Halloween finger puppets

Annies Attic free pattern of the day a couple of days ago was a spider and a jack o lantern finger puppets. So I decided I was going to make these for my friend Lily (age 4). One of my Crochet Partners, Beata, designed a ghost for her daughters scout troops, so I had to turn that into a finger puppet, too. I didn't get the spider done, but here is the pic of the ghost and the pumpkin. My roommate, Penny, embroidered the faces for me.

I forgot to take pics before I brought them to work today, so one of the guys I work with took this with his cell phone.

CGOA Conference-Fashion Show
After our classes were finished, we went back to the cocktail lounge and found Peter almost done with the ruana. We were running out of time so the final finishing was done later, but I could wear it to dinner. When I stood up and put it on, people in the lounge started clapping! Apparently they had been watching us crocheting like crazy. So Peter and I walked around for a few minutes and let folks touch and feel and answered questions.
Downstairs we went for the dinner and fashion show. Peter, Margaret and I sat together and Melody & Kathy, other members from our local guild were across the room from us. The food was good but the fashion show was great! Since it was the Knitting Guild national show, there were more knit items than crochet, but they were all beautiful. The batteries in my camera went dead, so don't have any pics to show you, but Doris Chan, Karen Klemp, and several other designers were our models for the evening. My only disappointment with the fashion show, was there was not one item for men or designed by men. Hopefully, by next year, more men will be represented.

CGOA Conference continues
We didn't attend any classes at the conference on Friday. We stayed at my home and I continued to hook like a madwoman on the ruana. And we caught up on the things happening in our lives.
Saturday was a different story, however. Back to Oakland on BART, gotta love that public transportation! We both had afternoon classes, but had to hook up with Peter first. I totally screwed up the hood on the ruana in the middle of the night, so he was going to work on it while we were in our classes. Thank God. Otherwise, there was no hope of it being done for Saturday evening. So, we left him sitting in the hotel cocktail lounge and headed off to class.
My class was Crochet Lite with Karen Klemp (I hope I spelled her name right). We discussed different ways to convert a pattern to lighter weight yarns. We swatched using different yarns and hooks. Karen had several examples with her, and we all brought swatches to class with us. The thing that stuck with me the most is to get the softest fabric possible, use the largest hook you can before the stitches loose definition. Of course, this takes swatching, swatching, and more swatching!

CGOA Conference-the Marketplace
Well, they finally opened the doors about 7 p.m. and we all rushed inside to find the perfect yarn, gadget, etc. Personally, I'm looking for fingering/lace wt yarns, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I've planned for this. I have money! My first impression was "This is all there is?" After being at Stitches West which had lots & lots & lots of vendors from all over the country, I was a little disappointed that this was mostly representatives from local yarn shops and designers.
However, that feeling passed as I forged ahead. I met Jill Vosberg from Just One More Row. She designed the Diamond Patch sweater in knit that I am still trying to redesign in crochet. I talked with her for several minutes about the trials and errors in this process. She still wants to see it when I finally get it done. Getting close to the diamond being correct. Then it is just a matter of making 40+ and constructing a garment.
As I was wandering around, I met Bonnie Pierce, another Crochet Partner. I didn't even think of it at the time, but my maiden name is Pierce. I wonder if we are related somehow.
But the cherry on the icing for me was at the Newton's booth. I bought some merino/cashmere yarn from them at Stitches West. But I didn't have enough to do the above mentioned Diamond Patch sweater (may be one reason I haven't finished it yet). So, with my arms loaded with all kinds of yarn, I'm digging through the table of merino/cashmere, when the proprietor comes over to me and asks if I'm looking for something in particular. You bet I am! I described it to him, and at first he looked a little puzzled, then started pulling boxes out from under the table. Couple of boxes later, he came up with 2 more hanks of exactly the same yarn! Can you believe it-from Feb to Sept. How lucky can a gal get!
We finally headed back to the BART station after 9 p.m. to end the first day of the conference.

CGOA Conference-part 2
After lunch on Thursday, Melody went on to her 2nd class and Margaret and I hung out in the hotel lounge. I was crocheting like crazy on Peter's ruana pattern. I wanted to wear it Sat, and the pattern was just released a week earlier. The only way this was going to happen was teamwork! Peter crocheted both fronts and I crocheted the back. We both worked on the hood and finishing.
The exciting part of the afternoon is I got to meet Rita Weiss! She was sitting in the lounge talking with Peter when I came back from (?) Peter introduced us and I chatted with them for a few minutes and then went back to my crochet. Rita has the most beautiful hands.
At about 6:30, we relocated downstairs and lined up for entry into the marketplace. Well! That's why we had hung around the hotel all afternoon!

CGOA Conference in Oakland,CA
Wow! Hard to believe that after all the anticipation, it has come and gone already.
Margaret came from FL to do the conference with me. She arrived Wed p.m. and we were at the Marriott for our 1st class on Thurs a.m. by about 8:30. The Bay area has good public transportation, so we just used BART to get there. It lets you out, up the escalator, and right across the street is the hotel. No fuss, no muss, no parking!
We both took Darla Fanton's double hook class on Thurs morning, along with Melody who is a member of my local guild. Great class! Darla gave us a few minutes of pointers, got us started, and then spent the rest of the class walking behind us, so she was right there when anyone had a question. Great hands on approach. She also had examples of work that we could look at. For our $7 materials fee, we each got a booklet of her dishclothes, autographed, mind you, and a double ended hook plus a bookmark. Couldn't buy the booklet at Michaels for that price. And it's almost impossible to find a double ended hook in any of the box stores.
After the class, we had lunch in the lounge at the hotel and then Melody was off for another class.
Stay tuned for the next espisode: