The Beauty of Handmade

In this world of Made in China handmade products are heaven send. I hope that financially I’ll soon be better off and able to afford some handmade myself. In the mean time let me show you this treasure and then tire you with some issues.


The most sophisticated cupcakes I've ever seen...

On Ravelry we find all things knitted. Great patterns and great gifts! One of the most inspirational and beautiful finds are products made by Julie of Little Cotton Rabbits. I first spotted her work when I did a tag search in Rav for cupcakes. These beautiful cupcakes appeared and where sooooo yummie I almost ate my monitor! :P I checked out the maker and found other items she made every better. Julie is the maker of the cutest toys ever seen (hence the name: Little Cotton Rabbits). She makes all sort of toys (not just rabbits) that seem alive with goodness and kindness. I tell you they are so cute you don’t care you’re not 6 years old no more. Some toys are ageless and these are like that. They have a good old fashion feel to them and yet are hip and happening. So if you fancy owning one or giving one, or you just want to check out Julie’s work, then visit her webshop and keep up to date with Julie’s Blog and don't forget to check out her free patterns!


Little Cotton cuties! The perfect gift!

So why buy handmade? Well I guess I could now start a whole talk about capitalism and consumerism or whatever –ism may be in right now, but it’s not that complicated. We live in a world where you can not escape mass produced products without making it your lifes purpose. So you can choose that route or simple not bother with any of it at all, but there is also the middle way. Where you can (and can afford) choose handmade. This also goes for organic and fair trade. If the whole western population where to choose handmade for every 1 item in a 100 they bought, it would change the world. You may not realise this as an individual, but you are part of a great mass of buyers. You are in a way like a star in the sky... one amonst billions. If we all choose to buy handmade once in every 100 buys the volume will be vast! So for the next birthday perhaps you will consider something hand made. And there are great gifts. Look on Etsy and you will have trouble choosing between all the great (extremely affordable) finds.

Happy Living Tip 2: Heart breathing

Have we lost touch with our heart? Being generous, kind and compassionate seems a hard thing now a days. We are always in a hurry and get upset when someone doesn’t move out of our way fast enough (whilst walking or in traffic). More and more we react with anger and feel insulted by the other persons lack of understanding/respect for your situation. Surely they can see you are in a hurry? And why would they block the road like that in the first place: can’t they think!! Sounds familiar. Well don’t worry you are not the only one. Today lots of people are stress and rushed. And all you need to do is go back to your heart! The Institure of Heartmath has discovered that focussing on your heart takes stress levels down by leaps and bounds. So to help you create some breathing space in your life. You feel peacefull and joyfull which makes you a kinder person without any hard work. Infact it’s a feel good excersise.



Heart breathing

You can do this excersise a few times a day. Sit, stand or lay down (depending on where you are and how you feel) and breathe deelpy three times, slightly pauzing after the inbreath before starting on the outbreath. Now focus on your heart space. Imagine the breath going through the heart: each inbreath is filling it up with energy and oxygen and each outbreath disposes of waste products (negativity and/or carbon dioxide). Whilst continuing breathing through the heart space and keeping part of your focus there, think of something that makes you happy. This can be anything: a beautiful place, the love for your child, a nice piece of music... whatever you choose makes sure it’s a good thing. It can be a human, and object, a place, sound or even the idea of being in tune with the universe. Feel the feelings that come with the thought and how it opens up your heart. Focus on your breathing again for three more breaths to finish of the excersise. Now go out into the world and be happy, peacefull and open!

Magical Wallpaper

There are people inventing all sort of strange and wonderfull things. I'm not sure how usefull some are, but I must admit I like the idea behind them. Two examples are to do with wallpaper.


Flowers appear out of nowhere...

First there is this heat sensitive wallpaper designed by Shiyuan that I spotted on The Style Files blog. This normal looking leafy wallpaper starts 'growing' flowers when you turn on the radiator. Not at all functional, but very magical. Especially in childrens bedrooms or so.


Wallpaper that lights up a room...

Also very remarkable and rather more usefull is Wallpaper that emits light. Yes it's a lamp! I spotted it in a video about new design, it's in Dutch but the effect doens't need explaining. The wallpaper part start at 2:23 min and is quite short. It's designed by Jonas Samson.

Zen Slippers

I always have cold feet, even when wearing socks in the house. Needless to say I'm a great fan of slippers of all sorts. Yet I had never made a pair. I came across this free Mary-Jane Slippers pattern on Ravelry. So I dug through my stash and found a yarn I liked and off i went.


Mary Jane is the right name for em I guess

The pattern itself is not hard. I made the two soles first and then it all went wrong. It might have been Monday morning or very late at night when I started to knit the side. I had placed it the wrong way round on the sole. I didn't notice this at all and tried on my slipper. It was alright but I didn't like the fit very well. So I started on the second slipper and noticed I had misunderstood the pattern instructions. Then I noticed a difference and realised that the first one must have been the wrong way round. So I finished the second and ripped the side of the first. Again I started and did the same silly thing. I blame the instructions. It says:

Starting at the center o fthe heel... pick up 42 stitches to the center of the toe...
Pick up 42 stitches down the other side of the center back of the heel and place a marker.

What I did was pick up stitches on the right going up, and then did the same on the left (from down to up), but I should have 'continued on' picking up, so from up to down on the left. So in my case the ends of the needle where up near the toe, the right way would have been the tip op the needles ending up near the heel. The pictures show it correctly, but who wants to look at the pictures the colour of the yarn they used is horrible (and that is mild of me).

Anyway if you do make them: Pick up the side stitches from heel to top, then CONTINUE ON from top to bottom.

Also I might use double strands next time. The result is very good, but they are a bit thin. I would have liked them a bit more chunky, so they give some (a very little is all i'm asking for) support. However they are fab when meditating and they look quite Zakka too. Very Zen, minimalistic and practical but somehow I think them quite beautiful in their simplicity.


They look good underneath jeans...

Project Details

Pattern: Mary-Jane Slippers
Yarn: Jaeger Baby Merino DK, colour 191
Amount: 1.5 skeins, 174 m / 195 yards
Needles: 4mm (us6)

Followed the pattern, except for the i-cord. I didn’t like it so I used a made up crochet stitch.

I’m sure the crochet stitch exsist, but I have no clue what it’s name is. All I do is this:

1st loop on hook. ** yarn over hook ~ yarn through next stitch ~ pull new loop through stitch ~ yarn over, pull through 2 loops ~ yarn over, pull through 2 loops **

See the Zen Slippers on Raverly


Job done!

Voodoo for Louisa

At the moment my friend Louisa is back in Australia for her friends wedding. This girl from Oz is a lively, young, happy, smart girl I'm happy to call my friend. I'm missing her loads. So I thought to upload the gift I made her last month. Fingerless gloves.


Dreamy girl with fingerless gloves...

People that read my blog might recognise them. I made a pair of these Chunky Fingerless Gloves for myself a few weeks ago. I had enough yarn left over to make a set for Louisa. And she mentioned she really liked them. So off I went again to knit yet another fingerless gloves set. :D

Lousia has smaller hands so I adjusted the top half of the glove as the wrist bit was fine.


A look at the front and back...

Pattern (free): Voodoo Wrist Warmers
Yarn: Debbie Bliss SoHo (colour 16), about 2 skeins depending on how long you make the wrist bit.
Needles: 5.5 mm (US 9)

work on circular needles CO: 32, work in k2, p2 for 13.5 cm (5.5 inch). Stop knitting when at the beginning of a new round. Put 12 sts on needle holder. Continue knitting the round without those twelve stiches and work in pattern for 5.5 cm (2 inch) and cast off.

Put the 12 thumb stitches from stitch holder back on needles. Rejoin yarn and work in pattern (k2,p2) in the round for 2.5 cm (1 inch). Cast off 12 sts. Work in ends and close any holes that appear.

Louisa is very happy with them :) hooray!

See Voodoo for Louisa on Ravelry
See Voodoo for Me on Ravelry
See Voodoo pattern page on Ravelry



Louisa and her new gloves

Happy Living Tip 1: Flowerfeet

The first tip is about connecting to your body (in this case your feet) and the earth. Gardeners know we are all connected to the planet, because they see how it works, year after year. Everything you do in the garden effects so many things. Crop rotation, composting, watering, feeding these are the steps with a major impact. But what about smaller things, like the bees that furtalise our crops and flower gardens. Only in the last few years with CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) have we realised how important bees are. Without them we would not eat as they are responsible for pollanating lots of our basic foods. We depend on these tiny little creatures and they depend on flowers who depend on the earth.



Flowerfeet

Sit in a comfortable position with both feet flat on the ground. Imagine a flower growing into being underneath both soles of your feet. It's a type flower you like and it is slowly opens when in touch with the warmth of the earth. Feel how your feet seem to feel connected with the earth like the flower. Your feet seem to open up and the connection with the earth feels warm and natural. Feel what happens. Does energy seem to flow from the earth into your feet or is it the other way around. Are you in need of energy or are you releasing stress? No matter what is happening, let it be. Feel when it is enough and imagine the flower closing slowly. Wiggle your feet about and pay attention to how your feet feel now.

Back to Basics

We live in a very thought-orientated world. We sit at our desks and work with our minds. We study and discuss, read and write. We live in thoughts when reading papers and watching telly. We have an opinion on everything, because that is what we think makes us unique and who we are. We are always busy planning and solving problems in our heads. In fact we are now so busy thinking all the time, we seem to have lost our ability to give ourselves a break. In fact we seem to fear it, as if we stop being who we are if we let go off all those imagined important issues and just Exsist.

It happens by accident sometimes. When we see a beautiful sunset over a fantastic landscape, so awe inspiring it takes our breath away and our thinking. You just seem to BE as the splendor unfolds in front of your eyes. For that brief moment there is no thought, and still you are there. One with the earth and her beauty for those few heartbeats.


Sunset at the Secret Beach

Besides not being in touch with what usually happens around us, because we are living in our heads, we also seem to forget our bodies. Sometimes we manage to fit in a gym session or a walk, but that is about it. But even then we are not really feeling what is going on inside, we are planning the day or thinking of what happend with so and so yesterday. Our body has become a tool to a means and we see (and feel) it less and less as a part of us. It has been proven that body awareness prevents stress and other modern diseases like migraines and psychological issues. Being in touch with your body is a very natural state of being which is why it is used in meditation. Every single cell has life and all these cells give you form.

So to give your mind a break I'll be posting Happy Living Tips from now on. These are meant to give you fun idea's and take you back to basics. So let it all go for a few moments and use a Happy Living Tip...