(A Lot) More Crochet in Lisbon and A Little Giveaway

Happy New Year To You and Your Loved Ones! To live up to my resolution of blogging more often, it seemed a positive start to be posting on the very first day of the year.

Let me now first explain this Granny Galore to you... I didn't make this vibrant blanket myself. (I wished!) However, when I was in Lisbon I stayed part of my time there in a lovely apartment. One where I had stayed before. It's an old, very spacious and airy apartment, flooded in light, lovingly restored by owner Joana, who is an architect and who also acts as a host together with her mother Martha. Both are the most welcoming people you can imagine. If you're planning a visit to Lisbon I can really recommend this place, you can book here via Airbnb. But I haven't told you the reason I chose this apartment. Well, in one of the pictures I saw a beautiful vintage granny square blanket, so that was that, choice made! ;-) It was this blanket...

And a great choice it was! When Martha heard I was into crochet she gifted me two lovely doilies. I still treasure them on the board above my desk. She also showed me this vintage pink popcorn blanket. It's just a quick snapshot with my phone, but isn't it a beauty...?

When I returned recently, a good 1.5 year later, she not only remembered my love for crochet, but she had a huge stack of doilies waiting for me to admire and two other beautiful blankets. What's more, she insisted I took some doilies and a blanket of my choice home with me. The kindness! I was seriously tempted to accept this generous offer, but travelling light as always, I had not enough room in my suitcase for a blanket. ;-) These are those blankets... (Pictures, again, taken with my phone.)

Aren't they amazing? Imagine the many, many hours that it must have taken to make these...

Below a compilation of the doilies, photographed against a concrete background.

You'd think that's enough crochet to make my heart sing. And it was. But even so, my crochet luck didn't end there... In one of the retrosaria's (haberdashery and yarn shops) I discovered a wobbly pile of old crochet mags, tucked away in a dark, dusty corner. I bought two. (Which I will show another time here - still have to make some decent pictures of them.) I might go back next time to buy the rest of the pile. ;-)

Which reminds me that, from a previous visit to Lisbon, I still have another magazine waiting for a little giveaway that somehow never happened. It's the one below, with classic patterns for filet crochet. You could of course tweak the patterns a bit, and give them a modern twist by using a sturdier yarn and other colours. It contains 62 patterns, mainly doilies, but also other items, like curtains. Since every pattern has a chart, you don't have to know any Portuguese.

Interested? Leave behind a comment before January 6th and I will pick a winner.

I'd like to end this post with my favourite sunset - ever. Lisbon. In pastels. Of course.

Many thanks for your kind visit and I hope we'll have many more online encounters in this new year.
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This Year In Stitches

Before I'll take you on a summary of my 2014 I'd like to share a little preview with you. Because - for the first time in my life, I daresay! - I have made a couple of new year's resolutions. Crocheting, creating, exploring new techniques, connecting with other creatives, photographing and blogging makes me happy. So I will reorganise some things in my life which should enable me to spend more time to do these things. I really hope to pop by here more often, share more patterns, start making tutorials even. And I'd like to take more time - quality time ;-) - to say hello on all those lovely blogs out there.

Well, let's see in December 2015 if I've kept that promise... (Or threat - depending on your point of view of course, hahaha.)

This year started for me with a period of travelling (hooray!). After that it has been a hectic year, and that shows in the numbers of posts this year. Only 32, this being the 33th. The lowest number since I started blogging mid-2012. Nevertheless, there has been a steady growth in the number of visitors - and I'm thankful for each and every of your kind visits! Most visitors are from the United States, followed by the UK and The Netherlands.

Okay, time for a chronological recap of some my favourite projects of last year. Below each (set of) photograph(s) you'll find the link that brings you to the original post.

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I made this sample for a blanket in Thailand. I decided it was not a suitable project while travelling: too much weaving in, too many colour changes, all in all too fiddly. Nevertheless: I really like it, so I would still love to make a blanket with this pattern someday. The sample lives its life as a doily now.


Click here for the original post.

So I decided on another, less fiddly project: conveniently called my Travel Blanket. Easy and portable. Loved every minute making of it. When I see it now I remember all the places where I sat crocheting the squares: under a tree near a temple, on a terrace overlooking the Mekong, in one of my favourite vegetarian restaurants while enjoying a coconut smoothie, in an old, traditional wooden house... And piecing it together on my small terrace overlooking the mountains... Memories I'll hope to treasure for always.



Click here for the original post.


Okay, so these are not stitches, but a glimpse of two pieces that inspired me while in Thailand - and still continue to inspire me. Although different from each other, I love the compositions and colours combinations in both.



Click here for the original post.


And while travelling I took you with me on something of a queest to good local yarn... I still remember how deep blue my fingers were when I worked with this indigo hemp yarn. ;-)

Click here for the original post.


I loved how you'll see crochet everywhere in Thailand. This shop was a lovely example...
Click here for the original post.

Of course there were doilies this year...

Click here for the original post.


Back home I was happy with my new rug. Basically a blow-up version of a doily.
Click here for the original post.

And although we had a lovely spring I couldn't resist making these mittens from a Japanese crochet book.

Click here for the original post.

More Japanese influences... I made a post inspired by Japanese styling. (I can't help it but I l-o-v-e this bunny.)



Click here for the original post.

I realised my biggest granny square so far! It measures 2.5 x 2.5 meter. Started as a stash busting project, but - as the rounds grew bigger and bigger - I ended up (of course...) getting new yarn. Love how comfortable this blanket turned out.

Click here for the original post.

Moments like this were far too few this year...
Click here for the original post.


There were more pastels. Like the three hangers I made for Mollie Makes!

Another pastel doily...

And you could see me in action... Well, sort of.

Click here for the original post.

More doilies... I took this pattern from one of the many Japanese crochet books I bought in Thailand.

Same pattern, different yarn...

Click here for the original post.

Pom poms take over the world - to begin with my craft room. And do you spot the doilies in the background? ;-)

Click here for the original post.

After that colour explosion I needed to get the balance right with an 'All Natural' post - which had actually an interesting follow up. I'll go into that in a whole new post soon... *teaser alert*

Click here for the original post.

When I was too occupied otherwise to finish a crocheted project, I popped by here to share my happy stack of blankets.

Click here for the original post.

But then - hooray! unbelievable! trumpets please! - I actually began and finished a project. I'm in love with this cape, the pattern - again - is from a Japanese crochet book. In the original post you'll find the information about that book. It's definitely a cape that attracts attention when you wear it. I'm especially happy with how I tweaked the pattern by crocheting the neck cowl, in stead of knitting it (which the original pattern calls for).



Click here for the original post.

I'm not proud to say that since I became a crocheter, I became a hoarder as well. Yarn and hooks. Do I need to say more? (I'll actually do a post or two about that in the next year...) This autumn, in my insatiable hunger for new crochet tools, I came across the handmade wooden crochet hooks by Henk: www.houtenhaaknaalden.nl. So of course I had to order a hook. ;-) He made me this gorgeous hook for me from an old bench (recycled, I like that!). I haven't used it a lot yet, because I've been working on projects that required another size, but I will definitely use it more often in the future. I'll write more about it next year. For now I'll say that he has many more types of hooks and he can make them fitted to your hand. (This is not a commercial, I'm just enthusiastic about such a beautiful craft!)

Click here for the original post.

Meanwhile my Travel Blanket found itself a spot in our house.

Click here for the original post.

Early this month I shared my Fifties Cowl with you and was swept away by your kind comments. In a second post I wrote down the pattern.

Click here for the original, picture heavy post.
Click here for the pattern.

Looking back, I think my year could quite accurately be summarized as Year Of The Works-in-Progress. (I omitted the wips and several other projects from this summary.) Quite a few of them still unfinished...Mmm, I feel another resolution coming up, haha.

I would like to end this post with expressing my sincere happiness with your visits, kind comments, inspiration and support. The online craft community it just wonderful.

Thanks for everything and I wish you a happy, creative, inspirational 2015!
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Pastels do Lisboa

Not sure if this title is correct Portuguese... [Update: I'm informed it's not. ;-) It should have been Tons pastel de Lisboa. Thanks for pointing me to the correct wording!] I very recently came back (again!) from a stay in Lisbon and was (again!) totally inspired by the amazing light and the gorgeous colours everywhere. Pastels mainly!

I did my usual tour of retrosaria's (yarn & haberdashery shops). I bought this organic cotton yarn called For Nature (from the Portuguese brand Rosários4) and a piece of this most lovely flowered cotton (here in the background), in matching colours.

When I was there I crocheted this doily. The pattern is not mine but from a Japanese crochet book. (I'm sorry, I don't have the title.)

This is where I got my inspiration from colourwise... (I did not bring my camera, so here is a compilation of snapshots I took with my phone.)

I could certainly see this colours in my crochet. :-) What a lovely and inspiring city Lisbon is. Wonderful! I have another post lined up about it... (And I am planning to go back there for even more inspiration. Ha!)

♦♦♦ Many thanks for your kind visit... I wish you lovely, animal friendly, crafty and stress free days!♦♦♦

Pattern Fifties Cowl * now ready!

Many thanks again for your kind comments on my Fifties Cowl. I have been wearing it a lot recently and I really like it: it's comfortable, stylish – to my modest opinion at least ;-) – and can be worn in multiple ways.

I promised to write down the pattern and here it is. I also drew two charts that – hopefully – will help too.

I really wanted to have it ready before christmas – for those who like to crochet their way through these days. Not unlike me. ;-)

What do you need?
– yarn: Scheepjes StoneWashed XL, colours MoneStone and Amazonite (two balls of each, but I tend to crochet fairly tightly, so it might be safer to buy three of each)
- crochet hook 6 mm (this stitch produces a fairly thick fabric, so I would not advise a smaller size hook)
– buttons
– scissor and darning needle.

Pattern

To start
Chain 120 (or any multiple of 2)
Mine has a base of 120 chains, this give a fairly snug fit if you wrap it twice, like in the photo above. If you'd like more drape, or are not sure it'll fit, I advise to start with a longer chain. 

Round 1

ch1, skip the first stitch *1 sc, ch1, skip 1 stitch*
repeat from * till * till end of round

Round 2
ch1, *1sc in the first st of the last round, ch1, skip 1 sc*
repeat from * till * till end of round. End the round with a sc

Round 3 till 27
Repeat round 2
Fasten off and weave in ends.

The basic is now ready! The only thing you need to do is to add simple borders and buttons.

Borders
I didn't make a border lengthwise, only in the width. Side A with the button holes, side B with the buttons.

Border A (with button holes): this is a basic row of single crochet, interrupted by short chains to make the button holes. Where exactly you want to make the button holes depends of course on the size of your buttons and the number of buttons you use.

For my cowl I used the following pattern:
5 sc along the side, ch3, skip 2 stitches, 6sc, ch3, skip 2 st, 6 sc, ch3, skip 2 stitches, 5sc. Fasten off.

Border B (with buttons): this is a basic row of 28 single crochet. Fasten off and sew the buttons in place. I advise to place them not too close to the border; this way the cowl will close neatly, without any gaps.

Okay, that's all my crafty friends! Let me know if you have any questions.
I do hope you will enjoy this pattern and cowl as much as I do.

May you have some lovely, animal friendly, crafty and stress free days ahead of you!♦♦♦ Many, many thanks for your visit! ♦♦♦

My New Fifties Cowl

The woven (or moss) crochet stitch is a one I'm completely smitten with - I guess from the first time I saw it. I love how sturdy and squishy a piece of crochet turns out when you use this stitch and I adore the woven look of it.

I prefer this stitch in two colours because this way you get both horizontal and vertical rows. For one of the hangers I designed for Mollie Makes (issue 41) I used the woven stitch: the pink Style Me Fifties hanger.

I've always wanted to make a bigger project with this stitch, and since I lack time for another blanket (although I would love to make a blanket in this style at some point) I decided on a cowl for now. Again I used pastels to obtain a similar fifties look. Which matches my vintage outfits. ;-)

Since I rather not mess up my bun when putting a cowl over my head ;-) I planned to use buttons to close the cowl. (This way I could also wear it as a scarf.) I happened to have some lovely vintage style buttons in my stack that were just great for the job. (Originally I planned the buttons to be on the back of the cowl, but I like these so much I actually prefer to wear them on the front.)

It's a fairly simple pattern, if you like me to write it down I will try to do so soon. For now some basics:
- Yarn: Scheepjes StoneWashed XL, colours MoonStone and Amazonite (two balls of each)

- Crochet hook: 6 mm
- I scored the buttons on a market a couple of years ago.

As I shared here a while ago I have so many ideas for this blog and for new crochet designs. But time is still an issue unfortunately. Hence the sporadic posts on this spot... Hopefully next year will bring more time for both!

Thanks for your visit. Lovely to have you here!
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Floating on a Cloud of Colour

Hello dear crafty friends,

How are you? I thought I'd pop round just to say hello...  Not really a project to show. I'm abroad right now, but I prepared a little post before I left. I'd like to share this little colour pop with you.

It never seizes to amaze me how colours can invigorate me. They really brighten up my spirit. I'm sure many of you feel the same about colour. Or am I mistaken?

Maybe you'd like to float with me for a while on this cloud of colours...

Do you recognise my little Travel Blanket? I made it during my travels in Thailand earlier this year. Somehow it looks quite different here!

I sneaked in a copy of Molla Mills' Modern Crochet in this last pic. Such a wonderful crocheter and I was very pleased that her first book is translated into English! Are you familiar with her work & website? *click!*

♦♦♦ Many thanks for your visit! ♦♦♦ Have a lovely day. ♦♦♦