My name is Jelena, I'm 34 and I live in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, which is the biggest city in my country - it has more than 2 million people. I'm an English and Russian teacher and I work in my private language school, together with my husband.

I learned to crochet first, at about 16 or 17 ... For more from Jelena click to our blog.

Now's your chance to play inventor or product designer and earn up to $1,000 US!

When you're knitting, crocheting, sewing or crafting, do you ever think "If I had a gadget like x, I could really save a lot of time and enjoy my projects so much more." Or,  "I wish there was a machine that could do x for me and make the process easier." Now's your chance to play inventor or product designer and earn up to $1,000 US!

Simplicity Creative Group is actively seeking people like you to help us design the next innovative, time-saving machine(s) that make sewing and crafting easier. All you have to do is click here,create a user, and you're ready to post your idea and comment on others' creations. Some of the ideas already posted to the site include a "measuring suit," a "fabric pattern marker," and a "miniquin" 1/6-scale mannequin.

Don't feel you have to start from square one and totally invent a new gizmo. We welcome suggestions and adaptations for our existing machines and will reward these as well.

Hurry, this challenge ends 4/18/11. Share your concept with us today and earn up to $1,000 US! 

Crocheted Shawls