Hello! I’m hosting a CraftSanity Crafternoon at the new Grand Rapids Press office on Saturday and I’d love for you to come. Attendees will get to make a beaded heart pin, discuss the impact of technology on art and craft and many other crafty topics as well as mingle with other local crafters. I’ll bring some treats and punch to prevent people from passing out.

Here are the event details:

When: 1- 3 p.m. Saturday, February 11

Where: Grand Rapids Press news hub, 169 Monroe Ave. NW.

What to bring: Story ideas, show and tell, a needle and thread and beads from your stash. Felt and pin backs will be provided. Those who don’t have supplies on hand, feel  free to come as you are and Jennifer will hook you up with what you need.

Sign Up: Space is limited, so please email me to let me know you’re planning to attend.

See you there!

I love to make holiday themed crafts and these crocheted crochet heart pencil toppers are so fun to stitch. The pattern is by Maria Stout, a fellow craft blogger and CraftSanity Magazine contributor. These pencil toppers are great non-fattening treats to cheer up any desk. The pattern is $2.99 and totally worth it. You can buy your copy here. The toppers are quick and easy to crochet and a big hit with my kids and our cat, Justine. (These are NOT cat toys, so I will explain what I mean in another post. I took pictures.)

I LOVE chocolate chip cookies. How about you? Bake your favorite cookies and package them with a handmade hot pad and handwritten recipe and gift these goodies to your best pal. You can find the typed version of this recipe here. And feel free to share links to your favorite recipes in the comments below.

If you like to exchange holiday greetings, be sure to check out the free printable Valentines at HelloLucky.com. The “I’m cuckoo for you!” and “You Appeal to me!” Valentines are super cute and fun to send out. And if you want to give out a piece of handmade art, be sure to check out the site’s clever selection of Valentines that were handprinted on an antique letter press and the colors are lovely. These cards, pictured below, are priced at $4.50 and can be given to sweethearts and friends or displayed in mass as festive wall art.

Here’s one more for the crochet lovers. Head over to Elizabeth Drouillard’s Things Bright blog and try out her free Granny Heart Pattern and learn how to transform a basic granny square into a heart. This is done in three rounds total, so you can make a bunch while watching TV or waiting in line somewhere and then string them together to make a banner or use them as package toppers.

The last project on the list is one that my daughters, Abby and Amelia, have been working on.

They’ve been using craft punches to punch heart shapes out of a mix of newsprint, construction paper and assorted recycled paper from around the house.

Then they’re sewing the paper hearts together to hang in our windows. It’s a fun craft that can be done with any paper you happen to have around the house. Set your sewing machine on a long stitch setting and space the hearts about 1-2 inches apart.

Oh, and I almost forgot, here’s the link to the Heart Bean Bag Project that I made a couple years ago.

Ok, folks, that’s all I’ve got for right now. Feel free to post links to your Valentine’s projects below. I’d love to see what you’re working on.

You can watch today’s TV segment here.

My daughters are an endless source of inspiration. I wrote this column published in today’s edition of The Grand Rapids Press after witnessing one of their recent backseat conversations in my review mirror. We were on the way home from school and I was very pleased to see my oldest applying the day’s lesson to “fill a bucket” for someone in her life. I was even more pleased to see that the bucket she chose to fill was her little sister’s.

You can read the full story here.

I will be doing a TV segment with a handmade Valentine theme on WZZM Channel 13′s “Take Five” morning show on Tuesday. There’s still time to add some more projects to the mix, so tell me all about your favorite handmade gift ideas. And, yes, I will credit all my sources.

And in semi-related news, I added CraftSanity Magazine bulk packs to the shop last week so you can buy all five issues at once an save money on the magazine and shipping, too. These packs would make great V-day gifts for the crafters. I’d rather have a collection of patterns, stories and recipes than a diamond necklace any day, but maybe that’s just me. :  )

Have a good one. I’m off to test some patterns and edit a podcast.

Usually I’m the one rounding up crafty folks to feature in my weekly art & craft column, but recently I got a chance to but down my notebook and share a bit about my crafty life and business. Yesterday, I was featured on p. 7 in The Detroit News Homestyle section. You can read the story online here.

I also contributed a short tutorial on how to weave a small purse on the 13-peg CraftSanity Potholder Loom. This is a great parent and child project for beginning weavers. The sample was made by weaving two squares, one on top of the other, and then connecting loops from the top and bottom squares on three sides as the squares are removed from the loom. (See the article for step-by-step instructions.) You can weave a third square for a flap or go without. The beauty of handmade is that you get to make all the design choices as you go.

A special thanks to Jocelynn Brown for featuring me in her weekly Handmade column. It was a real kick to featured in my hometown newspaper in the same issue detailing the Prince Fielder’s mega deal with the Detroit Tigers. I hope he spends that $214 million wisely. (Don’t even get me started on how nonsensical it is to pay pro athletes this much money. Check out Brad Pitt’s movie “Moneyball” to explore the Hollywood version of the business of pro sports. It’s pretty good.)

Maybe Prince will fund an arts program for inner city youth in Detroit. A girl can dream… In the meantime, I’m just going to be grateful for this lovely opportunity.

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!

* 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.

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.

When she’s not knitting, Jean likes to cook, lead tours, garden and sing. And this episode includes a musical treat. We let Jean play us out with her song: “More Yarn Will Do the Trick.”

She has written 10 books and is currently promoting “Sweet Shawlettes” ($21.95 US), a book filled with 25 patterns for beginner and advanced knitters. The patterns are divided into four categories: country, couture, folk and vintage, so there’s a nice variety of projects to pick from.

Lovely photos by Alexandra Grablewski as well as detailed charts and illustrations accompany the written patterns. A helpful “techniques and stitches” section at the back offers knitters additional information to get them clicking away on the projects right away.

When I get my next non-work related knitting break, I want to make the Harlequin Cape, shown on the cover.

I  also like the Arabesque Scarf on p. 64. (above)  It can be made in two sizes and makes lovely use of the feather and fan stitch pattern.

And while I will probably not get time to knit the challenging leopard print Kitty Capelet on p. 84 anytime soon, it’s very cool and would be  fun to sport around town.

I could go on about “Sweet Shawlettes” but I’ll stop here and give you all a chance to win a copy of the book.

ENTER TO WIN: Post a comment below about your favorite stitch or technique and we’ll get you in the random drawing for a copy of “Sweet Shawlettes”. The deadline to enter is Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012. Good luck, everyone!

BECOME A PODCAST SPONSOR: This episode was sponsored by CraftSanity Magazine. That’s right, I sponsored it myself. : ) If you’d like to sponsor the next episode, you can find sponsorship info here.

• Download the show (you may need to right-click the link)
• Subscribe to CraftSanity on iTunes
• Subscribe to CraftSanity on Zune
• RSS feed for podcast
• You can check out Jean’s other blog tour stops here: 
  Mon 2 Jan        More Yarn Will Do The Trick – Jean Moss     
  Tues 3 Jan       Wendy Knits - Wendy Johnson
  Wed 4 Jan        Knitgrrl - Shannon Okey
  Thurs 5 Jan      Yarnagogo – Rachael Herron
  Fri 6 Jan           The Knitter – Rosee Woodland
  Sat 7 Jan          Rhythm of the Needles – Joanne Conklin
  Sun 8 Jan         Knit Purl Gurl – Karrie Steinmetz
  Mon 9 Jan        CraftSanity – Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood
  Tues 10 Jan     Planet Purl – Beth Moriarty
  Wed 11 Jan      Sunset Cat – Stephannie Tallent
  Thurs 12 Jan    A Really Good Yarn – Julie Schilthuis
  Fri 13 Jan         knit 1 chicago – Lynn Coe
  Sat 14 Jan        Go Knit In Your Hat – Carol Sulcoski
  Sun 15 Jan       Redshirt Knitting – Erika Barcott
  Mon 16 Jan      In The Loop – Cheryl & Ellen
  Tues 17 Jan     WEBS – Kathy Elkins
  Wed 18 Jan      Zeneedle – Margene Smith
  Thurs 19 Jan    Knitspot – Anne Hanson
  Fri 20 Jan         Urban Yarns – Alexa Ludeman
  Sat 21 Jan        A Friend to knit with – Leslie Friend
  Mon 23 Jan      Tentenknits – Margaux Hufnagel
  Tues 24 Jan     Fancy Tiger Crafts – Amber Corcoran
  Thurs 26 Jan    The Panopticon – Franklin Habit

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.