A Granny Square Sling Bag

Hi there,

We celebrated another dear colleague's birthday this week... Happy Birthday W!

I made her a Sling Bag using a 'Granny Square'. This marks the completion of my project to give each of my collagues/dear friend a OOAK (one-of-a-kind) crochet bag...(You can see all the bags on our 'Private Collection' page.)

Back to Granny squares....for those who are not familiar..they are crocheted squares which are usually colourful and look something like this:

Of course, they are usually not so large and many of them are usually pieced together to form beautiful pieces of work. The amazing example shown below was created by Lucy of Attic 24.

Now to show you the rest of the bag....

I learnt how to do a 'double-layered lining' which was necessary due to the 'open' structure of the granny square. If not, the 'loose' ends of the lining material would 'stick out' of the gaps in the pattern!
Here you see the lining before it has been attached to the bag.

Here is the bag with the lining hand-stitched to it...

close-up of the strap

The strap runs in a continuous piece to form the sides and bottom of the bag.

The full view.

 I'm so happy she likes it. Do you like it?

Serena

That Fuzzy Feeling

Hi there,

This week at work has been more intense...with ever increasing number of things to be done...
Of course, everything seems 'urgent'..and so, in order to maintain some semblance of 'sanity', one needs to be able separate those that are really important from those that are not..don't you think?

Of course, one thing that's really important is making time to 'de-stress' and indulge in your favourite activity...which is, for me, crocheting!

With Valentine's Day round the corner, most of us will be taking the opportunity to let our loved ones know they're important (especially if we're often caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of living in metropolitan Singapore)...
Haven't you had that warm, fuzzy, tingly feeling when you know you're loved?

Here's something for all those dear to me...fuzzy crochet hearts....to warm all our hearts...

And to all our friends who celebrate Chinese New Year...'gong xi fa cai'!

Serena

The Satchel-Bag

Hi there,

A dear colleague celebrated her birthday this week....Happy Birthday J! Since I hadn't made her a crochet bag yet, it was the perfect opportunity to try out a new stitch pattern and bag design...

Here is the stitch pattern which was adapted from a pattern in a Japanese crochet book borrowed from my mom's friend....(nope...I don't read Japanese...but managed to make sense of the stitch diagrams and read some of the characters which resemble Chinese....)
Here are shots of the finished product...completed just in time....unfortunately that meant taking the photos indoor at night....which doesn't do justice to it.....

close-up of the stitching....

fully lined with a slip pocket, magnetic clasp and my signature logo... : )

I wonder if I should make one and put it in the shop....what do you think?

Serena

Gifts for Me...

Hi there,

One week of 2012 has gone by in a flash! It's starting to get busy at the workplace...meaning that there'll be less time for crocheting and creating...makes me feel kinda sad...but yet...at the same time I do look forward to the adrenaline rush that comes with the challenges at the workplace....

The local newspapers ran a feature on a lady who has made her crocheting/knitting passion her work...it made me envious....but only for a little while...
Upon further reflection, I realised that my main reason for creating the items is that I truly enjoy it...and the satisfaction comes from the knowledge that the item will put a smile on someone's face...but if it were to be the main source of providing for the family, it would be more 'stressful' and might even stifle creativity : )...so think I'm happy the way things are....for now....

Do you remember this?

Well, the project that travelled to Malaysia and back is finally done. About 90% through, I realised I'd made a mistake and had to re-do the whole thing...thankfully mistakes in crochet are easily rectified...and here it is -- a sort-of belated Christmas gift to myself:

When worn, it looks like this.....

To date, this is the first clothing item I've crocheted for myself....what do you think?

I also received a nice surprise from my brother and sis-in-law....my first crochet books! (Would you believe I did not own a single one!) It's so heart-warming to have friends and family support your interest....

Isn't it cute?...Can't wait to try it....

Calendar cum crochet patterns! Woo-hoo...!

In case you're wondering....no...I won't stop making stuff....just that it might take longer to complete a project....so please bear with me....

Serena

New Ideas for A New Year

Hi there!

Happy 2012! How's your 2012 been so far? Mine started with a cough that kept me awake at night...must have overdone the 'feasting' in the festive season....and before we know it, it'll be another 'feasting' season in 3 weeks -- Chinese New Year!

I was looking at all the Chinese-styled apparel in the stores (which incidentally are predominantly red or 'reddish') and thinking about what I could make to go with them....here's one...

Each of these flowers have been crocheted with 24 1 mm wide beads for that added sparkle.

Here's my dear girl with them....

Continuing with the Oriental theme....how about these for the baby princess?

Baby booties in Cream and Pink Nylon/Acrylic blend yarn. Booties measure 3.75" x 2" and double-layered soles give extra comfort. Coral Chinese knot adds the perfect touch.

The hair-clip I made for my niece (earlier post) inspired more.....

Each flower measures about 5.5 cm across.

I love these hair-clips as you can't see the clip when you wear it! Each is one-of-a-kind...there's only ONE each.

Serena