30% OFF Holiday Sale

since we are entering the season of giving, Sinterklaas is around the corner, Christmas will soon be here, and I have been reunited with my shop items after our move, I have decided to host a 

big Holiday Sale with a generous 30% off all handmade items 

there is something for almost everyone on your list. there are kid-friendly Santa dolls, Christmas cards with your choice of red or white envelopes, pretty flower cushion covers that would look great on any couch, and comfy gloves with matching cowl that are also available as a set to keep you warm during Holiday season and beyond.

for a limited time only, so head over to the shop and get your shopping done! let me know if you have any questions regarding custom items.

if you are on Instagram: find the creJJtion feed and share the sale image to win a free item of your choice ~ entries welcome till Dec 5. good luck!

Have a warm winter weekend. we're going to see if we can find a tree… how exciting!

Paper Christmas

there's two things going on in this blogpost. first, there is no yarn included. it has been ages I think, since I posted a completely not-yarn related blog. second, this post is Christmas themed. now that I am living in The Netherlands again that feels a little like cheating. it is the country where we celebrate Sinterklaas on December 5th and basically Christmas comes after. 

but, since I love both paper and Christmas and there are no little Sinterklaas believers in our house, I thought it was ok to write this post and actually start decorating for Christmas a little bit. I have to, because I must make myself aware of it being only four weeks minus one day ahead! it seems to catch me by surprise every year… I hope I am not the only one?

but, let me give you a few words to the pictures. ever since I got an envelope maker a couple of weeks ago, I have been making envelopes like a mad woman. trace the shape, cut, fold, glue. and repeat. I can't seem to get enough of these machine-like activities. so when I saw this diamond maker by de krantenkapper, you understand my hands got itchy. lately I found some gorgeous papers that are not too Christmassy but sure make their point, at Søstrene Grene. what a delightful Scandinavian shop. the little felt balls I found there too. for the Dutch ladies: to me they are the perfect mix between Ikea, Hema and Xenos. affordable decorative items, cookware, craft supplies and even yarn. lucky you if you're near Groningen!

this morning I gave the diamond tracing, cutting, folding and glueing a go. luckily a how-to in text and images comes with it. the folding is a little more complicated than the envelopes, but so much fun. it reminds me of the days when I was about 10 years old and was totally into origami. loved it then, love it still.

and last but not least, the cute and pretty doves. while making more diamonds, I am thinking the felt balls, doves and diamonds will probably end up in a garland together or next to each other. the perfect start for Christmas decor if you ask me!

if you're interested in these products, for yourself or to gift to someone crafty, follow the links below

diamond maker by de krantenkapper ~ also in English and with web shop

paper and felt balls from Søstrene Grene

doves by Meri Meri, beautiful US based paper goods with a dangerous web shop ~ I warned you

enjoy!

xx

Cozy Crochet with New Yarn

how I love this time of year. warm by the fireplace, candle light most times of the day, fifties Christmas music through the speakers… hmmm can't get cozy enough if you ask me! of course a little bit of crochet goes perfectly well with this. 

so here I go, starting a new project just in time before Christmas with Scheepjeswol Softfun yarn. it's a mix of 60% cotton and 40% acrylic yarn. usually I don't work with a mix yarn, but this would be the perfect yarn for washable potholders to keep their bright colours. 

for the pattern I send an email out to my dad's sisters, to see if they had any potholders left that were made by their mother, my grandma. and look! I am stepping in my grandmothers' footsteps and making the same potholders. I think a lot of her while I try to come up with a pattern through trial and error. where did she find the pattern? how many has she crocheted of these? did she enjoy it?

these beautiful cool blue tones remind me of peacock feathers… ooooh the possibilities

if you're looking for me, I am crocheting by candle light, working up a pattern for the both of us

xx

Crochet Pattern and Yarn Give Away

it's here, the second pattern for fingerless gloves I made with Invicta Colour yarn from Scheepjeswol. and the pattern didn't come alone… there's a give away too! edit: this give away is no longer active.

just in time for the holidays, one ball of this delicate variegated yarn will provide you with enough yarn to make either the bobble stitch gloves, or the wave stitch gloves in this post. the gloves would make a perfect Christmas or Sinterklaas gift, and of course they would look beautiful on your own wrists too and keep you warm while you do all the shopping and wrapping.

click on the image or this link to get to the Scheepjeswol Facebook page and find out how to win*! 

enter before December 13th 2013. edit: give away is no longer active

to set things straight, I didn't design this pattern completely by myself, I used this pattern as the base for these gloves. since this pattern is written for back and forward stitching like you'd do with a blanket, I had to figure out how to make the stitches match in the round. the pattern for that part is drawn out below. and I must say it wasn't easy, but I love it. I will for sure make more of these this Winter.

the row numbers in the text relate to the numbers in the diagram.

to make these wave stitch gloves, you need one skein Scheepjeswol Invicta colour #966

hook: size 3 mm

if you're interested in making these gloves with hook size 4 mm and accompanying yarn, please have a look here at the adjusted pattern by Deborah on her pretty blog. she even wrote the crochet chart in a professional software program. just fabulous, make sure to have a look.

this pattern is based on a stitch count of clusters of 10. casting on 50 stitches gave me a little loose but comfy glove. you might have to cast on 60 stitches to get a nice fit too. keep in mind that, as apposed to the bobble stitch gloves, I find these gloves don't give as much when you start wearing them. the width they have when you start crocheting is pretty much their final width.

dit patroon is gebaseerd op een telling van clusters van 10 steken. bij 50 steken past de handschoen mij lekker ruim, maar het kan zijn dat je 60 steken moet opzetten omdat de handschoen dan beter zit. houd er rekening mee dat, in tegenstelling tot de bobbel steek handschoenen, deze niet echt rekken in de breedte als je ze gaat dragen. de breedte die ze hebben als je ze haakt is ongeveer de breedte die ze zullen houden.

let's get started!

chain 50, join into a ring with slip stitch in first chain, make sure to keep the chain straight not twisted, when you join

maak een ketting van 50 losse, sluit de ring met een halve vaste in de eerste losse, zorg ervoor dat de ketting in een ronde zonder draai zit wanneer je de ring sluit

1. *single crochet, chain 1, skip one, 1 single crochet. skip 3 stitches, in the next stitch make 3 double crochet, 1 chain, 3 double crochet. skip 3 stitches* and repeat between * all around. join with slip stitch in first single crochet.

1. *vaste, losse, een steek overslaan, vaste. sla 3 steken over, maak in de volgende steek 3 stokjes, losse, 3 stokjes. sla 3 steken over* en herhaal tussen * rondom. sluit met een halve vaste in de eerste vaste.

2. single crochet in the gap, *in the chain gap make half double crochet, chain, half double crochet. chain 3, in the chain gap on top of the wave make a single crochet,  chain 3* repeat between * all around. join with slip stitch in the first half double crochet.

2. vaste in de opening, *in de opening van de losse maak half stokje, losse, half stokje. 3 losse, in de opening van de losse halverwege de waaier, maak een vaste, 3 losse* herhaal tussen * rondom. sluit met een halve vaste in het eerste halve stokje.

3. single crochet in the gap between the half double crochet stitches, chain 4 (counts as 1 double crochet and 1 chain), 3 double crochet in the same gap. *single crochet just before the single crochet of the previous row, chain 1, single crochet just after the single crochet from the previous row. in the next gap between the half double crochet stitches, make 3 double crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochet*, repeat between * all around. end with 2 double crochet in the first gap, join with slip stitch in 3rd chain of the first 4.

3. vaste in de opening tussen de halve stokjes, 4 losse (staan gelijk aan een stokje en een losse), 3 stokjes in dezelfde opening. *vaste net voor de vaste van de vorige ronde, 1 losse, vaste net achter de vaste van de vorige ronde. in de volgende opening tussen de halve stokjes, haak 3 stokjes, 1 losse, 3 stokjes*, herhaal tussen * rondom. eindig met 2 stokjes in de eerste opening, sluit met een halve vaste in de derde losse van de eerste ketting van 4.

4. *single crochet in the gap on the top of the wave, chain 3, in the next chain gap make half double crochet, chain, half double crochet. chain 3*, repeat between * all around. join with slip stitch in the first single crochet.

4. *vaste in de opening halverwege de waaier, 3 losse, in de volgende opening maak een half stokje, losse, half stokje, 3 losse* herhaal tussen * rondom. sluit met een halve vaste in de eerste vaste.

5. chain 2, single crochet in the gap. *in the next gap between the half double crochet stitches of the previous row make 3 double crochet, chain, 3 double crochet, single crochet just before the single crochet of the previous row, chain 1, single crochet just after the single crochet from the previous row* and repeat between * all around. join with slip stitch in the first chain.

5. haak 2 losse, een vaste in de opening. *in de volgende opening tussen de halve stokjes van de vorige rij, haak 3 stokjes, een losse, 3 stokjes. vaste net voor de vaste van de vorige ronde, 1 losse, vaste net achter de vaste van de vorige ronde* herhaal tussen * rondom. sluit met een halve vaste in de eerste losse.

 now, repeat rows 2 to 5 as often as you please, or until you find your wrist part to be long enough. I would say continue until row 29 with this pattern. at that point you should leave a gap for your thumb. to do so, follow the pattern as shown in this diagram for about 7 or 9 rows. this pattern is worked back and forth instead of in the round. then switch back to the diagram above in the round for another 5 rows to close the glove. end with row 3 or 5. of course you can decide to leave the thumb out and continue crocheting in the round to create sleeves. have a look here for an example of those sleeves.

herhaal dit patroon zo lang als je wilt, of zo lang als je vindt dat je handschoen over je pols en arm moet gaan. Ik zou zeggen houd ongeveer 29 rijen van dit patroon aan. dan is het tijd om een opening te maken voor je duim. dit doe je door ongeveer 7 of 9 rijen dit patroon te volgen zoals ik eerder noemde. dit patroon gaat niet in het rond, maar heen en terug. ga vervolgens weer verder met bovenstaand patroon in het rond, ongeveer 5 rijen om de handschoen te sluiten. eindig met rij 3 of 5. je kunt de opening voor je duim ook weglaten, het worden dan lange mouwen zoals ik hier deed.

to crochet a thumb, up to your own size standards, make a wave in the opening between the waves of the glove and continue the pattern as described above for as long as you please.

als je een duim aan de handschoen wilt haken, maak dan een aantal waaiers tussen de waaiers van de handschoen in de duim opening en herhaal bovenstaand patroon een paar rijen totdat je de duim lang genoeg vindt.

this should do it! I love the variegation of the Invicta Colour yarn in this pattern. it is a little slower than the bobble stitch gloves, simply because it uses less yarn. that said, it makes sense the bobble stitch gloves feel a little warmer and thicker. it is really up to your personal taste which pattern you choose.

if you'd like a little different design: I was thinking you could also use a nice dark blue, black or brown, and crochet the glove all the way up to 3 rows after the thumb and crochet the last few rows in cream white for a nice touch?

I hope you'll enjoy both patterns as much as I do, please let me know if you have any questions.

and don't forget to enter the Scheepjeswol yarn give away* before December 13, you might just win a ball of this pretty wool! eeeek! I am crossing my fingers for you.

* sorry non-EU girls, the give away is for European entries only

Last Week

last week a dear friend from Canada visited and we enjoyed a great time together in Amsterdam and in our village. so much fun to be reunited for two days again, we had the best time. also, some lovely Fall walks with Floyd happened, we welcomed Sinterklaas to our village and I did a lot of crocheting. I just couldn't stop working on the shawl haha. it is finished now and as I am typing, it's wrapped around my shoulders keeping me warm. I just love it and will show you pictures this week. also this week, the pattern for the second design fingerless gloves. yay!

have a great week

Happy Weekend

the shawl progresses, I started some flowers with the left over yarns for a brooch may be, with a little help from this book and this book. and the card I received from a dear friend, isn't it cute and thoughtful? I can totally picture Floyd peacefully knitting my new pair of cozy socks. 

until then, wishing you a happy weekend!

New Book: Haken en Kleur

yesterday I wrote about it a little, the new Dutch crochet book Haken en Kleur, by darling Claire and Saskia from the pretty and colourful blogs Haken en Meer and Saar en Mien.

what I love about the book is how it shows pure love for crochet, love for colour and brightness, the joy of good friendship and what may come from that, the love for high quality crochet and for sharing beauty. even if you don't read Dutch you will be able to enjoy this book, not only because of the beautiful photography and projects, but also because of the crochet diagrams that explain every project in detail.

I took a few shots of the book to give you an idea. the photography is beautifully done and looks just like their blogs. I love the flower squares for the cushion cover, the blanket made out of stars is hard to resist. and when I looked at my stash and found this pink, green and grey (not black, as it may seem in the pictures) merino wool I had to start with the two-tone shawl. well actually it is becoming a four tone shawl, but the same size as the original shawl was meant. because of the extra colours I might let go off the flowers at the waves, but let's see when I get to the end how I fee like it. for now I  am just so happy to have found a project that matches yarn from my stash. not needing to go out and buy more yarn is just perfect. I mean, I've just moved my yarns across the ocean and I can tell you, there's a big need for a lot of projects to suit that yarn, ahum…

so far I love this project. it is quick and has a nice rhythm to it with alternating rows of stitches. do you know what I mean when I am talking about a rhythm when it comes to crochet? it is about getting to know your stitches, repeat them for a complete row, getting to know the next row, and slowly getting to see what you are doing and how this combination of stitches is making up a lovely pattern. it makes you want to move on and on, row after row. never stop, change colour here and there and see what that does to the pattern. and crochet a few more rows, since by this time you can crochet the combination of stitches with your eyes closed. well, almost. but at least while sitting in front of the fire place and having a good conversation, while sipping a glass of good wine. or tea, depending on the time of day.

well, I am getting a little carried away, but do you recognize a good crochet rhythm? well, this is your project. the merino wool makes this shawl super soft, warm too and light weight, together this makes it perfect for a Fall and Winter wrap, don't you think?

I have some pink yarn left over and I am already dreaming of crocheting a rose brooch to keep the wrap around me when I am sitting by the fire place… hmmmm

congratulations sweet Saskia and Claire on this wonderful, inspirational, beautiful and lovely book! thank you for sharing your pretty projects with us. get your copy in your local Dutch bookstore, or here. and did you notice those cute little cross stitch stamps? the alphabet is available through Petra's cute shop, you can find it here. enjoy!

Fall

well hello there, how was your week? I had a little bit of an off week, not feeling totally well and definitely not feeling a lot of energy. probably the rain didn't help to fix that. although the weekend was mostly bright and sunny, and therefore quite cheerful. great timing by the chimney sweeper too, who made our fireplace ready and oh what joy the fire and the warmth give. in front of it, I worked on the pattern for the fingerless gloves, and hope to upload a second pattern this Wednesday. 

I enjoyed playing with some patterns from the HEMA Breiboek and over the weekend I happily started a pattern from the colourful new Dutch crochet book Haken en Kleur, by my crochet friends Claire and Saskia, from the blogs Haken en Meer and Saar en Mien. more about that tomorrow!

wishing you a great week of Fall xo

The Best Of HEMA Breiboek

getting my vintage crochet style going with The Best Of HEMA Breiboek. to all of you who don't know HEMA, it's a famous Dutch store. hmmm how can I describe it best. it has been around for a long time, you can get anything there from cute stationary and washi tape to bath towels and curtains, baby and kids stuff, clothing and skin care products. cake and sweets, candles and tableware. all pretty. it's the store Dutch expat ladies miss the most when living abroad. Do you get the picture? 

by the way, I am sorry non-Dutch readers, I am afraid the book is in Dutch. as far as I know it won't be translated to English. it might be available in their German, Belgian and French stores but I am not too sure.

anyway, HEMA used to carry yarn and related products until 1992 as I read in this book. and recently they have been reintroduced. yay! they published their own pattern books for knitting and crocheting from 1976 till 1992. now you can get The Best Of HEMA Breiboek that includes, I quote, "timeless classic designs, as well as designs that suit today's fashion".

they even released a new small collection of yarns and one of them is a 100% fine cotton, worked on needle size 3mm. I picked a vintage/ traditional looking set of 5 colours to give some patterns a go.

there are projects ranging from giant capes and baby suits, to pillows for your couch and potholders.

just to try them out, I started crocheting the potholders listed on the last page of the book.

so cute, don't you just love that flower design? and the colours, quite vintage looking but also, they get me a little in that jingle Christmas mood…

and of course I had to get my accidental matching nail polish in the picture, haha.

with these potholder patterns they recommend to use double the yarn and that will make them of course in a bigger and more practical size. the ones I made suit my nieces' play kitchen better I think.

the yarn seems nice, just a tad less shiny and soft as the Catania I am used to. but it crochets nicely and comes in fun colours too. this is the link to the full HEMA online knitting and crocheting collection. I used the colours donkerblauw, turquoise, beige, wit en rood.

have you found the new HEMA collection yet? how do you like it? 

wishing you all a happy weekend!