Been wanting to make this for a looonnnggg time. So! no time like the present. My friends over at Woolhogs are having a MADE IT collection for February - so why not use that as an excuse!! Not done yet - still need to add the lining and the strap - but so far so good. Will defenitely have it finished in feb lol!

The boho bag features my favourite - the African Hexagon (pattern on my blog)! And I chose to use the lovely Vinni Bambi range - 100% bamboo and Cotton blend. It crochets up beautifully and just love the texture of this yarn.

So this is a bit of a strange tale.... and it just made me realize again how unique each of us are! About a year ago I didn't have a specific project planned so I grabbed little odds and ends of my huggeeee yarn stash and decided to just crochet whatever came to mind... I tried different stitches... basically just crocheted without a plan. The end result was a square.... so after some contemplation I decided to just turn it into a pillow.. (not surprising as I already have a kazillion pillow covers hahaha). Anyway... truthfully.. I didn't really like it. One of those projects you kinda just finish... look at it..and think..meh...

After I finished the pillow cover, did all the sewing up, I decided to just plonk it in the shop. Now please bear in mind that I have quite a few pillows in the shop..ALL of which I adore!! They have all been in the shop quite a while, and although everybody ooh's and aah's..no one has actually bought said pillows. Until last week.... when I had three people coming in (all on the same day) and walked straight to this mish mash pillow... (I ofcourse was sitting behind my table thinking..."really!!???")..  All 3 wanted to buy this little unloved pillow!! None had cash with them and all left promising to return for this pillow. Like I know customers... few ever return for a purchase so I was thinking that was the last of it. (not)

Next day someones walks in and loves it so much she puts a deposit down on the pillow... saying she'd return to pay the rest the next day. I ofcourse took the deposit not thinking that any of the other peeps would return..boy was I wrong!.. They proceeded to come in one after the other..cash in hand... to purchase the pillow. Bear in mind..there are about 6 other pillows available..but no! They wanted THIS one... and they were seriously cheesed off with me when I had to tell them that sorry..the pillow was kinda half sold! haha.

Anyway.. I promised to make more of this "mish mash" pillow..which I dread.. as I really don't like it. And how do you motivate yourself to crochet pillows you didnt like creating in the first place!!?? Oh well... what a weird experience - and one that tought me that we are all unique.. and that taste most DEFENITELY differs!! lol

The little unloved pillow:

I've been crocheting serviette rings in different shapes and forms for a while now.. I just love the way they look on a beautifully decorated table.. they just add something real and rustic. I love combining the texture of crochet with something like pure linen serviettes..  juxtaposed against a crisp white dinner plate and et viola!! They are soft and flexible which means you can fold and pose those serviettes in any number of ways lol.... I always find the wooden or metallic rings so.... rigid..lol.... you can basically roll the serviettes up and thats it! Boring!! Recently I found these most amazing handmade fabric roses.. the lady that makes them spends so much time in  making them "just perfect!"... and the different fabrics she uses makes my creative mind just trip on all the different natural fibres I can combine them with haha!! If I just had the time to make everything I think about!!

This was a collaberation with a friend and I am sooo excited with the result!! I am just in love with the colours and the overall effect it reached. This was made for the shop, but after seeing the finished product I am so reluctant to sell it hahahha...... It's one of those things you just fall in love with instantly. That said, I put it in the shop this morning for display... (hoping it would bring in orders - not necessarily sell it)..and the first customer that walked in bought it :( ...... I finally convinced her to let me keep it in the shop for another week.... (the reason is more selfish than functional lol..I just want to spend some more time with it lol)...

Anyway..here it is:

Many thought this day would not come hahaha..... I have been threatened that if I do not open, my friends will put a "opening AND Closing Sale" sign up for me. So yeah..it's taken me long enough..but these things take timmmeee to do!! and somehow..I just didn't feel ready... actually..I'm STILL not ready..but there it is... doors are open...Peeps have been popping in... no turning back now lol!! Thought I'd give you a look at what the shoppie looks like...:)

Quite proud really - a lot of work has gone into it...and hours and hours of crocheting...wood sanding..mosaicing.... etc etc etc...lol.... so without further ado...here it be! :)

is that they are so damn addictive.





There are just so many things you can play around with. I'm a bit in love with hearts at the moment - hence the enormous amount I have produced lately...crochet heart... more crochet hearts with danglies... stiched hearts with crochet flowers... hearts with stiched felt hearts hahahaha..... and the more I play...the more ideas I have... Its bad! :(



Oh well...nothing to be done other than just let all the ideas be brought to life and living with a lot of hearts! I can think of worse things ;)

I came across this beautiful pattern for a potstand/holder on a Dutch lady's blog - Lindevrouw's Web. She has some awesome work on her blog and it's definitely worth a visit! :)- albeit all in Dutch lol. I took the liberty of translating her pattern into English as well as crocheting one up as I went along - The English pattern is as follows: (the original pattern in Dutch is here: http://lindevrouwsweb.blogspot.com)

Skill Level:   Easy-Intermediate

Materials:  

Instructions:

Work Round 1 - 10 again for second motif.


When you have finished both motifs, work in all loose ends. Place the 2 motifs against each other, right sides facing outward. Join yarn at the centre of two groupings (working through both pieces), make 20ch, ss into same stitch as joining. Work over the 20ch with sc until there are enough sc to make a strong loop. ss again into the same stitch as joining.


Now crochet though both pieces using only ss, going down to the centre using the gaps/holes on the motif. Make sure not to make the ss too tight as this will make the motif scrunch and warp. Once you reach the outer edge of the centre piece, turn around and go back up using the same spaces as you did going down. (Tip: I found it easier to work with the yarn at the bottom of the work, pushing the hook through and just pulling the yarn up through the pieces.)




Once at the top, work around the scallop using each of the 12 stitches. Repeat this all around the motifs until you are back at your hanging loop. Join with a ss and fasten off. Work in loose ends. (Tip: Continuously turn your work around and make sure you place your stitches in the right gap at the back - if your motifs shift on top of one another you might hook the needle through the wrong space at the back making it look untidy at the back).