Moroccan Inspired Throw for my Dad

Throw in progress inspired by Zellige terracotta tile work as seen in Moroccan Architecture, especially the cities of  Fès and Meknes. In this ancient art form, terracotta tiles are covered in enamel and chips are set  into plaster to create the most beautiful geometrical patterns. The art of Zellige dates back to the 14th century and was historically a statement of luxury (homes) and sophistication (inhabitants).

Yarn:   Vinnis Nikkim and Vinnis Bambi. I am using 16 different shades of blue and grey with old gold as an accent to lift the palette.  The squares and the throw will be edged in Stone.

Each square measures 17x17cm

Pattern:   Circle of Friends (Ravelry by Priscilla Hewett) or PDF Link

Tip: Remember to turn around the work for the bobble rows, the wrong side should face you so that the bobbles are pushed to the front (right side). All other rounds are hooked as usual. 

Thank you for the e-mails I have received regarding this project.  I have amended the posting to include a link to the PDF pattern in addition to the Ravelry link and also added a tip above.  Rachele of BabyLoveBrand demonstrates an interesting joining method for this square.  I will not be using this method, but it is beautiful nonetheless. Since I would like to stay as close as possible to a Zellige look and feel, I will simply single crochet around each square as per original pattern and join with a slip stitch at the back.

This is a very, very special throw. I am making it for my (still highly active) dad for his 70th birthday.  He loves fiddling with his fingers and I chose a pattern with texture as I know he will rub and roll the bobbles between his fingers all the time. He absolutely loves blue and furthermore has a great passion for measurements and figures. It is second nature for him upon entering any space to immediately calculate floor area and volumetric dimensions! 

As soon as he receives his blanket, he will analyse every square, calculate the number of stitches and ponder the yardage of the yarn used.  To keep him even more busy, I am going out of my way to ensure that every square is unique with regard to the color combination.  My dad enjoyed his travels to Arabia and looking towards Islamic design for inspiration came naturally to me. With this design process, I am able to create something that will always be a reminder of the special bond that exists between the two of us.

 See my previous posting about our travels to Morocco.

xxxxxx  

I will resume conversations about my love affair with Paris and Istanbul in a later posting where I will show you more of my yarn shopping (the Pierrot French Linen and newly launched bamboo/cotton Imagine yarns available from I love Yarn).

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Colours of Grace

I am highly interested in the lives and backgrounds of people creating art and craft as they all have a fascinating story to tell through the works they create. I am especially drawn to those who create as a form of therapy or emancipation as it adds an emotional connection to the sensory experience.

Melani, the force behind the sumptuous Colours of Grace  hand dyed aran weight cotton is no exception. Deeply religious, she turned to prayer when gripped in the fog of depression. The answer to her prayers was to turn her hand to a craft that has been around for thousands of years. Spinning. As a medical technologist by profession, Melani had no background in spinning. She located not only two spinning wheels within a week, but also found a master spinner to teach her. Soon she was transforming raw fiber into spun yarn, telling stories through colour (she hand dyes the cotton) and texture. 

Colours of Grace became Melani's living memory. Two days before the launch of the (then differently named) yarn, she changed the name to Colours of Grace after a revelation, honouring the biblical women Hannah (DK) and Magdalene (aran) who both received grace in answer to prayer. All of the yarn is produced by Melani, Elsabe (her mother in law) and Silent (an assistant originally from Zimbabwe).  

The yarn is locally (South Africa) available via the Colours of Grace Facebook page, as well as from independent distributors. I bought 34 x 50gr balls from another person with a big heart, Beatrix Snyman (Blog Btrix Dsigns and also available via her Facebook Page).  I forwarded Beatrix my mood boards and she put together the yarn choices for me.  Beatrix has an excellent understanding of colour and I love connecting with her since we share similar outlooks on life, having both lived global lives for extended periods. 

Below is the latest Colours of Grace colour chart - I bought a selection of colours from the current as well as previous colour range.  The yarn is a perfect match to my mood-boards and my own ideas of romantic Istanbul and Paris.  I absolutely love the slightly mottled effect and am struggling to keep my hands off the yarn (it is going into the container destined for Qatar!)

Correction - I sneaked the yarn into my son's suitcase and when Simply Crochet magazine approached me for a design/article to be published in Issue 23, my fingers naturally reached for this amazing yarn and I had the time of my life making the Milla Magic throw.

PS For international orders: Hilda Steyn via Yarn in a Barn  

 

I will be back soon to tell you about my 6 balls of cowgirlsblues merino wool, 5 balls of Pierrot French linen, 21 balls of a newly launched Imagine hand dyed bamboo/cotton mix, 27 balls of Vinnis Bambi and 6 balls of African Expressions Soul purchases.
Fiber artists in South Africa are at long last spoilt for choice!

Current Colour Inspirations:

- Travels to romantic Paris and Istanbul
-  The fabulous tones featured on the delicious Désaccord blog
- The "For Me" section on my Raw Rustic Pinterest boards

I created these mood boards and then went shopping for interesting yarn

Photos of my "to die for" yarn purchases to follow later

xxx

Pinterest Raw Rustic

Pinterest: Raw Rustic

Pinterest: Raw Rustic

Driftwood and Waves

The moment one steps foot into my friend's magnificent home, the eyes are drawn to raw wood, clear glass and shades of stone and bone. I always notice the huge glass bowl filled with driftwood collected during a recent coastal holiday, displayed in the foyer. 

The driftwood journey is free flowing, it recognises no borders or restrictions, only the flow of time and events.  My friend acknowledged the integrity of driftwood in a recent Facebook posting, perhaps not realising the parallels with her own life journey.

Last weekend over a leisurely breakfast, she told me of her plans to travel France, Italy and Greece this coming summer with her children. This will include barging on French Canals and soaking up the sun on a Greek Island. Have a great time my friend, the scarf will come in handy.

C'est La Vie!

Photography by Naomi

Yarn: Vinnis Serina, hand dyed, hand balled 100% bamboo yarn; I chose bamboo as a symbol of our friendship (as per Indian Symbolism) and her own tenacity and elegance (as per Chinese Symbolism).  The silver colourway respects her wardrobe preferences of white, black and denim and connects water, stone and wood.

Pattern: Nancy's Waves Scarf by Cori Dodds, I preferred a lengthwise adaptation of the pattern as also executed so beautifully by Jen. The edging is a pattern by another Jen, Jen Valure as used for the Luna Lovegood scarf.

Driftwood by Poppytalk

  

Photography by Naomi

Roots and Stones by Elena Ray

Patchwork Blanket

 

Hello!  I am so glad this blanket is finished, it is pretty and I quite liked working in these colours, but I am also yearning to work in a more subdued palette again. The colours and blanket remind me of the sugus chewy candy we used to gorge on as kids.  During road trips we challenged one another to unwrap and stack as many sugus as possible before shoving it in our mouths to chew and chew and chew until our jaws ached! Ah, I loved taking a trip down memory lane with this piece.

Patchwork Blanket

Squares: Single Crochet (US); 14 x 7 squares = 98 in total; each square 15 x 15 cm
Click on Pattern for new tutorial

Size of the Blanket: 110 x 220 cm.  I decided to steer away from the initial square I planned and am really pleased with the final dimensions of my blanket 

Hook Size: 5mm

Yarn: Raeesah Summer Cotton Yarn available from Charming Wool

Bobble Edging: See Heidi Bears for her lovely pattern and tutorial.   

This is a heavy throw and I decided to line it in a white toile with a whimsical black pattern to help keep the shape of the piece.  Because of the weight of a big blanket, I think that this yarn is more suitable to smaller baby blankets and projects such as handbags, cushions and toys.
Raeesah colours are really pretty and clean - a combination of hues and tints.  I think this is a great yarn for those enjoying a more solid look opposed to slightly mottled effects of hand dyed cottons.  I personally prefer the mottled effect and have an affinity for greyed down or toned colours, however I am quite in love with this blanket. 

Colour planning: Granny Square Color Pattern Generator.  I have written about the colour generators in this posting and even though I never planned to use this yarn and pattern for a blanket (I bought the yarn for The Teen to keep her fingers out of my Vinnis stash!) the idea of a fun, colourful patchwork blanket just stuck. Using the initial colours as a guideline, but replacing the white with cream and adding a red to the combination, I regenerated this pattern

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Have a great Valentine's Day and weekend. 

The husband is in Qatar and the kids and I will lick our wounds (still in South Africa) by licking a gelato each. Italians opened an authentic Gelateria nearby and I have already sampled the Pistachio as well as Cinnamon Honey flavours. Yum! 

Here is the very first pic the husband took in Downtown Doha. I love the grit and character.

Cheers!