The Golden Hour Cuff - crochet pattern release

 

 

The first cuff of my spring / summer collection bears a lovely name - the golden hour. It is the hour of the day when the light makes the landscape magical. 

I used the color mix from my inspirational board for this one.  

 

The pattern with all its technicalities is in my etsy and ravelry shops. 

 

Minute Crochet Jewelry - Strelizia

 

I made a small batch of minute crochet jewelry for my spring/summer collection and though working with crochet thread and small hooks is extremely straining, I love the looks of lace jewelry made with thread, so the effort put forth was worth the trouble. 

I made these inspired by the Birds of Paradise flower (Strelizia) and there are several variations in both design and colors. 

This set is made of a pair of earrings and a necklace. The crochet elements are glued on decorative trays, which I was reluctant to try at first, but it seems that has worked out beautifully as well. 

 

 

Spring Mood Board

                 (Image credits: Pinterest, The Vaults Cafe, Tina Tarnoff, sfgirlbybay, 1861.ca)

The palette I am inclined to use in my spring projects mostly includes pastels with a dash of solids. I've been also trying to venture more into combining colors I wouldn't normally match together, and let me tell you - it's been fun! 

One such experiment in a shape of a cuff has already been born. It is currently being lavished with lots of beads and sequins, readying itself to be shown to the world. I hope it turns out as I have imagined it {fingers crossed}.

Happy Easter!

 

Happy Easter friends! May you have a joyous day!

Peacock Necklace and Brooch

 

While I was working on the leaves for my Lotus Necklace, I kept thinking that the leaves would be fabulous to serve as peacock feathers. And, as it always happens with me, the idea started gnawing at me, until I let go and tried to put it to a test. And I didn't go wrong there, because I am just in love with these two. 

 

I knew immediately I wanted the all-blue one to be turned into a necklace, and that's why I made it with a DK yarn to make it sturdier, while the green-feathered peacock is made with sport yarn, and the difference is quite noticeable, especially in the part of the feathers, where I  played with different stitch count as well as different positioning of the same. 

However, the pictures do not do them justice - they are much more vibrant in reality, but somehow I couldn't catch that on camera. 

What do you guys think?

 

 

 

Small Yarn Balls Storage Ideas

Working on crochet jewelry mostly composed of flowers, leaves me with a large amount of very small yarn balls. I am talking about tiny balls less than 10 grams. These, as you can imagine, are very difficult to store, so a practical solution that works wonders for me is to store them in glass bottles and jars. That way I always know what colors I have available at hand. 

I store slightly large balls and cakes in wicker baskets I have in several sizes and this cute bamboo chest above I got from my mom.

Looking for ideas on the internet I found this image posted by Shelley of yarn-filled trays  placed one of top of the other and I just love it! This looks like a huge space-saver.

Wool Free also loves to use jars, but she has hers sorted out by colors, while Kristin repurposes egg cartons to stash away her yarn balls. 

 

 

How do you store your small yarn balls?

Free Easter Eggs Crochet Patterns

I love decorating my home for Easter. It is never pretentious, and over- decorated, but subtle and appealing. As a crocheter I like to make egg cozies, which I give away to friends and family, and that is quite my forte. I mean - designing cozies. On the other hand, there was just one instance where I crocheted mini eggs, and that was that. I think you can find that tutorial in the free crochet pattern section below the header. I am simply not into crocheting eggs. However, I love looking at other people's designs of crochet eggs and how they use them to decorate their homes.  

So here, I've selected some that caught my eye on pinterest. Click on the links below the pictures for the free patterns. 

 Chicken eggs by Kristi 

Easter Eggs by Zeens & Roger

Floral Easter Eggs by Emma

Tulip Easter Eggs by Ekte Lykke

Spiral Eggs by Krazy Cabbage

Crochet Covered Eggs by Flax & Twine

If you are interested in egg cozies, you can grab my Easter-related patterns with a 10% discount using the code EASTER at checkout, or just click here for an automatically calculated discount.

Lotus & Rose Necklace Pattern

Hello all! 

This is my latest necklace that I made for my spring collection. I named it a lotus and rose, because I wanted to have both with this necklace design, but somehow didn't end up joining them up, lol! 

The base of a necklace is a cord I named the Celtic braid, and I am extremely satisfied how that one turned out. It has an interesting texture and works as fast as a lightning. I feel I am going to use this cord a lot. 

More about the pattern in my etsy and ravelry shops. 

The Yvette Scarflette - pattern release

Hi lovelies!

Just a quick pop up to tell you I have published the pattern for the Yvette scarflette. It has made quite a stir, which I must say swelled my heart to the point of bursting!! 

This time I used Austermann's Soufle virgin wool in mustard and a 6mm hook. The pattern employs the basic crochet stitches and the beauty of this is that you can make it in an hour. Find the pattern on etsy and ravelry. 

Sakiori - Japanese Weaving Technique

 

                                                                Images via Koron007

Centuries ago, fabric was a rare and precious commodity only the wealthy could afford. So people treasured old and worn-out pieces of clothing to recycle and reuse in order to make new clothes. Thus the sakiori was born.

Sakiori comes from the word "saki" which means to tear up or rip and "ori" which means weave. Recycling old fabric remnants into sakiori weavings follows the Japanese indispensable concept of “mottainai” or not wasting precious cloth that can prolong the fabric’s useful life through recycling and reuse. 

Weaving all these remnants of fabric was immensely hard work back then, however very rewarding and worth the effort as clothing made from repurposed cotton was vastly warmer, softer, and more durable than the rough linens that could be made from Japan’s natural fibers. 

Sakiori was mostly used to make rugs and covers, but also clothes - mostly jackets and vests. Today, the technique is experiencing a resurgence as a "green", ethical and economical art form.

 

                                                                 Image via

Sources I used to write this post:  Sakiori History, Sakiori Weaving, Sakiori Bag.

🍃🌺Happy Spring!🌺🍃

 

🍃🌺Happy Spring!🌺🍃

Yarn Eating Patterns

 Image credits in the links below

 

Textured crochet patterns make all the difference, that's for sure. But they are also excellent yarn eaters. So if you plan on using a textured pattern for your project, you have to carefully calculate how much yarn you need for it, if you don't want to play yarn chicken. However, if you have a lot of yarn in your stash that you want to clear off of your shelves - these are the perfect choice!

I'll start with my current favourites which include the cable and bobble stitch. Next in line is the crocodile and the waffle stitch. More intricate textures: chained shells, chained fans, waves and the larksfoot stitch. There are tons more, depending on the effect you are looking for and are most drawn into. 

So, what's your favourite stitch? 

Crochet Bobble Bunting - pattern release

 

Let me show you my newest bunting! I have long wanted to make little bobbled flags and I am glad I finally made them. They are a kind of an introduction for my spring collection and there is another bunting in the design phase that'll keep this one company.

 

The pattern uses basic stitches with the exception of the spread bobble I used for the odd rows. The flags are not small; they measure 17 x 15 cm, but size can be customized by subtracting the rows. More about the technicalities in  my etsy shop.

 

Crochet Projects for Your Leftover Yarn

Every crocheter faces the same problem. How to use those small balls of leftover yarn, and not simply throw them away. Here I am sharing some free/ paid patterns and ideas how to creatively use leftover yarn. 

I always use them primarily for my jewelry. Such yarn is perfect for some flower rings, necklaces and brooches.

 Also perfect to use to make appliques to beautify old pieces, whether clothes, or accessories. Or maybe add to blankets or cushions.  Try this cacti pattern, gerbera flowers or this idea of glamming up a T-shirt.

 If you love a burst of color, you can mix them up to make granny square blankets, book covers, pom-poms, etc. 

What kind of projects do you use your leftover yarn for?