Crochet earrings ta-daaah!

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, Ta-daah!

Tags

crochet, crochet jewellery, Etsy, jewellery

It feels like forever since I last showed you a completed crochet project. I guess that’s the way when yarnbomb cravings hit, you have 58 squares to crochet and husband goes for an operation.

Fear not, I have been putting my crochet hook to good use and today I have something to show you. Five things actually.

Ta-daaaah! Behold five pairs of crochet earrings.

crochet earrings and crochet thread

Four of these are Christmas presents and one pair is for me. Seeing as the four recipients read this blog, I won’t tell you which pair is mine. What I can tell you is how I made these earrings.

The nitty gritty of the earrings:

Yarn: The Anchor crochet thread I used for all of these, is from The Making Spot’s giveaway that I won in October.

Pattern: Dainty Dangles Crocheted Earrings by Chanteuse Crochet. There are eight crochet earring designs in the pattern, so the $2.50 is very good value for money. I only used three of the eight designs. The pattern tells how to attach the earring hooks and also give instructions for blocking and the use of spray starch.

Hook: 1.5 mm Clover soft touch

Pair 1 – Delicate Fan Earrings, using Anchor Freccia 6 in shade 00320:

mustard crochet earrings

Pair 2 – Funky Granny Earrings, using Anchor Mercer Crochet 20 in shade 0149:

navy granny square crochet earrings

Pair 3 – Simple Circle Earrings, using Anchor Baby Soft 8 in shade 0048:

Pink crochet earrings

Pair 4 – Simple Circle Earrings, using Anchor Freccia 6 in shade 01442. These are bigger than the light pink earrings seeing as the crochet thread is thicker:

turquoise crochet earrings

Pair 5 – Simple Circle Earrings, using Anchor Freccia 6 in shade 00255. To get the earrings so big, I replaced the US dc in the pattern, with US trebles:

green crochet earring

I actually have very bad luck when it comes to earrings. For some reason I always seem to loose one. Just one. Seriously. When I get home in the evenings the first thing I do (after saying hello to hubby of course) is take off my shoes, wrist watch, rings and earrings. Many a time I only need to take off one earring. Heaven knows how you can loose an earring without knowing it. And I’m not talking only dangling earrings, studs as well!

But now that I have this pattern, and I’ve seen how quickly the earrings can be whipped up, I’m going to make myself more. If I loose one I can make its replacement within minutes!

Bring it on ye wizard of disappearing earrings. I have an crochet earring pattern and a big stash. Bring it on.

crochet earrings and crochet thread

Thank you

06 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by Natasja in My ramblings

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

kidney donation, kidney transplant, organ donation

Thank you to every one, most, if not all, of whom are total strangers to me, for the good wishes, prayers and words of encouragement during John and Pieter’s operation. You have no idea how much your comments meant to us all.

Both John and Pieter are now home and they are both doing extremely well, which we are truly thankful for. Their story is a success story, but unfortunately this is not the case for everyone.

Kidney failure and the need for kidney donors is a huge problem in the UK as this report from Kidney Research UK states:

“Kidney Research UK has raised serious concerns about public attitudes towards organ donation, after a survey revealed the majority of people in the UK are prepared to receive an organ but not donate one.

Results from the survey, carried out by Usurv, indicate that while 87 per cent of people in the UK would accept a transplant if told they needed one, only one in three are actually on the organ donor register.

Around 50,000 people in the UK require some form of ongoing treatment for kidney failure, of which approximately 7,000 are currently waiting for a kidney transplant – accounting for 90 per cent of all patients on the NHS’s transplant waiting list.

With more than three million people in the UK at risk from kidney disease and an aging population expected to further increase demand for donor organs in years to come, Kidney Research UK fears demand for organs will continue to outstrip supply – placing the lives of more and more kidney patients at risk.”

90 Per cent of all patients on the NHS’s transplant waiting list is for a kidney, 3 million people in the UK at risk from kidney disease, 50,000 people in the UK require some form of ongoing treatment for kidney failure? Those are shocking statistics.

John and Pieter’s wish is that their story will inspire and give hope to those suffering from kidney failure and to their loved ones. All they ask is that you consider registering as an organ donor. They’re not asking you do what John did, just donate your organ(s) when you pass away. You can join the NHS organ donor register here.

Thank you

The biggest yarnbombed tree in South Africa

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Natasja in Other people's crochet, Yarnbombing

≈ 6 Comments

I was sent these photos by Leigh Ann, who lives in South Africa, of a huge yarnbombed Jacaranda tree. Leigh Ann says the tree was featured on South African TV and this photo is the article in the Tribune newspaper.

Hillcrest aids centre tree yarnbomb

Isn’t it fantastic? And best of all it’s made up of granny squares!

The tree was revealed on 1 December 2012, as part of Hillcrest Aids Centre World Aids Day event.

The yarnbombing was the idea of Woza Moya’s art co-ordinator. Woza Moya is an income-generation project of the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT). The project’s main aim is to teach craft skills to individuals affected/infected by HIV/AIDS through the production and sale of beaded items, ceramics, wirework, crochet work and fabric painting. Ten to 15 families are supported with this project.

This is a quote from the letter written on their Facebook page:

We have so far “Yarn Bombed” a restaurant , a campus and by the end of the month we will have yarn bombed a corporate foyer. We will have a yarn bomb unit on standby for your next event that needs a splash of colour. Jess the Yarn bomb co-ordinator met with old age homes in the community, wool shops and quilting guilds, many of whom gave their support. … Our tree will be a symbol of hope for those living with HIV and a reminder for those who haven’t bought an AIDs ribbon for a long time.

I love, love, love that they have a yarn bomb unit on standby. How great is that!

In preparation for the big reveal on 1 December, they had to start sewing the grannies onto the tree on the 26th November… with the help of a crane!

Yarnbomb

This is the end result. Isn’t it amazing?!

yarnbomb tree hillcrest aids centre

Hillcrest aids centre yarnbomb tree

Public displays of craft (oooh, that’s a great way of saying Yarnbombing) can really bring communities together, raise awareness for a cause and of course bring colour and pattern to any space. Got to love it.

Terrific Tuesday

04 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by Natasja in Terrific Tuesdays

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

altruistic donation, kidney donation, kidney transplant, organ donation

Today’s Terrific Tuesday post is again going to be a bit different this week.

It’s now been exactly a week since the kidney transplant….. and all is well!

John was discharged on Saturday and is recovering well at home. Pieter remains in hospital* until his blood pressure and one of his levels normalises. It’s nothing too serious, as 99% of what his new kidney has to do, it is doing. Little Johnny (as the transplanted kidney is now known) is doing a great job.

John had a really tough time with post operative nausea but thankfully it is getting daily. He is eating more each day and taking fewer anti-sickness meds. I should know, I’m keeping a chart. As you do.

The feel-good photo for today was taken on 28 November 2012, the day after the operation. As soon as John was taken off the morphine drip, he wanted to go and see his good friend Pieter.

A picture really is worth a thousand words.

Donor and recipient fist bump

*Since writing this post we’ve been told that Pieter will be discharged today!

Terrific Tuesday

27 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Natasja in Terrific Tuesdays

≈ 17 Comments

Tags

altruistic donation, kidney donation, kidney transplant, organ donation

Today’s Terrific Tuesday post is going to be a bit different.

My dear, amazing husband, John, donated his kidney to a friend today.

I’m going to give you a minute to let that sentence sink in.

Sunk?

Okay, let me explain. Well, actually I don’t need to explain. John and Pieter started a blog shortly after John said he would like to give Pieter one of his kidneys. The blog is called twoguysonekidney.blogspot.com. It tells the whole story, from how they met (on 18 June 2012) & why John decided to donate his kidney here, how it came about that Pieter was in need of a second kidney donation here, the tests they had to undergo, all the good test results, and other events up to yesterday on the home page.

It’s been a very long, but very,very, very happy day for us all. Both men are doing well! Pieter’s surgeon’s words were “It went swimmingly. Beautiful kidney and a perfect operation” and John’s surgeon said “John’s operation went well. He is very complex on the inside.” That’s so true of John figuratively speaking, and now we know literally as well. They were both passing urine within hours of their operations, which in kidney transplant terms is the best possible news.

We were also told this evening that John is the first person in the UK to do a “directed altruistic organ donation”. Until today if you donated an organ altruistically, you weren’t allowed to know (choose) who the organ would go to, but John and Pieter changed all of that today! When John heard, he smiled a sleepy smile and immediately said he hopes this would pave the way for more people to donate an organ to someone in need 🙂

A Terrific Tuesday indeed!

20 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Natasja in My ramblings, Yarnbombing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Yarnbomb, yarnstorm

Yarnbomb an entire city! This makes my three yarnbombs in our village, seem really insignificant. Spread the wooly love!!!!

Streetcolor

This is the 18th Century staircase of the Palazza Ducale , – yarnbombed by the Argentinian artist Licia Santuz as the prelude for the yarnbombing of the entire city of Genova Italy . Nov 15 2012

So this is the plan – in March 2013 the entire port city of Genova will be yarnbombed or as they say in Italy ” bombarded with yarn ” . The city has set up more than a hundred different locations for people to meet and knit – including libraries , senior homes , civil service buildings , youth organizations and even a prison . A prison ! Oh I’d love to see the prisoners yarnbombing.

It’s expected that hundreds , probably thousands of people will participate . The stated goal is to overcome discord between many different generations and use yarnbombing as a method to weave them all together . And the prisoners…

View original post 129 more words

Terrific Tuesday

20 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Natasja in Terrific Tuesdays

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On a Monday I can still remember the fun I had over the weekend, Wednesday is the middle of the work week, on Thursday I start getting hopeful and on a Friday I can taste the weekend. But what about a Tuesday? It’s so…. just there. Weekend memories are too far away and the upcoming weekend might as well be a year away.

What we need is a bit of colourful inspiration to get us going on a Tuesday, don’t you think? A pretty picture, beautiful scenery or colourful imagery. Yup, that’ll liven up Tuesdays and turn it into a terrific day!

From now on I will go through my photos and Pinterest likes every Tuesday and find us a pretty picture to add colour and joy to the day.

xxxxxx

This is my wish for you all today.

Source: piccsy.com via Natasja on Pinterest

Wishing you all a Terrific Tuesday.

Natasja

Yarnbombing a tree in Thames Ditton

18 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by Natasja in My crochet, Yarnbombing

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Thames Ditton, Yarnbomb, yarnstorm

Another yarnbomb for Thames Ditton!

This time I covered a tree at the roundabout of Speer and Summer Roads. I love how it turned out!!!

The colours turned out to be a very wise choice. It really pops. What looks like a white horizontal border from afar, is actually a light mint green.

I wanted to make a big impact. The initial idea was to do three trees, each in a different colour, later evolving to a an idea for one tree covered from leaf to root in different pieces of crochet, but in the end I settled for this. Once I started work on the first “tree scarf” as Hubby likes to call it, I realised it was going to take a very long time (those trees are more than a meter in diameter!) so I changed my mind I did one tree in three colours.

I was also conscious of the fact that people will probably try to pull/tear/damage my crochet, as proven by the then nine, now four squares at Thames Ditton station. For this reason I attached my yarnbomb as high as possible to the tree. Stand-on-a-ladder high!

The scalloped edge won’t be visible if you drive past, but if you walk, you can appreciate the frilly, feminine, touch.

I really, really, like how this yarnbomb turned out. Can you tell?

I would have loved to cover the whole tree trunk in a beautiful piece of crochet but it’s just sooooo heart breaking for me when I see my crochet damaged. I had to think practical (as practical as any person who crochets coverings for a tree would think) and “held back” on the creativity in order that the one piece I did do, would stay put.

I actually said to my husband “I don’t want my crochet to get hurt”. Only when I had said those words did I realise how I truly felt about my yarnbombing. Every stitch is a little part of me. All I want to do is spread joy and cheer, so when someone removes or damages my crochet it really does hurt.

I’m a yarnbomber and proud of it.

How to do Google reverse image search

13 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Natasja in My ramblings

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Blogging

In yesterday’s blog post about the Photography for bloggers session at Blogfest 2012, I told you about Google image reverse image search. Today I’ll be explaining it further, with the help of screenshots and the third image in my Identity Crisis blanket blog post.

Each photo in a blog post has it’s own URL. You find the URL by clicking on the photo. It will open in a new window and have /*name of photo*.jpg at the end:

Right click and copy that URL.

Now go to Google Images:

Click on the camera icon. It will expand to look like this:

Paste the photo URL into the search bar and hit Search:

Et voila. My photo appears in 124 other places on the Internet.

I hope you find this useful.

If you see that a photo from your blog has been used for the cover of a book, contact the publishers and sue the living daylights out of them. Use the payout from your copyright infringement case for lots and lots of yarn. You could even quit your day job.

You can thank me later.

Terrific Tuesday

13 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by Natasja in Terrific Tuesdays

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From now on I will go through my photos and Pinterest likes every Tuesday and find us a pretty picture to add colour and joy to the day.

xxxxxx

What’s not to love about this photo? It has a puppy, a book, vintage crochet cover, a comfy bed, blue-grey walls, fireplace and a wooden floor. Heaven.

I think I’ve seen crochet motifs like this, even the small round motif used for joining the bigger ones, in Robyn Chachua’s book Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia. Pair cream cotton crochet lace with silk bedding in coastal colours and you’ve achieved this look.