Featured Etsy Stock Taker: LikeFreja.

LikeFreja

My name is Lora aka Freja Moon, and I live in a Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Most of my life I had very urban and very technical focus but since my boy have been born I returned to my artistic and crafty core.

It happens that I found I am strongly attracted to fashion knitting and crocheting and fiber arts in general. So I have started a shop, called LikeFreja where I can share the love of hand knitting and crocheting with others around the globe. My knowledge is based on my grand mums lessons and my passion to read and experiment with the needles and the hooks.

My favorite part of the work is choosing the right yarn for a project. It should be a premium quality and with a trendy appearance. Very often my designs come as a consequence of the material I am in love with. So I assume I am a yarn-o-cholic :)

Come and see my shop where you can appreciate my work and I am sure, you will feel special and connected. Thank you!


What's the Etsy Stock Take?

It's an opportunity for artisans with an Etsy shop is get more exposure. I believe in buying handmade and I would like to encourage others to do so more regularly. If you are looking for a great gift, the curated Best of the Month Etsy Stock Takes are a good place to start. If you are an Etsy shop owner, please get involved!

Would you like to be featured next? Contact me and we'll set it up (it's free!).

How to: Winter's Coming Lip Scrub.

I have always suffered with chapped lips in the winter. This year I decided to try and do something about it. I had seen a few sugar lip scrubs being advertised (like this one at Lush). So I made lip scrub!

Ingredients:

I wanted to find a way to make a sugar scrub with ingredients I already have in my store cupboard. I did some digging around online and came up with a list of things that I could use...

• Coconut oil 
• Chocolate and vanilla 
• Honey, olive oil and Vaseline

My first try recipe:

I mixed the following ingredients together with a fork:

• 3 teaspoon (tsp) white caster sugar
• 1 tsp coconut oil

This was a bit too dry and crumbly so I added the following:

• 1 tsp solid honey
• 1 tsp olive oil (But read to the end...)

How to use:

Rub a little on to your lips in a circular motion. Then lick it off! Follow up with a good rich moisturising cream. I use the hand and lip cream I made not too long ago...

What I learnt:

• Don't bother making this with brown sugar, it dissolves! Goodness knows what they do to make sugar white and non-dissolving...
• It would have been better if I had left out the olive oil. When I wanted to use my scrub the next day the olive oil had separated and was sitting on top of the rest of the mix. I just poured it off. Also the olivey taste doesn't go all that well with the coconut and honey.

PS. Are you into buying handmade? Yes? Then you should check out the amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take. If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)

Spiral Granny Square Blanket Progress.

So I've made all my little granny squares and I am now in the process of crocheting them together into a spiral. They are super cute!

What I've learnt so far:

• I weaved in the ends for about an inch and then trimmed off the excess. Then they were blocked individually before I started to join them together.  Next time I think I will weave in the ends and not cut off the extra until after blocking the squares as some of them are already working their way loose and I'm a little bit worried about the integrity of one or two once the blanket is in use... oh uh! 

• I like the joining up method suggested by the queen of colourful granny squares, Lucy at Attic24. It's very rhythmic and the joining up stitches don't show on the front. 

• I took a picture of the squares laid out on the floor in the right pattern and referred to this when joining them up row by row. This helped with the confusion of working a spiral in straight lines (not easy for the brain I discovered!) 

• The little squares didn't all turn out the same size after blocking which is a bit strange and creates bumps, but I'm sure once I've blocked the complete blanket things will sit nice and smooth. 

 

Blocking makes little baby curly squares all grown up and smooth! More on the ins and outs of blocking knitting and crochet here, where I blocked Marmee's waistcoat.

More on this project in Ravelry.

PS. Are you into buying handmade? Yes? Then you should check out the amazing stuff in the Etsy Stock Take. If you sell your craft on Etsy, please come and join in :)

Handknitted scarf in LifesJewels

I'm working on reviving LifesJewels on Etsy, slowly adding new items. I'm super excited about seeing the shop fill up!

 First up: A lavender and cream infinity cowl inspired by summer butterflies in Provence. Just in time to have a bit of summer in autumn! That will make the change of seasons easier :)

Special offer: Follow me on twitter @katezat and tweet me and I'll send you a 10% off coupon code. 




PS. Do you sell your creations on Etsy too? Then you must check out the Etsy Stock Take. You can share your items and I tweet and pin my favourites. If you like to buy handmade please go and have a look at what my readers are up to!

How to: Beaded shoulders - Jazz up a Jumper.

 

I beaded a jumper! 

I bought this top in a sale some time ago, pure cashmere, a bargain. But it just wasn't doing it for me, the colour was a bit meh, and I only wore it once or twice.

Then I saw some gold coloured seed beads in my local supermarket when still living in Geneva, Switzerland (they have amazing craft stuff in their supermarkets!) and I knew what I had to do.

I hand-sewed the beads on, not pulling the thread too tight. I followed the shape of the shoulders and didn't really plan where to start or stop, although I did try to get the two shoulders even and matching.

Now I really enjoy my cashmere jumper and it has become a wardrobe staple, the beads make all the difference, adding a certain je ne sais pas.

It makes sense to me to modify clothes that I already have to make them work better for me, rather than constantly buying new stuff, or dumping things that I'm not wearing much. Especially when it is a high quality item or fabric.

I wonder how others work their wardrobes...

Feathering my nest - Lux style.

Before

After!

For the last Making Winter blog hop I mentioned that I wanted to feather my nest and make things cosy inside so I could forget about the cold outside. I made little hearts trying to get to know my sewing machine a bit better, while also looking for ways to up-cycle my old beloved quilt.

This time I've just finished pimping up one of the hearts. I don't quite know what possessed me, but I just had to cover one side in beads.

Oh, I love the contrast in texture, homely and lux, matt and shiny. And it's so tactile. All my favourite things when it comes to making stuff! This little baby is promised to my sister (do you like it Tala?). That means I'll have to make another for myself!

I think I'm going to submit this for my Monthly Make as well :)

What are you making?

 

A pair of knitted socks.

The second pair of knitted socks - Tah Dah moment!

I've officially finished my second pair of socks (ever). They are great.

I can really see a good progression in even tension and the overall professional look of the socks (especially if I compare with my first pair!). I am very pleased with these and so is Mr C.

To see photos for each step of the way check out the stages:

1. One sock finished.
2. One down, one to go.
3. One and a half...
4. Then they were a pair!

It's taken me a couple of months, but it was well worth the trip. Go back and see how each stage progressed, especially if you want to find some good resources to help you with your socks.

Knitting socks is not as scary as it looks, have a go!

What's next?

I've already been working on a swatch for my next project, a waistcoat for Marmee. More on that soon! You can see the wool above - yummy no? :)

What are you up to?

Vintage Cars in Hamburg - VW Beetle with Skis.

Too cool!  Vintage motor and vintage skis!

I saw this last week in the east of Hamburg somewhere.

I was on my way through the city with the precious cargo of 4 x in-laws who had just flown into Lübeck Airport. Thankfully we were stopped at a traffic light and I could whip out my camera! Sis-in-law did a good job of getting the photo below. The vintage skis were so appropriate for the current big freeze weather we're having!

LOVE!

This is part of my new photography project: Vintage Cars in Hamburg. I now carry my camera wherever I go and I will collect pictures of old cars that I see while out and about. They just make me happy.

1. Mini Cooper
2. V.W. Beetle 

Any nice cars around your way?

Snow again in Hamburg.

Snow in Hamburg this morning!

There we go - more snow in Hamburg! A proper snow this time. The kind that is waiting for you like a mysterious wonderland, that surprises you when you peek out from behind your curtains in the morning. We had sun and partial clouds forecast for this weekend, so this was a lovely unexpected event.

I just hope they clear the roads as I've got to do a long drive tomorrow. I don't want ice!

How's the weather where you are? Do you have the same season as me?

Vintage Cars in Hamburg: VW Beetle

Vintage Cars in Hamburg: VW Beetle

Look at this baby! 

I saw this last week in the Eppendorf area. In fact, I saw it a month or so ago and regretted not taking a photo of it then, so I was really happy when I passed by again and it was in practically the same spot!

I really like the moss green colour against the winter trees.

This is part of my new photography project: Vintage Cars in Hamburg. I now carry my camera wherever I go and I will collect pictures of old cars that I see while out and about. They just make me happy.

For more in the vintage car photo collection:

1. Mini Cooper
2. V.W. Beetle 
3. V.W. Beetle with vintage skis

Any nice cars around your way?

Feathering my nest.

Quilt Hearts: Feathering my nest

Just a quick little post to join in with Making Winter.

I'm trying to ignore the January darkness without by making things super cosy within! I've been playing about getting to know my sewing machine again and looking for ways of up-cycling my old beloved quilt. As a result I now have 3 little magnet stuffed hearts and one that will hang on its own ribbon. 

Sweet! 

Nearly a pair of socks!

I've made some progress on Mr C's socks. 

The second of the pair is about half way through. In fact, in the last day or so (since taking this picture) I have turned the heel - the best bit! It really looks like a sock now and not just a tube! Can't wait to see them in use.

Oh by the way, knitting socks is doable and not as scary as you would think!

Updates:

1. One sock finished.
2. One down, one to go.
3. One and a half...
4. Then they were a pair!

What are you working on?

Early Morning Hamburg Blue Sky

Early Morning Hamburg Blue Sky

One day last week (I think it was Friday), my husband and I were sitting having breakfast early in the morning. Must've been about 7ish. 

Suddenly it dawned on us (pun intended!) that there was a beautiful sky outside, the sun was not quite up yet and the buildings and trees opposite our home formed a stark silhouette against the blue ombre heavens.

This might not seem like a lot to many, but here clear mornings are far and few between. We have been battling low ominous clostrophobic skies for weeks on end and for a moment last week we felt free! 

Only lasted one day though. We enjoyed it while it lasted. I even got to wear my sunglasses!

What's your weather like?

Secret Codes and Hamburg Graffiti.

Secret codes in Hamburg. 

A topic that sucks me in. I remember working out what the runes in my childhood copy of The Hobbit spelt, one letter at a time. I still have the piece of paper tucked inside that book.

The Secret Symbols of Travelers and Thieves

Watching Mad Men, in one episode a homeless traveller marks a fence post with chalk, the picture representing how he was treated in the house he visited on his wanderings. Apparently those codes go back to the Great Depression of the 30's. Incidentally, those symbols were also used by thieves.

In a modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, an episode covers a mystery involving Chinese smugglers. Of course, Holmes and Watson don't know that to start with, all they have are some bright yellow spray-painted symbols and a murder or two to go on.

Imagine my interest the other day when I sighted on a series of symbols in Hamburg. I was walking down the Lange Reihe (going to collect my sewing machine from it's service, very exciting, more to come on that!) and kept seeing this little humming bird everywhere.

Is it a message? 

A challenge perhaps?

I think I like this type of graffiti. 

It's pretty. It's mysterious. It leaves me wanting more. 

Do you have any interesting markings round your way?

Making Winter: Twinkle Lights.

I hoard jam jars. I can't help it, I just love them. (They say admitting it is the first step on the road to recovery. We'll see...).

We have a particularly big glut of them at the moment and when I bemoaned the fact that they won't all fit in the cupboard Mr C suggested putting candles in some of them.

Well, of course!

I could go all crafty (it has been known) and decorate each jar, but I think I am really liking the simplicity of them grouped as they are on the window sill.

It does make a winter evening that bit warmer.

Let's join Thrifty Household and Silver Pebble in their making winter better quest.

The first snow!

I am very happy to announce that snow has arrived in our parts. Very exciting because the only thing that redeems winter, in my opinion, is snow. Hurrah!

Reading the news I can see that it's arrived in the UK too, albeit up north.

Check out the red squirrel digging about for nuts under the falling snow - he's a courageous little thing!

It's hard to photograph snow, my camera has a 'snow function' but I should really learn how to do it properly and how it works...

Is it snowing where you are?