About

Welcome to my new blog home!
I am going to share an interesting true story about my mother, a Chinese artist, Ho Lyan Yu Wen. With her simple but unique way, she created some life looking flowers with nothing special but a small crochet hook and some small sized yarn. My father named them “Everlasting Blossoms”.
She did not know how to make designs for her works, The crochet hook was her painting brush and colored yarns were her pigments. The blueprints were in her heart. Sometimes when a fresh flower or a picture touched her heart, her heart would capture them and the crochet hook and yarn will give them live.
She wished to pass on her skill. Nevertheless, her wish was never fully fulfilled before she passed away. As her eldest daughter, a sense of responsibility heavily felt upon on my shoulders. I held many exhibitions in Taiwan as well as in San Francisco and the East Bay area. Then I decided to write a book to introduce my mother, her artworks and the way to crochet “Everlasting Blossoms and butterflies” since I had a stroke 14 years ago. For with one hand, I can no longer exhibit her beautiful artworks and unable to demonstrate how to crochet.
First, I finished a Chinese “Everlasting Blossoms” three years and published in Taiwan. Now I translated it into English for more people to know how to crochet their own “Everlasting Blossoms and butterflies”.
Let there be beautiful flowers blossomed everywhere. And butterflies flying all year long. Keep the beautiful, joyful spring on earth always!
I wish to get some feedback from you. Please!
Your judgments and feedback will help me to improve my writing.

62 thoughts on “About”

  1. Pingback: About | myrahochang

    1. Oh! dear sweet Lorieb, I don’t know how to thank you for the information you gave me. That is all I needed badly! i know my grammar and sentence structure are awful . I will go to that website you gave me.
      Thanks a million!
      Happy Valentine’s Day!

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      3. yes, you do have to create an account, but it is free, choose a username and password, then you can use it. I will go back and check again, but that is what i did.

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    1. Jacob, Thank you for dropping in and your kind comment.I’m from Taiwan. My first language is Chinese. I believe that from what I wrote, you can figured out that English is my second language. Right? ❤ 🙂

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      1. Yep! I teach in the English department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, so I can tell. 🙂 But still, it’s very good! Don’t forget to vote in my Library Ephemera poll!

        Liked by 2 people

      2. WOW! An English teacher!
        How lucky am Ito meet a English teacher? That is all I need. But I guess for an 80 years old like me, haven’t had any good foundation in English. Mother language deeply rooted. No matter how hard I try, my writings still a kind of Chinglish!
        As an English teacher, do you think I’m still shapeable?

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Hi Myra. If you like I could edit your About page for you. If you give me your email I’ll be happy to help. I’m not saying my version will be perfect but I’ll try my best!Your content is good, it just needs a bit of tweaking her and there. Marje

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  6. An amazing story about love and honoring your ancestors. My book, A Past Worth Telling is a poetic memoir honoring my parents, grandparents and family members. It is important to tell family stories. I love the flowers and wish I could see them in person someday. Thank you for sharing your life story and talents. 🙂

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  7. Hello Myra, I so enjoyed reading your post and learning about your mother’s story and your hope to keep her legacy going despite a setback in your health. I actually enjoyed your version of the English language. I look forward to visiting your blog again soon.

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  8. You have some wonderful stuff here! I have visited a few times, but didn’t realise that the patterns were here as well. Is your aim to have a book published, or just to share your mother’s work?

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    1. Yes! I did have a Chinese edition published 4 years ago. Wish to have an English one be published as well.But first of all I am afraid my English is not good enough. And as a low income senior, to put the books on the bookshelf a second time, could be just a dream. Post on the blog, can be read only by the bloggers. But it was my mother so is mine wish, to let Everlasting Blossoms be known as many people as possible.

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      1. I must say that the patterns themselves are written in a different way than I am used to seeing. It’s not the English, but the symbols. Here is an example of what I mean.
        ch – chain
        sc – single crochet
        inc – increase ( 2sc in same stitch )
        dec – decrease ( sc two stitches together )

        Ch 2
        1. 4sc in second ch from hook – 4
        2 – 3. sc around – 4 each row

        If you can get a reputable publisher interested, it shouldn’t cost you anything. They are supposed to pay you.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Your patterns use symbols like § and *. It’s not a method I’m familiar with.
        Let me see what I can find out. I know a little about fiction publishing – but handwork might be different.

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      4. Thank you very much for helping me. As soon as I get your instruction i’ll make corrections.
        Thanks a lot for trying to look for a publisher for me. I’m really appreciated.
        You know something, I am wondering too, which category “Everlasting Blossoms” should belong to?

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  9. It would be non-fiction, crafts, I think.
    These days there is also the option to self publish, because so much can be done on the internet. Traditional publishing would probably take quite some time, and might not be successful. I did some research, and it looks very competitive.

    Perhaps the important question is do you feel you just want to get your mother’s work out there, or would you prefer to charge people? The important thing is what you wish to do with your mother’s legacy.

    There are websites like Etsy. It is free to join, but they charge a small fee (I think 20c) to list your items. You can decide if you want to charge people to download the book or individual patterns.
    https://www.etsy.com/search?q=crochet+patterns&ref=auto9

    I am going to try one of the patterns, just to get a feel for the instructions.

    I loved the story about your neighbour! 😉

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    1. I wish to to get my mother’s work out to the world. I believe so was my mother’s. That was the main purpose for this blog too. But you know the viewers of blog would not as much as book. That is why I wish to have it published.
      I’m so excited to know that you are going to try one of the patterns! Could you tell me which one? The rose or the butterflies?
      Talking about the signs in the instructions. if you get used to read them, they may work for you!

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  10. Wow! Those are the two patterns I am going to try. What a good guess. I will try the rose first. I think you are right about the symbols – it’s just getting used to them.

    I will let you know how it goes. 😉

    Would you mind if I reblogged one of your posts? This means that it will appear on my site, and if people are interested, they can come and have a look at your work.

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      1. I’m trying to sort out the working with wire at the moment. I try bits from the pattern to see if I understand them before I try the whole thing. I will definitely ask if I get stuck. 😉

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      2. You may find out not the whole pital should be wired. Only back and forth once at the beginning. After you tied the pitals on to the stalk, the wired parts are for bend, to curve the pitals a little, the wire will hold the shape.
        Good luck!
        By the way, would you mind to tell me your name?

        Liked by 1 person

  11. My name is Cheryl. Hi! 😉
    The reblog button doesn’t seem to be working, so I am writing a post which will have links to your blog.
    There are also websites for people who love crafts, such as Ravelry and Craftree. If you are agreeable, I could put up posts with links to your blog so people can come and see. Let me know if this is all right with you.

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      1. Great! I’ll see what I can do. I am also making a start on crocheting a rose… I have worked out how to crochet in the wire. I will do a blog post in a couple of days. 😉

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      3. I am running into some problems (apart from lots of storms. which keeps me off the computer) This is row 7, and 8 of the rose petals
        Row 7 2§, 1+3, 5**, 2,1●
        Row 8 1§, ○1, 1●, 2, 8**
        The second last number (2) on both rows doesn’t have a symbol. I’m not sure which stitch it is. Also, am I right that the wire just goes up and down on one side of the petals?

        It might be easier to communicate by e-mail, if you prefer.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Sure, here is my email: a520942@yahoo.com.tw
        Could you tell me the number of the pital? There are 5 sizes .
        Each one is larger than the other as you can see the rows are increasing in each number.
        The wire only back and forth once.
        It will more easier for me to trace back if you can tell me the date that I posted.

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      5. Cheryl, I got it! You are on #1 pital. Here is the correction:
        Row 7 2§, 1**+3**, 5**, 2*,1●
        Row 8 1§, ○1, 1●, 2*, 8**
        Hope this will help.
        If there is any question for me, I’ll try to answer right away.
        I’m buried with happiness!
        Oh! By the way,is your pital curved like a spoon?

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  14. What a beautiful story Myra and what a wonderful gift to share your mother’s life’s work with the world! There is a lovely authenticity and uniqueness in your writing and your story that touches my heart. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you so much, Louise! I am glad you enjoy the story!
      I am writing and edith the story as you can see in “New Everlasting Blossoms” It may interest you more than “About”
      Please read it! As one of my reader said, ” it is like an interested history of an unknown world!”
      Now the story is telling how an young idiot was accepted. But I would read the previous story”The young Idiot” first!

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  15. What a beautiful story, heartfully told. Your mother’s art is incredible and what a gift to be able to ‘teach’ her way of art through writing.

    Thank you for visiting my blog — it is so lovely to make your acquaintance! I hope you have dreams of mountain streams and waterfalls cascading.

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