Jumping
into January
Not
so long ago, as we crossed into the new millennium, we were worried about the
‘crash’, Y2K and its ensuing ‘computer’problems, the end of life as we know
it.. and here we are in 2014 and the human race is still going strong.
Thank you for joining me.
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Materials used : Today I’ve used Vardhaman as well as Oswal acrylic yarns, with a 3 mm crochet hook ; embroidery needle
For Indians : You could use Red rose , 4-ply knitting cotton , or unbranded knitting cotton or White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns ; Baby soft acrylic yarn , Ganga Spectrum as well
General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.
You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.
International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn , Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn, Caron Simply Soft , Bernat Softee chunky.
I've
been very lax with my blogging. The Jan blog coming out in March .. not good,
but Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans (to quote
John Lennon or Allen Saunders?!)
And
of course let’s throw one out at Procrastination as well while we’re busy
ducking arrows here !!
So
Jan was a great month for work .. and here’s my stuff for Jumpin Jan.
Made
what I thought was a lovely ‘water bottle cozy’. The idea for this one
came way back as I was doing a test project for Anastacia Zittel – a lovely bag
(http://www.ravelry.com/projects/anastaciaknits/decommission-tote). As I
entered that test, I thought I could gift the bag to a niece who was in the
family way – and thought it would go well with a bottle cozy. Anastacia
was very encouraging when I sounded her out on the idea and I decided to make
one in the same colours as the bag so it could go as a set – and then Ana told
me to write the pattern down. I thought who’d want a bottle cover.. so
anyway, got it tested and one of my testers thought it made a lovely wine
bottle cover too.. and ta da! Just like that.. this became ‘something worth
it’!
Visit
me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-bottle-cozy
or Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/easy-bottle-cozy/81098 for the Easy Bottle Cover pattern
Sometime in
January we had a lovely Mumbai Rav-meet – one of the few I could attend.
We went to Bhuleshwar market – a haven for yarn and craft related stuff.. the
small lanes and by-lanes where we’d have been lost had it not been for Nazneen
(http://www.ravelry.com/people/crazyhooklady). I had to keep my hands
tightly in my pocket and hold myself back as Jaishree and Ritha bought yarn – I
still had a stash from our earlier Mumbai Rav meet at Pradhan and I was on a
self-imposed yarn diet! I still did buy a small spool of cotton,though! J
As we were
leaving this super market, noticed Nidhi looking over at some small sling /
shoulder bags. She said she wanted something small for her ma-in-law that
she could carry just her house keys and mobile as she went on her walks.
Nothing seemed right, or the choice was too much.. either way, ma-in-law did
not get her gift. The following day at my local yarn store, I happened to
see a lovely self striping polyester (cone/purse) yarn – that blinked at me in
all its colourful shininess! I’d gone to get something for someone else, and
the shop keeper was actually surprised at my ‘poor purchase’ – and noticing me
look at the yarn told me it was ‘new’ and .. good salesman that he is, ‘caught
me’.. yes yes, he’s laughing all the way to the bank, thanks to me, I know!
Back home I
wondered what I’d make and remembered Nidhi
(http://www.ravelry.com/people/nidhikansal) and her ‘sling bag’.. and voila..
her ma-in-law got one.. and I got a new project
Now come on, it is an irresistible yarn!! right??
The
slim sling bag that holds a wallet, spectacle case and keys
Visit
me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/slim-sling-bag or on Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/other/slim-sling-bag/82873
for this Slim Sling Bag pattern
The Kaju Katli scarf has
been inspired by the lovely, delectable, absolutely yummy, irresistible sweet
meat that was a traditional sweet for Diwali (our Indian festival of
lights). Nowadays, it’s available all around the year – as yummy and as
dangerously fattening. It’s made wholly with cashew nuts, whole milk,
loads of sugar and clarified butter – and then decorated with slivers of silver
paper. Now, how can you resist something that just sounds so yummy, pray?
Now though I should say
that this was inspired during Diwali, it was end December that we’d had house
guests and a huge box of kaju katli was bought.. and while gobbling it down,
something there made me think ‘design this’.. and so was born my lovely Kaju Katli
scarf. I also had the most beautiful light peach and I thought it would
go so well with so many (clothes) combinations.
My niece, who was visiting
happened to see my yarn stash and she commented on a lovely (salmon) pink I had
there – coincidentally about the time that I was double checking the Kaju katli
scarf as it was being tested – so not just my 2nd project made
with that pattern, but she got a gift too.
my lovely niece who wore this as she flew out of India and swore
that she had many 'admirers' admiring her scarf.. daresay they were admiring
her beauty though!
The mouth-watering Kaju Katli .. hmm, know which way my 'walk' is
headed today
My lovely friend, Margaret, who is modeling the scarf I've made
for her son's friend, Ani
Visit
me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kaju-katli-scarf or Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/kaju-katli-scarf/82463
for the Kaju Katli Scarf pattern
A close friend in Bangalore
requested that I make him a scarf and ‘hat’ as he usually went out walking
early mornings, and it was getting quite cool. Colours he said ‘pl keep
it either white or black’.. I thought that was ‘dull’ – so decided to trouble
him and give him a B&W scarf. I’ve always loved the ‘houndstooth
pattern’ though I don’t like that name.. I can’t think of wrapping anything
around my neck that involved either a hound or a (it’s?) tooth. This test
was a lot of fun and I made so many new friends on Ravelry – and their projects
all turned out so good. I was so happy that all of them had extremely happy
‘recipients’ for their projects – as did I
I titled mine the ‘Holding
Hands Scarf’ as I thought the stitches looked like little ‘people’, holding
hands and dancing. Yes, yes, let’s put it down to artistic idiosyncrasies
My lovely holding hands scarf
comes with a pattern for the hat – and the hat pattern has 2 variations – one
with border and one without.
Sukanya, 'modeling' her dad's hat
This was the pic I'd put up first, and one of my testers commented
that her mum was as fascinated by the "striking blue t-shirt" as she
was by the 'dog's tooth scarf'
Sukanya
sporting the 'hat with border'
Visit me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/holding-hands-scarf-3 or on Craftsy at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/holding-hands-scarf--hat/82883
for The Holding Hands Scarf and hat
In
June last year, my daughter and I visited Brisbane, Australia. One of our
friends was wearing a very comfy looking pair of shoe/socks.. in something
‘like crochet’. Obviously, I commented on it. Mary said these were
made by her late aunt and as she’d passed on, she wondered who’d make these now
for Pat, who so loved them. She said it wasn’t crochet as her aunt said
it was ‘cro-tat’, and she added that the hook “looked different”. She
brought me one so I could see the pattern.. and I couldn’t understand what
stitch this was.. Well used, it had partly felted – and anyway, we were at
dinner! Mary kindly offered me a pair so I could look at it at leisure, adding
that that one had seen better days anyway. Back home, I took the project
apart and found it was made with the famous Tunisian stitch! I am not too
familiar with Tunisian (as yet), so thought I’d figure something else out for
Pat – and made him a pair of “Easy fit slip-ons”. (I’ve made him a pair
of “comfy shoes” and figured out a pattern for the ‘Tunisian’ one as well.. but
more on that in a later blog)
I
used the always willing Rav members (during the Jan meet) to ‘take foot
measurements’ for my shoe project – and then my Dad and niece were happy
recipients of this (before Pat got his). My niece (who travels a lot) has
said that these will be in her ‘hand baggage’ so she has a comfy pair for her
air travel, within the aircraft. Dad, who has minor neuropathy (unable to
feel the floor sometimes) said that this was really warm and helpful during the
‘winter’.
The Easy Fit Slip Ons
For
Dad
Visit
me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easy-fit-slip-ons
for The Easy Fit Slip Ons pattern
My niece with her slim ankles, lovely 'ballerina' feet and her
'in-flight' shoes
Our lovely neighbour Mrs. Suman Pujare who was recovering from her
partial hip replacement surgery (she now is practically 'running' around !)
My lovely willing rav-pals who allowed me to 'smear' some of my
permanent red marker around their feet while taking my measurements
The Cippikal
scarf was inspired by the lovely shells we saw in the superb, pristine beaches
in Brisbane. As a child, I recall loving and laboriously collecting all
the shells we could find at every beach we visited.. filling our pockets more
with sand than shells – trying to beg our parents to allow us ‘just this once’
a stash to take home.. bring it home and then totally forget about it
all! Thought we’d outgrown that..naah! But after a really good
dekho at how the lovely shell sparkled and how the colours showed through and
how it was so beautifully shaped, I did put them back in the beach before we
left – albeit sadly
So I give
you my Cippikal scarf.
Cippikal is the word for sea shell in Tamil (my
mother tongue).
Visit me on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cippikal-scarf
for my Cippikal Scarf pattern
Raghu
& Ajanta's lovely new 'daughter', Adishree, ("lawfully" theirs
when she married their son)
More 'drape' options. Margaret showed Adi several 'new'
drape options too
The inspiration
and before the writing bug goes off into hibernation, you're probably
going to be slammed by Feb as well.
Till then.. have a great day today
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Here are some of my miscellaneous home use patterns that you may like to look at
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