Andrea 
Callatis is the ancient name of a beautiful city on the shores of the Black Sea, currently called Mangalia (from its Turkish name – Mankalya). It used to be a great port and is now a main attraction among the many resorts that line the shore of the Black Sea in Romania. I wanted to … Read more
Use one of those magical gradient yarn cakes to make a soft and warm shawl, perfect for the looming autumn. The blackberry pudding shawl is as soft and comfortable as it sounds. It is a shawl worked from one point (the dark wine color in the sample) and features beautiful puff stitches that flow into … Read more
Make a beautiful and playful corner-to-corner crochet blanket that reminds you of the sun’s rays shining through deep blue waters, while soft waves travel along the surface. This blanket is made with treble stitches and lacy eyelets that create waves in the design. Use it on the beach, on the shores of a lake … Read more
What do you imagine when I say ”gooseberry”? Is it a small, round fruit with stripes on it? Is it a sweet and refreshing taste in the depth of summer? Is it warm air caressing your face while you try to get a whiff of that marmalade that’s cooking on the stove, fresh and slightly … Read more
Do you need a project to work on during long trips or while being out and about, needing to keep your hands busy? How about trying the new Blueberry Popsicle crescent shawl pattern? It’s free and great for beginners to learn a new shape, but also challenging enough that you won’t get bored working on … Read more
Have you ever visited Turkey or even just flown over it? If you have, you may have noticed the red rocks that form most of the landscape, the beautiful layering of sedimentary rocks that have oxidized along the thousands of years they have been exposed to wind and rain. If you haven’t yet, that’s one … Read more
This time of the year is always the same, at least in the Northern hemisphere. Everyone’s happy that the days are getting longer and the snowdrops are starting to bloom, there’s just the slightest scent of spring in the air and there are hearts everywhere you look. Hearts, hearts, hearts, hearts, hearts. It makes me tired … Read more
If you want to add this pattern to your Ravelry queue, you can find the pattern here. My parents came to visit in December, I hadn’t seen them in a long time. They brought with them the memories of old times, when my sister and I were kids, of Christmas breaks spent on a sled … Read more
If you’ve ever wondered how those lovely knit crescent shawls are made, but never put enough time and energy into finding out (and learning enough about knitting to figure it out), then you’ll love this crochet design that looks exactly the same. I just recently learned to knit such a crescent shawl, as I’m participating … Read more
See how I made a cute rug out of old yarns, using one of the nicest patterns out there, Blizzard warning.
Background It’s been bugging me for months now. I love that we have such a rich heritage and that all those symbols that we take for granted tell the stories of our ancestors. I say ‘stories’ because each person who has ever held a sewing needle in their hand and started making their own clothes … Read more
Are you getting ready for the summer? Here’s a new free pattern for a tank top that you can crochet yourself. If you’re not in the mood for stories and just want the pattern, here you go. I hope you enjoy it. It was a gloomy morning when I was packing my big suitcase all over again, … Read more
Several years ago, prompted by a little competition on a website that supports makers, I got the idea for making a sunflower, using the tsumami kanzashi technique. It was not enough, though, so I had to add something. A beaded piece was the natural thing to try, especially because I had a lot of black … Read more
Similar in many ways to the pointy petal, the pointed round petal has a fuller body and is best used as an accent. Learn from this quick tutorial how to make it. You can use these petals for making lotus flowers or butterflies, as leaves or insect heads and abdomen. Skip to the video tutorial. … Read more
These are quick sketches I did based on images of cardigans made by Bo-M crochet. They have nothing to do with how a kimono is constructed, so I will not use that name. Please don’t tell me I’m infringing any copyright, because I’m not. These are my drawings made by looking at some pictures of clothes. Clothes … Read more
Note: Until I populate this article with more examples to see the three principles in action, take a look through your own product photos and some posts from your favorite creators. More than five years have passed since I started creating with purpose and I began photographing my work. There were many lessons to learn … Read more
This pattern is dedicated to all those people out there, far away from their loved ones, who, like me, would like to send them all their love. My heart is breaking as I watch the news of what is going on in my country and I feel powerless, far away as I am. I do … Read more
I kept asking myself that whenever I encountered yet another c2c crochet item. Seeing all the swooning, the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of all the people admiring the finished items made with this technique made me curious. Can I do it? I tried, I failed (several times), I didn’t give it time and patience. I used … Read more
Skip to the pattern Yes, I know what you’re thinking, what’s with that typo in the title? Isn’t it supposed to be bubble-wrap? The answer would be yes, if you’re thinking of two plastic sheets fused together, trapping air bubbles in between them, but not if you want to protect your Kindle for years to … Read more
Today’s tutorial is based on my first ever original design using the tsumami-zaiku (or tsumami kanzashi) technique. An elegant bee with just a bit of shine. Yes, I used unconventional materials and the finished piece would look nowhere near decent in the coiffure of a geiko, but this is a design for contemporary people (see how … Read more
You’ve seen this image a thousand times. A gorgeous mirror surrounded by roses in full bloom. You know it would look perfect on your wall, the one decoration that’s missing. But the tutorials that you’ve found online don’t really tell the story of how these beauties are made and assembled. They just show different pictures … Read more
What does it feel like to be caressed every morning by soft petals? Or to plop down on the sofa after an exhausting day and, instead of calling the cat to sit on you so you can have your one-on-one session (which will never happen, either because you don’t have a cat or because cats … Read more
You’re just going around the room, carrying a cup of hot tea, admiring the nice wooden finish on all the furniture, wondering ‘Where in the name of tea should I put this cup down? It’s burning my fingers!’ and then the idea hits. You could make some nice coasters, so that next time you want … Read more
What do you need to do to have one pair of those gorgeous fabric flower earrings? It’s not complicated, you can learn it all from this tutorial I made for you. After many experiments, I finally came up with a method for creating these pretty earrings that’s easy to apply and to remember. The steps … Read more