Granny Square Baby Blanket

Baby Blues

Hi friends, how are you? I know I did the disappearing act once again. But there is a good reason for it. I wanted to post only after I finished the project in hand :) As I mentioned in my last post I had to very sadly unravel the baby frock I was working on as the skirt looked huge. The granny squares made for the yoke were too cute and I wanted to salvage them. So I made a few more and joined them to make a blanket.

And Ta-Da........

Crochet Baby Blanket

Isn't it super cute!! Okay, I know it is only a small baby blanket, no reason to jump with joy. But for someone like me who is notorious for starting new projects and then just adding them to the huge pile of WIPs this is really something great. The fact that I actually finished a project and a large one at that!

I love "instant gratification" projects, you know purses, coasters, pouches, bookmarks, they give you Ta-da moments very soon. Somehow gathered up all my patience and plodded on through this project, granny square after granny square.... 63 in all, phew.

To keep myself from getting bored I decided to make half of them in reverse combination ie blue with white. 

Okay, confession time, do you know why I actually managed to work non stop and complete this blanket. Because I desperately wanted to try this lovely border!

I just wanted to see how the border would work out and I love the way those aqua jewels peek through the white snow. The stitch is known as Block stitch, I think. I had to unravel the border a couple of times as the corners were not turning out right, but finally it turned out quite nice and neat.

Well, what do you know! A couple of days after I struggle and get the border right, a lovely tutorial was put up by Cherry Heart. If you want to try this border you might want to look it up first.

I just love this blankie, my first actually big project. I wish it was an afghan so that I could snuggle under it. What do you think?

Granny Square Baby Blanket

Bitten by the blanket bug, I have suddenly become ambitious and I have jumped right into making  another baby blanket. This new blanket has a lovely thick texture and practically no "holes". Hope to finish it soon and share it with you.

Another reason I am late in posting this is because I have just discovered the joys of sharing on Facebook. A few clicks and you are done. 

The difference is almost like the one between theatre and cinema. Confused?? Okay  :) Let me explain, as a teen I would watch these movie star interviews on TV (yes, a confirmed TV addict right from childhood) and if they were theatre artists as well, they would go on and on about how theatre is so much more fun, thrilling, how the audience reaction is instant, you don't have to wait till the movie is released to know your fate, how you cannot afford to make mistakes,  and how you instantly know whether your audience is moved or not with your acting.................. Well, now I know what they meant!

Putting up my projects on Facebook was just like that!! Likes and comments follow soon and you can also reply to them soon. And with that done I just forgot to write about it. But I won't let that happen in future  :)

Over the last few days I have been answering a lot of queries regarding the Floral pouch, on Facebook, on the blog, by email, so I am thinking of doing a tutorial for the purse. What do you say, people? Raise your hands for aye. Okay just joking, don't raise your hands just let me know in the comments.

See you soon. Let me know what you have up to. 

Have a smashing week ahead.

A Trip and a Trophy

WARNING!!! LONG POST HEAVILY LADEN WITH PHOTOS

(You might want to get that cup of tea) 

Hi friends!! I hope March has been treating you well so far. I am guilty of going MIA, but that is because I had a lot of WIPs and no FOs. Things are not going so well on the crochet front. But more on that later.

Today I thought of sharing something non-crochet. That's right...its about a trip and a trophy. As a Valentine's Day gift, hubby took me for a short trip to Udaipur. Udaipur is a beautiful city in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. Very picturesque and laden with history. But before that let me tell you why we went on this trip.

My son had gone to Mumbai to attend a four day All India animation workshop arranged by his Institute. He extended his stay for a further 10 days to catch up with old friends and to generally soak up the Mumbai atmosphere which he dearly missed. While he was having fun, I was bored out of my skull. Yes, because inspite of the arguments, pranks, ribbings and fights, he is the only company I have for a better part of the day.

Sonny boy returned just in time for his twentieth birthday which turned into a double celebration, as he had come home with a trophy!! He had won the Star Talent Award (for UI & UX design for Mobile) which IS an achievement considering that the event was attended by around 300 students.
Definitely a Proud Mom moment!

While he was away, hubby arranged a two day trip to Udaipur. Let me share some pics .....

Exquisite carvings on the outer walls of the Shamlaji Temple on the way. Photography is prohibited inside Indian temples.

A camel welcoming us into the hotel.  :)
As soon as we checked in we made a beeline for the City palace which was a five minute walk from the hotel.

Impressive... isn't it!

The main entrance

The royal emblem and coat of arms (I think)

A view of the Lake palace on Lake Pichola (now a luxury hotel) from the City palace

These windows called "Jharokhas" are typical of Rajasthani architecture and are seen all over the city.

A view of the kingdom sure to please any king...

Hubby helping another couple (unknown) with their photo

A fountain in the middle of the palace, maybe as a relief from the heat

Those are colourful mirrors you see on the walls of this beautiful room

The king's study. Can you see that wonderful fan on the right side? Obviously there was no electricity in those days... so how do you think this fan worked?
Using kerosene... ingenious!

I just love these mosaic peacocks in the courtyard. There are a few more in different poses.

Can you see the intricate, neat and painstaking work done on them?

It must have been a pleasure to live in such an ornate, beautifully decorated palace!

The detailing is mind blowing..

This beautiful chandelier is part of the princess' parlour (below) where she entertained other royal ladies...

To visit all these rooms you have to go through a labyrinth of steep narrow staircases like this one. The royals must have been quite fit... and slim too  ;)

The exit doorway...

I hope you enjoyed these pics. There are heaps more photos which I will share later (don't want to burden you too much on one day).

As I mentioned earlier all is not well on the crochet front as "another one bites the dust". (Not a Freddie Mercury fan...... okay(smile), never mind!) The white and aqua baby frock, which all of you guessed so correctly, was not turning out so well, with the skirt becoming ginormous with each row finally had to be frogged. Can't imagine any baby going around with such a huge skirt. I must say, you crocheters are so clever to guess it right away. Actually if you crochet (or craft) you have to be clever... isn't it?!! A little shameless back patting there ;)

But I was not going to let those cute granny squares go to waste. So what do I do.... nothing, just make some more grannys. And now they are all joined to form a lovely baby blanket. I will be blocking the blanket over the weekend and will be sharing it soon.
Thank you, lovely people for your wonderful comments about my yellow purse. I am glad all of you liked it and took a minute to write to me. The pattern is very nice so do try it out.

A big welcome to all the new friends who have joined us.
Wishing everybody a fantastic fun filled weekend. Phew... that was one long post, I hope you are still with me  :)

See ya soon,

Golden yellow crochet purse

Hello friends, I hope you had a lovely weekend. I have been busy trying out various patterns which may be the reason I have not blogged as frequently as I really want to. 

But unfortunately my crocheting has not gone as planned and I have frogged 3-4 projects recently as the results were not as expected. All the said projects have been for tops or boleros. For a long time now I have been wanting to make something wearable, something with measurements, something that is supposed to fit you. I know what you are thinking...there are tons of patterns out there. Yes, I know, but somehow the ones I like are on foreign language sites - Japanese or Russian with only diagrams for reference. So far I have not been successful in properly deciphering any of those patterns. Very frustrating and also a loss of precious time!!  :(

Inspite of all this, my WIPs basket is overflowing with the dozen odd projects going on simultaneously. But enough about PhDs, now I want to show you the FO I promised the last time. Yes the crochet purse that I was working on. 

I was going to show you the purse after finishing it up with a lining and zipper. But no... I have still not gotten over my fear of my sewing machine. And zippers!!!.....certainly on my bucket list but just not right now.  :(

So here is the Golden Yellow Crochet Purse:

I knew I had to make it when I saw THIS PATTERN.  The material is a cord, easily available in Mumbai as purse making cord. Also known as macrame cord. I used a 4.5 mm crochet hook.

The handle is a Pin-spiration i.e. an idea I found on Pinterest. It is made by braiding three cords and to make the cord I did 200 chains and then sc into each chain.

Here is a link to the TUTORIAL for the braid. If you are planning to use this method for a bag handle remember to make the cords a few inches longer than required as the resulting braid will be much shorter. My cords were 40 inches each and the resulting plait is 34 inches.

I am quite happy with the result of combining two different tutorials. What do you think?
Hmmm... a lining and zipper would really make this purse look so finished and lovely. Maybe I will give it a try soon.

And now, would you like a peep into my WIPs basket? Hehe...as if I need to ask!!

Any guesses what this might be?

I am not sure I have got the "heart" right, so will post about it after working on it some more.  :)

So, what have you been up to? Do write to me. I love your comments (a big Thanks to all of you) and I really look forward to them. 

If you come across a good pattern for a bolero do send me a link. Here's wishing you a happy successful week ahead.
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Heart's Desire

Happy Valentine's Day, dear friends. 

I am always amazed by the fact that seasons in Blogdom, especially Crochetland change along with seasons in the real world. A few weeks back it was all snowflakes, snowmen, ornaments and Christmas trees... crocheted of course. And  now, come February, I give you one guess as to the flavour of the month. You are right it is Hearts, wherever you look, whichever blog you turn to.

If you have been following me for a while now, you will know I rarely make crochet trinkets or amigurumi. For me, Pretty always has to be accompanied by Utility. But I had to make an exception when I came across THIS heart pattern. Why? Because this lovely lady has taken the trouble to draw, yes actually draw by hand, every step of the pattern and very beautifully too. The whole pattern was now so clear and lovely. I just had to try it. 

Aren't they cute?! I wish I had used yarn instead of Bliss knitting cotton, that would have made them more fuller and puffy. 

 Here is the link  http://jose-crochet.blogspot.nl/2012/09/free-pattern-heart.html#more

I am not sure my dear valentine will actually appreciate these cute hearts so for now I am using them to decorate my new bookcase. Yes, this is the new bookcase my hubby ordered for me some time back, which I was supposed to show you long long ago. What can I say my camera has become so lazy.  (So it is not my fault, you see.)  ;)
By the way if I have said "will share with you later" or "will be showing you ------ soon" and then not kept my word, please, please do remind me. I can be quite absent minded sometimes. Since you cannot pinch me from there. a gentle comment will do.

Here is a pic of the empty bookcase the day it was delivered. I think it is made in Malaysia.

For the number of books I have I will need three more bookcases like this, which of course hubby is not going to get me. Anyway I am always thankful for small blessings. I chose this model as the drawers can accommodate all my sewing supplies, buttons, notions, hooks etc. A proper craft corner!!

My hubby has this cute habit of attributing any gift he gets for me to the next 3-4 occasions. LOL. So this was a gift for our Wedding anniversary, the New Year and Valentine's day and who knows maybe even my birthday which is in September!! Did I just say "cute habit", I seriously need to go and have some tea. Jokes apart I love the gift and the fact that he lets me go crafty (read that as batty) and potter around in my room the whole day. 

Here is a sneak peek at the purse I promised to show you. Yes finally did remember something! This the handle I have made for the purse.

 

Enjoy the day with your loved ones. I just called up my friend from fifth grade and we had a lovely chat. Get in touch with people you have lost contact with. Come on make that call, it is after all the month of Love.

I am a Cutie Pie!

Ahem... that is not me, but my blog that is a Premio Cutie Pie!! I received a message from the wonderful M.J. at Lots of Crochet Stitches passing on the Premio Cutie Pie Award to my blog.

Isn't that a super cute pic! Thank you M.J.

If you are really into crochet, you must visit M.J. Her blog is a veritable treasure house of crochet stitches, techniques and tutorials. She always comes up with something new almost on a daily basis. She is not only a talented crocheter but also a versatile blogger and manages three other blogs as well.

And now I have to pass on the award to five other blogs which I think are cute. Easy peasy. The five blogs I have chosen, in addition to being cute, also have something special about them. So here goes...

Diaper Mum by Rajeswari - for her lovely crafty projects and sharing pics of her two cuties.

T's Daily Treasures by Tammy - for her sunny disposition and finding joy in all the simple things in life.

Runner Girl in the Kitchen by Gauri - for sharing her low cal recipes, her running exploits and weight loss efforts. (Maybe one day it will motivate me to get off my butt and actually start walking!)  ;)

Lacy Crochet by Olga - for her genteel writing and gorgeous photos.

Cozy Things by Kristen - for her fun writing style and her great projects which show her expertise in the crafts of knitting and crochet.

That was fun, I think I will add a few more names later. I hope my nominees enjoy the award.

Well. it is mid week, so be happy that the weekend is nearing. Enjoy the rest of the week. Happy crafting. 

I am working on a purse and hope to share it with you soon.

Hand in (crocheted) Glove

Wow! We are already into the second month of 2013. January 2013 has flown by in a flash...or atleast it sure feels like it. 2013 - a year whose arrival was much awaited and that too with bated breath. Not because it is a special year but because we all wanted to see whether we would survive 2012! What with the doomsday predictions and all.

And now we are already into February 2013. So before the winter flies by in a flash too, I want to share one more winter item with you.

Actually I made these crocheted lace fingerless mitts last year. I have always thought that gloves are very romantic, elegant, sophisticated, Jane Austen-ey, victorian, Audrey Hepburn.... okay okay I think you got it. I really liked THIS pattern and had to make it right away.

I wear them at home whenever it gets really cold. I have never worn them when I go out and there are a couple of reasons for that.

A) I had never seen anybody wear such mitts, at least not in my part of the woods...

B) when they were done and I was strutting about the house wearing them, sonny boy very delicately and politely told me "Mom don't even think of wearing them in public. Especially if I am around."

So much for elegance...!!

The next photo pose is as per instructions from assistant cameraman (sonny boy...who else!)  ;)

But I am always happy to wear them at home and pretend I am Emma or Elizabeth... Who says make believe is only for kids ;)

Sigh.... that is all for now, girls. Off with the mitts as I go to plan today's menu. I don't think my Mr. Darcy will appreciate a bare dinner table.

A happy and joyful February to all of you.