Crafty in the Med

I am here to enjoy meeting other bloggers and to share my love of craft ,mostly crochet, my thoughts and my daily happenings here in Alicante,Spain, my adopted country. I belong to a local choir because singing and music makes me happy. Flea markets and book shops are two of my favourite places to be. I read lots......sci´fi/fantasy,buried treasure, and off world adventures. I have a passion for history! I walk and walk and walk for about 10 months per year during the hot months I swim.

Sunday 5 August 2012

Will an asteroid be named after me?



Recognition

Lucky him! Adam Douglas the famous science fiction writer has had an asteroid named after him; Asteroid Douglasadams.  
from Google images

 It has dawned on me recently, at my ripe old age, that it is highly unlikely that I'll ever be famous enough to get a rose,street ,planet or asteroid named after me!  
However in the world of crochet and like so many other crocheters out there I can grab a tiny weeny snippet of recognition through my own designs as sparse as they maybe. As mentioned in my profile I have been crocheting for well over 40 years, and over that time I've occasionally made up my own patterns,some I have forgotten,nothing remains,no sample was kept,but some I do still have.
As is the case of this square and which I made up a new square into the cushion cover included in my giveaway. 
This square has a tale to tell:

 I've called it THE CANARIAN SQUARE

 Crochet taught me Spanish. Crochet breaks the language barrier.

Having been married for just one year we moved to the Canary Island in 1973 to live, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to be exact. 
There's me with a six month old baby,no Spanish except, Hola, Adios and Gracias and Sr P away every day working. So I was on my own then...left to explore and being a very active,inquisitive bod and having never been one to loll around at home I did...little T in tow in her beach buggie pushchair ( I loved that buggie it lasted for ages). 
One of the places I found was Parque Santa Catalina which was a bustling plaza near the beach where the locals went late afternoon to chat,sip cool drinks and watch the children play.


and also do this:


taken from Google images
or very similar to this in fact it was a circle of elderly ladies some with their grandchildren with them,some dressed in black like this, but all of them doing crochet. 
Need I go on??    
The very next day I took my crochet with me to the plaza and sitting nearish to them, my daughter just beginning to walk (the Spanish are crazy about kiddies) and tutting over my crochet I somehow got involved. 
Over the four years I lived in Las Palmas I learnt a lot from these ladies, to speak Spanish being one thing and a lot of lace crochet the other...they pinched my patterns and I pinched theirs.
 It was here where new designs were created and where I created this one in particular. 
So you could say crochet was the great communicator in this case as not one of these elderly ladies spoke English.
I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoons there at the plaza but they always seemed to be a little distant,nice but distant which I couldn't understand that is until my husband met me at the plaza after he had finished work and I introduced him to the ladies. The air seemed to clear after that and I was invited to their houses when the weather made it impossible to sit in the plaza. 
Later on discussing it with my husband he suggested it might have been because they thought I was a single mother and that was frowned on considerably in the 70s. 
That was approx 36 years ago so I imagine my Canarian square may very well have got caught up in the crochet network and have been copied by other people, which is just fine by me. 
I shall be making up a pattern for it when I get down to making another one from my old sample. I am sure though many crocheters can make it up by just looking at this picture.
Having noticed the same on many other blogs I have today posted a copyright notice on my blog to protect my patterns and designs which I will eventually post about on my blog. However its mostly the same as what everyone else has indicated. I am happy for other people to use my designs/patterns as long as I am cited as the source likewise I am learning to do the same on my blog when using other people's patterns. 

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THE BOWL


AND THE BOWL

where I'll put all the names of the entries for the giveaway
however there is still some time left to enter if you haven't done so already (here )and it is open to everyone.
 ALL IS NOT IDYLLIC IN THIS LAND OF SUN SOAKED BEACHES, SR P IS GOING THROUGH A GRUMPY PATCH AND THINKS THE GIVEAWAY IS SILLY (no comment)!
 SO I SHALL BE USING THE RECENT DISCOVERED RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR TO SELECT THE WINNER TOMORROW. 

 Pls see that you have a number or numbers assigned to you under each comment on the giveaway post. 
A xx
My goal was 80 followers and I'm there 
so I happily present to you my very First Giveaway

WHY DO WE PREFER CERTAIN COLOURS?

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Please contact me these bloggers who are now followers and who have entered the giveaway. I regret but I cannot link to your blogs and nor have I an email address to contact you.
Cate,Victoria & Gill.    Thanks

This photo was taken by a friend of mine in the Uk. Thanks SG :-) 
I've posted this photo here for no particular reason except that I think its a fantastic snapshot of London today.

Add caption

Amanda :-




24 comments:

  1. Amanda, how can you part with your piece of crochet like that when it holds so many memories. I just hope the winner appreciates it as it deserves to be. What a fantastic story and how you learnt Spanish and lace crochet, I still need to do some lace/fillet crochet, not sure how easy it is, but will give it a go when my wips are finished.
    xx Sandi

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sandi
      oh! gosh no! I haven't given away the original square as that is my pattern, my sample I couldn't do with out it. I made up a new one for the cushion cover in the giveaway using the sample square as my pattern. I don't often keep written patterns but pattern samples.
      Fillet crochet is really easy just have to follow the number of trebles or chains to make up the pattern.

      A xx

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  2. Lovely post. Have you lived abroad your whole married life. I spent most of my childhood and college years abroad and have settled in the American Midwest. Just curious. Spain was one of my favorite places to visit when I lived in Europe. Talk to you soon.

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  3. Hey Amanda, what a wonderful story and such great memories of learning to crochet. It must've been an interesting time for you, learning Spanish and living in another country.
    I certainly enjoyed this post, hope you are enjoying your weekend,

    CLaire :}

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  4. Hi Amanda, I have already said that I am in love with your crochet square and now reading your story I think it is an heirloom piece. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I think people who can make up a doily pattern or make one just by looking at a picture are really genius. I have not reached that stage and I doubt I ever will :(
    You are right about crochet breaking language barriers, I have made many items from Spanish and Japanese books without knowing a single word. And now with the blog I have friends from all over the world and it feels really heartwarming. What a pretty bowl!
    Lots of love.
    PS: I thought you are Spanish.

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  5. Hi Amanda I am so glad I have come across your blog! Your work is absolutely beautiful and I can identify with you, having lived abroad for over 20 years now. Yes, it's amazing how crafts can cross all barriers, the ladies here in Cyprus produce lovely lace, and no doubt that will be one of my future blog subjects! Yvonne xx

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  6. Love your spanish personal history!!! Just a little bit in common, like crochet, but it can be the thing that open a new world to you!!! Amazing!! As you know, I'm living abroad, too, so we have in common the love for crochet and the fact that we are expats!!!xxxx Alessandra

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  7. Hi my sweet friend Amanda!
    Your life to Las Palmas was so interesting!
    Your white crochetcreation is beautiful!!!!!!!!
    Kisses!!!!!!!!

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  8. How interesting Amanda, your crochet square is beautiful. I married a Syrian man in the 70s and lived in Syria for 19 years, and the Syrian ladies used to all crochet too, each family tended to have their own patterns which were passed down, I could crochet the basics but soon learn't more complicated designs because of them. I'm ashamed to say they didn't teach me much Arabic, I taught them English first haha, I did eventually learn enough to get by. I'm hoping to come to Spain later in the year to celebrate my 60th where would you recommend :)

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    Replies
    1. Hello Linda
      I've always found that crochet,embroidery or cross-stitch are such good ice-breakers too. The wonderful thing about crochet is its never ending you can always learn something new and it so brings people together!

      What time of the year were you thinking of coming over to Spain? If its winter time that is after November I'd suggest Canary Islands if you are looking for sun and beaches. If its before mid November Alicante can still be very mild and good beach weather. If you are keen on places of interest and pure Spanish experience then Granada or Toledo,the latter is near Madrid so you have all the big shops and the Prado Museum,but it is the capital and similar to London you have to put up with the hustle and bustle of the city.


      Keep well

      Amanda :-)

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    2. Thanks Amanda, it would be about the 17th November and I would like somewhere warm around 20-26 c I'm not really a big beach fan, would like places of interest too, nice walks etc. but on my birthday I want to dance haha, thanks for the suggestions I will look into the places you have mentioned :)

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  9. Lovely story Amanda, about breaking language barriers through the lovely art of crochet! You were very brave though, I think, to make the move to join in with everyone. Thanks for your lovely comments over at mine, it's always lovely to have you pop in! Enjoy your Sunday, love Claire xxx

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  10. What a beautiful piece!!! Learning to crochet is on my list of things I must learn to do, I need to clear out lots more fabric before I could be able to add one more crafty thing to my piles!! What a wonderful way to meet so many ladies way back when.

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  11. Hi Amanda!Lovely post!And your crocket is so beautiful!!I now how to do crocket!Nice story!!Hane a nice week!!xxxx

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  12. Hello Amanda, love your story! Your crochet cover is so nice I can't wait for the drawing!! Hope you have a wonderful day!
    Shari

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  13. What a great story - its amazing how skills can change lives and bring people together isn't it. It breaks language, generation and cultural barriers! And I love it!!!

    Kate x

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  14. Amanda, another thing we have in common--crochet! I wish we lived closer and I could sit with you to chat and crochet away. I have found the same thing with my paper art when I travel; I was amazed in Tokyo that I could just understand the women interested and they could understand me. Love your story:-D XOXO

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  15. Hi Amanda,
    What a lovely storie. Sure crochet can break obstacles and bring people together. I love your pattern. it is really pretty!
    xx

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  16. The Canarian square is beautiful. It was lovely hearing about your life in Gran Canaria. I did a couple of swaps recently and I think my husband was of the same opinion. Why do you want to do that? I think giveaways and swaps are more of a girl thing. I love the bowl, the colours are gorgeous.
    Have a lovely week.
    Ali x

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  17. Hi Amanda, thoroughly enjoyed your story of crochet and learning Spanish. Your Canarian square is lovely.

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  18. Hi Amanda, what a great story! I think creativity can help people communicate in a fantastic way, I've used craft to work with women who have post natal illness with great results!
    Thanks for visiting my blog and your lovely comments, I'm gradually trying to visit all my 'followers' but like you, some don't link to a blog! Will visit again! Ada :)

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  19. Hi Amanda, what a great story! I think creativity can help people communicate in a fantastic way, I've used craft to work with women who have post natal illness with great results!
    Thanks for visiting my blog and your lovely comments, I'm gradually trying to visit all my 'followers' but like you, some don't link to a blog! Will visit again! Ada :)

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  20. Hello Ada
    thanks for visiting and your comments. Craft can do that certainly....and its a pain easer too. I have found relief in my crochet and embroidery in unusual circumstances too.

    Keep well

    Amanda :-)

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  21. Goodmorning Amanda, thank you for visiting my blog,I have loved having a visit to yours.Your crochet work looks lovely,I am just a basic wool blanket crocheter at the moment but my friend is wonderful but cannot read the patterns,she looks at other peoples work and makes it,you are all so clever.I am now off to read some of your older posts,I think I am going to enjoy this very much.Have a lovely blessed day,Carole

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Thank you for your comments. I do read them and try to reply to all as well.Please keep them coming. Amanda :-)