YOUR Personal Freeform CAL! - Week 22

You want a freeformed visual diary blanket, too?
It's never to late to start it!
I will always post your pictures
on my page Dada Neon Crochet & add it to our CAL photo album!
No time pressure at all!
If you wanna join this freeform adventure you can find the first project here!

♥♥♥

I'm proud like a Nana!!!

It's unbelievable how many of you have joined

50 years of flower power - a freeform crochet and knit artwork!

And even better:

The first scrumbles

arriving Prudence Mapstone

are the works of Gwenda & Jenny!

Both are living in Australia

& so the postway to Prudence is quite short

but anyway:

I was so happy when I could read about your

attempts on the blog!

Here is Gwenda's gorgeous scrumble:

...and here you can see Jenny's beautiful scrumble!

...and some other works are on their way to Australia!

Haha, will be gorgeous to see all our

Flower-Power-Puzzle-Pieces together

in the wallhanging Prudence will create!!!

Some things have made me really happy during

the last weeks:

Ria of Feathers and dragons

has created a bright coloured bird

& she has named this beautiful work after me!

This is Julia!

I'm so honoured

because I just adore her project!

Thank you Ria,

you are a shining star! xxx

I also have to speak out a huge "THANK YOU!"

to my friends of Crocheters Anonymous!

Last year, before I got into this too-much-state

I've joined Crocheters Anonymous!

I was really happy about it 

& as a yarnbomber it was such a great thing

to become an administrator

of Crocheters Anonymous Yarnbombers!

(Together with Sonia of StoryMakers - Portuguese Urban Crafts)

I wasn't a great help at all!

 I couldn't manage my own pages anymore

because I just didn't have time while I was

in the job programme

& I was so under pressure

with coming back to life & reality

that I needed to escape from the online world for a while.

I was just scared to fall back into depression

when I have too many things to manage.

I'm back on my feet

& I'm happy to have friends in this crochet world like

Pamela & Sonia.

No words of criticism

because of my absence...

Pamela, thank you so much for your understanding

& your lovely words! xxx

And Sonia, thank you sooo much

for being so kind to invite me to 

the "5 days - 5 artists" challenge

& to become a future CAL friend!

Can't wait to see your version grow! ;-)

You are gorgeous

& I'm feeling as a part of Crocheters Anonymous

even I really can't support you

the way we have planned it last year!

xxx

What else to write?

Maybe something less emotional?

Haha, I'm still addicted to Nanas! ;-)

That's my I-don't-wanna-wear-a-swimsuit-Nana!

I didn't post her naked on my page for several reasons

but 2 of you Ladies have received it in a message!

We have quite celebrated her

& so I declare:

Every single member of the CAL Club

can send me a message

if you wanna see her completely! ;-)

All other people have to go to Aria's

Nasty & Crafty group in facebook...

...even she is NOT nasty

but a real pretty natural lady!!! :-)

Haha, time is working against me

so I better come to the greetings!

♥♥♥

Here it comes:
My "Thank you!"
to all my lovely CAL Club members!
40 CAL friends now, a reason to celebrate!
(...best wishes to our secret members, too!)

Lovely greetings to Roberta,
I hope you are feeling fine!
  If you are crocheting a Nana
please show her to me! ;-)
Haha: Jodie, your Sophie's Universe CAL is such a beauty!
There are so many different colour choices to see
in the groups & on crochet pages
but your version is my fave!

 
Will go on with growing mine after the blogpost!

Greetings to my CAL friend Ulrike in Austria!
I really hope I will see your completed favourite song
puzzle piece somewhen! Loved it! 
 A hug to Gwenda!
I was so amazed to read that your scrumble

has arrived Prudence Mapstone first!

Such a wonderful thing our works

will be puzzled together!Thank you for being part of the team, Sandy (Sandy's Sundries & Etsy)!
  The Starflower Mandala you have created
will look awesome in the Flower-Power-Wallhanging,
such a happy colour boost! :-)
Alicia of Marcalic's Creations -
what a handspun yarn!

I finally got me the last few things I need
for the whole procedure
& so I can start the spinning adventure, too!
If mine will look like YOUR yarn one day
I won't buy yarn anymore!
  Marina, our busy bee! ;-)

 There are always lots of links to add

but they are all important!

Alex & me are very proud

to be on top of the timeline

of your Freeform Crochet World

at the moment with our Flower-Power-Scrumble!

 I just couldn't imagine the WorldWideWeb
without the Freeform Crochet World Group!
 And with The Snovej Circle we have a place now

to share our pattern stuff, too! 

Your Snovej-webpage is a gorgeous place
for freeformers & crafters (Snovej Crafts).
Last but not least you are also supporting
your husband KAL (greeeets!)
 producing delicious food Kal's of Maine!!!
This Lady is awesome! ;-)
Congrats to Anouk of Een steekje verder!
I read you have received your diploma!

Lots of crocheting time again, yay! ;-)
 Hugs to my highness princess MariaElena,
 I'm feeling so sheltered having your daily

visits on my page, you funny & joyful being!

So thankful to have you!

Haha, my friend Lin with her gorgeous page Crochet in Colour! 

You took the short way with the Sophie's Universe CAL& you are crocheting a cushion!
Totally understand, I could also crochet "Sophie's Garden"
(the middle part of the Lookatwhatimade's CAL)
again & again, haha! ;-)
Shawn of Dragonbird Creations
(get her in your newsfeed if you haven't done it yet!),

 I can't resist to show your stunning
freeformed baby blankey for Ella Rose here:

Awesome, isn't it?!
Somehow freeform tells a lot about the creator
& this blanket is so joyful & funny as you are!
Happy & proud to have you in this team, Shawn!
Haha, Lisbeth!
I'm so happy my orange freeform Nana has such a lovely home!

Makes me happy to see that I have infected you
with my Nana addiction! ;-)
 Best wishes to Jane & my beloved Scotland! ;-)
Lovely greetings to Tracy of Eden Reborn,
I could just read on your page

your crocheted room is getting shot for

a magazine today?!

So curious, I'm looking forward for the pics!
Jenny & her fantastic page Craft Cove!
Your scrumble for Prudence Mapstone's wallhanging
is such a beautiful work!
It brings joy just to look at it,
a wonderful idea to use it as a facebook cover!
 Thank you to Donna & with Walker's Whimsies
for your inspiring shares & being part of this adventure!
So lovely that you are supporting Marina
in our favourite group
(the Freeform Crochet World Group, of course)!
 Yarnbombing greets to Anne in Brussels! ;-)

Ohhh Zelna (our Zooty Owl!) -
I think you are pretty busy

but I would love to see your CAL grow!

Just because you so enjoyed our freeform fun!

 ;-)Monique of Yemanja -
you have yarnbombed me with beautiful

new puzzle pieces the last days

- but you have also yarnbombed something else:

Such a great work!
You have yarnbombed the bicycle
of your father in loving memory!
A huge virtual hug my dear!
And my lovely princess Saskia ("MalleSas")!
The project for this week
is based on your idea
& it was great fun to crochet & prepare the post!
It's great to have such a lovely friend in you!
I'm sure we will meet one day in "real" life
& I know it will be a fantastic meeting
with lots of crocheting, fun &
wonderful conversations!
Thank you for being part of this!
"Servus!" to Cilly -
I hope everything is shiny around you!
 Our CAL friend Michi!!!
I just visited your page "Knittenfee"!!!
Awesomeness!!!
Your crocheted portraits are brilliant!

Thank you to Brenda!!! Hope you are fine!
Sending much love to Enna
(Mishook aka Strikkeliese & Mishook)!!!
 Haha, Nancy & her page Needleful Things! I hope it's ok to show this work here,
it's just sooo beautiful!
(...and thank you for introducing me
to the irish Sheila,
I still have to laugh!) ;-)

 Lovely greetings to Judy as well!
Thank you to our CAL friend Nora
for being part of this awesome CAL team!
 Jacqui of Hooky Delights. -always a pleasure to visit your page!
Such a gorgeous crochet style!
And Denise of Wickedcrochet (also here on Etsy)!
 So many people have celebrated
your brother-in-yarn!
It was a fantastic idea to
recreate a poet
- David J. Daniels - 
 in yarn instead a single poem!
I'm sure he is as proud about it
as you can be proud about him!
I could only read one single poem of him so far
but I'd love to read more!
Here you can find a link to his recent book "Clean"! 

And: Our only gentleman Alex!
He isn't only a master in the kitchen

but also such a talented crocheter!

 

 

A real prince, isn't he?

;-)

 Lovely greetings to Lisa of Knotty Girl Yarn Art!
Your page is full with gorgeous & funny things! 
 So creative!
Haha, Lindy! I would love to see
pictures of your felted dolls!
;-) Greetings from my Nanas!
A thank you to Anne for joining our team!

...ohhh Marijke!

You have crocheted YOUR Personal CAL in such a short time!

I really hope you will continue this adventure!

Just use the following puzzle pieces

for pillows, bags, whatever! Hugs!

 

And finally:

The presentation of our new Ladies!

Katherine has joined our CAL Club
& has already grown such a gorgeous
miniature CAL of her first puzzle pieces,
one of my smaller Nanas could use it as a blanket! ;-)
Dada loves pompoms!!!

We have Cathy in our team now
with her amazing taste in blue!
She has also already grown her first 2 puzzle pieces
(Just love this shade!) - Beautiful!

...and Kerry!!!
We are having lots of fun since she has joined us
& this project was already a brilliant excuse
to go yarnshopping!
(Actually we don't need excuses
because we are freeformers:
We just need at least 500
different colours & kinds of yarn
to express our art!) ;-)
Here you can see Kerry's gorgeous growing CAL!

Katherine, Cathy & Kerry:
I wish you a wonderful journey!
 Happy to have you in our team now!
But now...new puzzle pieces!!!

The gorgeous Friendship projects of
Gwenda & Saskia:

 And of course lots of beautiful progress pictures:

Collage 1:

Collage 2:

...and collage 3:

So many pretty puzzle pieces, yay!!!
:-)

♥♥♥

 What's the challenge for our "week" 22?

(Just too funny to call it still weeks, haha!)

  I've asked on my facebook page

if someone of you has an idea for future projects

& Saskia has given me an inspiration first!

- And I also got some more ideas,

so I already have topics for "week" 23 & 24! ;-)

What would I do without you,

it's getting harder & harder to find good projects!

  Saskia's suggestion was:

"your favorite thing from the sea, a fish or coral"

- so shall it be!

 

 A fish is a great symbol actually 

- and it can have different meanings.

 

For christian members of the CAL Club

it can be a symbol for Jesus Christ,

in many old cultures the fish is a sign 

for fertility, in some countries people are wearing

fish amulets for shelter.

In China the fish stands for happiness & wealth!

Haha, for me personally fishes are damn important!

I would love to live next to the ocean

because I just can't get enough of seafood & fishes!

I'm not a meat friend but I couldn't exist without eating fish!

I love fishing as well,

my father took me with him 

since I was a little girl

& it's still a great thing for me.

When Saskia offered me this topic

I got immediately a picture into my head:

I love the book "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister!

(When I was a child I prefered books for grown-ups

but the older I get the crazier I'm becoming about

books for children!)

I thought the crocodile stitch would be perfect to

recreate the Rainbow Fish!

Tamara of Moogly is offering a great tutorial

if you wanna integrate the crocodile stitch as well:

Here you go!

I've started with 21 stitches as shown in the tutorial

but I wanted to use another colour for every fish scale

so I thought I can just make the base first

to form the main part of the fish:

I love this stitch!

If my time management would have been better

I would have added some small hyperbolic corals

but this is the result of my fish:

Such a pity the pic doesn't show

how much it sparkles!

For the scales I combined acrylic neons

with a tiny silver yarn with funny details in it,

the water is a combination of a soft blue yarn

with fluffy yarn!

Anyway, I like my Rainbow Fish,

the mouth isn't perfect

but what's more boring than perfection anyway?!

Many thanks to my princess Saskia,

it was lots of fun to prepare your inspiration!

The next CAL post comes in 2 weeks! ;-)

♥♥♥

I love to prepare YOUR ideas so let me know 

what else you want to have in your CALs!

Stay awesome my princesses & princes,

 your friend Dada (or Julia)!!!

♥♥♥

Let me see your art in Marina's Freeform Crochet World Group, on Dada Neon Crochet or Ravelry

YOUR Personal Freeform CAL! - Week 21

You want a freeformed visual diary blanket, too?
It's never to late to start it!
I will always post your pictures
on my page Dada Neon Crochet & add it to our CAL photo album!
No time pressure at all!
If you wanna join this freeform adventure you can find the first project here!

♥♥♥

A real belated post 

 but I'm finally in a better condition to get the blogpost done! ;-)

 I was totally out of a regular structure

& it was a pretty hard decision to quit university.

It was important for me to escape from the uni pressure.

I've joined a working programme of the local jobcenter until Friday

which was the best thing that could have happened to me.

Getting up early, getting in contact with lovely people,

having real good coaches -

it has helped me a lot to get into a regular lifestyle again.

But it was exhausting for me!

It made me so much pressure to keep Dada Neon running

that I needed a break from the online world.

Sorry to all my lovely friends!

I'm feeling sooo good again,

self-confident as usual,

able to be happy for small reasons

& I'm feeling strong enough again

to get my university studies done! :-)

I've applied again for the semester starting in April

& I really hope I'll get the opportunity!

For christmas I went to Bavaria

spending time with my parents & my brother,

it was so good to see them all again.

Family is so important

& I'm really sorry for getting out of touch with them

while my depression.

It was such a nice christmas

& I was so amazed about your christmas related

puzzle pieces for your CALs! :-)

Here are the christmas creations of Gwenda, Saskia & MariaElena!

At the moment I'm totally addicted to creating Nanas again -

I wanna try to keep all my Nanas born in 2015,

it's so lovely to have many of them.

Usually I'm giving Nanas as birthday presents

but now I've given away more than 50

& I need some, too! ;-)

I just love the french artist Niki de Saint Phalle

& her Nana statues!

As I have simplified the free pattern of the austrian page Nadelspiel

my Nanas look a little bit different

but you can make a similar Nana with this english translation! ;-)

I don't wanna crochet to much pattern-stuff this year

(Freeform is just so much better!!!)

but I'm totally excited to join the Sophie's universe CAL

by Dedri Uys of Lookatwhatimade!

Her patterns are so funny & so perfect

that you actually forget that you are using a pattern!

Join in, it'll be great fun!

Haha, and of course I hope many of you talented freeformers

will join Prudence Mapstone's awesome event:

50 years of flower power - a freeform crochet and knit artwork!

Would be great to have my stitches combined with yours

in a freeformed wall hanging!

:-)

Trying to stay away from cigarettes is pretty tough for me

at the moment!

I really want to quit but my mood is terrible

& I'm thinking about rolling a cigarette all the time!

I've started smoking when I was 13

& with a year of interruption in between it's 18 years of smoking now!

Way too long!!!

ADD people like me use nicotine as a self-medication

& so it's even harder to let go.

I received a lot of great advices

& I will get me a e-pipe now

to get me some healthier nicotine

when I'm too stressed...

(I'm a real monster right now!)

For all of you thinking about leaving cigarettes behind

a wonderful quote of MariaElena:

"Think of your lungs as rosy little babies,

you wouldn't want to contaminate them with dirty smoke,

would you??"

   

♥♥♥

A huge "Thank you!"
to my awesome CAL Club members!
37 CAL friends now, unbelievable!
(Lovely greetings to our inofficial members, too!)

Greetings to Roberta,
 I'm so happy you love my crocheted Nanas
& that you want to start your own collection!
Jodie, both of us have missed the start of

Dedri Uys Block a Week CAL 2014!
The CAL 2015 is calling us! ;-)
All the best wishes to our CAL friend Ulrike in Austria!
And also this time a huge "Thank you!" to Gwenda!
Puzzle piece 21 is based on one of your ideas again!
Such an important topic again! ;-)
Give a cuddle to Penny,
I wish I would have such a lovely dog
hidingme from my WIPs!

 A huge hug to Sandy (Sandy's Sundries),
I've seen your neon cupcake pincushion on Etsy too late,
if you are crocheting another one let me know!
I really need one because my needles always get lost!
A few days ago I had one pinned in my back
after sewing on Nana breasts! :-)
Alicia of Marcalic's Creations -
 I'm sending you much love & happiness,
I love your multicreativity:
spinning, drawing, felting, crocheting, awesome!
Such a cool idea to pick your giveaway winner
on a video! Haha, I might borrow your idea
for my next giveaway! ;-)

Lovely greetings to Marina!
 Your Freeform Crochet World Group
& your Freeform Crochet World
are such important places for us freeform crocheters! ;-)
 Haha, the linklist is growing again!
Great to be part of the group The Snovej Circle now, too!
Snovej.com is sooo inspiring
& all freeformers should have Snovej Crafts in the newsfeed!
I've just seen you & your Kal are selling
selfmade wild blueberry mustard?!
Sounds so yummi! (Kal's of Maine!!!)
I couldn't find a way to order a glass,
let me know how to get this mustard
& greets to KAL from the CAL ;-)
Greetings to the Netherlands to our CAL friend Anouk
of Een steekje verder! You have grown some awesome things
on your page since I've last visited it!
 My highness princess MariaElena,
I've missed your humour & care
while I wasn't online!
Sooo good to have you back! :-)
A huge hug to Lin with her fabulous feel-at-home-page Crochet in Colour!
I'm happy to be back in Facebook to see your makings grow!
It's great we both have joined Dedri's Sophie's Universe CAL,
somehow it's like crocheting together! ;-)
(If you want something crocheted by Lin she is here to find on Etsy!)!
Shawn of Dragonbird Creations,

 your current knitting projects are awesome!
If someone brings me to knitting one day
it'll be you!!! :-)
Ohhh, Lisbeth!
It's so nice to imagine how my freeformed Nana
is having fun with your Nana now!
Hugs to Denmark & a cuddle to your Nanas!

 Greetings to Jane & my beloved Scotland! ;-)
Hugs to Tracy of Eden Reborn!!!
I can't wait to see your crocheted ducks
in their full prettiness!
I need one, too!!!
Lovely greetings to our multicreative Jenny & her beautiful page Craft Cove,
I love the peacock earrings you have made!
 Thank you to Donna & her page Walker's Whimsies
for being part of the CAL Club
& for your helpful tip concerning my nicotine addiction!
(Put smoked cigarettes into a jar with water, put a lid on it,
everytime you wanna smoke smell on it!!! Bahhh!)
Lovely greetings to Anne in Brussels! ;-)
Hugs to Zelna (Zooty Owl) -
one day you have to win an award
as the most productive crochet designer on this planet!
I've missed so many of your new patterns,
haha, already crocheted in the future, yes! ;-)
Lovely greetings to Monique of Yemanja -
 it's so cool that you have inspired Marijke to join us
& that you have done the "blind" puzzle piece together!
Your bicycle is almost totally yarnbombed, sooo cool!
Looking forward to see it completed! ;-)
So much love to Saskia (our "MalleSas")!
 Thank you so much for your support & care!
It was so touching to see your christmas puzzle piece
dedicated to me! Hugs!
Greetings to Cilly -
so curious how your watermuseum yarnpainting is growing!
 Belated birthday greetings to our CAL friend Michi!
All the best for you & your page "Knittenfee"!!!
A thank you & greetings to Brenda!!!
Haha, ganz liebe Grüße an Enna
(Mishook aka Strikkeliese & Mishook)!!!
After my studies I'm already planning to move to Leipzig!
We can yarnbomb the city together in the future! ;-)
  A hug to Nancy & her page Needleful Things!
You have created some stunning things again!
 Lovely greetings to Judy as well!
Congrats to our CAL friend Nora!
I've just seen you got engaged in the end of last year!
Yay, time to crochet a wedding dress! ;-)
Haha, Jacqui of Hooky Delights. -
your hat creations are wonderful!!!
Greetings to Denise of Wickedcrochet (here to find on Etsy)!
Your favourite poet is your brother & so you have crocheted him
representing the favourite poem project in your CAL!
I couldn't find the post with his name anymore
but it would be great to present one of his poems
when I add this puzzle piece to our CAL album! ;-)
And of course Alex!
Thank you for being so patient with me
while I'm such a monster because of my nicotine absence! ;-)
 Greetings to Lisa of Knotty Girl Yarn Art &
your beautiful My Little Pony!!!
It's amazing!
A hug to Lindy & greetings to your beautiful CAL!
Lovely greetings to Anne as well!

...and here a special hug to Marijke:

It's unbelievable what you have created 

while I had my offline time...

You had so much fun creating a whole stunning wall hanging:

I'm so happy you found your way to our CAL Club

& it's wonderful you will go on!!!

So wow!!!

I have a feeling that I might have forgot to mention someone...

It's confusing to write a post after such a long time,

so "Sorry!" if I missed someone!

Please complain if you aren't in this post 

or in case I haven't published puzzle pieces on the timeline!

Here are some awesome collages of your works!
There are still some missing because
I haven't posted them on Facebook yet...

Collage 1:

Collage 2:

Collage 3:

Collage 4:

Collage 5:

It's just unbelievable how much beauty you have grown again!!!
:-)

♥♥♥

 So: What will be the project for "week" 21?

It's based on the idea of Gwenda again,

I'm so thankful for your inspirations

because it gets harder to find universal topics!

And it's a real important project again...

We have already integrated our family

in our growing CALs

but there are other real important persons in our lifes:

Our friends!

I'm so glad to have damn good friends!

I've moved a lot in my life

but there are people staying close to me

wherever I roam.

Some are a part of my life more than half of my life

& it's great that we have connections

that hopefully last a lifetime.

The great thing about real friendships is

that it doesn't matter if you live in the same city or wherever.

There are many beautiful souls on this planet

but there are some persons we allow to come real close.

Real friendship is kind of a perfect relationship -

trust, love & the feeling you can not only share

wonderful times with a friend but also secrets of your soul.

There is a book I really love:

It's called "Anam Cara - The book of celtic wisdom"

by John O'Donohue.

There are many wonderful quotes about friendship in it

(Anam Cara means "Soul friend" in the Gaelic language)

but I think one quote is wonderful to describe friendship:

“One of the tasks of true friendship is to listen compassionately 

and creatively to the hidden silences. Often secrets are not revealed in words, 

they lie concealed in the silence between the words 

or in the depth of what is unsayable between two people.” 

Friends are these special persons

who are able to understand you

without words

& can read you often better

than you are able for yourself.

It was pretty hard for me to decide how I will crochet

this week's project.

First I thought about crocheting special symbols

representing my friends.

But soon I've realized that this would be quite complicated.

There would be many single pieces to crochet

& somehow I also have a feeling of friendship

for persons I have never met in real life.

I want my CAL to represent my life,

but I couldn't include future friends this way...

I've decided to crochet a symbolic puzzle piece:

A heart surrounded with two

friendship bracelets. ;-)

♥♥♥

I love to prepare YOUR ideas so let me know 

what else you want to have in your CALs!

Stay awesome my princesses & princes,

 your friend Dada (or Julia)!!!

♥♥♥

Let me see your art in Marina's Freeform Crochet World Group, on Dada Neon Crochet or Ravelry

YOUR Personal Freeform CAL! - Week 20

You need a personal freeform blanket, too?
Whenever you start it,
I will always post your pictures
on my page Dada Neon Crochet & add it to our CAL photo album!
No time pressure at all!
If you wanna join this freeform adventure you can find the first project here!

♥♥♥

 Yay, time to celebrate!

We are on this freeform adventure for such a long time now -

20 unique puzzle pieces, awesome!

I'm bad with my time management again - as always!

But yesterday I just had to spend the day outside with friends -

maybe it was the last day of summer

& so I had to enjoy the sun outside! :-)

I'm so excited about my Happy Days CAL (Zooty Owl),

yesterday I could almost complete my last square -

only one row was missing before I ran out of neon yellow! :-(

Here is a pic of my CAL parts 1-7:

Straight after the blogpost I will crochet the last row

& soon I'll have a fantastic blanket! :-)

Haha, thank you Zelna!!!

Just a few words before my weekly "Hello!",

I always wanna write about it & then I forget

about it again:

Please don't care about the number of "likes" on your works 

on Facebook, they really don't say much!

If you don't pay money for "promoting" a page

(something I would never ever do)

posts don't appear in all newsfeeds.

The other page Ladies know what I mean -

we can see the reach of every single post

(how many people have actually seen a post).

Some posts have 3 times the reach than others

& of course they have more "likes" for this reason.

On the weekend the reach is always smaller -

people spend more time with their families

& page owners with a Monday-to-Friday full-time-job

have more time to make posts.

Many people look up their newsfeed

on a smartphone -

if you wanna make sure that they can see your

full photo cut it as a square -

this makes your work totally visible

(Otherwise they may only see two third of the pic or so).

You can all be proud of yourself!

I'm only using your first names

in the post but you are totally

invited to use the tag-option on the photo!

♥♥♥

A huge "Thank you!"
to my awesome CAL Club members!
34 CAL friends now, wow!
(Lovely greetings to our inofficial members, too!)

Lovely greetings to Roberta,
 it's so beautiful to see your creative makings!
Love your "His Eye is on the Sparrow" work!

Haha, Jodie it made me laugh to see
that you also would love to do
Dedri Uys Block a Week CAL 2014!
Hey, we are late but there is no too late! ;-)
Lovely greetings to our CAL friend Ulrike in Austria!
A special "Thank you!" to Gwenda!
The project for this week is based on your idea
& it was wonderful to create this puzzle piece!
 Thank you to Sandy (Sandy's Sundries & also here on Etsy) -
hugs, hope everything is shiny around you!
Alicia of Marcalic's Creations -
 now I have my spinning wheel!!!
I also got me 3 kg of fresh sheared wool.
Will start my adventure in the next days, too! :-)

Thank you to Marina & her wonderful Freeform Crochet World Group
& her Freeform Crochet World!
 Always lots of links when I'm sending my greetings to you
but all of them are important for us,
so here also the advice again to visit Snovej.com
(Snovej Crafts on Facebook!).
I hope you are enjoying being at home again
after your adventures while travelling! ;-)
"Hello!" to the Netherlands & CAL friend Anouk of Een steekje verder!
 Ohhh MariaElena, you lovely tree hugger!
At the moment you are on top of my timeline
while cuddling a tree made of yarn!
It's so great to have people on this planet like you -
the earth is in need of people bringing smiles to the world. :-)
Thank you so much for your shiny energy
& for being a friend!
Hugs to Lin with her beautiful page Crochet in Colour
(also here on Etsy!)!
I'm so happy to have you & your page in this virtual world! :-)
I just found the link to Make Falkor's Story Neverending

on your gorgeous page
& I will spread this story here, too:
A lovely dog needs a surgery
but the family doesn't have the money.
They will make an auction & sell homemade creations,
please like this page & spread it!!!
 Lovely greetings to Shawn of Dragonbird Creations,
 your dreams are as funny as you! ;-)
You can read the dream on her page,
she has joined a crochet contest
& could only present a scarf made of cheese
while the others were presenting
afghans sized like sky scrapers!
Haha, no worries Shawn!
I'm sure you could win every contest! ;-)
Thank you for being part of this CAL, Lisbeth!
Your freeform makings are so inspiring
& it made me so happy to see
how much you enjoy the Sophie's Garden pattern, too!
 Greetings to Jane, I'm so happy to have guests from
Scotland here at the moment! :-)
Hugs to Tracy of Eden Reborn & also All Our Own Crafts Gallery now -
 I love your octopus! Need one, too!!!
Greetings to Jenny & her beautiful page Craft Cove
(also here with lots of awesome makings!)!
 Donna & Walker's Whimsies -
it's awesome what you are discovering
in the world of art,
such a pleasure to visit your timeline-gallery!
 Lovely greetings to Anne,
great & cute yarnbombings again!
Still think you NEED a page! ;-)
Zelna of Zooty Owl -
in the next days my Happy Days CAL will be completed!
Somehow I'm also a little bit sad!
I hope you will do other CAL's in the future,
I'll join it again, promise! :-)
Sending you lovely greetings to South Africa!
Monique of Yemanja -
 you have made such a great yarnbombing
with 2 of Zelna's patterns
(Starflower Mandala & Dahlia Mandala)
have to show it here again, awesome! :-)

Lovely greetings to Saskia ("MalleSas")!
 Hope you have a wonderful stay in Belgium!
Sooo cool having a friend like you,
can't wait to see our special future pics with our CALs! ;-)
Greetings to Cilly -
don't forget to show me your progress with
your awesome huge yarnpainting!
 Aww, Michi! (here is her virtual home: "Knittenfee"!) -
we have the best childhood hero ever:
Pippi Longstocking - what a princess
creating her own world!
Lovely greetings to Brenda,
hope everything is fine around you!
Enna (Mishook aka Strikkeliese & in the blogworld Mishook) -
sending you "Liebe Grüße" to Leipzig!
  Nancy of Needleful Things!
It's great to see how much you enjoy this CAL
& the freedom we have because of freeform!
 Lovely greetings to Judy!
I'm sending greetings to our CAL friend Nora!
Jacqui of Hooky Delights. -
haha, I've just seen you have already crocheted
a fantastic DeathStar Cushion!
It's on the to-crochet-list of our CAL friend Alex, too!
Sooo cool! ;-)
Denise of Wickedcrochet (her on Etsy!)
OMG, you are a genius!!!
I've already admired this awesome piece of art when I saw it before...
I had no idea it was your work,
I love Edvard Munch's "The scream" painting!
And your chair is nothing but adorable!
Please have all look at THIS:
IFFCG 2012 Challenge
Please upload it on your page,
I HAVE to share it! ;-)
A hug to Alex, he is already in bed!
Today he has bought his first own yarn!
(That's ok, I really have enough!)
I've teached him crocheting short time ago
& it's unbelievable what he is freeforming.
Seriously: we can expect something awesome!
Some people are just natural born freeformers...
 Lovely greetings to Lisa of Knotty Girl Yarn Art!
Can't wait to see your CAL grow!
Lindy, your CAL has grown so beautiful & fast!
I really love your style & your yarn choices!

And: We have a new member again!!!
Anne has joined us with her first gorgeous puzzle piece!
Thank you so much for going on this adventure with us,
it's so much freedom to leave the patterns
& you will have the best company
with my lovely Ladies & our Gentleman! ;-)
Welcome to our CAL Club, Anne!

Of course we will have a look at some beautiful progress pics!

Collage 1:

Collage 2:

...and Collage 3 (with the teddy of Denise!!!)

And here is already the favourite-colour-puzzle-piece

crocheted by our CAL friend Michi!

She has also more than one favourite colour

& has started her beautiful work

with Marina's 4-color-spiral-tutorial I guess!

♥♥♥

 This week's project is really special

& it's based on the idea of our CAL friend Gwenda.

You may wonder why my puzzle piece looks like it does -

it depends on my favourite poem!

Gwenda wrote me that she would love to crochet her

most beloved poem.

I never read this poem before

but now I love it, too!

It's a wonderful poem by Jenny Joseph:

♥♥♥

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple 

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. 

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves 

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. 

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired 

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells 

And run my stick along the public railings 

And make up for the sobriety of my youth. 

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain 

And pick flowers in other people's gardens 

And learn to spit. 

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat 

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go 

Or only bread and pickle for a week 

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. 

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry 

And pay our rent and not swear in the street 

And set a good example for the children. 

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. 

But maybe I ought to practice a little now? 

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised 

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

♥♥♥

I can't wait to see Gwenda's puzzle piece -

I'm already sure she will integrate purple & red yarn! ;-)

Sooo, my poem...

I know it by heart even it is quite long.

I'm quite into poetry & have a huge collection of books

but no other poem can touch me the way

Rainer Maria Rilke's "Die Blinde" does.

It wasn't easy to find a translation into the english language

but here it is:

♥♥♥

THE BLIND WOMAN

THE STRANGER:

you arent't afraid to speak of it?

THE BLIND WOMAN:

no.

It's so far away. That was someone else.

Who saw back then, who lived, lived aloud and looking,

who died.

THE STRNGER:

And died a hard death?

THE BLIND WOMAN:

Dying's cruel to the unsuspecting.

One must be strong even when strangers die.

THE STRANGER:

She was a stranger to you?

THE BLIND WOMAN:

----Or: she has become so.

Death estranges even the child from the mother.

But it was terrible in those first days.

My entire body was a wound. The world

that blooms and rispens in things

had been torn out of me with its roots

with my heart (it seemed), and I lay

like churned-up earth and drunk

the cold raining of my tears,

which out of dead eyes ceaselessly

and softly streamed, the way from empty heavens,

when God has died, the clouds fall.

And my hearing was open to everything.

I heard things that are not audible:

time, which rang in thinnest crystal,--

and felt: close to my hand the breath

of a great white rose went past.

And over and over I thought: night and: night

and believed I saw the bright strip

that would fan out like a day;

and believed I neared the morning

that had long rested in my hands.

I woke my mother when slept slowly

fell down off my dark face,

I called to her: " Mother, come quickly!

Bring light!"

And listened. Long long it was silent,

and I felt my pillows turned to stone, --

then it was if I saw something shine:

it was my mother's grief-filled weeping,

about which I no longer wish to think.

Bring light! Bring light! I screamed it in dreams:

Space has caved in. Take the space

off my face and off my breast.

You must lift it, lift it up high,

must give it back to the stars;

I can't live like this, with the sky upon me.

But do I speak to you, Mother?

Or to whom? Who is over there?

Who stands behind the curtain? -- Winter?

Mother: Storm? Mother: Night? Say something!

Or else: Day?....Day?

Without me! How can it be day without me?

Am I missed nowhere?

Does no one asked about me?

Are we entirely forgotten?

We?.... But you are there;

you still have everything, no?

All things still busily attend your sight,

caring for its needs.

When your eyes rest,

and no matter how tired they were,

they can still rise again.

.....Mine are silent.

My flowers will lose their colors.

My mirrows will freeze over.

In my books the lines will run together.

My birds will flutter in the narrow streets

and hunt themselves at unknown windows.

Nothing is joined with me anymore.

All have abandoned me.

I am an island.

THE STRANGER:

And I have come across the sea.

THE BLIND WOMAN:

What? To the island?.....Journeyed here?

THE STRANGER:

I am still in the skiff.

I have lightly berthed it ---

next to you. It rocks gently:

its flag blows landward.

THE BLIND WOMAN:

I am an island and alone.

I am rich.---

At first, when the old paths where still

in my nerves, well-marked

from so much use:

then I suffered too.

Everything in my heart went away,

I didn't know at first where to search;

but then I found them all there,

all my feelings, all that I am,

stood together and thronged and screamed

at the walled-up eyes, which refused to move.

All my led-astray feelings....

I don't know if they'd stood like that for years,

but I remember the weeks

when they all came back broken

and recognized no one.

Then the path to my eyes grew over.

I no longer know where it is.

Now everything moves about in me

confident and carefree; like convalescents

my feeling move, enjoy the walk

through my body's dark house.

A few like to read

about memories;

but the young ones

all look out.

And wherever they step toward my edge,

my garment is of glass.

My brow sees, my hand reads

poems in other hands.

My foot talks with the stone it treads,

my voice flies out with every bird

beyond the daily walls.

I no longer have to do without now,

all colors are translated

into sounds and smells.

And they ring infinitely sweet

like tones.

Why should I need a book?

The wind leafs through the trees;

and I know what passes there for words,

and sometimes repeat them softly.

And Dead, who plucks eyes like flowers,

doesn't find my eyes.....

THE STRANGER softly:

I know.

♥♥♥

Ohhh, this poem does something with me!

When Gwenda told me about her idea

I didn't have to think about it.

Of course it's "The Blind Woman"!

But how to crochet such a puzzle piece?

I've crocheted "blind" before

& so I came to the idea that I have to create this poem

without using my eyes, too.

First I had to get me lots of yarn strings...

I set an alarm - 2 hours of time.

And I have bandaged my eyes.

I had the yarn mess in a bowl sitting on me.

Crocheting without seeing is strange -

you have no idea which colour you are using

but you can feel the structure.

I never try to feel where the next stitch is -

you just find a loop & you take it.

While crocheting I was quite curious -

how much time has passed?

What will it look like?

Here is my result:

I'm quite pleased with it

& I think I wanna do a framed picture with scrumbles made this way.

There are awesome blind crocheters on this planet

& I think I'll do a blogpost about this topic soon.

I thought about this poem topic in general -

there are people close to poetry on this planet

but maybe some of you don't have a favourite poem.

I think we can totally find poems

in the lyrics of songs, too.

Or maybe you are interested in trying

to freeform without seeing?

Then you can also do a puzzle piece this way! 

A huge "Thank you!" to Gwenda for her wonderful idea!

I can't wait to see YOUR favourite colour projects!

♥♥♥

I love to prepare YOUR ideas so let me know 

what else you want to have in your CALs!

Stay awesome my princesses & princes,

 your friend Dada (or Julia)!

♥♥♥

Let me see your art in Marina's Freeform Crochet World Group, on Dada Neon Crochet or Ravelry