In the Making…#1

June 20, 2020 Pearlin JLeave a comment

The past couple of weeks I must confess have been hectic. Things that took a lot of my mental energy and didn’t leave me energy to do much else.

I had a few projects going , but however hard I tried, I just could not make myself to pick them up my needles or my hook.

So instead of just pushing myself to keep going with my projects, I decided to take some time away from it all. Until I really felt the desire to pick up my needles or hook back.

I downloaded an e book on Libby ( which is an app from the Christchurch Library that my friend Louise introduced me to) and read it. Did a little bit of journaling , tried a few new recipes and kind of went with the flow until I got the making spark again.

The break did me good and now I am back to making .

I have been working on my colour affection shawl and really enjoying it. The garter stitch fabric that the Little Bandit Yarn from Outlaw Yarn creates feels so squishy and soft. I love it.

In the first section, I ran out of the first colour , a few stitches before finishing that section. I ploughed through that with my second colour. And then I ran out of the second colour as well!

So, I decided to put it aside until I could go back into the store to get more yarn.

In the meantime, I was working on a few rows here and there on my Skyping beanie. In spite of the few mistakes I made on it, I’m thrilled , it is now technically finished. I still need to weave in the ends though for it to be officially finished .

After I completed the Beanie, I did manage to go into the store and get the little bandit Scallywag yarn I had run out on. I have started working back on my Colour Affection Shawl. However, I was getting a tad restless as I wanted to get done with this shawl and move on the other two projects I have in mind already.

As I was reflecting on my making journey , I realised that it is good for me to embrace the moments of not making, just as much the moments of making , to truly enjoy the bliss of making things with my hands and to come back with renewed enthusiasm to my projects. I even have a progress keeper to remind of finding joy in the process of making just as much as holding a finished project in my hand.

Instead of just churning out finished objects one after another for the sake of numbers (of projects finished ) I want to experience the joy of making ,with every single one of the items I make. Not just that, I also want to make time to read, walk outside with Amber , try a new recipe or skill or technique, enjoy the simple beauty of nature around me.

I feel truly grateful for having the choice to choose what I want to do with my time and my resources. I do hope this post inspires you to do the same if you are able to.

Sending you all my love

Pearlin

Crafts · Knit · Knitting · Outlaw Yarn · Shawl · Yarny Love

Favourite FO of 2019

March 3, 2020 Pearlin JLeave a comment

Two months have gone by in 2020 already and 2019 seems like a distant past.

Still the fact that I had not not share my favourited Finished Object of 2019 here on the blog was not lost on me.

So to amend the glaring omission, I just wanted to share pictures of my 2nd Avenue Shawl here .

Working at Outlaw HQ, has given me the privilege of being surrounded by very talented makers, gorgeous yarn and so much inspiration.

Initially ,seeing the colours, the different yarns , textures, patterns , makers , enjoying the community and admiring their beautiful creations, I was like a child in a sweet shop, I wanted to make all the things .In the end, I really couldn’t decide what I wanted to make !

When Outlaw October rolled around, it was also around the time , a new limited edition of polwarth/ silk yarn line called NYX Prohibition was released. The colours and the silky sheen of the yarn were too hard to pass up .

So off to Ravelry I went to search for a project that would use as many colours as possible ; which then ended up in me zeroing on the Second Avenue Shawl. I have had this pattern on my queue for a while now but never got around to casting it on.

The Outlaw October Knit along and the irresistible beauty of the NYX Prohibition yarn ,ended up being the creative fuel I needed to cast on this shawl .

This shawl is a really nice, simple pattern with just enough elements ,to keep me interested -with slight pattern changes and colour changes -in the pattern until cast off . So I enjoyed knitting on it and was really pleased with the end product.

Project Details :

Pattern : 2nd Avenue pattern by Amy Miller

Yarn : Outlaw NYX Prohibition

Needles: 4.0 mm ChiaoGoo Needles

Project Notes :

I cast on 156 stitches
I used 5 colours , Corpse Reviver, Apple Jack,Highball ,Hanky Panky and Whisky Sour
I used one ball and a little more of the second ball of yarn of all the colours.

Crafts · Crochet · Shawl

Sunday Shawl

February 18, 2020March 3, 2020 Pearlin J3 Comments

This week I finished my Sunday Shawl. I usually stay away from making the same project twice. This shawl is too pretty not to make .Unlike the first time I made this shawl, this time I made it in DK yarn , again from Outlaw Yarn , this time in Bandit Yarn. As expected, it worked up to be another quick project.

The pattern has been updated since I made it last time .It was not a difficult pattern to follow in the first place but with the updated pattern , it was a breeze.

It felt really good to get back into crochet again.

Project Details :

Pattern : Sunday Shawl by Alia Bland

Hook : 5 mm

Yarn : Outlaw yarn Bandit

(I used 5 skeins of the colour Curiosity for the main colour and one skein each of Daring, Frolic,Rouge, Kan-ten, Adventure and Scallywag for the accent colours)

My work mate Ethan and I chose the colours for this shawl as it is going to be a shop sample at Outlaw HQ . It was sweet serendipity that the colours I got custom dyed for my previous Sunday Shawl accent colours were all almost of the same colour palette.

Whats more, my usually very disinterested teen actually thought he could pinch it from me for himself and was sorely disappointed that it was a for a store sample.

Handknit · Home Decor · Knit · Knitting · Outlaw Yarn

Chunky Cable Blanket

January 28, 2020January 23, 2020 Pearlin JLeave a comment

It has been a long dream of mine to make a throw blanket. If you go through my past blog post, you can see how many I have started. The reason there is no finished blanket on here is because I never got around to finishing them.

Honestly, when I started this Chunky blanket, given my previous history of making blankets, I wasn’t sure if I would finish it. The Outlaw Chunky Queen Bee yarn , and the easy and fun Chunky Blanket Pattern , made this blanket dream of mine come true. To my own surprise , it turned out to be a quick knit.

With the little leftover yarn, I decided to make tassels because I just wanted to use them up and also add a fun element to it. I was tossing between pompoms and tassels but then I decided to go with tassels. I am happy with how it turned out.

Project Details :

Pattern : Chunky Cable Blanket

Yarn : Queen Bee Yarn in Smudge, Yara, Titania and Zelda ( 9 skeins in total)

Needles : 12 m.m Knit pro symfonie

Crafts · Face Cloth · face cloth · Finished Objects · Handknit · Handmade · Knitting · Life style · Skin Care · socks

Cosy Autumn and Winter Makes

August 24, 2019August 21, 2019 Pearlin J1 Comment

I’ve always enjoyed learning to make new things and the two seasons have been really good on that front.

First thing that I wanted to learn to make this year was to learn to make socks. I did not get a good result when I attempted to teach myself. When a class was announced at a local yarn store, I did not think twice before signing up. The yarn and the needles were part of the class.

Good thing I did because, not only did I learn to make the socks, i really enjoyed it as well as one colour transitioned to another .Whats so exciting is that they fit my foot perfectly!.Im still learning to do the Kitchener stitch perfectly though.

A local yarn store advertised for sample knitters and I applied and got to make a sample blanket.The yarn and pattern were given to me by the yarn store plus paid to make the blanket.

Honestly it was so fun to work on once I got hang of all the repeats right. The yarn was really lovely to work with as well.

What I really liked about this blanket was that the edging on the blanket was also a chevron.

By the time I finished this blanket, this yarn store decided to move to a near by town . So I took a bus to go there to return the blanket which turned out to be another adventure!

I also made a pony tail headband to wear when walking Amber . The yarn is Malabrigo Rios in the colourway Lotus. Its really cozy and warm to wear.

I also tried my hand at candle pouring. Which was really fun too.Ive been using these candles I made constantly

I also took a Botanical Skin care Workshop with Tuwahiwi Botanicals , which was a wonderful workshop and I learnt a lot of face oils .

Of course I had to knit face clothes for these natural powders. They are 100% cotton yarn and such a fun easy pattern to knit from. You can find the pattern on the Knit Picks Website called Slant Dishcloth

This work shop took me straight back to the days when my mom and I used to make all sorts of natural skincare powders.

My dad would tirelessly went to the local native medicine shop to get all the things from our long list of ingredients. Some of the ingredients we often collected from the plants growing wildly near our home.Beautiful carefree days to reminiscence and cherish the love that went into my upbringing.

Looking back at all these things it feels like a very productive season.

Accessories · cowl · Crafts · Finished Objects · Handknit · Handmade · Indie Dyed yarn · Knit · Knitting · Nunnaba Artisan Yarn · Yarny Love

Bobble Cowl

February 12, 2019February 11, 2019 Pearlin JLeave a comment

The thought of knitting with two colours of yarn was somehow intimidating to me , that I never attempted to even try it. Then I saw one of the ladies in church wearing a similar looking cowl in lovely earthen colours that I was tempted to give it a try.

It always takes some time for me to work up the courage to try new things. Once I start,I always realise that it was not as hard as I thought of it in my head! (Over thinker alert right here ). Sometimes , simply just doing it is best.

When I went searching for an easy -ish free pattern on Ravelry , this pattern came up in the search. I decided to make this pattern only because it came with the tip to look up ‘Blister Stitch ‘on You tube ,which proved to be super helpful.

I decided to use the scrumptious Nunnaba gradient and Naturally Tweed I had in my stash . Once I got an understanding the stitch pattern down, it was a pleasure to work on and proved to be a quick finish.

I made a few additional rows than the pattern called for as I wanted the gradient yarn to come through.

I couldn’t however, figure out how to do the jobless join in this cowl . Its ok I think ,as when I’m wearing it, it may not be that visible .

This cowl is so so soft. I love it.

Surprisingly for this project ,I did not use up all the yarn in the gradient yarn like I wanted to.I also have a little more of the brown tweed left over as well.

Pattern Details :

Pattern : Bobble Cowl by Ina Aleksandrova

Needles : US 7 – 4.5 mm Chiagoo Needles

Yarn :Nunnaba Artisan Yarn White Gum Wool 8ply in the Shabby Rose Colourway

Accessories · Christchurch · Crafts · Handknit · Handmade · Indie Dyed yarn · Knit · Knitting · New Zealand · Rosewood Wool · Shawl · Yarny Love

Boneyard Shawl

January 21, 2019January 20, 2019 Pearlin JLeave a comment

This shawl started as a knit along with my friend. We both decided to use Rosewood Wool , mine is 12 ply while hers is 8 ply I think.

Soon after , she started working at a school and I left for India, our knit along kind of took the back seat.

Coming back from India dealing with all the change in weather and home sickness, I started knitting on it with Amber sitting on my feet for company acting as a little smooshy cushion , listening to podcasts , munching on Nagercoil banana chips….

( I mention Nagercoil chips in particular because ,there is a huge difference between Lakshmi Vilas Nagercoil Banana chips and Banana chips available in other parts of the country. Nothing comes close to it and it is one of the those comforting taste of home food)

Also because knitting on this shawl was more like eating chips, cannot stop with one.`And before I knew it I had finished two of the three skeins I had, along with my stash of chips I brought back with me from India..

Then I had a chance to go to an afternoon to Handy Dandy craft group at the library and in the almost two and a half hours I was there, I had reached the end of the third ball and only the border was left to be done.

Back home, little more knitting and just like that this shawl was done. Much like the packet of banana chips that finished before realisation came about! (So regretted not getting more of this taste of home , and now that I write about it, I’m craving for some )

Project Details:

Pattern : Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West

Needles : 4.5 mm Chiagoo Fixed Circulars

Yarn : Rosewood wool Romney Aran in Shepherd’s Delight Colourway.

Baby Blanket · Baby Gifts · Drawstring Bags · Handmade · Home Sewn · Quilt · Quilt Making · Sew · Sewing

Spring Sewing

October 16, 2018October 16, 2018 Pearlin J2 Comments

Come spring in Christchurch, specially in Hagley Park , Daffodils ,Hyacinths , Cherry Blossoms, Kowhai, Magnolias, against the bright clear blue sky , together with brand new green leaves on the trees, put on a spectacular show for all to enjoy.The flowers, sunshine and the bird songs does something to the mind and automatically uplifts the spirits.

I was in the mood for tidying up my messy craft corner.As I was cleaning, I realised that I had posted about this very special bag only on Instagram.This space being place to record all the things I make, I decided this bag had to be on the blog. First of all,it was the fabric name ‘Makers’ by Cori Danitini that caught my attention and then of course, the print was too hard to pass by.I decided to make a reversible bag using a picture I saw on Pinterest, as reference. Since I used the entire panel for the pattern, I only used the panel size as the size of the bag and kind of made up as I went along. I also used the panel for lining so that it would be truly reversible.I also referred to Ayumi’s Reversible patchwork bag pattern for attaching the drawstring casing.

The beads I got in India, came in handy for adding finishing touches to the cord.

The sweet print and pattern came together so well and quickly became a personal favourite finish.

The flowers , birds and the general magic of witnessing the earth come alive in a myriad of colours, cast a spell on me and I had to do something to celebrate the promise of warmer days in the air.

I tried the same pattern I made for the previous bag but this time with fusible interfacing. It did not turn out exactly as I envisioned it. Will keep trying though.

The bag and the tulips that grew in spite my negligence of my garden ,had to be documented and hence they are here.

The Putitputi pouch collection was inspired by the desire to bring all the delightful elements of spring into the craft space.

Putiputi by the way, means flowers in the Maori language These pouches were well received and I was thrilled with the positive feedback I got on them too.

Of the two people who bought from this collection, one of them has received her package and was extremely happy while the other unexpectedly has not yet received hers thanks to NZ post. Fingers crossed it will reach her soon. I can’t wait to hear what she has to say about her bag.

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The other couple of projects I made were commissioned by a lovely lady from church. She wanted two baby blankets in blue for friends who were both expecting baby boys. Her other brief was something that will not be available in the regular baby sections of stores.

I decided to go with my ever favourite woodland theme for both.

For the first quilt I went with a simple squares and it measures 30″ x 35 ”

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For this quilt, I used the Fast Four -Patch Pattern from Diary of a Quilter

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In my hurry to pack and give it to her, I forgot to take pictures of the backing. Both the quilts are backed with dimpled minky fabric.

It completely made my day to see the happy smiles on her face and hear her say that it was hard for her to choose which one to give her favourite friend .

Baby Gifts · Handknit · Handmade · Hat · Knit · Knitting · Lifestyle

Antler Hat

August 12, 2018April 7, 2020 Pearlin J3 Comments

Every single winter since I came to New Zealand, I’ve wanted to get a cabled hat. A cream one. Now I’m not big on wearing hats but that’s another story. Anyways, every time I see a cream cabled hat in Kmart, I’d come with some excuse not to get it .The underlining fact behind all those excuses is one and only reason .And that is ,like every maker, I always think I can totally make that .

Only, I never get around to making it because I’m distracted by something or the other . Another reason I’ve realised over time is that when something intimidates me, I keep putting it off until I work up enough courage to tackle it. Thats what happened to the cabled hat as well.

Then in one of the video podcasts I watch, I saw a baby cabled hat and heard of the Antler hat pattern from Tin can Knits.Since this site is widely spoken of as a beginner friendly pattern site, I decided to give the baby Antler hat a go, the smaller size seemed less intimidating. The sizes run from baby to adult size.

A few false starts later, it was smooth sailing. I still made a few mistakes because I was too tired and sleepy to count properly or distracted.

I used one whole skein of Heritage Polwarth and 5 mm Chiagoo needles.

Project Details :

Yarn : Heritage Polwarth 8 ply shade : 404 Karr Pink Batch 103932-33

Needles : 4mm and 5mm Chiagoo needles

Pattern : Antler Hat by Alexa Ludeman

Tid Bit : “Now I’d actually pay you to make me something like that ” Those words coming from an usually disinterested teen is high praise I think and says a lot about the pattern 🙂

This hyacinth plant is special because it reminds me of a friend who came by to spend half a day with me. When she came to visit me, she brought this lovely hyacinth plant for me. I never knew hyacinths had such sweet scent before then.We shared a meal, learned a little bit about each other, exchanged recipes and bid good bye.

When the flowers withered, I planted the bulbs and did not remember about them until I saw the flowers.

They remind me of a lovely time and also that spring is slowly making her entrance .Can’t wait to see the earth bloom and come alive with flowers of different colours.