Summer Cactus crochet pattern

Heatwave. It's official today. We're not used to this kind of weather. The houses are not made for it. So, I spent this Summer weekend outside and in the shadow most of the time. It felt like camping at home in our own garden. Crochet, read and writes. I even wrote my very first amigurumi crochet pattern, to share with you down below.

I love all the green in our garden en the pops of pink, blue and purple. I think my parents are so much better at keeping their garden alive and kicking. I have to admit, that my fingers aren't so keen on keeping the green. Green plastics are my best friends. Now I can add a crochet cactus to my options. 

There are more cactus patterns out there (any similarities are a coincidence), but I thought I'd design my own. Making it up as I went along. And I'd like to share it with you, so here's the pattern! I hope to design some new Cacti patterns in time. 

Summer Cactus

You need:

• Green yarn (I used acrylic)
• Brown yarn (I used cotton..)
• White yarn (I used acrylic, but for the pot you can use any colour you'd like).
• Small amount of another green shade colour yarn
• Small amout of pink yarn
• 3.5 mm or 4 mm crochet hook
• Needle to put your cactus together
• Stuffing ( I used polyfill and added some marbles for the weight)
• Stichmarker (I used a slightly bend paperclip)

Notes:

• The pattern is made in continuous rounds (unless otherwise stated)
• I used USA crochet terms:
  CH = Chain
  SC = Single Crochet
  HDC = Half Double Crochet
  DC = Double Crochet
  SS = Slip stitch
  ST = Stitch
  
  * = Repeat the part between the stars to the end of the round
  () = Amount of stitches per round

• This is my very first pattern and I probably do not use the correct terms all over. I try my best, but correct me if I'm wrong.
• You are free to use this pattern for personal use. But please don't sell or post as your own.
  You're free to use the items made from this pattern for commercial use. 

Starting with the Catctus (three parts in green yarn)

Part one (big cactus)

1. ch 2

2. 6sc in the second ch (6)

3. 2sc in each st (12)

4. *1sc in the next st, 2sc in next st* (18)

5. *1sc in the next 2st., 2 sc in next st.*  (24)

6. *1sc in the next 3st., 2 sc in next st.*  (30)

7-15. 1 sc in each st. (30)

16. *1 sc in the next 3 st., sc 2st. together*. (24)

17.  sc around (24)

Fasten off and leave a long thread for sewing.

Part two (small bun of the big cactus on which the flower is attatched).

1. ch 2

2. 6sc in the second ch (6)

3. 2sc in each st (12)

4. *1sc in the next st, 2sc in next st*  (18)

5-6. sc around (18)
7. *1sc in the next st., sc 2st. together* (12)

Fasten off and leave a long thread for sewing.

Fill up with stuffing and sew the bun to the big cactus.

Part 3 (small cactus)  

1. ch 2

2. 6sc in the second ch (6)

3. 2sc in each st (12)

4. *1sc in the next st, 2sc in next st* (18)

5. *1sc in the next 2st., 2 sc in next st.*  (24)

6-10. sc around (24)

11. *1sc in next 2 st, sc 2st together* (18)

12. sc around (18)

Fasten off and leave a long thread for sewing.

Now, you can cross stitch some X-s. I worked three rows, starting at the top, working down.

For the dirt circle (brown yarn)1. ch 2

2. 6sc in the second ch (6)

3. 2sc in each st (12)

4. *1sc in the next st, 2sc in next st* (18)

5. *1sc in the next 2st., 2 sc in next st.*  (24)

6. *1sc in the next 3st., 2 sc in next st.*  (30)

7. *1 sc in the next 4st., 2sc in next st.* (36)

8. *1 sc in the next 5st., 2 sc in next st.* (42)

9. * 1 sc in the next 6st., 2sc in next st.* (48)

10. *1 sc in the next 7st. 2sc in next st.* (54)

Fasten off and sew in the end.

Jar (white (or any colour you'd like (think about stripes!))

1. ch 2

2. 6sc in the second ch (6)

3. 2sc in each st (12)

4. *1sc in the next st, 2sc in next st* (18)

5. *1sc in the next 2st., 2 sc in next st.*  (24)

6. *1sc in the next 3st., 2 sc in next st.*  (30)

7. *1 sc in the next 4st., 2sc in next st.* (36)

8. *1 sc in the next 5st., 2 sc in next st.* (42)

9. * 1 sc in the next 6st., 2sc in next st.* (48)

10. *1 sc in the next 7st. 2sc in next st.* (54)

11. Sc around in the backloops (54)

12 -15. sc around (54)

16. ch dc around (this is just a round for fun and a tiny bit of texture. You could replace this round by two rounds of sc). (54)

17-20. sc around (54)

21.  Now, grab your dirt and join this round to the Jar. insert your hook into a stitch of the dirt circle PLUS a stitch from your jar, yarn over and pull through all loops on the hook.

Don't forget to fill your jar with stuffing and marbles along the way.

22. I added a fancy edge: *ch3, skip one st., 3sc,*

Join and fasten off.

Fill up the two Cacti and sew on your filled jar. Make sure you fill up the low part a little extra so that the stand pride and tall.

Flower (for a pop of colour!)

1. Ch 4, join with a ss

2. Sc 12 in the loop you created

3. *Hdc, dc, hdc in next st, slide stitch*, (creacting 3 pedals)

I hope you like! Please send me a picture of your cactus if you make one. I would love to see your creativity!

Lots of sunshine and keep your cool!

Active and organized

Thanks to a day off today, it's been a beautiful long weekend. Using all that time to crochet, cook and picnic, writing and starting a big Pinterest clean up.

It was a great Summer day today! And I made good use of it. Going out for a long walk/bicycle ride with a friend of mine.
We walked along the Kromme Rijn between Odijk and Bunnik (although could have moved on further). Sat down to have a small but tasty picnic and went back cycling via Slot Zeist.

Besides all walking and cycling and enyoing the Summer, I've started a big declutter on a whole bunch of things trying to get organized (a little more).
At a recent phone photo clean-up I discovered that I close to 300 food pictures. Taken in a period of a year or so. Most of them involve one of the following elements: family, friends and or the making and baking proces. This Creamy Caprese Pasta by How sweet it is, is one of the recipes I tried and photographed. The first time I tried this, I served it for me and three friends in cute seperate oven pans. As a side dish, I made the beautiful sweet and fresh Pear Feta Walnut Salad by Angie McGowan via babble.com.

But yesterday I made a big pan for my family. Everyone loved it!

The only thing missing? A propper Italian dessert, like my home made tiramusu... Giving you that next time.

Then the other big(ger) project I put my hands on this weekend, the Pinterest Clean-up. Before my big blog-break I wrote about what I learned from being on Pinterest. There's been quite a built up of pins since then: over 2400 pins and 43 not so organized boards. Including descriptions that were not mine and not so charming (like google images, ouch!) or (even worse) dead links. Time for a clean up.
That means I'm going through my boards one by one, pin for pin. Yes, that is time consuming. And that's why I'm not anywhere near halfway through. I've done three boards by now. And I'm happy with the results:

• working links (or at least a note that there is no link).
• Proper credit (going back to the most original post I could find, instead of a home page or collection page (like tumblr or we heart it).
• boards I love (I only kept the pretty stuff)
• no doubles
• no (accidently) wrong board pins
• a bunch of new boards (splitting up the bigger ones).

I have no Idea when I'll be finished, but I'll give you a sign. Wouldn't it be great to do this all together? I mean, propper credit that's what all those lovely bloggers, writers, photographers, artistst out there deserve, right? So, I'd say spread the word! 

To keep myself in shape (for all the food I love to eat and away from my beloved laptop), I started running again. It's been six months since my last run, thanks to the bruised foot. So, it was a very, very modest run (1,5 - 2 - 4 - 2 - 1,5 - 0,5 mins with 1 minute walks before and in between). But it felt great after wanting and waiting to get my first after such a long time! Rewarding myself with an iced tea of my favorite flavor.

 

A Summer weekend

I feel like I've been on on a week long vacation, at least, while it was just the weekend really. Thanks to last moment actions and going with the flow. Or maybe the Summer weather is the real drive, and good food. Pretty much all week, makes me a happy person too.

Like this lunch I had with a friend of mine at Het Paradijs in Utrecht. A Chinese restaurant, serving some of the best Cantonese food to be found in the city, so far (just ignore the old school look, its about the food, remember?).

lunch last Wednesday at restaurant Het Paradijs

The weekend started Friday with a friend of mine asking me to join her to De Beschaving. A one-day Festival at the terrain of Utrecht University. To more specific, one of the best places to think of for a festival: the Botanical Gardens!

Loveley view of the rock garden at the Botanical Gardens

I thought it was beautiful! We enjoyed the sunny weather and had good talks laying in the grass feeding ourselves with great (mainly) biological foodies. Some foodies became an experience, like the tea from the Theefrabriek (Tea Factory, in the polaroid photograph below) and my friend grinded her own cup of coffee at Koffieleute.

All over the terrain we could hear nice music from artists like Goslink (who plays on instruments he has built with his own hands!), Laura Jansen (love how she's named her second album after the beautiful Italian island Elba. I have some great memories on a family holiday there!) , Andy Burrows and Sumera to name a few. Although, I have to say that the most impressive pieceof music was the classical The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins, performed by the Utrecht Students choir and orchestra. Combined with imagesa and footage of war of all ages (from the Middle ages to today's wars), it was not a happy watch, but it made clear why it's a privilige to live in peace, like we do. That did sound a little...well dramatic maybe, but I can't find another way to describe it.
The only thing we missed out on? The university talks. We were having such good conversations by ourselves on topics like 'when do you call somebody your friend?' and 'which places you want to travel to?' and family and friends talk.

Laura Jansen @ De Beschaving

Bottle post in 2013

Right, by now you might get into Summer mood too, I hope. I certainly did. But the summer feeling got in full swing when I went to the beach with my family today. It was Noordwijk, today (52.24°N 4.45°E). It was not even as busy as expected! Love swimming in the sea and reading a book (currently a book I picked up at the last Queensday market (since we went back having a king this year) on the history of Northern America).

Well, hope you had an awesome weekend too! I'm all loaded up for a fresh week at the office.

Wolrd of Manga

Maybe it´s the Summer season, but I see great exhibitions popping up around me. Or maybe it's because the actual Summer weather is falling behind a bit this year giving us lots of rain and way less than the average temperature. Museums are weather proof and I love visiting them every now and then. Especially taking a sketchbook with me, get inspired and learn from the great masters up on the walls. Yesterday, it were mainly Japanese artists that blew my mind at The World Of Manga exhibition at the Wereldmuseum (World Museum) in Rotterdam.

The museum is housed in the former gather place of the Royal Yacht club from prince Hendrik in the 19th century. 

It's a wonderful building inside and out. With an awesome view on the Erasmus bridge (and in my case a Holland America Liner cruise ship). 

Like I wrote before, I used to draw a lot. I've had a what I call my manga-period somewhere between 2003 and 2009. I looked up an oldie from 2008. 

For those of you who are not familiar with Manga and Anime (that's cool by the way, you're not the only one), to cut it short, its Japanese graphic story telling (manga) and animation (anime).
At some point I went back to more realistic, mainly portrait drawing. But the manga and anime have always kept a little place in my heart. Love watching the classic Spirited Away for example.

The exhibit World of Manga opened just this week. Although, I'm familiar with the style, I've learned so much from the exhibition on the roots of this art style. Characters and stories leading back to Buddhist and Japanese tradition for example. But what struck me most and never noticed before, is how much emotion is put in every drawing. I didn't bring in my camera or my mobile phone, just my sketchbook. I feel like making pictures of artworks in a museum is not doing justice to the amount of work that the artists put in their pieces. But I took my notes. Three artists made quite an impression and I've included links to their official websites, so that you can check them out.

Shiho Enta with the illustrations she's done for the Pillow Book (an at least 1000 year old book by author and court lady Sei Shonagon). Fuzichoco with her colourful, detailed work that are stories on their own and have beautiful fitting titles. There was one work of her titled 'Nostalgia looking for her mother' in which a girl is shown, in a second hand shop, because her mother has turned into a second hand object. She's hoping to find her mother this way. Shinkichi Tajiri put his person experience into designing his machines.

After I long and slow stroll through the exhibit, I continued to the permanent exhibition of the museum. 

Brought in a classic museum way in many glass cabinets I entered the world of Oceanian, Tibetan, Japanese and Chinese (religious) culture. Loved the wood carved masks in all different shapes and sizes.

sketch of a mask (item no. 123 at the Indonisia part of The Collection at Wereldmuseum. I plan on inkting and colouring (see the notes on colour).

As you can imagine with the museum visiting and a drawing bug at my hands, the crochet side is a little quiet. But I when a friend of mine asked me to make a little gift, I did. I worked up the free amigurumi pattern Konijntje Pluis by Stip&Haak. Although I made two little adjustments, a pompom tail and stitched eyes (baby safe) and added a little bow.

I leave you with a little love and the trailer of Wolf Children, a new anime directed by Mamoru Hosada

Let's talk bags

Some women like shoes, some like clothes and if you know me, you'd now I like bags. A lot. Maybe a bit too much. Since I have so many, I decided I'd swop the bags I already have a little more often... Somehow I managed to get myself two new bags this week...Now, let me explain this to you.

Impulse buy

I went out for my lunch break this week and I could not resist this off white bag from Sacha.I have to admit, the price tag of over 50% discount helped with that. In my defense I also like to mention this was a complete impulse buy. I actually went in search of a pair of ballerina flats (I left a worn out pair in London) that I did not find.

Ok, that's the part I spent money. The second bag did not come with such ease. I worked for that one. I crochet one. After I completely unraveled this first bag I made (it was too small, bulky and not really what I expected) ...

I came up with this bag: 

I would give you the advice, if in doubt on a chrochet project, let it sit for a few days or so and if you're still not sure, unravel. You might get something better back for it. I'd say I did for sure. I love this bag already.

Materials used:

• red/cream striped zpagetti/textile yarn from Hoooked. 
• grey Zpagetti/textile yarn I picked up at Blokker a while ago
• two belts I bought on sale at V&D
• four rings I cut off an old bag that I threw out, because it was old and broken. 
• old scarf I never wear anyway

I did not follow a pattern really. I wrote just wrote along the first four rows. Which were not really rows, but rounds really. But at least I can give you the starting chain and help start off, because once you've got yourself a bottom, it's fairly simple.

1. Chain 28

2. Double Crochet (US term) in the 4th chain from the hook. Double Crochet in every chain, 4 DCs in the last chain. Proceed on the other side of the chain and three DCs in the last chain. Slip stitch in the top three chain.

4. repeat two rows with Single Crochet and don't forget to decrease in at the last four stiches.

5. Switch to the main colour of the bag and DC around.

I'm not exactly sure of this description though. But my mom asked me to make one for her too, so I hope to come up with a proper pattern in time...

Lining the bag was quite a challenge and all thanks go to my mom and her sewing machine. I'm new to machine sewing. As in, I had my first try on one side of sewing the lining for this bag. The scarf fabric was not the best material to start of with though...

After a little inside bag was made, I pinned and hand stitched it to the bag. 

Attaching the belts was fun. I tried different ways and ended up with this, more or less by accident.

Lots of space inside.

Take care and have a wonderful week!

A new love and an old passion

You know those moments that you completely are unaware of time passing by? I've had a few the past few months. The good and a little bad, in terms of boredom caused by a bad bruised foot. The funny thing is, it happend during a great friends and dinner night, which is now marks peculiar happy memory. 

Well, the foot kept me on a couch or sitting on my bed the past six weeks or so. Which has led to watching too much missed episodes of master chef and attempting amigurumi crochet. It's my new addiction.

For my very first attempt I caught the very needed detailed and clear pattern of  an elephant by Jam made (on the right). 

On the left is a little friend. It's an adjusted pattern (working on a written pattern for you!) of Winston the Elephant pattern by Echtstudio. The funny thing is, I'm Dutch but I had to translate the pattern since I learned how to crochet with English terms. I have to admit I feel a little awkard about that.

I've been busy trying different patterns and collecting  and pinning. At the moment there are three crochetprojects on my hooks. First is a lace scarf via a Japanese pattern I found. Following that pattern goes well, although I had a few hicups, since I can't read any of the japanese writings that might include tips, tricks and some guidance. It's a fun pattern to follow and to figure out.

The second is my very first attempt on designing my own amigurumi pattern for a globe. It's starting to get somewhere. Hope I can share it with you in the near future!

And today I started on tackling another technique. Tunesian crochet. I've been waiting to try for a while and 

yesterday I got myself a standard tunesian hook of 3.5mm. Casting on the stitches was a little of a pain, but after that it's been a lot of fun!

When my hands ar not glued to a crochet hook, it won't take long before I grab a pencil. Drawing has been a great passion for a long time. But with all new things to learn on the handwork side, drawing has been a little quiet. Only my gallery on DeviantArt reminds me at times I used to draw a crazy lot just a few years ago.

I went to London last weekend and decided to bring a little sketchbook and watercolourkit with me. I had a great time on a six hour or so, bus ride from Utrecht to London and back. My best sketching moment was at the British Library. I made the pencil sketches of the sketch you see above. Of course there's no way I could watercolour right at the spot. So I noted the colours with pencil and added colour on the bus ride home. I would absolutely reccommend to visit, if only just to check the beautiful exhibition in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery (free enrtance). Mozart next to John Lennon, Jane Austen's writing desk, Bible's next to Korans and Japanese scrolls next to biological drawings in the book of Fishes by John Ray. It's a travel through time, culture and religion. 

Talking about London and art. I would also recommend you to visit the lovely, light and inspirational Slanchogled shop at 66 Chalk Farm Road. Loved walking around picked up a travel friendly waterbrush you see on the picture above, a kneeded ereaser and a issue of Simply Crochet (awesome magazine too. Should find a place that sells it here in Holland). And if you wonder what that weird name is doing there, the shops businesscard explained it to me. It is the Bulgarian word for sunflower, literally meaning 'looking towards the sun.'

I leave you with another new friend: classical music. It has become a great soundtrack on my crochet evenings. At the moment I would recommend Ludovico Einaudi. His music is used on movie soundtracks such as the beautiful and touching French movie Intouchables).

Blog update: Time for a change..

It's been a while, hasn't it? It feels like that's the ever returning sentence the last few months. Hope you don't mind though. You might have read, that I've been busy living real life. Which is a great thing (you should try it too ;)).

I've picked up my Pinterestaccount again. It's been sitting and waiting for me a while and just when I was about to throw out the account, I decided to give it one more try. It's actually quite fun. To be honest it has taught me a five things about myself:

• You can learn something from zero to something. I learned crochet via the tutorials on pinterest. I'm  kicking out scarf after scarf since. Tell you more about that another time.
• I like lists and getting organized (i'm always trying something). There are numerous great tips and tricks I did not know about. I'm testing a bunch of them right now...Like the filofax planner. 
• I do like having girl time every once in a while more than I thought. Playing clothes, bags (many bags) and a tidy bit of make-up.
• I actually found my current haircut inspiration on Pinterest.

But most of all, pinterest led me to many, many inspirational blogs. And that's when I realized. I like my blog, but it's stuck in a scedule that is unrealistic to say, posting everyday. I'm not feeling foodie every friday you know?! Less topic-crampy. That's how it felt sometimes the last few months. Not good. 

So, I decided to change some things over the next few weeks. More personal, less topic tight.

I need a plan.

Will be working on that and see you all bright and sparkling in 2013!

Rosanne