of these fallen heroes has forever earned them a

place in the hearts and memories of the citizens they willingly

risked their lives to protect, an honor that comes

at enormous cost to the people who knew them best, loved them most, and remember them simply as husbands,

fathers, brothers, sons, and friends;

Whereas Sergeant Mark Dunakin of Tracy, California, was

an 18-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department, a

graduate of Chabot College in Hayward, California, an

experienced homicide investigator, and according to his

captain, ‘‘a cop’s cop,’’ who was ‘‘absolutely committed to

anything that he leads’’ and absolutely devoted to his

wife Angela and their 3 children;

Whereas Sergeant Ervin ‘‘Erv’’ Romans of Danville, California,

was a 13-year veteran of the Oakland Police Department,

one of the most capable members of the Oakland

Police SWAT Team, and highly respected for his

work in the Narcotics Division of the Department, where

he was responsible for solving several major drug cases;

Whereas Sergeant Daniel Sakai of Castro Valley, California,

was considered by his peers and supervisors as a rising

star on the Oakland Police SWAT Team, where he served

as leader of the entry team and was beloved for his dedication

to serving others, as evidenced by his previous

work as a community service officer at University of California,

Berkeley, escorting students around campus at

night, and his tenure as an English teacher in Japan, but

most of all by his devotion to his wife Jennifer and their

young daughter;

Whereas Officer John Hege of Concord, California, was a 10-

year veteran of the Oakland Police Department who

graduated from St. Mary’s College of California, taught

at Tennyson High School in Hayward, California, loved

both his dog and umpiring high school baseball games,

and knew the incredible joy of realizing his cherished

dream of becoming a motorcycle cop, and who could al-ways be counted on by his colleagues to be one of the

first to respond to requests for assistance or to cheerfully

volunteer to help on departmental projects; and

Whereas in the face of this horrible loss, the people of Oakland,

California, have come together and rededicated

themselves to making Oakland the safe and peaceful community

that Sergeants Dunakin, Romans, and Sakai, and

Officer Hege sacrificed their lives to preserve and defend:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives extends

2 its condolences to the families and loved ones of Oakland

3 Police Department Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant

4 Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Officer John

5 Hege and stands in solidarity with the people of Oakland,

6 California, their neighbors in the East Bay, and entire

7 Bay Area community, as they celebrate the lives, and

8 mourn the loss, of these 4 remarkable and selfless heroes

9 who represented the best of their community and the fu

10 ture the people of Oakland are determined to create for

11 their children, grandchildren, and generations to come.

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Arriving at the Purly Gates

I mentioned over one year ago that I had set my mind to learn to knit.  I tried ….I really did.  I could cast on like a pro, but then, nothing. My fingers insisted on crochet…which is rather hard to do with two knitting needles. I had it in my mind that I should learn the Continental method since the yarn would be held the same as in crochet. My friend Stefan at the LYS (where I also teach) instructs the English method so stubbon me did not take his class. While my determination never wavered, I put knitting on the back burner. It would happen when it happened.

Well, I have recently taken on the job of crochet instructor at two other yarn shops in the area. As luck would have it, the owner of one of the stores is teaching a class in Continental next Saturday and I’m going to do it….and, because I am now an employee, I won’t even have to pay for the class. I am totally psyched.  It’s gonna happen.

Now, there is no guarantee that I will take to knitting as easily and quickly as I did crochet. I will feel the total fool if I don’t “get it”. I am not a good student, which is why I taught myself to crochet. For whatever reason (be it ego, pride, stubbornness or insecurity), I am not readily responsive to instruction. I want to know it all now! I have no patience with myself for not knowing. Maybe I should have a cocktail before going so I won’t be so hyper. Bente, the shop owner, is a lovely woman with an endearing Danish accent. I hope we are still friends after this endeavor.

I’ll keep you posted.