Hairpin Lace

Hairpin Lace Goodies

Awhile back, when I first picked up a Susan Bates Hairpin Lace Loom to give this technique a try, I ran across a book in Amazon called “Learn to do Hairpin Lace”. The book is out-of-print, and at that time, there weren’t any available to purchase. I put it in my Wish List so I could remember it later.

Recently, when I was looking through my Wish List and saw that there was a posting for the book available through the Amazon marketplace for a price that I felt was more than reasonable, I decided jumped on the chance to purchase it.

The package came the other day, and it felt a little lumpy, so when I opened it, I was pleasantly surprised to find another hairpin lace book in the package with the one I’d ordered, as well as a Clover Hairpin Lace Tool. All three pieces are in excellent condition; I really don’t think any of them have ever been used. If they were, it wasn’t for long.

So for about 10 bucks including shipping, I ended up with two books on a technique I want to do more with, as well as a loom that is totally different than the one I already have. Not bad, if you ask me. Now, if I can just get my hands on one of the handcrafted looms, my hairpin lace needs will be complete. At least for awhile. Some day, I hope to have enough skill and knowledge about this technique to pass it along to others in my classes and/or the local guild.

Positively Crochet!

Positively Crochet!by Mary Jane Hall is a great pattern book with 50 different projects and some positive inspiration spread throughout. I asked my library to purchase a copy earlier this year and have checked it out a couple of times, but I recently purchased my own copy when I found it for an incredible price of $6.95 at Annie’s Attic. I’m always looking to add books to my own collection, and when a good book is that inexpensive, I have to have it that much more.

There are several things that I like about this book. For one, I really like the inspiration that can be found with each pattern. The tips aren’t necessarily related to the pattern itself, but just towards life in general. My favorite which I found to be helpful and true for me right now is, “Everything begins as a thought. … You have the ability to succeed with your ideas, but first you need to set short-term and long-term goals. If you want to accomplish your goals, do something every single day that will help you reach that goal, whether it requires 10 minutes or one hour.” Then there’s the patterns. There’s several clothing patterns and nearly all of them are written to fit up to a 2XL. There’s also some cute jewelry patterns, one of which I’ve actually done before with brass buttons but with wire instead of the elastic thread like is done in the book. Additionally, I like how the book is laid out and written, and the author is a very sweet, gracious person and a great inspiration. How do I know? I messaged her on Ravelry once, and her response seemed to be true to the character she sets forth in this book.

Check it out if you haven’t already, and look it up at AnniesAttic.com to get it at a price that makes it even more fun! A little positivity goes a long way!