Blue Eyed Beauty

Annalisa is a lovely girl, but her eyes lacked the sparkle that I always wanted. Sooo, she got a makeover!!!

Before

 ... And After!

 

I also crocheted the wig that she is currently wearing. This is my first time making a wig. And it turned out pretty good I think. It only took me about 4 hours to complete. 

 

Organizing is Fun!

 What a fun way to spend a rainy Sunday! Recently I discovered the joy of ordering Knit Picks yarn. With two orders delivered and a third one on the way, I  needed to organize my stash.  Here is the fruit of my labour. 

I am pretty satisfied Knit Picks yarn. Knit Picks is affordable. And its' Palette collection got about a million colours, and I like knitting for my dolls with it.

 

 And every time I receive their package in the mail it feels like Christmas!

My quickly dwindling Knit Picks stash.

Pretty in Pink

 Annalisa adores her beautiful new outfit!  She has asked to take a picture of it to show it off.

 

 The sweater was knitted from luxurious and fluffy mohair. She says that it is supremely comfy. Annalisa specifically requested a shade of pink to match her hair.

And the pink and grey striped leggings complete the outfit. In their previous life they were a sock.

Shawl from the Past

This shawl I completed a few years ago.  And then it sat in the bottom drawer, unblocked and forgotten until last winter. Only after blocking it, I realized what a treasure and beauty this shawl really is.

 The pattern is Little Arrowhead Shawl.  The yarn is 80% baby suri alpaca and 20% silk by Misti Alpaca, a real treat! The shawl is extremely light and airy with a tiny halo.

How could I ever put off finishing this shawl for two whole years?!    

My Doll Nella Says Hello!

Nella is a doll from Germany made by a great artist Annette Himstedt. She came home to live with me in January 2012. I adore her. She looks like a really cute toddler with flaming red hair, stunning grey eyes and a button nose. She is a serious and thoughtful child.

As soon as Nella arrived and looked around, she announced that she wanted a companion to play with. Sooooo, I complied and Setina is now on her way home.

 I love making clothes for my Nella. And my girl makes a wonderful model. She is extremely patient, enjoys trying on clothes, and does not complain during photoshoots.
 Here are some of the things I crocheted for my dear Nella:

•  A pink top with white stripes. And a white flower with three pink beads in the center.  (Nella wanted a picture with her favourite toy bunny) 

•  A lacy white dress with ruffles at the bottom of the skirt. And two tiny blue flowers which also serve as buttons.

•  And finally, a striped blue and white dress.

 Cuteness Overload!!!

Completed Project: Rainbow Blanket

 I am extremely pleased to have completed this afghan. I started it in February 2012. I bought this blanket as a kit in Mary Maxim called Midnight Brites Blanket. I added four extra rows to the pattern.

There are 7 colours, 315 little squares and 1260 tails to weave in.  I cannot believe I actually finished this blanket.  It was alot of work but definitely worth it. It looks sooo beautiful. I love it!

In the beginning...

Welcome Home Annalisa!

After a lengthy and tiresome wait, my precious Annalisa has finally arrived! She is my first ball jointed doll (bjd doll). She is more than everything I expected. Annalisa is a Luts Kid Delf - Aru. 

     First breath of fresh air!

Annalisa is 17 years old and in her last year of high school were she majors in art studies. She is fabulously artistic and creative. She likes painting, drawing, music and yoga.

 She is an exchange student from France, who came to Canada to learn english. She will dearly miss her lovely cat who stayed back in France.

 

Annalisa is a little bit tired from her long journey but excited to meet me.  And curious about starting her wonderful, new adventures in Toronto.

FO: Infinity Cowl and Mitts

Made this for my dear mom to wear in the coming fall and winter.

Here is the link for the pattern Infinity Trinity Cowl and Mitts.It is a free pattern, although I bought the magazine just for this cowl. I used Click Chunky with Wool by Sirdar. The colour is tweedy grey.

Easy to follow pattern, and the cables made it interesting. The only modification is shortening the length of the cowl.

Beautiful, sunny weather today, so I took the opportunity to go to the park and take some photos.

Twice Baked Potatoes

The star of tonight's dinner was twice baked potatoes made by me! Delicious!  I could not pass an opportunity to take a photo. It was inspired by the family dinner we had at Baton Rouge Restaurant.

My Fish Spike Says Hello...

Here is my lovely betta fish named Spike (which my dear brother calls Sushi). Finally, I got a decent picture of  him.

 Spike came home a few months ago and has settled wonderfully here. He is my first fish and it looks like we get along beautifully. Now I am dreaming about a bigger, better aquarium for Christmas. I am thinking about getting guppies or mollies. (Santa, can you hear me?) 

Completed Project: Elise Shawl

A gift for my dear mom but modelled by me. Light and airy shawl. What can be better for summer evenings?

 It was a sunny and beautiful day, so we went to the park for a walk and to take the pictures. As soon as we finished, we were caught in a warm, summer rain. It was fun and refreshing to walk home in the rain.  

The  pattern is called Elise shawl. The yarn used is Cascade Heritage Paints  85% Merino, 15% Silk. A great, great yarn, which quickly is becoming one of my favourites.

Seeing Double

 As I intended, here is a second Jetsetter Sweater from Crochet Today!, May/June 2012.

 This one is for my mom with some modifications. I changed the neck edging and shortened the sleeves. Also I added some waist shaping and lengthened the body.

My mom chose two shades of her favourite colour- lavender.

Completed Project: Julissa

 Yes! I am getting ready for the fall in the middle of the summer!

I could not wait to snap a few pictures even though it was 36C/97F
outside.

I really like how this sweater turned out for many reasons:
1) spectacular fit
2) interesting design
3) great colour
4) well written pattern with amazing photos
5) and it was fun to knit

  The pattern is called Julissa by Vanessa Smith. The yarn I used is 220 Superwash Paints by Cascade. I am loving the colour way.

Overall a great success!

 

Completed Project: Jetsetter Sweater!

I knew I had to make this top when I saw it on front page of Crochet Today! May/June 2012. I utterly loved it! 

The pattern was fairly easy to follow, and it looks great.

The yarn I used is called  Butterfly Super 10 by EL. D. Mouzakis. It is 100% cotton, and great for summer. And the orange is fun! It is is the colour of the season.


When my mom saw it she asked me to make another one for her also.

  Pictures  are soon to come of that one also.

Introductions

Hello and Welcome!
My passion for knitting and crocheting has inspired me to create this blog. Hopefully, the blog will help to document and organize my (many) projects and ideas. 

My name is Alina. I am a twenty-something girl living in Toronto, Canada.:

 I have always been creative. I have done cross-stitching, jewellery, silk flowers, and beading.

   In 2007 I discovered knitting and have been hooked ever since. And my love for it continues to grow. Since then I' ve started crocheting also. To me these crafts  are like a way of life, calming, mindful and rewarding.
                                          This is me: