Crochet and Other Stuff in 2013

Hello, Happy New Year everyone! Starting off this year with my usual year-ender post ;)
First of all, a big THANK YOU to all my friends, crochet buddies and followers, for the inspiration and support the past year! Hopefully a lot of new stuff and surprises will be seen here in 2014. Meanwhile, please take a look at what crafty stuff I managed in 2013 :)

Projects
I started with 524 crochet projects in my Ravelry notebook this year, and ended with 554. Not really content with the additional 30 projects...I have to catch up in 2014! However, not much crafting time was lost since I was able to finish a custom order for a total of 70 handcrafted placemats (for The Breakfast Table) made from recycled denims. And I've yet to make some more for them... I also made other small recycled denim projects, mostly coasters :) I'm so looking forward to creating more projects using scrap denim fabrics :)
Here are some of my projects in 2013 (view on Ravelry):

2013 projects

Patterns
I just realized that I added only 4 new designs on my Ravelry page. Hmm...other designs have remained unfinished or unpublished as of now. I vow to release more designs in 2014!
And I've got no excuse now, since my son bought me my own computer! And with a Starbucks planner, I should really be on my way to organizing everything (positively thinking!)

Dell Inspiron 14

So here are the 4 designs added in 2013:

2013 designs

Going around in circles scarf - free pattern here in my blog.
Hemp Tote - free pattern
Hibiscus Tunic - pattern published in Interweave Crochet Summer 2013.
In-a-jiffy belt - free pattern.

Yarns
I did purchase a bit more yarn than I was able to unload from my stash by selling or using it. Hmm...I should be taking an inventory of my stocks soon! I do remember mistakenly buying a few acrylic yarns from Dreams shop in Makati when we had a crochet group meet-up, because I was in a hurry and thought it was cotton :p Anyways, more about yarns later ;)

Meet-ups
The group meet-up in Makati was the only one we had last year. Thanks to our crochet buddy, Gerry, from Cebu. She took the time to see us last April 9, while here in Manila on a short visit :)

We also had some random meet-ups with Bheng (handmade by Bheng), which includes yarn and pattern sales/exchanges. And I've met-up several times with my crafting buddy, Catyanna, here in Quezon City. We all hope to have more meetups and vow to be more crafty and productive in 2014 :)

Crochet and Other Stuff in 2012

Goodbye 2012! I look back and am thankful for all the good things that happened, and though there were bad things too, it just leaves so much room for improvement :)

So now crochet lives on to 2013!...talking about my kind of crochet, alive in this blog ;)
Hopefully I will have many more to offer in terms of new designs, for sale and free patterns, and projects to share.
But first here's a rundown of what came in 2012.

Yarns!
- came from different sources and some were surprises :)

In January, I received Manos del Uruguay Serena yarns for my design submission to Interweave Crochet Summer 2012.

I ordered more Cannon threads this year to stock-up on threads, mostly blue shades for my consignment projects...though the project went well, I didn't have time to make items on a regular basis...I'd rather focus on my designs and creating personal accessories to use instead of buying at stores.

Some of the cotton and bamboo threads I bought from Crochetgal on Etsy. I want to have more of these threads since its the practical choice for wearables for our tropical climate.

Southmaid Cotton 8, a sportweight cotton yarn from HandmadebyBheng. I've bought some of these to try, then I also swapped some of my Anchor size 10 threads for some more ;)

These yarns and more, I got from crochet buddies when we met up last Nov. 23. More details here.

A surprise yarn package from my son when he came home from Baguio. These are simply called Baguio yarns by our crochet group, since these are unlabled, unbranded, and made of assorted materials.

These luxurious silk/cotton/bamboo yarns are my first order from Fe (The Pinklady's Closet) in Singapore. I'm surely tempted to buy more high quality yarns from her.

Projects!
- I started the year with 458 projects in my Rav notebook and ended with 524. Here are some of my favorites:

Cotton thread scrunchies made from Moira's pattern...interesting stitch pattern.

 Puppy Cellphone cases...hope to be able to finish the pattern.

Coin Purse made from my cellphone purse pattern...planning to make more in assorted colors and sizes :p

 This custom-made tunic took a while to finish...is also my size so I got to try it on ;)

Experimented with a crochet insert...would like to practice more and improve on this technique.

 My best bag project so far! Just had to whip up this celebrity style bag...inspired also by our crochet group's crochet-along. (more details here)

This top, and more projects in my Nov. 2012 post.

This and more in my Dec. 2012 post.

Patterns!

- 10 patterns were added to my designer's page on Ravelry:

Teeny Tiny Heart - free pattern

Striped Shells Glass Cozy - free pattern

Jar topper/doily - free pattern

T-shirt shrug with crochet insert - free instruction

Lauren Sweater - published in Interweave Crochet Summer 2012

Oval Basket - published in Crochet Calendar 2013

Pineapple Motif Earring - free crochet chart

Going Around in Circles Bracelet - published in Crochet Calendar 2013

Flower doily/jar topper - free pattern

Jellyfish Earrings - free pattern

Crochet Buddies!

- a  much-anticipated meetup of crochet friends...

 This year we've experienced more interaction and support for each other, thanks to Ravelry and Facebook.

Year-end Stats

Lastly, some end of year comparisons...though no dramatic changes occurred, I'm so thankful for the positive feedback from sales, increased income from Ads, and increased followers in my blog and Facebook page.

Thank you family, friends and followers, for helping me continue to do what I love to do :)

Thank you Google, Inc.and Interweave Crochet!

Another dog ami and some more FOs...

Now I can show you another dog amigurumi that I recently made...This one's for Tina, whose dog Jetta inspired its creation :)
Actually, I used my basic pattern for a mini dog ami. The head and muzzle are the same as the  Dachshund ami, and the ears are the same as Molly ami. The body and paws are all the same, except for the color.
Btw, I used an inventive technique to add the white fur on the chest. I'll explain on my next post what I did, if anyone's interested...
Meanwhile, I'd like to share a couple more projects. I really haven't been crocheting much lately...but these ones came up instantly.
I saw a hibernating project, I forgot what I was attempting to make. There were three strands: 2 of crochet cotton thread, and 1 of a fine yarn with nubbs (unlabled, but looks like a natural fiber too). I thought it would make a nice chain necklace, and save me the trouble of having to sort it out again in my stash :p
It makes a simple accessory to match a low neckline top, also something light and cosy to wear.

The reason I went through my stash again, is to look for acrylic yarns to make hats to donate upon Judy's request. Since she asked for bright and colorful, these caps for kids are as colorful as I can manage, based on the available yarns that I had ;)

A new model for my crochet creations :)

I have a new model!
Shown here wearing a romantic shrug that Yoly gave to me...

And if you're wondering who's Yoly, here she is:

I met her on my Facebook page, when she shared pics of her creations made from my designs.

On her model is the red halter top she made in large size.

When I saw this photo, I realized how useful a fitting form is, and knew I needed one...I asked Yoly where she bought it, though chances are I won't be able to go buy it myself.

Fortunately, she offered to buy it for me ;) Actually, she requested her hubby to buy it...

She also asked him to accompany her to meet up with me. They were such nice friendly people and I really appreciate them making me feel welcome and not a bother at all...especially since they live a bit far from where we met-up.

Meeting another crochet buddy in the person of Yoly was such a thrill! She even brought several projects she made from my designs. She said she already made plenty of items, all from my patterns which she loved since she liked working with cotton threads.
We exchanged projects too, and I picked the cream shrug above. I gave her my purple cropped cardigan and the pattern, so she can learn to make set-in sleeves.
Hopefully, we'll meet up again soon. There wasn't enough time to chat and share each other's projects. And as usual, I forgot to take out my pocket camera so we can have a souvenir pic :(

My 5th blogiversary!

May 17, 2010 marks my 5 years of blogging... I can't believe its been that long!

So much has happened all around, but as you can see my blog looks pretty much the same... I guess I myself haven't changed much, except grew older like everyone else :p
Anyways, if you're still here, thanks so much! 

I have a good number of visitors everyday, though I only know a few special people who read my blog.

I've met some of you online ever since I was new on the internet ;)

I'll take this opportunity to acknowledge the following people who motivated and inspired me to keep this blog and my crochet happenings alive for the past five years:

Crochet Pattern Central - owned by Rachel Geller, a directory for free crochet patterns found on the web

Crochetville - a neat crochet forum (no glaring ads back then) where I first discovered a crochet community on the internet ;)

Coats Manila Bay, Inc. - esp. to Yumi Aromin and Jackie Reyes, for providing materials and resources and for publishing my designs

Ravelry - the best website ever!...my crochet/knitting fantasy place.

Etsy - best online shop for handmade creations straight from the artists.

To my youngest sister (who's taller and mightier than me), for inspiring me and for modeling some of my creations (and for actually wearing them)!

To my crochet buddies abroad whom I've had the good fortune to know and interact with despite the distance. I have been the recipient of their warm wishes, support and even crafty gifts and special yarns :)

Tina -  Timeless Creations

Deneen - YarnsandMusings

                                                                               

Kimberly - The City of Crochet

Vik - Like Grandma

Chie - Chie Crochets

Pearlin J - Knottyville

Lily Go 

                                                       To my local crocheting buddies for patiently working on my designs 

                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                             Bheng - All Stitch Bright and Beautiful  

                                                                                              Claire - The Artful Hooker  

                                                                                             Tin - Stannum Reloaded  

                                                                                                                      Tok                    

To Fatima Lasay (korakora), for sharing crochet ideas, techniques and inspiration.

To the members of Crochet in the Philippines on Ravelry, thanks all for joining the group!

To many more friends I met online...those whose blogs I follow, those who sent me gifts, those whom I swapped crochet items and yarns;

To all my blog followers, readers and visitors, especially those who take the time to leave comments;

To all those who tested my patterns and given me added inspiration and ideas;

To all those who bought my patterns, used my designs, sent me feedback;

Thank you all!!!

New Crochet Group over at Ravelry...

Hi all, I'm still here and working on my latest and longest in-the-making design...my very own motif bolero. I have made a lot of restructuring to improve the design - I want it to be awesome ;)
Crochet garments sometimes come cheap around here (crochet headbands at P10. or boleros at P100. makes me sad). Some people hardly, if ever, give credit to the time, patience and skill that goes into each crocheted piece. On the other hand, some crochet workers don't even improve on their skill and just go on and on repeating stitches without paying attention to the design or fit...There are lots of skilled crocheters here who wouldn't care about patterns or to learn new stitches and techniques. I am one of those who'd rather use the techniques I already know, and don't have much patience to try to learn like broomstick lace or tunisian lace crochet (as of now)...but I'm interested in what and how others use their crochet skills. I'm particularly interested in what crocheters here in the Philippines are up to. Sometimes, I feel my designs (being sold by Coats Manila Bay) can only be appreciated by a few crocheters. Honestly, I don't know exactly why I picked those styles, but it was what I had the inspiration to do at that time.
Anyways, watch out for my latest 3 designs out in your local craft stores.
Meantime, I invite you to join us in our new Crochet group at Ravelry so you can share your ideas as well. I hope we can elevate crochet here in the Philippines to the best of our abilities ;) Lets promote crochet and make it appealing, not only in the form of bikinis and see-through tops, but also in fashionable, stylish garments and accessories.

Crochet and Other Stuff Update

First of all, I am relieved all my files were safe! About 10 days ago, my computer totally broke down, and I tried not to worry about it since my brother takes care of all our computer problems. But if I lost my files, I might not be able to write up again or continue some of the patterns that I was working on. Also, some digital pics and other data might be lost forever. Fortunately, my brother is able to fix the problem. Unfortunately, I'd have to make do with his OLD back-up computer until I am able to upgrade the parts. This one is so sloooooow...

I haven't been crocheting much the past few weeks. Lately, I got busy rearranging furnitures, decluttering tables, organizing stuff and decorating a little.
Here is one thing I bought at only P100, which I positioned on an ugly spot on the wall:


a hanging plant pot...I just put in cut-off pineapple leaves.

And here's my dining table centerpiece:

I "found" this green vase with artificial flowers put aside and collecting dust in my parents' house. With some washing and scrubbing, it looked lovely again :)

After a lot of moving stuff around, I finally settled on a workstation outside my bedroom, between the living area and dining area. It doesn't look so crowded as I thought it would be. Its still comfortable with enough space for day-to-day activities. Not sure if it makes for a more conducive atmosphere for creating art and crochet designs - we'll see ;)

Now for some update on crochet. I think I'm getting back in the groove again, inspired by two reasons. First, I got my Crochet Calendar 2010 issue, and it was a pleasant surprise! Not only because it came very early, but because of the new look and the improved quality of designs and material.

I have two patterns in there:
Flower Tawashi - April 19
Happy Handy Tawashi - March 10

Second, I was told that my three patterns with Coats were already released - at last! I just haven't seen the printed patterns yet...I will post as soon as I have it :)

More projects!
These are already posted in Ravelry, but shown here only now.
Metallic Butterfly pin

The width of this butterfly is 1 1/4". I used DMC silver metallic thread and 1.25mm hook. The pattern is Lisa's Butterfly...and I just made up the body and head.

Hippie Headband/Belt

My brother's g.f. has thick long hair and this headband really looks good on her :)

Knitted Scarf

I mailed this one to my sis...and she sent me this pic ;)
I used this pattern, since it was simple enough.

Lastly, some of my favorite projects made from my designs:

Claire's Shells and Flowers Shrug

TurtleKnitta's Shells and Flowers Shrug


Bheng's Romantic Shrug

Tin's Romantic Shrug


Tina's Romantic Shrug


Claire's Simply Striped Shrug


Grace's Stylish Sack Bag

Ceola's Sack Bag


Deneen's Sack Bag