November 29, Crochet snowflake and baby piano

Today I made a crochet snowflake to fit on a used CD. I'm not sure whether to use them as Christmascards (and decorate the back side) of to fit two CD's together and make a snowflake on the other side as well. This one is with hook 3, I might use other yarn to make it more dainty. (I have some time left before sending my Christmas cards and before the Christmas fair in about 2 weeks to try some more).

While I was putting this together my son finished his piano for the Sinterklaas celebrating next week. Here is the keyboard with small presents hidden underneath the keys.

 

And there is a larger present hidden in the piano itself. And the accompanying poem (which is really a national sport to make) is in the envelop on top.

I'm very proud he did not wait till the last moment to finish it (so unlike his mother!)

 

November 28, Fox on a cap

Today I started something I planned a long time ago... and finished it in no-time. I used a thick yarn and hook 5 and completed the cap for one of my relatives (2,5 years old). I used 1 single crochet, 1 half double crochet for the main and then alternated front post and back post half double crochet for the rim. I really liked the fox stitch on, and made the earcaps matching in form and color (well, approximately) to fox ears. Now I'll have to wait for the mailman to surprise him (I have enough of this yarn to crochet a beanie for his mother as well, but I don't know if she would like to match with her son).

November 27, mitts and butterflies

Finished knitting the tumbs so my present for tomorrow is ready.

Also went along with the butterflies I need for my Sinterklaasparty next week. One is already finished, here are the ones I designed and cut from felt, but I still need to sew them.

But... time to remove my felt colorwheel from the ground so that I can walk safely again.

November 26, special knitting

Today I tried to finish at least one mitt for my father in law. The black one did fit (to my surprise) but it needed more length. I also added brown, these are the colors left over from the crochet remembrance bear I made for him (and his grandchildren) in loving memory of his wife who died 6 months ago.

I looked up what a magic loop in knitting was and then tried it (knitting with two short circulars rather than one long one because I couldn't find it). When I tried to make a nice pattern with brown and black and at the same time knit 2, purl 1, I discovered a nice, colorful touch. What was intended was the row as it became above (alternating black and brown) but the loops in front were worth having at the right side.

This is how far I was with the first mitt when it was just light enough to make a photo, in the meantime I knitted the second one and only need to finish the tumbs (and full it).

If you would like to try this stitch (I haven't read about it before, but undoubtely it has a name and history already): The first 3 rows are knit 2, purl 1 in black. Then knit 1 in black, attach brown and knit the stitch, then take the brown yarn to the front. Knit 2 black, take the brown yarn to the back and knit 1 stitch, then again to the front. Repeat all the way round.

November 25, crochet angel

Today I tried to crochet an angel. I deviated from the pattern a little because I did not understand it, but am quite satisfied with the result. Someone oredere two angels for Christmas to send to someone dear, so I'm halfway (making the second one exactly like this one is the hard part for me).

The pattern in Dutch can be found at l'heure bleu.

November 24, warm feet

Today I received an e-mail with a photo of these warm slippers I made for someone.

I used a pattern, but had to improvise because the yarn I used was not as thick as in the pattern. I fitted it around the ankle and then made a drawing of the feet to know what the form of the slipper had to be. She has very pointy toes, the ones I made for myself are more broad and round (finally took the time to weave in ends and sew a leather sole under them).

November 23, butterfly and mitts

I sorted through my stash of felt today, altough I failed to photograph the resulting color wheel. Then I went on designing a butterfly, an orange tip. I want to make 8 more for my Sinterklaas celebration (on December 6th) so I have to do some more (sew up the felt, add beads etc), but this is a start (it is about 10 cm wide).

Of course it would have been easier just to buy a package at Atelier Lindelicht (which has some amazing butterflies), but I want to make other varieties and more than 7... and there is enough felt lying around.
I also finished my first drag (a fingerless mitt) from a knitting pattern in the wonderful E-book Dreaming of Shetland. They were designed by Sheila January. Fumbling the thumb-part was the most time-consuming part, but I guess the right hand mitt would be easier (easier to photpgraph as well).

I added a small motif on the back of the hand, but it did not turn out as I planned. Anyway, this mitt is in the washing machine right now to full, curious which size it will turn out. I want to make a pair for my father in law for next week.. but I'll have to experiment to get the size right.

November 22, preparing for Christmas fair

Today I 'designed' some Christmastree ornaments which can be made during a workshop at the Christmas fair (on December 14th). I also tried to make an inventory of things I want to sell at the fair, and what I still have to do to prepare. So now the floor in my room is a total mess, but my list is pretty clear.

These ornaments (or if children would rather make it a necklace that is also a possibility - the one in the middel is long enough) are made with the silver coloured rings from the Dankbaar.org foundation. One of the goals is to enhance childrens' attitude of grace and to let them get in touch with positive energy and finding their true spirit. By teaching children how to make a gift for someone else I think I contribute to those goals, and if they learn how to crochet either with a hook or with their fingers I also teach them that it is nice to maken something yourself, and that you do not need much to explore your own creativity.

November 21, creatieve together

Totdat was a busy day. My son is working on his project for Sinterklaas. In the Netherlands we celebrate the Day of St. Nicholas (December 6th) for smaller children with gifts in their shoes (kind of like Santa's gifts in your stockings) but for older children it is making something for someone else (and you're supposed to keep it a secret for whom, kind of secret Santa). He is making one for a girl in his class, who listed playing the piano and horses as her favorite pastimes. Do he decided to make a piano to hide his presents in. We made one of two cardboard boxes and let part of it become the keyboard. Then he decided to make it a pink piano, so my room smells of paint...

I wanted to make my daughter something special for dinner so I came up with this food-mandala: goat cheese salad which she loved.

November 18 and 19, digital work and another wreath

Well the newsletter proved to be a bit of inconvenient (or totally annoying really) and I spend most of Monday trying to fix it, designing a total new one instead. Since I also made a Newflash for Gratitudebeads (actually bot were in Dutch) it was a busy digital day.
Today I finished another wreath, with two yarns worked together.

I discovered that my favourite one (the green/purple one) is no longer sold online in the Netherlands, but I still have a small ball left.
I decorated the wreath with small bundles of yarn

and then tied little get well notes to it (from our Friday knitting circle)

And when I started cooking dinner I also took a picture of those little miniature Christmastrees (at least that is what my children call it): Romanesco it is called (a combination of broccoli and cauliflower). It tasted just fine, and now I'm late again for my blogpost. Better next time.

 

November 17, Christmas wreath

For my newsletter (which I still have to post...) I made a Christmas wreath with small reindeer (not crocheted) around a styrofoam circle (17 cm diameter).

You cannot see the small leaves around, which I made by making 5 double crochet, 5 single crochet around and the on the other side the same. Then double crochet all around (the rim) and then leaves on the otehr side (but exactly opposite, so 5 double crochet where I started with 5 single crochet and vice versa). For the middle I used a different thread (and a smaller hook) and I like that it forms a star in the middle.

November 16, earrings

Although it is a bit cheating I decided to show you my crocheted earrings. I made the frame in August, a newsletter item (in my Dutch newsletter I Always post a free pattern). Since I spend my time today making some more half-way (not really finished) earrings and a new item for my November newsletter (which was not finished when there was still light to take a picture), I decided to post this:

It is worked around plastic mesh (which is a great basis for crochet), a really simple pattern. You first make a single crochet row all along the mesh, then little bows of 3 chain stitches and a single crochet in every second stitch (from the first row). And the finishing touch is just like the butterfly wings which I also like to make, in every bow 1 single crochet, 1 half double crochet, 2 double crochets, 1 half double crochet, 1 single crochet. You skip the single crochet in the second row, and you have to work it out on the corners for it to look nice (some larger bows and/or more stitches).

November 15, clogs with poppies

Oeps, skipped a day and almost forgot to post a blog today. I'm dressing this statue (remembering the 1995 flood, our town had a narrow escape and the dikes were raised afterwards)

Since we had a bit of frost last night I thought they might have cold feet, so I made some nice blue striped clogs for the mother and put the poppies on for a touch of red.

And tomorrow I will dress the girl... and eventually the whole statue.

November 13, bear hat

Since we had a bit of frost last night it is time for hats and mittens. I started this bear hat last February in a crochet-along and did not quite finish it. My niece's son for whom it was intended has outgrown it I guess, so I made the final touches (spot on the eye, ribbons to tie it with and will send it to someone who was born this Summer.
So I hope she will enjoy it.

I also finished those little hats (see November 4th) and put them in the mail as well. They will serve as small reminders, and raise funds for the elderly. So I've added 15 more to the 39458 already received. Feels good! (and thanks to two girls who helped me decorate them)

November 12, creative printing

This morning I enjoyed a creative printing workshop. Since I usually use yarn to epress myself I found it difficult to start, but we did some nice techniques and it was a very creative group. I also told them about this challenge, so perhaps there will be some more Dutch participants.
I also received a nice gift (from someone who knows I love butterflies), so this is what my table looks like:

The butterflies are foam cut out and glued to cardboard, then printed on paper with stamping ink.

The four larger printings are monotype printed from a tile, you put paint on a tile, then print it on paper and then change the appearance by rolling the paint, adding water or adding tips of paint. The appearance on the tile changes, and what becomes of your printing is a surprise.

November 11, more poppies

Today was an important day for me. I turned in my manuscript to two prospective publishers. I hope they find it enjoyable to read and want to consider publication.
I've been busy preparing the manuscript these last weeks, and now I realized that I did not have a title page. So I made a collage of a photo on my moodboard (with a small piece of knit poppies), some wool, some sheep and Monet's Poppies in Argentueil. All these have a part in the knit novel I wrote. This title page is in Dutch, but translating the title is the easy part (I only need to adapt Klaprozen in december to read Poppies in December)... translating the book is the next chore on my list, but will take some time.

November 10, minecraft pig

Well, the small crochet parts of Friday have become a minecraft pig for my nephew's birthday. I forgot top take photo's when I finished it, so I took some with my Phone.

 I Always make some nice bag or sack for my children and nephews with as many euro's as the years they turn, so this little piggy is a real savings account as well.

It is made of block (just like in the game Mincraft my nephew plays) although the head is somewhat smaller because otherwise the pig cannot stand up because it's head is too heavy (filling is just a scrap of some filling I had left).

November 8, gratitude beads

Today was a busy day because we had a meeting with all the volunteers of the Foundation I work for. We make gratitude bead strands. Each of the 16 beads stands for something you are grateful for, and by using it everyday it is very nice to count your blessings (more about gratitude on www.gratitudebeads.org).
We also use this number for our Foundation, for example, we decided on a sale of 16 euro's (ehhmmm... I still have to adapt the webshop to that number, but Okay, next week it will be tip-top).
One of the surprises was this new strand of which I received the first trial version. So today not really something I made with my hands, but which I helped design

It is a little tree on a jade strand of beads.

And what I was up to myself (in the little time left and on the bus), see for yourself:

Tomorrow I will reveal what I intended it to be.

November 7, poppies

I got an easy crochet pattern yesterday, so I tried to make a poppy (did not quite succeed because there is one petal short).

So I decided to make some more but slightly different (the heart is the same, 12 single crochet in black), but then 6 petals of 4 chain stitches and single crochet back to the heart, sling stitch in the black stitch. Second round of single crochet around the petals.

I planned these poppies on the clogs of the statue I want to dress up with yarn bombing, but since it it still raining I did not get round to that yet. I will post is as soon as the poppies are in place.

November 6, Real angora goat

My niece has 3 angora goats (which btw give mohair wool). I bought some of her homespun wool for my dye project which I still did not start on, and though well, why not make a real angora goat. One of the animals on my Noah's Ark is the couple Alpine ibex (with horns) and domestic goat.

So I made the goat but now with mohair, and then I stuffed it with goat's hair (not spun) which is all wrinkly and pulled out some of the hairs. This was the resulting goat (which I send to my niece as a thank you for the wool) and in the background is the real goat which served as the example.

November 5, creative mandala morning

Today I taught a cladd mandala crochet. We started out with a 12 cm. hoop and worked our way round with single crochet, various colors and bows. Some turned into Christmas trees like my example, others were creative in their own way. Not all were finished though. Here are some examples:

And mine? Well I did not have that much time between explaining people what to do and helping to decide ehich way to go next. So my mandala is stuck in good intentions (and will be completed some other day I guess).

 

November 4, small hats

Today I went to the hospital with someone and because I had a lot of waiting (and knew in advance) I took some scrap yarn with me and made these little hats.

They will be sold with Innocent smoothies, in the Big Knit Campaign (20 cents of every smoothie sold will be handed over to a Foundation for the Elderly). Last year's record (to which I also contributed...) was 104,387, now 39,458 hats have already been sent. And the deadline is December 1st. So I still have time to embellish some of these, and maybe crochet some more.

November 3, mandala crochet

Somewhat later because I like to start my lazy Sunday without computers... but do not succeed in the end. Since I have to teach a workshop on mandala crochet on Tuesday I tried some versions of it today, also because I still have to write out the patterns for intermediate and advanced.

I made this large spiralling one last June and it is in my window catching the morning sun (when it shines that is).
And because it is only 51 days to Christmas I thought to throw in this one as well (this is the one I actually made today)