Pretty Pieces and my dear Katja

Tinctory- I fell in Love with Eva's creations many years ago when it first started making an appearance in my Pinterest feed and finally got around to take the plunge and buy myself something from her Tinctory shop.  Czech born and British based designer, Eva, uses cues from geometry in nature and created several pleating studies over the years which she later translate into wearable jewellery. I love expats artists, you can see the depth of their lifestyle experiences in the works of art and craft they produce. Her pieces are etherial, intriguing, unique and if you page through her Flickr and Blog, you will also fall in love with her photography.  Eva hand dyes repurposed silk and then applies various techniques in her work, among others batik and shibori, knitting and smocking. She scanvenges natural organic materials from the forest floor and her colours represent the forest fodder and seasons. The jewelery exhudes space, stillness and calm. I am completely in love with the Feather I chose and love wearing it. Thank you Eva!

Swoon Lounge is a gorgeous new online shop by Susan Cropper, owner of bespoke yarn shop, Loop London in Islington, London. I had such a great time selecting yarns from the shop during a business trip to London earlier this year, that I knew Swoon Lounge would be a great choice to order a few linen dresses from.  I bought the Bud Dress and Fan dress by Manuelle Guibal  and it quickly became weekend wardrobe staples. Each piece is individually garment dyed and processed by hostoric mills in the French countryside and tailored in pure and simple shapes with sculptural volumes.

I took this picture in the Medieval Mediterranean garden of St Lawrence Monastery high up in the old town of Sibenik, Croatia during the summer holiday. These flowers remind me of delicate tutu wearing ballerinas.

Have a nice weekend, I will be posting more about my latest crochet project that I started making during a trip to Istanbul soon!  I am making a blanket titled "Sprinkles" in the gorgeous Moya, hand dyed organic cotton with a hight twist in a stunning palette of colours. I am in love!


Oh no, I just read the sad news of Katja's passing away on 13 October. RIP Katja, your Versponnenes blog has been a constant favourite of mine over the years and I will miss our bantering over "Visiting Sweden" (Ikea shopping) and me buying "Katja Colours" during one of my King Cole Cotton Bamboo shopping trips.  A recent blanket of mine has been inspired solely by one you made (photo below), I will most definitely be blogging about that next. I am so damn sorry, cancer is a bitch!

Loop London!

Hello!  The Afrikaans word for walk is "loop". I literally did a Loop London two weeks ago when I not only walked and walked, exploring the city on foot, but I also shopped and shopped - at Loop yarn store! I arrived back home with no less than 23 hanks of yarn in Lace (Merino, Silk and Linen) and Worsted Merino by Madeline Tosh, Artisan Yarns, Eden Cottage and The Uncommon Thread.  

I visited the shop twice, the first time to buy the Worsted Merino (6 hanks in purple and green) and linen (oops also 6 hanks in purple and green). What was that all about? Oh wait, I also got married in lilac and mint, those colours must have stuck with me after all these years! At the same time I picked up a few hooks, a pin for a shawl and the glorious Sophie Digard scarf in the above photo.

Once a back at the swanky hotel in Knightsbridge next to Harrods I called home for a few nights, I realised that I shunned the opportunity to buy the most amazing lace-weight yarns.  I have long since admired the work of Alice on Instagram & on her blog.  Right there and then I decided to return to Loop for more shopping as I would like to try my hand at something more delicate in the spirit of Alice's work and needed those lace yarns.  

I then invested in the most beautiful mushroom, stone and greige colours, a yellow, pink and charcoal too and am plotting and planning the next project for these yarns and am already whipping up sample squares to see where it will take me. Of course as I was about to exit the door, I spotted the Sophie Digard necklaces and promptly bought two of those too, one for myself and one for Anisa from Hellohart who introduced me to Editor Dala Watts, leading to an article of my work in the South African Ideas magazine!  I wanted to say thank you in a special way and have been keeping my eyes peeled for that special item that turned out to be the Sophie necklace!

The great thing about the Loop yarn store is also the location (not reflected in the above photo!) They are located in Camden Passage Islington. Camden Passage is world famous for its vintage and contemporary shops, markets and arcades. Be sure to pop into the leather handbag shops near Loop. I dislike the majority of women's bags on sale and much rather buy from markets or independent shops where simplistic styles are crafted by hand. This shop delivered a glorious green leather bag with a huge flap that disguises Ipad and wallet alike.

Just pho you! Finally, just before you hit the Underground, walk across the road where you will find a delectable bowl of Pho in a cafe serving Vietnamese street food. I have had a need for hot, brothy, salty, soothing beef noodle soup ever since we left South East Asia! There are few things better than a tangle of slick rice noodles in a rich, crystal clear, intensely beefy broth; the warm aroma of cinnamon, cloves and star anise rising up in a cloud of steam, balanced by a squeeze of lime and a handful of fresh herbs and chilies. Ah hell, I entered heaven!

Have a great week!

The Garden

Hello, I am just popping in to wish you a Happy New Year! Please accept my apologies for not participating in Instagram and blogging initiatives at the moment. As mentioned in the last posting, I am snowed under with professional projects, research work and business travelling.  

The photo above is an update of The Garden throw, the most beautiful pattern I blogged about previously.  I have finished about forty 25x25cm squares to date.  It is gorgeous, I cannot wait to see it in all it's full glory once finished.

We made time to visit a great new souq/bazaar here in Qatar, located in a town with the name Al Wakra, just south from Doha.  The maize of buildings stretches for 3 kilometers along the Arabian Sea with an esplanade running down the open beach side. It is build to reflect the town's fishing village heritage and features aged walls and brightly painted wooden doors. The souq will eventually be home to hundreds of shops and eateries. Only a handful are open at the moment and judging by the beautiful cafe in which we enjoyed coffee and cakes, we can look forward to atmospheric and quint eateries. Magical, I love Arabia!

Have a great week.  Cheers!

Indian Cotton Mattresses (gaadi)

Hello!  Our furniture has at long last arrived last week and I have been crazy busy organizing the Pigtails Palace ever since. Ah hell, I am clearly not 20 or 30 or even 40 years old anymore. My muscles are aching, my knees buckling. Three story palaces are really most suitable to the young and restless, not the middle aged! As soon as I unpacked my beautiful Vinnis Colours yarn though, I was feeling young and dandy again! 

 Friday morning I took a respite from unpacking to enjoy breakfast at Souq Waqif and stumbled upon the most interesting little street in downtown Doha. In fact, Doha is packed with interesting streets and I just love being able to finally explore the city now that the weather has cooled down significantly. This street is home to a few Indian Cotton Mattress (also known as gaadi) makers and traders.

 

Such shops are common in the towns of cities of India and it was a surprise to also stumble upon the same in Doha. Production of cotton mattresses (pillows and quilts too) is a labour intensive activity since it is all hand stitched. This YouTube video demonstrates the beautiful process, it is well worth watching to see how they pack the cotton sleeves, hand stitch it closed  (referred to as knitting in this video), flatten and compact the cotton with a stick before finally adding the edging to both sides and sewing the quilt like stitches. Indians are masters with scissors, thread and needles! These mattresses are very comfortable and suitable to hot and humid climates, however, it also loses shape quickly and the cotton needs to be treated and re-packed after a few years.

Two men recount how changes in the bedding industry in India, is affecting their craft:

Anser Basha Mattress Maker from Chennai

Khurban, Mattress Maker from Bangalore

I fell in love with some of the fabrics used to create these mattresses, not to mention that the mattresses and pillows are gorgeous items in its own right. My mind is spinning, I am thinking that this offers the perfect solution with regard to seating, or rather lounging, here at the Pigtails Palace. We have two great outdoor spaces, the one an L-shaped courtyard which also features a build in plant bedding on ground level and the other an entire rooftop area with beautiful wooden lattice shutters dividing space between the water tank and the rest of the rooftop. The space is accessible from a door on the third floor. It is the perfect weather now to develop the full potential of these spaces with the help of  Indian cotton mattresses don't you think?!
 

Have a great week!

Simply Crochet Issue 23

"Issue 23 officially goes on sale tomorrow, so we thought we'd treat you to one last preview. This stunning blanket was designed by Magda de Lange. Inspired by her travels to Istanbul, the mood reflects the energy and colours of the city. We're captivated."   - Simply Crochet Facebook Page

Would you like to hook this blanket?

Simply buy the Magazine!

Simply Crochet Magazine Digital Version

Thank you Tanya Kalyan and the team for inviting me to contribute to your stunning magazine and thank you for being very friendly, professional people throughout this project.



The Inspiration/Design Process - links below
Istanbul Inspiration
Process of Choosing Colours
Choosing the Yarn

The Yarn -  links below:
34x50gr Colours of Grace Hand Dyed Aran Cotton Available locally in South Africa from Beatrix Snyman and locally as well as internationally from Hilda Steyn
Colours used to create this blanket: Lime Light, Melon, Orange, Moss, Grey, Lilac, Pink dust, Jade, Denim, Baby Blue, Olive, Sand, Champagne, Mustard, Candy, Mudpie (4 balls of this brown), two balls each of all the others.

  

Crocheting at the Cafe

Pattern: Inspiration from Sophie Digard, I just winged it as I went along

Pom Pom Edge Pattern from Once Upon A Pink Moon

Yarn: Pierrot Pont du Gard 100% French Linen manufactured in Japan and bought in South Africa from I Love Yarn and previously blogged about here

Pattern: An adaptation of Connect the Dots, one of 25 crochet patterns designed by the talented Cornel Strydom for Ideas Crochet magazine. Available for downloading from Zinio

Yarn:  Pierrot Pont Du Gard as per Crochet Pearls above

The Venue: The famous Istanbul Cafe Mado, now open in Ezdan Mall, Al Gharafa, Doha

The menu: Menemen and Cappuccino for breakfast followed by Turkish Tea, Kunafeh and Turkish Ice cream after an hour of furious crocheting!

To give you an idea of the ice cream that sang and danced on my palate  " . . .  Mado’s Maraş-style ice cream, which originates from Turkey’s Kahramanmaraş region, is made, entirely from natural ingredients. The milk used to create this delicious treat is obtained from goats that are on a strict diet of thyme, wild liquorice and wild orchids. Salep (a creamy drink made from wild salep orchids) is also used to lend a unique taste to the ice cream" - Time out Istanbul 

Photos edited in the car en route back home after The Driver picked me up from the mall. I used Snapseed and then created these collages via the magazine part of the Moldiv app.

Cheers!

Blog Hop

Yarn: Elle Cotton On in Ash. Make-up: Vivienne Westwood

Hello!  I have been invited to participate in an Around the World Blog Hop! A Blog Hop "hops" from one blog to the next, with the aim of introducing readers to other blogs and sharing the love.  This blog hop involves four questions around the topic of "Creativity".  

I was nominated by the lovely Silvia of Tämä Pöllö. Her blog is such a happy, colourful space, she manages to revive retro crochet by using chunky yarns in fresh colour combinations. Silvia is a Plant Biology Researcher and lives in Bologna Italy. How lucky can anyone be to be living in a city that boasts one of the largest well-preserved historical centres in Italy! This month, it is exactly 10 years ago that I last traveled Italy and what a pleasure then to be nominated by someone living in Bologna. Thank you Sylvia!

Before I proceed with the hop, allow me to nominate the team behind new blog on the block namely Anisa, Cornel and Elsbeth of HelloHart to participate in the hop. They are three incredibly talented artists and their contribution to the crochet community in South Africa is second to none. I am so lucky that our paths crossed during the time I spent at the tip of Africa recently! 

Elsbeth, Anisa, Magda and Cornel enjoying wine and mezze in South Africa  - photo courtesy of Cornel.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON?

At the moment I am working on the edge of the blanket  that I am dedicating to the Mother Continent. It is made out of 315 hexagons, 42 half hexagons and I eventually used 26 shades from 10 different yarns to create a monotone colour palette. I am grappling with the edge though, the tone of the silvery yarn I chose for the edge is too insipid to support the boldness of the blanket and I am hoping there is enough Elle Cotton On in Ash left to add the necessary punch to the edge. The Teen (she has the patience to hand wind 120gr of yarn) will frog the edge later today. It has to be perfect you see! 

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF ITS GENRE?

I really enjoy working with natural plant fibers and am drawn by the mottled colour effects of yarn created by dye artists, but also work in factory dyed cotton and bamboo yarns. Simply thinking about the raw fibers before it is processed into yarn, is like taking my mind into a veritable Ali Baba's cave of tactile and visual delights. Imagine the possibilities working with seed fibers (cotton and kapok), bast fibers (linen, jute, nettle, hemp and ramie), hard fibers (abaca, sisal and paper) and regenerated fibers (soybean and bamboo).  I love the idea of grabbing tangled masses of cotton, bamboo, paper twine or sisal to create crochet craft with a mere little bamboo hook and imagination! 

WHY DO I WRITE/CREATE WHAT I DO?

On academic level during 2010/2011 when concluding research using the ethnographic approaches of visual analysis and sensory ethnography, I also cross academic paths with a method referred to as "Photovoice". (See papers I uploaded to another blog after concluding my research in 2011.) The method was not suitable to my academic work, but I find it most applicable to the human development work I was doing among human trafficked victims in South East Asia. "Photovoice" is a group analysis method which combines photography with grassroots social action within community development and education. Marginalized or disadvantaged participants are encouraged to generate their own photographic work in order to share live experiences and present it to the world as they see it. It is a sub-type of "Picturevoice" which also includes "Paintvoice" and "Comicvoice" and I realised craft could find a rightful place within these collaborative participatory methodologies. I found it natural to turn to crochet as the craft is widely practiced among children, women and men living in SE Asia and the Far East. Crocheting also became a personal outlet in order to cope with the often heartbreaking human conditions I was and still am faced with from time to time when involved in development and humanitarian work.

HOW DOES MY WRITING/CREATING PROCESS WORK?

I like to weave stories around my work. Living as a global nomad and travelling the world extensively; experiencing new cultures and environments and actually embedding myself within those cultures, lead to tonnes of inspiration. I grab an idea and find the yarn; on the odd occasion I find the yarn and then look for a story. Just last week I found the yarn - it is a cotton bamboo in a colour named glazier. It reminds of duck egg blue and sea foam, just a tad more subtle. The yarn is telling me to look on the vintage side of life for inspiration. Let's see where it takes me, I think I shall pay a visit to my Pinterest boards again in order to capture the right mood!  

Phew - apologies for the lengthy answers.  I am pressed for time and am currently spending the majority of my day dashing across Doha - my fingers were flying over the keyboard with no time to edit and shorten the replies. 

Cheers!  

On top of the World!

Mom, as seen through the eyes of The Teen on paint.net

Yeehaw I am on top of the world!

Well, first of all we are still living in a glass enclosed tower with magnificent views over the city and the ocean.  I reckon we will be hauled up in a hotel for at at least another 2 and a half months.  It is quite a large apartment with plenty of space for the 4 of us and from our view and viewpoint we are on top of the world.

Secondly,  in Qatar copper networks have been replaced with fibre optic and we now have a choice of 10mbps, 50mbps or 100mbps (will you believe this!) fibre optic internet in our homes. Installation is the day after application. Pity the hotel is still providing slow internet.

Thirdly, The Teen scored the highest level and mark possible for her English exams last week and she was offered a place at one of only 4 schools functioning under the Outstanding Schools Initiative started by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned and implemented by the Supreme Education Council here in Qatar. It is back to the MYP/IB curriculum for her and we are all on top of the world, especially since waiting lists for schools are often up to 2 years here.

Last, but not least, I have just finished a throw in 5 days - hook in one hand, muscle ointment in the other. Wow, there was some furious crocheting involved, but tomorrow the couriers will arrive to whisk it away and I will be hanging out in the pool to soothe my aching muscles. It is a secret project, one I will be telling you about later, but for now I can say it is gorgeous.

When an idea for a new colour palette formed in my mind many months ago, I never realised how satisfying the whole process from selecting colours to executing the project was going to be.  I bought the yarn in Africa, hooked the project in Asia and the final destination for the item is Europe from where it will be shared with the whole world!  I had this idea to capture two of my favourite cities, Paris and Istanbul, in a project. When I was asked to design and hook something, I couldn't be happier that I decided to pack this yarn in my son's suitcase in stead of leaving it to sail the 7 seas in a container later. 

I will explain the process of choosing colours in a few pictures below:

Photo: Désaccord blog

The first time I visited the Désaccord blog, I was smitten by the colours in every single picture. I selected a few of the photos from the blog and uploaded it to some online sites that create palettes from pictures in order to get an idea of all the colours involved in the complete image opposed to just looking at the crocheted and knitted items.

Below are palettes generated by Palette FX and Colr, pictures from the Désaccord blog:

I decided to put mood boards together (see previous posting) to capture my idea of a woman working and living in cities such as Paris and Istanbul.  What would her wardrobe and space look like?

I  forwarded these mood boards to crochet guru Beatrix who sells hand dyed yarns in South Africa (See posting about yarn) and she put the colours together for me from the Colours of Grace collection. I approved and paid. Below are some of the colours:

I had the time of my life working with this yarn and am dying to share the completed item with you - but alas, we will have to wait!  I am just very glad that there are a teeny weeny bit of each colour left over, I plan to turn these into brooches over the next few days and will at least be able to show you those. 

Hope you are enjoying your short winter holidays (Southern Hemisphere) and loooooong summer holidays (Northern Hemisphere)

xxxxx

Working with embroidery thread

I recently blogged about the French knitting (also known as spool knitting) place mats my dad made as a kid some 60 years ago. I have long since harbored an idea to knit meters and meters in a fine thread in order to make an interesting neck piece to wear with anyone of my grey silk or linen dresses. After coming across his knitting, I grabbed my money and legged it to the nearest haberdashery in South Africa to buy a knitting spool and hook to slip into my luggage destined for Qatar.

I visited the Singer shop in Doha over the weekend and fell in love with Hungarian pearl cotton embroidery thread available in the most beautiful colours. I chose 6 colours and am aware that it is probably going to take me forever to knit up meters and meters as the thread is barely thicker than sewing cotton!  I specifically wanted the lacy effect to enhance both the fragility as well as the strength of the cord and am pleased with how it is turning out.

Apart from discovering all the amazing embroidery threads in Doha, I have also discovered that  sleeping in pajamas is compulsory when one lives in a glass box!  We are currently hauled up in a serviced hotel apartment in the diplomatic area of Doha and our corner apartment boasts floor to ceiling windows in the bedrooms and lounge. The working day starts early here - between 6:30 and 7:00 in the morning and The Husband opens the blackout curtains before leaving for work. 

One morning I was greeted by the window washer and I still don't know whether I was more shocked by his mere presence or actually by his precarious balancing act of sitting on a swing, washing windows! I managed to sneak out of the bed for a photo as soon as he made his way down to the floor below ours.

This Week

Hello!  This week I received a lovely surprise when the postman delivered this parcel from the Netherlands. Woo hoo thank you Jenn, the Teen and I will enjoy everything this book has to offer during the two month summer holidays!  Be sure to visit Jenn's blog Color 'n Cream to see what the work of a color wizard looks like. I love her unusual but refreshing combinations and she now sells not only completed items in her shop, but also Yarn Colour Combos. And postcards.  Jenn regularly runs competitions and Mr Funky is my scoop after winning one of her competitions!

Mochi!  The Teen is studying Japanese as her 6th (yip, that's right!) language and is totally enthralled by anything and everything Japanese.  She has been driving me nuts over the past two years in her yearning to eat Mochi and wow, how lucky can one be. There are a few Mochi shops here in Doha and even though it is not quite a cheap eat, she is having the time of her life indulging in her favourite sweet. 

This is a Mexican Coffee Bun also known as Roti Boy Buns or Buns from Papparoti.  It is lip licking good! This treat originates from Malaysia and is a light aromatic bun with a buttery center and crispy coffee outer layer. This one is topped with caramel (other toppings include chocolate, toffee, cheese etc). No doubt we are frequent visitors to one of the many Papparoti shops here in Doha - t'is the new Cinnabon in my opinion! 

Katara Pigeon Towers (it houses pigeons!) constructed in indigenous mud-brick style. 

Pigeons, camels, horses and falcons are important animals in Arabia.  Pigeons, unlike camels, horses & falcons taken along by nomadic tribes during their wanderings, are associated with settlement and domesticity and are often kept in dovecotes at family compounds.  Pigeons are also prized because their cooing is said to be similar to the phrase "udhkur Allah" which means "remember God".  The three pigeon towers by Katara Mosque are a beautiful tribute to this tradition and provides an air of tranquility and calmness to the general area.

 Katara - I have almost no words to describe this mind blowing project and space.  It is a Cultural Village, an exceptional project of hope for human interaction through art and cultural exchange. Keeping pace with the emerging global culture that emphasises the importance of diversity in human development, Katara is a place of gathering and features theaters, concert halls, exhibition galleries, museums, restaurants, a beach with water sports, art cinemas, a childhood cultural center, an amphitheater and opera house and even career advise centers and a mall for children.

According to the Katara website "the village shall be a glimpse of the future of a world where people of different cultural backgrounds overcome their national boundaries and embrace common causes to promote a united humanity.  Katara is where the grace of the past meets the splendour of the future" 

This is a space where one can either visit for specific reasons or simply wander around and soak up the atmosphere.  

 The 3275 sqm amphitheater at Katara seats 5000 people.  I completely forgot to take a photo from the top of the theater, it overlooks the ocean and the views are epic to say the least.

Fancy shopping in Italy?  You can do this right here in Doha. This mall features mostly shops from Germany, the UK, US and Italy and even boasts a 150 meter long indoor canal with gondolas. After being shopping deprived in South Africa, we are finally in heaven once again. The few international brands available in South Africa sadly sells old stock from seasons past.

We enjoy going to this mall as it features a fabulous indoor theme park, a go kart track (the husband is a fan and raced competitively in the UAE and also won against 150 racers at Kyalami in South Africa last year), an Olympic size ice rink which is home to the Qatar Ice Hockey League, ten pin bowling center and roller coaster. 

No doubt we enjoyed hanging out at the mall this past weekend since we saw outside temperatures rising to 54 degrees Celsius (that is 129,2 degrees fahrenheit!). I managed to capture the reading at 53 degrees.  It is hot, very hot. Hot. As. Hell. At 9:30 in the evening it was still 40 degrees Celsius.  We love it though, the entire family dislike winter and we hope to only ever experience winter again when we go skiing, never again as a living experience.

Have a nice week!  I am joining my first craft share soon and hope to tell you more about the one and only yarn store available to us in Qatar!

Cheers!