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).