Saturday, December 3, 2011

28.11-3.12.11 Russian Hat for Beni's 60th Birthday

The project was done following  Eshchar's Blue Monkey Hat by Tara Murray with Double thread of Elza Yarn and Quadruple thread of Yasmin Yarn.
My brother in law suggested we offer my father in law a Russian hat for this birthday. That was a great idea and I warmly adopted it.
Here are the instructions in order to follow the version of the Russian hat I made, based on the Monkey hat pattern:
Rnd 9 – Ch 2, (hdc in next 7, 2hdc in next) around, join (72) 

Rnd 10 through Rnd 21 – Ch 2, hdc in each st around, join. (72)

Start on first earflap: 

Row 1 – Ch 2, hdc in next 18 (18) 
Row 2 – Ch 2, and turn, hdc2tog, hdc in next 14, hdc2tog. (16) 
etc… 
Row 7 – Ch 2 and turn, hdc2tog, hdc, ch2, hdc, hdc2tog. (6) This row will create the button hole. 
Row 8 – Ch 2 and turn, hdc2tog, hdc, hdc, hdc2tog. (4) 
Row 9 – Ch 2 and turn, hdc2tog twice. (2)

Fasten off and repeat earflap instructions for second earflap. The space across forehead 

should be 26 st’s wide.

Join in the back of hat and work sc’s evenly around the whole hat. 

In the front, between earflaps, work 9 rows of 26 hdc each. For the button holes, in the 7th row: hdc, hdc, ch2, keep working hdc till last 4 hdc of row. ch2 and work last two hdcs.

Omer modeling the hat



My father in law was happy to receive for his 60th birthday a set of binoculars, a comprehensive book on birds and this warm hat.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

20-22.11.11 Eshchar's Blue Monkey Hat by Tara Murray


For the 6-12m size free Monkey hat pattern, I used a double thread of Berroco Comfort DK yarn and a 5 mm hook size up to round 12. I then switched to a 6 mm hook size from round 13 to 15 and started the first earflap row with 6mm, finishing the rest with 5mm only. 
For the ears, I just omitted the last round.
I love this smile!

Friday, August 12, 2011

31.7-12.8.11 Crochet Cables and Lace Broomstick Hat by Kristin Omdahl

Wouuuaaaou…. One Cotton thread skein was exactly sufficient for the hat (125m/50gr). 

This project is a truly charming and challenging design. 

I regret only one thing: the thread color I chose that makes me look so pale :-( 
I have learned so many things in this project. I managed after many trials to understand how to make the cable lace and it makes me feel really good about it. In order not to forget and also help others with the same difficulty, I have taken a short movie on how to do a module of the cable part from row 3 to 6.

In Row 9-120 I repeated row 3-6 15 times instead of 13, so to fit my head circumferences with the thinner thread I used as compared to the recommendation. It made this part 126 rows instead of 120. 

In the bottom edging I mistakenly worked on the WS, but it still looks fine. 

In rnd 1 of the hat body, I used a 20mm hook, which was an idea I took from MsCooper Ravelry member. 
I also skipped Rnd 4, since I had the feeling it would come out too high if I keep this rnd. 
Finally, after fastening off and pulling tightly with a yarn needle through the last row, the closure looked quiet ugly and not circular, but rather fluffy. Therefore, I added another rnd,just picking a loop in between each bundle of 4 threads, using 3 crochet hooks ( as if doing dp needle knitting) and then went through all with the tail remaining and pulling tight. This way, it looks much better.

Finally, the loop technique that was also new to me, together with the adaptations and the crochet cable technique that I’ve learned, gave me great satisfaction.


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

20-26.7.11 Brigham One Skein Hat by Lisa Gentry

The Brigham One Skein Hat design by Lisa Gentry can be found for free in the following link.
This is a cute hat, but the yarn I chose (Courtelle Hand Knitting Yarn - Maxi) is not very pleasant to the skin.


Monday, July 11, 2011

10-11.7.11 Four Layered Irish Lace Flower

Instructions appears in the book "Crocheting School: a complete course", I added to the Four Layered Irish Lace Flower one more rnd on the same principle (ch-5 arches) and in the next rnd, sc, ch1, dc, dc, tr, dc, dc, ch1, sc into each ch5 sp.



Monday, July 4, 2011

26.6-4.7.11 Crocheted Dodecahedron for Eshchar


Eshchar at 2.5 months


The modules were done following the Crocheted Dodecahedron by Marleen Hartog.

However, the assembly instructions of the ”Dodecahedron Thingymabob” by Amy Thornton can be very helpful. There is also the ”Celestine Crochet” instructions by Betsy Myles, but Amy’s version to it going  from the inwards towards the outwards is much more right to my opinion, giving a neater final result.

It took me 4 days to accomplish the 12 modules, about 1hr each and 2 more days to assemble all the parts. The rattle toy contains a small round bell that Omer gave me from his fishing stuff. I put in in one of the German bead boxes I found in Passau.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

30.6.11 "Flame tree flowers earrings" published in Kalmbach "Creative Beading Vol. 6"

On the 26.10.2010 I was announced by Kalmbach assistant editor that my Bead&Button article, "Flame tree flowers earrings" has been selected to appear in the upcoming annual project collection book, Creative Beading Vol. 6, due to be published by Kalmbach Books in summer of 2011. 
Today I have just received the copy of this beautiful collection.  
:-) Happy.

The article appears on pp. 69-71

Friday, June 24, 2011

23-24.6.11 Dax Designs' Earrings for Lior 30th Birthday



I once saved an image of a beautiful rose-lavender pair of earrings from Dax designs' Etsy shop. I was absolutely fond of their design, elegance as well as their simplicity, and wished to bead them one day.
I wanted to make a pair of earrings for Lior 30th birthday. Since I already made her a pair in blue and gold, two years ago, I didn't want to use again the same blue colors or tones, even if it fits her so well with her beautiful blue eyes and blond hair. Going through several pictures of earrings I had, I thought this design may fit her best. I hope she will like it too.
Dax has also a blog and a wonderful collection of Endangered peyote bracelets I recommend you to look at.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

19.6.11 DNA Earrings by Gwen Fisher



How can you see such a beautiful design, so clearly explained, for free, and not try it?
How to bead weave DNA double helix is another genius pearl from Gwen Fisher...
Thanks so much Gwen!!! and the Doceri software makes it so clear!
I am anxious to see Gwen's DNA replication spiral necklace when she manages getting to it.
See also her posts on:

In the pair beadwoven above, there are 9 ladder bugles. Honestly, I don't know what it encodes, but the pair is symmetric.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

15-16.6.11 Veva's Zig-Zag Tila bracelet "Con una sola Tila" clasp



Looking for bracelets done with the new TILA beads, I found this gorgeous design by Gasar. I had to give it a go and indeed it is simple and impressing. I omitted the multicuts (in Gasar's design it is 4mm, but I would recommend on 3mm for best fit).
I thought to make a pair of earrings to fit with, using a scheme that a friend addressed my attention to. The free scheme is called "Con una sola tila" by "el alfiler de cristal" , meaning "for a sole TILA only". It is useful for using rests of TILA beads, so I thought I could hit 2 birds in one shot.
However, I found out that it would be really complicated to transform this motif to an earring, so I just left it as is and had in hand one more thing to join the endless unfinished projects I have.
However, thanks to Eshchar, asking for some attention from me :-) I had to sit and stop everything in order to be with him. It gave me the few minutes to THINK. Which consequently gave me the idea to transform the motif into a clasp. The result is super to my opinion :-) and I like so much this Bordeaux color. The final look of the bracelet gives an impression of leather on the skin which I really like.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

14-15/19.6.11 Herringbone Cabled Bracelet

The bracelet was designed by Rae Arlene Reller, published in Bead & Button Magazine, February 2009, Issue 89, pp.48-49. The earrings were designed by Gwen Fisher, see my post here.
For the bracelet, which took me about 2-3 hrs of work, make sure to have a good tension during the work, in order to avoid "holes" into it.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

9-12.6.11 Narcissus Hair-Clip for Nomnom




The "Daffodil and Narcissus" flower appears on pp.51-52 in "Crochet Bouquet" book by Suzann Thompson. It is also shared for free here. Can you imagine I learnt to crochet thanks to this book?
Nomnom chose the colors and I had the pleasure to crochet it for her during the recent breastfeedings. Eshchar is a precious gift!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

7.6.11 Snivli Cabochon #2

Another Snivli's Vintage cabochon with some modifications.
What will it become? There is an idea but the question is: when will it be accomplished?

Thursday, June 2, 2011

2.6.11 Wild Rose Hair-clip for Nomnom's 26th birthday

Wild Rose by Lesley Stanfield from the book "100 flowers to knit and crochet", p.81.
The 4 stamens are French knots (7 yarn over each).

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

1.6.11 Earrings for Chen




I got inspired from Brser21 earrings she made to fit the "Charming Choker" project from Kelly Wiese's book "Beaded Allure". The earrings are going to be a gift for a young girl.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

29.5.11 Featured in Handmade Jewelry Club

My version to Ruby's pattern for the Cecile's wheel ring has been featured in the Handmade Jewelry Club blog. Check it here.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

23-25.5.11 Mosaico Earrings for mom and me

The earrings were beaded with round Japanese 15/0 seed beads and upon the upper part of Maggie Meister's "Simply seeds Mosaico Earrings" (Beadwork Magazine, June-July 2011, pp.74-75).
The following ones are for mom, to fit with the Turquoise Indian Amphora necklace.