Go Crochet Crazy Goes on the Road

It's that time of year once again, when vacationers from the US travel overseas to fulfill their dreams of experiencing parts of Europe. They have waited to ascend the Alps and look down into the valleys below. They delight in walking cobblestone streets trod upon by people from hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago. They leave having learned more about the history than they ever expected, and they find out that travel is one of the best ways to learn about the world and about themselves.

In my work as a tour director from late spring through early autumn, I am lucky enough to help these people fulfill their travel dreams. This Saturday, I leave for my first tour and can hardly wait for the season to begin. Between now and the end of September, I will be fortunate enough to see and share my passion with guests for places like Munich, Germany and Neuschwanstein Castle. I'll lead older adults and families through the countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland (my favorite country), Italy and Lichtenstein. For someone who's been infected with wanderlust since she was a child, being able to do this is a dream come true.

Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany, the Bavarian Region

If you've been following the Go Crochet Crazy blog for a while now, you know my motto is "Have yarn, will travel". The thought of going a day without crocheting even a few stitches is, well, unthinkable. To me, crochet is like breathing. No matter how busy the day is, there's always five minutes to wrap the yarn around my fingers and, hook in hand, get lost in creativity.

For the month of May, I'll be tour directing through Germany, starting on the Central West border, making a U-shape down into Bavaria and coming back up to historical Berlin. My very patient, supportive boyfriend will keep the home front going until I return for a two-week break before heading out again.

During that time, I will continue to blog (you can't get rid of me that easily!) and hope you won't mind me interspersing a few travel photos in with my crochet bits. My trusty crochet bag will be coming along with me, filled with several skeins of cotton yarn. Since there won't be time or space in my suitcase for any large projects, I intend to spend the whatever time I have to crochet on making spa cloths or potholders for Christmas gifts.

My crochet bag

Having a bag full of yarn and WIPs nearby makes me happy.

Although there are times when I wish I could be at home, sleep in past 6am and be responsible for no one but me, I wouldn't trade the opportunity to be a tour director for any comforts or conveniences. Not only am I living a dream, but I have the honor of helping others realize their dreams. And that makes it all worth while.

So, it will soon be time to hit the road! I'd love to hear about some of your travels and travel dreams. What's your favorite place that you've visited? Where would you like to go that you haven't been yet? I'm sending good thoughts and wishes that you get there. :)

How Many Skeins of Yarn Fit in a Crochet Crazy Suitcase?

Oh my. Time to pack and head eastward toward the land of sauerkraut, Oktoberfest and medieval castles. On the other side of the Atlantic awaits my boyfriend M, who's been enjoying a very spring-like winter with extra motorbike rides while I've been freezing my tootsies off in Chicagoland. As hard as it is to leave my family, all good things must come to an end (including the Spring Fling Link-a-Long which closes tonight). I know I will return as soon as possible.

Packing is a problem when traveling between continents. My time in Germany has taught me to appreciate the little things even more and has opened my eyes to some of the things we all take for granted in life...like red and green-colored sugar for Christmas cookies, flavored coffee creamer and canned pumpkin (all things I must admit to having minor meltdowns about at one time or another). I've removed clothing from my suitcase to make room for baking supplies or other things I knew I wouldn't be able to find in Germany. Could I just use a second suitcase? Sure, but at $70-125 a pop, I choose to go the creative route and get it all into one suitcase under the 50 pound limit.

This time the packing conundrum is not over baking supplies or Christmas presents, but yarn. There have been times when I've sacrificed the yarn for other things (can you believe it?!), but I wouldn't DARE do that now. Yarn and crochet have become too integral to my daily life, my joy and sometimes my sanity to leave my new yarn purchases behind.

The brands I love in the US are not available in Germany unless I order them online at a much higher price plus expensive international shipping. Although I have found yarn there that I like, when you live in another country it's just nice sometimes...and very comforting...to have things from home.

Over the course of my visit here, I've purchased these scrumptious yarns for some fun crochet projects which I talked about here...

And now for the moment of truth. Here they are packed in my suitcase...

Leaving me just a little bit of space for my clothing, five pairs of shoes and my toiletry bag. Oh my. I'm intent on not leaving my yarn behind.

So, how many skeins of yarn fit into a Go Crochet Crazy person's suitcase? The answer is: 25. Now you see what happens when you Go Crochet Crazy!

As you read this blog post, I am either at the airport or somewhere between the Midwest and Germany. I don't say goodbye because that's too difficult; just "see you soon".

So, see you soon robins, redwing blackbirds, cardinals and downy woodpeckers who come to my bird feeders. See you soon furry friends, Alice, Ernie, Sophie and Patches. See you soon baseball field and nearby farms, and funnily enough, Walmart, where I can buy all the things I miss when I'm overseas. Most of all, see you soon family members friends. I will start missing you the minute I leave.

But my travels have taught me that after every "see you later", there's always a "hello". Soon I will say "hello" to the horses on the nearby farms and the myriad birds that flock to the fields for tasty morsels. I'll say hello to our small Mayberry-like town with the slower-paced lifestyle that reminds me of life here in the 1970s. I'll walk down the poplar tree-lined path that leads me past fields of flowers and whatever vegetables the farmers are growing this year, and say hello to the beauty of nature I feel fortunate to be surrounded by. And, most of all, I'll say hello to boyfriend M, who's been patiently waiting for me these last several weeks.

And, finally, to you...it's "see you in a bit!"...from a different time zone, but still the same me...going crochet crazy as ever.

Have Yarn, Will Travel -- Crocheting on the Road

If, like me, you're Crochet Crazy, then I know your motto is the same as mine. "Have yarn, will travel." When it comes to anything longer than a day trip, I can't go anywhere without my crochet bag.

My crochet bag

It's nothing fancy, mind you. Just a canvas giveaway bag from a local grocery store here in Germany. The quote on the side, by Goethe, is written in Italian on the side pictured above and German on the other side. It refers to using nature in a slow and pardonable way if we want to come out winners in the end. I don't understand Goethe, but I'm not sure many do. 

Anyway, I'm a happy camper when I can bring my Magic Bag of Crochet Things along with me. It weighs almost nothing and doesn't take up lots of space. Inside, I have all that I need: yarn for my current project, the current project if it fits, crochet hooks, scissors that are TSA-approved, crochet needles, a pink measuring tape and a few other crochet supplies. Here's a peak...

Contents of my crochet bag at present.

Because I live in Germany (but am originally from the Chicago area) and have family in Chicago, I travel between the two places a couple times per year. Plus I'm a tour director in the summer. So my crochet bag has logged a lot of miles, made it through a lot of security checks (they always want to see my scissors, but always let them through) and kept me busy on many long flights. I wonder if I could get frequent flyer miles for my crochet bag.

Today, as you read this, I'm somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, on the way to Chicago. Our family is awaiting the arrival of two baby girls, and I look forward to meeting them and spending time with my mom and kids. My trusty crochet bag will be traveling along with me. I think it knows the flight path to Chicago as well as the captain does. :) Who knows what I'll be working on. I've just finished a project and haven't decided what to crochet next. I'll have to let you know.

My crochet bag has accompanied me to Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Germany, Holland, France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Tell me where your crochet bag has traveled! Because doesn't the suitcase just somehow seems empty without containing something related to crochet? :)