Free Pattern: Kim Kardashian's Beanie

Free pattern youtube tutorial "Kim Kardashian's Beanie" on iKnits.  

There's a link to her written pattern on her youtube tutorial, which helped a lot in figuring out what to do.

 I used about 100gr of cashmere merino Zealana Yarn with 5mm Karbonz Knitpro knitting needles.

  

I'm liking the simpleness of the pattern, straight forward just follow each step and you'll be fine.
Yet to wear the beanie, but cuteness overload promised.

Free Pattern: The Owl (Dress) Pattern

The thing about crochet that my daughter always says is that it makes the wearer looks sexy.  That's why she's still opting to go with her plain T-shirt and leggings.

I have been wanting to find a great crochet dress pattern that is easy but not too easy that I became bored.

This owl (modified pineapple) pattern is just the solution for my need.

The person who made the pattern has a great youtube tutorial, although I did get lost from time to time, so I wrote down my own hack, especially for the underarm connection.  Instead of 23 chains, I made mine 33 chains.

My daughter did point out that after some time, I probably don't understand what I wrote.  So if you have any question, write me a comment and I'll see what I can remember.

 I used about 200gr of 30%Bamboo 70%Cotton yarn & 2.5mm Tulip hook.

The dress turned out more of a tunic.  A change to the pattern I'd like to make if I had enough yarn would be lengthening the sleeves.

Then I tried making a top for my daughter using the same type of yarn, about 100gr in ombre colour and a 3mm Knitpro Waves Aluminium Hook.

She doesn't wear blue, so I made another one in ombre yellow, about 100gr and I used a 2,5mm KnitPro Waves Aluminium Hook.

Given a bit more yarn in my stash, I lengthened the sleeves, stopping at the top part of the pineapple.

 As for the bottom part, I stopped at the eyes of the owl, since I was running out of yarn.

The verdict: Free pattern youtube tutorial helped a lot, but the crucial sleeves part need to be adjusted from case to case basis.

FREE PATTERN: Simple Kimono from Batik fabric

FREE PATTERN: Simple Kimono

This is a very simple kimono pattern from Elle Apparel that I love as my imagination can run like a wild horse if it wasn't for the Batik pattern fabric that I had to work with.
The pattern was too simple to work with plain fabrics as then I would itch to add belt, borders, pockets, collars, etc.
With batik, the challenge comes in lining up the pattern itself, or finding "the right fit" so as not to distort the beautiful pattern that already exists before cutting but enhancing it.

Taking Sides

Have you ever been in that situation where you had to choose whose side you're on?
Apart from the obvious family feud, let us accept the fact that even since birth, we've been forced to take sides.
Look at surveys, election campaigns, simple "pick the smiley/not faces at airport toilets",  society made sure we are so opinionated that they're willing to pay us for being just that.

Have we actually evolved much from our predecessors?
Do we know what to evolve to?
Yet the thing that matters is the journey, not the destination.
Are we constantly choosing what's best for us and not for the family or for the community, but for ourselves?
Yet again, to know what is best for ourselves, require our honesty towards ourselves.
Not to our spouse, not to any other people, but ourselves.
Then you'll be choosing for yourself and it'll be the right thing that you need at that moment.

So then, do sides even exist?
No, presumably not when everybody is choosing for themselves.
Will there be chaos?
No, presumably not when everybody is choosing the best for themselves.
And on what foundation will everybody be choosing?
Love, I hope.  The love that is of the source.  Our true nature.

FREE PATTERN: The Right Cowl

Short version of the neck warmer made with half of a 100gr hank organic merino, possibly lace weight. 

Long version of the neck warmer (hood-able).

3 balls of 100% certified Organic Merino

KARB@NZ

Armed with size 4.00 mm circular carbon fibre knitting needles

Materials:
- 3 balls / 150grams of Heritage 100% certified organic merino
- size 4.00 mm circular knitting needles with 60cm cables
- 1 stitch marker

FREE PATTERN: Always Lovely

I know this pattern calls for summer yarn (cotton merino blend) but I felt that the organic merino stash I have would just be perfect for it.
It was a very simple lace pattern with easy to follow instruction.

Just make sure you are not watching some really awesome action movie like Resident Evil Retribution because I ended up having to undo 13 rows the next day!  Ouch!  No lifelines either!  Very clever, don't try this at home kids.

Happy creating :)

"The Moment of Beauty" by Takayuki Sato

Still from "The Moment of Beauty"

A video made by Takayuki Sato called "The Moment of Beauty" captured my attention just now.

This video confirms my recent realisations about "words".
Words exchanged between one individual to another during everyday life's conversations, words in print form, words sung, words in different languages, etc.

They said be careful of what you say, because wounds made to the heart from your words are harder to heal than those made by the sword to the skin.
I went around thinking that the words carry powerful energies that certain ones when said, can heal or harm.  I thought the secret lies within the word itself.  That the difference between appreciation and gratefulness is actually within the words.

I was wrong.

There are no energies pre-attached with words.  We put the energies to words when we utter them with our intention.
Who would've thought 20 years ago that making a comment such as, "Wow, that's so sick!" actually means something really good?
Sick isn't green and pale anymore, sick has evolved.

Have you evolved?

Make sure you click "The Moment of Beauty" , the beauty is not in the long flowing thick hair brushing against her fresh rosy cheeks, it's within.



Disclaimer:  Still taken from the video is not mine, all rights reserved to the video maker.

My World according to My 7 Year Old

Yesterday, I had the liberty to thrust myself into an online miscommunication.
Not often that I let myself involve in this kind of thing as I had a definition that online life is not as real as the physical life.
Hence getting into an online argument equals to a waste of time.

However, it is hard to dismiss something when you're privately messaged.  Ah, this is another definition for me, to be privately messaged, it means business for me.  Just the same as being tagged, or being mentioned in someone's post.
These definitions of mine, pushed me into a total waste of time.

I could've dismissed the whole thing for nonsensical people fighting about a lost cause that was once fought, or I could be logical and actually try to remind them of the importance of internet safety.
Alas I chose the latter.  As predicted, total waste of time according to earlier definition.

Today however, I choose to change my definition.  Online life can be as real as one wants it to be.  So, for those who took online life so real that it becomes their reality, can thank me for putting my time typing about the danger of exposing themselves online if they take online life, that real.  You are very much welcome.
I'm glad I was not wasting my time as I once viewed it, that others actually took it that real.  So I thank you in return with much love and appreciation.

When I talked to my 7 year old about what happened, she said,

"Mom, you have weird friends."  

That pretty much summed it up for me about the entire "friendship" thing that I never quite understood to begin with.

FREE: Win a Free Painting of your Animal!

"Pepsi the Cocker Spaniel"

Once again, my talented friend is holding a competition.
She's painting your pets and to launch her new site, she is giving away 1 lucky winner a chance to have his/her pet on the canvas.

How?
Click here:
kasiapaintspets

Remember to do the instructions before 3rd March 2014!

FREE: Valentine Movie

Love according to a 7 year old...

Remember those days where you have to go to the DVD rental shop to take out movies for a perfect date night in?

Nowadays, just concentrate on the popcorn popping and let youtube load your movies.

Here's a perfect Valentine's Day movie from a celebrated film maker Graham Jones.

Click here for The Randomers.

Enjoy :)