A couple weeks back when I thought my column writing days were numbered, I had a bit of a panic because I came very close to blowing my opportunity to write about one of the nicest people on the planet.

A newspaper reader had sent me a tip about Bob Roskamp, an 82-year-old West Michigan man who crochets blankets for charity, and I took my sweet time following up. As the clock ran down on my old newspaper contract, I knew I had to move fast if I wanted to make good on my promise to write about Bob.

I reached Bob the day before he was headed out of town and I still can’t believe he agreed to do an interview on such short notice. A couple hours after my initial call I was in his kitchen. He got out some of his blankets and showed me the albums where he keeps photos of all 400 plus blankets that he’s made for charity. His crochet skills are impressive and his passion for helping others is inspiring.

If he can stitch hundreds of bed-sized blankets to give away to orphans, I can’t help but wonder what could happen if more people approached charity crafting with even half as much gusto.

You can read  Bob’s story here. It ran in on the cover of Monday’s edition of The Grand Rapids Press.

If you know about an extraordinary crafter like Bob, please let me know. My column is continuing (Yay!) and I’m always looking for inspiring people to write about.

Have a great day!

I’m not sure why I decided to go public with my mullet story or how exactly this painful childhood memory landed itself in the middle of my latest art & craft column, but it’s all right here for your reading entertainment. And just so you know, I do actually include some informative craft trend info including:

* Pantone’s Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango

* The Square – an awesome device and app that makes accepting credit cards an affordable breeze for handmade business owners with Android smartphones, iPhones or iPads

* and other tidbits about mending, recycling and repurposing, buying local and the quiet rise of macrame

So check out the column and let me know what you think is going to take the craft world by storm this year.

And here is my TV segment about these trends.

Wow, it’s Thursday already. How did that happen? I overbooked and this week totally got away from me. The good news is that I still found time to cook, read, and run in addition to my usual work load. There was no time to waste this week and that was probably a good thing.

Now that I’m back at my computer, I want to thank all of the lovely people who left comments on my last post about getting to keep my newspaper column. I really appreciate all the support and encouragement. Thank you!

I had been dreading having to write my last newspaper column this week. Instead, I ended up working on three columns which was challenging to fit into the schedule, but a very nice problem to have. These are some wild times, my friends, but things seem to be working out.

We Have a Winner! I didn’t intend to make you wait to hear who won the “Sweet Shawlettes” giveaway, my apologies for prolonging the suspense. The Random Number Generator selected Ellen Margulies. (Congrats, Ellen!) If any of you missed my podcast interview with the book author, Jean Moss, you can find it here.

I have more podcasts in the hopper. If you’d like to sponsor one, please get in touch. Rates and info are available here. You’ll find advertising info for the CraftSanity Magazine at the same link, so check out the rates and say the word if you want to be part of any upcoming CraftSanity projects.

Work on the spring issue of CraftSanity is ramping up. I’m still looking for more projects to feature this spring and summer. So let me know if you have a fabulous design up your sleeve. I love working with new designers and can’t wait to hear your ideas.

Oh, and after years of making chili with ground turkey and doing my best to avoid the meat when filling my own bowl, I made veggie chili for the first time last night and LOVED it. This was a no brainer and long overdue as I seem to be developing an aversion to food with a face. (This has been going on for several years.) I will post my recipe as soon as I get a chance to take some nice photos. Natural light is my favorite, but it doesn’t help me when I’m trying to shoot photos of dinner on dark winter evenings.

Ok, I have to go whip up some samples with Amelia for tomorrow’s craft segment on WZZM Channel 13′s “Take Five” morning show. I’ll be back soon with some tasty recipes and fun projects.

For the last couple months I’ve been preparing to write my last art and craft column for the local newspaper I’ve been writing for since 1998. After I received a contract termination letter in early November, I resigned myself to the fact that I had been canned from my freelance position.

This was a first for me. Until that letter arrived, I had never been terminated from a job – ever. Even though the newspaper was terminating all the freelance contracts and intellectually I knew the letter was not intended as a personal attack, I couldn’t help but feel like a total loser.

The letter mentioned that someone from the company might “reach out” if they wanted to continue working with me, but I wasn’t holding my breath. I surrendered to the universe and did not plead for my job or try to make a case for why they should keep me on when the reorganized newspaper company launches in early February. Instead I just focused on moving on, wondering what I would feel like once I shed my newspaper columnist title. Even though I’ve been publishing my own magazine for more than a year, it’s nice to have a legitimate title that I didn’t make up myself. There’s a certain credibility in that.

Last week, my husband and I went on a walk around the neighborhood during which we brainstormed ways to expand my handmade business and publish more of my work. I also lamented a bit about how I was going to thank my readers for giving me the opportunity to write exclusively about what I loved for roughly three years. Had they not responded positively, the jig would have been up much sooner. How was I going to wrap up the best print journalism gig I’ve ever had?

Turns out I won’t have to figure that out – at least not yet. Jeff and I returned home from our walk to find a thick envelope in the mailbox. It was a contract for me to keep writing my column for an expanded statewide audience.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, not sure what to make of it.

It’s no secret that I LOVE writing about art and craft, so it should come as no surprise that after a couple days of reflection, I decided to take the company up on its offer. (And, yes, I am aware that this opens me up to the very real possibility of being terminated from the same gig a second time.)

The strange part is that I still feel like I’ve had the wind knocked out of me. It really stunk to receive a termination letter followed by weeks of corporate silence. I had no reason to believe I would be part of the new media product and I was preparing myself to show as much grace as possible in the event that a lower-priced replacement writer was brought in. I just prayed that he or she would at least know the difference between knit and crochet. I had trouble sleeping even though I was telling people that I was “moving on.” And despite the fact that the newspaper column is not a lucrative gig by any means, it’s more than just a job to me. I love talking to people about what they make. I enjoy having a weekly dialog with newspaper readers, and I have a special place in my heart for those who don’t have any desire to go online and follow me on Twitter.

And, sadly, I’m one of the lucky ones. Many of my former colleagues lost their jobs in the latest round of cuts (or the two or three rounds before that), with many of them deciding to call it quits and exit the unstable journalism industry once and for all. As a society we lose each time another seasoned journalist loses a job or decides to change careers.

I’m not sure how long it will take for the industry to stabilize, but I hope it happens soon. Journalism is key to protecting our democracy. (Yes, I recognize that my column is more entertainment driven than democracy-protecting, but you get my drift. And for the record, I’ve done my share of hard news coverage and still perfectly capable of it.)

So I guess this means I’m back, even though I never actually left. My apologies to those who I upset with news of my termination. Now I’m wishing I could have spared you all the drama. And thanks to all of you who have written kind notes and said encouraging things about my work. I continue to be amazed by the kindness of strangers and kindred spirits who seem to know exactly when to send me a show of support. Thank you so much!

I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to be a newspaper columnist and plan to make the most of the experience while it lasts. I hope you’ll come along with me on this next leg of the journey. Since my new audience stretches beyond West Michigan, I plan to adjust my coverage accordingly and I’m excited to see where this leads. You’re invited to send your story ideas to jennifer@craftsanity.com and help me cover the art & craft in the mitten like never before. You can start by introducing yourself and telling me what you make.

Here’s to second chances and unexpected good news.

P.S. I had my husband take the ridiculous photo at the top of this post in the freezing cold after I signed my new contract. I don’t usually sport giant doilies on my back AND rainbow aprons when I go out on column interviews – although that would explain the initial termination. : ) I also don’t draw very well, so the photo was my attempt at creating a caricature of myself. Did it work? Not so sure. Ah, well, celebrate your quirks, my friends.

Yesterday I made a last-minute scramble to interview British knit designer Jean Moss via Skype. I had previously agreed to be part of her blog tour for her new book “Sweet Shawlettes: 25 Irresistible Patterns for Knitting Cowls, Capelets and More” and had planned to post a Q&A with her today.

But then I started reading her bio and thought better of it. I wanted to hear her tell her story and thought you might enjoy that, too. It worked out for all of us that Jean has a fun and spontaneous spirit, otherwise I don’t think this podcast would have happened on short notice.  (A special thanks to my husband, Jeff, for helping with the speedy turnaround.)

Jean has been a knit designer for 30 years and her career was launched after a chance meeting with one of Ralph Lauren’s agents. What happened next is quite a story that you’ll have to tune in to hear.

Since her big break, Jean has gone on to design for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley and Benetton. She contributes regularly to Rowan Knitting, Crochet Magazine, The Knitter, and Vogue Knitting. She also writes a “Ask Jean” advice column for the U.K. magazine Knitting.
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Photo by Ryan Pavlovich

As my weekly newspaper column winds down to an end this month, I’m trying to tie up some loose ends and write about the people who have been on my list for a long time. This week I featured Rebecca Green, a rising Grand Rapids artist and illustrator and regular contributor to CraftSanity Magazine.

She was photographed in her studio by Ryan Pavlovich. (Check more of Ryan’s impressive work here.) The painting on the easel was Rebecca’s 2011 ArtPrize entry.

You can read the column in today’s Home & Garden section of The Grand Rapids Press or read it here. And be sure to visit Rebecca’s online gallery, too.

The final countdown of craft columns continues. Three more to go before early retirement.

Yesterday was my daughters’ first day of a new ballet/jazz class. I took photos and read a little bit of “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett while they danced around with about 25 other kids. It’s a big class and the teachers did a great job of keeping all the little girls engaged. I was very impressed.

If I didn’t have other work to do, I’d plop down and read the rest of Stockett’s book straight through to the end. The book is really good, so it’s complete torture to read it in small chunks like I’ve been doing. But I have to be careful. I almost missed a sentencing hearing many years ago when I was a court reporter because I was too engrossed in the third book of the Harry Potter series. I just about died when two hours of hearings ended and I never heard the name of the guy I was assigned to write about called. I thought Harry Potter was about to get me fired, but it turned out that the sentencing had been postponed and I had not missed it. From that day on I never brought another book into the courtroom. When you like books as much as I do, it’s just too risky.

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Ok, I’m back with Part 2 of the instructions for today’s “Take Five” craft segment projects.

My 6-year-old daughter, Amelia, asked for construction paper for Christmas and was thrilled to receive a lot of it. I was thrilled, too, when I saw her drawing microphones (another one of her presents) until the unused paper started getting scattered around on the floor. That’s when I decided to retrieve the recycled priority shipping boxes I had stashed next to the recycle bin and asked Amelia to help me make an organizer for her paper.

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One of the big mistakes I’ve made while trying to get my house in order is loading up on many unnecessary and/or unsuitable organizing supplies. I’m done with colored bins I can’t see into and I’m holding off on buying more of the clear kind until I weed out more of the stash. After many attempts at trying to organize chaos, I’m finally willing to accept the fact that less is soooo much more. And because I’m trying to be very cautious about what I bring into the house at this point, I’ve been using what I have to fashion DIY organizers on the cheap.

Working along these lines, I’m back with instructions to make the super easy oraganizing projects I showed on “Take Five” this morning on WZZM channel 13 here in West Michigan.

I’ll start with my favorite: the cashew can turned yarn covered caddy.

To start, peel the label off the container and spread a generous amount of Elmer’s School Glue round the bottom of the container. (I usually apply enough glue to wrap one inch of the container at a time.) Place the end of your yarn in the glue along the bottom edge of the container and slowly turn the container to wrap. Hold the starting end of the yarn in place with your finger for a few rows to make sure it stays in place. Keep gentle tension on the yarn as you wrap. When you reach the top of the container, cut the yarn and apply a little extra glue to secure the top end.

Now trace the bottom edge of the can onto a piece of craft felt. Cut out the circle and place it inside  the bottom of the can and load it up with crochet hooks, double pointed knitting needles, pens, pencils or other supplies. If you want to keep everything organized, dedicate one container to each craft you do.

Here are some examples of other coffee and bean cans that I’ve covered with crocheted cozies:

I whip stitched three granny squares together to make a decorative sleeve for the coffee can above.

If monotone is more your speed, you can stick with a single color and crochet a half double crochet cozy for a standard sized can of beans. (If there’s interest, I can post a basic pattern to make these over the weekend.)

I have to go pick up my daughter from school, so I will post the other two projects from today’s segment when I get back.

Watch my segment

So I spent some time updating my big life list as I ramped up for 2012. Getting rid of stuff and organizing are on the list – again – and I’m still optimistic that this will be my year to literally rock the house. But I’ve been saying I’m going to do this for years with very limited success. And talk is so very, very cheap.

Perhaps it’s a good thing I have these two goals memorized because I have already misplaced the new Moleskin (pictured here) that I wrote my updated list in. No joke. I haven’t spent much time trying to locate it, but when I realized that I have absolutely no idea where it is, I did said: “Come on!” which woke up my perpetually sleepy cat, Justine. She looked irritated, too, but I’m quite sure it had nothing to do with my missing notebook.

While I haven’t made much headway in the area of organizing and clearing out this week, I think I’m going to give myself a pass on this for the month of January and save the house revamp for after my newspaper column ends. The gig is up Feb. 1 and it’s going to feel really strange not to be part of the newspaper anymore because I’ve been writing for newspapers consistently since age 17. (That’s 18 years!) So, I’m going to need a big distraction (CraftSanity issue 6 should do the trick) and a little break before I keep right on writing about art and craft in West Michigan (and beyond) on this blog.

While I’m not attacking every goal on my list simultaneously (nor do I recommend this approach), I am very happy to report that I have been running or swimming every day, reading daily and moving forward with plans to grow my handmade business. We can’t do everything at once. The key is to keep moving forward and get traction where you can. If you feel like you’re starting to slip on a goal or two, take a deep breath, give yourself credit for not eating 50 Twinkies in one sitting and start again.

Some of the changes on my horizon are going to be difficult and chances are good that you may be facing a few challenges, too, but we will adjust and pull through. And I’m hopeful that 2012 will rock regardless.

It’s only Jan. 6 and I’ve already spent quality time chatting with a very nice hobby farmer, mama and crafter and a talented husband and wife team who share an inspiring love story that has lasted for decades and gotten them through some rough times to a very beautiful place. Stay tuned because I’ll be writing more about that later.

It’s late and I have a bit more TV prep to do, so I better sign off. Check back around lunch time tomorrow for the DIY organizing ideas that I’ve been working on with my kids or watch me talk about them live at 9 a.m. on this morning’s “Take Five” show on WZZM Channel 13. And, yes, I know it’s a little much for a woman who just confessed to misplacing her goal list in her house to be dishing out organizing tips. Humor me and maybe we’ll both learn something. : )

I spent the day drilling, sanding and pounding in pegs – not the most creative part of my gig. But I’m not complaining because making CraftSanity Looms helps me afford to work from home and be available to my kids as well as take on other low-paying gigs that make me exceedingly happy including producing my podcast and publishing CraftSanity Magazine.

So while I don’t love the loom assembly part of my independent business (I’d much rather be weaving on the looms or teaching weaving workshops.), it’s important to note that most independent business owners have to do stuff they don’t absolutely love some of the time. What makes this bearable is that we get to decide when, where and how we’re going to get this less exciting work done.

We get to wrestle with the big questions about hiring help and considering possible manufacturing options. The decisions are challenging, but a high level of satisfaction comes with developing an idea into a viable business.

Cheers to all of you who rolled up your sleeves and did some grunt work today. High five!

Looking ahead… I’m scheduled to do a segment on WZZM Channel 13′s “Take Five & Company,” Friday morning about crafty/DIY organizing ideas. Let me know if you have any good ideas to share. I always credit my sources and, as a chronic clutter bug, I’d love to hear what works well for you.

Now to muster up the will to exercise and de-clutter a bit…

Good morning! I woke up feeling more like myself today. Thank heavens. I mixed up some pita dough and plan to get as much done as I can while it rises. My favorite pita recipe remains the one from “Bread Making: A Home Course” by Lauren Chattman. I published the recipe in issue 2 of CraftSanity Magazine. It’s super easy and so, so good. You really should try it if you haven’t already.

As I mentioned a couple posts ago, I’m making a point to try out new recipes (and repeat my old favorites) as I make a conscious effort to cook and bake more in 2012. So, I’m on the lookout for tasty recipes and would love to hear your recommendations. What do you LOVE to make?

Oh, and I’m planning to send out my first CraftSanity Newsletter in the coming days and it will include some subscriber-only discounts, so be sure to sign up by clicking the link at the top left of this page if you want to be in the loop.

Ok, I’m off to make some CraftSanity looms. What are you making today?

I couldn’t sleep last night. I’m not sure what my deal was but it made for a challenging morning when I had to pull myself together and do an interview across town. Thankfully, the subject was art and craft and I was fully engaged. With that said, I headed straight back up to bed as soon as I returned home. I didn’t really sleep on my second attempt, but I did close my eyes for a bit and that counts for something.

Then I got bold (crazy?) and laced up my shoes and went out for a run in the snow and ice. I did not have much left to give today so it was a slow run. I was tired when I laced up, but I ran anyway because I’m working hard to kickstart a new training plan and hoping to sleep very well tonight.

I also started using a Fitbit pedometer today. It was a Christmas present from my husband and it’s a pretty neat litte device. While my Garmin watch with GPS (my favorite nerdy running gadget) charted the run at 4.25 miles, the Fitbit credited me for about a mile more. While the mileage measurement was not accurate, the Fitbit did inspire me to go up and down my stairs an extra 25 times after I put the kids to bed so I could earn my “50-floor” badge. I checked the device before each assent to make sure I was getting credit for my impromptu cardio experiment and it accurately counted my 25 trips up the stairs.

The FitBit isn’t perfect, but it better than every other pedometer I’ve tried so far. So I’m planning to keep it around and run another mileage test. The device also measures sleep quality, which is a feature that I’m going to test out tonight. As I struggle to stay awake to complete this post I’m thanking my lucky stars that I didn’t go nuts and try to earn more calorie burning badges. Tomorrow is another day and I really hope I’m feeling refreshed by then.

Let’s try this again tomorrow.

Happy New Year, dear readers! I hope you’re off to a great start in 2012. Today my newspaper column is about how list-making can help you obtain your goals in 2012. You can check it out here and then you can contribute to the conversation over here.

I’m wrapping up work on next week’s column tonight. After that, I will only have three more left to write before my contract ends with the newspaper. It’s kind of surreal to think that my newspaper days will be over soon. I’m sad that newspapers across the country appear to be dying and I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to write about everyone I’d like to feature in the remaining weeks. But in the end I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity. It has been such a pleasure to get to meet and write about so many talented artists and crafters in West Michigan and beyond. I’m considering a plan to continue write the column on this website. If there’s enough reader interest and I can find some sponsors, I just might do that. If you have an opinion on this, let me know what you think.

I got up early and went out for a 4.38 mile run before snow started falling in West Michigan. This was day 3 of my mission to get back into competition mode. I’d like to do a few races this year, so I’m working to build up my milage and endurance. Many of my runs lately have been to a farm near my house and back. It’s hilly both ways, but I really get inspired by the sight of that big red barn and therefore willing to run a couple miles to get to see it on a regular basis.
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Seasons greetings from CraftSanity! I hope you’re enjoying the holiday season with family and friends. The Christmas Eve snow didn’t stick here in West Michigan, so I crocheted some handmade snowmen stand-ins. I think it did the trick. : )