Greetings!
I started my blog two and a half years ago and oh how things have changed!  If you take a peek at my first post (below) you'll see I didn't have much of a plan. Post by post I found my voice, and to my delight you've been listening! 

When deciding on my name and designing the logo I  chose Crochet Nirvana because it captures the feelings of peace, bliss and contentment that crocheting brings to me. (Not because of an obsession with Kurt Cobain and his 90's grunge band as some have asked.)  I added "laugh, learn, create & share" to make sure that everyone who stops by knows what to expect from me and the blog.  Learning new things, creating beautiful, fun, unique projects, and sharing everything with you - all with a sense of humor.

Along with my fiber obsession, I am a bibliophile. In fact, books are my first love. I wasn't sure how I would combine the two, but thankfully when opportunity knocked I was home to answer the door. A review I wrote for book called How I Came to Sparkle Again led to being contacted by St. Martin's Press. Initially I was reviewing fiction for them.  It was an easy progression to add me as a reviewer for the crafting category and start sending new titles on crocheting and knitting.  Your response to the reviews and giveaways is always fantastic and is one of my favorite parts of blogging. This has led to relationships with various publishers looking to have their books and authors introduced to the crafting community. Of course I am happy to oblige! This is the perfect way to combine my favorite activities, and has helped establish my place in the blogging community.

Do you know about Craftsy? It is an online community devoted to providing the education and tools to "bring your creativity to life"!  They offer interactive video tutorials and downloadable workshops for everything from knitting and photography to cake decorating and woodworking. Instruction is offered by the experts in each field. You can find patterns and recipes as well as supplies.  They offer resources for free as well as paid courses.  With more than 5 million members Craftsy is a leader in craft education.

Imagine my surprise (and delight) when the folks at Craftsy asked me to write for their crochet blog!  How exciting!!  To be honest I was a little scared.  I talked it over with John, and decided that this is an opportunity I don't want to miss!  And so my friends. today I launch my updated look - and my first article appears on the Craftsy web site.  It's called Understanding Crochet Diagrams: The Key to Breaking the Code, and I hope that you'll pop over and take a look.  

Life is full of twists and and turns.  You never know where the path will lead or what adventures you'll have along the way.  If you had asked me three years ago about my future I never would have imagined I'd be where I am.  This is such a thrill,  I'm so thankful for your support and encouragement. If it weren't for you, none of this would be possible. I hope that you'll visit often and continue to join me in my creative escapades - who knows what will happen next!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed & stitch with love!

Day Six: A Tool To Covet
Write about your favorite knitting or crochet (or spinning, etc) tool. It can either be a tool directly involved in your craft (knitting needles or crochet hook) or something that makes your craft more pleasurable – be it a special lamp, or stitch markers.

I love finding just the right tool!  When I started crocheting I had one hook.  I still have it actually.  It's purple sparkly plastic with a big heart on the end.  I don't know what size it is since I still don't have a hook gauge, but I think it's maybe a US K or L.  I've made lots of great projects with that beauty and even though I haven't used it in ages it's handy with all the others just in case I feel nostalgic.

So what tool is the one I can't live without?  My all time favorite, go to item?  I don't have one.  I have several.  Because I always have several projects going and different tasks require different tools.  So I decided to show you my stand bys.  For crocheting I prefer a plain old metal Boye hooks.  I have them in lots of sizes and I like the shape of the head.  I've tried wood, plastic, bamboo and other brands of metal but the Boye is the one I always come back to.  For thread I have a steel size 4 with a bamboo handle that I simply adore.  I'd like to get more, but until I do I wrap the steel handles with yarn to make them more comfortable.

Even though I just started knitting I was lucky enough to be given a huge selection of straight and double pointed needles.  I haven't used any enough to have real favorites, but I do like the small straights for small work.  I have quite a few old plastic double pointed needles that are so stiff they're near impossible to use.  I know a set of interchangeables are in my future as soon as the budget allows! Speaking of budget, the sets of dpn's have the prices stamped on the outside of the plastic sleeves that hold them.  They range from 45 cents to 65 cents!!  What a deal! I wonder what year they're from?  Speaking of deals, I found a terrific bargain at the local discount store on the scissors.  I couldn't resist the classic stork and the forged design to add to my collection!

Getting new tools is always fun, but right now I am obsessed with stitch markers!  Last year my husband and I started fiddling with the idea of making them to sell.  I went ahead and set up an Etsy account for Crochet Nirvana / Nirvana Designs but we haven't opened our doors yet.  I wanted to make sure that we had enough

We don't have a date yet for our grand opening, but we're on our way!  I don't expect that we'll be retiring early from the proceeds, but who knows??  Everyone has to start somewhere!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  If you want to read more about the tools of the trade, enter 4KCBWDAY6 into a search engine of your choice or click here.  I can hardly believe that Blog Week is almost over!  Please be sure to visit me tomorrow for the final post.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Five (Friday April 26th): Something A Bit Different
It’s the annual challenge to blog in a way different to how you normally blog. You may choose to create a podcast, or vlog, create a wordless post or write in verse. You've already stretched your wings with an infographic, now it's time to freestyle.

I think today's topic - or lack the of - is the perfect opportunity to tell you a little more about me.  To keep it interesting I'm going to utilize the "writing in the raw" technique. If you're not sure what that is, check out Five Minute Fridays.  I used to participate every week, but because the focus of the blog did some changing it just hasn't fit in.  I miss it.  So today I'm doing my own version.

5 little known facts about Robin in 5  minutes.  The only rule is they can't have anything to do with crocheting, knitting, books or the library - because you hear about those things all the time!!

Ok - ready, set, GO!

1.    When I was a little girl - about 3 or 4 years old I met Johnny Cash at my family's guitar factory.  He scared me and at the time I wasn't impressed at all!

2.    My family owns Martin Guitars in Nazareth, PA.  If you're a musician of any sort - chances are you've heard of Martin. We've been making guitars since 1833.  I love my family, but have nothing to do with the factory - that's my half-brother's gig. I don't know how to play the guitar.

3.    I went on a trip to Colorado when I was little.  We went to Cripple Creek (I think?) and I still remember a gravestone I saw there:  Here lies Lester Moore, four shots from a 44, No Les, No More!

4.    I have the teddy bear that my father gave me when I was born.  His name is Theodore B. Bear.  The B stands for Brown. He sits on my dresser and keeps an eye on me like he has for more than 45

5.    I have my drivers license, but for the last four years have not owned a vehicle.  A little tough in semi-rural Massachusetts, but I make it work - and I really don't want to buy a car unless I really have too!

That's it - time's up!

Whew!  That was harder than I thought it would be.  Now you know a little more about me than you did before.  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  To read more blog posts on today's topic enter 4KCBWDAY5 into a search engine of your choice, or click here.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Four: Color Review
What are your favorite colors for knitted or crocheted projects. Have a think about what colors you seem to favor when yarn shopping and crafting.

Only after writing this part of your post should you then actually look to see what colors you have used in your projects. Make a quick tally of what colors you have used in your projects over the past year and compare it to the colors you have written about. Compare this, in turn, to the colors that are most dominant in your yarn stash – do they correlate?

Color! Bright and brilliant, soft and soothing, warm, cool, shocking, neon, pastel, variegated, ombre - I love them all!!  Well, I suppose that's not entirely true.  I do have my favorites. In fact since I was young my favorite color has been purple - a passion I attribute to a long-ago obsession with Donny Osmond (I know some of you out there know what I'm talking about!).  My initial thought then is that purple would be the color I gravitate to when shopping for yarn.  Not so.  As it turns out I am much more of an equal opportunity color shopper.  My yarn/thread budget is small.  This year I made two major purchases.  The acrylics were for my series - The Granny Square Project (you can find the links in the sidebar if you missed it when I originally published).  The thread I bought because I love working with it and I was tired of using white.  Looking at these pictures makes me smile as I imagine all the possibilities that they hold!

I would have thought that purple would dominate. It came in tied for second - from the bottom!!  Imagine that!  The next big shocker is green.  12% of my projects were made from some shade of green or teal.  I never would have guessed!  So what color did I spend the most time with this year?  Pink.

How about that?  21% of the projects I counted were predominately pink.  What's interesting too is the variety of shades that I have in my stash.  I have everything from the palest almost white thread to a hot pink neon cotton yarn. The color that I used almost as much as pink is white.  I made a white shawl, wrist warmers, a hat, a doily, and a thread cross.  White was also the base for lots of granny squares.  In fact, the one big project that I'm planning is a predominately white granny style blanket.

Collecting the information for today's post has been really interesting.  I learned a lot about myself and my habits.  It was great to examine where I've been over the past year.  Not just the colors, but the type of projects I've made.  I'm looking forward to see what other Blog Week bloggers found out about their colors.  If you want to read other blog posts on this topic, please enter 4KCBWDAY4 into a search engine of your choice, or click here.

That's it for today!  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!  Please stop in tomorrow and see what day 5 has in store.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Three: Infographic
There are many ways of conveying information on a blog; text and images being the two most widely used. Many infographics combine both these elements to provide a visual way of presenting text information.
Make your own infogaphic (no fancy imaging software needed, you can draw it on paper and photograph it if you want) to convey any element of your craft(s).

What do you think?  These are the top 150 words used on the blog.  The biggest surprise to me is something.  I would have thought for sure that crochet would appear more than anything else.  Putting together the infograph was a lot of fun.  I see them all over the internet, in the doctor's office and in periodicals, and while some of them can be quite interesting and even funny, I never thought of using them on the blog.  And then I remembered the chicks. 

It turns out that I've been creating my own infographs without even knowing it!  Now that I think about it, every pictorial/tutorial that I've made is a form of infograph!  How about that!?  Thanks to Blog Week I know what to call them and where to find websites that will help me make them for free!! I see lots of cool stuff in the future!!

That's it for today friends.  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. Be sure to stop in tomorrow for a look at how we color the world with yarn!  To find other Knitting & Crochet Blog Week posts on today's subject, type 4KCBWDAY3 into a search engine of your choice or click here.

Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Two: A Mascot Project
Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies the house/animal you selected. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house. Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature. You do not have to make this project!

As soon as I finished reading today's task the idea of creating a project that contains both knit and crochet techniques came to mind.  Specifically, a sampler blanket.  Being the Bee that I am, I'm always excited to start something new.  The thrill of each new cast on or starting chain must be how the bee feels when he lands on a flower and prepares to sample the nectar for the first time. Ahhh, the anticipation.  How will it taste?  Will I like it?  How long will it take before I've had my fill and I'm ready to move on?  What's on the horizon?  Is that something I might like?  Will that one be better than this one?    I don't think there is anything that better exemplifies the desire to try new things than a blanket made of blocks showcasing examples of knit and crochet stitches.

With so many places on the internet to find patterns I figured that it would be a snap to find just the right one.  After all, there are lots of people who do both with equal skill and enthusiasm.  So I did what any modern girl would do.  I created a Pinboard and set to tracking down my ideal project.

Of all the patterns that I've seen, the Groovyghan is the one that most appeals to the Bee in me.  There's so much going on that it may be one project that I could create from start to finish without working on anything else!  It also seems to welcome the addition or substitution of knitting where there has only been crocheting. I'm longing to make a cotton blanket and I can already see my version of this one waiting on the back of the recliner when I snuggle down on Sunday nights to watch my favorite Mad Men!

There you have it friends!  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  Be sure to come back tomorrow and see what I come up with for Day 3.  For more posts on Day 2 of Blog Week, type 4KCBWDAY2 into the search engine of your choice or click here.

Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day One: The House Cup.
A bit like Harry Potter, but not quite, this year’s Knitting & Crochet Blog Week is split into 4 houses. Don your favorite knitted or crocheted hat and let it guide you to which house you will be in.

The House of Bee: Bees are busy and industrious, but can flit from one interesting project to the next as bright and shiny things capture their interest.

The House of Manatee: Manatees are gentle, calm and cuddly. Relaxed and unflashy they represent the comfort and soft side of knitting and crochet.

The House of Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

The House of Peacock: Peacocks take something good and make it brilliant. Buttons, embellishments and a bit of sparkle prove that perfection lies in the details – like a Peacock's Tail.

I like to think that I'm well rounded and have a little of each house mascot in me, and while that's probably true anyone who visits regularly knows that I am in constant motion flitting from one project to the next.  For me there's something so satisfying about starting a new project.  I love the challenge of learning and I push myself  into the unexplored territory of new techniques, stitches and skills on a regular basis.  It's not unusual for me to work on two or three different pieces in the same sitting.  I suppose this makes me a bit of a hybrid monkey-bee, but in the spirit of blog week I pledge my allegiance to The House of Bee!


When I started crocheting about  3 years ago I was at a point of transition in my life.  Having experienced my share of hardships made all the more tumultuous through a succession of poor choices I was finally moving in the right direction.  I was looking for something to do.  Something to keep me busy and entertained that didn't require much physical exertion (because I'm lazy) or cost much (because well you know why...) I  started dabbling in quilting, but it was a  display at the library of projects made by the knitting club that sparked an interest I didn't know I had.

Like most beginners, my first project was a scarf.  Day after day, row after row of the half-double crochet.  When I finished I was so proud! But I couldn't wait to try something new.  For the first year or so I was diligent in completing my projects.  I made lots of hats, fingerless mittens (both of them!), more scarves and even an afghan for my son. I was learning skills, building my confidence and delighting in the joy of making gifts for my family and friends.  I was a manatee. 

So what happened?  How did I go from manatee to bee?  I think there are a few reasons.  Blogging is the big one.  When I started the blog a year ago it was just a way to keep track of my projects. Then something awesome happened - you started visiting me.  How cool!  Even though I didn't know anything about writing and maintaining a blog I did realize that if I wanted you to keep coming back I needed more to write about than the one cardigan that I was still working on!   Early on I noticed that lots of beginners are hesitant to try new things.  I decided instead of just keeping track of my projects I would use the blog to show you what happens when I try something new.  By sharing my learning experiences I hope to encourage others to see  that they can do it too!

I think the other main reason for the manatee to bee metamorphosis  is I get bored easily.  I'm totally pumped up with the thrill of picking a pattern, choosing the yarn and getting things started, but once the project is established I tend to loose interest in doing the same thing over and over again.  My enthusiasm picks up as I near the end, but the middle can be a struggle.  I'm not sure why because I love working with the yarn, the way it feels in my hands, and watching the stitches grow one by one into something lovely. 

So today I am a bee.  And it's working for me.  Every project that I start is an opportunity to learn something new and an adventure to share with you.  I get to enjoy the thrill of kick off.  Because I have so many different things in the works to choose from I don't get bored nearly as easily as I used to.  The downside might be that it does take considerably longer to finish something.  Happily I don't often have deadlines so that's not much of a problem.  Do I miss being a manatee?  No, I don't think so.  Even though I'm busily bouncing from project to project I immensely enjoy what I'm doing.  Knitting and crochet bring me great pleasure and have become so much more than "something to do".  They're a way of life for me now, and because of the blog you are too.

Click here to discover more bloggers writing about Blog Week, or search for the tag 4KCBWDAY1 using your favorite search engine.

Blog Week starts tomorrow!  Here's a look at the topics we'll be writing and reading about:

Day One (Monday April 22nd): The House Cup.
A bit like Harry Potter, but not quite, this year’s Knitting & Crochet Blog Week is split into 4 houses. Don your favourite knitted or crocheted hat and let it guide you to which house you will be in.
Day Two (Tuesday April 23rd): A Mascot Project.
Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies that house/animal. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house. Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature. You do not have to make this project!
Day Three (Wednesday April 24th): Infographic
There are many ways of conveying information on a blog; text and images being the two most widely used. Many infographics combine both these elements to provide a visual way of presenting text information.
Make your own infogaphic (no fancy imaging software needed, you can draw it on paper and photograph it if you want) to convey any element of your craft(s).
Day Four (Thursday April 25th): Colour Review
What are your favourite colours for knitted or crocheted projects. Have a think about what colours you seem to favour when yarn shopping and crafting.
Day Five (Friday April 26th): Something A Bit Different
It’s the annual challenge to blog in a way different to how you normally blog. You may choose to create a podcast, or vlog, create a wordless post or write in verse. You've already stretched your wings with an infographic, now it's time to freestyle.
Day Six (Saturday April 27th): A Tool To Covet
Write about your favourite knitting or crochet (or spinning, etc) tool. It can either be a tool directly involved in your craft (knitting needles or crochet hook) or something that makes your craft more pleasurable – be it a special lamp, or stitch markers.
Day Seven (Sunday April 28th): Looking Forward
One year from now, when the 5th Knitting & Crochet Blog Week rolls around, where do you hope your crafting will have taken you to? What new skills, projects and experiences do you hope you might have conquered or tried?

I'm looking forward to playing along.  It's a great opportunity to stretch your blogging muscles and meet like minded folks who share your passion for all things knit and crochet.  Visit Eskimimi Makes for all the details.  Once things get started, there's a great way to find the bloggers who are participating - using Post Tags.  All you have to do is type the tag listed below into your favorite search engine, and you'll be rewarded with a list of bloggers.  Neat huh?

I've got a big batch of pictures waiting to be edited, so it's time for me to get to work!  I hope you'll join in.  I think it's going to be a lot of fun!!

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Greetings Friends!
How are you?! I've missed you all so much!  I trust that you glided smoothly through the holidays enjoying all the good things and letting the rest slide?  Things at our house were low-key and pleasant.  I made a point of focusing on what's really important (like family and the true meaning of Christmas) instead of getting tricked into thinking I somehow had to create the perfect "TV Christmas" with tons of gifts, over the top decorations, mountains of food and a houseful of jovial guests. That we were all sick with the worst cold/flu/bug we've had in years made it even easier to adjust expectations!  Happily we have all recovered and it feels terrific to be getting back into the blogging zone. 

My self imposed hiatus from blogging and computer use in general has allowed me to evaluate my goals for 2013.  This is really important because as the title of the post indicates, by the end of the year I was feeling woefully unable to successfully navigate my world of crochet, books, family, and work.  I was trying to do so many things it was inevitable that they would all suffer and so would I. Giving myself time to simply relax and enjoy the activities that fill my world turned out to be the best present ever.  I worked on and completed all kinds of crochet projects  (plus read several books!).  Now I have lots great material for blogging.  That was one of my biggest worries - that I was running out of interesting things to write about.  I mean really, how many Wednesdays do you want to see the cardigan that I'm still working on??

The other significant change was the creation of my new book blog - Robin Reads and Writes. (RR&W) If you're a regular you know that I've been including book reviews (mainly fiction) in with my crochet posts for some time.  When the library where I work approached me about making my reviews available on their website I knew that a change of format was in order. After trying several layouts the new blog was born.  Having everything live together under one roof works well for me as far as maintenance goes.  When I started Crochet Nirvana I knew that books would always be part of my site.  Now I'm happy that they have their own special place where they can really shine.

Of course a second blog means more work.  But it's work that I love, and the response has been amazing.  In fact, I have been approached by two different publishers and asked if I would like to be an "early" reviewer.  You know that I said yes!! I mean honestly, how cool is that?  (I'll tell you all about in an upcoming RR&W post!)

Now that I've given myself time to regroup I feel energized and focused. Knowing that I have interesting projects, patterns and tutorials to share makes me feel confident about the future.  I also am thrilled about the direction the book blog is headed.  In addition to fiction I'll be reviewing new crochet/knitting (and other yarn/fiber/craft) books.  With so many exciting things on tap the future looks bright indeed. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

In July I began this adventure know as A Year of Projects.  The premise is to choose a goal (or several as the case may be) that you wish to achieve over the course of one year and then track your progress with blog posts.  Support and camaraderie are found in the Ravely group Come Blog-A-Long where participates share their posts and chat about their successes (and failures) in various threads.

It seemed an intriguing way to bring some structure to my otherwise random crafting, plus many of my blogging buddies participated last year and had a really good time.  I had the advantage of their experience when I put together my list of goals. The main point taken to not be too lofty in what I think I'm capable of accomplishing.

Now that we've just begun our second quarter of activity it seems that a progress report is in order.  Let's take a look!

• Make a sweater (that really fits!) from Custom Crochet Sweaters by Dora Ohrenstein
• Learn Painted Crochet
• Dye my own yarn
• Make something with up-cycled materials
• Crochet a rug
• Design my own wrap
• Learn a new lace technique (ie: Hairpin, Bruges, or Filet)
• Make at least one sewing project from 101 One Yard Wonders
• Give double ended hooks a try

What do you think? Does it seem manageable? Giving it careful consideration I remain optimistic that I'll be able to accomplish everything between now and June. I imagine that my biggest hindrance will be getting involved in projects that aren't on the list. In hindsight I realize that I should have chosen a sweater from Dora's book instead of starting the Marlo cardigan, but I like Marlo and I don't want to abandon her - or frog all the progress I've made!

There you have it! One quarter down, three to go!  I'm having a great time working on my goals and seeing the progress that my friends are making.  You can check out what they've been up to here.