Crochetkari

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?!

Crochet Autumn sunset infinity scarf detail

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

Hello friends, Time is just flying and we are already into the third month of the year!

I am going to share one more item from my project collage. This is a wonderful ripple scarf and yes...it is a Free pattern. This scarf is made from the Serenity Ripple Scarf pattern at The Crochet Lounge. So, here goes:

This is my second ripple project, the first one was this beautiful ripple blanket. But the scarf has a ripple pattern which is very different from the blanket.

The pattern is shown with gorgeous pink and purple but I quite like this combination of red and white too. Here is the stitch pattern in detail:

I added a fringe just for fun, the pattern has a different edging. The Crochet Lounge has lots of other free patterns for hats, cowls, wristers etc.

See you soon, until then Happy Crafting. And before I sign off, here is some interesting information I found on Facebook;

Well, it is definitely reason number 4 for me!! LOL

Ciao,

Crochet Iris Toddler Top

Hi friends,

Today I am so pleased with myself and I am dying to share this project with you. Which is the lovely, very cute Crochet Iris Toddler Top that I have successfully managed to complete. And I am thrilled with the result.

So Ta-Dah...

Isn't it super duper cute!! I have no idea yet as to how it will look on a toddler as there is no "toddler model" anywhere close to me. But doesn't matter, I am still very very happy with it.

Are you thinking that I seem to be dizzy with excitement? Well, I have a right to be as this is my first successfully completed wearable item with shaping and measurements.

Do you remember THIS dress! Well, eventually it became a baby blanket...phew!!

Doesn't that skirt look ridiculously huge!! Poor baby would have toppled over with the sheer weight of the dress...LOL.

And then there was THIS cardigan set...

The bonnet turned out quite nice but I am having some problem with the front of the cardigan even after working on it twice. Anyway it is in my WIPs basket...maybe some day I will feel the love for it again. :)

So now on to my masterpiece (hehe)... You can find the pattern for this cute Iris Toddler Top at My Hobby is Crochet.com. (I like the name of the site) :) The designer Kinga has also released a new version of the pattern for 3 - 5 years, so take your pick.

The body of the top has two different shell patterns

The yoke has two tiny buttonholes and I used two pearls as buttons.

And the other side of the top...

I am mighty pleased with it!! I think it looks very very cute. What do you say?

Now if only I could find a toddler to model it. Or maybe I could just wait for my grandchild...which means only a short wait of 5 - 6 years! Oh no!!!!!!!

So, what are you working on right now, do tell me. I am working on this stitch pattern which seems to be the current rage on the internet, wherever you turn....Facebook, Pinterest, crochet forums, ....this keeps popping up. It does not really require a pattern and I am hoping to have something nice to show you soon.

First Sewing project of 2014

Hi friends. Hope you had a great weekend.

Once again, putting my fears aside, I have boldly gone where I usually don't go!! Sorry...I think watching William Shatner everyday in "Boston Legal" is affecting me... :D

Now on to my latest project, which is a sewing project. Yes, finally gathered courage to go near my sewing machine once again. My last sewing project was eons ago!! And here is my latest creation:

A crochet hook case. Yes, even my sewing has to be in connection with crochet!!

I had purchased a set of crochet hooks from Ebay some time back. I think they are from China...or maybe Hong Kong. My first Ebay purchase :)

I wish I had step by step photos to show you. But believe me, you don't want to see my haphazard process....which usually involves a lot of cursing under my breath, along with walking away from my sewing machine a couple of times!

So anyways, here is the finished product;

Eight pockets for the hooks and one for the measuring tape...or scissors.

A flap so that the hooks don't slip out of their nooks.

My obedient hooks tucked into their beds. :)

Finally put the magnetic snap I had purchased ages ago to use.

I think the two fabrics match each other very well. What do you say?

I love the fabric on the outside which is a Bandhani print. I say "print" because real bandhani is a highly skilled and time consuming process of tie n dye. It is very popular in Gujarat, the state where I am residing at present.

As my last crochet hook case was a roll up, I went for a wallet style this time. With the help of various sewing blogs and YouTube videos, I think my sewing machine and I are becoming friends....hehe.

Next, I am going to try and sew linings for a couple of crochet purses I made recently. So until then, Happy Crafting. Wish you a great week ahead.

Hi friends,

In my last post I showed you the two crochet hook cases made with the help of my sewing machine. I thought it was time my hooks made a home for themselves. Yes, I mean a crocheted crochet hook case.

I had saved a wonderful pattern for many years for a Aluminum hook case by Priscilla Hewitt(Click the link to go to her Free Patterns page which has some really wonderful patterns). It is a beautiful pattern but looked slightly complicated. I had a set of homeless aluminum hooks and now seemed like a good time to try the pattern.

My latest crochet hook case, Ta-dah...

Isn't it wonderful?!! The beauty of this pattern is that the hook pockets are formed as you crochet and there is no stitching/seaming involved (YAY). I have to admit I was skeptical about this and wondered whether I could manage it. But believe me it is easy peasy.

The pockets take form and close automatically as you crochet.

The outer side has a cross stitch pattern but you can use any favorite pattern.

I have used Laura Knitting cotton and a 3.50mm crochet hook. While the cotton yarn did give the case some stiffness, I wanted a firmer case so I cut up a (perfectly good) plastic table mat and inserted the pieces in between the fuchsia and sky blue layers... much to the horror of my husband. Cutting up a functional household item for crochet!!! He is now convinced that he has married a crochet lunatic and has now started hiding his files and folders....haha :)

A lovely case needs a beautiful button.

The pattern even produces a "spine" for the case on the outside making it look like a paperback.

Priscilla aluminum crochet hook case spine

So that is the story of how these hooks,

end up in their own little homes.

Here is the link once again for the pattern. Do give it a try along with the other fantastic patterns by Priscilla Hewitt.

See you soon. Until then, Happy Crafting.

Hi friends! I hope you are having nice cold weather, or snow or whatever, but not summer because Ahmedabad is just blistering hot right now. Write to me about how you are snowed in with 'x' inches of snow and had to shovel your way out. Or how you got caught in a light shower of rain and how your kids are now jumping in the little puddles on the road. Because today it is a killing 45 deg C here in Ahmedabad, yup that's right it is 113 deg F here!! Combine that with the humidity of only 12% it is sheer torture. Wondering where that acrid smoky smell is coming from...oh that is just my brain getting fried!!! When I think about all the people out there because of their jobs, security guards, veggie vendors, construction workers, salespersons, bus drivers, traffic police and many more, I realize that I have very little to complain about.

So keeping all heat related woes aside let us move on to a more cheerful topic. Crochet...what else!! Thw sweltering weather made it difficult for me to work with acrylic yarn so I decided to switch to cotton. And what is the obvious choice of project for cotton? Mandalas....of course!

I decided to have a go at the Rainbow Mandala once again, as my previous one got sold in my Etsy shop. This time I had many more colors so the mandala turned out really beautiful and large too.

Soooo.....Ta Dah!!!

The yarn is Laura knitting cotton with a 3.50mm hook. The pattern details are in my previous rainbow mandala post. While this mandala has more colors I have also used a different edging this time, with shells instead of picots.

The bowl you see on the mandala is shaped like a peacock?...or swan?...or whatever was a Diwali gift and is supposed to be as a candy dish or nut bowl. I have mixed feelings about it, especially those huge "diamonds" at the edges.

Here are some more pics of the mandala:

Did you like this mandala? Do let me know.

I just love it so off I go to make another one right away. I love these round, circular, colorful, joyous, beauties. Also I need to do some serious stash busting as I am running out of space in my craft room.

Write to me and let me know what you are crafting and don't forget those stories about snow and rain!!!...hehe.

You can get this mandala in my Etsy shop.

My next mandala has a different pattern and I will be revealing it tomorrow, so until then Happy Crafting and Take Care.

Hello friends, I am back with another mandala today. Yesterday I showed you the Rainbow mandala, today I have a sunny mandala to share. So let us have a look at it first:

If you have been following my blog and you think this mandala looks familiar, then you are right. I have made this mandala earlier in "cool" colours.

This time I thought I will go for warm colours. Happy colours that will remind me of the rising sun you know, red, yellow, orange and green.

After the mandala was done I was not so sure about the colour palette and felt it looked "weird". What do you think? Does it look like an explosion of too many bright colours in one place?

But regardless of the colours, I love this pattern.

Especially the row which has two colours worked into it.

So that is my Rising Sun mandala.

If you would like to have a go at it, the pattern details can be found in my original Vibrant mandala post. It is definitely worth a try as it is a very happy design. I made the first mandala as part of a crochet-a-long and as you can see there were some really funky colour combinations. So go ahead and make it in your own favorite colours!

A few more pics before I sign off.

My serene Buddha always having to "model" my creations!! :)

Once again I have used Laura knitting cotton and a 3.5mm hook. I hope you will try this pattern. And if you do make your own mandala, feel free to share your pictures on my Facebook page. I hope you are already a fan of my Facebook Crochetkari page, if not then don't forget to "Like" my page as I always reveal my latest projects there first, before I find time to blog about them. I find it a fast way to share my creations and then I add all the project details and pattern links in my blog post. If you have any questions about this pattern or crochet in general, write to me at crochetkari@gmail.com

You can get this finished mandala in my shop.

So until the next time, Happy Crafting and have a great week ahead.

A girl AND a boy! Okay,okay...not the baby kind (sadly), but the crochet kind (YAY!!), which is almost the same. Don't you agree? Well, I just love my crochet babies. And there is pink and blue.....so...

Made these two cute mandalas using some nice cool and pastel colours. These twin mandalas are "same but different" because I have used the same six colours and the same pattern for both. Just altering the colour sequence produces a different effect so that each one now has a different personality.

Check it out;

They are so pretty and cute.

You can get the pattern here.

Once again, I have used Laura knitting cotton and a 3.50mm hook.

You can get these mandalas in my shop.

Tomorrow my bloggy friend Aishwarya is coming over with her daughter, to spend the night. Looking forward to lots of crafty chatting. See you soon with my next project.

Finally reached the 100 mark...phew!!! Yes, this is my 100th post and it took me almost TWO years. That is bad,,,,very bad. Why? Well, during my school years if there was one remark I received unfailingly on my report card every year, year after year, it was "very talkative"!! And now to take two years to write 100 posts....pathetic!!

In real life too, I sometimes go yakkity yak, blah blah blah, but of late I feel I am becoming quieter. Maybe it has to do with the fact that after moving to Ahmedabad, I had nobody to talk to as hubby and sonny were busy with their respective work and I suppose I got used to sitting quietly and crocheting on my own. Or maybe age is catching up and I am finding solace in solitude. As far as blogging is concerned, you know how silly things like life, health and relatives can get in the way of important things like blogging, or Pinterest, Facebook, etc......LOL. Just joking ;)

So, welcome to my 100th post. And now on to the next exciting thing.

My First crochet PDF pattern

Now if there is one thing for which I will remember the year 2013, it will have to be opening my own shop on Etsy. It took a bit of courage to jump in with both feet and decide to just do it and stop dilly dallying. Of course it did mean that I could no longer treat my crochet just as a hobby and had to get serious about treating it as a business. Which meant crocheting for the better part of the day, buying yarn in bulk and stashing it out of the way, taking care of packaging, shipping and other logistics. I did plan to eventually design and sell my own patterns, but for a start I was happy to just crochet and sell my items.

I have been crocheting for 25+ years now, and along the way I have designed some stuff, used stitch patterns from books to make bags and purses and modified patterns to suit available yarns and end purpose. But I never bothered to write anything down. And as I am suffering from OCD - Obsessive Crocheting Disorder I would crochet super fast as my main objective was to see how the final product would look. As a full time working mother staying in a joint family the only "ME" time I got was during the two hour commute to and fro from work. Most of the time I would be standing and crocheting in a crowded train and God forbid if I jostled my co passengers to get my pen out and make notes!!! If looks could kill I would certainly not be here writing this post.....haha.

When I designed my Cluster Stitch Cuffed Infinity scarf, as usual I was eager to see the finished product, therefore no notes were written. Imagine my surprise when I received a message on Etsy whether I was willing to sell the pattern. I was thrilled but apprehensive at the same time. Writing a pattern in the proper format is very different from sharing it on your blog or explaining it to your friend. It took me a couple of days to complete writing the pattern and get it in PDF format.

And you can now get my pattern on Etsy and Craftsy. :)

The infinity scarf has an allover cluster pattern.

A buttoned cuff adds visual interest. I have used two wooden buttons, but you can use any 2cm buttons.

Crochet Cluster stitch cuffed infinity scarf detail

The infinity scarf can be worn in different ways:

Crochet Cluster stitch cuffed infinity scarf

Join me in my next post as my blog completes two years and two lucky readers will get a free copy of this pattern.

I am working on a few more patterns and some of them will be free on my blog.

Have a great weekend.

Hi friends, yes it is me, still alive and ~~kicking~~ crocheting, and posting after almost a month!!!

Last month, that is the month of May was supposed to be one of celebration, fanfare, pattern giveaway, free pattern tutorials, book tours and many more things that I had planned, as my blog turned Two! Yes, that's right my blog is now two years old. What I had not planned for, was the scorching, searing and debilitating heatwave that swept through Ahmedabad. With temperatures reaching 46oC, most afternoons I had headaches, nausea, dizziness and I dare say a couple of bouts of disorientation!! A check up has now revealed that my blood pressure is a bit on the higher side, so I have been prescribed pills for the same.....blah blah.

Finally when I gather all my senses and decide to write a very overdue post you will not guess what happened!!!! My blog had disappeared...yup that's right it was just not seen. A frantic SOS to my brother (my one and only 24/7 tech support) and a few days later, things were in place again. What a relief!!

So, here I am writing my first post in my second year of blogging. A big Thank you to all my dear readers for sticking with me. Of course I wish you would comment more, just because I love to hear from you. Since very few people (read that as exactly three!!) around me actually crochet, my blog is a way to reach out and connect with kindred souls or crochet sisters. :)

To mark my blog anniversary, I have decided to giveaway TWO copies of my very first crochet pattern PDF - The Cluster Stitch Cuffed Infinity scarf. :)

Also check out my last post.

Here is what you have to do:

1) Become a follower of my blog.

2) "Like" my CrochetkariFacebook Fanpage.

3) Comment on this post below.

This giveaway will be open till 28 June 2014, so you have ample time. I will draw the two lucky names and inform you accordingly.

Here are a few more pics for you.

As you may have guessed I did not actually crochet all the infinity scarves above. I have added these pics just for fun, also you can get an idea of how it will look in different colors. Well, when Sonny boy is doing his Bachelors in VFX and Animation, Blogger Mom has to utilize it somewhere, right?

You can also get my pattern on Etsy and Craftsy. :)

Hopefully I should manage all my unfulfilled blogging tasks of May, in June, ...fingers crossed :)

Let me know what crafty adventures you are up to. I am working on a lovely blue baby blanket, as well as a delicate pastel shawl. But more about them in my next posts.

Take care and make time for craft :)

Hello friends, Hope the week has started well for you.

First, I have a question for you. Do you have any favorite crochet teacher whom you follow on the internet?

Actually I follow a lot of crochet "gurus". I am a self taught crocheter and for many years i.e. until I discovered the joys of internet, books were my teachers. But now with the internet, there is an explosion of information on any topic under the sun, including Crochet. So while there are tons of free patterns available, there are also crochet videos galore, to learn any crochet technique you want to - Entrelac, Tunisian, bobble stitch, crocodile stitch, ripples, or even crochet bags, blankets, hats, scarves and what have you!

One of my favorite crochet gurus is Mikey of The Crochet Crowd. Last year I made my very first Ripple Blanket (also my very first large project!) by participating in an Afghan challenge. According to Mikey the corner to corner crochet technique was "hot trending", so I decided to give it a try.

What do you think? Isn't it lovely?!! What is unique about this technique is that it starts out as a triangle and then you can modify the size as you crochet along. Which means you can make it a square or rectangle and even decide the size after you have started crocheting it.

Here is a link to Mikey's video for the corner to corner technique where he explains it in great detail.

I had not decided on a size for the blanket as I was hoping to get the two opposite corners to match each other. So two corners have the variegated yarn...

And since I had started with a blue triangle I was praying that I should be able to get blue again in the last corner.

I am sure that there must be a way to calculate and get precisely matching corners, but for now I am very happy with the results.

The yarn I used was "Fine" or yarn weight 2 and with a 3.5 mm hook, I was afraid that it will take me ages to complete the blanket. But this pattern is so simple and easy that once you get the hang of it you can do it while chatting with friends, watching TV, or even when waiting at the doctor's or the bus stop. Yes...it is that easy! Believe me you don't even have to look down at it.

So if you have never tried this technique, give it a go with this free pattern from Redheart.com. Redheart also has tons of other free patterns for any crochet item imaginable, so browse around while you are there.

If you don't have time to try an whole afghan, no problem, try your hand at the crochet corner to corner technique with this video for a C to C scarf. You will be amazed that such an easy technique can produce such beautiful results.

I have to weave in the ends!! :(

Do you think it needs an edging? Maybe you could suggest an edging pattern.

And before I sign off, a reminder about the pattern giveaway on my blog which is open till Saturday 28th June.

On my telly: Homeland. What about you?

Woo hoo!! I have some wonderful news to share. Yes, that's right my Crochetkari Facebook page has crossed the 1k mark. I now have 1000+ fans...Yay!!!

I am absolutely thrilled about it. I know that there are pages out there with fans in 5-figures and 6-figures. But I am pretty pleased with what I have achieved.

While Facebook can be a time sucker, I think it also depends on how you use it. As far as my page is concerned, I find it is a fast and efficient way to announce the latest happenings on my blog, or share my newest project and also free patterns from other sites. And I use my personal Facebook account to join crochet related groups, pages belonging to craft suppliers like Pony and Deramores and also to keep myself updated about the latest news in the craft world.

And while on the topic of social media, you can also follow me on:

Twitter

Pinterest

Ravelry

By the way, do you like the poster above? I made it and the one below (to announce 800 fans) using PicMonkey, which is a site where you can edit your photos, make collages and create posters like these ... for FREE!

It is easy and fun and the results are amazing. So go ahead and try it. :)

I am working on the edging for the corner to corner blanket. What crafty adventure are you up to? Do share.

See you soon.

Hi Girls, a quick post just to announce the winners of the pattern giveaway I announced a few weeks back. I know I am late, very late, but things have been a little topsy-turvy on the health front with very little that I could do about it. I am sure you don't want any of the boring details so on to the announcement.

And the winners are.......TaDa...drum roll please......,

Anna from Annasimplecrochet

And

Ruth from Rose Hill Collections

So, lucky girls, please write to me at crochetkari@gmail.com so that I know which email id you want me to send the pattern PDF.

Both the lovely girls above have pretty blogs and they show off some really wonderful crochet creations, so do visit them.

For all my other beautiful friends out there, if you did not win this time do not despair, I have a few more patterns lined up and I will be showing them off soon... health permitting!!! :(

A small note:If you have any questions about patterns, hooks, yarns or anything else, please write to me only at crochetkari@gmail.com. This will help me to reply to you specifically and you will get faster replies.

Well, I hate posts that have no pics so here is one just for you;

I found this on Facebook, if you are aware of the source please let me know.

This is my surefire way to solve all problems in my life especially health issues as crochet works like meditation for me. Hehe... it also works as an excuse to avoid any other form of exercise...LOL. Now you can't crochet on the treadmill...can you?!

Until my next post, which might be a while, as I am off to Mumbai for a short trip....see ya. Make time for craft everyday.

Sugar is sweet, my love
But not, As sweet as you.....

A beautiful song by Jim Reeves that brings back lovely childhood memories of lazy Sunday mornings. Especially memories of my wonderful Dad bringing out his Grundig tape player and his huge collection of tapes. I think it was his great love for music that taught my brother and me to appreciate and love music of all kinds, right from Bhimsen Joshi to Michael Jackson. Last month (July) saw his fourth death anniversary and not a day goes by without me remembering my Dad, his zest for life, his belief in the "goodness" of people, and the fact that he was great at maintaining friendships (without Facebook!)....he was still in touch with his kindergarten friends even in his seventies.

In case you are interested here is a wonderful link I found, to the song mentioned above.

Okay, okay, I know that you are dying to point out the typo in the title. But don't fret as it IS my Waffles that are blue. And if it is me, then the waffles have to be crocheted right?!!

I fell in love with this stitch as it is so true to its name. Also because it produces a lovely thick textured fabric. This scarf was the first item I tried using the crochet waffle stitch. The waffle stitch is excellent for scarves, bags and baby blankets or even afghans.

As I am a big fan of matching sets I decided to make a matching waffle hat. But while the scarf is worked in rows ie: to and fro, turning the work when you reach the end of the row, a hat has to be worked in the round to ensure a seamless construction. Also as I hate seaming I decided to have a go at modifying the pattern to work in the round.

I am very pleased with the result. What do you think?

The waffle stitch scarf above was sold before I could blog about it, so I decided to have a go at the waffle stitch again. This time I decided to make a cowl as I had already succeeded at modifying the pattern to work in the round.

So here is my very own crochet waffle stitch cowl:

The waffle stitch seems ideal for unisex items. No shells, pineapples or fans...the perfect stitch for men's items!

I am working on the written pattern so watch this space as I will be calling for testers.

The blue waffle cowl and hat are available for purchase in my SHOP. And the pattern will also be available soon.

And, just for nostalgia, here is a picture I found,of a player that very closely resembles the one my Dad had;

Pic source: audiovisualmuseum.blogspot.in

See you soon. Do let me know what crafty adventures you are up to!

Hello friends, so glad to see you here. I am back after two short trips to Mumbai, which is the reason I could not blog frequently. So, thank you for visiting me in spite of my long absence. I hope I was missed. A warm welcome to new friends who have joined me via Blogger, Bloglovin, Networked Blogs and Facebook.

My latest trip to Mumbai was our annual visit for the Ganesha festival (Ganeshotsav). I love being in Mumbai during this festival as the whole city is vibrant, colourful, fragrant with flowers, noisy with music blaring out from loudspeakers, with huge crowds everywhere as everyone wants to catch a glimpse (darshan) of their favourite deity. And the Ganesha idols (!) in all possible sizes, heavily decorated with flowers, themed decorations and sometimes even real gold and silver!! Yes, that's right gold and silver. I have lots of photos and I will show them as soon as I am done processing them. You might enjoy this post I wrote long ago regarding the Ganesha festival.

Now on to our favourite topic...crochet! Recently I came across a pattern for a lovely peacock feather and decided to give it a try.

Isn't that pretty!! Since my first attempt was fiddly I decided to make one more. Now I had two feathers and I thought they were too pretty to let them languish in my workbasket. So I was looking for a way to use them. While they would make beautiful appliques, I wanted to do something unique with them.

Now, before I continue I must digress and tell you a small story. I love carrying pen drives with me, in my bag, as they are small, handy and a good way to carry my photos and patterns and even ebooks with me. Over the years I have "lost" quite a few of these as my son keeps "borrowing" them. Somehow the borrowed pen drives never came back to me. Once I even tried attaching a jingly jangly charm with lots of shells and bells to make it look girly enough to prevent the said "borrowing", but no use as he just removed the charm and made off with the pen drive!!! Ufff...these kids, always one step ahead of you.

The two peacock feathers gave me an idea...that I could make a pen drive cozy by joining the two of them. So first I checked whether they will enclose my pen drive properly.

Yay...it was a perfect fit. Another reason I wanted a pen drive cozy is that I had a San Diskpen drive which comes without a cover and are non retractable, and throwing them in my purse made them scratched and dirty. So... two birds with one stone it was! :-)

So I joined the two feathers together leaving an opening just wide enough, then inserted the pen drive attached to a thread. I used a ring from an old keychain. This ring prevents the pen drive from popping out of the cozy and was also handy for pulling it back into the cozy.

So what do you think? Do you like my crochet peacock pen drive cozy? Do let me know.

Yes, yes, I know the question you are dying to ask... the pattern for the feather. So, my dears, here is the LINK at Living the Craft Life. I think these feathers would be perfect as appliques, jewellery, key chains, purse charms, baggage tags and more.

I also loved the article she wrote about the birth of a crochet pattern... do read it.

I don't know whether this cozy will prevent further "borrowing" of my pen drive but I enjoyed making it and that is all that matters!! :) After all any excuse to crochet is a good excuse...isn't it?!

Hope to be back soon with some beautiful photos of Lord Ganesh and my next project which again happens to be a pen drive cozy. Yes, I can be crazy sometimes..hehe. Can you hear hubby in the background yelling 'What do you mean sometimes?'......LOL

Until then. Happy Crafting. And do write to me gorgeous ladies, I am really missing you.

If you sent me any questions by email and I have not replied, please send me a reminder. I am having some trouble commenting on other blogs, my comments are just not appearing, so while I have been visiting all my favourite blogs, I am sorry I could not leave a comment. Please bear with me. Maybe there is some error from my side.

Hello, lovely ladies! Thank you for joining me here. I am glad so many of you visited and liked my last post about the crochet peacock feather pen drive cozy. Thank you for your sweet comments, they really motivate me.

Here is the second pen drive cozy that I made. I had some flowers and leaves that I had made earlier from a pattern by Lucy at Attic24. They were supposed to be used as decoration for a bag. But the bag never saw the light of day!! So I joined them together to make this....

While my second pen drive does have a cover I made the cozy just for fun.

The leaves and fruits (tiny balls) prevent the pen drive from popping out and are also used for pulling it in.

Do you like it? Here is a look at the other side.

Once again, here is the pattern link for the flower, and leaves and the little balls.

What crafty adventure have embarked upon...do let me know.
How many of you have already started making gifts for Christmas?
I am working on a cowl which is very pretty but involves a lot of color changing and weaving in of ends....grrrrr.....I hate weaving in ends(sigh)!!!!!

Hope you have a fantastic week ahead. Make time for craft everyday...it is the only stress buster you will ever need. See you soon.
Ciao :) :) :)

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Happy Navaratri to all my dear readers.

Navaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated for nine nights (nava means nine and ratri means night), dedicated to the nine forms of Shakti the Mother Goddess. As with all other festivals in India, this festival too is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India, but always with great pomp and splendor involving a lot of color, lighting, music and dance. The tenth day is known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra which marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura as well the victory of Lord Ram over the Demon king Ravana.
Click the links in the above passage to know more about the festivals and the deities.

Some time back I showed you the corner to corner blanket I had made. It looked quite good as it was...without a border, but when I came across a pretty neat border pattern I had to add it to my blanket.

Isn't that spiffy! I love the knit-like effect of the stitch. My lovely friend Susan at Felted Button has a PDF pattern for the the blanket as well as the edging and its FREE!!

Here's a closer look:

Teddy dear wants to sleep on the blankie :)

The pattern by Susan is called Spring into Summer has detailed pics for the blanket as well as the edging.

I think the stitch is called crochet stockinette stitch (correct me if I am wrong). Mikey at Crochet crowd calls it the Camel stitch and he has a video which shows how to do the stitch.

So, how do you like my blanket? I think it is super cute. And so does BowWow! :)

Did you like the edging? If you use this stitch in your project please do share your pics/blog post.

You can see this blanket in my Etsy Shop.

See you soon, Happy Crafting.

Hello, gorgeous people! I am so glad you have joined me today. Hope the week has started well for you. Thank you for your super duper comments on my last post, you made my day.

The pattern for my waffle stitch cowl is finally ready. Here is look at the cowl once again.

I think it looks ravishing in red. Definitely is a unisex pattern, what do you say?

The pattern includes instructions to change the width and the length of the cowl which means you can customize it and make a one of a kind cowl.

I love the waffle texture. This cowl would look simply scrumptious in brown, beige, coffee or even cream! :) And the pattern is worked in the round which means no seaming...YAY!!

You can get the pattern on ETSY as well as CRAFTSY.

Get a head start on your Christmas gifting and have it ready in time for your favorite person. :)

I am already working on my next pattern. Want a peek?

See you soon.

Jillibean Soup Halloween Kit

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Disclaimer: All links in this post are affiliate links. Thank you very much for supporting my blog by shopping at Craftsy through my affiliate links. Happy Crafting.

Hello friends! Earlier in September I visited my hometown Mumbai to celebrate the Ganesha festival or Ganeshotsav (utsav means festival). So here are some wonderful photos of the idols we visited. I clicked the snaps with my latest toy the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 - a birthday gift from hubby :)

This first pic is from the Flower market at Matunga. As you can see all the decorations have been made with flowers.

A few more photos of idols in and around Matunga;

The last one was bathed in coloured lights and the idol seemed to change its colour every time the lights changed.

Sometimes the decor can overwhelm the idol! :)

And now saving the best for last. My most favourite idol;

All the ornaments you see on the idol are offerings from devotees. And they are all real gold or silver. Sometimes they also have real gems and pearls etc. These offerings are pledged to the Lord for favours/boons such as success in business, admission to a coveted university, getting married, getting a child/ male child, surviving a major illness and I am sure many more things. The offering can actually be as small as a coconut or as massive as the actual crown, all depending on what the devotee can afford. The floral decorations and the clothes are changed everyday during the ten days of the festival. A glimpse of this beautiful vista of Lord Ganesha is calming and uplifting at the same time. The eyes seem to be watching you wherever you go. And suddenly you feel there is hope for the world yet. Another reason we come here every year could be the delicious fried goodies served at the stalls in the compound. Mmmmm..... batata wada, dal wada, cutlets, samosas, patoli, bhajiyas.........mouthwatering!!!!

I hope you enjoyed the photos. I think I have a few more pics in my camera....maybe some other time.

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