Friday 23 January 2015

Pinkefeller Shawl by Stephen West









Details
Pattern Rockefeller by Stephen West

Needle US 2½ - 3.0 mm

Yarn 
Malabrigo Sock, Natural
Manos Del Uruguay Alegria, A9452 
Artesano Alpaca Silk 4ply, Cyclamen 5225

Difficulty Medium

Pattern review
I adore the designs of Stephen West, they have a modern, funky and fresh feel to them. 
This shawl is knitted in four parts, this keeps the pattern interesting to knit. You will have to follow the instructions each time you start a new part of the pattern, but it will only take you a few rows before you get the hang of it. I was able to knit big parts while watching some of my favorite shows. It is a great way to learn short rows and slipped stitches. 

The pattern says you need 450yds / 411m of colour A (the white) and 505yds / 462m colour B (the pink/rainbow). I only had 445yds and 407m of the pink/rainbow Manos del Uruguay, so I run out. I should have bought two skeins when I had the chance, since my favorite yarnstore run out when I wanted another skein later on. Lesson learned, don't be stingy when buying yarn! 

I loved, loved, loved knitting this one! I highly recommend buying this pattern (if you didn't already). The shawl looks complicated, but it really isn't. I don't think it is a beginner project, but if you have knit some simple projects you can definitely give this one a try.



Tuesday 20 January 2015

Love




I love these two fellows

I love mixing crafts

I love splashing paint

For this layout splashed some watercolor paint on white cardstock, stacked some scraps of paper, some handwriting and some knitted letters. 

The knitted letters are made by knitting an I-cord around some wire, it was so easy!




Saturday 17 January 2015

DIY Gift Booklet: Turning a gift card into something special:


Sometimes it is hard to think of a gift for a friend or relative. A gift card is always a safe option, but a bit boring in my opinion. So here is a tutorial to turn the gift card into a cute little present. 

DIY Gift Booklet


Supplies:

envelopes
scissor
adhesive
cardboard
some thread or yarn
small goodies
gift card or money

some tea or other hot beverage to keep you hydrated, one of my favorites is Turkish Apple flavour. 


Optional:

Pretty papers
Two pompoms




Step one

Adhere the pretty papers to the cardboard and fold the cardboard with paper in two. Make sure the folded cardboard is slighty bigger than your envelopes.



Step two

Cut of all the flaps of the envelopes. The envelopes will be the pockets, so the more tiny gifts you have the more envelopes you will need. Stack all the cut envelopes together and adhere them down. Also glue them to the folded cadrboard. 



Step Three

Put a goodie in every pocket. You can put all kinds of goodies in your present, pictures, samples of beauty products, candy. Just make sure the goodies are flat so the booklet won't be too bulky. Don´t forget to put in the giftcard ;-).



Final step

Tie some thread, yarn of in this case the pompoms around it to keep everything in place and you´re done! 


Have fun making and gifting!

Thursday 15 January 2015

Jacobus the knitted monkey


Meet Jacobus

He is a bit shy



Details
Pattern Monkey Jacobus by Anita Wildschut
Needle US 2½ - 3.0 mm
Colorway 747
Difficulty hard

Pattern review
I’m a TV-knitter, this is not a pattern you can knit while watching your favorite show...well at least I can't. 


I struggled, although the pattern is very clear and it comes with pictures to help you. Just follow every step in the pattern and you’ll be fine in the end. The result is stunning! 



I might make another one….one day….not too soon though :-P.
I made the tail a bit longer and to get a nice curl, I added a pipe cleaner.

This little monkey was a gift for a little baby girl and she is very fond of him. I think it makes a perfect gender neutral gift. 



Wednesday 14 January 2015

January Flowers


My New Year's resolutions is to buy flowers every first week of the month. 

They smell nice

They look pretty 

They make me happy

I ask my florist to make a small bouquet, she is an artist with flowers! These are the ones bought at the beginning of January, can't wait for February!

Tuesday 13 January 2015

Time for a change



Yes

It has been a while. 

You might have missed me or maybe you did not notice my absence. 

I´ve been living life, offline. 


I had other priorities (work, friends, family) and I didn't feel like writing anymore. 
So, eventually I left. 

However, I´m back. 

I feel the need to write again, to share my thoughts with the crafty community.  Although my interests have shifted a bit. 

I still knit and crochet, oh I still love it dearly. But knitting is not the only craft I practice, therefore you will see all kinds of topics on the blog. No limits to what ´should´ be on the blog, just what I want to write about. 

knitting, photography, crochet, drawing, scrapbooking, sewing, cooking

The blog will be my crafty journal, my creative outlet. 

Join me on this journey if you feel inspired, unleash your inner artist. 

Hope to see you around blogland!