World Wide Artist Blog Hop

My friend Zelna of Zooty Owl has invited me to join the
"World Wide Artist Blog Hop"!

I'm a huge fan of her fabulous crochet patterns 

& so it's a great honour for me that I was invited by her
with Dedri of Look At What I Made!
I so have to create her Sophie's Garden pattern!

But what is this "World Wide Artist Blog Hop" all about?

Artists around the world post answers to 4 questions on their blogs 

& link to 3 (a minimum of 1) artists who post their answers 

on the following Monday and so it continues!

Some of the other artists who have already joined this event:

http://lovingrd.wordpress.com/
http://www.kimwerker.com/2014/06/02/around-world-blog-hop/
http://carinascraftblog.wardi.dk/2014/06/around-world-blog-hop.html
http://pagesintime.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-hop-last-week-i-received-email.html
http://inthehillsofnorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-hop.html
http://kokopellidesign.blogspot.com/2014/08/worldwide-artist-blog-hop-and-four.html
http://zootyowlcards.blogspot.com

The blog post looks like this:

 • Link/ intro to the person/blog who invited them on the blog-hop.
 • Answers to these 4 questions:

1. Why do I do what I do?
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
3. How does my creative process work?
4. What am I working on now?

1. Why do I what I do?

Because crochet is a part of me! It's not a hobby it's like breathing for me. 

I'm crocheting everywhere: 

At home, in university, on Parties, in Clubs & Pubs, wherever I roam. 

You can even see me crocheting while walking down the street. 

Getting typewriter's cramp is my biggest fear!

I'm a natural born freeformer - in primary school I've crocheted a potholder. 

The first rows were ugly, the rest beautiful 

(I've cheated & my mom created the following rows at home...). 

Eleven years ago I was living in a mountain village in Ticino, 

the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. 

I was an extreme reader but somehow I needed something else, too. 

They had crochet hooks & yarn in the only store of this village. 

I got me my first hook, a ball of neon yarn - and had no idea how to start. 

No internet, no crochet book. I've made a knot around the hook. 

Seriously: I still have no idea how other people begin. 

I don't care anyway, it works.

I'm a scientist from the bottom of my heart.

When I see an interesting stitch on a photo

I'm trying to create it without looking at a tutorial.

Many years I've crocheted without patterns.

I didn't see the sense in it because you can grow everything without.

Until I saw the Nana Amigurumi pattern...

I've crocheted all in all around 40 so far.

(But I've simplified the pattern for myself...

You can't hang around with friends & stare at a pattern all the time!)

I've learned to kind of like patterns -

but only if they are:

A short look at it - ok, I know what I have to do!

I wanna talk with people or listening to audiobooks,

no time for looking at a pattern all the time!

I would say 95 % I crochet is still freeformed -

as much as I give away as presents.

Hundreds of persons have something crocheted from me,

bracelets, hearts, flowers, mushrooms, pillows, Nanas -

I'm yarnbombing the world & I love it!

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't wanna sell you patterns,

I wanna encourage you to leave them!

To create your own ones!

It makes me sad to see that so many people are just recreating patterns!

It can be so much fun to find your own crocheted path.

There's so much freedom in crochet

& it's so much better to do art!

I'm also creating blacklight art -
for psytrance parties!
(Nothing better than a wonderful psytrance-festival!)

I love neon colours since I'm a little girl, seriously!

By accident these neon colours are also awesome in uv-light!
And even it is dark I can still crochet because the yarn is glowing! ;-)

Another difference:

I'm totally unprofessional!

I don't have equipment like a good camera

& I don't even have a laptop anymore

since mine has died.

I just borrow a laptop when I have to create a post!

I have a lot of mistakes in my posts, too!

I'm Bavarian & sometimes my English skills could be better!

But I don't care, I have support!

Sandy of  Sandy's Sundries

isn't only an awesome freeformer

but also such a lovely proofreader!

Thank you, Sandy! ;-)

3. How does my creative process work?

The world is full of inspiration!
And I have too much fantasy!
I don't make sketches,
I just let it grow!
The more colours the better!

Ideas are just coming over me,

even when I crochet with patterns...

I've crocheted Zooty Owl's fabulous 

"Rainbow Vermicelli Mandala" pattern for example

(with a 12mm hook)

& had a coat in the end. It just happens!

A tutorial until the arm part is to find here!

4. What am I working on now?

I've had a strange idea -
I did kind of a weekly Freeform Friendship CAL.
Pub on Sunday with my best friend Stephan,
he decided which colour to use next
& I've created a puzzle piece every week.

I've decided to start a Freeform Crochet project on my blog...

It is called "YOUR Personal Freeform CAL".

We are creating kind of a visual diary -

a blanket with things with a meaning for us.

Our favourite pet, the most beloved toy of our childhood,

our favourite songs, books & so on!

I'm so proud of all my members!

Have a look at our photo album!

Here you can see a collage I've created

when we were 30 Ladies doing this Freeform Crochet adventure!

At the moment we are 31 members!

Yesterday the first guy has joined us!

Here you can see me with my own

YOUR Personal Freeform CAL...

I love this project!

I don't think I've ever done something better in my life!

It's so much joy for me to see the member blankets grow!

And it's a therapy for me.

I went into a depression last year

while I was living in Scotland.

I'm back in Germany now

& I still have to fight a lot

because I've totally ignored the world.

It's normal to be weak & exhausted

after such a dark phase.

I think I wouldn't have left this state without my CAL friends.

They brought me back to life with all the joy & smiles they gave me!

This project is a long-time CAL.

We all use different hooks 

& our "puzzle pieces" have a different size.

But of course it will run as long as my members 

have completed their CALs!

I will just integrate the following projects

after I've completed my own Freeform CAL

in another project...

I won't stop having my monday-post.

I will go on with short time CALs -

I'm already preparing a Freeform Crochet Coat tutorial

& several other projects.

Bags, pillows, jumpers, freeformed plushies & so on...

I will freeform all my life so I will crochet along with you all my life!

52 weeks a year... I love to do it!

I will recreate famous paintings

in step-by-step 4-week-tutorials.

I will NEVER start taking money for patterns or tutorials.

Except I can have the opportunity to publish books one day.

I love books so I really would love to write & create some!

But editors won't give them away for free I guess! ;-)

Freeform should be free

& I wanna spread the world with it!

And of course I wanna increase the neon revolution!

If you are interested in creating your own 

YOUR Personal Freeform CAL

you find the links to the weekly projects here!

It doesn't matter WHEN you are joining our freeform crochet playground,

I will always upload your progress pics on my Facebook page!

So, time to annouce the artists

I'm inviting to post answers next week...

Tracy with her wonderful blog Eden Reborn

&

Shawn with  her gorgeous blog Dragonbird Creations

Both Ladies are having pages with more than beautiful patterns...
Blogs with heart & soul I really love to read!