Getting off the hook

It's with a heavy heart that I've to shut down this blogshop in compliance to the policies laid down by the organisation I work for. I tried emailing and calling but being put on hold for 15 minutes only to be cut off twice just isn't my cup of tea. So, until all the i's have been dotted and all the t's crossed, the 'shop' part remains closed.

I'll still keep in touch, maybe on Instagram, so you'll know what I'm working on. I'm currently overloaded with yarn, yarn and more yarn,,,
There are

• vermillon / grey throw that I'm knitting on the bias. Garter stitch as usual because this yarn is so fine and I'm using 4 balls at a go. More than half done.
• DS' raglan jacket that I've yet to start
• DD's cotton blanket that's going to use almost 2kg of yarn. That's 2 balls of 10 colours in the pattern that she chose. Incidentally, she now prefers the wrong side of the pattern, LOL!
• semi-circle shawl using beautifully dyed tonal yarn that was on sale because it's discontinued 
• semi-circle shawl using deep grey yarn from a cone. Not so portable project that I tried to bring around. I'll just work on this at home.
• knit/purl throw in mustard and navy
• green shrug - I think I'll frog this
• variegated orange shrug - I think I'll frog this too
• rainbow coloured cowl - I think I'll frog this again
• knitting loom shawl - I'll need to figure out how to get it off the loom and I'll have another FO
• book covers wrapped with Uniqlo and Yacht 21 paper bags waiting for the inside covers and paper. I've yet to decide whether to stitch the book together or just O-wire the pages
• multi-coloured pages waiting to be sewn together, now that I've found the string and the wax. What stitch shall I use? Perhaps Coptic in a single colour so it won't fight with the colours and patterns.
• and there are simply too many UFOs to list. Yes, insta is good. Snap and post so you can see progress. My current phone has 13MP which is so much better than the previous 8.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy and continue crafting. 

Thank you for staying with me these years and hope to see you soon!

DEAR season again!

16 Nov 2013 to 31 Jan 2014

It's that time of the year again when you can Drop Everything And Read. During this DEAR season, you can borrow double the number of books. What best to make than a library bag :-)

Fully lined and reversible (other side is red and white stripes) and made from cotton linen. I've included both shoulder and hand cary handles. There are no pockets for this because it's difficult to stuff books into a bag and pockets get in the way. Instead, there's a little D-ring near the handles that I can use to hook on a wristlet or keys or whatever. Fun!

Have a blessed morning!

Last of its kind

I can't remember when I bought this yarn. I have 2 colours, this one is denim and the other is a milky white. Both came on cones with 4-5 inches of yarn off the cone. I've since made several bags (with or without handles) and now I'm down to the last one for the denim yarn.

I like cone yarns. I like it that it's easy to handle (no snags) with no ends to handle / weave in. I like the denim blue one a tad more than the milky white. Maybe 'cos white gets dirty more easily? Both have multiple plies twisted loosely so that there's still a softness even with half-double crochets like what I used here. My more recent bags have a single crochet top followed by a chain stitch all round the brim for added security.

I'm gonna miss this yarn but there're still lots more to distract me :-)

Have a blessed day!

Sneaks: Crochet bags

I made some of these recently and some months ago. I still have lots of the cream and denim blue yarn left. It's from a cone and I like yarn on a cone 'cos you can knit / crochet on and on and on and not have to join yarn. No loose ends to weave in and no unsightly bumps, well, none, if you do it properly :-)

Have a blessed day!

His sheep am I

This looks so much like a previous one I made last year. Only difference is in the interior where there's a water bottle pocket.

Oxford cotton exterior of families of sheep. Panel of pockets of different sizes across one side and the water bottle pocket at one side. I've included a bottle, file and textbooks for a feel of the size. Bag doesn't come with these... LOL!
Have a blessed day!

Not for sale

Played around with photovsi to create this collage of 3 bags:

• reversible corduroy tote (US$10) - no pockets and not interfaced. Fully reversible with dark brown background and flowers on one side and beige with flowers on the other. I'm thinking of making a matching pouch to go with this. Dimensions are
• olive tote - exterior is Japanese import fabric (Yuwa - I like their fabric, so nice!). Fully lined interior and pockets. Dimensions are
• beige tote - this is slightly larger than the olive one also using the same line from Yuwa. Ditto interior and pockets. Dimensions are