Crochet and Other Stuff

Crochet recycled materials...

2012-02-29T18:07:00.005-08:00

I'm amazed that around the world resourceful women (and men) have found various ways of using what others call trash, for crocheting items that will become useful and saleable.
Here are some examples:
1. Plastic bags - Some have made a profit or found it rewarding to crochet using yarn made from plastic bags. (Crocheters named this material as plarn.) Washing, drying and cutting the discarded plastic bags to be used as yarn is a tedious process, but the material is free and its everywhere. A local group here in the Philippines, with the help of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers were able to have a sustainable income crocheting bags and other accessories from discarded plastic bags.

2. Another group of women here in the Philippines with the help of Ann Wizer, crochet with recycled plastic bags.

3. A crochet designer in the Philippines, Moira, started designing and publishing patterns without investing in yarn. She used plarn for most of her initial works and her resourcefulness and creativity paid off with lots of viewership online, earning her income from publishing.

4. Crocheting with Pop-tabs from aluminum cans? I've seen some samples of this, on T.V... I have seen finished items in the mall, and its a bit expensive.

5. There's this Italian artist who knits and crochets yarn made from newspaper! Though it is hard to imagine wearing the items made from newspaper, it can be preserved as a work of art. Maybe we should experiment on this sometime, as we can easily get some old newspapers. I think making them into balls of "yarn" in itself can become a hobby ;)
Here are some of Ivano Vitali's recycled yarn:

6. T-shirt or fabric yarn is a more popular recycled material for knitting and crocheting, since it is easier on the hands and the resulting items are very practical to use. There are some tutorials in making t-shirt, sweater or fabric into yarns and various projects to make or to get inspiration from.
I've started experimenting on this, with an old shirt, an old dress, and a fabric scarf that I don't use. Cutting the material into yarn is harder than crocheting it...
This is a 26-inch square scarf, I don't know what the fabric is made of. It frays a lot and will be a bit similar to fur yarn.

This other recycled yarn I'm getting from an old skirt is more crochet-friendly. Its easy to crochet and best of all it doesn't fray :)

More about recycled projects soon...

More crochet projects for February

2012-02-22T16:57:00.006-08:00

Here is another projects update!
From hats to cellphone cases, now here are some scrunchies ;)

Two scrunchies I finished in two days. I love this pattern by Moira, the resulting crochet fabric is exactly what I want for a scrunchie - not too lacey or frilly and not too thick. And as a bonus, Moira invented a way to unlock the finishing seam so you can replace the garter when it is worn out. As we know crochet is very durable, but the elastic inside can wear out and will need to be replaced. This is the ultimate scrunchie pattern, try it and see for yourself!

Now back to cellphone cases, I just finished another one!
I love the animal theme and I love the natural colors...I'll try to make more variations.
Here's my bear cellphone case:

Can't help but say, its soooo cute!

Another puppy cellphone case

2012-02-18T01:49:00.000-08:00

Finished another puppy cellphone case and made it pose on the scanner...hehe.

While I intended to make items to sell, I'm not making much progress since I've been making stuff that I could use myself. Both of these puppy cellphone cases are protecting my two cheap cellphones ;)

Puppy with heart cellphone case

2012-02-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

While browsing online, I saw some cute cellphone cases. I got inspired and went on to crochet with one of the animal design inspiration in mind. Here is what I made:

Construction starts at the bottom, and continues in a spiral to the top, then ears and handle is crocheted continuously. The paws, muzzle,and eyelids are crocheted separately and sewed in place. Then a tiny heart is sewed on its hand.
It could even stand on its own, though I really didn't plan on making it that way ;)

Valentine Crochet

2012-02-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

There are now dozens of free crochet patterns at CrochetPatternCentral with a Valentine's day theme.
Here's one that I chose to make. I finished it in two hours while watching t.v. :)
Its a smaller version than the original, since I used thread (two strands) and 2.5mm hook. It resulted in a finished project that's about the size of my hand.

Most of the time I use someone else's pattern, I get inspired to make my own.
Since I love miniaturizing crochet stuff, I thought I should make the smallest heart I could crochet.

I wrote up the pattern for the tiny heart here.

See, there are so many lovely things you can crochet when you don't have a love life :p

Crochet round-up for the week...

2012-02-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

After finishing a sort of challenging project in January, I decided this month of February I'd be working on small items. I was hoping to stock up on items to sell, but as of today I've only finished two caps, a coin purse (which I want to keep!), and a doily that was a match for my vase. Hmm...I'd have to really focus on making more items.

The oval mat now with a simple, neat edging:

Crochet Caps!

2012-02-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

Recently I've decided to spend some time making items to sell. I've missed several chances to sell finished items, when all I had to offer were patterns. I couldn't decide what to make until I talked with two ladies at the mall, who wanted to learn how to crochet. I showed them samples of my work, mostly hats from my free patterns. Their excitement over the hats inspired me to start making more. I think hats are saleable - even though its warm here :p For the younger people, the Warm Cap with Brim appeals the most. One of the ladies didn't want to take it off her head, and wanted to borrow my sample. Since I made a rule for myself not to lend my one and only sample, I set out to make another one. I bought brown acrylic yarns (not exactly the shade I wanted, though).
I couldn't wait to finish it and share it with my new recruits ;)

Crochet cellphone cases

2012-02-07T00:04:00.000-08:00

I spent some time yesterday looking for ideas for cellphone cases to crochet. I plan to make several of them in my spare time, so I could have some items ready to sell...
One of the designs I want to make is this Cell Phone Amigurumi by Karla Fitch. I plan to make it a cell phone case instead.
I found other design inspirations, and will try to make my own version. But first, here's a variation of my Chic Cellphone Purse

I was going to make a cellphone purse, but I made it into a coin purse instead (more details here on Ravelry). I'll have to write down the modified pattern, and include it in my original pattern ;)

Oval Mat

2012-02-04T03:02:00.000-08:00

I found this oval mat free pattern at Gosyo and thought this would do for now.
Made with smaller hook and size 5 yarn, 4 rounds of the pattern is enough for my vase. I could add a decorative edging later on...

Crochet a day - Oval doily

2012-02-03T01:48:00.004-08:00

January is over, what have we made for the love of crochet?

I've just finished a project that I couldn't share yet...other than that, I didn't crochet much in January.
(I wasn't able to submit to a couple of crochet publications calling for submissions. I wanted to, but things got in the way again, and the deadline passed.)
I know I don't crochet as much as I should, having made this hobby into a business. Oh well, this time I'll try to stay focused on this business.
For this month of February, I challenge myself to take up crochet everyday - whether its a new design, a crochet project, a free pattern, anything crochet-related. I will be posting about it as often as I can, maybe even daily - for this month.

Today's crochet started out in search of an oval doily.
I have this small vase, which my Mother gave me about 25 yrs ago. Its made in Japan, and is oval-shaped. I tried using a dainty round doily, but it didn't look so right.

I began searching for patterns on Ravelry, looking for oval shaped doilies. I also looked at my books - most of the oval ones are huge and intricate. I don't plan to spend much time to make this doily, but I want it to be nice and to complement the vase. I then searched for anything oval, and I saw this flower. I made the flower, but I've yet to make an oval doily :p

Winding yarn for crochet

2012-01-22T00:56:00.000-08:00

Here in the Philippines, we don't have much variety of yarns to choose from for our crochet or knitting hobby. For those who are able to order yarn from abroad, or receive it as a gift, a hank of yarn is luxury!

In 2007, I received this special silk yarn from Argentina, from my friend Vik. Its so lovely! I'm still saving it until I'm sure I've got the right project...

For me, a hank of gorgeous yarn is just so nice to look at and so wonderful to feel, its like I don't want to turn it into something else! But if I really need to use it for a project, I'd have to wind it into a ball...
Winding yarn manually is easy once you get to practice it. A gadget isn't necessary, but if you have a swift and a yarn winder it would save you some time.
Note: Skeins of yarn are tied together at intervals to prevent tangling. Do not untie the skeins until you are ready to wind the yarn into balls.
Here are the simple steps to manually wind yarn.
First hang the skein on the back of a chair so the skein forms a circle, cut or untie the knots.

Pick up one end of the yarn and begin winding. You can follow the steps here, or do as I did:

I used the cardboard tube found at the center of the Cannon threads from my previous projects. If you can't find one, a toilet paper tube cut into half can also be used ;)

Wind the yarn evenly on the center of the cardboard, then continue winding diagonally, while slowly rotating the cardboard in the opposite direction.

Continue in the same manner, and you can see the yarn will form neatly into a ball.

In a few minutes, you're done!

Good to be Back!

2012-01-17T03:33:00.000-08:00

Its been more than three months since my computer broke down...turned out, the computer is still ok and only the electrical outlet was defective! So now I had to change its location and plug it on another outlet. While doing that I rearranged furniture and stuff and also got to clean some neglected areas and corners of the house. I think that's a good way to start the year! However, much as I'd like to take control and put everything back to "normal", I didn't get so lucky...my older son got sick last week. He's now well but still on sick leave, and now my younger son is sick! I feel like getting sick myself, but I've got no time for that. Soon as my family is well, I'll be focusing on my crochet projects and designs. I'm so eager to get going again! I also have some tips and tricks that I haven't shared yet...
Meanwhile, that's a picture of me and my SIL last Christmas, featuring my own design using Cannon threads. I finished it a year ago. Pattern will be available in print, soon (I hope!)

The Year 2011 in Crochet Stuff

2011-12-30T04:18:00.000-08:00

First of all, Happy New Year everyone! Thank you once again for your continued support :)

Its been a long while...I took a little trip down memory lane. I went to the Internet Archives and found a view of my old blog:
http://web.archive.org/web/20051231102443/http://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.com/

and here's a not so far away flashback:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080512203610/http://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.com/

Hmm...looks like not much has changed in appearance, since I started in 2005. But I did work on a lot of crochet stuff, when life didn't get in the way :p I have a lot more free patterns now, a lot more published patterns and more patterns for sale :)

Here are some statistics:

Blog followers: 304
Likes me on Facebook: 409
Ravelry Designs: 88
Ravelry Projects: 458
Free patterns: 34
Self-published patterns: 83
Printed patterns by Coats Manila Bay: 7
Published pattern in a magazine: 1
Published patterns in a book: 2
Published in Crochet Calendar: 5 yrs.
Total patterns sold on Ravelry since May 2008: xxx
Total patterns sold on Etsy since Nov 2007: xxx
Total blog visits since May 2005: 1,021,728
Total page views is 1,972,841
Blog advertising income received in 2011: $xxx.

Well, there's still a lot of room for improvement; I'm showing the numbers for comparison at the end of 2012. Hopefully I will get rich in 2012...haha!
As this year ends, I'm just thankful that I'm still doing what I love to do, and promise myself to devote more time to my designs and to teaching and sharing crochet whenever the opportunity comes.

Here's another look at my crochet designs and projects in 2011:

Striped Scarf with Knotted Fringe

Summer Shells Scarf
free pattern

Lacey Shrug project

Crochet-covered button

free pattern

Summer Crochet Band - free pattern

Mini Booties Souvenir

free pattern

Blooming Flower Motif Shrug

Flower Accent - free pattern

Coin Bracelet
free pattern

Dachshund Amigurumi

free pattern

Puppy Cellphone Charm project

Scottish Terrier Amigurumi projects

Santa Dog Amigurumi projects

Christmas Star Ornament
free pattern

I couldn't show here yet some designs I finished...hopefully those will be happily introduced in the coming months :)

Christmas Star Ornament - free pattern

2011-12-16T00:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas Star Ornament

Hang this star on your Christmas tree, or attach it on a present with your gift card. This one is my own version which I adapted from my star coaster made in 2007.

Materials:

Cotton thread, size 10, light yellow
Cotton thread, (about 3 yds), gold
Crochet hook size 1.5mm

Finished Measurement: Approximately 3 1/2 inches across at widest point

Star

Ch 4, join with sl st to form a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 14 dc in ring, join with sl st to beginning ch 3. (15 dc)

Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each dc around, join. (30 dc)

Rnd 3: Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1), dc in same st, *skip 1 dc, (dc, ch 1, dc) in next dc, repeat from * around, join. (45 dc)

Rnd 4: Ch 3, 3 dc in ch-1 space, * dc in next two dc, 3 dc in ch-1 space, repeat from * around, dc on last dc, join. (75 dc)

Rnd 5: * Ch 1, skip two sts, sc in next st, 2 sc in next, hdc in next, 2 dc in next, dc and tr in next, tr and dc in next, 2 dc in next, hdc in next, 2 sc in next, sc in next, ch 1, skip 2 sts, sl st in next st, repeat from * around.

Rnd 6: Ch 1, * sc in each of the next 3 sc, hdc in next st, 2 dc in next st, dc and tr in next, tr in next two sts, ch 2, tr in next two sts, tr and dc in next, 2 dc in next, hdc in next, sc in next 3 sts, sl st on sl st of previous rnd, repeat from * around. Fasten off light yellow. Attach gold thread in same st.

Rnd 7: With gold thread, * sl st in each of the 10 sts up one point, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in ch-2 space, sl st across each of the 10 sts down the point, sl st in between points, repeat from * around. Fasten off and weave in ends. Dampen and iron to shape. Attach thread for hanging on ch-2 sp at the tip.

Christmas Star Ornament

pattern and photos are original and copyrighted by

Mimi Alelis

Quick and easy to crochet...

2011-12-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to do projects using the special yarns from crochet buddies from around the world. However I don't have enough time yet as of now to come up with projects that would make the most of the yarns. I could work on it one at a time though, being careful not to waste it on experiments and mistakes. So here's one that I came up with using Bheng's coin purse pattern. Its quick, easy, and turned out cute! The yarn is probably suede/chenille, and it came from Ulla in Sweden a few years ago.

More details here in my project page.

Meanwhile, I've been procrastinating a bit on projects and submissions that I needed to work on. Its the holiday rush that gets in the way :p

So while waiting for inspiration, I decided to work on a Christmas project. I hope you like it!

...pattern coming up next ;)

Another dog ami and some more FOs...

2011-12-09T22:02:00.000-08:00

Now I can show you another dog amigurumi that I recently made...This one's for Tina, whose dog Jetta inspired its creation :)
Actually, I used my basic pattern for a mini dog ami. The head and muzzle are the same as the Dachshund ami, and the ears are the same as Molly ami. The body and paws are all the same, except for the color.
Btw, I used an inventive technique to add the white fur on the chest. I'll explain on my next post what I did, if anyone's interested...
Meanwhile, I'd like to share a couple more projects. I really haven't been crocheting much lately...but these ones came up instantly.
I saw a hibernating project, I forgot what I was attempting to make. There were three strands: 2 of crochet cotton thread, and 1 of a fine yarn with nubbs (unlabled, but looks like a natural fiber too). I thought it would make a nice chain necklace, and save me the trouble of having to sort it out again in my stash :p
It makes a simple accessory to match a low neckline top, also something light and cosy to wear.

The reason I went through my stash again, is to look for acrylic yarns to make hats to donate upon Judy's request. Since she asked for bright and colorful, these caps for kids are as colorful as I can manage, based on the available yarns that I had ;)

Crochet Hooks for Sale

2011-11-25T00:17:00.000-08:00

I'm now selling bigger crochet hooks. These are Boye, made in U.K., gray aluminum, 6” crochet hooks. The sizes available are: F (4mm), G (4.5mm), H (5mm), I (5.5mm), and J (6mm).

Each hook is priced at P75., with a minimum of 2 hooks per order, and a maximum of 5.
Shipping cost to be added is from P65. to P120., depending on destination, by Air21.
Stocks are limited. Offer is available here in the Philippines.
Pls. email me if you’re interested. Thanks!

Random Pics

2011-11-22T04:28:00.000-08:00

I've finished the first part of the dress...Its coming along nicely as the one I made for myself a long while back...(For more details you can see this project in my other blog, Crocheting with Cannon threads.)

I'll be working on this for the next few days...

Meanwhile, here's another picture of my baby dog amis...in case you missed it ;)

You'd have to be quite imaginative to see the likeness of the amis with the real-life counterparts ;) But aren't they cute?

Here's a recent picture of Max:

He usually takes up his paw for me to hold whenever I visit him :)

Crocheting one row at a time...

2011-11-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

Its been more than a week...I almost forgot to blog! I'm doing a custom order for a dress, slowly finishing one row at a time, I already finished one ball of thread...and have 6 more to go!
Other than that, there's a bit of a commotion going on at home and the little luxuries that I normally had are now getting rare : ( I already mentioned I lost my computer, now my brother can't repair it yet since he's getting the house repaired. Aside from the electrical problem, the house got infested with termites - his room is on the 2nd floor and when they ripped the ceiling below, the damage was uncovered!
It looked like this (though I got this pic from a website):

Anyways, I sort of manage using my son's computer at the attic, when he's in the office. But what disables me more now is I don't have a car! My old car needs repair (again), and I don't know if it can even make it to the repair shop...

Back to crocheting, I haven't decided on what to design next...I've been playing around with dog amis, just for fun. I might not continue on writing the pattern for the English Bulldog or the Scottish Terrier, since I can easily get back to both of it, having had finished the Dachshund amigurumi pattern. I realize only a few would appreciate having the pattern, but the effort is worth it - I like it a lot myself :)
And in keeping with the holiday season, and as suggested by my friend Tina, I've made a Santa hat and scarf for the Dachshund ami. Here it is:

The same hat and scarf can also be worn by my Bulldog ami :-)

Still crocheting dog amis...

2011-10-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

Am now working on another sample of the English Bulldog amigurumi. I got some acrylic yarn in my stash that's bulkier...the Familia yarn, which isn't available here anymore, so I need to make another sample using yarn that's available. I haven't found the right shade though. Here's what I made so far:

Was turning out fine, until I sewed in some wrinkles...and it looked a bit scary, haha!

Here's the first sample I made beside the first dachshund ami, both were made using 3 strands of cotton thread...

Meanwhile, if you're interested in the Dachshund Amigurumi, the pattern is now available here on Ravelry.

Btw, while looking at who favorited this pattern, I saw this real-life dachshund puppy in someone's ravatar:

Made me happy to know she liked the ami version as well :)

Eenie, Meenie, Miney...Molly!

2011-10-18T19:50:00.000-07:00

Now there are two Molly amis! One for Vik and one for me :))

Look here, the two of them are sitting on my hand

hihihi...I had fun making them and taking pictures!!

(Psst...I'm working on a technique for making "fur" with ordinary acrylic yarn, and you may notice not all parts have fur :p. Also, the two have slightly different pair of beads for the eyes, which makes them more interesting. I'll tell you more about the crochet design and techniques that I used to make these, later...)

Meanwhile, here's what Molly thinks about her look-a-likes!

She's so sweet and adorable!
Thank you Molly and Vik for the inspiration :)))

Crocheting in Black

2011-10-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

One thing we consider in picking colors to crochet is that we can easily work with it. I like working with light colors, work goes faster though sometimes its boring. Black would be the most difficult color since we can hardly see the stitches, but oftentimes its worth the trouble. Black is a very nice color for accessories, and for lacy tops and dresses.

Sometimes black is the only choice, as in this amigurumi Scottish Terrier dog, Molly.

Molly requested an amigurumi look-a-like, so she had to be all black ;) I'll tell you more about her later :)

Meanwhile, here's a free crochet pattern I came up with at the spur of the moment...a halloween accessory that also had to be black. If you crochet, with some leftover black thread you can give this free pattern a try:

Pretty Puppy Cellphone Charm ;)

2011-10-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

Here's what I made yesterday :)

I've been hooked on the amigurumi Dachshund that I designed. But this time I used one strand of 4-ply cotton thread and size 3mm hook. You can see in the photo the yarn I used and just a small amount of yarn was needed. Given the same pattern, it is really more difficult to make a smaller item. But if you haven't noticed yet, I do have a fondness for miniatures ;) (My collection of crocheted mini projects can be seen here.)

Anyway, for the latest on my Amigurumi Dachshund pattern, please follow my other blog Crocheting with Cannon Threads.

And to brighten up our day, here's a close-up of the Pretty Puppy cellphone charm :)

Hard to let go...

2011-10-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

My computer died today. I don't know if my files are still recoverable...but I don't want to worry about it much.
I'm using my older son's computer now, and for limited times I'll be able to use this...My younger son has locked up his computer with a password :p
Anyways, I managed to post again today as you can see ;)
I'm just going to let you know that I'll be posting my Cannon thread projects in my other blog here. I'll be posting stitches, swatches, and patterns over there whenever I use Cannon threads.

Cannon threads and my latest projects

2011-10-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

I quite suddenly had an inkling to use my other blog again, and entitled it Crocheting with Cannon Threads.Though most of my designs can easily be substituted with other yarns or threads, I'd like to show my favorite local thread up-close.
Want to know more? Please visit my other blog Crocheting with Cannon Threads. You'll see here in my latest post what I've been up to lately.

Latest Crochet Projects - and a kitchen project ;)

2011-09-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent projects I have not shown here. I keep my Ravelry project page updated, but have missed showing these on my blog.

Another flower accent from my free pattern, to complete the look of the cute little bag :)

Another scarf from my pattern Striped Scarf with Knotted Fringe

Another coin bracelet made from my free pattern.

And here's my kitchen WIP, you'll find the details here in my food blog ;)

Coin Bracelet - a free crochet pattern

2011-09-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

I came up with this design for want of something to do with our flimsy 5-centavo coins. Since it had a hole in the center, I thought to crochet sc's into it and it seemed to work. Try it and see ;)

Pattern can be found here on Facebook.

New Toys!

2011-09-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

Just want to show you two inexpensive but useful toys that I've recently bought :)
Since my brother was enjoying the stuff that he bought from Manafont, I thought to order some myself. These came from HK, shipping already included in the price and the additional cost for mailing with tracking is only $2. per package. (This is not an advertisement!)
If you find these in Divisoria or elsewhere, please let me know so I can compare prices... Though I love the convenience of ordering online!

Pocketsize Digital Scale for $8. (P342.)

Flexible Desktop Camera Tripod for $4.57 (P195.)

This pocket digital scale will be very useful in weighing thread balls or yarns, jewelry, small finished items, leftover yarn, etc....Can be handy on the kitchen too for measuring spices or other small ingredients :)

Note: I used the desktop tripod to take this picture ;)

Crochet a Flower Accent - free pattern

2011-08-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Flower Accent
by Mimi Alelis, copyright 2011
Attach this flower accent onto a button on your clothes or accessories. The center hole is oval-shaped so the flower doesn't easily slip-off.
Materials:
Cotton thread, size 10
Crochet hook size 2mm

Finished Measurement: Approximately 1 3/4 inch in diameter, fits a button 1/2 inch or smaller

Flower
Ch 8, join with sl st to form a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, working in ring, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 4 dc, 1 hdc, 2 sc, 1 hdc, 4 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, sl st on the 1^st sc. (16 sts)

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same st, (Ch 3, skip one st, sc on next st) repeat around, join. (8 ch-3 loops)

Rnd 3: [(Sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc) in ch-3 loop, sl st in sc] repeat around, join. (8 petals)

Rnd 4: Ch 1, still facing front, work the next stitches at the back of rnd 3 petals, (sc on the next available st from rnd 1, ch 5) repeat around, join. (8 ch-5 loops)

Rnd 5: (Sc, hdc, 5 dc, hdc, sc) in each ch-5 loop around, join. (8 petals)

Rnd 6: Ch 5, still facing front, work the next stitches at the back of rnd 5 petals, (skip one st, sc on the same st as the ch-3 loop from rnd 2, ch 5) repeat around, join. (8 ch-5 loops)

Rnd 7: Repeat rnd 5.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Previous related post.

Breathing in Some Inspiration

2011-08-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

A design isn’t finished until somebody is using it.

— Brenda Laurel

I found this quote online and thought it relevant. Not that I'm complaining, but I can't seem to move on to other new designs until I'm actually done with what is out there hanging. I have a tunic top design I've finished and submitted months ago. I'm still waiting to hear from them.
Then I have three wearable designs that have already been accepted, but its taking too long to process...its all fine by me, but right now I hardly have time to crochet or start on a new design. So I'm really hoping that some of my previous work will materialize so hopefully things will remain current and interesting.
Meanwhile, I have been breathing in some inspiration... Once in a while, I would browse my books and magazines, and I'd browse online and see many items that I like. However, since I couldn't sit for long periods to immerse myself in a new design, I still haven't started anything yet :p

Yesterday I was in the mood to go to a nearby mall...fortunately, there's a Booksale store there so I looked for knitting or crochet books and magazines. These were the only ones available at a bargain price, and I got them all for a total of P105. (about $2.50)!!!

Crochet Flower Accent

2011-08-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Remember this crochet bracelet band?

...Now here's another way to wear it:

Add a crochet flower!
This pretty thread flower was made with a buttonhole. Its a versatile embellishment...that you can attach anywhere it fits ;)
Maybe add a touch of crochet to any of your buttoned tops:

Or, use your imagination to make the flowers in bright colors and attach to your kid's clothes, for an instant handmade accent.
Pattern in my next post.

Update: Pattern now available here.

Crochet a flower!

2011-08-11T18:32:00.000-07:00

Whatever the occasion, be it happy or sad, the setting is not complete without flowers. I love fresh flowers, but unlike some of you, I don't have the inclination or patience to grow my own :p
My fondness for flowers can be seen in my crochet projects too. Thanks to Ravelry, I can take a look at any time and appreciate all the flower projects I've made so far. It isn't really that much, since I don't make them often enough; but some of it were gifted and I'd have forgotten about it if it weren't posted on Ravelry.
Some of it are my own designs, and some were based on patterns from other designers. Some have written patterns and some I made up without a pattern, like these projects which were inspired by projects from other sites:

Here are some of my flower designs, some have free patterns and some are available for sale.

Flower Choker

Loopy Flowers

8-petal Flower Pendant

Tropical Flower Pin

Flower Tawashi

Little Flowers with Leaves

I do believe, when all else fails, crochet a flower!
Here is my latest project:

Pattern coming soon...

Crochet Submissions

2011-07-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

If you're looking to submit your original crochet design, you have till August 15 for the Crochet Calendar 2013. Check out the details here on their website.

I have a couple of designs I'm considering to submit. I still enjoy getting the calendar in the mail, and flipping the pages to see what others have made.
Here's my collection of crochet calendars :)

Some Christmas Crochet Designs

2011-07-22T02:48:00.000-07:00

If you want to crochet some Christmas home décor or gifts, why not start now when its still early. Tis better to plan and work at it ahead of time ;)
The other day, one of my customers got a head start by ordering the threads to make some Poinsettia coasters.

You can find the pattern for this in the Crochet Pattern Calendar 2009. You can also avail of the pattern in my store here. The coaster pattern is paired with the Poinsettia Doily:

Poinsettia Doily and Coaster pattern only $2.50.

Also, you can make these Playful Santa Hats for the kids and adults in your family:

Playful Santa Hat free pattern

Then there are plenty of free patterns for ornaments, snowflakes and other small décor items. One of my designs is the Radiant Coaster, which can also be made into a small doily.

Radiant Coaster/Doily free pattern

How about some fun table display with the use of crocheted fruits? These can be made using any yarn you prefer. The smaller the size of the crocheted fruit, the cuter it is :)

Fruit Keychains pattern, $2.50

For Christmas gifts, you may find something to make by browsing on my pattern store.

Thanks for looking and happy crocheting!

And the winner is... and, some Blogger issues...

2011-07-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

Or so I thought...Blogger made some changes in its features, and it appeared I lost access to my main blog. Turned out I only needed to uncheck a box, and the dashboard reverted to its old self :p

Now I can tell you that the winner of the Crochet! book giveaway is M of daperfectmix, congratulations! Please reply immediately to my Ravelry message so I can forward your address to Soho Publishing.
Thanks again to everyone who joined the contest :)

Crochet! - A book review and a book giveaway contest!

2011-07-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

Crochet continues to gain popularity as a craft or hobby. We can see it everywhere on the internet as we search for anything crochet-related. There are also plenty of magazines and books on this particular craft and there are still more in the making. For those who are beginners in crochet or for those wanting to start it as a hobby, there is an enormous amount of resources for free or available for sale. But there is one book that has just been published and I definitely recommend it to a beginner or any skill level crocheter. A must-have book, Crochet! by Marie-Noȅlle Bayard is brimming with techniques, stitch tutorials and patterns for projects and inspiration. You'd want to keep coming back to this book for reference, as it is full of color photos, clear instructions and up-to-date patterns.
The author, textile designer Marie-Noëlle Bayard, has worked for haute couture designers and for women's magazines. She has written for Marie-Claire Idées and Elle Décoration and is the author of Embroidery: Techniques and Patterns and Sewing: Techniques and Patterns. She lives in France.

Here's a preview:

Open publication - Free publishing - More home

Conclusion: I was actually thrilled to have this book, and it was a long wait considering how far it has traveled. It exceeded my expectations too, from the quality of the book and its content full of color photos, to its easy to understand instructions. I highly recommend you add it to your collection. I find it better than a lot of the other crochet encyclopedias, dummy-books and such. For the most part, its the techniques and pattern stitches that would keep me coming back to the pages of this book.

Disclaimer: This book was received from Soho Publishing as a review copy.

Book Giveaway Contest
Yay! Now its time for some action here in my blog. There's one copy of the book Crochet! by Marie-Noȅlle Bayard that will be given to the lucky winner of this contest I made up. The rules of the contest are as follows:
1. To qualify for an entry you must be a crocheter of any skill level.
2. Post a comment here and let us know your Ravelry name, or share the link to your blog, or a link to your FB page.
3. I will take a peek at your projects and immediately add your name in the contest drawing.
4. To qualify for another entry, like my FB page and make a comment on the post where I share this blog post.
Now that's as easy as 1-2-3 :) Contest ends on July 12. I will assign a number to each entry, and use the random number generator to determine the winner. Winner will be notified immediately. She must be able to give her mailing address, which I will give to Soho Publishing for them to mail the book to.
Lastly, I will also be giving away at least 3 consolation prizes of a pattern gift via Ravelry.

That's all, thank you! Please email me if you have questions.

Crochet a motif shrug

2011-06-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

My motif shrug pattern, at last!...the pattern in now available in my store for this design I named Blooming Flower Motif Shrug. This is the same design that was published on Interweave Crochet Magazine, but this is my own edited version. I have also added more helpful diagrams.

Thanks so much to my lovely model :)

What I've been crocheting lately...

2011-06-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

I've not been crocheting much...but daydreaming a lot! Or maybe I'm just being lazy...Anyways, I do have some crochet happenings to look forward to and I thought you might be interested to know ;)

Two patterns I will soon be putting up for sale on Ravelry and Etsy:

Blooming Flower Motif Shrug - this is my original version of the Moth Wings Shrug published in Interweave Crochet Summer 2010 issue

V-neck Summer Top - this is the shortened version of the Shapely Tunic pattern which I designed for Coats Manila Bay.

Another crochet book published by Sixth and Spring publishing, is soon to arrive and I will let you know what I think of the book. And if you are interested in a book giveaway, I will be doing that too soon as I get my review copy ;)

I'm looking forward to wrap up the designs that will be published by Coats Manila Bay:
Cap-sleeve Cardigan
Lacey Shrug
Gray rectangular Shawl

Crochet and exercise...

2011-05-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

If you Google the health benefits of crocheting you will see many articles that say crocheting is good for you. That is if you don't overdo it...and you know that's often hard to avoid. If you have 3 hours leisure time, you might be crocheting all that time away. Surely you get satisfaction and fun from working on your project, which is good for your mental health. But you might end up with poor circulation, back and joint pains, stiff neck and other physical symptoms related to your sitting down for hours and concentrating on your project. Just be aware of this and take a break every hour or so. Do a bit of stretching exercise, shake your arms and legs, drink a glass of water, take a little walk, get some fresh air and sunshine - all these won't take up much time and you'll feel better and healthier.
If you want to stay in shape, to be physically fit even while staying indoors, there are many activities to choose from. There's no excuse now, since its free and available on the internet. For me, I found the best exercise - the basic belly dancing moves. You don't even have to sweat to benefit from it.

Shades of Purple Crochet

2011-05-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on 3 shades of purple projects. At this time of the year these colors seem relaxing and inspiring to work with. It's great for fashion items too! Besides, I didn't have much to choose from in my stock of cotton threads ;)

That's my model, Divvy (from Divisoria, Manila) looking good in purple!

Those are two projects/upcoming designs that I'm working on.

Crochet Mini Booties Souvenir - free pattern

2011-05-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Mini Booties Souvenir
by Mimi Alelis, copyright 2011

Materials
You will need only a few yards of thread for each bootie. I used Cannon cotton thread, size 8
Crochet hook: 2mm or 3/0
Safety pin or marker
Yarn needle for sewing and weaving in ends
Optional: Magnet, or keychain attachment
Finished measurement: 1 1/4 inches in length at the sole.
(Gauge doesn't matter much for this pattern)
Special Stitches:
hdc/dc together - yo, insert hook into st, pull up loop, leave the 3 loops on hook, yo, insert hook into next st, pull up loop, yo, and pull through 2 loops, yo, and pull through remaining 4 loops on hook
dc/hdc together - yo, insert hook into st, pull up loop, yo, and pull through 2 loops, leave the 2 loops on hook, yo, insert hook into next st, pull up loop, yo, and pull through all 4 loops on hook

Bootie
Rnd 1: With pink thread and 2mm hook, ch 7, sc in 2nd ch from hook and on each of 4 ch across, 4 sc in last ch, turn to opposite edge of starting ch, sc in next 4 sts, 3 sc in last st, sl st on the 1st sc to join. (16 sc)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in 4 sc, hdc in next sc, 2 hdc in next, 3 dc in next, 2 dc in next, 2 hdc in next, hdc in next, sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in each of next 2 sc, join. (23 sc)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, sc in the back loop only of each sc around, join (23 sc)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, sc in 5 sc, hdc/dc together (see explanation above) on the next 2 sc (mark this st if making the right bootie), dc in next sc, 3-dc together on the next 3 sc, dc in next sc, dc/hdc together on the next 2 sc (mark this st if making the left bootie), sc in next 5 sc, (sc together the next 2 sc) twice, join (17 sts)
Leave 10 inches tail, fasten off pink thread.
Strap and edging
Right bootie
Working with yellow thread, insert hook at left side of bootie in 2nd sc from st marked, pull up loop, ch 7, sc in 2nd ch from hook and on each ch across, sl st on same st as the beginning; sl st in each of the next 7 sts at the front part of bootie, sc in the remaining sts of rnd 4, sl st on the same st as the beginning, sl st on next st. Leave 18 inches tail, fasten off pale yellow thread.
Left bootie
Working with yellow thread, insert hook at right side of bootie in 2nd sc from st marked, pull up loop, ch 7, sc in 2nd ch from hook and on each ch across, sl st on same st as the beginning; sc in each of the next 9 sts at the back part of bootie, sl st in the remaining sts at the front part, sl st on the same st as the beginning, sl st on next st. Leave 18 inches tail, fasten off pale yellow thread.
Bottom edging
Weave in yellow thread to the back and bottom of bootie. With top of bootie facing you, pull up thread on remaining loop from rnd 3, sl st in each loop around, weave in end.
Assembly and finishing
Weave in pink thread to where the strap should close, sew the strap in place, then weave the thread to the back and bottom of bootie. For a fridgie, cut off remaining thread, glue the bootie onto a magnet (sample used is one-inch square). For a keychain attachment, make a chain (ch 10) with the remaining thread, weave the end back into the chain, then attach the keychain ring.
Step-by-step photos are here on Ravelry.

Baby Crochet

2011-04-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Meet my 2nd grandniece, born last March

So cute!

I haven't actually met her though, and would seldom see her since she lives outside of our city :p But when I saw her pictures I really wish I could make something for her...
I did volunteer to make the christening souvenirs, though it was a bit late. I didn't have time to experiment with other designs, so I just played safe and picked a Japanese pattern for a mini bootie. I modified it a bit, and minimized weaving of ends, (which takes up a lot of time since I needed to make 60 pieces of booties!). I planned to make 30 pairs, but fell short by 4 pairs.

Maybe I can share written instructions for these, later.

Btw, I got the free printable gift bag template here. I reduced the size, to print 2 gift bags per sheet. And the souvenir item fits perfectly in it too :)

And here are some of the baby crochet designs that I made a while back. It isn't much, so I hope I can add to it. Also its very warm here, and most booties, hats and mittens might not be of much use.

Crochet Flowers

2011-04-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

Lots of inspiration on the web for crochet flowers and lots of free patterns too!!!
You can find most of the free patterns available online on Crochet Pattern Central...here are the Flowers.
You can also easily find what you like on Ravelry, with the photos included in the list of patterns. Try this search for free flower patterns.

And, you might want to check out my free flower patterns too :)

Flower Accent

Tropical Flower Pin

Little Flowers with Leaves

Flower Choker

Loopy flowers

Appliques for Baby Items

To knit or not...

2011-04-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

I recently got a surprise in the mail from U.K., its this Let's Knit magazine.

Thanks so much Sis!!
I still haven't knitted anything for the past few years...and there are some yarns in my stash that are wanting to be knit ;) I just had to prioritize my crochet designs - with the limited crafting time I have. Besides, I have to relearn the basics of knitting. Good thing, this mag has very good knit instructions for beginners. Then again, it would have to wait :p
There's one adorable crochet project included though, its the Dionne tunisian crochet clutch.

Oh, and this magazine includes 2 skeins of designer yarn called Cookie!

Actually, that's what made my sister decide to buy this issue for me :)

Summer Crochet and a free pattern

2011-04-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Its summer here and the schoolyear has just ended. Its a given I have more time to crochet, but it seems I'm not so inspired. Its just too warm at times, to even do anything. And though I would love to have made some new stuff for the beach or for summer fashion...its not happening yet. I might not be able to finish up my WIPs designs till May or June :p

But here's a little something that I fancied making, inspired by the colors of the material itself. I found some of my stash of embroidery floss, and the multicolor Anchor brightened up my mood to make some crochet accessories.

Here they are in action ;)
I also had fun editing my photos and it was so easy! I just uploaded the photos on my picasa album, clicked on edit, and it brought me to picnik.com site where there are plenty of options to edit and create cool photos :)

For the free pattern, you can find it here in my facebook page, and if you go look, you might want to click on "like" too :)

Moth Wings Shrug at Crochet Me

2011-03-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Yay, they're having a crochet-along of the Moth Wings Shrug at Crochet Me! It will be on-going from April to May, so you still have time to purchase the materials and get your gauge.
And if you don't have the pattern yet, you may want to order the back issue of Interweave Crochet Summer 2010 magazine here, or you can purchase an instant download of the Moth Wings Shrug pattern here.

Please note: if you're making the bigger sizes, there's a correction on the layout as I've already explained in this post.

Come join, and you can practice making motifs and joining them as you go. Looking forward to see project pics on the crochet-along!

Crochet-covered button - free pattern

2011-03-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've just finished a lacy shawl that can also be used as a shrug with the addition of buttons. The buttons had to be of the same material, so it would not distract from the look when worn as a shawl or scarf. I tried to make soft crocheted buttons, but it didn't work for this project...so I just used ordinary plastic buttons and covered it with crochet. Its quite easy and looks more professional. This design will be submitted for publication...

Meanwhile, thought I'd share here how I made the crochet-covered buttons ;)

Crochet-covered button
Materials:
Ordinary button, 1/2 inch diameter
Crochet thread size 8, or 3-ply light fingering yarn
Crochet hook size 2mm (3/0)
Special st:
sctog - insert hook into st and draw up a loop, insert hook into next st and draw up a lp, yarn over and draw through all 3 lps on hook.

Note: this is crocheted in a spiral, do not join rounds.
Rnd 1: Ch 2, 5 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (5 sc)
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc (10 sc)
Rnd 3: (Sc in next sc, 2 sc in next) 5 times. (15 sc)
Rnd 4: (Sc in next sc, sctog the next two sc) 5 times. (10 sc)
Rnd 5: Sc in each of the next 10 sc. Sl st on next sc. (10 sc)
Fasten off, leaving 10 inches for sewing. Insert button. Sew the last stitches together to close, before sewing on to the project.

Crochet a fringe curtain

2011-03-04T23:47:00.000-08:00

At a mall store last week, I noticed the use of a fringe curtain as divider for the store display. The yarn looked familiar, though I don't know what kind it is. I have some that I bought at Dreams shop in Makati a few years ago. It was inexpensive and didn't have a label. The characteristic of this yarn that makes it very nice to use for a curtain is that it remains straight even when you've worked with it, and the ends don't fray (very important!)
To make a room divider or even just a small curtain I think would use up a lot of the yarn, but I think its worth it...haven't decided exactly what to make so I've been looking for some ideas.
Look here's a sample of a ready-made fringe curtain, sold online:

It looks so simple to make, just crochet the top part, then attach the fringe :)
I made a tiny sample with the yarn that I have:

It will look better with more fringe, but you get the idea ;)
Wish I could get more of the yarn, in the color that matches my room...Anyone know what's it called and where to buy it?? Maybe I could go to Dreams again or to Divisoria, either way it would be an expensive and time-consuming trip :p

Crochet Updates

2011-02-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

I just finished the pink lacey shrug sample and will be submitting it to Coats.

I'm almost done with the white shawl for my friend, and hopefully I can give it when we meet next week.

Now of course, I have to start on another design submission...this time its a simple rectangular shawl, since the triangle shawl wasn't accepted. I realize I can do the same pattern but make it rectangular. The simple pattern stitch might work to make this shawl convertible into a shrug and scarf...
we'll see :)

Before I go, let me just share some pics of my favorite dog. Here's Max, one of our extended family's dog; I think he likes me a lot and I like him too ;)
I also look like him sometimes :p

Design WIPs

2011-02-12T02:53:00.000-08:00

A cardigan, a shrug, a shawl - just some of my works in progress...

And here's my latest tunic top - not quite done yet, but looking good so far! I like it a lot :)

(Thanks to photofunia.com for the cool photo effects.)

Crochet Ribbing

2011-02-05T05:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not exactly a fan of ribbed edges in crochet - the ones where you crochet in the back loop only, with one kind of stitch...that's because, long ago me and my mom only do sc ribbing with cotton threads using small hooks. Aside from it being too tedious, the result didn't look anything like the knitted rib edges that I wanted it to look like. Its too thick, and when it stretches out it doesn't bounce back.
I have here an example of ribbing from a baby crochet project two decades ago.

Though the design is neat, the project turned out too stiff and uncomfortable to wear :(

And here are two samples of my Mom's single-crochet ribbing:

Its a pity, that after all that work on the ribbing it didn't turn out right...

So it stuck with me that I don't like crochet ribbing in garments, and I don't use it in my designs.
But recently, I thought of a crochet design while admiring a picture of a knitted tunic top. I realized there isn't any substitute for crochet ribbing to get the effect that I wanted.
Now that I've learned to use bigger hooks to crochet with threads, I found the right size hook and the right kind of ribbing - I'm liking it so much. Hooray to hdc ribbing!

Crochet Business Updates

2011-01-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Some Trivial Updates:

I've just ordered a pack of custom-made business cards from Moo and its free! If you're a seller on Etsy, maybe you can still avail of this offer which is good for the first 5,000 Etsians. There's a downside though...I had to pay $15.75 for shipping! (pay $6. if you're in U.S.)
Anyways, I saw that they offer a free sample pack (totally free!), so I went ahead and requested for it. Will post here when I receive my goodies from Moo ;)

I found out that the Moth Wings Shrug is included in the choices for CrochetMe CAL project. That could be fun to do. I don't exactly love making the motifs, but I love the result ;) I've already made 4 shrugs from it. Maybe I'll get inspired to finish my WIP beige shrug from this design, with this CAL.

You may cast your vote here.

Btw, the Moth Wings Shrug pattern is available here in the Interweave Store.

Would you like to make this scarf? I used up one ball of pink thread, and about half a ball of gray thread. Hook size is 3.5mm.
I'm still thinking of posting the pattern here, or maybe offer it as a promo in my Ravelry pattern store.

Lastly, if you are looking for more wearable crochet designs from me you might be interested in my upcoming designs for Coats Manila Bay. We are working on a cap-sleeve cardigan, a triangular shawl, and another shapely tunic (...I'm running out of names for my designs!) I think you'll like it as much as I do :)

Summer Shells Scarf - free crochet pattern

2011-01-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

This is one of the scarf patterns in my Trio of Tropical Scarves pattern collection. It uses up two balls local cotton thread size 8.

Summer Shells Scarf
by Mimi Alelis, copyright 2010
Finished size: (shown in regular size) 7 ½ inches by 56 inches
Materials:
Cannon cotton thread, size 8 (light fingering 3-ply), 2 balls
4mm (7/0) hook
Special Terms and Abbreviations
ch - chain, sc - single crochet, sl st - slip stitch
edc (extended double crochet) - yo, insert hook into stitch, yo, pull through stitch (3 lps on
hook), yo, pull through 1 loop, (still have 3 lps on hook) yo, pull through 2 lps, (2 lps on hook), yo, pull through remaining 2 loops.
shell – (2 edc, ch 1, 2 edc) in same space
Notes: Gauge is not so important for this project, but the use of a large hook (4mm) makes
for a lighter, softer fabric.
Towards the end of the project, you may choose to work until you use up the ball of thread,
or finish off when scarf is of desired length.

Scarf, regular size (approximately 7 1/2 inches wide)
Start with ch 46. (Increase or decrease width in multiples of 6 chs)
Row 1: Edc in 4th ch from hook, ch 1, 2 edc in same stitch, ch 3, skip 5 chs, (2 edc, ch 1, 2 edc) in next ch (shell made). (Ch 3, skip 5 chs, shell on next ch) 6 times. Turn. (8 shells)
Row 2: Sl st on ch 1 sp. Ch 3, edc in same space, ch 1, 2 edc in the same space. (Ch 3, shell in ch 1 space of next shell) 7 times. Turn. (8 shells)
Repeat row 2 until at least 4 meters of thread remain.
Last row: Sl st on ch 1 sp. Ch 3, edc in same space, ch 1, 2 edc in the same space. (Ch 2, sc in ch 3 space, ch 2, shell in ch 1 space of next shell) 7 times. Fasten off.
Now work on other side of foundation chain. Attach thread on the base of first shell.
Row 1: Ch 3, edc in same space, ch 1, 2 edc in same space, (ch 3, shell on the base of next shell) 7 times. Turn.
Next: Repeat above from row 2 up to the end of last row.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Skinny scarf version
Use one ball thread (like Cannon or Monaco) and 4mm hook
Start with ch 22.
Row 1: Edc in 4th ch from hook, ch 1, 2 edc in same stitch, ch 3, skip 5 chs, (2 edc, ch 1, 2 edc) in next ch (shell made). (Ch 3, skip 5 chs, shell on next ch) 2 times. Turn. (4 shells)
Row 2: Sl st on ch 1 sp. Ch 3, edc in same space, ch 1, 2 edc in the same space. (Ch 3, shell in ch 1 space of next shell) 3 times. Turn. (4 shells)
Repeat row 2 until about 30 inches from the beginning.
Last row: Sl st on ch 1 sp. Ch 3, edc in same space, ch 1, 2 edc in the same space. (Ch 2, sc in ch 3 space, ch 2, shell in ch 1 space of next shell) 3 times. Fasten off.
Now work on other side of foundation chain. Attach thread on the base of first shell.
Row 1: Ch 3, edc in same space, ch 1, 2 edc in same space, (ch 3, shell on the base of next shell) 3 times. Turn.
Row 2: Sl st on ch 1 sp. Ch 3, edc in same space, ch 1, 2 edc in the same space. (Ch 3, shell in ch 1 space of next shell) 3 times. Turn. (4 shells)
Repeat row 2 until about 2 meters of thread remain.
Last row: Repeat last row above. Fasten off and weave in ends.

See here some tips how to wear a crochet scarf.

Crochet Stuff 2010 year-ender post

2011-01-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, we made it to 2011!
Crochet is still in for this year's fashion, as mentioned in this article
- macrame and crochet will make a strong return; but forget the homemade craft feel - it's all about intricacy, quality and a luxury edge.

Hmm...what a big challenge to stay fashionable with crochet! Lets just leave those to the runway and make our own wearable crochet fashion ;)
There is also a trend to combine crochet with fabric...so I'm thinking this could be our chance to use our fabric stash, or to recycle some from outdated clothes; and to take out the sewing machine and improve on our sewing skills ;)
But first, please join me as I take a look back at my crochet adventures in 2010 :)
Here are the highlights:

Blogging is finally paying off for me, with Google Adsense. I got my first and succeeding payment this year!

My first design submission to Interweave Crochet magazine was accepted, and I sent off the design sample and requirements in January 2010. It got published in the Summer 2010 issue. It was such a thrill to say the least!

I had not submitted anything else though, and that's one of my goals for this succeeding year ;)

Free Crochet Patterns published in 2010:

Tropical Shawl with fringe
Tropical Flower Pin
Kitchen Towel Topper
Radiant Coaster/Doily
Flower Choker
Mug Cozy
Playful Santa Hat

Patterns added to my Ravelry store in 2010:

8-Petal Flower Pendant

Camo Newsboy Cap

Stylish Chain Scarf

Stylish Chain Cowl

For my other crochet projects, you can always check my Ravelry page. If you're not on Ravelry yet, then c'mon and join!

Lastly, big thanks to my 2010 super models:

Divvy

Lovely

Mel

That's all folks. Hopefully there'll be a lot more in 2011. Thanks for looking!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

Hello, wasn't able to post sooner due to internet connection issues...Hope you are all enjoying your holiday.

I didn't have any new crochet decor this year, so I used the photo from a previous year's post.

I don't have much crochet FOs either, and I couldn't show yet my recently finished design. But here's a new holiday-themed crochet item I made:

I found a kitchen towel with snowflakes print, nice and affordable. I used my kitchen towel topper pattern to finish it off ;)

And here's a new modeled pic of the crocheted Santa hats for my niece and grandniece:

Aren't they so cute?...My grandniece sure loves to pose :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Hope to be back soon to post a year-ender.

Crochet wearables

2010-12-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

This time of the year is a bit colder here and just right to wear some light cardigans and shrugs. There are plenty of different styles in different fabrics at the RTW racks, but of course I'm always thinking about crochet cardigans and shrugs ;)
My Shells and Flowers Shrug design from a few years ago, is still wearable today. Here is one recently made for me by my crochetaholic buddy, Yolanda. She gifted me this to show her appreciation for my designs...I feel so blessed! Though it is very hard for us to see each other personally, she found a way to send it to me :)

And here's another new Shells and Flowers Shrug project shared on Ravelry by mollyfaerie: Love it!

Oh, and I've finally finished the Shapely Tunic for my SIL (though I still have to weave in ends and edge the neck...), here it is...hope she likes it!

Here's another Shapely Tunic project, this one is by Riohnna and modeled by her:

Crochet a Santa Hat - free pattern

2010-11-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

Playful Santa Hat

An easy and fun holiday project to make for anyone in the family.
http://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.com/2010/11/crochet-santa-hat-free-pattern.html

Pattern/project details on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/playful-santa-hat

Sizes: Adult (child)

Materials

Red Heart 3-ply yarn (or other locally available acrylic yarn), 4 (3) skeins (15gm each) red, 2 skeins white

Crochet Hook size 4mm.

Gauge: 9 sts and 4 rows in dc = 2 inches

Stitches used:
ch = chain, sc = single crochet, hdc = half-double crochet, dc = double-crochet

dc2tog = [Yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yo and pull up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops] 2 x, yo, draw through all loops on hook.

Hat

Band

Note: Ch 2 at the beginning of hdc rows count as hdc.

Row 1: With white yarn, ch 14 (11), hdc in 3^rd ch from hook and on each ch across, turn. (13, 10 hdc)

Row 2: Ch 2, hdc in back loop only of each hdc across, turn. (13, 10 hdc)

Rows 3 – onward: Repeat row 2 until it measures 20 (18) inches across rows unstretched, or desired fit around head, ending with an even numbered row (sample shown in adult size is up to 60 rows).

Match the edge of first row with the last row. Join by slip stitching in the back loop of last row and the foundation ch of 1^st row, in each st across. Fasten off white.

Crown

Note: Crown of hat is worked in a spiral, put a marker at the beg of each rnd, and move the marker up as you go. (You may use a slightly bigger hook for the crown for a looser fit.)

Rnd 1: Attach red on the edge of first row of band, ch 1, sc on same st, (ch 1, sc on edge of next row) repeat around. Ch 1, do not join.

Rnd 2: Sc in 1^st sc of rnd 1, ch 1, (2 dc in next ch1 sp, dc in next ch1 sp) repeat around.

Rnd 3: Hdc in sc, dc in ch1 sp, dc in back loop only of each dc around. (Note: from hereon all stitches will be done in back loops only)

Rnd 4: Dc in each dc, with dc2tog every 9^th and 10^th st.

Rnd 5: Dc in each dc around.

Rnd 6: Dc in each dc, with dc2tog every 7^th and 8^th st

Rnds 7 & 8: Repeat rnd 5.

Rnd 9: Dc in each dc, with dc2tog every 5^th and 6^th st

Rnds 10 & 11: Repeat rnd 5.

Rnd 12: Repeat rnd 9.

Rnds 13 - 14: Repeat rnd 5.

Rnds 15 - 20: Repeat rnd 9 and rnd 5 three times.
Adult size only:

Rnds 21 - 24: Repeat rnd 9 and rnd 5 two times.
All sizes:

Rnd 25 (21): Dc in each dc, with dc2tog every 3rd and 4th st.
Rnd 26 (22): Dc in each dc around.
Last rnd:
Remove marker; (dc in next 2 dc, dc2tog next 2 dc) repeat continuously, until about 4 sts remain. Fasten off.

Weave in ends. Make a pompom from white yarn and sew at the tip.
(Note: Here's one pdf to make your own pompom. For more tutorials search Google.)

Playful Santa Hat, by Mimi Alelis
http://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.com/2010/11/crochet-santa-hat-free-pattern.html

(pattern for personal use only, do not copy or post anywhere else)

Knitting and Crochet Stuff...

2010-11-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks, and the next several weeks is all messed up at home :p Whatever, its mostly beyond my control. So I just do the thing that keeps me out of trouble (or most probably keeps my mind off it) - crochet.

I've just finished a new design, but can't show it yet. But I can tell you its a cap sleeve cardigan, made in one piece from the top to the bottom, and I like it a lot ;)

Also worth mentioning, I've got me two knitting books at Booksale store...couldn't resist the price of only P40. each - Knitted Sock Sensations and Naughty Needles, both have patterns and instructions suitable for the less experienced knitter like me.
In a used clothing store, I bought one pullover just because its handknitted and the yarn is very nice. If I don't get to wear it, I can rip and reuse the yarn ;)

And here, just off my hook is my next free pattern offering - a santa hat. Coming soon...

Wearing a Crochet Scarf

2010-11-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

A scarf can add warmth, complete a look or define your style. Since it doesn't get too cold here, crochet cotton scarfs would be a good choice, especially if you can make it yourself! There are plenty of patterns to choose from, and you can pick the color you like from available cotton threads :)
There are many more ways to wear a scarf, than I'm familiar with. Here are some basic scarf tying techniques that I tried with my crochet scarves:

1. The No-Tie Tie. You can’t get any easier than this: Just drape it around your neck, and voila!
When to do it: When you’re wearing a necklace, or when you want to break up a mono-chromatic outfit with a long splash of color.

2. The Simple Knot Tie. It’s so easy you haven’t even thought about it yet. Just drape it around your neck and tie it in a basic knot – like the first step of tying a bow – that hits just above your bra cups. Rearrange the tails a little so that they fall one in front of the other (as opposed to side-by-side), cleverly hiding the simplicity of the knot. When to do it: To spice up a yoga pants & t-shirt ensemble, with a v-neck tee.

3. The Backwards Wrap Tie. Drape your scarf backwards around your neck, so that the center is flush against your throat and the tails fall down your back. Take the tail falling over your right shoulder blade and bring it across your back and over your left shoulder so it falls down the left side of your chest, and repeat with the opposite side. Keep it wrapped tightly for a polished look, or slouch it down a bit for a more relaxed vibe. When to do it: Instead of a statement necklace, to cover up a spit-up stain on your shoulder.

4. The Backwards Wrap + Knot Tie. Complete look # 3, then add look # 2. Presto Scarf-o! When to do it: Under a buttoned up blazer with the tails hanging out past the hem, when your scarf is super long.

5. Button-Hole Tie. Fold your scarf in half (making it half as long) and drape it around your neck so that you have both tails hanging over one shoulder and the folded center over the other. Open up the folded center a bit to create a button-hole, and thread the the tails through the hole. When to do it: With big earrings, with your hair up, when you’re getting cold.

Featured scarf patterns:
Summer Shells Scarf
Stylish Chain Scarf

Latest crochet FOs and patterns...

2010-11-13T21:14:00.000-08:00

Hi there! Seems I've been away here for a while...I'm loving crocheting and designing again :)
I hope this top I'm working on now will turn out right; I've ripped and reworked several times already...but its looking good so far ;)

Btw, here's the finished bangle from the previous post. I wore it last time we went out for dinner. I like it a lot... though it looks and feels like a wristwarmer ;)

My brother's g.f. modelling it for me:

And here are my latest original patterns for sale...only $2.50 each!
These fashionable accessories are so practical for the cooler weather during this time of the year.

Camo Newsboy Cap

made from Bernat Camouflage WW acrylic yarn

made from Lion Brand Wool-ease

Stylish Chain Scarf

Stylish Chain Cowl

These two neck accessories are one-ball projects made from Cannon size 8 thread. Both patterns are made from basically the same 3-row pattern repeat using chain loops to create a soft and lovely fabric.
All these patterns are available on Ravelry.

Creative Crochet Jewelry, part 3

2010-10-27T19:58:00.000-07:00

What's this? You could easily guess what I plan to do with this, but can you tell where I got? I didn't buy it, and it wasn't a common reusable material. Since I was excited to see if it fits, I didn't take a picture of the thing before I took it apart and prepared it for use. I also just assumed the owner isn't going to use it anymore :p

This metal was covered with a nice glossy paper, and I took it apart from the box that showcased the watch that my son bought for himself a year ago. I peeled off the paper and cut the sharp corners off. I tried it on my wrist and was happy that it would make a really cool bangle. Of course I was inspired by the examples in the book, Creative Crochet Jewelry. However, the designer used 100% metallic thread for the bangles, and I didn't have enough of it. I don't want to buy any more material since its always better to destash ;)

This black acrylic yarn with gold metallic (lurex) thread woven into it, will make great accessories for sure. My sister bought this in London a few years back. (Love you sis!)

Here's my WIP - just a simple single-crochet tube...

Finished projects in my next post ;)

Crochet a Coaster or Doily - Free Pattern

2010-10-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Use regular cotton thread or cotton thread with metallic, to make this lovely coaster. This can also be made a little bigger to use as a doily by crocheting with a bigger hook or thicker thread or yarn.

Radiant Coaster or Doily

by Mimi Alelis

Finished Measurement: approx. 4 1/2 inches in diameter using 1.75mm hook; 5 1/4 inches using 2mm hook

Materials:

Cannon size 8 cotton thread with metallic, or Anchor size 10 cotton thread with metallic
Steel crochet hook, size 1.75 mm for coaster, 2mm for doily
Yarn needle for weaving ends

Abbreviations
ch = chain, ss = slip stitch, sc = single
crochet, dc = double crochet, hdc = half double crochet, st = stitch rnd = round

Instructions:
Rnd 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Join with ss on the 1st sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc). Join.
Rnd 3: Ch 1, (sc on next 2 sc, 2 sc on next sc) repeat around. Join. (16 sc)
Rnd 4: Ch 1, (sc on next sc, 2 sc on next sc) repeat around. Join. (24 sc)
Rnd 5: Ch 1, (sc on next 2 sc, 2 sc on next sc) repeat around. Join. (32 sc)
Rnd 6: (Ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 1 ) - counts as hdc, [ch 1, skip 1 sc, (dc, ch1, dc) in next sc, ch 1, skip 1 sc, hdc on next sc] repeat around, ending with a ss on beginning hdc.
Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 1, [ch 2, dc on next dc, (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch 1 sp, dc on next dc, ch 2, hdc on hdc] repeat around, ending with a ss on beginning hdc.
Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 1, [ch 2, dc on next 2 dc, (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch 1 sp, dc on next 2 dc, ch 2, hdc on hdc] repeat around, ending with a ss on beginning hdc.
Rnd 9: Ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 1, [ch 2, dc on next 3 dc, (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch 1 sp, dc on next 3 dc, ch 2, hdc on hdc] repeat around, ending with a ss on beginning hdc.
Rnd 10: Ch 1, sc in same sp, ch 1, [ch 2, dc on next 4 dc, (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch 1 sp, dc on next 4 dc, ch 2, hdc on hdc] repeat around, ending with a ss on beginning hdc.
Rnd 11: Ch 1, sc in same sp, [sc in next ch 2 sp, sc in next dc, hdc on next dc, dc on next 3 dc, (dc, ch1, dc) in ch 1 sp, dc on next 3 dc, hdc on next dc, sc on next dc, sc on next ch 2 sp, sc on hdc] repeat around, ending with a ss on beginning sc.
Rnd 12: Ch 1, sc in same sp, [sc in next 2 sc, hdc on next hdc, dc on next 4 dc, 3 dc in ch 1 sp, dc on next 4 dc, hdc on hdc, sc on next 3 sc] repeat around, ending with a ss on beginning sc.
Rnd 13: Slip stitch on each st around.
Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Crochet a Flower Choker - free pattern

2010-10-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Flower Choker

Materials:

Small amount Cotton thread size 8 or size 10,

Crochet hook: 1.50mm or 1.75mm

(I used Cannon cotton thread size 8 and 1.75mm hook)

Clasp or closure for necklace

Yarn needle for finishing

A few wooden beads

Gauge: 8 dc sts = 1” using 1.75mm hook

Flower

Ch 5, join into a ring with ss,

Rnd 1: * Ch 7, ss on top loop only on 2nd ch from hook and on the next 5 chs, ss

on ring, repeat from * 7 times more. (8petal centers)

Rnd 2: * Ss on 1st st of next petal, sc in each of the next 5 sts, ch 2. On the

opposite side of the same petal, sc on next 5 sts, ss on last st. Repeat from *

for the other petals.

Fasten off leaving 12” tail for sewing.

Choker/ Necklace

Ch 107, (115, 123) [for approx. 14” (15”, 16”) finished size].

Dc in 4th ch from hook and on each ch across. (Crochet tip: for a better look,

work the dcs on the back ridge of foundation chain.)

Fasten off leaving 8” for sewing.

Assembly and finishing:

Spray or dampen the pieces with tap water, lightly press and shape with

your fingers. Leave to dry on a clean cloth or towel.

Attach the clasp on the necklace.

Sew beads on the flower, then sew the flower on the necklace. Weave in ends.

Click here for the pdf pattern.

Mix and Match Crochet Patterns

2010-10-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

Have you used Ravelry's pattern browser to search for crochet patterns/projects to make or just to admire?
I was going to make a simple crocheted kitchen towel, since I was inspired by Fats' latest design. I wanted it easier to finish, so instead of making the flower motif, I picked a simple square motif - the Butterfly Garden Square, from the pattern database:

I chose from free crochet patterns, with photos, worked in square motifs. The search is almost instant, and I found what I liked from the first page of my search. Btw, search can include not just patterns found online, free or for sale, but also printed patterns in books and magazines that are included in the Ravelry database.
I worked on the chosen square, and added the main part of the towel from Fat's pattern. Its just so easy to mix and match patterns - can't imagine how its like to go back to those days when we can't find the project we want, or spend way too much time just looking even if we have tons of resources. Hooray for Ravelry!

This is the kitchen towel I quickly finished for instant gratification. Its good enough for display and light use:

And here's another towel quickly finished. This started as a Crazy Dishcloth, but I needed a hand towel this time, so I made this.

Creative Crochet Jewelry, part 2

2010-10-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Creating your own crochet jewelry, even if you're not so inclined - is much easier when you have the right materials, tools, tricks and inspiration. That's why picking the right book that will inspire is important. I'm grateful for this book and consider it a blessing to receive. (See previous post.)

Now for my first inspired project here's my Flowers and Pearls bracelet.

I used: Cannon thread with metallic
Crochet hook size 1.75
The pattern I followed is the bracelet on p. 29. I wanted to make it all silver, but I didn't have the right material, so I used a partial ball of white cotton thread with silver metallic. The flowers turned out a bit bigger than the model in the book. So I made only 6 flowers, instead of 7.
My pearls were also bigger.
I did not attach a clasp, but sewed the flowers together and sewed it onto a white garter. I'm glad it came out the right size and just stretches a little to slip in and out of my hand.

Crochet a Mug Cozy - free pattern

2010-10-04T02:43:00.000-07:00

I've seen mug cozies everywhere on Ravelry, and recently I received one as a gift and it was a lovely knitted cozy (photo at the bottom of this post). With this I was inspired to make up my own pattern using our local Red Heart acrylic yarn by Coats Manila Bay.
This one fits a regular-size coffee mug.

Mimi's Crochet Mug Cozy
by Mimi Alelis, October 2010
http://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.com/2010/10/crochet-mug-cozy-free-pattern.html

Finished measurement: Approximately 3 1/2 inches diameter at the bottom, 3 1/2 inches tall
Materials: Red Heart, 3-ply acrylic yarn, 1 skein multicolor, and a few yards of contrasting color
Crochet hook size 4mm.
2 buttons
Yarn needle
Stitches Used:
Ch = chain Sl st = slip stitch Sc = single crochet Dc = double crochet Hdc = half-double crochet
Gauge: 9 sts and 7 rows in hdc = 2 inches

Starting at the bottom,
Rnd 1: Ch 4 (Note: beginning ch 3 counts as 1st dc), 10 dc in 4th ch from hook, join with sl st on top of beg ch 3. (11 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch 3, 2 dc in each dc around except on the last dc, 3 dc on last dc, join. (23 dc)
Rnd 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in each dc around, join. (46 dc)
Rnd 4: Ch 2 (counts as hdc), hdc in each dc around, join on top of beg ch 2. (46 hdc)
Continue to work on the body of cozy, this time working in rows. Turn, this becomes the right side.
Row 1: Ch 2 (counts as hdc), (hdc in the next 7 st, 2 hdc in next st), 4 times, hdc in next 9 sts, leave the last 4 sts unworked, turn. (46 hdc)
Row 2: Ch 2, hdc in each hdc across, turn. (46 hdc)
Rows 3-5: repeat row 2. At the end of row 5, don't turn , ch 10, sc on the side of row 3, turn and sl st back on each ch just made, sl st on top of last hdc of row 5.
Row 6: repeat row 2
Rows 7-8: repeat row 2. (Note: change color at the end of row 8)
Row 9: With contrasting color, repeat row 2, ch 15, and sl st on top of last hdc of this row.
Row 10: (edging) Ch 1, sc in same st, sc in each st across. Fasten off.
Finishing: Sew two buttons near the edge of rows opposite the two button loops. Weave in ends.

Here's the lovely knitted coffee cup cozy I received as a blog giveaway. Thanks Lisa!

Creative Crochet Jewelry

2010-10-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

More than a month ago I got an email asking if I’d like a copy of a new crochet book for review. I didn’t get excited yet until I clicked on the link and saw the cover:

Just from seeing this, I knew I would be thrilled to have the book.
I have enjoyed making crochet jewelry ever since I got on the internet, and have made several designs of my own. I couldn’t wait to get the book and to try some of the patterns there and to get inspired to create more.
Now that I finally got the book, I could say it was even more thrilling than I expected. Every project is presented with beautiful photos and clear instructions. I instantly became a fan of the designer/artist, Esther Zadock. For me, the best aspect of her book is that it inspires creativity and sparks up one’s imagination.
I know I’ll be spending some hours just scouring through my stuff looking for beads, jewels, stones; colorful and metallic yarns; and whatever other materials that I could use for crochet jewelry. I would love to make the bangles, multistrand necklaces, cluster rings and earrings.
The only materials in the book that I probably would just dream about for now are the elastic gold or silver thread and the dead-soft gold-filled or silver wire...aaahhh! Other than that I guess I’ll be able to find most of the supplies here. I’ll be showing my inspired projects from this book, soon!

Designing...

2010-10-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

What's this??

This is one of the crochet projects you can make from one skein (100 gms) of Bernat worsted weight yarn. It doesn't look much for now, but hopefully this will turn out into a cute hat.
You can see on the right the crochet hook, and my WIP... On the left is the failed one. What I usually do when I want to start over again is to take the other end of the yarn, and work from there, frogging the wrong project as I work on the right one. That way I don't have to deal with a messy skein. Most of all I can clearly see the improvement when I compare the previous attempt to the next.

Crochet model at work ;)

2010-09-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

A craft-blogging tip: aside from posting regularly, have good and relevant photos in every post.
Props and location are very helpful for this.

See here, my new medium-size model is proving to be very useful not only as a prop, but as a necessary tool for my fashion creations. This is the customized-sized tunic for my SIL. Its a little bigger than medium, and I've gotten the measurements from my SIL so I know its the right size. I have yet to continue crocheting about 6 inches of the lace skirt, but that seems very easy now that I've done the difficult parts ;)
Seeing it on the dress form gets me more inspired and makes me feel more professional ;)

A new model for my crochet creations :)

2010-09-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I have a new model!
Shown here wearing a romantic shrug that Yoly gave to me...

And if you're wondering who's Yoly, here she is:

I met her on my Facebook page, when she shared pics of her creations made from my designs.

On her model is the red halter top she made in large size.

When I saw this photo, I realized how useful a fitting form is, and knew I needed one...I asked Yoly where she bought it, though chances are I won't be able to go buy it myself.

Fortunately, she offered to buy it for me ;) Actually, she requested her hubby to buy it...

She also asked him to accompany her to meet up with me. They were such nice friendly people and I really appreciate them making me feel welcome and not a bother at all...especially since they live a bit far from where we met-up.

Meeting another crochet buddy in the person of Yoly was such a thrill! She even brought several projects she made from my designs. She said she already made plenty of items, all from my patterns which she loved since she liked working with cotton threads.
We exchanged projects too, and I picked the cream shrug above. I gave her my purple cropped cardigan and the pattern, so she can learn to make set-in sleeves.
Hopefully, we'll meet up again soon. There wasn't enough time to chat and share each other's projects. And as usual, I forgot to take out my pocket camera so we can have a souvenir pic :(

The junkyard, and a couple of Crochet FOs

2010-09-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

I might have become a bit accustomed to the disturbance that is our new neighbors, but it's still annoying at times :(
Hopefully there won't be too much noise anymore from their truck deliveries. I think they've already done much banging, clanging, screeching, etc. on here, and have this to show:

Yuck!

Anyways, I finally got over my non-productive mode and have a couple of FO's to present.
First, my coffee shrug!
I can now call it my own since it fits me perfectly ;)

The other one is my unique and original knit/crochet tunic top!
I am happy with the overall result, but a bit disappointed that I didn't have enough of the original blue thread to finish the skirt. I instead used a darker shade of blue for the last six rounds. I also couldn't decide on the exact length to make, but I think it came out just right for my height and small body frame...

Gifted Crochet Projects

2010-09-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of recent photos of me and some friends, thought I would share...

Here are two of my longtime friends who visited me at home last May 1. We rarely see each other since they've been busy with work and family and live quite far from me.
In this photo, we were just having fun with my crochet work and modeling it. I wasn't able to take modeled pictures of my gifts to them. I gave to Wilma the pink romantic shrug, and to Lilian the burgundy shawl.

Another recent meet-up was with a high school classmate vacationing from California. We haven't seen her in 33 years...It was difficult to set a date for most of us previous classmates here to have a mini-reunion. So it turned out only 3 of us met that day :p
I brought along some of my crochet items, since she was admiring them online and wanted to order. Most of it were small, and fits me. But the Coffee shrug was big on me, and it fit her perfectly! She was happy to have it, and I was happy to give it too :)

Crochet possibilities...

2010-08-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

With so many design possibilities in crochet, isn't it so difficult to decide which to choose? Sometimes I can only begin to realize what I want after having tried a pattern stitch on the garment. Its not the same as doing a swatch as you don't see the way it drapes or how it looks combined with the other design elements. And so it is with this knit and crochet tunic project - its now taking up a lot more time than I planned. But I don't want to just finish it up and not be happy with the result. The lace pattern from the Pierrot tunic turned out too lacy combined with the knitted top. Besides it didn't feel smooth and was a bit scratchy. Halfway through the skirt's length (pic below) I frogged it!

I think plain dc stitches would look and feel much better. I thought I was doing well and have done about 10 rounds (pic below), until - I looked at the back of the stitches. It looked nicer on the wrong side than the right side! So I frogged again and reversed the dc stitches :p

Now I'm really liking it and can't wait to finish. Haven't decided though on how to finish the edge :p

Crochet to the rescue...

2010-08-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

Several years ago (before I got into the internet), I attempted to knit myself some tops. I chose two designs, one in black thread and the other one in blue...started with the back part for the blue, and the front for the black. (You can see the UFO's here on Ravelry) Since knitting in thread seemed to take forever, I got stock and never finished the other half of both.
It is such a pity to see my unfinished knitted tops, that I decided to rescue it - with crochet, of course :) Luckily, I can just put together the black front and the blue back parts since it makes a good color combination. I can also cover up the imperfections with crochet edgings ;)
I have already finished the neck edging (two rnds of sc), and the sleeve edging (adapted from my original tunic pattern). I'm now on the bottom part, and looks like a few more crocheting hours to get to the finish line.

For the bottom part, I'm using the lace pattern on the bottom of this tunic from Pierrot Gosyo Co..

Some rambling and crochet...

2010-08-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't had any finished projects or crochet design to post for quite a while already. I still haven't got any for now, and unfortunately some bad news. Maybe not so relevant to my blog readers, but thought I would share.
About the second half of July, two unrelated incidents disturbed the normal, peaceful and creative aspect of my ordinary life.
First, the vacant lot beside our house is now going to be occupied. For many years (at least 2 decades) it was left practically on its own and nature took over. There were already trees on there, most of it bore fruit and the land owner would occasionally have the fruits picked. That includes the indian mangoes on the tree pictured above. Actually, this tree and several others grew because of the seeds that we threw on there. Now suddenly, one morning that started beautiful became ugly when the unscrupulous new owner businessman, had the trees destroyed!

We learned that they are going to use the land for storage of equipment. That might be illegal, since our subdivision is a residential area - another issue to be dealt with :p

I felt sad to lose all the trees that provided shade and privacy. If you notice in my modeled shots, some of it were taken with those trees in the background...
So the past weeks I felt quite exposed here (since my house is on the second floor). Anyways to save on expense, I thought of some DIY solution to the problem. I bought some lattice dividers and hinges. I still have to figure out how best to prop it up. I also have to paint it, and I don't like that kind of work :p

Ok, while the reality of losing the trees hasn't fully sinked in yet, my poor computer broke down! I have permanently lost some files in the hard disk :(
I don't want to account what's in there, but I know there are plenty of useful stuff. My brother saved what's left and got my computer working again. Don't know if I should bring the hard disk to a professional and pay him to retrieve my other files.My brother said there's some hope that the files could still be extracted. But I haven't decided if its worth it, or maybe I'd just start all over again :(

On the crochet side, I have several WIPs and don't know what to pick up! I really have to finish my SIL's tunic first. She wanted the same color and style shown on the printed pattern.
Then I need to put a curtain on my bathroom window. I want to crochet one and already made up a swatch...
Other than that, the cross-stitch project that I have to finish for my sister as a (late) wedding gift is laid on the table and I should be working on it too...
Hopefully I'll get back into designing soon. While I'm trying to do that, I might be reviewing a new crochet book, which I was told would be sent to me (keeping my fingers crossed on this). The book looks really worth it for inspiration and lovely projects to make :)

Moth Wings Shrug and other crochet updates

2010-07-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Seems I have not been blogging here for many weeks!... and I've totally neglected my other blogs :p
Anyways, now that my sister's wedding is over, maybe I can now catch up on my WIPs and blogging about my FOs and other stuff.

But first, an important note on the Moth Wings Shrug pattern on Interweave Crochet Summer 2010 issue. I found out that the correction I noted on the motif layout for the bigger sizes (sizes 39, 41, 44) was overlooked. On the magazine it lacked one full row of horizontal motifs for both the front and back parts. This is the correct layout:

I hope I'll see some Moth Wings Shrug projects in the bigger sizes, since I have only tested the smaller sizes.
I'm making another one in beige...its actually the 6th one I'll be making from that pattern.
I don't think I've shown the other ones I made, except for the first beige one and the magazine model.
Here are the lavender and the burgundy shrugs:

The burgundy now belongs to my brother's partner, and the lavender is still mine but I haven't worn it in public...I think the color is not me, so I'm making a beige one ;)

My Crochet Design for Summer 2010

2010-06-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

Some of you already know, and thanks to those who let me know they know, and were happy for me :))
Announcing my first published design in a U.S. crochet magazine, none other than Interweave Crochet!

Ta-dah...

The photos, the styling, and the model were so lovely...I almost could not believe it! When I submitted the sample, I actually got tired looking at it - because I did spend a lot of time staring at my project :p

This design started way back two years ago, and you can see on my previous post the first project I made using the motif that I came up with. Since then I made improvements on the sleeves and added a triangle motif to shape the front corners.
Crocheting it was easy, even if there were several motifs to make. After all, this sample used up only two balls of the egyptian cotton thread. Its also the 5th project I made from the same motif design, so I really got the hang of it.

If you want more details of this design and others featured on Interweave Crochet, please go to their website, or go to Crochet Me.

Old and New Crochet FOs

2010-06-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry to disappoint those expecting to see a jacket, but my version of Doris Chan's Barcello jacket turned into a shrug ;)
I couldn't wait to finish, and a jacket will take forever (using thread) :p Besides, a long jacket is not practical for my lifestyle...
So here it is, my Coffee Shrug (free pattern from Caron):

And here's my latest self-published pattern available on Ravelry, 8-Petal Flower Pendant:

There are bigger and clearer photos on the pattern, and step-by-step photo tutorial :)

Lastly, here's an old project I made at least two years ago.

This design has improved since then. I'll show the other projects I made with significant improvement in style and fit. Hopefully you'll be surprised on my next post when I present this design ;)

End of May, Crochet Update ;)

2010-05-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hello, how's the weather in your place? Rainy season has just begun here...summer was quite long and hot, so its a welcome change (hope it doesn't rain too hard, though).
Now I think I might be needing my crochet shawls and shrugs more often, and I'm glad to have different styles and colors to choose from ;)
I was able to finish my gray shawl a few days ago, but haven't been able to model it yet. If you want to know how it looks, its the same as this burgundy shawl which I gave to my friend, LV, early this May.

Oops before I forget, thanks to all who greeted me on my 5th blogiversary! To Rachana, Vik, Tin, Lisa, Mary Sarah, Saritha, Pearlin, Bheng, Tina, Christina, Chie, Lily, Yasmin, Daperfectmix and Sis - I really appreciate all your nice comments :)))

After many years of finding wonderful crochet patterns on books and on the internet, and even coming up with my own designs, I have tons of projects lined up. The list goes on and keeps on growing and changing. However, the sudden changes in plans have brought some interesting results ;)
Now I'm working on a Doris Chan design. My initial plan was to learn top-down construction technique no less than from the expert. A few weeks ago I came across her blog, Everyday Crochet, and found a very helpful lesson on the technique. Since I'm new to it, I really did not realize how valuable it was until I actually worked on one of her designs.

The design I picked was the Barcello Jacket. It was made with thicker yarn, so I had to make adjustments in using local cotton thread. It seemed to work, when I tried it on ;)
The lace stitch pattern became smaller with the use of cotton thread, so it can be adapted to make a shrug. I'm currently working on the edging rnds...will show you the finished garment soon!

2-TR TOG / 2-Treble together (or treble decrease) Crochet Stitch Tutorial

2010-05-28T02:12:00.000-07:00

2-TR TOG / 2-Treble together (or treble decrease)

1. Yarn over hook twice, insert on stitch, and draw up a loop.

2. Yarn over and draw loop thru 2 loops on hook; 3 loops left on hook.

3. Yarn over and insert hook on next stitch, pull up a loop. (You now have 5 loops on hook.)

4. Yarn over and draw thru 2 loops, leaving 4 loops on hook.

5. Yarn over and draw thru 3 loops, leaving 2 loops.

6. Yarn over and draw thru remaining 2 loops.

Tr tog made.

Extended Single Crochet (ESC) Stitch Tutorial

2010-05-28T02:06:00.000-07:00

ESC - Extended Single Crochet Stitch

1. Insert hook into stitch (or space) and pull up a loop.

2. Yarn over and draw loop thru one loop (as if making a chain).

3. Yarn over and draw loop thru 2 loops on hook to finish the single crochet.

4. Esc made.

Free pattern and stitch tutorial - No-sew Crocheted Towel Topper

2010-05-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

You'll need:

Kitchen Towel (sample used is about 15 1/2 inches wide, 25 inches long)
Ticket hole punch
Worsted weight yarn (sample used is Red Heart acrylic yarn)
Crochet hook size 4mm

This topper is crocheted directly on a kitchen towel, after punching holes on one short edge. I used my ticket hole punch. (Its a little hard on the hand, but I liked the result). I made it without adding a button or other closure, since I was going to hang it on a hook.

I didn't measure the holes or lined it straight, just eyeballed it about 1/4 inch from the edge, and 1/4 inch apart from each other. I made 41 holes. The exact number of stitches does not matter much.

Row 1: Join yarn on the 1st hole, ch 1, esc (see esc tutorial below) in each hole across, turn.

Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as 1st tr), (tr tog the next two sts) across, tr on the last st, turn. (see tr tog tutorial below)

Row 3: Repeat row 2.

Row 4: Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each st across, turn.

Row 5: Repeat row 4, turn.

Row 6: Ch 4 (counts as tr), (tr tog next 2 sts) twice, ch 1, skip 1 st, (tr tog next 2 sts) twice, tr on last st., turn.

Row 7: Ch 1, sc in each st, turn.

Row 8: Ch 1, (sc tog next 2 sts) 3 times, sc on last st, turn.

Row 9: Ch 1, (sc tog next 2 sts) twice, sl st on last st. Fasten off and weave in ends.

ESC - Extended Single Crochet Stitch

1. Insert hook into stitch (or space) and pull up a loop.

2. Yarn over and draw loop thru one loop (as if making a chain).

3. Yarn over and draw loop thru 2 loops on hook to finish the single crochet.

4. Esc made.

2-TR TOG - 2-Treble together (or tr decrease)

1. Yarn over hook twice, insert on stitch, and draw up a loop.

2. Yarn over and draw loop thru 2 loops on hook; 3 loops left on hook.

3. Yarn over and insert hook on next stitch, pull up a loop. (You now have 5 loops on hook.)

4. Yarn over and draw thru 2 loops, leaving 4 loops on hook.

5. Yarn over and draw thru 3 loops, leaving 2 loops.

6. Yarn over and draw thru remaining 2 loops.

Tr tog made.

My 5th blogiversary!

2010-05-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

May 17, 2010 marks my 5 years of blogging... I can't believe its been that long!

So much has happened all around, but as you can see my blog looks pretty much the same... I guess I myself haven't changed much, except grew older like everyone else :p
Anyways, if you're still here, thanks so much!

I have a good number of visitors everyday, though I only know a few special people who read my blog.

I've met some of you online ever since I was new on the internet ;)

I'll take this opportunity to acknowledge the following people who motivated and inspired me to keep this blog and my crochet happenings alive for the past five years:

Crochet Pattern Central - owned by Rachel Geller, a directory for free crochet patterns found on the web

Crochetville - a neat crochet forum (no glaring ads back then) where I first discovered a crochet community on the internet ;)

Coats Manila Bay, Inc. - esp. to Yumi Aromin and Jackie Reyes, for providing materials and resources and for publishing my designs

Ravelry - the best website ever!...my crochet/knitting fantasy place.

Etsy - best online shop for handmade creations straight from the artists.

To my youngest sister (who's taller and mightier than me), for inspiring me and for modeling some of my creations (and for actually wearing them)!

To my crochet buddies abroad whom I've had the good fortune to know and interact with despite the distance. I have been the recipient of their warm wishes, support and even crafty gifts and special yarns :)

Tina - Timeless Creations

Deneen - YarnsandMusings

Kimberly - The City of Crochet

Vik - Like Grandma

Chie - Chie Crochets

Pearlin J - Knottyville

Lily Go

To my local crocheting buddies for patiently working on my designs

Bheng - All Stitch Bright and Beautiful

Claire - The Artful Hooker

Tin - Stannum Reloaded

Tok

To Fatima Lasay (korakora), for sharing crochet ideas, techniques and inspiration.

To the members of Crochet in the Philippines on Ravelry, thanks all for joining the group!

To many more friends I met online...those whose blogs I follow, those who sent me gifts, those whom I swapped crochet items and yarns;

To all my blog followers, readers and visitors, especially those who take the time to leave comments;

To all those who tested my patterns and given me added inspiration and ideas;

To all those who bought my patterns, used my designs, sent me feedback;

Thank you all!!!

Crochet and Food Blog update

2010-04-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hi, its been a while since my last post. Did anyone make a Tropical Shawl?... :-)

I've just finished a white Breezy Shrug and currently working on a new shawl design. I can't wait to finish my first sample shawl using the new technique I recently "discovered".
I also prepared a free pattern with tutorial to crochet a kitchen towel topper... coming very soon.

Meanwhile, I have a new entry about pineapples on my food blog, in case anyone's interested ;)

Tropical Flower Pin - free crochet pattern

2010-04-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Another crocheted flower design I came up with.
The Tropical Shawl I recently made, inspired the creation of this Tropical Flower Pin. This was fun to make! Now you can enjoy it as well :)

(pattern and photos are not to be copied, distributed or used elsewhere)

Materials: Red Heart Yarn (or any worsted weight acrylic), small amounts yellow and purple
Hook: 4mm; 3mm or 3.5mm
Other Notions: Sewing Needle, Safety pin

With yellow and 4mm hook, ch 6. Join with sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, work in ring (3 sc, ch 3) 5 times. Sl st on 1st sc to join. Fasten off yellow.

Rnd 2: Attach purple on 1st sc, ch 3 (counts as dc), *skip next sc, dc in next sc, (dc, 7 tr, dc) in ch-3 sp, dc in next sc, repeat from * around. Join on top of beg ch 3. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Flower center
With smaller hook and yellow yarn, ch 3. 11 dc in 1st ch, join on top of beg ch 3. Fasten off leaving 10 inches for sewing. With wrong side out, stuff the center with small amount of scrap yarn, sew up the edge of the stitches while gathering it to close. Pull tightly and secure with a few more stitches. Sew to center of flower and sew a safety pin at the back.

Love is the only flower that grows and blossoms without the aid of the seasons. - Kahlil Gibran

Tropical Shawl with fringe - free crochet pattern

2010-03-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Just in time for summer outings here in the Philippines - you can make this airy and colorful shawl.
This is my updated Tropical Shawl pattern. The first version I made was printed in 2007 as free pattern giveaway by Coats Manila Bay for local yarn shops customers. This has the same mesh pattern, but now I used a bigger hook, and the loops are made up of ch 5, instead of ch 7. This is lighter, and requires only two balls of multicolor thread. Its faster and easier to finish too. This can be made in one weekend, or approximately 8-10 hrs. of crafting time.

Tropical Shawl with fringe
Designed by Mimi Alelis, © 2010
(pattern for personal use only; published only on this site: http://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.com/2010/03/tropical-shawl-with-fringe-free-crochet.html)

Skill level: Easy
Finished Measurement: Approx. 60” on top, 46” on sides
Materials:
Cannon Cotton size 8 thread, 2 balls (Cannon SC044 used in model)
Crochet hook, size 7/0 (4mm)
Abbreviations
st = stitch, ch = chain, sl st = slip stitch, sc = single crochet, hdc = half-double crochet, tr = triple crochet, sk = skip

Gauge Swatch: measures approx. 7” on top, 5” on sides
Row 1: Ch 37, sc on 9th ch from hook. (Ch 5, sk 3 ch, sc on the next ch) 6 times. Ch 2, tr on the last ch (8 loops) Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc on the same st. (Ch 5, sc on next loop) repeat across except on the last loop. Ch 2, tr on the last loop, turn.
Rows 3- 8 : Repeat row 2 until 1 loop remain. Fasten off.

Shawl
Note: increase or decrease in multiples of 4 on the starting ch.
Start with ch 253,
Row 1: sc on 9th ch from hook. (Ch 5, sk 3 ch, sc on the next ch) repeat across except on the last 4 chs. Ch 2, tr on the last ch. (62 loops) Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc on the same st. (ch 5, sc on next loop) repeat across except on the last loop. Ch 2, tr on the last loop. (61 loops). Turn.
Row 3 onwards: Repeat row 2 until only 2 loops remain; turn, ch 1, sc on the same st, ch 5, sc on next loop. Do not turn, proceed to do the edging.
Edging: Ch 2, (3 hdc in next space, ch 1) repeat across the short edge; hdc and ch 1 on the corner, (4 hdc in next space, ch 1) repeat across the the top edge; hdc and ch 1 on the corner, (3 hdc in next space, ch 1)repeat across the other short edge; hdc and ch 1 at the corner, join with sl st to the beginning ch 2. Fasten off.
Fringe
Cut thread to lengths of approximately 9 inches, allotting 3 pieces for each fringe. (Tip: if using Cannon multicolor thread, just cut along the border of each color, then fold in half and cut again.) Repeat several times to complete the required number of pieces.
Attach fringe starting at one end of the top edge, on each ch-1 sp on the short sides of the shawl.
Take 3 pieces thread at a time, fold in half, pull folded end through the ch 1 sp with crochet hook , then pull out the ends through this loop. Tighten a little. Do this on every ch-1 sp of edging row except on the top edge.

http://mycrochetstuff.blogspot.com/2010/03/tropical-shawl-with-fringe-free-crochet.html

Tunisian Crochet - Free and Easy

2010-03-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Tunisian crochet is also known as Afghan crochet, or hook knitting. Tunisian crochet uses a hook which is similar to a standard knitting needle with a hook rather than a point. Each row is made by placing loops on the hook and then working them off again. The work is not turned, so one side of work, usually the front, always faces you.
I haven't advanced from the plain tunisian stitch, though I know someday I will. It just seemed to take too long to finish, but the resulting fabric is very nice and very useful. Here's the tunisian stitch dishcloth (view project on Ravelry) I made a while back.

Tunisian crochet is easy to learn. Here is a directory of free tunisian crochet instructions at Crochet Pattern Central.

This is it!

2010-03-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Its now the middle of March, and I haven't had any new design featured yet for 2010 :( I need more inspiration...
I started a rectangular shawl a couple months back, but on the third ball of thread I realized I didn't like it. I ripped and changed part of the design...then I read about a call for thread design submission over at Ravelry, so I decided to submit it. Its a simple mesh shawl accented with little flowers...hopefully it gets accepted so I can make it using Nazli Gelin egyptian cotton thread ;)

While I was working on my shawl, I saw on Lily's post her gorgeous crochet shawl design!...its like one of those great-looking knitted lace shawls that we admire - and envy. At last, a lovely crocheted shawl made from thread!

This is it! My Garden Path Shawl in burgundy:

You'll just have to wait a bit more for the pattern to become available from Lily Go. More details on my project here on Ravelry.

And this I just wanted to share with you too...our youngest sister is getting married soon. She found her true love in Europe in 2005. I guess back then they already felt deep inside, "this is it!" :)

Food blog promo

2010-03-03T00:40:00.000-08:00

Typical Philippine dishes usually include pork, chicken and other meat, coconut milk, lots of soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, hot pepper, salt and even sugar; lots of bread, rice, fried foods and other treats. All these I avoid...so what's left? I'm blogging about my quest for better food, that's simple but not the usual Filipino food. Hope you will join me... I promise not to take up much of your time. I hope to inform as well as entertain ;)

And now you can win this eco-shopping bag plus a few surprise treats by joining my ongoing promo. To join, simply go to my food blog and either be a follower, or leave a comment, or both. Each follower and each commenter will get one raffle entry, so you can get two entries in all. There will be two winners, one from here in the Philippines and one from abroad. (prices include shipping). Last day to join is March 14. Entries will be raffled on March 15.

10 Tips to Work Happy and Productive from Home

2010-02-24T18:33:00.000-08:00

While browsing the Etsy newsletter this week, I found these tips from jewelry designer, Patricia Wood of VerreDesign.

Here are the first 5 tips of 10. Most of it I'm familiar about, the only problem is in the execution. I know there's no excuse, one needs to adhere by these guidelines to be able to succeed working from home. Keeping your goals in mind, while maintaining the right business attitude at home is necessary for that sense of accomplishment.

1) Very first thing, always say you work “from” home and not work “at” home. See, hear and feel the difference? Working at home may lead people to think you are available to pick the neighbors kids from school at the end of the afternoon or that friends are welcome any time to chat and have coffee with you.

2) Define your spaces and separate work from home. Have a room or defined space dedicated to working. Don’t do it wherever you happen to be. Set aside some space, preferably a room (it doesn’t have to be big, see here ) to be your workspace. That way, when you enter it, you know consciously what you’re there to do: go to work. It changes the state of mind from “I’m at home” to “I’m at work”.

3) Set up a functional workspace. This is critical to the success of your business. Make sure it contains all the necessary equipment that you need, and why not a wall calendar to write your goals and things to achieve (ex: Erasable wall calendar or Printable organizers). Decorate your workspace so that it is aesthetically appealing and try to keep distractions to a minimum!

4) Set regular hours and stick to the schedule (don’t stay in your pj - get dressed!)

5) Set online times. You don’t always need to be accessible for chit chat, check if you made a new sale in the last 3 minutes, peak in the forums to see what’s new, watch if you’ve been retweeted or if someone new wants to be your friend on Facebook. These are the worst time eaters. So plan you online time and no turning on the computer for a quick email check!

There are links to help you with defining your workspace and setting up your workplace (from fellow Etsians!) If you'd like to see them or read the full post, here's the link: http://verredesign.blogspot.com/2010/02/ten-tips-to-work-happy-and-productive.html

Crocheting in Summer

2010-02-17T04:57:00.000-08:00

It is mostly summer weather here in the Philippines. The cool months of December and January seemed to have passed so quickly, and its not even as cold as it used to be :(

Now in the middle of February, it is already getting so warm in the middle of the day and by March to April it is expected to be very hot!
I don't think I would be able to concentrate so much on crocheting, so I'll probably save the simple projects for this time. I plan to make a new set of glass cozies for our ice-cold drinks, small bazaar items for gifting and for selling (so I can buy halo-halo everyday!) and maybe finally be able to make my own designed beach ensemble, so I can offer it in time for U.S. summer season.
Meanwhile, here are my recent projects:
*This is my latest WIP. I was working on another shawl, but it was so simple and monotonous, I got tired of it. So when I saw Lily's design, I just had to try it. It was a bit challenging at first, but really easy once you get past the first pattern repeat. I'm almost finished on my 2nd ball of thread. Here was my WIP after finishing the 1st ball:

* A recent FO I posted before, is this belated birthday gift - baby hat I made for my grandniece who turned one last Jan.12.
(these were shots from my mobile phone, Jan.31)

Below pic, is my lovely niece and her baby.
This is the other baby hat I made a while back, which she already outgrew.

* For my cousin's (soon-to-be born) baby boy, I made this hat. (Its almost the same as above, with minor modifications)

And, here's the belated matching gift - I wasn't able to finish it in time for the baby shower. I'd just have to make sure my cousin gets this soon, since this is quite small and maybe will fit her baby only up to two months.

I bought the pattern for this, and you can see the details on my Ravelry project page.

Crocheted coral reefs demonstrate effects of global warming

2010-02-02T00:42:00.001-08:00

Margaret Wertheim is the co-creator, with her sister Christine, of the Crochet Coral Reef Project, exhibited in New York and in other states in 2009. (read article in LA Times). Using a crochet technique, she celebrates the amazement of the reef and global warming's devastating effect.

In this video she provides a vivid explanation of hyperbolic geometry which can be modeled excellently in crochet. This is how she draws attention to distressed coral reefs around the world that are dying in droves from changing ocean saline levels, overfishing, and numerous other threats.
Coral reefs are amazing and we can take a peek of its beauty through art in the form of crocheted fiber of many different colors. On the other hand, they also showed how corals look when it goes through bleaching, losing its colors because of environmental stress.(see Wikipedia article).

Watch this TED talk to find out more about the fascinating intersection of craft, nature, physics, beauty, math and global warming.

After viewing this I got inspired to look for patterns to do some hyperbolic crochet. Will add those to my queue ;)

Ravelry's Help for Haiti

2010-02-02T00:41:00.000-08:00

This last week of January, I sold a few more patterns included in Ravelry's Help for Haiti patterns. From this I was able to donate $10. more to Hope for Haiti. Even though it was a small amount, it's still good to know it added up to the huge contribution which came from the whole Ravelry community going to different organizations helping Haiti.

Got my 1st payment from g00gle!

2010-01-29T00:43:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to find out yesterday when I signed in to g00gle ads that payment was already made available for me. Without further delay, I headed off to Western Union this morning with a copy of the details:

I already planned to go to the supermarket to stock-up on goods. Not all that money was for shopping though, for I owed my brother some :p
This is a wonderful opportunity to earn extra income while sharing online what you enjoy doing and what would interest others to do too ;)
If you would like to earn more through your blog ads, just go to the website.

Crochet Update, January 2010

2010-01-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

Crochet for charity
Help for Haiti patterns are still up for sale on Ravelry.
About 10 Ravelers purchased patterns from me from Jan.16-24, and because of this I was able to make a small donation to Hope for Haiti.

It is heartbreaking to see in the news what has happened due to the earthquake. Let's continue to pray for them, and pray for ourselves too - to ask for protection from earthquakes and other calamities.

Crochet for yarn
Once in a while, I need to feed my curiosity for yarn. For those who don't understand a crocheter or knitter's need for a variety of yarns, I could liken it to a chef's need to have different kinds and the best of ingredients that could be had. I also love to cook and occasionally seek out a variety of ingredients. I'm only limited by budget, of course. As with yarn, I have to restrain myself :p
I saw Deneen's yarns for destashing here. I'm sure treating myself to a new skein of yarn won't hurt anyone. I picked a skein of cotton-hemp yarn, and I'll be patiently waiting for it in the mail ;)

Crochet for gift

My only crochet project as of this past week is this baby hat. This will fit my one-year-old grandniece. Can't wait to see her wearing it ;)

Help for Haiti patterns

2010-01-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

This morning, I saw the Help for Haiti patterns over at Ravelry. The sales for these patterns were pledged for donation to organizations helping Haiti Earthquake victims. In line with this, I have pledged the net sales of some of my patterns in Ravelry for donation to Hope for Haiti, until January 23.

Update (Jan. 19): So far 8 ravelers have purchased my patterns in response to this in the first two days; however, due to there being so many patterns offered now, its much harder for my patterns to be seen, so I changed the above pledge to take effect up to Jan. 23 instead of 31.

Crochet Pattern giveaway

2010-01-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

If you're a member of our Ravelry group, Crochet in the Philippines, here's your chance to get two crochet patterns for free. See the details here, on how you can join the promo.