Back to Basics: Crochet & Wooden beads

 

 

Hello, hello!

Well, this has been a thoroughly exhausting week. My unplanned pause has come to an end (hopefully?) and I hope I can actually finish the gazillion projects I've started this summer. 

One of those projects include a short series I called back to basics. It includes simple necklaces I made in the past  composed of flowers and wooden beads. And I loved making those.

This one was the first to be made. I used the necklace I created with this pattern and played with greeno-bluish and mustard beads. 

Have a happy Saturday!

Insta love - Flor Samoilenco

 

Happy Monday guys! 

Here's another of the inspiring accounts I love following on instagram.

flor.samoilenco is an economist by profession and a crafter by passion. She designs wall hangings with tapestry crochet and intarsia, in which she pours her favorite inspirations: geometric shapes, nature, abstract art and architecture.

"With tapestry crochet or jacquard I found the way of combining crochet with home decor, in a modern and kind of minimalist way that separates from the traditional. 

This technique came to me in a time of my life where I was struggling a lot with anxiety and stress, and it really is amazing how creating something with our hands can help. 

Making something that I love helped me feel better to make decisions that change my life for the better. I decided to leave behind my 9-to-5 job to focus on working freelance on stuff that I actually like doing, anywhere in the world (and I feel incredibly lucky for being able to do this)."

Peacock Feathers Necklace #2

Important: This is an affiliate post. If you buy through any of the links in this post, I will earn a percentage from The Sewing Box Magazine.

The English digital version of the Sewing Box Magazine has already been out and if you missed it - we have a great offer for you. 

For a pack of Sewing Box Magazine, including the newest issue with my Peacock Feathers Necklace pattern, with a discounted price, click here.

I made a slight variation of the Peacock Necklace using ecru thread and I cannot get over how beautiful and vintage looking ecru gives to projects, especially jewelry. When it was finished, I contemplated adding it as a trim to a straw bag and I got all starry -eyed at the image. So, my necklace might be the bag's necklace too :)

The Sewing Box Magazine #8

Crochet Summer Jackets - free patterns

 

 Blossoming Beauty

Ros

In line with my last post, I am sharing some crochet jackets /cardis eye candies - all free patterns. My personal favourites are the first two by Drops Design. They do make fantastic designs. 

Do you make crochet jackets? My grandma used to make us a lot - as soon as one got smaller, she was already chaining a new one - it is a sweet memory to me. I did make jackets for my kids when they were babies and surprisingly -mostly knits, but I haven't made one in ages. Not that I am not tempted, mind you :)

Temptations lurk in every corner....

 

The Alchemy

 

 Boho Duster

 

 The Perfect Spring Sweater

 The Waffle Cardigan

What I Have Pinned Lately #18

 

 Via

  

Via

My pinterest feed has been swarmed with so many gorgeous patterns and ideas, it simply makes me sad I don't have extra hands I could crochet everything I see. It's just so frustrating :P. Is it the same with you??

I still don't want to shake summer off, especially now when the temperatures have dropped to the lower 30s (we had them in the upper 40s Celsius, if you are wondering what I am talking about) and it is actually bearable to go on and about one's day, hence my choice for today - a summer dress and a top, but also summer jacket ideas for the early mornings and late summer evenings. Some are just ideas, for others there are free patterns. 

 

Via

 

Via

 

Via

Do follow me on pinterest if you like the type of crochet I pin.

Casual crochet

 

Here, in my neck of woods, things have been rather slow. 
And I am quite savouring the time. Had a short break with my hooks for some time and the time spent working on other things, brainstorming ideas and jotting them down, letting them evolve has been kind of recuperating.  

But as it happens, the crochet kitchen never really closes  and often the door is left slightly ajar as it did with this earrings and bracelet set I casually worked on trying to shape up some ideas I had. For this set I used my newly acquired shiny bead collection and I cannot wait to use them in my new projects!

 

Embroidered Memories - Cécile Davidovici

 

 I found out about Cécile  Davidovici quite by accident (or maybe it wasn't?) through this video and her heartfelt story captivated me in an instant. 

Cécile writes and directs movies with which she explores the link between innocence and illusion. "After her mother's death, she felt a need to replace images and sound with tangible, touchable materials. She found that a new medium allowed her to anchor herself in the moment: textiles. The stories of innocence and illusions remained, now tinted with irrepressible nostalgia, and with a desire to capture memories and to immortalize past moments." 

I wish I could transfer my old childhood photographs onto a canvas and paint my memories with colorful thread like this! 

More of  Cécile's genius here.

Bohemian Earring Hoops

Hello and happy Friday! 
I am so ready for the weekend and nothing is really planned, but I expect it to be a truly relaxing one!

Before I sign off, let me show you my latest project. I bought these metal earrings just to have them adorned with either crochet or fabric flowers - as you actually see them here - but when they were done, I tried them on and they are a little bulky and heavy so I am thinking a hanging decoration maybe? Any ideas? I have several more of these hoops and am quite hooked on making more of these.  

 

Tropical Paradise Flowers - Mural Inspired Challenge

 

A lower platform of Skopje's oldest mall has a long wall given to artists to paint and it has about 7-10 murals (not quite sure because I didn't take pictures of them all),  all of them are amazing.

Stored on my phone, once in a  while I browse through them for inspiration, so I got the idea to use the color work of the mural below and make something in crochet and voila! My new necklace.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on it, especially designing the flowers and I have a feeling that these will not be the only ones. And because I am easily hooked on inspiration like this one, I am sure there will be more mural challenges for me.

 

           

The Most Popular Posts this August

 Bohemian Clutch             Crochet Flower Bookmarks               Frida Kahlo Brooch

 Crochet Shells Necklace Video         Crochet Flower Inset

Brigitte Top          Margarita Barefoot Sandals

This month has been quite exciting in terms of new loves and follows, so to all new followers, welcome and I hope you have fun browsing through my world. 

This month the most popular posts.

Ariel Bikini Top - free crochet pattern

 

When I picked this cobalt green yarn to make my shell necklaces  I brainstormed ideas of what else I could make with it because I didn't see it in an autumn-y/ winter-y setting, and seeing it solely as a summer color I thought of the beach and cue: a bikini top. Below you have the pattern, so you can make it too!

 

The bikini top fits sizes S & M. 

The triangles measure:  17.5cm (6.9") center down and 17 cm (6.7") at the widest point across.

Yarn: 30 grams of sport yarn

Hook: 1.9mm

Pattern:

ch6 and join to make a ring.

Rnd 1: in ring, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc)and make a 2dc cluster, ch1 and make 3dc cluster. Repeat this pattern 4 more times. End it by ch1 and sl st into the 1st st.

Rnd 2: ch 4 and sc1 in the ch-space between clusters. Repeat this pattern around. Sl st the last chain into the very first one to end round. 

Rnd 3: In first chain, ch3 and dc2,ch3 and then dc3 (in the same chain). Repeat this pattern (dc3, ch3, dc3) for all the chains. Sl st 3 x to get to the first chain for the next round.

Rnd 4: In 1st chain - ch 4(counts as 1st tr) and tr2, ch 2 and tr3. Next ch2 and dc1 in between the first neighboring clusters, ch3 and hdc1 in the ch-space between the next cluster, ch 3  and dc1 between the second neighboring clusters, ch 2 and in the next ch-space tr3, ch2, tr3. One side is made. Two more. The treble shells mark the points of the triangle, so from the second treble shell repeat the above pattern to make the two remaining sides. Sl st to end rnd.

Rnd 5: Sl st 3 x to get to the first chain for the next round.

In 1st chain, ch3 and dc2, ch2 and dc3. Next, ch2 and in next ch-space dc4, dc3 in next 2 chains, dc4 in the next. Ch 2 and make the dc3, ch 2, dc3 shell for the point. Repeat this pattern for the other two sides. Sl st to end the rnd.

Rnd 6: sl st to get to the ch-space of 1st triangle point, ch4 and sc1 in that same chain, ch 5 and sc in 1st chain, ch5 and sc between two sets of dcs we made in previous rounds. Repeat chaining pattern until you get to the second triangle point where in that chain you ch4 and sc1 in same chain. Repeat the whole above pattern for other two sides. Sl st in very first chain you made (1st triangle point).

Rnd 7:  In 1st chain (1st triangle point), ch3 and dc2, ch2 and dc3. Next dc3 in first ch-space, dc5 in next, dc3 in next 2 chains, dc5 in next ch and dc3 in last one of the side. From here fill in the second triangle point with this pattern: dc3, ch2, dc3. Repeat the above pattern for the other two sides. Sl st to end round. 

Rnd 8: sl st 3x to get to the ch-space of 1st triangle point, ch4 and sc1 in that same chain, ch 3 and sc between 2 sets of dcs you made in previous rounds 2 x, ch5 and sc between 2 sets (b2s for short), ch3, sc b2s, 2x, ch5 and sc b2s, ch3 and sc b2s, then ch3 and sc in the second triangle point where you ch4 and sc in that same chain. From here to the end, repeat the above chaining pattern for the other two sides. Sl st in the 1st triangle point chain. 

Rnd 9:  ch5 and sc in 3rd st to make a picot, then sc in the same ch-space. ch2+3 (make the picot) ch 2 and sc in the next chain. Repeat this chain picot making to complete the round. Triangle made.

Ties: size optional to fit maker / wearer.

For the upper ties I chained 100. Sew the ties on both bra cups individually. For the body chain I chained around 230 and slid the ties between each and every chain of round 8. Block and it is ready to be worn. 

Repeat rnds 6-9 to make size L. 

Brigitte Crochet Top - pattern release

 

Dear lovelies,

We have a new pattern in the shop.

It's called Brigitte Top and it is a vintage inspired top for my 1950s collection. 

Technicalia

The Brigitte Top is crocheted lengthwise in the shape of a rectangle bodice that closes up front with buttons. With the given width, the pattern fits sizes XS, S & M.

Supplies:
*250 gr of DK yarn and a 3.00 mm hook
* tapestry needle for sewing the ends

Optional: the buttons for this top are crocheted (instructions given below), but you can use any kind of buttons you like. The button loops are customizable. Button and closure ideas given as option.

Stitches: chain (ch), chain space (ch-space), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc), double crochet 2 together (dc2tog), double crochet (dc), double crochet cluster (dc2 cluster), picot.
American terminology used.

Measurements of finished top: 76 cm /30” in length and 25 cm /9.84” in width. The straps’ pattern is such that allows the straps to be made according to maker’s measurements. 

Find it on Etsy & Ravelry.