New Year and Tapestry Crochet

Ok, first of all :

Happy New Year everyone!

Haha, I knew this post is a little far too late, as January almost over :D. But late is better than never, right?  I wish for us to have a great year, as great as wishes written by Neil Gaiman :

As new year came, there are new activities too for me here. My daughter is taking swimming and drawing class. While I'm waiting her finishing her class, I have plenty enough time to do things. I tried to do hand-lettered crochet pouch. I was inspired a lot by Mola Mills, and her tapestry crochet. Tapestry crochet is a crochet technique that combine two or more yarns to make a colorwork crochet piece. If you want to know more about tapestry crochet, Carol Ventura explained it clearly in her site.

I did a chevron tapestry crochet pattern for my coin pouch. It is small and handy, enough to bring small amount of money and some cards. I used polyester yarn materials since polyester yarn is more durable to be used in making carried accessories like bags or purses. It is not tougher than cotton, but softer than nylon. I did it in my favourite colour combine : fuchsia and natural. I put lining and zipper as a finishing touch, it is all hand sewn because easier to do when the baby is awake :D (it took LOTS of effort to pull my sewing machine when the kids are running around). The pouch turned out so well, I just looove it… :) A friend even asked me to make one for her. :D

After finishing this pouch, and a pouch for my friend (I just have to sew the lining and zipper….later ;p) and looked forward to make another project, I saw a pretty hand-lettered C'est Moi pouch which was uploaded by @emmarousu in Instagram. She made the handletter pattern in Mola Mills Virkkuri memo, a book with blank graph to write tapestry crochet pattern. I was so inspired and decided to do the same project with different words, and chose to make Pretty Princess pouch as a gift for a friend who helped me a lot during my first semester at college (I love you Fiiiit…).

I wrote down the pattern for Pretty Princess in Microsoft Excel based on handletter font, and the pattern looked beautiful. Then I crocheted it for a week (yes, I'm a very sloooow and moody crocheter). Unluckily, the result is not as what I expected. It came out not as good as the pattern. The "princess" word even difficult to be read, my husband misspelled it as "business". :( Eventhough he did it with laughing, so I don't know he is seriously misspelled it or just joking. :(

From that last project I learned some things about tapestry crochet. Unlike cross stitch, tapestry crochet stitches do not line up vertically because the working row stitch are made between two stitches in row below it. So it is going "a little bit more to the right" in every row. That's why my pouch result came out different from the pattern because it was made on Excel, which the column are vertically straight. I asked @emmarousu for advice on how to make a better pattern, and she kindly said to use a honeycomb pattern paper like Virkkuri Memo provides in the book.

Picture taken from here

I did some search after it, and yes she was right (thanks, Emma!) because I found a tapestry crochet graph template on Carol Ventura site, and it looks like honeycomb pattern. I have downloaded it, and I will definitely make another pattern for Pretty Princess by using this graph.

Er. But later. After I know how to do the graph manipulation on GIMP. It is absolutely another important thing to learn. :D

Well, so having my own store on Etsy is still a very looooong distance dream :D at least this activity of making one little pretty things by my hands is so fun and enjoyable. 

I'll tell you more if I defeat the pattern challenge and make a pretty thing.

An iced chocolate to accompany me while making this post ^^

Happy new year, happy crocheting, may this year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness!

Planner and Journal: My New Activity

Yes, this is my new hobby. Ok, I know exactly I have too many hobbies, so adding one more to the list will make no difference right? :D

I used to love writing in my planner, or diary, or any kind of notebook. I did it through the school and college years. But when social media and blogging hit up to trend, I left that manual way behind. I don't really remember the last time I wrote my personal journal, it was around several years ago. Oh yes, I still occasionally use notebook for office things, to take some important notes on meeting. 

Eventhough I don't use them anymore, but I still fall for them every time I visit book stores. I love to see some notebooks or planners on their shelves, especially the one with cool design.

But yesterday Mr. Coffeeholic made a surprise. He went home from a couple of duty trip days, then he said, "I bring something for you. Hope you like it." Then he pulled out this beautiful planner from his bag.

Starbucks Planner 2015

I just loved it since the first time I saw it. It has cool design, good quality paper, and a dark brown cover from fabric. The planner also has beautiful water color picture in almost every page. It is Starbucks Planner 2015. He had some coffee time with his friends in the airport right after they landed, then he saw this and bought it for me. Thank you soooo much, dearest. :*

And I suddenly want to get back to my old habit, writing my daily journals. This planner will be a great place to start. Oh, and because I really want to write on it, but the date and day are starting from January 2016, so I just wrote the first note in January page. ;p

It came from Starbucks, so the design is full of coffee things. It reminds me to Mr. Coffeeholic a lot when I wrote on it. He deserves it, isn't he? Because he is the one who buy this planner for me. :D There are lots of planner addict on Instagram with their beautiful daily planner and journal post, it inspired me to do the same thing (in more amateur way, of course). So I collect all my colouring pens and start writing. 

And it is so fun! I think I'm gonna do it often, might be daily routine. It will help me get more organized, I hope, by writing down the things I want to do. Lately, I've been feeling like I did not have enough time to do things I have to do. I don't know it is because my to-do-task is getting more complicated or just simply because I can't manage things better? I hope by writing it down, somehow it will help me focus on managing my time and improve my productivity.

Mmm.. since it seems so interesting, why don't we put writing daily journal on next year resolution, what do you think? :)

Meluangkan Waktu untuk Hobi

Saya ini termasuk jenis manusia yang kebanyakan hobi. Lebih banyak daripada kemampuan diri memenej waktu. Waktu yang cuma 24 jam itu harus dibagi-bagi untuk duo cempluk (tiga ding, sama ayahnya :D), kerjaan kantor, urusan rumah, dan baru sisanya buat hobi. Sementara hobi saya? Buanyak. Baca, nulis, jahit, quilt, rajut crochet, kristik, dan pernak-pernik handmade berbasis jarum dan benang yang lain (masih kepingin belajar rajut knitting pulak *sigh*).

Picture taken from here.

Hobi yang seabreg-abreg itu cuma sempet dikerjain di malam hari, setelah anak-anak tidur. Yaa...masa saya mau pegang kain-jarum-gunting pas anak-anak masih melek? Wahaha...bisa-bisa nanti semua ikut-ikutan menjahit dan menggunting jari emaknya. :D Kalo wiken gimana? Ya, sama aja. Soalnya tiap wiken bibiknya libur (bibiknya nggak nginep, pulang pergi). Saya full pegang anak-anak, jadi nggak mungkin disambi megang perintilan handmade. Jangankan printilan handmade yang masuk kategori barang-tidak-ramah-bayi semua, membaca saja aku sulit :D Hud lagi dalam masa-masa tertarik dengan apapun yang dipegang emaknya, termasuk buku. Bisa-bisa berakhir jadi serpihan (-__-")

Padahal daftar tunggu nyang-pengin-dikerjain panjang lhoo.. ada pesanan juga satu dua walopun cuma pesenan dari anak (kan pesenan juga :p), dan ada juga dari temen, yang belom sempet kepegang. Padahal, ide udah numpuk di kepala.

Terbatasnya waktu itu membuat lambatnya saya mengerjakan satu project sampai rampung. Ngerjain boneka Elly ini aja, perlu waktu sebulan, sampe customer yang mesan (Naj) saban hari nagihin emaknya, "Ayooo Bundaa... Cepet diselesaikan boneka Elly-nyaaaa......" 

Hihihi... Iya iya, Bundanya lembur deh, mengurangi jatah tidur demi menyelesaikan Elly. Akibatnya di kantor banyak nguapnya, untung nggak sampai ketiduran, bisa ditimpuk ame Bos, apalagi sudah era Tukinemisasi seperti sekarang. :D

Boneka Elly pesanan Kakak Naj

Kerajinan tangan rajutan sendiri prosesnya memang lamaaaa, karena harus dirajut satu-persatu dengan tangan. Alat bantunya paling cuma jarum rajut, tetep aja yang kerja keras ya Mr and Mrs tangan. Selain amigurumi (istilah khusus untuk boneka yang dibuat dengan teknik rajut), selama masa-masa hamil Hud saya juga sukses membuat dua tas rajut. Satu untuk mama mertua, dan satu lagi alhamdulillah dibeli orang dengan harga yang lumayan. :D Merajut tas itu luama lho, saya menghabiskan waktu lebih dari sebulan untuk menyelesaikan satu tas. 

Tas rajut yang dihasilkan selama masa-masa hamil :D

Belakangan, sempat ikut CAL (Crochet A-Long) yang diadakan satu komunitas yang saya ikuti. Hasil dari CAL ini adalah Granny Squares Bag. Di proyekan ini saya belajar mengkombinasikan warna benang untuk pertama kalinya. Hasilnya, setelah diberi handle webbing katun dan diberi dalaman kain, langsung dibawa oleh Ibunda tercinta. Lumayan, bisa untuk tempat mukena katanya. :)

The Granny Squares Bag hasil proyekan dengan teman-teman Komunitas Merajut Bandung

Belakangan, tambah lagi nih hobi yang didemenin. Saya tertarik dengan jahit-menjahit. Alhamdulillah, misuwa nan pengertian bersedia menjadi penyandang dana, beli mesin jahit Singer Simple series. Hasil urusan jahit-menjahit ini walaupun dalam taraf belajar (dan beberapa proyekan dibantu tetangga kanan-kiri yang sama-sama punya hobi printilan handmade), sudah lumayanlah, minimal bisa dipamerin di akun sosmed. :D

Tas pertama hasil ikut workshop di Rumah Puteri Cibubur. Dari hasil kursusan pertama ini saya banyak belajar termasuk belajar mengenal mesin jahit sendiri :D. Soalnya pas kursus sampai bela-belain bawa mesin jahit sendiri saking mesin jahit di lokasi kursusnya sudah full-booked.

Tote bag, saya buat ini untuk teman. Yah, waktu bikin tas ini masih mereng sana-sini sih :D. Moga-moga yang menerima bisa menerima pula kekurangannya (mereng-mereng itu tadi). :D

My first drawstring bag. Ini modalnya Googling dan lihat tutorial di internet. Bikin buat teman juga, karena teman naksir drawstring bag punya saya.
 

Goodie bag ulang tahun kakak Naj di sekolah. Proyekan ini dibantu banget sama tetangga yang juga hobi jahit-menjahit. Kalau saya yang ngerjain semuanya sih...hohoho bisa-bisa udah lewat ulang tahunnya, goodie bag belom kelar juga XD Yang atas untuk Bu Guru, yang bawah untuk anak-anak. Ide aplikasinya dari beliau juga, biar cepet pinggirannya ngga dijahit semi-bordir, tapi dijahit lurus aja. Huge thanks to you, Mak! *hugs*

Kalau dijejer kaya di atas, nampaknya banyak ya hasilnya. Sebenarnya enggak kok, kadang saya berkutat dengan satu proyekan sampe berminggu-minggu, nggak kelar juga. Kadang sampai ilfil dan udahlah, saya taroh aja, nunggu mood untuk ngerjainnya balik lagi. Saya sih inginnya bisa efektif dan produktif, bisa menghasilkan sesuatu dan memaksimalkan waktu yang saya miliki untuk hal yang bermanfaat. Apalagi untuk hobi, rasanya kalau sudah bisa sharing FO (finished object) itu : puaaass.... :D

Maka dari itu, untuk saya, meluangkan waktu untuk hobi itu penting, meskipun konsekuensinya kadang harus mengurangi jatah waktu tidur. Me-time untuk saya, relaksasi dari rutinitas harian yang kadang bikin stress. Jadi yaa.. diupayakan untuk disempet-sempetin, walaupun nggak tiap hari. Walaupun kalau nggak sempet megang proyekannya, minimal browsang-browsing pinterest dan tutorial buat proyek berikutnya, atau onlen syoping printilan bahan bakunya XD XD XD 

Saya selalu salut dengan para pelaku handmade, yang juga punya kerjaan utama (sebagai istri, ibu, apalagi bekerja) dan bisa menghasilkan banyak karya inspiratif. Kalau ditanya apa isi timeline sosial media saya, ya mereka-mereka ini. No, there is no hater in my timeline :D, timeline saya ya isinya yang layak difollow dan bikin semangat seperti mereka-mereka ini, dan sebagian besar isinya orang-orang yang hobinya sejalan dengan hobi saya.

Saya yakin setiap orang punya hobinya masing-masing. Dan meluangkan waktu untuk itu adalah hal yang layak diupayakan. :)