Handmade in Thailand

While we are already on another little holiday, I still owe you Thailand's crafty impressions. So now is a good time to fill that gap.

To be honest, Thailand was the first time for the last years that I didn't bring any knitting with me - knitting with white in the tropics? Not such a good idea. And I didn't feel like knitting anyway. I would have felt like the only person knitting in Thailand, because I didn't see a single person doing it. But I did see quite a bit of crochet.

Crochet also seemed like a popular pastime for some masseuses (that gave us those great massages) while waiting for customers.

I also found one fabric store called PhaiBoon in Hua Hin.

And you could always see some kind of sewing shop.

Knitting in Wilhelmshaven

Last weekend I spent at a yoga ashram at the North Sea teaching a prenatal yoga training. I travelled via the city of Wilhemshaven and was quite surprised when I left the train station and saw a whole square full of yarn graffiti trees.

I don't know whether you have ever been to Wilhemshaven, but I think it is fair to say that it is a city that is really lacking in the beauty department. So it was a great idea to give this place some adornment.

 

These are just a couple yarn graffitis, there were so much more. But I had a train to catch and only photographed a random selection. And I also found out what there were all about:

They were part of the Wilhelmshaven Street Art Festival (here).

There is hope for Wilhemshaven.

Progression of a Painting

I had one initial idea for the painting - circles:

next layer - working with squeegees:

 I really felt like incorporating real doilies:

one morning I woke up

and had to do this:

the circles came back,

dessert layer (inspiration here):

dramatic wrap-up:

finishing touches:

"Circles"

Sun Printing

 Do you know sun printing?

For this fun technique you need special nature print paper

(like here, here or here)

which is also called solar photo or sunprint paper.

You arrange your items on the paper

and expose it to the sun for a couple of minutes.

It will then look like this:

The exposed spots have turned very pale 

and where your items lay the blue remains.

Then follows a short water bath

that will "develop" your prints

and reverse the colours:

Magic, isn't it?

Pink Moment of the Week

... inspired by this dessert:

 

WIP

Inspiration Corner: Doilies

... maybe a new sewing project?

 ... maybe a new painting?

... maybe a new technique?

1.1. 2014

 2014 - I love that number!

And I also love New Year resolutions.

You might have already noticed in the top right corner of this blog, I am starting another 365 days project today - a year of daily decluttering. I have tried before in 2011 (here) and I am a lot better now at cleaning and house-keeping, but there is still too much stuff. We moved into our house 1,5 years ago and decluttered then and we did a flea market last year (here), but still stuff accumulates. Stuff, you have forgotten about, stuff you don't need and stuff that doesn't make you happy. This year I am serious and what helps me more to keep decluttering than blogging about it? Just the good feeling it gives me. So if you are interested in how decluttering is coming along, you are kindly invited to visit my blog:

http://365declutter.blogspot.com

Maybe you would even like to join me in this project and we can share experiences and be happy with less stuff in our lives.

Less clutter means also more space for creativity and fresh ideas. My inspirational book stack for things I would like to try in 2014 looks like this:

The other day I found this yarn graffiti at the door to a local bookstore:

 (Read again)

And of course!!!, there will be knitting and sewing. Last year I wanted to make socks and I managed to knit three pairs (here, here and here), each pair trying new techniques. 2014 I want to knit a pair of green socks, toe-up, on one long circular needle. I also will finish a green knitted spring dress from 2011 and and a white summer sweater from 2010.

The rest will be a surprise. I already love it.

Handmade Christmas

Here comes a quick show of what was handmade this Christmas. As my crafty juices all flowed into Hubby's sweater (here), I relied on other people's craftiness. All coming from charity bazaars.

textile paintings for my mother

decoupage boxes for parents on both sides

 filled with handpicked wishes from Clara

a tray for my sister 

(who is actually more of a black-and-white-type)

cross-stitch postcards

(which I forgot to give away ...)

And then, when Hubby's sweater was finished one day before Christmas Eve, my now-empty hands fiddled with a little leftover hat for my father-in-law.

Ravelry notes here

Three Christmases ago my father-in-law asked for simple knitted hats, so short, that they stopped just above the ears.

I remembered the leftovers, took a crochet hook and whipped up a hat. The yarn was not quite enough, even for such a short hat, but I also had red leftovers from this and that.

I think he liked it, because my father-in-law wouldn't take the hat off through all of Christmas lunch and afternoon.