Handmade with love by G.

Crochet Christmas Wreath 2011

2011-12-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

After a long pause, here I am with this year's Crochet Christmas Wreath.

All you need is a base and zillions of chains... the base and the pretend branches of the wreath will take you only a few hours to finish, so no big deal. If you click here, it will lead you to the first part of the tutorial I posted last year. And please don't look for the second part of it because it has never been written... I know, I know... shame on me! For the holly leaves and the berries I followed this pattern. And for the crochet candy canes after a long session of googling I came across with this blog, which has video tutorials besides written instructions. I wanted to make smaller candy canes, so I chained 33 instead of 50.

This year I tried to make my wreath to have a snowy effect, so I used a glittery white yarn as well as the regular green one. Enjoy it!

Love,

Gonca

Amigurumi Workshop

2011-01-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

I attended a wonderful workshop at one of the coziest places you'd ever want to be in Istanbul. I didn't think crocheting deer would be so challenging but great fun. Duygu, who was really patient to deal with 6 women crochetting deer and hearts, is a great crafter and a fun blogger. I'm looking forward to attending the next round on January 16, to move to an upper level in the world of amigurumi, where we'll learn how to crochet a cute bunny...

We also learnt to rochet an amigurumi heart. I was in a kind of hurry, so I decreased the bottom of the heart more than necessary, so the shape of it was not as yummy as I'd wanted it to be. But who cares? I now know how to make amigurumi hearts in any shape and size...

If you're in Istanbul on either 14th or 23rd of January, you still have the chance to attend the beginner's level amigurumi classes

Cookies

2010-12-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

In between too many projects waiting to be finished, and tons of housework to be done, I cooked some cookies for the craft party I was going to attend today. The recipe is very simple.

All you need is

125 gr fine sugar
250 gr butter
520 gr all purpose flour
1 egg

First you beat sugar and butter until it is creamy. Then you add the egg, and the flour. Don't add all the flour at once, as the amount might be too much depending on the other ingredients. Knead until you have a stiff enough to be rolled cookie dough. It wasn't mentioned in the original recipe, but I chilled the dough for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Then, flatten it 1/2 cm thick and cut into shapes. I got my lovely cutters from Vienna a few years back and used them for the first time yesterday. Shame on me for not putting them into use for so long. Aren't they adorable?

For those who can read Turkish, the original recipe is here.

Crochet Christmas Wreath Tutorial Part I

2010-11-18T03:04:00.000-08:00

This is my first time trying to write a tutorial, so please excuse my probable mistakes in advance. I hope you find my instructions clear enough :)

I started with the base, which I used exactly the same stitch numbers as Lucy's Springtime Wreath.

Then I started working on the "pretend-branches". Chain 20. Sl st into the 18th chain. *Ch 19, sl st into the 18th ch* repeat as long as you get the desired length depending on your yarn and hook choice.

When you finish crocheting the branches, start sewing the long line made of a few zillion chains on the base starting from the inner circle.

Go on sewing until your "pretend-branches" chains tour around the base 3 times.

If you're new to crocheting you might take a look at this website for basic crochet stitches.

And please feel free to upload your crochet or knit Christmas ornaments to the Crochet or Knit Christmas Ornaments Flicker Group .

Christmas Wreath

2010-11-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

Since the day I noticed the Springtime Wreath at Attic24, I've been planning to make something like that for Christmas. And here's my version of a crochet Christmas Wreath...

I started making it yesterday morning, and in the afternoon it was finished. I used exactly the same numbers of stitches in Lucy's tutorial. The only difference I made was not to change colors in every other row. For the rest of it I'm planning to add a tutorial tomorrow if the light is good enough to take pictures. And hopefully I'll change the picture in this post as well because I couldn't capture the exact colours of the pretend branches and holly leaves due to poor sunlight.

Kitties test driving

2010-10-31T05:12:00.000-07:00

Kitties seem to have approved the quality of the new blanket without I've been able to finish it properly.

Although I call it the new blanket, I started doing it about 3 years ago. At firt, I was very eager to finish it, but then I didn't like the color combination, so I neglected it until one day I remembered having it around when it suddenly got really cold here. It's not my favourite blanket, but it serves its purpose well for the time being. Until I finish my other and "favourite" one, I'll have to keep myself warm under it while watching TV or correcting papers. Happy Monday y'all!

Sneak Peek

2010-09-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

I just can't take my eyes off of especially these two photos. Don't they look so yummy?

Back to life, back to reality

2010-09-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

After being away from the hustle and bustle of the city for about 3 weeks I'm back home again.

During these 3 weeks I've done many things including crochetting-surprise (NOT!)-, gardening, eating tasty stuff-putting on weight as well-, improving my yoghurt making skills-yes I can make yoghurt from scratch-, and spent quality time with my parents.

I have lots of things to show and tell about my holiday. But first I need to settle down. There's a huge pile of clothes and bed sheets waiting to be ironed, and a complete room to be re-organized. I'll also be showing some of my finished projects for the shop update. Soon, very soon I promise.

Holiday

2010-08-22T01:30:00.000-07:00

The last 5 weeks have been soooo hot that I haven't been able to upload anything here. I was hoping to start a few new projects this summer, but obviously I didn't foresee that a summer could be this hot in this city. It was either 29 or 30 C at night, and with the help of humidity 36 C felt 50 C something during the day. I couldn't saw, crochet or knit anything at all.

Enough with complaints! I'm off to the sea for 20 days this afternoon. After a long journey-a 14-hour-bus trip- I'll be swimming in the bluest and cleanest sea ever in my country. Will be back in 2 weeks. Till then take care of yourselves and don't give up checking here, because I'll be back with "sneak-peek" pics of my new shop updates.

A Picturesque Field Trip

2010-07-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

As daddy being a member of the race management team in the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2010 which is held in Istanbul, and a sightseeing boat trip was organised by the comitee we, the whole family-including my sister who came from the US for a 3-week-holiday-at-home, had a chance to join them on the boat. It was supposed to be a 4-hour boat trip along the Bosphorus, but the teenagers on board weren't interested in seeing the architectural beauty of the waterside residences, or palaces, or mosques, and ancient churches that are situated on both sides of the Bosphorus. Instead, they were either chatting on the top the shades or throwing water bottle caps or water itself to each other, and finally the trip was cut short and we stepped on land 30 minutes before the scheduled. Very typical of teenagers I guess!

I realised once more how lucky I am to be living in such a beautiful city like Istanbul. Actually, each time I'm crossing the bridge which connects the two continents, Europe and Asia, the scenery takes my breath away. No matter how many times I've been on that bridge all my life, it always feels like being there for the first time.

It was really a hot and humid day yesterday, and the boat was full of teenagers from all over the world, so please excuse me for the poor quality photos.

Hello 39!

2010-06-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well today is my birthday! The fact that the following 12 months will be the end of another decade in my life hasn't started to worry me yet.

I don't have any plans for tonight. To be honest I'm too tired to do anything. Must be because of the aging thing! Plus, the extraordinarily cold and wet weather doesn't help much to get me in the mood for celebrating it.

However, it doesn't mean that I won't be celebrating it next year either. If possible, I'd like something special for my 40th birthday, so that I'd have some good memories to talk about for another 10 years.

It Happens

2010-06-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

This is actually what happens when a sleeping cat is scared to death by the opening of a nearby window as a short-summery storm breaks out.

It all happened in a few seconds, but I still can't recall how she managed to hit the side table, which wasn't even on her way, and drop it down. Poor thing couldn't get back into the living room for a while. Had to go and sooth her by giving her favorite flavor reward sticks.

After the really short storm, my flowers seemed really refreshed.

This is literally my first flower growing attempt, so I'm doing my best to keep them in good condition. The exact definition of "in good condition" is "alive" considering my gardening experiences. Errrm, ok a little confession time: I am well known for my unintended ability at killing plants, especially the ones which have been left to me to look after while the owners are away on holiday. Anyway, hopefully, my luck will turn around and we will grow old and wrinkled together, the flowers and me that is!

Have a happy Monday and a superduperfantastic week y'all!

Ta daaa!

2010-06-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Until a short time ago, to be precise 2-3 years, I didn't fancy doilies, or any kind of liners. I actually thought they were granny-like. Anyway, probably because I'm growing up (!) I value all my linen clothes and doilies.

A few weeks ago, I started to look for a ready-made edging for my sideboard liners, but couldn't find anything worth sewing on my antique linen table cloth. The same evening I gave up on the ready-made stuff, I remembered having a lovely crchet edging swatch which I hadn't thought of making until then. Mum wasn't encouraging either. However, I didn't give up, and crocheted the necessary length in less than a week. I'm so satisfied with the result that I think I'll be making more edgings for my other cabinets as well. Can you tell the difference between the "before & after" photos?

Have a happy Monday and a fantastic week y'all!

Coming soon

2010-06-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

Take a sneak peek at my latest finished project. The grey and dull weather didn't let me take brighter photos. Unless it rains and the clouds hide the sun tomorrow, I'll show you the inside of my vintage sideboard with before/after photos.

PS. Just leave a comment if you want the pattern. I can either e-mail it to you or post it here.

It's officially summer!

2010-06-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

10 reasons to love summer:

1. Birkenstocks & sandals. Free your feet ladies...

2. All shades of pink nail polish on my toes. Love 'em!

3. Longer days. I really hate it when it gets dark at 4 pm in winter!!!

4. Swimming! Oh I love the sea when it is cold and crystal clear. But that's gotta wait till I go on

holiday in June.

5. Floor length flyaway skirts and dresses. Especially floral and romantic ones.

6. Sailing. I don't have a license, but I happily assist dad when we go sailing.

7. Ice-cold beer.

8. My new magic lip moisturiser with SPF 15. It's called magic because the transparent lipstick

turns into a lovely rosy pink on the lips.

9. New knitting and crochet projects. (2 are on the way to be photographed and put here)

10. Delicious summer fruit: Cherries, apricots, grapes, and peaches, my favourite of all by the way.

Updating news

2010-05-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hey there.

I know I've been a total stranger for a loooong while, but I've moved my flat and couldn't find enough time to write anything here. I have new projects in progress. I'll post about them as soon as I find the transfer cables of the camera!

HAPPY EASTER ALL!

2010-04-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

Inspiration

2010-03-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm still alive. I'll write longer during the week I promise. Until then, please enjoy the following photos. The first one is my favorite cupcake ever. I haven't tasted it, but if I ever had the chance, I don't think I'd be able take a bite as I am not that heartless to eat something that looks this elegant!

And the latter is my felt version of this beautiful yet inaccessible, at least for now due to living on different continents, cupcake designed by Louise Winther Dueholm, the lovely founder and the editor of Cake Journal.

Making it was so much fun. And now looking at these two photos is also cheering me up. Hope the feeling is contagious and you feel the same each time you come here.

Have a happy Monday and a fantastic week y'all!

Ta-da-ish moment

2010-03-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

Actually I've finished crocheting one of the pillows and without waiting for the other to be completed, I've started another... Very typical of me!

Anyway... It's been a fun project in many ways. Instead of making the granny squares first, and attaching the flowers on them, I first crocheted the flowers and used them as the center of my granny squares. I wanted this pillow to accompany the previously started, but not finished one, so the main color of this pillow is ecru as well.

Then, while searching for other alternatives for more crochet pillows, I came across with Sarah London's "Wool Eater Blanket" tutorial and started my third pillow project immediately. I've added another round with turquoise since the photograph was taken. Here's the wool eater pillow in progress.

Next weekend I'll get 3 pillows, and ask the tailor in the neighborhood to sew pillow cases for me because 1. I don't have a sewing machine and 2. Surprise Surprise! I don't know how to sew. I'll show the finalized pillows when they're finished.

Have a happy Monday and a fantastic week y'all!

Happy Monday

2010-02-28T14:52:00.000-08:00

Another busy week is only a few hours away. However, I can't get to sleep. I'll put the blame on the whole pot of tea and later on the big cup of coffee. I've never been able count sheep so far. My sheep tend to run away rather than jumping over the fence.

If I cannot count sheep, why not calculate the total number of granny squares I'll need for the new blanket I started crocheting today, if I can be patient enough to finish it of course. During calculation, I might add two more squares to the last row. OK. I'm off to bed now. With my n basket and crochet hook for sure!

Have a happy Monday and a fantastic week y'all!

In the Mood for Crocheting

2010-02-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

I've gotta do lots of things: a huge pile of ironing, marking papers, de-cluttering the study, cooking... and other stuff that has to be done at home. However, I've been infected by the "crochet virus". It sure is contagious. Since the moment I saw Yvonne's blanket, I've wanted to make mine. As I know myself very well, I wouldn't be able to finish a big project like a blanket. So I decided to crochet a pillow instead. I normally prefer modifying the patterns I find on the net, but Yvonne's was sooooo beautiful that I used similar colors and made my last rounds with ecru. First I thought a 5x5 granny square pillow would be enough for a pillow, but I've decided to add another row to make it a 6x6-granny-square one. I'm sure it will look much better after blocking it.

The reason why I am not able to do big projects is that I want to go on and on with crocheting. But I don't want to do the same pattern all the time. Let me clarify this with a good example: There was one other pillow that I've come across in a few blogs, click here and here to see my top 2 favorites please. I believe you're starting to guess what's coming next, so I'll confess: Mea Culpa! I've been making the other pillow all day. And I haven't finished the previous one, yet!

Before you accuse me of being whimsical, please take a look at the pictures and tell me if you could resist making these plain but at the same time charming flowery granny squares?

Pinkalicious Valentine's

2010-02-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

For the upcoming Valentine's Day I decided to crochet a heart garland for one of the dressers in the living room. After some quick search on the net, I found a pattern very similar to what I had in mind. I knew that I didn't want to have a red garland, so I used two shades of pink instead.

One of the reasons why I preferred pink was that my dresser is dark brown, and my Valentine's Day decoration would look better with a little touch of candy-floss pink.

However, there was one thing I had underestimated: The fun of making crochet hearts! I couldn't make the garland longer because my curious kittens might try to pull it down when I wasn't around. Hmmm! What could I do then? Of course crochet another garland for the other dresser, which was originally a bookcase. Ta daaa!

You can find the basic heart pattern at Suzie's Stuff or Skip to my Lou. I worked the first 2 rounds for the darker pink hearts. For the small hearts I only crocheted the first round. For the final touch, I used a mocha brown yarn for the chain. I'm really happy with the result. The pink hearts are cheering me up every time I look at them.

Happy Valentine's Day all!

Cookieland

2010-02-06T03:44:00.000-08:00

Cookies here, cookies there

Cookies, cookies

Everywhere

A few of these cuties are heading to their new home, where hopefully they will be loved a lot.

It's always hard to see my cookies off because I cut and sew each piece with great care and love. But of course, knowing that they will be a part of someone's colorful childhood memory one day, makes it easier to send them to their new owners.

Home is where the cat is

2010-02-02T11:49:00.001-08:00

In our case, home is where the cats are...

Cat #1 A 8,5-year-old male cat. Loves sitting on my lap and chewing yarns until they break if I knit long enough for him to feel he's neglected. He never gets bored of his ears being scratched.

Cat #2 She's 7 years old. She doesn't like cuddles, but interestingly lets me kiss her as much as I want.

Cat #3 She's about the same age as #1. Sorry about the quality of the picture. She is so shy that she always hides somewhere whenever I take the camera.

By the way, have I told you before that my favorite period of classical music is Baroque? I just love the soothing effect of the notes and instruments of this period. Especially the string orchestras.

Lazy days

2010-01-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

After a very long 15 weeks at school, which felt like 15 years, and 2 hectic weeks for proctoring and evaluating the final papers, I believe I deserve some "lazy" time at home during my term break for a fortnight. Actually, I was planning to declutter the flat and reorganize the kitchen shelves today. But I dug my yarn stash and look what I've found:

Who could resist such "ice-cream"y colours and go on with the housework? I couldn't, either. I'm planning to crochet neck warmers as they are 100% wool and will keep the wearer's neck really warm. When I make some improvement, I'll start taking pictures to put here.

Snow and even more snow

2010-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

The expected snow storm was not stormy on Sunday. There was snow only in the gardens of apartment buildings and on cars.

But today, miraculously, in less than 30 minutes our street looked like this:

But did that stop me from going out? Of course not! A very dear friend, who was trying to recover from a cold, invited me for an early 5 o'clock tea-party. To be precise, it was 1 pm and I, very, quickly got dressed and left home. Destination: Confectioner's. Mission: to get the best macaroons in town. Aren't I lucky to be living only 5 minutes away from the superduperdelicious macaroons?

Anyway, the journey to my friend's place, which normally takes 20 minutes max, took me 50 minutes this time. It was a long, cold, but fun walk because:
1. I love the sound of snow crunching under my feet.
2. Most people don't like winter as the cold makes them feel down. Au contraire, cold weather makes me more energetic. I'm definitely a winter person.
3. Snow makes people smile more often. Even the grumpy old people were smiling gently today.
4. There were less cars than usual, hence, the air was fresher.

Nothing could be more comforting than a cup of delicious English tea, accompanied with home-made focaccia and goat cheese, and macaroons after such a long walk in the cold. Yummm! By the way, my favorite flavor is violet when it comes to macaroons.

Oh, and I shouldn't forget to mention the beautiful scenery from her window.

Adorable, isn't it?

Let it snow, let it snow...

2010-01-20T09:02:00.000-08:00

This was how my workplace welcomed me this morning.

Since the students are away for the term break, the campus was unnaturally (!) peaceful and tranquil. If you wonder what I was doing at work during term break is that we are marking the final exam papers these days. I had to evaluate 52 compositions today and will be going on doing the same thing with another pile of 59 papers. Do I enjoy it? Of course not! But it still felt nice standing there, looking around and trying to spot the best angles to take photos.

There is not even a white spot in the city center. No sign of snow at all. However, the weather forecast people are expecting a snow storm on Saturday, so we might have some "real" snow here in the city center, as well. We'll see. There's one thing for sure though. With or without snow, we'll be freezing with a -10C at the weekend.

Hello...

2010-01-17T05:35:00.000-08:00

I've had this blog for quite a long time, but haven't dared to post anything until today. Well, I'm a lecturer at a university, but I believe I was born to knit, crochet and sew. My biggest dream is to become a full-time crafter. I'm hoping to get a studio of my own soon, and knit, crochet and play with my felt projects as much as I want to. So until I get the studio of my dreams, this blog will be the place where I'll be brainstorming and then hopefully sharing my craft projects.

This is my first hello to the blogosphere. Can you hear me?

This elegant lavender sachet can be found in my etsy shop.