Brontë Crochet Cuff

 

When I finished this top I was left with a considerable amount of yarn which I was eager to try with other projects. So far I made a head / neck scarf, a necklace and this cuff. 

I drafted  a new cuff design, with small ruffles and was quite excited to see what it would look like with this shiny, mercerized yarn, which was divine to work with. 

I bought it on our last trip to Istanbul, along with a light blue one, and now I want to kick myself in the rear for not buying more of the same yarn. I cannot even remember if there were other colors, and it's better that I don't, because I would be even more disappointed. However, we plan to go back to Istanbul in the future (hopefully the pandemic will be over by then) and I know what shop will be on my priority list :)

 

Crochet Lavender Sachets

 

My MIL has lavender in her garden and this year I harvested some to use for cooking and beauty products. There is an interesting article about using lavender here. 

I have plain cotton lavender sachets that I use in my wardrobes, and wanted to replace them with "posh" ones, so I crocheted these. I love how they turned out, so now I am thinking of making a couple more for my dainty earrings. 

Eva Flower Top - Crochet Pattern

I am excited to show you my newest patter for a floral top. It's something I had immense pleasure working on, starting from the top pattern to the flower ensemble. Looking at it  makes my heart jump. 

Everything about it is feminine and romantic, with a hint of a vintage feel. 

The pattern is in my shop with more technicalities: etsy, ravelry, lovecrafts.

 

 

Summer Boho Bag

 

This is the result of my newest adventure with T-shirt yarn and a second  time making a bag with it, because honestly, I  don't want to make rugs or bowls, and I have already made cushions and bags. 

The gift pattern for this bag was included in my latest newsletter, which was sent out yesterday, so if you are a subscriber, check your mail, please :)

My next newsletter will be on the last Friday of August. 

So long! 

Expressing Myself Through Crafts

 

The Tuscan Window Bag

LoveCrafts had a challenge for indie designers, asking how they express themselves through crafts.

I was raised in a household where traditions were deeply rooted and respected, hence handiwork was always highly appreciated, praised and practiced. The women in my family were all dedicated to creating things for the family, whether out of pure necessity or just for the mere pleasure of decoration: knitted sweaters, hats and shawls, crocheted tablecloths doilies and runners, sewn clothes. I was always entwined in this natural process of creation and encouraged to practice and develop my skills. 

Hence, expressing through crafts has been omnipresent and came naturally when I grew older, trying to preserve all those childhood memories of indulging into all sorts of crafts, which eventually paved the way to create a handmade, inspirational life for me and my family.   By treasuring crafts, I not only reinforce the bond I shared with my predecessors, successfully keeping it from the tooth of time, but at the same time, make a warm and cozy nest for my family, employing my skills.

In time, crochet has become a steady and strong constant that magically turned into a small business. I love creating jewelry, accessories and little pieces of clothing, as well as home decor. I am happy to be able to share my skills with the people who enjoy crochet as much as I do, and that love to make things that I design. 

I am forever grateful for that.

Brigitte Top

Bohemian Flower Necklace

 

Floral Banners

Doily & Lace Necklaces Inspiration

 

Via

 I recently acquired a large amount of lace and doilies, which I have a soft spot for, and understandably, not failing my inner urge, I started looking for ideas how to repurpose them. I have made doily necklaces before - you'll find them at the end of this post, but first let me show you what I have found on the Internet. So many lovely ideas. Some of these are DIY tutorials, so click the links under the photos, if you are interested.

 

 Via

 

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Both of these Via

 

 

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A Bubble Dress into a Yarn Bag - repurpose project

 

  

I am always in a search for a good piece I can refashion, or use a piece of fabric to make flowers for my projects, so I've asked family and friends to consult me about interesting clothing / fabric before throwing them out, and so it happened that I received this bubble dress.

The minute I saw it, I knew it would make a perfect bag for my crochet goodies. Whenever, we go on a trip, I always carry my ongoing crochet projects with me, and I thought this one would be great to carry everything I need.

What I did: I cut off the upper panel and sew that part up. Turned the bag upside-down, so the bottom came up, made a hole on the other end so that I can pull the straps on the other side as well. And lastly, I sewed flowers to decorate it. 

We are going on a trip soon, and I cannot wait to see how and if this would be practical.

 

Puff Roses Necklace and Earrings - free pattern

I am working on a beige summer blouse that has an intricate pattern, plus it is decorated with flowers, so I thought a minuscule jewelry would be appropriate (if I am not mistaken), one that would not be overly dominating, but still effective, so I made these puff roses. They are quite tiny (see last picture), but immensely beautiful as such.

I documented the process, so you can make them if they catch your eye. 

Supplies:

*crochet thread #5 in 3 colors

* 1.70 mm hook 

* pearl beads, jump rings, earring hooks, metal chain, lobster clasp.

Puff Rose Pattern:

 

Foundation and round 1: Ch5 and join to make a ring. Sc4 in ring, then sl st in 1st to make the 5th stitch. 

Round 2: ch1 and make a 5dc puff, ch1 and sl st in the next st. Repeat this pattern for all the stitches.When done, leave a long tail that you'll use to sew on the bead and the neighboring flower.

 

Make 3 flowers in all of the 3 colors. Sew on the beads. Work on the arrangement of colors and then sew the flowers together at the back. 

Add jump rings in the center of the set you want for earrings and attach an earring hook. I added a small chain to the bottom of my earrings to make them more interesting, and because I thought they were too bare. I tried adding a bead(s), but it appeared to bulky, and I didn't like how it looked. Attach jump rings on a chain at the side of flowers for the necklace. 

 

Perfect, aren't they? The right thing to make as a last minute gift. 

Vintage Crochet Inspiration

Via

From today's perspective, I feel a bit sad I didn't urge my grandma to teach me make lace crochet blouses. Not that she made any, but that woman had a incredible brain and I believe she could whip up one just by looking at it. At least that is what she did when she set up on making some intricate tablecloths there was no pattern of. 

She did made me a ton of woolen sweaters though and a couple of dresses, because those were quite popular when I was a teenager. I developed my love for lace crochet blouses in my twenties, when my style started to shape up and I have retained that love for them ever since. 

For this post I selected several pieces that make me swoon every time I revisit my boards on pinterest.

Do you like vintage crochet? What in particular? 

 Via

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Scarlet Beaded Necklace

 

Happy Saturday! I started with the beading process on my freeform necklaces and this is the first one to be finished. Rushing to have it done, I forgot to take the before photo, but in the end, it is the final result that counts. 

Meet Scarlet. I used my favourite 3-color palette for this and different shaped beads to accentuate the pattern play and flow. Beading was painfully slow, but truly relaxing. Just what I needed after a heavy week on my shoulders. 

Until later!    

Summer Headbands - crochet pattern release

 

I am currently elbow deep in creating a summer collection that consists of crochet accessories, jewelry and garments and these lovely summer headbands are a small part of it. 

There are 3 patterns I just added in the shop: the bobble, crown and ladder headbands. I love them all dearly, but somehow the bobble headband managed to steal my heart. 

We plan a little photo-shoot when we have everything ready, and honestly, I cannot wait for it!

The pattern is here. 

Lace Crochet - Origin & Short History

 

The sole mention of lace crochet makes my heart skip a beat. As a sworn lover, I find it wondrous and beautiful to look at and wear, with intricate, versatile and fragile designs that breathe out a notion of the past.  

There are two theories about its origin:  it originated in Arabia, spread eastward to Tibet and westward to Spain, from where it followed the Arab trade routes to other Mediterranean countries, and the second is that it comes South America, where a primitive tribe was said to have used crochet adornments in rites of puberty. 

It appeared in Europe in the 1700s, in the hands of Ursuline nuns who had learned the technique in France, where it had developed as a shortcut for making Venetian point needle lace. More about the history of crochet here.

The most famous and prominent type of lace crochet is Irish crochet.  Irish Crochet Lace was traditionally made with a very fine steel crochet hook and fine crochet linen thread, though modern Irish Crochet lace is made with mercerized thread. More on Irish crochet here.

I have used lace crochet for many of my jewelries, accessories and my halter tops, and now I am on a mission to start making more elaborate garments. 

The two pictures show my use of lace crochet. The tablecloth is a dear heirloom. My grandma made it for me - she actually made two of these with different designs and this one is simpler in appearance, with a plain surface and enriched border. This type of crochet is called filet crochet - something she was immensely masterful at.  

What type of crochet are you most attracted to?