Sometimes with all of life’s up and and downs you just need to recharge. I know it has been quite a while since my late update. The past few months have been a roller-coaster with an unexpected death in the family, vacation, holiday celebrations, sickness, visits with out of town relatives, and the list could go on. Somewhere along the way I lost my motivation for crocheting. Don’t get me wrong, there has been plenty of crafting the past few months, but the burning desire to turn out project after project just was not there. Surely I am not the only one that gets that way, if we are honest it can be about anything in life. So I took time to recharge, not stressing over making or not making anything. That is until this week. As I have said many times, my notebooks are like treasure boxes. At the start of every new year, I start a new one with to-do lists, goals, patterns, etc. I start with a blank page and begin to fill it with crafting dreams and concepts, that most of the time no one else gets to see. This year, that is going to change. I plan on making 2017 the best yet not only for me personally, but for Fruitful Concepts Studio as well. Thanks for sticking with me while I recharged!! Until we talk again, Don’t worry be crafty! ~Jama 
Tag: Yarn
Hello I Love Yarn Day 2016
My sincerest apologies for being so quiet the past few weeks. Since we last talked I have finished my husband’s birthday present (which was also a fair entry), almost finished a baby sweater, extended my class at the local library, dropped off entries for the fair, and started knitting 1 of 2 Christmas stockings…. needless to say my busy season has begun!
I finished him up at 6:15 last Friday night, just hours before I had to drop him off for the State Fair showing. Only I would be out in the middle of a hurricane delivering, not only my entries but a friend’s as well. It is called dedication…… or maybe insanity. I get those two confused! 🙂 Seriously we had no idea how bad the storm Matthew would be in our area. There has been flooding and road beds just washed away. Some have lost everything, others there was not much damage. Thankfully we got home safely from Raleigh that Saturday afternoon!
I have enjoyed the classes at the local library for the last 5 weeks. I have met some really great and enthusiastic crocheters there. The head librarian, is the best. Wednesday when I came in she had this beautifully big hook waiting for me. Be still my ever-craft loving’ heart!!!! <3 <3
Today I have fulfilled a dream, as I got to hold an I Love Yarn Day event at this library. I set out loom knitting, knitting, and of course CROCHET pieces. Demonstrated different techniques and had great conversations with several people. We sat, ate cookies, and discussed the how many ways there are to yarn craft as well as our favorite yarns. It was AWESOME!!!
So now as I wait to hear the results from the judging of the NC State 2016 State Fair, I am truly grateful for all the opportunities that I have had the past few months to share my passion for the yarn/ needle crafts! It is my hope that you all go out and celebrate I Love Yarn Day by sharing your love for yarn too! Until we talk again, Don’t Worry Be Crafty! ~Jama
Newly Released Yarn comes with new Inspirations
It has been about 2 weeks since I last posted, for that I apologize. I am trying to adjust juggling my Monday class, volunteering to teach a beginner crochet class at a local library, and other things that life throws at me. I still have 2 projects that have to be finished for the State Fair , but they should be done by the end of the weekend. With that being said I have so much to share with ya’ll!
First I want to share some exciting news with ya’ll…. October 15, 2016 will be my very first time to host an I LOVE YARN DAY event! I can not wait!! For several years I have wanted to host an event like this and spread the enthusiasm of the needle crafts! so please some on out to the Harold D. Cooley Library in Nashville, NC and join us for an exciting time.
I LOVE YARN DAY!
Place: Harold D. Cooley Library
Date: October 15, 2016
Time: 10 am-12 pm
Come join Jama Stallings Currin and Fruitful Concepts Studio to celebrate “I Love Yarn Day”
All who are interested in learning and those who want to expand their needlecraft knowledge are welcome to bring your questions as Instructor Jama Stallings Currin shares a wealth of expertise in the fiber arts. There will be demonstrations of Crocheting, Knitting and Loom Knitting; examples of finished projects; light refreshments; and a drawing for a gift basket of yarn crafting supplies. As part of the Craft Yarn Council’s national “I Love Yarn Day” theme of Paying It Forward, we also will be collecting crochet/knitted baby hats for Nash Women’s Center as well as hats for adults who are going through chemo treatments. Keep up with all the latest at fruitfulconceptsstudio.com or on facebook: fruitful concepts studio.
Sponsored by Fruitful Concepts Studio (Jama Stallings Currin)
Secondly I want to show you a BRAND NEW YARN by Premier Yarns…… Sweet Roll. <3 <3 <3 I ordered it Monday and received it today. It has awesome pops of color. What a wonderful alternative to those who have wool allergies, because it is very similar to Caron Cakes. As a self-proclaimed “Yarnie” I truly believe they both are here to stay. As soon as I got the package open I could see a new design, yes the color way was that inspiring!
Sweaters and Hippos
I love all the seasons, but I must admit the Fall has to be my favorite. I try not to rush time away however I LOVE it when it is time for sweaters, fresh apples, sweet potatoes{’cause where I come from we don’t do pumpkin spice 😉 }, cooler weather and of course the NC State Fair. Yesterday I entered my list of items to show, and realized how far I have come since that first entry. As a crocheter I have expanded into more fashion wear than I ever imagined that I would. I am so thankful for that one friend, they know who they are, that kept telling me I should send in my stuff to the fair. It has been a wonderful experience so far! Just the thought of how many people see my work really exciting. This afternoon I finally finished the Child’s Crew Neck Cardigan. http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/childs-crochet-crew-neck-cardigan.html It is the first time I have made a sweater that was made in panels to sew. I am the first to tell you I don”t care for sewing too much, but this turned out really pretty! It is the first of two, so on to the next one!!! I must show you the Pip the Hippo that I made from One and Two Company‘s pattern. I can’t say enough about how wonderful they are. Well I must be off to finish up my husband’s (late) birthday present. I can’t wait to show you all that as well. Until we talk again, Don’t worry be crafty! ~ Jama
Perfectionism, our own worst critic.
Sometimes you have to work in the quiet of the night. This has been a whirlwind of a week leaving me drained of inspiration and motivation. At lest as first it did. There is a growing list of projects and teaching preparations that need to be completed by a certain time frame. Of course there have been a few obstacles on the course of life that have left little desire to complete them. Some days you feel like you can march forward owning the world and other days can be indescribably overwhelming. Success usually comes from behind the scenes hard work that may take innumerous hours. So if you are a perfectionist like myself, then you are your own worst critic. I have to work hard to remind myself, even if everything is not getting done fast enough, just one little thing that does get done it is one step closer to the goal. So while the house is quiet, others sleep, I continue working on my dream a small step at a time. As I need this reminder tonight——- Until we talk again, Don’t worry, be crafty! ~ Jama
Summer Saturdays
A couple of weekends ago my husband and I were able to go on a spur of the moment getaway. So we headed out to the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, VA. If you get a chance, please go and visit because it is one of the most intriguing museums you will ever go to. On the way home we made a side trip to Virginia Beach. Let’s just say it was about 100* and too many people. However I did happen to find enough space to write out this (as well as getting a few stitches in while there) ….. 
There are less than 2 months to the NC State Fair. How can it be almost here??? So what I have been working on, as you can guess, will be some of my entries. Sometimes it is a hard choice to make when deciding on what to enter. I had no trouble deciding on the baby blanket pattern that I wanted to make this year. I have stated before since I have found Elk Studio that Kathy Lashley has become one of my favorite designers. Please go check out her beautiful designs! I joined in the Southern Diamond Shawl CAL (Crochet-a-long), then the Southern Diamond Wrap CAL, and today I finished the Southern Diamonds Baby Blanket CAL. If only the colors would pop in the pictures as it does in person. BTW the colors are white, orchid, and grape.
Guess I need to try to improve my photography skills. 
For now we will just have to continue on my path to get the fair entries done since I have less than 2 months!!! Until we talk again, Don’t worry be crafty! ~ Jama
Proud to be a Southern Girl
Hey ya’ll! What a day it has been! I have been working on some non-yarn related projects around here. As I have stated before I love canning season, and that season may be a little late this year, but it it here now!!!!! (Insert happy dancing here) It is no secret that cooking is my other passion. And I am proud to keep the tradition of preserving food, as well. My Granddaddy likes to tell how his mama Ellie Claire, whom I get my middle name from, would put up 275 quarts of tomatoes every summer. 🙂 That is what dreams are made of. One day that will be my goal. For now what I get out of 25 lb of tomatoes at a time is what I will take. Canning tomatoes may be my favorite, but we must not forget the greenbeans as they are a close second.
There hasn’t been much time for crocheting this week. What little I have done has been simple butterfly shawls. I did however find new colorways in some of my favorite go-to yarns this week. Check out these skeins that somehow jumped into my cart yesterday. 😀
Now I must get back to my chores, so maybe I can crochet a bit later. Until we talk again, Don’t worry be crafty! ~ Jama
Good morning!
Good morning ya’ll! Sorry things have been quiet this week. But don’t worry I have been working on a new design. Something that had been floating around in my head for almost 2 years. I believe that sometimes we need a bit of confidence that we can make beautiful things, and that for a fact there will be mistakes. If it hasn’t been made before, then why would it not have mistakes? So why be afraid to make a “boo-boo”?? The funny thing is there are times when mistakes turn into part of the design. I have learned that once you start working on a new design that it opens up even more ideas. At this point I see doing this garment 3 different ways. I love the creative process. Truly what you put into it ,is at the very least what you get out of it.
Until we talk again, Don’t worry be crafty! ~Jama
Party like it’s your Birthd……oh wait it is your Birthday!!
Saturday my package of yarn arrived. It was like my birthday had come early! I opened up this box full of colorful possibilities. Needless to say I have been enjoying my weekend working on the first part of another CAL from an amazing designer, every little while going back and looking at the bright colors that were somehow contained in this medium sized box. I have to say how much I love Cotton Fair by Premier Yarns. It was what I used for the first garment I made a couple of years ago. I also came across their Angel yarn when I happened to go into a Hancock Fabrics. I was stunned at how the colorways work up. As any artist knows, pieces of art are only as good as the material that goes into creating them. With that being said, wearable — usable art using Cotton Fair is the best. The drape of this lightweight cotton/acrylic blend is really incomparable. As I get ready for work this morning, I find myself day dreaming of getting home tonight and working some more with some of these beautiful skeins. And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate turning 31!
Until next time, Don’t worry be crafty! ~ Jama
