FP - The Lattice Lace Scarf

I am so pleased with how well the Lattice Lace Scarf turned out and I didn't even have to block it! Well, I could block it to open up the pattern a bit more but to be honest, I prefer it this way.

It was truly a dream to crochet and such an easy pattern to remember. Once I did the first few rows, I didn't have to refer back to the instructions. I adore the lattice, it's so elegant:

The finished scarf was a Mother's Day present for Mr P's mum, who loved it and will get lots of wear out of this one. As it was worked in 4ply cotton, it is light and can pretty much be worn all year around.

I wanted to add an extra little touch to it to make it look more professional and created my own label for the scarf, including the care instructions.

I love how this turned out and that I could get some use out of my once beloved border punch again.

But I didn't stop there, oh no - I went whole hog when I came to wrap the whole thing up.

About two years ago I stopped buying pre-printed wrapping paper as I find it too impersonal and quite frankly a waste of money. Then I started using brown packing paper, you get a big roll for a fraction of the price you pay for the glossy printed ones and you have the option to personalise it. 

Usually I would stamp images or greetings onto the paper, but this time I wanted to leave it simple on focus on the embellishment.

I have still a 12 x 12 box jam packed with embroidery floss in all sorts of colours and a few months ago I started to wind them all into little balls, as I thought they would be prefect for smaller crochet projects.

The first thing I tried was this flower

Apart from that little snag you can see at the bottom, it worked out perfectly and I am so pleased with it. For a while it was just sitting on my desk waiting for inspiration to hit me and then I thought I could use it to adorn a gift wrap.

To attach it I crocheted a long chain, wrapped it around the parcel and thread it through the back of the flower.

I left quite a long strand of un-worked thread so I could add some beads to the ends, which I think is a wonderful little touch. As the strands were long enough, all I needed to do after I threaded he beads was to chain a few more loops to secure the beads. 

Easy peasy.

For more inspiring finished projects, head over to Tami's Blog

WIP Wednesday - CTC Cardigan

Yes, yes - I admit it, her highness, the queen of frogging was at it again...

The Vest did not even last two weeks before it was killed off again.

I just cannot bear to have a garment in my wardrobe which bugs me every time I see it. and I knew I would never wear the vest again as I was constantly fidgeting and running past mirrors and my reflection in shop windows at lightening speed - just so I would not have to see how ill fitting it was.

But I digress.

I really, really love the feel of Patons Smoothie DK and it is a dream to work with too. So there was no question that I had to do something with the yarn once it was frogged.

For a number of days, I searched through the Ravelry patterns library and finally found this interesting pattern:

Cuff to Cuff Cardigan

(free download from the Redheart website)

After a week I am almost done and I like how incredibly easy this pattern works

Now, the big question is - will this cardigan survive my CFS (compulsive Frogging Syndrome) or will it measure up to my fickle standards?

Answers on a postcard, please :)

For some more WIP's - which I am sure will not be frogged - check out Tami's Blog and I am also linking to:

Happy Birthday to me

What a  glorious sunny day today is going to be - no wonder, seeing that it is my birthday.

Aside from being woken by a few rays of sun peeping through my window, I have already been spoiled be th wonderful Mr P who knows me so well...

Look what I squealed over this morning

Yup, Mr P chose those three books for me and after the first flick through them I am in heaven :)

Well, I have to admit that I emailed him a wishlist of all the books I marked on Amazon, which were around 20+, but he really chose the ones I had my eye on most.

As for the chocolate, oh man - Galaxy is the best in the world, even better than Nestle and it has become somewhat of a tradition that he gets me a big bar every year. But three bars?? One one of them Cookie Crunch..things that make you go mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmhhh.

I was also so happy to get a card from my long standing online friend Julia - she always remembers my birthday and sends me a handmade card, I feel very blessed.

So, what have I got planned for the rest of my special day?

Actually eat the pizza we had prepared for last night and finish of my wine - I was so knackered yesterday that I struggled to stay up longer then 20:00hrs!!!!

I will also finish up giving our balcony a spring clean - I started yesterday and all that is left now is to start planting new flowers and get rid of the garden waste.

Once that is done we can sit outside for a while and enjoy the sunshine.

Happy Birthyday to me, I am loving this day already

FP - The Flower Scarf

I don't know about you but I collect all me left-over yarns in a big glass container, so I can see in one glance what I have left to play around with. And besides it looks kinda cute, no?

Anyway, the other day I was thinking what I could do with the remaining yarns from The Vest and a shawl (which I have not yet shown). Having collected quite a few e-books with Japanese patterns over the last year I thought why not go for one of those Japanese flower scarves, as they are easy to do. Some kind of instant gratification whenever you have finished one of the flowers.

I love this book, it's jam-packed with so many different designs and ideas.

Image Source

So, I dug deep into my yarn-jar and crocheted this scarf within a few days, it was so much fun to do and I am planning on doing some more in a lace weight cotton.

Pattern: Muffler from Handmade Bead Crochet (out of print but one available HERE)

Yarn: Patons Smoothie DK, Sirdar Click

Hook size: 4mm

Time to complete: Two Days

If you want to see some more finished projects, head over to Tami's Blog

Crochet Art - Inger Carina

Now, if all guns in the world would be like these we wouldn't have any problems, right?

Image Source

Image Source

Would you believe that Inger Carina crocheted these beauties way back in 1998?

And she also created a 1:1 scales TV set complete with VCR and tape - I am in awe!

Image source

Image source

Gift Container Tutorial

Today I would like  to share with you a post I created a year ago...why did it take me so long to share?
Well, it was the first post I created for my DT stint with Donna Salazar Designs but the project was picked up fpr publication before it did go live. So, I had to keep it under wraps until after the magazine had been published.
After a certain amount of time had passed, the timing was never right and other projects were more appropriate to share on the blog, which is why my little container never made it.

The other day I found it again in my drafts and thought it is about time to share it with you all.

**click on image to enlarge **

In addition to your favourite {{Spring In Bloom}} papers and {{Smooch Spritz}} you will need the following tools and products to re-create this project:

• Paper trimmer/scissors/craft knife
• Double-sided adhesive tape
• Paper crimper/scoring board
• Medium sized tag
• Journaling pen in black
• Trims

First, choose the paper for the main body of your container- it really does not matter what the size is, as it depends on how big/wide/tall you would like your container to become. But I would suggest that it should be square as it just looks better that way.

For my example I took the {{One Sheet Wonderful}} paper and simply cut off the gorgeous 8 x 8 piece with the rose cluster.

Flip the paper over and add the double-sided tape to three of the four edges, like this

Then you adhere the edge without adhesive tape to its opposite edge by rolling the paper into a tube - please make sure that you DO NOT press the other two opposite edges with the adhesive strips together just yet.

Now you will have to decide which of the two edges you want to be the one lying horizontal on the surface. As I wanted the rose design to show, I carefully pressed the  bottom bit of the tube downwards - making sure to line the edges together.

After that you can fill your container with whatever you wish to surprise the recipient.

Now you can close the top edge by pressing them together vertical, this is important to achieve the triangle look of the container.

If you like to make this gift container to look even more professional, use either a paper crimper and run the edges through it or, like me, mark score some lines along the edges for a corrugated look. It really adds a "store-bought" touch to your project.

Now you can let your creativity flow and decorate the container to your hearts' desire. I decided to go with the spring theme of the papers and cut the same images which are shown on the container, from the {{In Bloom}} paper. I love that these flowers have a a lacquer surface, which makes them very sturdy. With the help of some adhesive foam squares, I arranged them on top of each other to achieve a raised, decoupage look.

Next, I sprayed a medium sized tag with {{Smooch Spritz}} in Pralines and Cream and added this with the help of some beaded trim to the container.

For the final touch, I hand cut the amazingly gorgeous butterfly from the {{One Sheet Wonderful}} paper and glued it to the top of the container.

So, what do you think? These papers are a dream to work with and you create spring-projects in no time.

Thank you for reading and if you give these containers a go, I hope you link me back to your creation, so I can leave you some lovin'."

Products used:

• Papers - Donna Salazar for GCD Studios:  One Sheet Wonderful * In Bloom
• Inks/Paints/Glue - Donna Salazar for Clearsnap:  Pralines and Cream Smooch Spritz

Additional products: 

unknown trims and tag

Zig Millenium writer in black
Helmar Zap Dots

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FP Friday - The Chakra

I actually finished this chakra neckerchief already in January but totally forgot to take a picture until now.

Some of you may actually recognise the yarn, as I used it before (yup, my usual frogging after completion took place). But as I intend to give this as a gift, this time around it will not be frogged.

The pattern was taken from Inside Crochet, and when I saw this sneaky peek of issue 26 I knew I had to have it just for that poncho. It turned out that this issue was filled with amazing quick to do projects one of which is the neckerchief above.

Pattern: The Chakra Neckerchief

Yarn: Patons Mirage 100g

Hook size: 3.5mm

Time to complete: One evening

See some more finished projects over at Tami's blog

WIP Wednesday - in the sack....

...it goes.

Remember the story of my green cotton yarn and the many attempts I have had of putting it to use? No?

well, then you can read it in detail here.

So, the last status was that I blocked the back and front of the dress, like this

When I was pinning it I already thought "uh-uh", because it looked extremely tiny in the waist area. But not to worry, as I knitted this garment before I just knew that it would be ok.

Fast forward 24 hours.

I started to sew the shoulder pieces together as instructed and figured before I get down to the nitty gritty and sew the sides together, why not quickly put my head through the neck opening and see if it is really as tiny as it looks.

Uhm, yeah it is even tinier than I expected - extremely long but t-i-n-y.

If you are of anorexic barbie measurements then you may have a chance of fitting into the beast.

To say that I am upset is putting it mildly, I am full blown depressed about it because I really don't know what I am doing wrong. When I used the measurements for "L" size it was so big that I drowned in it, so naturally I went for the next size down, which is "M" - which would not even fit me if you cut me in half.

I really don't even want to look at this jinxed yarn right now - I have wasted around £50.00 ($70.00) on it and have nothing to show for.

It appears that all I am able to do properly are scarves and even those look shit to me these days. If I crochet or knit something for someone else, it works out perfect if I do it for myself it looks totally crap.

Like the vest, I finished last week. 

I look ridiculous in it, it's too big at the waist and too tight around my boobs. I will never wear it again and probably give it away, like I always end up doing....

So, right now I am super annoyed and fee like I have wasted time and money on garments that I end up throwing away (well, giving it to the charity shop but I may as well just chuck my money right at them in the future).

Any suggestions at what I can try to knit/crochet that would get my confidence back?

I don't want to do scarves, wraps, afghans, pillow covers, hats or socks because I have more of those than I will ever be able to wear in a lifetime.

I need something that will make me want to pick up hook and needles again.

Leave a comment below and if I decide to go with your suggestion, I will send you a RAK (depending on your preference you will either get papercraft or needlecraft related items).

If you want to see some proper WIP's who don't depress their creators just have a look over at Tami's blog

3rd Annual Knitting & Crochet week

Recently I came across a post about a knitting an crochet week on Barbara's Blog and was intrigued to find out more.

I took the wording straight from Eskimini Makes' blog post as I could not explain it better in my own words:

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week sees crafting bloggers from all over the world simultaneously posting on set daily topics seven days in a row. The topics will be general pointers and jump starts for you to be as creative with your blog posts as you wish, so there is plenty of scope for interpretation and taking your blog posts in exciting directions. There is also a 'wildcard' topic that bloggers can substitute for one of the daily posts which they are having trouble with, or don't fancy (for whatever reason) if needs be.

Now this concept sounds interesting to me and as one can schedule the posts in advance I don't feel overwhelmed at the thought of posting daily for week. I also like the prospect of stumbling over some more interesting crafty blogs.

So, if you fancy taking part, just click on this link to sign up (don't worry, if you change your mind after signing up you can do so)

The Scope - and 20% off...

So, you may recall me stepping down from my DT positions and pretty much staying away from online life, aside form updating this blog, right?

I can now tell you the main reason why - as I have just been put on the wait list to have a total hysterectomy. Am I worried or scared? Nah, not at all I am actually looking forward to it so I can get on with my life and be pain free for the first time since November 2011. Yup, I have been in agony (on and off) for about five months now and look forward to be able to walk again without discomfort.

Don't worry, I am not going into too much detail about the ins and outs of the operation and why it was necessary, as it may turn you off your food :))))

Anyway, I am so relieved I will get this done now as I cannot wait to start my exercises again and to all around be more lively and less miserable (if that is possible...he he). For the past few months I just had no enthusiasm left for anything, I am always in some sort of pain/discomfort and the last thing on my mind was/is to worry about creating cards, scrapbook pages etc. The only things I could just about muster were a few rows of crocheting or knitting - and even that went on occasions for weeks without being touched.

The only thing that narks me a little is the long recovery time - about 6 to 8 weeks of doing nothing....I guess I better stock up on lots of yarns and crochet up a storm.

And because I do not want to finish on a downer, I am happy to say that right now I am having a 20% off sale in my etsy. If you see anything you like, pop it in your basket and during check-out apply the following code: spring20.
This discount will be available until the end of March and there will be more items to be added over the coming days.

FP Friday - The Vest

I can't believe that I have finished the vest so quickly - it was a joy to knit and hopefully this time around I won't only wear it once and frog it again (my usual trick)

The photograph actually does not do the garment justice because it looks totally misshapen hanging there. But it is tailored as it should be, the middle part fits snuggly around the waist and the bottom part is very flowy.

One of these days I may get a picture of me wearing it :)

I am also pleased that I did not go with my initial plan of adding either pink or white buttons to the edge but instead took see through buttons. They do not distract from the overall design and look quite neat, dontcha think?

Pattern:

Alice In Wonderland Duster

Yarn:

Patons Smoothie DK in pale pink - approx 300g

Needles:

5.0 circular

Time to complete:

18 days

WIP Wednesday

It seems that I have so many projects  on the go right now, with a fresh WIP showing every Wednesday but in truth it's just two projects I am working on right now.

While the green tunic is only worked at in the evenings in front of the telly (I can knit without looking at the work but crocheting I have to look and count) this lil' beauty is being hooked on my way to and from work. I mean, I have an hour to kill each way on the ferry, so what better way to make use of the downtime than to crochet away?

You may recall that last November I asked for ideas on what I should do with the Sidar Luxury Soft Yarn I bought eons ago...well, it was difficult to find anything as the yarn is so fine and I never worked with such thin yarn before.

But when I saw this pattern on Ravelry for a Lattice Lace Wrap, I knew this yarn would be perfect for a light summery scarf.

I love how exquisite the lattice pattern looks and it really is not that difficult to do. The only thing that bugs me though is that due to the yarn being thin, it does not grow as quickly as I would like. But on the other hand, the running length of each ball is amazing. I still have one third of the first ball left and look how far I have come:

Of course I need to block this one when its done, but even unblocked it looks so pretty. It's a good thing that have the three lilac balls of yarn to play with as well, so I can make the same scarf for myself, because this one is a present for an unsuspecting wonderful lady :)

See more WIP's over at Tami's blog

Crochet Art - Joana Vasconcelos

Art is a strange thing - what appears to be totally exciting to one person can be so revolting to another and next to religion and politics, I think art divides opinions to an extreme extend. Only difference is that everyone accepts that art is a matter of opinion and happily engages into constructive discussions about it, yet for religion and politics this is never going to  happen.

So, while you will never find me openly blogging about my view on politics and religion, I am more than happy to give my opinion about which art makes my heart jump for joy.

My interest in art mainly restricts itself to painters and I think it has to do with my Dad's love of painting. He pretty much brought me up with the classics of every era and area. While I like Turner, Constable, Van Gogh and Monet my most loved artist ever is Gustav Klimt. His iconic painting The Kiss had me captivated the first time I set eyes on it. It is my favourite painting of all time - why, I don't know but that is the great thing about art: there is no right or wrong, whatever appeals to you is the bees knees :)

Image from: Amazon

I just love that his work is SO different from everything else.

But I digress, I was talking about art in general and lately Crochet Art has recently hooked itself a place in my heart.

I absolutely adore what Joana Vasconcelos creates....it is something I would be excited to have on display in my house, for sure.

Just have a look at some of her gorgeous designs.


Now, wouldn't those be cool as ornaments?

Images taken from: Craftstylish

Fancy a little play?

Image taken from: Womansday