July 10: Chillax 😎

Good day my friends!

I wasn’t able to get back to you on yesterday’s quest because I was feeling down in the dumps. I thought it was a stroke of ennui again but then I realized, albeit towards the end of the day, that I was just feeling the effects of a new workout video I did on Monday. That plus I slept way past usual bedtime on Monday evening after having discovered a very funny person on Instagram and gobbling up his feed with gusto 😁

Alright then, it’s time for some pictures as promised. My assignment yesterday was to finish a crochet top I was working on. I was really procrastinating on it and couldn’t get a move on until I had you to hold me accountable.

So this was where I started yesterday morning:

And by the end of the day I managed to do a photo shoot for the IG 😊

front

back

I really feel good at how this top has turned out. I crocheted it out of emerald green silk thread that I had in my stash but never really knew what to do with. The drape is absolutely gorgeous by the way, and it just feels so luxurious on the skin ❤

I added the 3 buttons to help me distinguish the back from the front more than anything 😂 Those too I had sitting aimlessly in my stash.

So anyways, this assignment and how you guys have sorta egged me on to the finish line has definitely hatched an idea in my noggin’. But I’m going to share it with you towards the end of this week yet because it’s for next week and it’s a bit of a departure from the original format of this challenge.

Stay tuned for that!

Meanwhile my challenge for today is just to chill, do nothing, kick back on the sofa & contemplate the beautiful sunny Indonesian weather ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

It’s my husband’s birthday today and, although later there’s gonna be dinner & we’ve booked a weekend at a resort 2 weekends from now to celebrate,  I still feel it deserves a day of relaxation & to just sit still in a space of grateful appreciation 😊

So there you go, that’s my update for today. Tomorrow’s assignment is to close off another ‘unfinished business’, an online course this time.

I’ll see you guys then ❤

Knit Racerback Tee

Look at this pretty thing that I finished this month! She is gor-geous!  🤩

As a neophyte knitter, I really, really love it whenever I make something that I can wear. It’s just so amazing, I’m still not used to it (and I hope I never get used to it).

Just look at how she transforms when I add a necklace. She’s so versatile 😘 I could knit this in more colors, so easy!

Here‘s the free pattern if you’re interested.

First Diamond Painting Finish + Next Project

“Owlie” – (because I can’t think of anything more original right now 😂) who holds the distinguished honor of being the flag-bearer for my new-found hobby [Diamond Painting] – is finished!

Here he is framed & displayed in our little grooming room:

I covered the canvass with a sheet of plastic on the suggestion of the cleaning lady. She was worried that dust might settle between the beads & wiping them would cause the beads to come lose – smart observation!

(Oh and I’m really sorry about the poor quality of these photos. It’s been cloudy/rainy lately so I’m using indoor lighting only 😭).

And because I am just “high-strung” like that, here’s my next project:

Drill pens up in 5! 🤩

Bitten By A Sticky-Glittery Bug

Hello my friends! How have you been? I’m doing wonderful! 😎🌞

If you were wondering why I was silent it’s because I was bitten by the most wonderful bug ever – Diamond Painting!

I was looking for something for my daughter to do during the school break and thought to give diamond painting a try. So theeeen ….

Oh. My. Lord.

I’m hooked 😍😍😍

At first my daughter was tentative, so I got to working on the pattern (?) first. But now she won’t sleep until she’s done a patch or two 😆 I myself am so enamored with it, so sure that it’s gonna be a passion, that I’m dedicating a page to it on this blog! 😆

our (temporary) creative station 😁

If you don’t know what Diamond Painting is, I liken it to cross-stitching but you use beads (resins) instead. The result is a really very pretty & glittery picture.

We’re starting our crafty-colorful journey with this cutesy adorable owl which is, as of this post, about 75% done:

… But I’ve got big plans to move on to more intricate pictures. As a matter of fact, it’s taking me a lot of willpower not to do like most DP enthusiasts do – go on a huge diamond painting spree 🤩

If you happen to love this hobby too, I’d love to hear from you.  Do share your experience or some tips that’d be useful for a neophyte enthusiast like me. Likewise, if you blog about diamond painting, do leave a link in the comments section so I can read about your DP adventures too ❤️

May’s Pineapple-y Finish 🍍

Look at “Catherine”. She’s so “yuge” I can’t even picture her properly. We don’t have a large enough table that can properly accommodate her full size! 😁

She’ll be even more gorgeous (& yuge) once I’m done blocking 😍 Which, from the looks of it, is going to be a bit of a challenge 🤔

And errr … wasn’t staying away from crochet a goal of mine for May? 🤣 Talk about a preposterous idea! 🤣

✨ First Finish of 2018 ✨

📢  Ta-daaaaaah!

I finally finished “Anne” and I’m so proud because it’s actually something that I can and will wear 😄 (Oh and, I already hid that tiny tail at the front of the cowl, so that area is perfect now 😍).

Anne is a cowl-neck pullover knit in 100% fine weight cotton. Perfect for Indonesia’s sunny climate.

Other than when work on the cowl shaping overlaps with the shoulder shaping, this truly was such an easy (mindless) knit perfect for days when you just feel like plastering yourself to the couch and binge watching on Netflix (or Iflix here in Indonesia).

Unfortunately, the tailor’s dummy that I’m using is the same size as my 10 y.o. daughter 🙄, so the pullover looks longer & larger than it actually is when I wear it.

But on me it sits just right on my hipbones where a belt is tied to the side.

Perhaps one of these days I’ll come back to this post & model Anne myself to give her enough justice 😉

And I just realized, we’re almost halfway through 2018 and I only have 1 FO to show so far. Hmmmm … 🤨 I better get a move on it. I’d love to be able to finish 1 item per month, the better to look back on the year and enjoy the accomplishments 🤪

Avoiding A & B Has Led Me To C: An Almost-FO Friday Post 😁

A is for Anne

“Anne” is basically finished. I finished her last month already and yet, she still sleeps inside her project bag awaiting the day when I will finally perform the finishing touches that will move her from WIP to FO.

Is there anyone else out there who procrastinates when tucking-in tails & seaming? Please tell me I’m not the only one! 😁

B is for Black’s a Bitch

I do not know what I was thinking. As a lover of lace motifs, I let feelings overrule logic and set out to crochet an obscure “something wearable”  made out of black lace motifs – which aren’t even square to begin with and hence, require the invention of a filler motif.

Imagine the gazillion tails that I will need to tuck away eventually 🤪 Plus, working with black yarn is very difficult for when you need to correct something and have to unravel. #Crazy! 🤪 Already I burned through my supply of this yarn and will have to purchase more if I want to finish.

What I learned: motifs really use up a lot of yarn due to their tails – 2 each 🤪 😁

And finally ~

C is for (Creative) Constipation 🤭

I recently bought this beautifully variegated crochet thread that I was very excited to crochet a table centerpiece with. Well, 3 failed centerpieces later and I realize the variegation just doesn’t lend itself well to anything ornate such as a table center. The thread colors interfere with the ornate design creating a visually noisy item.

I wish I took a picture of it before unraveling so you could see what I mean but, here’s the thread up close:

Hmmm … I’m feeling a bit defeated today but I’m aiming at finishing at least one of them for next Friday.

This is nothing but a temporary dry spell, nothing that a jolt of Pinterest can’t cure, yes? 😉

How about you, how do you get yourself started again when experiencing a creative block?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! 😘