Woolmint handmade items

Kalmer the teddy bear

2010-04-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

Do you remember my little niece Kaisu? She just celebrated her first birthday.
Kalmer the teddy bear had to be made for her birthday, but I didn't have an opportunity to finish it on time.

Making him was quite a challenge for me, because I haven't done toys before and I thought I never will. Tiny legs and hands plus clothing were finished in a week, next to other project I had to make.
I like the result and Kalmer (my coworkers gave him a name. Although I thought he looks more like a girl, they desiced that a boy's name is more suitable for him) will get some more bear friends soon!

Pattern is my own.
I will list him to my Etsy shop soon!

Woolmint moved

2010-04-26T22:33:00.001-07:00

Attention!

Woolmint has a new blog address: http://woolmint.blogspot.com.

Previous entries have transfered there, see you :)

Giveaway winner, finally!

2009-12-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

Hi!

As I mentioned before, because of illness I had some very bad days before holidays.
I'm very sad that I wasn't able to collect all your contacts you sent for giveaway, but I just didn't feel well and I was surprised by the big amount of subscribers.

I got 137 people to participate. Wow!
Random.org picked a number 81 (how can I copy the photo here, anyone knows? first time I used it...) and the winner is Melanie R. from Canada.
I'll contact you this evening and ask for your address!

Because of the late post I would like to double the bid: winner will get a pair of fingerless gloves with her neck warmer and of course, the color of neck warmer is up to her too. I'm ready to to everything personal!

I have some fun projects going on, I'll write about it in my first newsletter and I promise a lot of news ;)

News!

2009-12-16T00:57:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

There's still the winner of giveaway and I'm sorry for that.
I had some busy working days in Italy, with limited possibility to use Internet. Now I'm back, but I'm sick and it's hard for me to keep my eyes open and get off the bed.
I'll complete the list of participants as soon as possible, winner will be announced and parcel sent before Christmas!

Long creamy winter socks

2009-12-02T00:48:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write more about the long socks I made last week, but happened that a day after I finished the pair, they were already sold. Probably a Christmas gift to someones wife or girlfriend :)
The plan was to make better photos before blogging, but now they're already on their way to US.

I'm not a fan os sock-knitting, especially long socks. But I had a perfect wool for making them and I wanted to prove myself that I'm patient enough for completing both socks.

I have about about six or seven lonely knitted socks (and four mittens) in my craft basket, because somehow I lost motivation to make the second one. It was more fun to start new projects rather than doing the same thing twice.

The pattern is my own, a mix of previous designs. I probably make another pair (purple!), but a little different: less lacy, more cables.
Yarn: 100% wool, about 100 grams
Needles: 3,5mm bamboo
Length: 43cm

Next week I'll be in South-Italy, Bari. Already found an address of local yarn shop, would like to take my knitting needles with me (hours long waiting in airports), but it's mission impossible. The airport security always take them away as very dangerous whepon :) So I won't even bother this time...

Like kid in a candy shop

2009-11-30T07:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have 50 followers!
It's a big compliment to me, I'm so happy you have found something that keeps you coming back. And please, leave comments, I love to know who you are and what you like :)

I feel like a small kid in a candy shop now. Just bought so many new yarns, the basket is filled. And more coming tomorrow!
Some of them are for custom orders, some for experimenting with new designs.

I have a basic policy to use only natural fibers.When I started knitting years ago, main criterion for yarn buying was cheap price. In last year it has changed: I value more quality than quantity and I want my designs to last longer than two washings.
You'll find no acrylic in my stock, mostly wool, merino wool, silk, alpaca, bamboo, cotton and mix of them.
Yep, acrylics are cheap, but loose shape quicker than natural materials and crunch under the fingers while knitting. I do make exeptions for some effect yarns, but usually artificial is outsider in our house.

Monday Moodboard: Purple

2009-11-30T00:18:00.000-08:00

My mood is made by fleurfatale, wearaddiction, milloo and mysticfibers from Etsy European Street Team.

Let's face it: purple is a hot color at the moment. It wasn't one of my favorites until this summer, but then I discovered different shades of purple and find it very rich and ambitious color. If you haven't fell in love with purple, you should try: sometimes things surprise and you can find a cool new favorite.

More moodboards on FleurFatale's blog.

Little knitting

2009-11-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

Do you remember my little niece? She has grown since you met her last time, the small lady is seven months old.

But it's not the only reason why I wanted to show her fresh photo, taken today when my brother and his family stop by.

It's about the cardigan too. I knitted it a while ago and already forgot I have it, but now, when I was reorganizing my craft boxes, I found it again.
Fits perfectly to little Kaisu (Kaisu is her name and means Cuddly in English. Not very popular name and first I thought my brother is joking, if he told the babies name, but now everyone is used to it), although there's enough space for growing too.

The yarn is ordered from Ebay, from some kind of Chinese seller. Pure wool, extra soft and warm. Not like Estonian wool which is often itchy and uncomfortable. Chinese sheep have probably more sun and daylight than ours, it makes a difference :)

The jacket was knitted months ago, but knitting kept me busy today until midnight. Wanna know what I did? Still too early to tell, but I'll give you a hint with this photo:

Charity fair in kindergarten

2009-11-26T23:51:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we had a charity fair in Oliver's kindergarten. It was a first time event, so nobody really knew how popular it will be and how many parents are ready to create something for selling. You can see the result on first photo, our groups table was filled with interesting things. Most of us made handmade items, some parents brought old toys and other stuff, teachers baked muffins and waffles.

I made some crocheted hats, a neck warmer and 2 pairs of knitted woolen sock for the fair. Socks were sold a day before the event and all items found a new owner :)

Guess what I bought? A jar of jam. And one more... And one more... And more and more and more. 6 jars in total, all with different tastes: cranberry, strawberry, apple, plum and others. Now you must understand that I'm crazy of jam :)

Cristmas giveaway

2009-11-26T00:23:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank all my readers for being with me with a small giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a merino neck warmer, made from very soft merino wool and decorated with cables and two beautiful buttons.

From November 2009 I produce my handmade items under trademark Woolmint, the new website will be soon open!

There's only one rule for participating.

No matter where in the world you live, you have a chance to win the neck warmer if you join my mailing list.

You will be the first one noticed if Woolmint has some special offers or new collection is coming out. You will receive a newsletter once a month with interesting topics to read.

OR:

Leave your e-mail address and name to the comments on this post.

Giveaway starts now and lasts until 3rd December. Winner will be picked from new e-mail subscribers and blog comments with e-mail by Random.org, I will contact the winner directly by e-mail and let everyone know in my blog who the lucky person is.

Craft house will be open on Friday!

2009-11-25T04:07:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for this for soo long!
We had an exclusive peak to our new craft house which will be officially open to guests on Friday.

There are more than ten open studios where visitors can see artists working and participate in different workshops. And they still have some rooms availible, which keep me thinking of my own studio too.. But I already have a full time job and at the moment I'm not ready to quit it.

One of my favorites is Raina's workroom, where she creates amazing hand felted pictures. Her favorites are landscapes and flowers, I fell in love with one blossom cherry tree picture. The big picture on the photo is made for exhibition.

Besides Raina you can meet a lot of interesting people with fascinating stories.
Eddi is the best known ceramist in town, former major Margus Rebane is making baskets from willow and newspapers.
The women are felting, knitting, making jewelry and leather items, there are textile artists, a doll house, carpet chamber and a lot more interesting.

On the first floor the gallery is selling applied art and crafts made in same house. Whenever you come to Pärnu, the place is really worth to visit. The address is Uus5, the house is open from Tue-Fri 11-17 and on Saturdays 11-15.

Black Friday sounds scary

2009-11-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

I’m a bit scared of this Black Friday thing.

It’s first time I heard about this kind of shopping event, because it’s not in common in Europe, especially in Estonia.

We have had some sales here that drive people crazy. Lately a new shoe shop opened doors and offered for their 99 first clients any of the shoes for price less than $9. Means, grab a pair of $300 boots and if you’re in 99 first buyers, you will pay only $9.
After first 99 clients they had to close down again for cleaning the mess, because hundreds of people tried to grab a bargain.
But no one was insured, no one was dead.

Last year at least 3 people died in Black Friday events in US. One was Wal-Mart’s worker and two people in Toys R Us were shot and killed during an argument. It makes me chary. No matter how good the price is, it shouldn’t be the reason for hurting someone else.

That’s why I like the idea of Cyber Monday more. People buy online, sites may crash under big amount of visitors, but there’s no need for ambulance or coffin.

It seems that people forget the real meaning of Christmas. It shouldn’t be about shopping and great gifts. For our family it’s time of caring, commitment, attention and love.

But even if I’m not a big fan of shopping events, I’m tolerant to people who likes it. That’s why I’m offering some deals in my Etsy shop too.

Merino fingerless gloves have a special price and free worldwide shipping until the end of Cyber Monday.
And some other items are offered without shipping cost too.

Monday moodboard: fairy tale

2009-11-23T00:16:00.000-08:00

My fairytale is made by fleurfatale, lapomme, star of the east and PamelaAngus.

"If you see the the magic in a fairy tale, you can face the future."

Here's a good article about fairy tales in modern advertising campaigns.

Monday Moodboard : Intimate

2009-11-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

you make me so... by BlackWhitePrint

tea and honey by honeyandjamphotos

purple passion amethyst by HighDesertDesign

autumn harvest incense cones by kimberquinn

The best things are those that

Have no words to describe them....

Last night was intimate and I've been feeling like this all day. Nothing else but someone important to me, a cup of hot peppermint tea and long talk beside the kitchen table. Glance, feelings, thoughts, discoveries.

I'm not in love, but he's someone I feel good with.

We all need a special person who's with us on the right moment and understands us even if we say nothing. Who holds hand and feels so secure.

I am an independent woman. I can change light-bulbs myself, I know how to hang wallpaper and I'm strong enough to carry my shopping bags to 3rd floor.

But there's one thing that can't be done all alone. It's a hug. It's the feeling when someone holds you, gives a small kiss to your forehead and says the world is full of surprises.

Feeling sad? Feeling creative?

2009-11-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

I love getting mail, that's why I keep buying online.

Mum called today and said I have a parcel from Belgium. I knew immediately that postcards I ordered from Art have arrived.
They're even more pretty than I expected. So minimal, but very deep and full of emotions.

I keep repeating it, but Art is one of the best examples of crafts, product improvement and marketing.
First she stared on Etsy with felt necklaces, at least that's what I remember. Then came the totally fabulous 99 feelings project (see the 99 photos here, or watch the film) and I wish I could have all of them!
I'm so happy that she also made 99 feelings postcards and little copies of the big products, so everyone could have at least one special feeling.

Misty knows exactly how to make people happy. From communication to packaging, everything is perfect.
If you read tutorials from her blog, you understand how less you need for being creative.

All our EST friends already know her and can assure that all my words are true, but in case you haven't met Misty yet, go and find her on the web:

The blog
The site
The shop

I wanted to keep this post for the morning, but couldn't resist blogging now!

Monday moodboard

2009-11-09T02:30:00.000-08:00

1) Rick Poppy Red Dupioni Raw Silk Wrap by bonzie
2) Spring Bracelet no86 by byMarianneS
3) Dasha Fascinator by PinMeUpCouture
4) Love is 2Maroon SL by cocoricooo

My moodboard could be red every day as I just like this color so much. It's one of the Cristmas colors too, so can't hurt to post it now, right?

See more moodboards (I wonder why I always want to write moonboard?) on fleurfatale's blog.

Etsy is back

2009-11-05T01:33:00.000-08:00

If you look the right column of my blog, you can see that my Etsy shop is back. New designs hopefully coming soon, but some favorites from past winter are still available.

You're always welcome!

One knitted, one to go

2009-11-04T21:18:00.000-08:00

I must admit the sock on this photo doesn't look like a Karisma sock on the previous post.

But it happens all the time. I plan to knit by the pattern, but soon discover I should do some modifications.

The sock is a bit too big, but I don't have a heart to ravel it and start again. It took 3 days to finish one sock and I already have a plan how to make it smaller.
Already started second, after a few days I can show the full result.

* When I was writing this, my son woke up and came here with totally serious look on is face.
"Mommy, let's make an agreement that I won't go to nursery today," he said.
Too bad that mommy can't make an agreement not to go to work when she feels like she doesn't want :)

It's all about me!

2009-11-04T00:25:00.001-08:00

What I love about SITS is a lot of different new blogging friends.
Today we met Karen and she's doing a "Confession Wednesday" today. The theme is "It's all about me".
I have a confession to make: I have some very strong habits and beliefs that I can't give up. And I want everything to be perfect.

Some examples:
* In March, when I renovated the kitchen, I bought a whole bunch of new napkins, because old ones didn't mach the wall color any more.
* I iron bed sheets every evening, because I can't fall asleep if the bed is messed up.
* I only wear white socks while running.
* Everything has to be at their place. I don't like if the milk is on the 2nd refrigerator's shelf when it supposed to be on the first.
* I'm always on time. I can't stand if people are late. If the meeting is 3 pm, then it's 3 pm, not five minutes after 3 pm.
* I have a coffee addiction. I drink 2 cups every morning and a lot of coffee during the day. I know it's not healthy, but I can't resist.
* I like to surprise people. I make gifts even if there's no reason. But you have to be careful while making gifts to male friends, because they can accidentally think that you're in love with them :) (been there, done that).

Karisma socks

2009-11-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

Originally it was a knitting blog. In fact, is still is.

I took my needles out after a long time and bought new yarn: red and white wool for my new long socks.
I found a pattern from Garnstudio and on the photo you can see my progress, started this morning.

Multicolor designs is not something I like much. It takes forever to knit them, but the result is worth it hopefully.

They will look like this:

Sunday Citar

2009-11-01T12:30:00.000-08:00

Fresh Mommy has a great tradition to post every Sunday one favorite quote. Mine is a bit longer, but I try to live by it every single day:

"Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandpile at Sunday school. These are the things I learned:
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat. Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living. Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess. And it is true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together."

Robert Fulghum, American writer.

For those who like running

2009-10-28T13:09:00.001-07:00

I started new blog about my running passion.
Yes: Ann, who has been hating running for past 23 years will run her first marathon in September 2010.

If you don't believe (because I don't sometimes), you can keep an eye on me :)

Race for Life - my journey to first marathon in September 2010.

How I messed up my relationship with customer

2009-10-28T02:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I read Jack Mitchell’s book “Hug your customers”. I like it, but then I didn’t know I need the new ideas I got from the book, so soon.

Anyway, I want to share my expensive, but precious lesson with you.

Some time ago a lady from US ordered a shrug from me. Everything was fine: I completed the custom order, shipped the parcel to her and thought it’s done.

Suddenly my life at work and home went crazy, other things and people besides knitting needed my attention. I decided to stop knitting for a while and focus on more important cases. I don’t want to stop on it for longer, but it’s not important in this story too.

Big was my surprise when I found two months later e-mails from disappointed client, who didn’t receive her shrug, and Paypal, who tried to resolve the complaint. As I didn’t answer on time, Paypal froze my account.

Lesson 1 learned:
For Paypal, always use e-mail address you read regularly! I had the address mostly for junk mails and it was a mistake! From 600 non-important letters I didn’t find the few I needed.

As it was never happened to me before, I thought parcels wouldn’t get lost.

Lesson 2 learned:
They do get lost. Rarely, but they do! Keep all the checks and be sure your client gets what she ordered.

I contacted immediately Paypal and the client. With Paypal it was harder case, but the client was incredibly understanding.
Despite of time passed, she still wanted the shrug, I made another and sent to her with few free gifts (a shawl and handmade chocolate).
A week later she got it, informed Paypal and they opened my account.

And what is the best thing about this story? Client was happy, satisfied and fully surprised by the free gifts. That’s what “Hug your customers” is all about: cross over their expectations and surprise them (positively).

Lesson 3 learned:
Clean up your own mess. Even if time is passed, it’s possible to get a good solution. People understand you, if you talk honestly, explain the situation and show your will to resolve things.

What’s surprising is that she wants to order more from me. I didn’t expect it, but because of the positive outcome she is ready to work with me in the future.

You know, yesterday I got the e-mail from her and I almost started to cry for happiness.
And now I’m going to buy yarn for knitting her next jacket.

If you haven't, read "hug your customers".
The key rule is simple: be friendly, understanding and never think something is obvious.

More dresses from Flickr

2009-10-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

1. Vintage Red VOGUE knit dress, 2. Vogue Knit.1 dress, 3. 60s navy knit mod striped dress, 4. long grey sweater dress, 5. gray knitted dress with pattern of flowers, 6. Yellow dresses for Veronika & Kamila, 7. Summer Knit Dress - French Connection, 8. knitted dress, 9. knitted dress

Here are some more dresses from Flickr users.

I don't have my own works to show, but I'm starting to get along with knitting again...

Flickr favorites: Sunday morning green

2009-10-10T22:35:00.001-07:00

Computer and I are not friends. I just discovered how to make Flickr mosaics, although everyone else knows it.

Here's my first, inspired by green.

1. fresh green, 2. "Strong coffee", 3. Has the cat got your tongue ?, 4. forrest lane, 5. Tiramisu Galore, 6. High Fashion in Green 2, 7. Matrix: Stay off the freeway, 8. Musical Chairs, 9. Poison

Fall 2009 must-have: Knit dress

2009-10-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

A lot of world famous designers feature one item very prominently- a knit dress is a must-have for fall 2009!
Here are some examples. My favorite is Kenzo dress and don't forget their fantastic knitted hats! You can see a lot if knitted hats in their 2009 ready-to-wear collection.
But knitting your own dress is even cooler than buying it from a fashion store ;)

Kenzo:

ADAM:

Alexander McQueen:

Creative Estonia: Hatbar elegant hats

2009-07-20T01:10:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you a woman who I know for years. Marge Iilane is sweet Estonian lady who I met some years ago because her fancy hobby- felting. She did, and probably still does, gorgeous felted items under label FancyFelt.
Marge is one of most elegant and friendliest people I've seen in my life. Because of this elegance I wasn't very surprised when the local newspaper wrote about her new hobby and work- making hats under label HatBar.

It's impressive that she got her millinery skills from UK and the teacher was famous Mrs. Rose Cory, who is Royal Milliner!

She doesn't sell her hats online, but from her webpage it's possible to ask a custom order and she will make & ship it all over the world.

Preparing for fall/winter season

2009-07-19T03:58:00.000-07:00

Last few months have been a long (and quite lonesome) journey for me. A lot have happened and is still happening.

Some time ago I lost my motivation to work after I find out that another person is coping and selling my designs. It turned me off and this work didn't seem worth doing any more, because why I should spend my time, energy and money for creating something interesting, if someone just comes and steals it?

And besides that I had lot of other things going on- my "real" job takes all my time, all weekends I've spend as clubbing photographer and it was impossible to find time for picking up my knitting needles.

But 2 weeks ago I met my new employer and he inspired me to find my inner passion again. And it is definitely knitting! He made me understand that only I can make important decisions. It's all about myself and no one else can't take away my dreams.

So I stopped finding excuses for doing nothing. I stopped whining about lack of time and started doing things. And everything finally seems so easy!
I'm doing my best for finishing some unfinished things and also prepare new designs for upcoming fall/winter season. Yes, they can copy everything I do, but I will do it better! Because I put my heart and soul into my works.

I know I've been bad to everyone who read this blog. But here are my greatest apologies and I won't leave you alone any more.

Important notes:

* All my European Street Team friends- I really miss you! I've been reading Star's blog and know what's going on. But I still miss you!
* If you like soul music, then buy Seal's new CD "Live Soul". I've been listening it for last 3 days and I fell in love.

Do you have a sock? Then make a monkey!

2009-04-17T00:59:00.000-07:00

When I joined Etsy 2 years ago and saw first time in my life sock moneys, they seemed so weird. They still do, but in a very cute way :)

Anyway, some days ago I made a search and discovered that the sock monkey is a lot more than just a toy. It has a history! And very long one... Wikipedia has a long story about it.

In European Street Team we have our own sock monkey maker Strumpfkunst from Germany.I borrowed the photo from her, hoe Strump doesn't mind :) She does make more cute sock animals that you can find from her shop or from her blog.

Of course you can try to make your own sock monkey, but if you have so less experienced like me, maybe it's smarter to buy the first one.
I've never seen in Estonia original sock monkey socks with the red heel, but it's probably possible to get them from other European countries. And in US it defenitely is no problem!

Youtube has a lot of video tutorials about making a monkey and making the right cuts.
For example:
How to make leg cuts
How to cut monkey arms
How to cut snout

I admit I've been very conservative artist and I don't experiment much with different materials and styles. I love knitting and crocheting, even sewing a bit, but that's all.
But as a mother to 3 year old boy I need to stay creative and learn new things too. Maybe sometime in the future you will see my first sock monkey that won't look as great as Strump's for sure!

My newborn niece new photos

2009-04-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

They're finally home from the hospital and the small girl is even cuter. And look at the hair! So long and dark.
We visited my brother's family today and the baby was still sleeping most of the time. And she is much more tinier than Oliver was- weights only 3000 grams.

Every time I see a baby like this I wish I had one too.
They got the dress from last post also and my sister-in-law likes it. It's too big at the moment, but should be perfect for upcoming summer.

Latest projects

2009-04-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

The dress is made for my newborn niece. Her 4 year old sister already has one similar to this from past summer.
I would like to make more of the dresses for selling also. Do you think it's a good idea and what kind of colors combination would you like?
I'm thinking of yellow/green, pink/green, but I'm ready to try more.

The shrug is not a new thing. It was finished some months ago, now I just have a cute photo I wanted to share with you :)

You have seen similar tops in my blog before too, but this is a bit different.
The story is funny too. I went to local yarn shop and bought the cotton yarns for this project. 5 balls, because it's usually enough and if I need more, I can always go and get it.
I was choosing the color very carefully, but after I had knitted half of the top, I discovered that the colors are totally different! 2 balls were light beige and 3 balls light brown. I didn't see it in the shop.
First I wanted to unravel it, but I think 2 colors looks maybe even more interesting than one? I had to change the border pattern too, so it would make sense in different shades.

Now I'm dreaming of a dress with similar pattern...

Selfish post

2009-04-09T12:27:00.001-07:00

I did some new photos with my model today and some people already think it's me on the photos. No, I'm not. I'm bigger and darker and I love being behind the camera, not in front of it.
So here's an exception. The model wanted to hold the camera too, and I had to pose. I'm not good at it ;)

Smallest and cutest :)

2009-04-07T10:07:00.001-07:00

Look what we have!
This is my brother's newborn daughter, less than 2 days old cute girl. We visited them in the hospital, little one is sleeping most of the time.
All our children have long dark hair when they born, so this cutie is definitely ours :)

Something sweet

2009-04-06T04:05:00.000-07:00

My real job, being a journalist and half-time photographer, takes me to different interesting places.
Today I visited a school where children are making marzipan figures. It's amazing how many cute and beautiful things can be made this way. I'm not sure I have enough talent for creating something like this myself, but after half and hour with second grade students I'm willing to try.

More cinnamon pasties

2009-04-03T02:47:00.000-07:00

This is my knitting basket. I don't have another basket that could hold more than 70 pasties and I had to take my yarns out.

There is a reason why I baked so much today. I will take most of them to my brother who will be home with his two children this weekend- 6 year old Daniel and 4 year old Deivi.
Their mother and his wife has to go to hospital and on Monday morning their third child, a little beautiful girl, will be born.
So I thought they need something good to eat while they're home without the mother.

At the moment I'm auntie to 4 children, on Monday there will be one more. Besides Deivi and Daniel my sister has also 2 children- Joosep who is 14 and Annabeth who was born last year.

The smallest, Annabeth, will be my hat and dress model this spring if I will find time to finish all things I've planned. Isn't she cute?

New photos

2009-04-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

We have a beautiful sunny day and we used it for taking new photos. Piia, my best friend, is just fantastic- it's still not very warm, so she had to suffer a bit for making this come true.
I like the result, how about you?

Cinnamon pasties

2009-03-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

I finished baking cinnamon pasties. They look a bit clumsy, but taste so juicy and soft. Here is a piece for every European friend, at least virtually!

As you can understand, baking is my other obsession. I'm probably the worst cook in the world, but I absolutely love baking. My sister made pasties two days ago and has been talking about it since then. I had no other way than try myself too.

Oliver is sick again and I spend all week home, so I have a lot of time to experiment.

Something small, something special

2009-03-28T09:11:00.001-07:00

Today I decided to crochet something small. To get the feeling back and use cotton leftovers that I have tons in different places.

The small purse can be used in different ways: as eye glasses case, gift bag, coin purse or something else.
Measurements are 10x18 cm.

To be honest, I like more practical things, but somethings handicraft can be just beautiful. And special.

But taking the photos took more time than crocheting. Having no natural light is real pain and I had to use 3 different lamps. The result was still bad, photo with lots of shades, but I used Photoshop ad removed most of mistakes.

Polish pancakes

2009-03-28T00:43:00.001-07:00

Polish pancakes

4 eggs
200 g wheat flour
60 g sugar
0,1 l milk
sour cream, about 2 spoonful
1/2 teaspoonful baking powder
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla sugar

Beat up egg yolks with sugar and add flour, sour cream, baking powder and vanilla sugar. I added some milk too, because the batter looked too thick, but it's just my recommendation. Finally add whipped egg whites and it's ready!
Bake pancakes and enjoy your fantastic weekend!

Green and white

2009-03-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

Some things just wait for their right time. Like the green motifs I crocheted 2 years ago. I was twiddling them every day, but there was no great idea what to do with them.

I'm not sure if the latest idea was the best, but I made a blouse. It looks similar to summer blouses I've crocheted before, but the top part is a bit different.
First I didn't like the combination of white and green, but having just a white blouse would be boring, right?

The blouse is not finished yet, still some borders to crochet and I need to do something with this V-neck. Maybe a button helps?

And something funny too. Yesterday I knitted a bow-tie, but I'm still not sure what I should do with it. Use as some kind of accessory? Make a scarf from it? Or maybe it can be a belt. Best suggestion wins a bow-tie :)

Creative Estonia: Kihnu island

2009-03-27T01:50:00.000-07:00

Photographer Urmas Luik, Original photo location

Kihnu is a small Estonian island situated not far from the place I live. Its population is approximately 500 and there are only 4 villages.

What makes the place so unique is their old culture and traditions kept alive for centuries. It’s a place where women wear folk costumes daily, people often sing folk songs while walking and unique handicraft is highly honored. The main attraction is the island itself, with scenery, people and way of life.

The men of the Kihnu community have taken to sea to hunt seals and fish, while the women have remained on the islands to farm and to maintain the household. Kihnu women thus have become the principal custodians of the cultural traditions embodied in numerous songs, games, dances, wedding ceremonies and handicrafts.

The most visible emblem of Kihnu culture remains the woolen handicrafts worn by the women of the community. Working in their homes using traditional looms and local wool, the women weave and knit mittens, stockings, skirts and blouses, which often feature bright colors, vivid stripes and intricate embroidery. Many of the symbolic forms and colors adorning these striking garments are rooted in ancient legends.

Original photo location

Kihnu island is a part of UNESCO Intangible Heritage Lists.

I believe their handicrafts makes everyone jealous. Not many people can knit like women living in Kihnu. Enjoy the photos and search more from Google if interested!

SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE

Color therapy: green

2009-03-20T01:19:00.000-07:00

I'm starting new series about colors and feature some of my favorite products on Etsy too.
Spring is coming and everything turns green around us. It's one of my favorite colors at the moment with it's thousands of different shades.

The word green is closely related to the Old English verb growan, 'to grow'. It is used to describe plants or the ocean.

Green is the color of the heart chakra. Green is the color of nature. Green is the most predominant color on the planet. It balances our energies, and it can be used to increase our sensitivity and compassion.
It represents purity and harmony. It has a calming effect, especially in inflamed conditions of the body. It is soothing to the nervous system. It is a great healer. It builds muscles, bones and other tissue cells. Its complement is magenta.

Featuring baby items this time is not coincidental. My brother and her wife are expecting their third child who will be with us in next few weeks :) And.... She is a girl!

nellybeanco, DebiBirkinDesigns, GraciousMary, littledaisydesigns, daisybows, RaspberryBaby, beeskneestudio, handmadebyjules, ahyingmui.

Shop Loca @Etsy: Europe

2009-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Knits 2009: IN or OUT?

2009-03-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

The world's best designers are prepared for fall 2009 and presented their ready-to-wear collections at Paris and Milan Fashion Week.
Bad news is that most of them don't have any knits, so knits seems to be OUT this fall! Wear something else, if you wish to be fashionable!
But...
Chanel has pink and green cardigans and those funky knitted hats! And Chanel is always IN! Here are some examples from www.style.com: Chanel fall 2009 ready-to-wear collection!

Spring is coming, I'm back!

2009-03-15T02:10:00.000-07:00

Happy new year! First time to post here after months and I haven't wished a happy new year yet... Shame on me!

It won't be a long post, but spring is already here and Ann is hopefully back again. Last months have been hard, even very hard, but most problems are solved now, but I still have long way to go... But I'm knitting again and I can't wait sharing it with you.

I just finished a summer top, it's suitable for size XS/S. Knitted in cotton yarn.
I started it last year and it took "only" 3,5 months to complete the challenge!

Bread making :)

2008-12-21T01:21:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the top I showed on mu last post. Took only 2 weeks to make another sleeve :)

But it's not the only thing I've made recently.
I admit- I'm probably the worst cook you've ever seen, but despite of that, I love baking!
Bread making is something I've been experimenting in last two weeks, my goal is to have a delicious home-made bread on our Christmas dinner table.
The bread on the photo is filled with black plums, cranberries and raisins.

And the best part- it's very easy to make! I got some leaven from a friend, mixed it with tepid water and rye flour and left it to a warm place for 24 hours.
Then I added some salt, sugar, plums, raisins, cranberries and more rye flour. It proofed under towel for 2 hours and then I baked it with 200C for an hour.
You can find a lot of videos about bread making on YouTube.

About past and future

2008-12-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

Before the end of November we had a big snow storm here. Please, don't get me wrong- snow is very common in Estonia, it isn't surprising anyone.
But still every year the first snow comes unexpectedly. Especially this time- it snowed continuously for 2 days and caused a lot of problems- big areas were without heat, electricity, water and internet. On 21th century!

Now everything is fine again. Snow melted in 2 days, but it took over a week to repair the electricity thing.

At the moment I'm enjoying vacation and knitting a lot. Still have some orders to complete and some new ideas to realize.
One you can see on the photos. I've been experimenting with this blouse for 4 days and I couldn't decide what to do with the sleeves. Now it has puff sleeves, because I fell in love with them when I made the puff sleeve cardigan.
I will finish it tomorrow, today I tried it with live model and I love the result. I'm considering making more for spring/summer 2009 season. Do you think it's a good idea, would you wear a top like this?

Christmas is a hot topic here, like in most homes.
We were talking about presents and I asked what my son would like to get this time. The list was long, of course- an elephant, a giraffe, a car, a bus, new bag and so on, I even don't remember everything.
And then he said something that made me laugh for hours:
"Santa Claus will bring a new baby to mommy this year."

Well, I admit the idea is charming, but thank you, not this time! One is still enough for me!

Us Trendy

2008-10-30T08:00:00.001-07:00

I was contacted by Jordan who asked me to be part of the Us Trendy fashion designers, models and artists community. The site is like a virtual runaway and fashion people search for new talents there.
Come and look around :)

Some photos

2008-10-27T02:12:00.000-07:00

I have no new knitting to show, so here are some photos of our weekend. We had a storm- after year 2005 when water was more than 2.5 meters above average and houses near the beach were flooded, people call every wind that blows a bit stronger, a storm.
Now the weather is almost fine. Still raining outside, but not so badly.

Real treasures

2008-10-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Etsy has a wonderful feature- treasury. I made one too, dedicated to my European Street Team friends!

First line: fleurfatale, JKphotography, enchantedpond.
Second line: krize, nanouke, AtelierSusan.
Third line: staroftheeast, TheHouseOfMouse, byMarianneS.
Fourth line: Silvia66, P8Accessories, Kreativlink.

A cup of tea?

2008-10-19T01:14:00.000-07:00

Friday evening we went to café for a cup of tea.

I: “We would take 2 cups of Gurman’s “Seven samurai's” tea.”
Bartender: “Would you be so nice and tell me how to make it?”
I: “Well, let’s see. The tea jar is on your left shelf and I see a teapot next to it. Just take the tea, put into the teapot and add hot water.”
Bartender did what I suggested. 3 minutes later she’s giving me the teapot. “Would you like to have anything else?”
I: “Yes, cups for drinking would be perfect!”
Bartender: “Is one enough?”
I: “As you see, we’re together and I asked for 2 cups earlier, so I really appreciate if I can have 2 cups.”

Later she apologized and said it’s her first time to serve clients and she’s not even working there. Weird things happen…

Lazy shopper tips

2008-10-18T00:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not one of the girls who likes to go shopping once in a week and spend their free time in shops. I hate it.

If I need new clothes, I will go and buy a lot, so I don't have to do it any more in next few months. I even don't like supermarkets, food hunting makes me tired and angry.
Having a personal shopper would be great solution. Someone, who takes your list and enjoys running for one place to another ans searching for red ankle boots or new carpet.

Thank god someone invented Internet!
Online shopping is totally different thing. I buy unique things on Etsy and often shop on Ebay too. And Ebay is something I wanted to talk about.
Most times I always get what I want, but I've still learned some very important things:

* If you're not sure about something, always ASK. Take time for details.
I bought boots 2 weeks ago, there was only one photo about them. Size was right, so I bought them. But turned out they didn't have a zip on the side and boots are too tight for wearing.
* Buy from someone who has return and refund policy.
She was ready to refund the cost of boots, but not the shipping cost. But shipping cost was 2 times higher than the boots.
* Always check feedback!
If someone has a lot of feedback, but in last month more than 15 negatives (true, and more than 100 positives), then it makes me careful.
* Check the shipping costs
Sometimes it can be unreasonable. Again about my boots- she took £5 more for shipping than it actually cost. Not very good customer service, I can see the price on the package.

Please, feel free to ad your own tips. It can help someone :)

Happy weekend!

How all the magic happens

2008-10-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

It wasn't very long time ago when I accidentally discovered blog community called SITS. Officially "The Secret Is In The Sauce".
Maybe a week ago or so and I didn't pay too much attention to it- first it seemed like every other community where you can leave your blog link and hope others to find you.

Gosh, I was wrong! I spent hours browsing other's blogs and I was totally speechless. I still don't understand how so many people can handle everything- raise kids, be a fantastic husband, manage the household and blog so sincerely that it's impossible not to read.

I admit- I don't read much blogs, I'm more the photo-watching girl. Now I've found some truly amazing writers and I appreciate how they let strangers to their life. I don't know none of them personally, but I feel like we've been friends for years.

There's time difference between Estonia and US (most SITStas seem to be from US)- when I go to sleep, they have afternoon. When I wake up, they already sleep.

After my first evening, when I read the blogs and left comments, I was surprised next morning finding same amount of comments from my own blog. Even more.
I thought "well, ok, they are just polite. there is no chance they come back again if I won't leave another comment"

I know, I know- I was AGAIN wrong. For example, Tressa from American in Norway commented my blog days later, because I forgot to put my blog links to my Blogger profile. And then she came one day, said something like "Oh, didn't see your blog link before, nice to meet you" and I thought "wow, you did all this for me???"

I felt like a horrible person. If I don't find the link immediately, I usually won't search for it later. Tressa, I admire you!

... and to make long thing short- I'm addicted to SITS. I like every user and I'm happy for Heather and Tiffany who founded such a great place.

I need to share some fantastic blogs I found thanks to SITS. Stop by, comment and say hello, maybe you will find a new friend :)

American in Norway
FL Home Blog
Pennies In My Pocket
Heather's blog, of course!
Saucha

New earrings

2008-10-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

When Anna made those earrings some time ago for European Street Team challenge, I knew immideately I need a pair like this!

But unfortunately someone bought them before I had a chance to do it. I was even more happy when I found another pair on her Etsy shop.

I bought them about 2 weeks ago (or maybe less) and the package arrived last week. Today is first time I'm wearing the earrings at work and I already got some compliments.

I love them! They're even more beautiful than on the photo.

I didn't wear earrings for years but start doing it again some months ago. Now I'm addicted- I have around 20 pairs of earrings and I buy new every time I see something fabulous.

Please, check out her shop.

Another puff sleeve cardigan

2008-10-11T04:53:00.000-07:00

We had to go to sailing today, but the weather is awful here- windy, dark and rainy. No fun to be outside, especially on the sea...

I used the time- surprise surprise- for knitting. I've finished another puff sleeve cardigan, in gray and green shades.
I've never been a big fan of effect yarns, so I like this one a bit more than the first. Mix of wool and silk is so soft on the skin.

I remember my childhood, mother always knitted us woolly sweaters for winter, but none of us did like them, because wool was itchy. Modern wool is not itchy at all and I've started to wear things made from it again.

About the project now:
Yarn used: Novita Luxus Wind, 80% wool, 20% silk
Color: Green, gray
How much: about 200 grams
Size made: XS

First I didn't like the mix of gray and green, but more I look it, more I like. Not bad at all.
Oval buttons are more suitable too, they don't stand out as much as roundish.
Pattern with cables...? Well, it's fine. Wanted to make it low-key.

I probably knit one for myself too. And Cammie, who's idea this cardigan was, wants it also.

My mailinglist

2008-10-10T04:52:00.000-07:00

You're welcome to join my mailing list. Don't worry, I send my newsletter only if I have something important, interesting or fabulous to say :) About once or twice a month.

You will get information about new trends, sales and giveways on my blog.

I've been tagged: 7 facts about me

2008-10-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

Glasfaden tagged me and I need to post 7 facts about myself now. Isn't as easy as it looks, but I'll do my best.

7 facts:

* I don't like to wear socks (more into high heel shoes these days), but if I have to, my socks are always white.
* If I can skip cooking, I always do that. I prefer buying a wine while someone else is preparing the dinner.
* I love swimming, I go to swimming pool usually 5-6 times a week.
* I don't like sweets much, but I can eat Tiramisu all day long.
* I'm engaged to my camera. I go nowhere without my Canon.
* I always drink 3 cups of coffee in the morning.
* I love animals, as long they're not mine.

The rules are:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving theirnames as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving acomment on their blog.

Here are the ones I’m tagging:
MarianneS
LeinaNeima
Amanda
Meekiyu
Eve
The Ordinary Housewife
Heather Knitz

Etsy artists: Most adorable baby photos

2008-10-09T00:22:00.001-07:00

Look at those photos- don't they melt your heart and make you buy? I wish I had a baby...

joliem6201

pickleberrypunch

tiptopapplesauce

Purple for fall

2008-10-08T01:15:00.000-07:00

Givenchy Fall 2008 couture

I admit: I'm shopping addict.

Or actually I don’t like to visit shops much, but when I do it, I buy more things I should. Happens usually once in every 2-3 months, because I like to renew my clothing before every new season. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, depends how much I can spend.

However, in last few weeks I’ve been shopping much. All shops are filled with purple items, so I think it should be some kind of fashion color this fall.
I haven’t been a big fan of purple, but more I see it, more I like.

New York’s fashion designers emphasize purple in the top five tones used in their collections. Purple has become staple, but also blue, chocolate brown and steel grey.

Etsy artists: Buttons

2008-10-06T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's 6.30 here and I'm drinking coffee. I usually wake up at 8, but today I need to go to see my doctor then.
My son is still sleeping, so I show you some cool buttons and products with buttons I found from Etsy.

First: calloohcallay Second: heatherknitz

First: creativepapertrail Second: miaetgigi

First: Kraplap Second: PattycakesPlunder

First: AmandaSainsbury Second: TheHouseOfMouse

How to make seasonal business year around?

2008-10-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

If I knew that, I would be millionaire :)

There are different branches of industries that are seasonal.
Knitting, for example. Everyone likes to wear warm scarves in autumn and winter, wrap themselves to beautiful knitted capelet or put on woolly mittens while it’s freezing outside.

However, summer is not that cheerful, especially if it’s not only your hobby, but business also. Yep, it’s possible to make cotton tops or hats or whatever else, but it has always been, it is and it will be that knitting is more popular during cold seasons.

So what can you- as a business owner or artist- do for making it easier to survive during the low season?

Think about:

1) Marketing
* Do you know who and where are your clients, how to reach them?
* It can be a low season, but dollar spent to marketing is never expense, it’s investment. Sometimes it can be more useful to increase the expenses to marketing while things are not going so well, because it helps you to reach your goals in the future.
* New selling channels and strategies- what are doing now and how you can change things better?
* Do you have enough knowledge for selling your items?

2) Quality and product development
* Do you know your client’s expectations?
* Do you offer what you have promised?
* What kind of product you make? Is it copy-paste from someone else or original idea? Original sells usually better.

Spend the low season for preparing to busier times. Make new designs, think about your market and strategies, how to give a bit more than people expect from you.
Be brave and make decisions. Bad decision is better than no decision.

Autumn and colors

2008-10-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

Autumn is my favorite season because of colors and weather.
We just had a long walk on the beach- sun is shining, it's not very cold and trees are in yellow and orange outfit.

Estonians are lucky, because we really have 4 different seasons: spring with blooming flowers, summer with sun and warmth, autumn with colorful leafs and winter with a lot of snow. Some of my friends from Brazil, Portugal and Spain have asked how our cold (+10C and below that is cold for them, not for us) autumn looks like.
It's hard to put it into words, so just see the photos I made today.

I've been living near the water most of my life and can't imagine having a home somewhere else. We often find ourselves wrapped up to a blanket, sitting on the beach cafe, drinking tea on the terrace and enjoying the silence and sunset.
When I need to think about something or if I want to be alone, I go and sit on the beach, th best therapy ever!

Something cute

2008-10-04T02:25:00.001-07:00

I have to thank Cammie for the blouse I just finished.
Cammie is amazing woman from US, who has given me so many new ideas lately. I've knitted 4 different items to her and found a lot of inspiration on her thoughts...

So Cammie wanted a shrug with princess puff sleeves. I haven't done anything like this before, but it sounded like a great challenge. At the same time, ArtMind won the last week's EST challenge and picked "cute" for new topic.

I decided to mix those 2 things- cute and puff sleeves- together and here is the result.

I'm not sure how I should call this knit? Blouse, cardigan, shrug? Any ideas?

Check this out!

2008-10-03T01:55:00.000-07:00

Access Fashion is a great blog about knitting, needlework and things handmade.

Lesson learned

2008-10-02T02:36:00.001-07:00

If there is no such thing as a fine weather outside, the only possible way for taking photos is building a home studio. Something I was experimenting this morning, please let me know what do you think!

Thank you notes

2008-10-02T00:34:00.000-07:00

Using a thank you notes is a bit unfamiliar habit to Estonians. I know it's popular in US and a lot of other countries, but people here usually don't send than you cards.

So when I started on Etsy, I had to learn that sending a card is a good customer service. People expect it and are happy about it.
It took some time, but now I've found a conception to my note and I'm satisfied with it. The paper is fixed with crocheted flower, people can use it as a brooch later. I've got some good feedback about it.

Long time, no see :)

2008-09-30T00:27:00.000-07:00

Nice to meet your after a while! I have been very busy with my writing work, but I'll try to be a better girl now and blog more about crafts too.

I found something fantastic this morning. Or should I say someone fantastic?
Please, meet Dikla Fellner! She is amazing artist from Israel who is making hand-painted terracotta pots and magnets. Please see her works and I promise you will fell in love with them :)

(If someone would like to make me a Christmas present, then I would take the quilt style terracotta pot, thanks )

Her blog is also worth to read!

Etsy
Buy Handmade
DiklaFellner

The winner

2008-09-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm terribly sorry for the late post, but I and Papermoth have chosen the winners of his giveaway.

The winners are Kimberly and Sara G. Congrats!

I will send both of you an e-mail for letting you know how you will get your prizes.

David is doing a giveaway for you!

2008-08-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you David, who creates original paintings and digital works. He also prepared a giveaway to my readers, so be nice to him :)
But let’s hear what he has to say. I asked him to write a few words about himself and here it is:

“My name is David V Moore and I began selling my art online in 2006 working in acrylics on canvas. I sold mainly through Ebay, my blog and a website of like-minded artists called Daily Painters. Once I discovered Etsy in 2007, I opened a shop with a diverse mix of styles ranging from my digital work to large paintings.

I like to experiment with different techniques and styles and soon found my work splintering off into 3 main threads – colorful and whimsical illustrations, abstract paintings, and surreal digital work. To accommodate my different styles, I created two new Etsy shops earlier this year.

I opened Papermoth Illustration about three months ago to offer prints of my drawings and illustrations. This work is inspired by the incredible range of abstraction and individual interpretation to be found in the natural world. I attempt to simplify and refine what I am seeing in a way that focuses on color harmony and contemporary forms.

Abstracted flowers are a big thing for me and I love to create imaginary flora that have familiar shapes and elements re-interpreted into something completely new and fresh. My work is usually created in Photoshop with a combination of hand-drawn elements, painted and scanned textures and digital tools.

When I am not working (which is rare), I like to spend time with my cats and watch good cult films from the 70’s. I am also a choco-holic and sometimes eat cookies until I get sick or become very sleepy.”

When David is not working on new things to Papermoth Illustration, he spends time creating original contemporary paintings for his DVM Studios shop. He will soon list some new hand-painted pieces for the Fall, so check back often!

And that's not all! David has one more shop, http://www.davidvmoore.etsy.com/ ,and he post his surreal photo-montage style of work there.
Also check his website http://www.davidvmoore.com/ !
Man with many faces, isn't he?

But now the best part... David is so sweet that he prepared a giveaway to all my readers!

The rules:
1) The giveaway starts today and lasts until the end of August.
2) Visit Papermoth shop and pick one print you like the most.
3) Comment this blog post and state which print is your favorite. Please don't forget to leave your e-mail under your comment!
4) After the giveaway is ended, we will pick 2 winners who will receive 8X10 print from Papermoth. You will get the print you stated in the comment.
5) I contact the winners (that's why I need e-mail address) and post their names to my blog too.
6) Papermoth will ship the prints and we're all happy :)

Hope has a voice

2008-08-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this post with tears in my eyes. But those are tears of pride and happiness.

Thousands of Estonians came together to Tallinn today and at those late evening hours they're singing on Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. Did I say thousands? I think there are tens of thousands Estonians. Even more than a hundred thousand. I'm sad you can't see the picture from my TV at this moment.

I've never felt more Estonian than today and I'm sad I can't be there and sing with other people. But workday tomorrow, can't help it.
But it is amazing feeling. When things are getting hard, we sing. Together, like one man. Here's a little trailer of Estonian movie "Singing revolution", maybe you will understand a bit what's going on now.

About the history of "Singing revolution":
On 11 September 1988, a massive song festival, called "Song of Estonia", was held at the Tallinn Song Festival Arena. This time nearly 300,000 people came together, more than a quarter of all Estonians. On that day political leaders were participating actively, and were for the first time insisting on the restoration of independence.

From 1987, a cycle of mass demonstrations featuring spontaneous singing eventually collected 300,000 Estonians in Tallinn to sing national songs and hymns that were strictly forbidden during the years of the Soviet occupation, as Estonian rock musicians played.

And today the history recurs again. With today's "Night Song Festival" we remind the hard times when we were fighting for our independence and when we sang us to be free.

One more video. 20 000 singers, 100 000 listeners

What fashion has to say part 3

2008-08-18T00:09:00.001-07:00

First: Isaac Mizrahi, Second: Betsey Johnson

What fashion has to say part 2

2008-08-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

First: Alexander McQueen, Second: ADAM

What fashion has to say

2008-08-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Fall is almost here (don't argue, it is!). World greatest fashion designers showed their fall 2008 ready-to-wear collections months ago, but now it's starting to get more up-to-date.
Some knits can be found from the collections. Photos from Style.com:

First: Doo.Ri , second: Carlos Miele

BUT... That's not all! To be continued...

Happy birthday to me!

2008-08-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

I had a birthday yesterday. The party was real headache for my friends and family, because this time I had a special request to get yarn only, if someone wants to bring a present.

I even made a list of yarns which I would like to get. And shop addresses where to find it.
But still, can you imagine my 33-year-old brother buying yarn for her sister? I understand it was bit much to him, so we agreed I can choose them myself. Some other people used this policy also and I don't mind.

So today is the big day! When I finish my work, I will be off for the yarn shop and have 2 hours for shopping there :) I hope it won't take that much, but you never know.

In Pärnu, where I live, is a lack of yarn shops. We have one small shop with two wonderful owners. Really fantastic ladies and even if I don't know what I want, I always leave with a purchase. They have rather good assortment, although the shop itself is really tiny.
And we have some fabric shops who sell yarns also. Nothing fancy or interesting there, so I rarely go there.
I prefer to buy online from Ebay and have found some nice sellers there from all over the world.

From zdm812 I have purchased for 3 times. Shipping is fast, yarn is very soft, only thing I don't like is multicolored yarns. If they would sell white, brown or some other great colors, I would buy more!

Angels&Elephants from UK is my new favorite. They sell hand dyed wools and although also multicolored, they look really lovely. Gloves in my previous post are knitted from theyr Holly Berry yarn.

Another seller I like is jennisam05. They sell alpaca yarn and have a fantastic color chart. I haven't purchased from them, but I will do it in the future!

And last but not least- taj1066. I found the shop only few days ago, but they have some quality yarns with very reasonable price.

For me it's important that the shop ships internatinally and it's not very easy to find from Ebay. Less drouble with UK site, but possible to find some great shops from US also.

First pattern

2008-08-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Some weeks ago I wrote my first fingerless glove pattern. In English. Wasn't as hard as I expected.

I've been dreaming of this for a long time. But I was always afraid it is too hard, because I'm not native in English. And I've never understand Americans habit to write down the patterns by lines and not drawing only schemes. That's what we do here in Estonia usually.

But it took only 2 hours to write it. After that I found a test knitter- big thanks to sillylittlelady- who helped to correct the mistakes and write some paragraphs in easier language than I did :)

I also added it to Ravely, you can find the details there.

I used Angels & Elephants yarn from Ebay. The name is Holly Berry and even I usually don't like multicolored yarns, this one is nice! Red, brown and olive match perfectly and the result is not too outstanding.

Now I'm planning next pattern. Also fingerless gloves, because I'm not ready for different sizes and other more difficult things.

A bit about other things too:
My vacation is over and I'm back in the office. I'm not used to get up 8 in the morning and work all day, so at the moment it's really painful. But I know it is getting better day after day :)

Winner!

2008-08-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

The winner of beret's giveaway is Swtlilchick who wrote:

"My best trip was traveling to Italy.The people were friendly,
vineyards are beautiful along with the country side.We saw the roman ruins which was amazing.The food is excellent.The Alps are so
breathtaking,there is alot to see
and do.We rode in a gondilier.
This place is a must see.Thanks for the giveaway"

Please send your address to anniki.leppik@gmail.com

I will write some more about the challenge later, at the moment I need to run out, but wanted to announce the winner first :)

Etsy fashion photos

2008-08-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

I grabbed a treasury on Etsy.
Idea to make this hit me yesterday. I was visiting Yokoo's shop and her photos were breath-taking. I was searching for hours and found some other great shoots that are suitable for making treasury.
Here it is, with alternates:

hollystalder, BoudoirQueen, oyku, momshandmade, thimblescratch, Makool, poshpanache, Ojepizi, idea2lifestyle, SCHiZO, HealingHeart and Yokoo.
Alternates: bettieB, shezzy, PINKSTARswimwear and Venomiss.

Chocolate bar with vanilla ice cream

2008-08-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not very innovative knitter. I'm engaged to my favorite yarns and I do not experiment with new things often.
Despite of that I still make some impulsive purchases, like this Ornaghi Filati Merino Kind wool I bought for the neck warmer on the photo. And I fell in love. So soft and so comfy to knit. 2 colors- chocolate brown and white look good together, great combination in my opinion.

When I first saw that kind of neck warmers- I think it was about 1.5 years ago- I thought they're a bit odd. I couldn't imagine people wearing neck warmers, because I've always been a big fan of long scarfs.
Now I have to admit I plan to knit one for myself too, for the winter. It is much more suitable an comfortable for wearing with coat.

Funny that every year before the winter I always wonder what kind of shawls, hats and gloves I would like to wear this year, I can't imagine going out without them, when there is -10 and more degrees.
But when I was a school kid, I always hide hats and shawls to the bag after leaving home, because I couldn't stand them. Maybe because it was always my mother's choice and we didn't have exactly same taste.... I admit I'm a bit picky....

Giveaway!

2008-08-01T02:01:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY IS FINISHED NOW! NO MORE NEW COMMENTS WON'T BE CONSIDERED!
Please give me a bit time for announcing the winner.

Blog giveaways seem to be popular and I decided to do it also!

One of the readers will get this beret, knitted from 100% Shetland wool. Manufacturer is Angels & Elephants, color Holly Berry. Worth $27.

The contest is open until 5th August.

If you want to take part, then leave a comment to this post and write about your favorite travel destination.
Where have you spent your holidays? Why you liked the country? Why you recommend it to other too?
I'm planning my winter holidays at the moment and it can help me to decide where to do- I'm not sure if I prefer a skiing trip or sun and beach. Convince me :)

And please, leave your e-mail address under the post!

I will pick a winner after 5th August and contact her/him personally, but announce the winner in blog also.

See you later!

I've been knitting a bit...

2008-07-28T23:31:00.001-07:00

So many people complemented the red top and I decided to knit another. Red is made more than a year ago (I suspect even more than 2 years ago, but I'm not sure) and I wanted to be sure I still remember how it goes.
And guess what... Blue looks even better! Now I have a mannequin for trying things on while knitting and it sure helps a lot. It's much much easier to understand how long the top should be, where to increase and decrease and so on.

Now I would like to write down the pattern for this top, but I'm a bit afraid that it's too much for me. I just finished my first pattern-writing (Holly Berry fingerless gloves, will make a new blog post about it), but the top is more complicated- if I create a pattern, I should do it for different sizes.

At the moment I'm stuck with custom orders and all plans have to wait. I'm knitting some shrugs.

I made it myself, really!

2008-07-26T04:48:00.001-07:00

I know this is a craft blog, but there is something else I made too....
I have a vacation at the moment, 2 more weeks. I don't feel like traveling at the moment (although we planned to go to Turkey), so time to do something useful after one week laze.

Time for renovating the living room! We had a little accident here with electricity and the entire electricity system has to be replaced. So it's smart to do some renewing before it, because later it is harder, when new wires are placed.
I stated with the wallpaper, next will be the ceiling and last the floor.

One wall is already covered with the wallpaper you see on the photo, other 3 will be light brown or light beige, not sure yet.

This is my first time to do something like this, so I don't expect anything fancy. But it sure looks better than before.

Theo Dapore

2008-07-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

Theo Dapore is super-talented artist from United States. I fell in love immediately when I fist saw his paintings.

This painting on the photo is absolutely stunning! It would be a perfect gift to a friend of mine. The birthday is next year, but when I saw it, I knew he has to get it.
Now I start collecting the money and pray that no-one wouldn't buy it before (oh please don't do it!).
I also contacted the artist, maybe we can think something out and he can save it for me... And if it's not possible, then maybe I can get a custom order with same colors.

So please, buy all my knittings and I can buy a painting, lol :)))

Spending the money

2008-07-20T04:02:00.001-07:00

I'm so into Ebay shopping.

When I opened my Etsy shop again, I needed mannequin for the photos. I would like to have the original dressmakers mannequin, but those are a little too expensive for me at the moment, so I found an alternate.
The display mannequin came from UK and arrived about a week after winning the auction sale. The red top on it is not new, I knitted it more than a year ago.
The seller's shop is here.

Yarn is a compulsory purchase every time I log into this site. It is hand dyed Shetland sock wool and I love the colors. Also from UK, arrived very fast. Haven't dried knitting it yet.
The seller is Angels & Elephants.

Basque hat finally ready

2008-07-20T01:56:00.000-07:00

I have knitted this DROPS Basque hat I showed in last post for 4 times now.

I used different yarn (Hjertegarn Merino Silk) and needles (3.25mm) and when I cast on 120 stitches as pattern said, it came enough big for putting two heads into it.
Second time I tried with 96 stitches and it was still a little bit big.
After that I knitted this red hat with 84 stitches and now it looks perfect.

Hjertegarn Merino Silk is my new favorite yarn. It is a mix of merino (60%), silk (20%) and bamboo (29%). Very soft and easy to knit.
I have wondered for a long time about yarn preferences. When I started knitting, I used mostly acrylic yarns, because they are cheaper. Now I knit more natural yarns and the quality is more important than the price. But I think it's normal, because if you don't have much experience and the knitted things end often in the garbage pin (it happened to me more than once), then it's easier to throw away or ravel when the yarn didn't cost that much.

And some words about Slovenian yarn shops also....
I visited only one in Ljubljana, right next to the Prešeren square. It was small and the assortment was not very impressive. They sold mostly acrylic yarns and the prices were almost double than in Estonia. So I bought nothing.
Unfortunately I didn't have time to search the other 3 shops in the city.

DROPS fall/winter 2008-2009

2008-06-28T22:32:00.001-07:00

I have been waiting it for soooooo long time!
DROPS fall/winter collection 2008/09 is finally up!

And I love it! Beautiful designs as always and lots of them are suitable for the beginners too. I do not consider myself as a beginner, but it is fantastic, because if someone is taking her first steps in the knitting world and can make something really sweet and good looking, then it definitely increase the motivation.

I won't enumerate the things I would like to knit from DROPS collection, because I like almost everything.

But I'm sure that the very first thing I will knit is this beret on the picture. How lovely a hat can be???? Not more than this one, I think...

Joana Vasconcelos

2008-06-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Joana Vasconcelos is artist from Paris who crochets both possible and impossible things.

She has made amazing sculptures- people, animals and others.

My favorite from this year is her Piano Dentelle, which you can see in her web gallery (year 2008).

At the moment she is taking part in a group exhibition "L'argent" in Paris, Le Plateau.
From July 24th you can see her solo exhibition in Palma de Mallorca.

The break is over

2008-06-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

Hello!

My 2 months blogging break is hopefully over and I will try to bring this site to life again :)

I will fly to Slovenia, Ljubljana next Tuesday and my yarn addiction wouldn't let me to visit the city without finding the yarn shops.

Thanks to Ravelry I find some tips how to reach the right places.

* Centromekur is in the center of Ljubljana, right next to the Preseren square (on the picture)

* Elna is at Gosposvetska street, next to hotel Lev.

* One shop should be at Rimska street, behind the Faculty of Arts

* and in the Citipark shopping center should be a yarnshop too.

I will try to visit some of those shops, but I'm not sure if I will have time for everyone.

But after the trip I will write what I found and what I can recommend.

2008-04-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Good evening (it's 21.30 pm here and some minutes more)!

You have seen Victoria's Secret and Sonia Rykiel on my blog, but today I would like to prove that I can knit too. At least a little :))))

I finished another children's summer dress and those who have read my Estonian blog, know that it looks almost like the first with pink and green colors.
Well, the result is ok, but I'm not completely satisfied.
The top part could be a little bit shorter and green part longer, but maybe I'm just a stickler? Anyway, I will correct the mistakes. I already started third dress and I won't let it go before I can sleep calmly at night again.

I also plan to write down the pattern someday.
I used 3.5 mm bamboo and circular needles and Steinbach Wolle Capri yarn, about 150 grams.
Capri is great for knitting, but too rough for crocheting.
It took 3 days to finish the dress and I can guarantee that it isn't last one. I'm bull-headed and I won't stop before everything is perfect.

Queen of knits- Sonia Rykiel

2008-04-27T00:48:00.001-07:00

Sonia Rykiel (77) is French designer.

Photo: Sonia and her daughter Nathalie.

When Sonia was young, she didn't want to become a designer and she have said that it happened accidentally.

In 1962 when Sonia was pregnant, she couldn't find any comfortable sweaters to wear. So she designer her own (Sonia's husband owned a fashion boutique too)- first maternity dress and then tiny sweater. Sweater became popular and Sonia started to sell it on her husbands shop. Soon it was featured on the cover of Elle fashion magazine.

Thanks to this first creation (Sonia called it the Poor boy Sweater) she was crowned as "Queen of knits" by US press in 1967.

Since then Sonia has done well. In 1968 she opened her boutique in Paris and proved that knitwear can follow the trends.

Today, her label encompasses lingerie, accessories, children's clothing and menswear, and beauty.

It is still a family-owned business, her daughter Nathalie is company's creative director. They have opened the boutiques in US and both mother and daughter have dedicated to bringing Paris to New York.

Weekly favorite

2008-04-26T00:09:00.000-07:00

This week's favorite is Pish Posh Girls shop on Etsy. They sell sewed girls clothes, travel pillows, hair clips and more cute and beautiful things.

I think I don't need to explain why I chose them to be the first favorites- see the photos on their shop and you will understand.

Pish Posh Girls shop is perfect example about how one photo can say more than a thousand words and sell the product itself.

Stars of the East

2008-04-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

Esther and Estella moved to

Turkey

10 years ago. They live in green resort city called Marmaris and find most of their materials and inspiration from the fantastic nature.

If you ask Esther who they are by nationality, then she says that it’s easier to ask who they are not. Esther and Estella aren’t Turks, because they mover there in 1997 from the Netherlands and they have no family ties there.

And even if they both have Dutch passports, they don’t consider themselves 100% Dutch either. Esther grew up in Spain, but Estella doesn’t know much about this country and doesn’t speak any Spanish.
“Who we are… Two rolling stones with eclectic roots,” said Esther.

But they have never regretted the moving- country is beautiful and life is cheap, although the culture shock was enormous at first.

Mother and daughter make fantastic accessories and they find the inspiration in everything that

Turkey

offers- the Ottoman art, nature, the traditional needle crafts.

“Turkey is often seen as a third world country in European eyes, and certainly in many aspects, it is, but the arts nowadays are at a level many times higher than, for instance, the Netherlands,” said Esther. „In many branches, many artists are making incredible things, with roots in a century old tradition, but with totally new input.”

They have sold their line for 3 years, last 6 months also on Etsy. Esther admitted that they have done really good only last couple of months. The turning point was a combination of two factors: better pictures and the introduction of the sea urchin collection.

In sea urchins they have found their niche. „But in every case, you have to realize that people can buy jewelry and other stuff, on a million places, on line or not. Nobody is waiting for a newbie,” knows Esther. Still, there is a place for anyone with a well made product. It takes commitment. And time. We wish every artist success and happiness!”

Star of the East Etsy shop- http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5203404
Their blog: http://star-of-the-east.blogspot.com/

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade

Victoria's Secret- crocheted

2008-04-25T23:33:00.000-07:00

Victoria's Secret is one of my favorite brands. Only few, but they have some crocheted fashionable items too. Click on the picture :)

2008-04-25T23:27:00.001-07:00