CraftSanity with Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood

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HANDMADE STORY No. 1: The Witch


My next podcast isn't quite ready, so please enjoy this Handmade Story, by Francesca Penchant, of Seattle, Wash.
I hope this is the first in a series of listener stories about the handmade items in your lives. Have a story to share? Email me.

The next episode of CraftSanity is not ready yet, but here's something to tide you over... This week my newspaper craft column is about gourd art. Check it out and find out how to grow your own gourds to make birdhouses and bowls like the ones I made below. Enjoy!

I did it.

Today I successfully completed the Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon – 26.2 miles, baby!

The first thing I said when my husband, Jeff, met me at the finish line with the video camera rolling is this: "I am a humbled woman."

Boy, am I ever. While I'm happy to have completed the race, my performance was disappointing at best.

This morning I suited up for the big race shrouded by a cloud of denial. I slipped on my compression pants and Zenzah Training and Recovery Sleeves and let myself believe that because I really wanted to run fast, I somehow would despite the fact that I haven't been able to run for the last three weeks. (Ridiculous, I know.)

I held onto this optimism even after a frank discussion with the marathon pace team director, Dr. Rick, a.k.a. "Dr. Reality." He broke it down for me at Saturday's pre-race expo at the David D. Hunting YMCA. He told me my dream to run a 3-hour 40-minute marathon and qualify for the Boston Marathon was not realistic and urged me to consider running a slower pace.

He was just doing his job, but I walked away from his table feeling a bit deflated. He doesn't know me. How could he possibly know what I'm capable of? I'm determined. I'm tenacious. I don't give up.

But sometimes that isn't enough.

Well, it turns out the good doctor totally had my number. He didn't have to know me personally to make an educated guess about what was going to happen out there on the course today.

For the first several miles I held my 8:30-mile goal pace and felt like I was going a little slow, which was exactly how it's supposed to feel.

But, then around mile 8, I couldn't ignore my throbbing right Achilles.

It started bugging me after a 20-mile training run about a month ago, and I've been trying to nurse it back to health with a combination of physical therapy and therapeutic massage appointments. I subbed swimming, boxing and stationary bike riding in for my marathon training runs to keep my endurance up. I knew my plan wasn't foolproof, so I'm not surprised it didn't work too well.

By mile 13 my right ankle was throbbing and every time my shoe made contact with pavement, pain radiated up the back of my leg and across the top of my foot. Quitting was not an option, so I slowed down even more and turned up my music in and attempt to dull my senses. (Fortunately, the worst pain didn't set in until after the race.)

The most frustrating part of this experience is that I know I had the endurance to run faster than I did Sunday, but I couldn't will my leg to move any faster. It hurt something fierce for more than half the race but there was nothing I could do about it.

A smarter, more patient woman, probably would have sat out this year's marathon, focused on healing and than made a plan to run next year injury-free. But me, well, I didn't want to wait. I've thought about the race every day since I registered. I trained as hard as I could with the aid of my friend and trainer, Gary Strehlke, and I wanted to run no matter what. I didn't want to drag out my obsession with marathon running for another year and continue to struggle to fit three-hour runs into my already-hectic family schedule. My husband has been very cool about supporting my running, but I didn't want to put him through that for another year.

So I ran injured, clocked in at disappointing 4 hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds (48 minutes slower than the Boston qualifying time) and watched my ankle swell up to twice its normal size when I got home and took off my shoe. (I'm icing as I type.)

Knowing what I know now, would I still have gone through with today's painful run?

The smart answer is "no." The honest answer is: "Absolutely."

There's nothing like crossing the finish line after running 26.2 miles with friends and family waiting for you, even if your performance is sub par. The marathon is a test of mental toughness and I salute everyone who ran today's race. As I struggled with my shrinking stride through the last section of the course, a woman cruised by running bare foot. I found this confusing and impressive.

On the upside, my injury prevented me from spending everything I had out there, so I felt better crossing the finish line than I did running the 25 K Fifth/Third River Bank Run in May. (I was basically bed-ridden after that.) Sure, the GU energy packets gave me terrible heartburn and my legs hurt like hell, but I didn't feel faint or sick and was able to smile and raise my arms at the finish line today. For this, I am very thankful.

I don't know if I'll ever run another marathon, so I wanted to make sure I celebrated this finish appropriately.

I wasn't fast today, but I made it and can finally cross "Run a Marathon" off my list of "Things to Do Before I Kick Off." I'll take that.

For now, I'm resisting the urge to add: "Run a FAST Marathon" to the list.

(You can read my pre-race blog entry here.)

I'm a tad under the weather, but plan to be back in action in time for Sunday's big, exciting Metro Health Grand Rapids Marathon. My first attempt at 26.2 miles - holy smokes! Fall is here and it's pretty chilly tonight in Michigan, so we won't have to worry about overheating during the race. I'm excited to run this thing and end my obsession with marathon training (at least for the near future). I want my craft time back. I have Christmas presents to make.

I've been meaning to post my latest apron project for some time. So here it is. The pocket is my favorite part. It's based on Simplicity pattern #3752. And yes I've already worn it to work for a "road test." I love the pattern and got a mix of confused looks and compliments. Either way, I will continue to wear my aprons wherever I please because doing so makes me very happy.


Here is the first apron I made with that Simplicity pattern.


Some of you reported having some trouble with the audio quality of my last show. I apologize for that . It didn't sound bad to my husband, Jeff, and I when we posted it, so we're still investigating what went wrong and will make an effort to clear that up in the future. I want you guys to enjoy the show and not have to strain to hear it. When we get a moment we're going to try to tweak the audio and repost the show.

Okay, so I'm going to try to kick out a show this weekend or the early part of next week, so stay tuned.

I won't believe it until I see it, but today is the big day when my first newspaper craft column appears in print. Since most who read this blog and listen to the CraftSanity podcast don't live in West Michigan and won't be able to look for the column in the Home & Garden section of The Grand Rapids Press, I'm going to direct you over to my newspaper blog "Running with Needles," so you can read the column and download a fun pattern for a fabric headband designed by MaryBeth Raible, owner of Island Girl Limited. Check out Raible's story to learn about her passion for embellishing jeans and making handbags, headbands, key fobs and other fabulous goods.

I was 14 when I wrote my first story for a "real" newspaper, a free community paper that appeared on my parents' front porch weekly. My piece was a high school sports feature and probably a pretty sad read. (I didn't dig out the ol' clip file to check because I wanted to skip the part where this trip down memory lane leads to a massive cringe.) But I'm pretty sure what I lacked in skill, I made up for in enthusiasm. Back then, I was pretty pumped to be a budding journalist.

I was naturally curious and often found myself in great conversations with strangers. So not much has changed. I've been writing for newspapers for more than half my life now and I still love meeting new people and interviewing them about their lives. I doubt I'll ever tire of it. And because I love being the interviewer so much, I feel completely out of my element on those rare occasions when I'm asked to be the interviewee.

I had almost forgotten about my July 4 interview with Jacquie Byron, editor of the Australian craft magazine "Get Creatve," when I opened my mailbox yesterday and found two copies of the October issue. I nervously paged through and found the "Craft Trend Report" article on p. 66. It was surreal to see glossy pictures of my projects in a magazine. What fun! The coolest part was that my little sister, Julie, a talented studio photographer and fellow crafter, took all the pictures that appeared in print. So, this is quite a kick for both of us. (Thank you, Julie!)




A special thanks to Jacquie Byron for taking an interest in my podcast and deeming it worthy of three-page spread. I really appreciate the support and the lovely article. Thank you!

It's funny because there was a time not long ago when I had some serious doubts about whether or not I'd ever find my creative groove and muster the courage to do what I love. I'm so glad I didn't succumb to the crap and continued to believe I could do work that was meaningful and creative.

I'm impatient, so I didn't sit around waiting for an opportunity to come along. Instead, I went the DIY route and focused on creating my own opportunity. I felt isolated from the creative community, so I started a podcast to start a dialog with kindred spirits around the globe. The result has been amazing. Producing CraftSanity has allowed me to chat with wonderfully creative people who have passion for what they do. It's been a tremendously inspiring experience that has enriched my life. It also helped me work art and craft writing into my day job. (Check out my newspaper column and blog, "Running with Needles!")

And here's the best part: If I can do this, YOU can definitely do it, too. Do that thing you're always wanted to do. Now is the time. Make a list of the things you MUST do before you die and get to work checking things off. Start with some of the most difficult things because after you check one of those big goals off the list, it will make everything else seem easy as pie. (I'm hoping to check "Run a Marathon" off my list on Oct. 28, when I make my first attempt to conquer that 26.2 mile beast.) You can do it. Just tell yourself this: "I'm good enough. I'm strong enough. And, dammit, I can CRAFT!"

Okay, I'm done tooting my own horn. It's just not cool, I know. But I'm excited to have some validation and wanted to share. Thanks to all you kindred spirits out there for inspiring me to continue to do my crafty thing. I wouldn't be doing this without all your kind feedback and support. Thank you!

After nearly a decade as a print journalist, the major craft window I've been waiting for has finally opened to me. I'm writing craft blog called "Running with Needles" for my newspaper, The Grand Rapids Press, and a weekly column that will appear in print on Sundays.



The good news for curious CraftSanity listeners is that all my craft related articles will be available online for you to check out.

It's taken me a very long time to convince my editors that adding a craft column and blog is a good idea, so I'd really appreciate your support. Please visit my newspaper blog and help me stir up a little traffic so I can prove to my editors that there really is a demand for craft-related content. Leave a comment and make my day.

Monday you'll be able to download the instructions I wrote for five simple children's Halloween costumes including a bat, mummy, butterfly, flower and lady bug. The instructions were written as part of a holiday feature about homemade costumes. My column is expected to launch Sunday. Every week I plan to feature a West Michigan artist or crafter and give readers a free project related to what that person does to try at home. Every now and then I do plan to profile artists from outside our circulation area because I want to introduce local readers to some of the great people I've "met" through my podcast.

So, if you listen to CraftSanity from a craft room or art studio in Michigan, or anywhere else for that matter, feel free to contact me and tell me what you do. Feel free to send your comments, suggestions and story ideas to me at jennifer@craftsanity.com or write me at Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, The Grand Rapids Press, 155 Michigan St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. I can't wait to hear from you.

This week's guest is Sabrina Gschwandtner, author of a "KnitKnit: Profiles + Projects From Knitting's New Wave," a fantastic book that just came out last month. It's a wonderful collection of profiles of 27 interesting knitters, some you've surely heard of and others you'll be glad to learn about.

Learn more and listen to this show

Hello, everyone. I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. Thanks to those of you who have expressed concerns. I appreciate knowing that you've missed me. I feel like I owe you an explaination, so here it is:

I'm working on a pretty major craft-related work project that I hope will become a regular feature, so I've been spending my evenings designing prototypes and writing project instructions. This is an exciting oppotunity that I think you folks are going to enjoy.

Even though most of you who frequent this site live outside of West Michigan, you'll still be able to benefit from my crafty work project because it will be available online. I'll post links as soon as it's up and rolling, so stay tuned.

Here's the good news: I'm planning to release a new CraftSanity episode this weekend. It's an interview with Sabrina Gschwandtner, the author of "KnitKnit: Profiles & Projects From Knitting's New Wave." We had a great chat and I can't wait to let you listen to it. If you haven't already, check out Sabrina's book. It's beautiful, inspiring and a great read, too.

If you like Melanie Falick's "Knitting in America," you'll love this collection of profiles and projects by notable knitters from around the globe. I'll be running a contest to give away a copy of "KnitKnit", so be sure to check back here for contect details. Speaking of contests, I'll be annoucing the winner of Amanda Blake Soule's book on the next podcast.

Cheers!

Jennifer