Boho Fingerless Gloves

Yay! My Boho Fingerless Gloves are featured in the August Pattern Pack. I used to have a pair of fingerless gloves but they were worn to some absolutely ugly look, so, this autumn I need a new pair. The issue will be available for the TPP members on August 1. Or you can get a copy on Ravelry.

Little Woolly Sheep

Okay, here's a little confession, I adore exhibitions and being part of them. Most times I'm like, "Hello, I've got social awkwardness and I want to go home", but when it comes to crocheting, it's like being part of a loving and approving family.

So, I have already enjoyed participating in World Amigurumi Exhibition and Woolly Wellbeing Research Project, and this time it's Yarndale's turn. Last year it was all about flowers, but I wasn't into that, unfortunately. This year the Little Woolly Sheep accidentally popped up in one of my favourite blogs and caught my eye.

The pattern was designed by Lucy from Attic24 and can be found here. My sheep turned out.. umm.. chubbier than the original one.. no-no, "fluffier" is the right word :) And, as there's still plenty of strawberries in our garden, I decided to decorate her sweater with them.

I tried "purled" single crochets and suspect that her "fluffiness" is their fault.

Isn't she a sweet little thing? Her face looks a bit curious.

Now, you can see, she's a big girl!

And the sweater details. I tried to make the appliques flat, but they kept turning out ugly, so, there wasn't much choice.

She's leaving for the UK on Saturday. It will be amazing, if you meet her at Yarndale 2016.

Frida's Flowers

My vacation is over. The whole 3 weeks flew past like one day.

Tim turned 10 this year and we went on a big anniversary trip. We visited St. Petersburg and - OMG! - I would stay there for much longer than a week. There are much more places of interest there than in Belgrade that I visited earlier this year. Especially, if you travel with kids. Perhaps, I was just better prepared this time and chose a better season. Anyways, St. Petersburg was a hit with its fresh and grey Gulf of Finnland, centuries of Russian monarchy and modern entertainments. Kids-friendly, wheelchair-friendly, just a generally people-friendly city. I fell in love with it. There will be a couple of photo posts about these journeys some time later. One day. They aren't crochet related, right?

So, I had joined the Mile High Club with my cotton top on the plane to Belgrade, but didn't take any WIPs to St. Petersburg, because there were patterns to be written and proof-read and yarn would have distracted me... Holy cow! I returned home with my hands trembling and searching for a hook. The weather turned pretty cool for a while right when we got back, around 14 degrees Celsius - the best weather for crocheting with wool blends. So, I continued unstashing and decided to catch up with Jane Crowfoot's Frida's Flowers. I was following the Lily Pond CAL with my eyes last year, but, unfortunately, not with my hands. But this time it was an obsession. Who's crocheting at 3 a.m. with black yarn and a tiny desk lamp? Oh yesss... 2 weeks later the flowers were in full bloom. Yesterday was a "take-your-crocheting-at-work-day", so, I could take a photo in the natural light, but not in a very pretty background.

I'm so tempted with those tiny 25 g skeins of Scheepjes Catona, but I can't afford them before one of my large Ikea boxes stuffed with yarn is emptied.. But I want them so much...