No Crafting Content. Only Doggie Love.

Vodka, our ten year old labrador.

"What do you want?"

"Photographs! Are you out of your mind. I am trying to sleep."

"Fine, fine. I will give you one of those classic, majestic poses.
After that, I am so done with you."

"You are back again. Don't you understand dog language?
All that camera staring is messing up my eyes."

"For the last time, get out of my face."

Coaster Joy

Firstly, thank you for all your wonderful comments on my Grandma and her new hat. She is one happy woman—if she could read and were Internet savvy, all of you would have received many virtual hugs and kisses.

***

We had some birthday fun this weekend. My Uncle Joe and Aunt Molly, who I have blogged about a couple of times, are visiting us from Kuwait. We had a small birthday party for Molly at their new Bangalore apartment.

The birthday girl with my two younger brothers. Rayan and Alan are such cake piggies.

I made a set of six coasters as a Birthday/ Housewarming gift. Five of them model here.

Each coaster is backed with fabric (wonderful Indian print fabric).

This fabric is first backed with freezer paper. Well, I suppose “freezer paper” is the right term—it is hard fabric where one side is waxy and when ironed onto a fabric, both the fabrics fuse together. Dont forget to zig-zag both the fabrics after fusing them together (oh, I love talking sewing). Then handsew this new fabric onto the crocheted round.

Proud Owners of some Coaster Joy

One more picture for the road?

Pattern for crocheted side: Crochet in a round; I used instructions from Crocheting School
Fabric from a local, street store off Commercial Street; Freezer fabric from Ravi's Craft Shop
Yarn: Odds and ends of stash yarn
Crochet Hook: 3.5mm

Way too much sun. Way too cute a grandma.

It is way too hot in Bangalore. It is so hot that it is wonderful to be here--away from the butt-freezing cold. I am currently enjoying being roasted in the heat, and would not want to change a single thing.

Then there is my super cute, super pretty, "I am going to be 85 soon", Grandma. She is very fashionable, and loves a good haircut (The stylist is my mom. It is one of those "at your own risk" kinda things).

Just after her new haircut

If and when you meet her, tell her you love her current haircut, current dress, current walking stick. You will be her friend for life.

It is so hot here, that my Grandma wanted a hat that will go with her new haircut. A warm hat. Crazy but true. A warm hat with an flower embellishment. Like I said, she is very fashionable :), and very particular about how her stuff should look and feel. This beanie was made under her strict supervision...especially its embellishment.

Irish lace, two layered flower motif

I should say lace inspired since I used worsted yarn and not so thin crochet hook

The Crazy but True Beanie

Grandma!

Pattern: Single Crochet Beanie
Embellishment Pattern: In Crocheting School
Yarn: Local light worsted yarn from a store on Commercial Street, Bangalore. One has to buy by the gram
Crochet Hook: 4.00mm for hat; 3.5mm for embellishment

I was in a crappy mood, and then there was dessert...

Thank you. I fell asleep thinking about my UFOs, and being very grateful for not being the only one in the cold, dark land of haunting unfinished objects. I do think about how liberating it would be to be in non-UFO land. I would never know. I do not have the dedication, self-control, loyalty, and diligence to live in non-UFO land. Anyway, without having UFOs, I might lose the little social status I have as a crafter.

***

I woke up this morning in a very crappy mood. Why?--just. Wanted to post something here, but kept drawing a blank. Maybe some pictures from India? Na. Yarn. Nope, I am trying to destash. Cat, dog? Though having a pet seems to be a pre-requisite for having a craft blog, I don't have a cat or dog (I would love to have a dog). However, my parents have Vodka, our ten year old labrador. I will blog about him one of these days.

Drawing a blank continues. This is very unlike me--I love blogging. It is cathartic, free, and definitely free unlike therapy.

Drawing a blank continues. Just then my brothers want some dessert. I make some crepes with figs, strawberries, ice-cream, and chocolate sauce. Super easy and super quick.

I am very happy person right now. Thank goodness for dessert. What can be a more fitting post on this crappy mood day?

Do you believe in the UFO Curse?

I think I have been cursed by my UFOs. The minute I become greedy and begin too many projects all at once, somehow none of them seem to work out. By the end of the day, I am quite disgusted with myself. So I go back to the UFOs, and they finish super quick and turn out decent. So I have resolved to be faithful to my UFOs for the time being. Hopefully then the curse will go away.

The bond between my UFOs and me has become quite intimate thanks to my mother. I usually try to spend time with my mother in the evenings, and her evenings are consumed by bad television--those Hindi anti-feminist, woman as villian, "ideal India woman" as heroine, kind of TV soaps. Do not get me started. I am sure a google search will give you sufficient critical discussion on the issue.

Moving on. I take solace in my UFOs (or am I also getting sucked in too?...the contradictions....). I had made several granny squares over last Fall for no real project, and brought them to India to turn them into "something". This is that something.

Bad Television, Granny Square Neckwarmer

Chunky Buttons from Ravi's Craft Shop, Bangalore
(I hope I become a shareholder at this store)

Pattern: 4 Basic Granny Squares sewed together
Yarn: Lion Brand's Homespun in Harvest
Crochet Hook: 5.5mm

Alan, the Creative Dancer

Alan

My brother, Alan, is a part of a professional, Indian contemporary dance team in Bangalore called Aryavarta; Aryavarta is also the dance team of his college. The team has won several competitions and events in the city and region.

I am a proud sister :), and here are some pictures. Other than the dance form, I really like the costumes and the bright colors. Well, when I figure out sewing...

Aryavarta at a recent inter-collegiate festival

****

Other dance teams

Kitty Kat Kid Bag

This bag is on its way to Las Vegas as a belated birthday gift for Ruha....Ruha is my friend Malvika's three year old daughter.

The body of the bag was crocheted in December. Life took over, and I just made the handles. The body is a long strip of fabric made of 25/28 single crochet, and I began with the cream color. After a little more than 3/4th of cream, I switched to blue. Folded the strip into half and made a rugged mattress stitch on two sides.

I cant get over how cute these kitties are...and they are eating watermelon! The kitties are machine-embroidered iron-ons from Ravi's Craft Shop. I had concerns about ironing them on directly on the yarn, and if they would hold on well. A sewing friend suggested that I first place the kitties on the bag, then a 100% cotton fabric on the bag, and then iron the kitties (now that sounded awful). It worked like a charm.

Here the green button is an accessory. I thought a "functional" button might be a little difficult for a three year old. It was a challenge to find the right (you know what I mean) big button on Commercial Street. Most craft shops sell white and wooden buttons in a large size, and if I did find a big button in another color, it was a shade I did not want. Actually, I was looking for another green, but I made peace with this one.

Pattern: Made it up myself
Crochet Hook: 6mm
Yarn: Lion's Brand Wool Ease (worsted) in Blue Heather and Fisherman

Crafty Bangalore: You add color...

I was at a local inter-collegiate festival, and one of the competitions was Rangoli or the traditional art of drawing motifs on the ground with colored sand/rice powder. It was a pleasant surprise to see all this spectacular color. As a child, I remember my neighbours "putting" Rangoli at their doorstep. Here are pictures of the competition entries for you to gaze at.







And bonus. I received this beautiful bhandini (tie and dye) dupatta (a long scarf worn with South Asian tunics) from my brother, Rayan. He was in Rajasthan on a school field trip, and of course, wanted to get something handmade for his yarny-obsessed sister. I love him. Most of the time.


It was truly an inspirational day. It was a bright, happy-colored day. Nice, colorful dreams to you too.

"First Class" Hairband

My first class in sewing school was learning to stitch a straight line. I first felt that I was doing some complicated dance move--holding the material, moving the circular motor, and pedaling at the same time. Once I got the hang of it, it was fun! After many lines--back and forth, back and forth--I had a tortured and tormented blue strip of fabric.

So now what. The sentimental fool that I am, I would like to keep this fabric.

I could wear it as a abstract, high-fashion scarf...orange hanging threads and all. Well...guess not.

What about a fancy chocker? Hmmm. I would need a serious lifestyle change to pull this one off.

Ok then. Maybe a hairband. I sewed (yes, sewed!) a snap button at the end, cut off all the excess threads, and here is my personalized creation. I suppose I could call it a FO.

Crafty Bangalore: Yarnventures on Commercial Street!

This may sound surreal to some of you...it is surreal to me. I am yet to fully get my head around how things work and are made (im)possible in our rapidly changing world.

Cindy lives in California, and is now in Bangalore for the next two years. I am originally from Bangalore, now live in NYC, and currently visiting Bangalore. We recently got to know each other through the very addictive Ravelry, and met today! It was great to meet a new yarny friend. We roamed Commercial Street, and visited the usual suspects--the small craft stores perpendicular to Commercial Street and fabric stores on the parallel (behind?) to it. Bliss.

Crafty Gazing by Cindy: At Ravi's Craft Shop, Commercial Street.

This shop sells knitting and needlework related threads, fabric, and notions. There is also prettiness overload in the form of Indian embroidered ribbon, beads, and all that bling. And if you are lucky, which you will usually be, you will find the most unexpected, unique finds here. Be ready to be pleasantly surprised. I would encourage you to first visit this store for your needs. I have always found Ravi most reasonable with his pricing and very helpful--he is filled with ideas and suggestions of how you can increase your craft hoarding ;)

Surya Emporium, Commercial Street

Have you any wool? Well, nope. Only acrylic yarn is available on Commercial Street, and I am yet to find a store in Bangalore which sells wool and natural fibers. If you do know of something, please let me know. There will be many grateful crafters!

We fell in love with this double-toned cotton fabric. Sold off Commercial Street. Once I learn to sew in a straight line (!), I could work some magic, right?


My childhood friend Nasir's beautiful drapery and upholstery store--Zara on Commercial Street. A must see! I have so many pictures, I think I might have to do a separate blog post about Zara.

Lunch at Samarkand, Infantry Road. The restaurant's menu looks like a newspaper!

The food was great! Burp. Now for some photographs in our very fashionable, apron-like bibs.

Crafty Bangalore: Singer Showroom, Commercial Street

Guess who is learning how to machine sew! It is time I moved beyond hand sewing and figured machine action. I have been taking some classes since I got to India and one of my earliest projects was how to machine seam this polka dot fabric before hand sewing it onto the crochet piece.

Singer showroom on Commercial Street. This is where I am taking my beginner sewing classes. I know little about sewing and nothing about sewing machines...so this post must not be understood as endorsing Singer. I had to look around for classes quite a bit, and didn't even know that there was this option right under my nose! Therefore, thought this post might be useful for someone who is looking for sewing classes in Bangalore. Singer has beginner to advanced classes, and they are at a very reasonable rate. Also, Bindu, the teacher, is really good and fun to learn from.

Class in motion

I am learning on such really cool, old school, manual sewing machines. Though I am loving the sewing, the pedaling action getting to me. I tried an automatic machine the other day, and now I know what I have been missing out on. But I suppose there is something to be said about these super sturdy, back-in-the-day machines.