100 Motif Crochet Book

Here is another crochet book I got at my local Japanese bookseller. This one is ISBN978-4-8347-2650-3 or just 4834726503. I wanted some more patterns that you work in the round. I was keeping my eye out for a different book that has more motifs but this one is pretty good!



I haven't stitched from it yet. I think I invariably am drawn to books with floral patterns. Look at these:


Beyond that, there are a few edge patterns along with round patterns:


Square patterns. I like these using multiple colors, but many patterns are just one color:


Here are triangle motifs:


Hexagons:


Octagons:


And something called "knit ring". I think these are done around stitch markers. They show squares and triangle centers as well as the circle I'm familiar with:


So pretty! I'm really feeling crochet right now. It is super cold here, so working with fuzzy yarns seems right somehow. I committed to doing a review/article on embroidery for February, so I'll have to get out that stuff again too! and oh man.. I have 2 baby quilts that need borders and backs and those babies are growing every day!

I made this scarf with some really expensive hand dyed superwash wool. I love these circles! The pattern was in Crochet Today, but I've seen it lots of places:

Magic Scrubber Book 9

This is book 9 of the Magic Scrubber Series. I found it at my local Japanese bookseller. This is ISBN978-4-8247-6460-4. I think that if you do a search for it, you use the numbers 4834764604. Searching by ISBN is tricky. I never seem to get it right, but people always ask for the numbers so there they are!



I learned recently that these scrubbers are made from acrylic yarn. I found that out by trial and error, but there was an article and a pattern written about these useful little things in the latest issue of Craft magazine. According to the article, (what I remember.. I read it yesterday at the bookstore) these qualify as eco-crafts because they are effective without the use of soaps or cleaning chemicals. Also, they are durable and reuseable.

Here are the ones I've made recently:


In this book there are about as many knit patterns as crochet:


The ones on the right below appear to have a soft sponge inside. I've been wanting to learn this kind of knitting:


Here are knit houses and funny crocheted dusting girls:




Here are hears and stars:



This book also has a bottle scrubber, some cute animal faces, simple fruits, and a colorful crocheted mitten scrubber and a glove scrubber.

Finally... This is the advertisement at the end of the booklet for the yarn they are using. I can't read any of this, but maybe this is useful to someone! This same ad is in all of my magic scrubber pattern books.




Note: I edited this post from an earlier version where I'd included a photo of one of the patterns. I've since had a crisis of conscience about copyright and have deleted that photo.

Squirrel

Mr. Squirrel welcomes fall.



He wears a red neckerchief because, like all squirrels, he is an outlaw.



Mr. Squirrel is very small, although I have large hands.



He is from a pattern in one of my recently purchased Japanese books, ISBN978-4-8347-5728-6.
This was a very fiddley pattern. Not nearly as easy as another squirrel I made last year for a swap with Alex. Now that he is done, he is telling me that he feels lonely and needs a squirrel companion, but I may not ever get to that. Meanwhile, he'll be hanging out learning to spread agreeable happiness with with my Unazukin.

Japanese Embroidery Book

Last week my daughter and I had a day alone to do whatever we wanted and I think that maybe my attempts to shape my daughter's interests to reflect my own are working out great because she said, "Let's go to the Japanese Store!"

Sounds fun! We bought some yummy treats and browsed at the bookstore. I got 2 craft books and we got some fun origami paper that folds up into little snack shapes. Here is the latest book I have to share. It's an embroidery book, ISBN978-4-529-04536-0.



Little forest critters:


I didn't photograph the page that is labeled Aquarium. Here is the deep sea:


Zoo animals:


There are also several pages of adorableness like this:


I like these birds. Patterns in this book are mostly a bit more realistic. The motifs are all quite small. The taller owl here is just over 2 inches.


Bugs in cross-stitch. You'll also find cross-stitched animals and a page of Zodiac done in white thread on black aida.


Rectangel noted on my Flickr page for this photo, "It's strange to see the alphabet with animals that don't match the letters." I love these. Forget the kids. One day I might do "SUSIE"!


Next time I'm getting this second volume of "365 Design Collection for Kids" I love the first book in that series.


I'll see if I can find this volume on YesAsia to link you to it. I haven't shopped there for awhile since our local Japanese bookshop beefed up their offerings.

EDIT: Yeah.. I tried searching for it at YesAsia, but they changed their search engine and I can't figure out how to find something by ISBN and clicking willy-nilly on other embroidery books didn't reveal this title.

Cotton Time

Sarah hooks me up with this subscription every other month. This is Cotton Time issue 79. I think it is the July 2008 issue, but I can't read the Japanese...




This issue has lots of various bags. I like the one below that has a zipper along the side to give it an adjustable capacity.


These slippers made from the cuff of a man's shirt are great:


Here is a parrot pattern made from textured fabric.


Here are some ideas to use those cords you can knit with that little whats-it-called tool (seriously, what is that tool called?):



Here you can use little adorable fabric scraps to decorate simple cards:


It's only on this one page, but there are some simple ideas for embroidery on gingham commonly called "chicken scratch". I know my grandma gave me some clippings or an old booklet on chicken scratch, but I can't find it anywhere! Publishers take note! I will buy a new book on chicken scratch embroidery in a heartbeat!


This issue also has some simple clothing patterns and tips for how to make a child's hat from a pair of old jeans. Additionally, you can cut up a t-shirt and stitch it into a funky hat , bag, and shorts for the little one in your life. I should have photographed that page too, but I was distracted by the gingham on the page above,

Japanese Stenciling Book

I dragged my family into our local Mitsuwa Marketplace after church today. I was sort of pushing my luck because we'd just been to Ikea. They agree the Japanese marketplace is pretty cool and I let the kids pick out whatever sweet Japanese treat they want. My son always prefers Pocky, while my daughter finds something with some sort of cuteness as part of the design. Today she got chocolate lollipop kids.

I looked through the craft books to see if ther was anything new that caught my eye. I didn't see much felt craft this time, and the kids embroidery motif books weren't available at this store today. The book I chose is a stenciling book. ISBN978-4-277-43110-1

These are ideas and stencil patterns you can use with simple freezer paper or regular card stock and acrylic paint. As usual, the instructions are very clear, even though I can't read Japanese:


This page is cute animal shapes. They make a good napkin set:


Here's leaves on brown paper:


This page is my favorite. It's doughnuts and cakes! Cute!


Simple sewing patterns are included. It has some traditional Japanese designs, flowers, kitchen motifs, an English alphabet, fruits and other fun shapes. The more I go through this book the more I like it!

I tried to find a link for you at YesAsia, but I couldn't find it there.

Revisiting Thread Crochet

I'm on a short hiatus from embroidery now that my swap is finished. I'm waiting for some fabric to arrive in the mail so I can finish my recent quilt. In the meantime, I thought I'd do a little bit of thread crochet.


From a pattern in one of my Japanese craft books. These are his and hers coasters. Didn't you know? Thread crochet with scalloped edges becomes manly if you use dark blue!

The book is isbn452904100x . HERE is the YesAsia listing.

I did the pink one last night while watching one of those "Asia Extreme" films they show late on Sunday nights on the Sundance Channel. Those movies always have really shocking horror imagery, although the stories are sometimes pretty goofy. I don't like to watch horror films in the theater because it is too intense for me. On television with a little project in my hands, I can take a more academic approach and they aren't so disturbing. This one was called "Cinderella", but um.. it wasn't a fairy tale... I do get disgusted and turn the channel when they get really sickening, but I can't help myself and I go back because I want to see how the situation "resolves".

Foods Package

My felt foods package arrived from across the ocean! Thanks Kiiss!
I love love love miniature felt craft, so this little package is just perfect. She even sent each thing in it's own plastic case!



Mmmm... rick-rack chocolate drizzle and felt whipped cream dollop!


Can you see the tiny perfection of this sushi? This package is really for my daughter to set up her tea parties and she really loves sushi so she is excited about this!


Finally a little crochet chocolate sandwich cookie. So cute!

This was for a swap on Craftster. Are there crafty people out there that don't know about Craftster? It is the nicest, easiest to use forum. I'm still waiting for my Ravelry invite, so I don't know about them. Etsy forums are wildly erratic and too often devolve into crazy ranting for my taste.

Moderators at Craftster keep things friendly, encouraging and focused on crafting. It's divided up into boards according to the craft medium. I'm not so into clothing and papercraft, so I don't really pay attention to those boards, but quilting, crochet, and embroidery are my thing. Projects run the entire range of traditional to offbeat and contemporary, beginner to skillful and artistic. People are mostly open about sharing links to patterns and techniques. I like the swapping over there because they have very good guidelines and deadlines. When you swap it's like getting into a craftalong with other people who are working on the same thing and that makes it even more fun.

Flickr is another of my favorite communities. I find the group chatting to be more difficult, but there is no better place to indulge in glorious photographs.

That's all for now! I have my last tea-towel to stitch today! She's getting a cute gnome pattern that is a freebie from BadBird.

Felt Food Swap

I don't have to keep the secret anymore! Here's what I made my partner Kiiss over in Malaysia for our Craftster Play Food Swap:

First, this hamburger, with embroidered sesame seeds on the bun:

Here's an inside view. That is supposed to be ketchup on the burger:


The pattern was in this book ISBN 9784529042659 (or maybe 4529042650 at YesAsia..).

I also did some felt strawberries which are super easy. You just use a half circle of felt and stitch up the straight sides.. maybe I'll do a tutorial on that. The cherries are made from wool roving. I would have made more cherries, but I hardly had any red roving left!


I also have always wanted to make felt s'mores and here was my chance:


I also sent her the toast I made a few weeks ago for my Using Japanese Books Tutorial.

I am totally loving felt right now. I spent all day nursing a headache and stitching little monkeys and pirate island appliques.

OOh.. must quick hit "publish" John Adams is starting on HBO.

Edited to add: Abigail Adams is one of the most significant American women to ever live. She participated in many rich intellectual discussions with her husband and advised him at all aspects of his very public career. Why then in this HBO movie is she relegated to lovingly gazing at her husband (or longing mournfully at his absences) as he performs his political duties? This really irks me.... I know it's a film series about John Adams, but really... Why put her character in the story at all if they wont be fair about her contributions? Anyone else watching this on HBO? What do you think? My husband read most of the biography on which the film is based, but he didn't finish it. He observed sheepishly, "Um.. it's really really detailed about John Adams..."