This is how I keep Lauri's hair accessories

Lauri has so many hair accessories. At first I kept them in my dressing table drawer. I used empty glass container of baby foods to organize them, but they were too many that most of the time I could not really see what was inside, so in the end Lauri kept wearing the same hair accessories day after day.

A week ago, I decided to use different method. I hang several of long ribbons and just display all the accecories there according to the color (I put them inside the door of the cupboard). For the cruchies, I just tied together in the end of the ribbon. This way, I can see directly what I have without have to waste my time digging my drawer.

My Pin Cushion

This pin cushion is made by my auntie (my father’s little sister), given to me the last time I went back home. She is the one who taught me how to do embroidery.

I could do embroidery very well when I was only 7 years. I used to go to her house during school holidays (it’s my grandparents house, actually and she still stayed there because she hasn’t married yet), and we spent hours together to do embroidery.

I normally did a bouquet of flowers on the corner of handkerchief. At that time, nobody bring tissue at school. We brought handkerchief. And I would proudly use mine, knowing that I did the embroidery myself. Too bad that I lost all my handkerchiefs.

Bouncy Cow and Raindeer

Both were having a blast riding it.

Using Lauri's Drawing to Decorate the Wall

Lauri likes to draw. Most of the time, I don’t collect her drawing. I only keep if I found it interesting or unusual.

Did I tell you before that my house was full of clutter? I did? OK then. It is still full of clutter now. There was this small divan + matrys under the staircase and we just dumped everything on top of them. My eyes hurt every time I passed that section, and I passed many times a day. So, I decided to clear the stuff and turned the place to become some sort of resting or relaxing space.

I put “Tulip Medallion in Pond” by Denyse Schmidt fabric to cover the matrys and put some matching patchwork pillows on it.


Since the wall quite empty, I decided to put some pictures. Then suddenly, I got an idea, why don’t I use Lauri’s drawings? I gave her a piece of paper and asked her to draw something on it, then I framed it using the IKEA frame.

Awwwwww...... Isn't this cute? She said they are: Mama, Fiori, Me and Papa

She even put some gathering on my skirt

Since her drawing turned out too small, I decided to put some “inner frame” using the same matching fabric.


Hmmmm! Actually not bad. I will ask her to do more drawings :)

Red Patchwork

About 2 or 3months ago, I was addicted bidding cotton fabric for patchwork in ebay. Then I lost interest with them when they were arrived. Only about 1 week before Chinese New Year, I decided to make cushion covers. I picked red as my main color as Chinese consider red a lucky colour. Mainly, I used Henry Glass (Polly goes to Paris) and Jennifer Paganelli (Sis Boom Basic) fabrics (correct me if I was wrong).

I was planning to make about 3 cushion covers, but because both my girls down with flu, I didn’t manage to get them done. Nevertheless, I managed to finish 1 pillow case.

Ta daa...!!

Who said you can only wear one watch?

When Other People Made Your Pattern .....

I want to show you something that made my heart leaped with joy.

Ta..daaa.....

I saw this FO (Ravelry link) yesterday in Ravelry. It looks soo nice and soooo familiar. Guess what? It’s my Dahlia! YUP! Isn’t it so gorgeous? When I read her note, I got a goose bump all over my body. She called me genius! Hahahahaha! Me… Genius…. I could not pass through the door after that due the size of my head.

But seriously, when I read how she did the color change, I was amazed. Because of wanted to avoid cutting and re-attaching yarn (to avoid ends), she used 11 balls of yarn simultaneously, and she even managed to create her own “devise” to be able to do that.

See what I mean? She really put a lot of work into this project.

Lets see some details, shall we.....

Sighhhhhh!!! (I am very happy, can you tell?)

Edited to Add:

Although I managed to sell quite many of my Dahlia Top pattern, I only saw a handful of FOs. Some people even complain about the complexity of this pattern. I guess not everybody like to do math before they even begin, which is a must since you can make this pattern using any yarn or hook, so you have to know your own gauge and based on that gauge and your body measurement, you calculate the number of beginning chain you have to crochet.

Someday, I want to make Dahlia again using DK or even worsted yarn, just to show how it looks like, because I know not everybody like to work with thread or fingering yarn.

Girls in Pink

This year Chinese New Year falls on the same date as Valentine’s, so it’s only appropriate if we were wearing pink color outfits to go visiting.

By the way, did you notice my pink crocheted bolero? It’s a sneak peak of my new design. I still haven’t got the time to do a proper photo shoot. I love this bolero, it’s easy to make and very fast. Only need about 10 hours to make. Actually I have made 3 boleros so far: green, purple and pink. I will post them as soon as I manage to take the photos.

Fiori drinking tea while visiting


Lauri was happily playing fireworks

Fiori was crying because she was not allowed to play fireworks

What are they pointing at?

Quick update: Last week my girls down with flu. Now it's my turn to have it. I am so lazy to download my new project, so here old photos of my darlings.

Happy Chinese New Year to you all who celebrate!!

FO: Garden Path Crocheted Shawl

This is actually 2009 project (read my previous post about this project) but I just finished writing the pattern today. I am really exciting about this project. It had a very difficult start but in the end it is really worth all the trouble. I made 2 versions, one is larger than the other. This is the smaller or scarf version.

Pattern: Garden Path Crocheted Shawl

Source: It will be ready next month (I hope)

Materials: Miami Four Season 100% Cotto. Color 18 (blue) dyelot 203

Qty: 2 x 50 gram (110 m/120 yards per ball) I split the yarn into 3, so total I have 720 yards

Needles: Clover Hook size 3.5 (E)

Start Date: 2 December 2009

Finish Date: 17 December 2009

As usual I need testers for this. I need tester for the scarf version and also for the shawl version. I need tester that able to follow the written instruction only. Although the final pattern will have the nice diagram as always, I want to make sure that people can understand my written instruction. To tell you the truth, I actually can not understand my own written instruction, so I really need testers that ready to have headache.

Anybody????

Update:

I forgot to tell you the finished size.

Scarf: 47" across top edge, 23" long from centre top to point

Shawl: 84" across top edge, 40" long from centre top to point

And please let me know your email address so I can contact you.

Update:

I have enough testers.

FO: Sage Cardigan New Version

Probably you are wondering what had happened with my Sage Cardigan new version. Well.... It’s finished and I really like the result. However, it is a bit bigger than what I wanted it to be. It’s totally my fault that I didn’t do a swatch first. This yarn is very stiff and it hurt my hand when I knit with it, but once washed, it relaxed a lot and became very soft.

Below is the photo before washing. What do you think?

Pattern: Sage cardigan new version

Source: Will be released soon

Materials: Ella Rae Shibu 90% silk 10% viscose Color 20 dyelot 46

Qty: 10 x 50 gram (95 m / 205 yards per ball)

Needles: Addi Metal Circular Needle 4.00 mm

Cost: Yarn USD 39.99 + button (recycle button)

Start Date: 14 Oct 2009

Finish Date: 22 Nov 2009

Sisters Time

Fiory is on copy cat stage. Everything Lauri does, she also wants to do it. Lauri slept on the floor, she also wanted to sleep on the floor. Lauri hugged me, she also wanted to hug me. Lauri climbed the chair, she also wanted that. The lists are still go on.

Lauri Drew This for Papa

Sneak Peak of My New Crocheted Shawl

Somewhere in mid November, while I was working on my Sage Cardigan New Version, I got the urge to make a shawl. Probably because I saw lots of gorgeous shawls in Ravelry (mostly knit). So I decided to design my own shawl, but crocheted version. I thought it would be easy, just open my crochet stitch dictionary book and choose the stitch that I like. Turn out that it didn’t as easy as I thought. I started many times and frogged too many times. My mind spinned with lots of ideas, but somehow when I crocheted the idea, it didn’t look good. I got many sleepless nights before finally I got the design that I like and satisfied with the result.

Now, I am making 2 versions of this shawl. One is scarf (smaller) and one is a shawl (bigger). I started the bigger version shawl using my Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18 - Cone Black color held double. Halfway, I decided to put bead on it, so I ordered glass beads from ebay. While waiting for the beads to come, I started the scarf version. For the scarf version, I was using my leftover yarn of my crocheted blue top. It’s a DK cotton yarn, but I splitted into 3. I started 2 December and finished 17 December. I could finish it in a week, but putting the beads (I used local plastic beads) really took time.

I haven’t writen the pattern for this, so for temporary I just give you a sneak peak.

My Butterfly Fairy

..... wishes you

A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Lauri's Second Stage Performance

Time flies very fast. It's end of the year already. Like last year, Lauri was performing in the school annual concert. If you click on the link, you can see how different they were compare with now.

Fiori was busy reading the program

No-Seaming Crocheted Flower Pattern for Sale

Like the name, this crocheted flower required no seaming at all. You work in continues motion. Perfect for stash busting or last minute gift. It only takes less than 1 hour to make. This lovely flower is perfect for a brooch, bracelet, hair pin, hair crunchy, etc. Your imagination is the limit.
This pattern comes with row-by-row written direction in US crochet term and photo tutorials but no chart.

Material: DK weight yarn
Hook: 3.5 mm (E)
Finished Size Diameter: 10 cm or 4 inch
Level: Easy
Yarn requirement: 1 ball or skein can make about 3 pcs.
Notion: button (optional).
Other Posts and photos about this project: Here

How To Buy:Pattern is a full colour, 4 pages in PDF. Complete with step by step photo tutorials.
Payment by Paypal and delivery by Ravelry, no accounts required. Credit cards accepted.

USD 1.75,-
add to cart

Handmade Gift Ideas

When people know that you are good in knitting and crocheting, they expect you give something handmade to them. They don't know how much times and efforts that goes into handmade stuffs. Sometimes they even think that handmade stuffs is given because it is cheaper than buying in the store. This is one of the reasons why I don’t give people my handmade stuffs. I only make things for people than really appreciate my creation.

Anyway, yesterday I created this gorgeous crocheted flower that can be made in less than an hour, so it's perfect for gift as well. This flower required no seaming at all. I used my leftover yarn from my Orchid top and the button is a button from my old dress. The result is about 4" or 10 cm in diameter. I plan to make this for necklace, belt, and pin as well. Yesterday, when I wore this as a bracelet, a lot of people complimented it.

Pattern: No-Seaming Crocheted Flower
Source: Here
Materials: Elann Sonata. Color: Victorian Grape
Qty: 1 ball to make 2 or 3 pcs
Needles: Clover Hook size 3.5 (E)
Start Date: 14 December 2009
Finish Date: 14 December 2009

I Want to Play too.....

Said Fiori to her sister. She could not wait to play the drum and tried hard to get down from her stroller. Nowadays, Fiori always copy whatever Lauri did.

My Knitting Needles

I love Addi knitting needle. I can only enjoy knitting if my needle is Addi. Of course I haven’t tried other needles, but why waste my money to buy other needles since I love the one that I have (unless it’s free, of course). Here were the sizes of Addi needles that I had: Lace addi 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 mm and for Addi Turbo 3.25 (2 pcs), 3.5, 3.75 mm.

If you notice, the biggest size that I had is 4.00 mm and it’s Addi Lace. Thus, all these time when I knit to use size 4.00 mm, I had to use my lace needle, although I was not knitting lace project, but I was not complaining, until recently.



Recently I started new knitting project (Sage New Version). This time I am knitting with worsted weight yarn that split a lot and knitting with sharp point needles (Addi lace is sharper) was not a good idea. So, I decided to buy bigger sizes of Addi Turbo from ebay. After hunting around for a week, finally I found a seller that selling 6 pairs of Addi turbo (you can choose the size of your needle and the length of the cord) for total USD30.98 and this is including shipping cost! I bought sizes 4.00, 4.50, 5.00, 5.50, 6.00 and 6.50 mm with 32” cable. I got my needles already and very satisfied. I know that buying from ebay means I don’t have the lifetime warranty. But, what is the chance you break your Addi?


To tell you the truth, I was tempted to buy Addi Click Interchangeable needles. But, beside the expensive price, I was also afraid that I got the set that doesn’t have the perfect connection (I read that some people experienced sponteneous click off while knitting using Addi click). Where should I return it? Not to mention the shipping cost and the hazzle that I have to go through. Sooooo, to be in the safe side, just “normal” Addi for me. I normally work 1 project at a time anyway.

I Need Tester!

As you are aware that I always writing my pattern using 2 weight yarns, fingering/4 ply/sport and DK weight. The reason is because I always enjoy to knit using thinner yarn, but understand that most of people don’t. One exception is my Sage Cardigan Pattern. This is my first pattern and the only pattern that is not written in 2 different weight yarn and not a top down pattern. Thus, I decided to redesign something similar like Sage Cardigan, but knitting using the top down method, and this time I use worsted weight yarn, Ella Rae Shibu. It’s 90% silk and 10% viscose. It feels soft and has a tweedy look.


This yarn frustrated me at first, because it splits and feels hard in my hand. Knitting it with Addi lace needle make it worst. I am a tight knitter and the stitches could not glide easily in Addi Lace needle. At one time, I made a mistake that required me to frog about 2 balls worth of knitting, and decided it was not worth the effort and ready to move on to another new project. However, before flushing this project to the drain, I went to Ravelry and see what other peoples said about this yarn, and what they made. Surprisingly they all like this yarn and I saw a lot of stunning sweaters made of this yarn, so I decided to continue and bought 4.00 mm Addi Turbo.

I am not disappointed with my decision. I just love the result so far. Just another sleeve and the collar to finish. Anyway, I need testers again. This time I wrote my pattern for 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60” bust. I started to knit on 14 Oct and it’s almost finish now, so this is a relatively a quick project.

Anybody interested to test this pattern email me or leave a comment here. Don’t forget to tell me what size you want to test. As usual I can not afford to pay you with money or yarn but I will give you the final version of this pattern and another of my pattern of your choice. Thanks!