Garden Chef's Needle and Pen

It’s been more than a year since I crocheted. Oh, how I miss my yarn and crochet hooks! I gave away yarn from my stash to unload and declutter before we moved to our new residence last year.  

Love at first sight, it was again for me, the moment I saw the  crocheted clothes hanger cover  by Naztazia. Even in my sleep, I kept seeing the colorful hanger covers she made with  kanzashi  flowers as embellishment.

My crocheted scarf blending with the colors of autumn in Nami Island.

While preparing for a family trip to Seoul, South Korea in November of 2017, I searched my cabinet for cold weather outfit. Below 10 degrees was the temperature, according to the world weather forecast. Everyone of us kept track of the temperature as we had to decide which type of clothes to bring. We planned our travel wardrobe for a week-long trip. Out came my sweat shirts, scarves, mittens, neck warmers, leggings  and tadah--- the newsboy hat I crocheted four years ago! Wohoho! Seeing this hat after hiding in my closet for years evoked memories of the past--- Zurich!!!! Zurich with its brrrrrrbrrrrry cold weather. It was mid-February then, with a temperature of 5 degrees, if my memory serves me right. See the barren trees behind me? We didn't get to see the snow though. 

It's been months since I made this flower pot cozy. My hands ached to try the pattern the moment I found the design from... hmmm... sorry I couldn't remember if it was from Pinterest or from a link party I attended. Flower Pot Cozy

It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince. My mother got sick after Christmas last year. She had abdominal pain that was not relieved by analgesics. I was worried with the persistence of the on and off pain that we brought her to the hospital where she was subsequently admitted, after abdominal CT scan and MRI revealed enlarged and inflamed gall bladder with gall stones. She was subjected to Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (removal of the gall bladder through four small punctures in her abdomen). Amazing how she was able to survive the surgery at the age of 93! Praises to God! But this post is not about the surgery or how she recovered from the ordeal.

I really don't know why I am attracted to any shade of green that when I saw Oombawka Design's Forever Summer Necklace and Bracelet set, deciding to make one was no effort at all. Maybe because in my mind, I imagined having a similar color of thread and beads in my stash. Great! It didn't take long for me to assemble the needed materials. I made two strands of necklace that I immediately gave to a friend before I could take good photos of them. Now I'm preparing this post. Too late for me to realize that. So is there any better idea than making a new one? Thread, plenty. Beads, more than enough. I remember buying additional packs recently. I don't want to run out of green beads ;) Here, take a look... So, how do you like it? Actually, that's just one necklace photographed in three different views. After making the Sweetheart Beaded Choker the first time, I was so inspired that I told myself, "I'm definitely going to ...

This is my own version of the Sweetheart Beaded Choker  by Oombawka Design. I fell in love with this the first time I saw it a couple of months ago. I was able to post this photo in Instagram and Facebook but failed to write about it despite several attempts. While I was doing this, I've been wondering why it was so named. "Sweetheart," intrigued, I read the post a number of times to get an idea as to the story behind it. I gave the photos a scrutiny. Do the beads have anything to do with the name? Hmmm, I don't think so! How about the stitches --- the special stitch. Oh, yes, could it be the shell stitch? Two hdc, ch 2, two hdc. Oh, well, I rest my case to Rhondda to reveal the making of her Sweetheart Beaded Choker. Rhondda is the person behind Oombawka Design.  I liked working on this pattern. It was very easy to follow. Doing the shell stitches was so addicting, I had no difficulty memorizing the steps as I went along. I was able to finish the choker...

This is one of those days when you leave the house, late for work, walk down five blocks to the bus stop under the scorching heat of the sun. For each stride you take, you feel a strong urge to plunge into the tempting waters of the beach or swimming pool. I'm no swimmer so I really don't have any other choice but stand by the gutter of the pool to watch people frolic. At times, I do regret having dropped my swimming lessons in one of the four P.E. subjects required in college.  Seated in the bus, feeling eeewww, a few minutes after finally landing on a vacant seat, I still continue to imagine the blue waters. I close my eyes and for a moment I see myself walking along white sands barefoot. Barefoot! Now, I remember those cute sandals I crocheted the previous year. Where have they all gone? Oh, yes, how could I forget? I have given out several pairs to some friends and colleagues at work. Using blue and light green variegated yarn, here are two pairs I made, inspired...

Proud mother! A colleague of mine at work, she is. Who wouldn't be, when her 11-year old son, Miko, was one of the 40 finalists out of 51,000 doodlers who submitted their entries for the first ever Doodle 4 Google event in the Philippines? This was Google Philippines' collaborative effort with the Department of Education and the National Youth Commission. Several weeks ago, I voted in all four age categories. Oh, I didn't find that easy at all! Voting was based on the given criteria of artistic merit (the quality and skill demonstrated in the doodle), creativity (how well the student incorporated the Google logo into his or her illustration, being readable, with unique and creative uses of the letters) and theme ("What can I do for the Philippines?" expressed in both artwork and the written description). I am no painter, neither do I draw from sheer imagination. Oh, yes, I remember coloring my drawing assignments as a kid, but that never prospered to becom...

Enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee alone? Tired of staring at your old plain mug? Here, let me introduce you to this Mug Cozy! Your new coffee mate from now on. Isn't it a cutie?  It has been three weeks since I made this mug cozy but I haven't publicly acknowledged the author of its pattern in my site yet. So here it is. That's my little  Samsung Galaxy S3 buddy keeping me company, showcasing the Mug Cozy pattern from Bubblegirl Boutique Hand Knits   at the background. That's the Red Heart variegated yarn I used. I still have some left-over in my stash that I can use for another project. My finished Bubblegirl's Mug Cozy before the button was sewn into place I worked on it while watching TV before I went to bed. It was very easy to make. Only that I just had to guess where to fasten the button because I wasn't sure about the exact circumference of the mug. I gave it as a gift last Fathers' Day to a dear brother in our church.  ...

Wow, Facebook is flooded with photos of fathers today, being Fathers' Day. Hmmm... I hate to admit that I started my Fathers' Day crochet marathon verrryyyy late, two days ago, to be exact, and working only in between chores after office work. As a result, I was only able to finish eight items.

In my previous post entitled, " Crocheting Barefoot Sandals ", I featured the Bohemian Barefoot Sandals that I gave away as gifts to my officemates for Christmas last year. The varied reactions I saw among those who received a pair amused me so much. Two months after making the last pair, I ventured on another pair.  Here they are... cute and chic on newly pedicured nails! After crocheting the first pair, I told myself, "These are perfect for our team building event!!" And so I crocheted another pair using a different color... of course, my favorite! Wearing our barefoot sandals at the poolside of  LeBlanc Exclusive Resort LeBlanc Exclusive Resort  is a private resort where we spent a day of rest and recreation. No work, just play! Oh yes, we also enjoyed a soothing foot spa with pedicure and body massage as we had fun, bonding together, talking about anything under the sun--- EXCEPT work! :)  Look, these barefoot sandals can also be...