Tag Archives: Crocheting

Jun30

Creative Juice #351

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Four articles for writers, two on quilting, two on productivity, and other stuff.

A National Park Service employee designed two free crochet patterns for making huggable fish.
Photography assignments.
Telling bird stories through pictures.
How to be more productive.
Examples of beautiful architecture that no longer exist.
A gorgeous quilt finally finished after decades of inactivity.
Spray-basting a king-sized quilt.
When you’re stuck in the story you’re writing, ask yourself these two questions.
How to make your writing connect with your readers.
Writers, need feedback? Here are 15 questions to ask your beta readers. (In my opinion, 15 questions are too many. I would probably cut it to 5-8.)
Writers, this is a dangerous article to read. I would probably finish more manuscripts if I wasn’t lured away from them by the next shiny idea.
Habits to cultivate if you want to be more productive.

May12

Creative Juice #343

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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This week’s articles are diverse—something for everyone!

What happened when restorative practices replaced police officers at a high school.
My friend Gwen likes to document species.
I wish I could have been at this party!
Fiction writers: what if instead of killing your darlings, you saved them for a transplant?
Why play is important—for adults!
Maya Angelou on the craft of writing (and links, if you like to go down rabbit holes. . .)
The lingering effects of the pandemic kill a quilt show.
Creativity rules.
I’d never heard of MINIs on the Dragon, but I really enjoyed these photographs.
Crocheting isn’t just about crocheting. It’s about life.
I love this artist’s Instagram page. I want to try all of these.
Sketches from a robotics competition.

Mar16

Video of the Week: The Versatile Moss Stitch

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Apr8

Creative Juice #289

Posted on April 8, 2022 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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If you like quilts, there are several links to some awesome ones this week.

A photographic exploration of curves.
Everything you may not know about Iceland.
For the fantasy writers: how to map your world.
For fiction writers: scene goals, therefore, but.
What people look for (and don’t want to see) in a blog post. (I’m sad to say I do some of the things on his no-no list.)
Beautiful views of Cambridge in England.
The link between curiosity and creativity.
Some very striking quilts.
Faith Ringgold’s beautiful story quilts.
How to crochet a Granny Hexagon. I haven’t tried this, but it looks easy enough.
Watercolor and calligraphy together.
Some attractive quilts and the stories behind them.

Nov26

Creative Juice #270

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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This week’s offerings are heavy on writing tips. But there are some crumbs for the quilters and crafters.

Incredibly fine quilting from the International Quilt Festival.
A quilter talks about the creative process.
Make some holiday cards.
A profile of the first Native Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland.
How to improve the article you’ve just written.
How to write a short story.
For the fiction writers: a very good article on characterization.
Revelation: writing is not as glamorous as it seems.
An abandoned clinic.
For writers: how to read.
How to decipher crochet pattern code.
For most writers, the road to publication is long and winding.

Jul30

Creative Juice #253

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Funny stuff. Pretty stuff. Serious stuff.

Some of these will make you laugh and some will make you cry, but it’s all good.
Writers, should you write a cozy mystery?
Did you ever have a great idea, get started on it, take a break from it, and feel guilty about never getting back to it? Sometimes you just gotta let go.
Nathalie escorts us on a tour featuring murals in Jersey City.
More murals; these are from Montreal. (FYI, Norm no longer coordinates Thursday Doors. Go to No Facilities for those now.)
How to say no. Why to say no.
Love flowers? You’re gonna love these photos.
Black artists (and artists of color) lack the opportunities their white counterparts enjoy.
You might enjoy this Instagrammer’s paintings for World Watercolor Month.
You have to see these amazing crochet projects. (I’ll pass on the broccoli hat, but I want almost everything else.)
The most beautiful gifs I’ve ever seen. Depending on your internet connection, they might take a few moments to load, but hang on, they’re worth it.
A sculptor abandons metal in favor of fabric.

Jul23

Creative Juice #252

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Beauty, brilliance, utility, and laughs.

Never text to find out how the kids are doing.
I love to see what people do in their art journals.
Writers (and other creatives), do you procrastinate instead of creating?
Could trophy hunting actually have benefits?
Agate and geode paintings. And there’s a link to a previous post of stone paintings.
I think painting clouds is challenging.
Are you a Gryffindor? Here’s an easy crochet pattern for a scarf.
All the pictures in this article are watercolors. At first glance, I swore they were photographs.
Check out this artist’s ICAD cards and other posts.
I like this artist’s process for capturing Old Faithful’s eruption.
Ernest Hemingway would be 122 years old now.
I don’t want to pay the price of this gorgeous sweater made of discarded fabric, but maybe, like electronics, the price of goods made with recycled materials will eventually come down. We can only hope.

Apr20

NaPoWriMo Day Twenty: Baby Blanket

Posted on April 20, 2020 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Baby Blanket
by ARHuelsenbeck

I’m going to crochet a blanket
for your baby
my coworker announced

oh thank you I said
not believing it
people have good intentions
but rarely follow through
and this coworker
was not really a friend

I resigned from the job
when the baby was born
a couple of months later
my former coworker called
I’d like to drop off the blanket
I made for your baby

it was yellow Tunisian stitch
with a picot edging
and an embroidered teddy bear
stitched with loving care
and frankly unexpected

she became my true friend that day
is it shallow of me that
I had no faith in her
until that moment

Mar20

Creative Juice #182

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Covid-19 got you down? Take your mind off it with these amazing things:

The tapestry maker who took art one step further.
Choreographer Twyla Tharp’s thoughts on aging.
A crochet version of the coronavirus.
Some beautiful quilts!
What would happen if you drew every day?
I have often fantasized about working on a cruise ship. Here’s the lowdown.
Acquire these habits to increase your writing productivity.
Underwater photography.
Things to do while self-quarantined.
Squirrels like you’ve never seen them before.
Entomology in stitches.
Steampunk sculptures.

Oct4

Creative Juice #158

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Andrea R Huelsenbeck

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Beautiful and interesting stuff here.

Why doesn’t my library carry the book I wrote?
Playing (and quilting) in the leaves.
Writers: do you get sidetracked by Pinterest? Use it to hone your skills instead!
The value of sketchbook journaling.
Swing dancing. Great costumes!
There’s lots of wisdom in this life advice.
What happened when several people in town complained to police that someone was stealing their flowers.
Something to do with all those fall leaves lying around.
Why, if you’re making something you want to sell (art, a book, an app, an invention, a quilt pattern), you need to be a connoisseur of similar items.
QuiltWeek 2019 Charlotte prize-winning quilts. (Click on small pictures to enlarge.)
Scribbled portraits.
Finding your passion.