Labour of love.

My mother mother had an...well...impotant birthday a little over a week ago, so this year a special gift was called for...something lasting....something handmade.
I opted for a pattern by the French company Phildar after seeing a finished example on flickr. They have a huge range of contemporary crochet and knitting patterns (you can also order the supplies needed from their online shop, very convenient).



This thing is so hard to photograph! What I like most about the design is the fringe...look closely and you might spot pompoms, tassles, braids, knots and beads.



In all, it took about 2 1/2 months (on and off) to finish. A huge project for me, but I enjoyed making it... I'm usually a hit-and-run crafter and get easily bored when things take too long. If you are looking for a long-time project to crochet beside a friendly crackling fire, the "Keffieh" just might be for you.

matryoshka mania.

To be honest - I was a little fed up with matryoshkas for a while. They kept popping up in every shop, on every tshirt... Now christmas is almost upon us and I realized I do like those little Russian nesting dolls after all...as holiday decoration...they have a special cozy charm...I don't like every matryoschka though...only the very special ones.

I came across the fabulous M-CUPS™ a while ago and instantly wanted them very badly.



(pictures: worldwidefred.com)
Measuring cups and decoration all in one...genius. The cute café and shop in my neighbourhood Misses&Marbles ordered them for me (well, they ordered a couple more so you can have one, too) with what seems like the speed of light. The shop, the sweet owner and their scrumptious cakes are well worth a visit, so be sure to stop by when you are in Berlin.

Another matyroshka-favourite of mine is the blackboard nesting doll from Muji:

(picture: muji.com)


Last but not least - these minimalist beauties from Handle&Spout. Beautiful.

the gift making machine

Hi there,
I know it's been a while, but i was really, really busy with my "real" job and didn't get any crafting done...well until recently. My best friend just had her second child and i'm going to be the godmother - need i say more? What better opportunity to whip out my supplies...

Since the mom is very very fond of white-on-red ploka dots and mushrooms, I made this my theme...and here is what I came up with:


I bought the reversable eco-fabric (which is super, super soft) a while back on the Dutch fabric market and made it into a blanket. I should have ironed it before I took the picture, but I was afraid the light would be gone by then...


The big thing on the left is a rattle, the other a pacifier chain (which has a little bell in the mushroom's head).

Coming up next week is my mum's birthday and what I made for her was my other big project during the last couple of weeks...stay tuned (if you like).