In Loving Memory of:
My grandma, Martha Jean Hardway. Thanks for passing down your creative genes and for instilling in me a love of all things crafty, including my first crochet lessons. I’ll always remember our fun New Years’ Eves full of Dick Clark, dancing, homemade peanut butter fudge and Monopoly. Miss you!
My dad, Gary L. Chalupiak. Thanks for always believing in me and teaching me that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. Thanks for bringing me to Colorado, too. Wish you were here!
I have many people at F+W Media who helped me through this adventure of writing my first crochet book. Thank you to Amelia Johanson who fought so hard for my ideas to become a reality. Also, to Stephanie White, my editor, thank you for being a wonderful support. A huge thanks to everyone else at F+W who had a hand in making my book attractive and comprehensible.
I need to thank all the local people who helped give my book the outdoorsy, Colorado lifestyle look and feel. It was such a pleasure to get to know Cat Mayer of Cat Mayer Photography. Your astonishingly gorgeous photographs brought my designs to life. Also, thank you for introducing me to my amazing models; the Davis Family, the Hansow Family, the Balsamo Family, and the Brown Family. A special thanks also goes to Miss Kathryn Dunaway for her impromptu modeling of the Rainbow Hat. I treasure all your patience while modeling and it was so nice to meet all of you. Thanks for being such adorable, photogenic, families!
I want to send hugs and blessings to all of my friends and family who cheered me on through this adventure; the Mom’s In Training group, the Providence 4H group, and my friends at Celebrate Recovery and Step Study at Canyon View Vineyard Church. Huge thank you’s to my mom, Nannette Chalupiak, my sister, Linda McCoy, and my “other sister” Cora Sykes for being supportive, encouraging, and proud of me each and every time we talked.
And last, but certainly not least, I could not have accomplished this dream of mine without the love and support of my awesome husband, Ron and my beautiful daughter, Heather. Ron, I appreciate your encouragement and forgiveness; Heather, thanks for putting up with all my requests to try on hats; and for both of your creative ideas and suggestions. This book would not have be possible without you. I love you both!