First crochet project of 2014

Hi friends, I have a new project to share with you today. My first crochet project of 2014.

Last time I mentioned that I will going to Mumbai as my mother-in-law was supposed to undergo an operation for a tumor in her uterus. The surgery went off very well and my MIL had a speedy recovery. While most people hate "hospital duty", I usually see it as a time to catch up with my crocheting. My projects finish faster as I am mostly undisturbed in the hospital, and other than feeding and fetching for the patient, I am left to my own devices for the rest of the time. So whenever any relative is hospitalized I am on "duty". As my yarn and hooks go with me wherever I go, I managed to finish a beautiful infinity scarf which I was longing to make. 

The pattern is free on Mooglyblog.com and is called the Autumn Sunset Infinity Scarf. Here it is:

I had this deep salmon colored yarn in my stash and I think it does give an autumn feel to the infinity scarf...what do you say?

Here is another look at it ...

I have used a 5.5mm crochet hook and medium worsted weight yarn. I just love the pattern detail and I agree that they do look like 'sunsets'. 

As my yarn was thinner I started with 198 chains instead of 180 chains. 

The scarf measures 60 inches in circumference and is 6 inches wide. 

I love this pattern. In fact I am now a Big fan of all Mooglyblog patterns. 

I know I promised to show you a lot of other crochet projects in THIS post and I have not forgotten it, but the first project of 2014 has to be shown first...right?!

See you soon with lots of new crochet projects. Until then .... happy crafting. Have a great day.

New Year, New Projects, New Beginnings

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WISHING ALL MY DEAR FRIENDS A WONDERFUL 

AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hello Friends, I hope the year 2014 has begun with a Bang, for you. It is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac and I hope, that joy, hope, peace, success, and wealth just gallop into your life. 

As I was born under the sign of the Horse, this year has special significance for me. But having said that, I cannot say that the year has begun well. Last  month ie  Dec 2013 we were  told  that  my   mother-in-law has a tumor in the uterus. She has been advised a total hysterectomy, due this week. So the year 2014 has started off on a tense note. I will be leaving for Mumbai in a couple of days to stay with her.

Last year, while I did not blog regularly I did crochet as if the world was coming to an end!!!  LOL. So in that sense it was a very good year. I also bought a lot of yarn, crochet thread and hooks in different materials. Ahhh....crochet paradise! 

I also managed to fulfill a dream and started a much awaited project, something that I was longing to do for a very long time, (some of you may have already guessed) but more about that later

Now let me introduce you to one more "baby" from my family picture. This pattern is also a free pattern, from one of my favorite crochet designer - the lovely Lorene from Cre8tion Crochet. Lorene has lots of free patterns on her site and her patterns are really lovely.

The pattern I chose is the Zola Stacked Shells Cowl. It was love at first sight as the cowl was simply gorgeous! Also I suspect the name - Zola, had something to do with my choice (if you are a fan of Grey's Anatomy you know what I am talking about - the cute baby who is Meredith Grey's and Derek Shepherd's daughter).

So here is my own Zola:

Isn't it lovely!! I loved the borders on either sides of the cowl. Gave it a very sophisticated look. 

My cowl is not as sumptuous as the original pattern because bulky yarn is not easily available in India and I am not really a fan of using two strands together. But nevertheless I just love this cowl. It can be worn in many different ways. I like that you can pull it over your head on really cold and windy days. Here are some more pics,

Visit Cre8tion Crochet for this lovely pattern and beautiful pictures of it.

I was left with a little bit of yarn so I decided to make a set with matching fingerless gloves. I repeated the same pattern from the cowl to make the gloves.

I always feel that gloves look very very elegant. Don't you think so? 

The next photo was taken by my "assistant cameraman" (sonny) and it makes me laugh, as it looks like I am holding a trophy rather than a simple tea mug!!! 

I hope to keep posting from Mumbai as I may have to stay there for 2-3 weeks.
So until then...Happy crafting. Have a great year ahead!!!

Cowl Inspiration

Hello friends,

~*~*~*~*~  HAPPY THANKSGIVING ~*~*~*~*~

And Thank You, Yes YOU, my lovely reader. The person who makes me want to write and share a teeny weeny part of my life. The person who visits me even when my posting is erratic, sarcastic and ungrammatic (!) and also says polite things about my crochet projects. :) And especially You, who take a few precious moments from their busy life to write to me, words which feel like raindrops on parched earth, to me. After all a conversation with oneself is only a monologue and not a dialogue...or a blog!

In the last post I shared the "family picture" and then I kept wondering which of my babies (crochet!) should I introduce first. I decided to start with this gorgeous cowl, which I made inspired by a free pattern.

Now, most of my internet sessions start with Google and "free crochet patterns". While the patterns may not always be the ones you are looking for, I see it is a good way to find some lovely blogs and make some beautiful friends. One such blog, and one of my favorites is Mooglyblog.com.

The truly talented Tamara at Moogly has some gorgeous patterns AND they are all FREE. Tamara's patterns use a lot of lovely colours and there is something for everyone at home. You feel that you have to make them all!! The pattern that inspired me for this cowl was the Moroccan Market Tote. While I thought that I may not have the patience to make the complete bag, I was desperate to try the stitch which was producing such a wonderful texture. So I decided to make a cowl (a side effect of my trip to ladakh).

Isn't it gorgeous!! I simply loved the texture. The white yarn envelopes the plum yarn from both sides and it looks almost like a woven fabric. 

Have you ever visited the Taj Mahal? While this pattern is inspired by Moroccan tiles, the ruby jewels peeping through the white filigree reminded me of the beautiful marble inlay work at the Taj Mahal.

Image source: Wikipedia

Don't you agree? And if you have never visited the Taj Mahal you must add it to your list of "Places to see before I..........". 

There is also a pattern for an afghan using this same pattern at Moogly with instructions for different sizes. It is accompanied by a video tutorial for the stitch pattern. I had a slight problem at Row 3 so I urge you to watch the video if you are going to try this pattern.

For my cowl I used yarn from THIS stash and a 4.00 mm crochet hook. The cowl is 60" in circumference and 6" wide. 

Such cowls are also known as "infinity scarves" as they have no ends. So you can wear it like a scarf, thus:

Or wrap it around your neck twice so that it looks like a cowl, like this:

The photos are a bit messy as I was trying my hand at some photo editing with (as you can see) not so good results. But I know you will excuse me.  :) I used the two different colours for the two edges just for visual interest.

Do let me know what you think of my cowl? 

I will be back soon with another cowl and another one of my favourite crochet blogs.

Until then Happy Crafting. I am anxiously waiting to see what my bloggy friends are going to make for Christmas - either for themselves or as gifts.

Ciao,

Scarfed for life

Hello friends.

Thanks for popping in. I know I am not blogging consistently but I have been crocheting like it is going out of fashion. Now that my hook has become hot let me keep it down and pick up my camera.

But first I want to thank everybody for their good wishes on our Independence Day and also for your lovely comments about my crocheted hearts. And a warm welcome to all new friends who have joined us.

You may have read one of my previous post about our trip to Ladakh. Before this trip, I used to think that scarfs are fashion accessories and I always wondered how a thin strip of fabric could protect you from the cold. Well, that trip put all my doubts to rest as I wore my scarf 24/7.

Once home I decided to make a few more, now that I had realised  that they were useful and handy and definitely helped to keep you warm. 

I decided to use a pattern I had already used here but with a twist. This time I decided to use two colours. 

Soooo...... tad dah.....

And this is my first scarf

The two colours make it look like a whole new pattern, doesn't it? But I love both of them.

When my scarf was done, I thought it looked like fragrant "parijat" flowers strewn down a pathway. A sight that greeted us every morning when we would go to our native place, Mangalore during school vacations.

Pic source axsoris.com

Don't you think so?

Do you think it needs a fringe?

Well, scarf done, now what?  I am going to make a matching hat. 

But before that, let me tell you something funny. Since Ladakh is an extremely cold place I was happy that for the first time I could actually take all my hand crocheted goodies along with me and of course flaunt them. But after reaching Ladakh.....flaunt was the last thing I wanted to do. WHY?... Because I had my ivory colored scarf (shown above), my canary yellow fingerless gloves and a deep blue beanie (this pattern) I had made.

Now you can well imagine what a sight that must have been - blue beanie, cream scarf, yellow mitts coupled with my outfits in various colours. A real clownish ensemble!!!  :)

Well, at that time I was more worried about keeping myself warm rather than being fashionable...!!!

So that is how I was struck with the idea of making matching sets. [Confession - I am a big fan of matching sets]. I will be back soon with my matching hat.

Till then, happy crafting and have a great week ahead.

Heart to Heart

Hello friends!!

Finally I am back with a crochet post. At present I seem to be on a scarf making spree but today I am going to share something different.

Recently my physiotherapist Dr. Vrushali saw one of THESE hearts hanging from the strap of my purse and she liked it so much, she promptly placed an order for a few.

Here are the hearts I made for her...

Dr. V had asked for six, but I made eight so that she can pick and choose. But guess what, she ended up buying all of them!! 

Do you want to see them up close? Here goes:

Making these hearts was fun, but do you know what was even better! Getting paid for making them!! Yes, the mere thought that somebody likes your handiwork and is ready to pay you to make them is wonderful. Hmmm..... like having your cake and eating it too?!

You can see the first hearts I made and get the link to the free pattern HERE.

I will be making another batch of crochet hearts in Christmas colours, so if you would like to have a set, just drop me a line.

See you soon with another fun project (also a custom order). Until then happy crafting.

P.S. Expect a book tour soon as I am dying to play with my new toy - a Canon scanner.

Rippling Success

Hello there, Glad you joined me today.

I have a lovely finished project to share today. Something that I have been working on for a couple of weeks. Actually that is too quick for me, but the reason this project reached completion is because it was an Afghan challenge at The Crochet Crowd.

So, here goes my latest Ta-Dah......

Ocean Waves Throw

This is my very first attempt at a ripple pattern and I am quite happy with the result. This is also my first large, mammoth project after my Aqua and White granny square baby Blanket. 


The ripple consists of two rows. The first row is worked in the back loops only. This gave a 3D effect of waves rippling and lapping against the shore.

Maybe that is the reason it is named the Ocean Waves Throw. The pattern is free on Red Heart.com. The CAL is open till 17th May 2013 in case any one wants to join in.

The blanket is approximately 36" by 60".
The yarns are from this stash. 
It used up around 625 grams of yarn and has a total of 80 rows.
It took me about 15 days to complete, which is something new for a procrastinator like me! Most projects get started and then they languish in the WIPs basket till I "feel the love" for them again.  LOL!

I think Rajeswari's idea of adding a border and lining the blankets is a good one and I may try it later. Right now I just want to relax and admire my handiwork.

And of course all completed projects have to be clicked in my favourite spot - the swing. Only then can it be called an FO.

Now off I go to visit my favourite blogs and see what you all have been up to. I have found two lovely scarf patterns that I am dying to try but my WIPs basket is beckoning me  :(

I will be going on vacation in the month of May. Where?... can you guess if I give you a clue? Okay... it is the only place where you can get frostbite and sunburn at the same time!!! Let me have your guesses....hehe. Yeah I know...I am so wicked!

By the way, I am having some problem with Google Friend Connect and am unable to follow other blogs even if I click the "Join this site" button. Is this problem related to the discontinuation of Google Reader...any ideas? Would love to have any suggestions on this matter.  :)

Looking forward to hearing from you. Have a great week. Make time for craft everyday.

Crochet Mandala - Vibrant

Hello friends, I hope you are enjoying the weekend.

In my last post I mentioned how I enjoy putting up my projects on Facebook. Well, I was not always a fan of Facebook. In fact I found the whole thing a bit weird and I had joined only because it was the "done" thing. I would log in occasionally and just see what my friends and relatives were up to, enjoy some good quotes and photos which were shared and log out. The idea of sharing my personal pics or writing a comment which could be seen by the whole world was just not appealing.

And THEN, I discovered  "Groups" and "Pages" related to Crochet!!! Now that was fun, joining like minded people, sharing your projects, sharing patterns, discovering new blogs, getting instant reactions to your projects. Yes, I was really enjoying this Facebook thing now.

I am now a member of many crochet groups and have "liked" many crochet pages. Recently I did something else for the very first time. I joined a CAL. Now a CAL is something very common in Blogland and even Ravelry, but I have never joined one for various reasons. Lack of yarn, project too big or uninteresting or being tied up in my own projects.

The CAL I joined was at Mandy's Craft Tales for a Crochet Mandala. The pattern Mandy chose is THIS one by the lovely Petra. In case you would like to join in the last date is 12th April which I think is ample time.

Here is my completed mandala......TaDah

Do you like it? I used Laura Knitting cotton from  THIS stash and a 3.50 mm crochet hook. The mandala turned out 12 inces in diameter. I did this in one night!!

My favourite part is this row which has stitches in two colours on the same row. Something I tried for the first time, quite simple actually.

I really liked this mandala and its Vibrant colour scheme. I plan to make a few more when I am in-between projects. Only not happy with the last scallop row. The stitch count seems to be a bit off. Will have to work it out the next time.

Mandy has made this beautiful collage of all the mandala submissions:

Mandala collage from Mandy's Craft Tales

Isn't it just super?!! (Can you find my mandala?) 

I thoroughly enjoyed the CAL concept. So guess what I did.....jumped right into another one. This one is by The Crochet Crowd and it is for this lovely Ocean Waves Afghan. Click the link for all the details, the last date is 15th May 2013. 

Here are my colour choices:

Will keep you posted about the afghan as I proceed. Anybody want to join me?

Enjoy your weekend and make time for craft. Looking forward to hearing from you.