A-Z challenge J

J is for Japanese influence

This blog is about the things I love, bunnies, crochet, cross-stitching, crafting, knitting, life, j-pop, DIY, and things japanese so when I discovered that Japan has influenced crochet and cross stitch I felt happy.

I L O V E japan, I love the language, the music, the anime/manga (cartoons, graphic books) the place, the style, I love Hello Kitty, Studio Ghibli, Japanese drama and history and I was so happy when I realised all of these are integrated into the crafts I love so that I could combine my loves.

Japanese influence in crochet and cross-stitch takes many forms, you can't not talk about amigurumi but there is more like pixel arts, kawaii style, kokeshi dolls, japanese flowers and japanese style.


First things first: Amigurumi meaning knitted stuffed toy, although ami actually mean both knitted and crocheted because the japanese don't have a word for crochet they use knitting for both. Knitting with needles and knitting with hook which is the crochet one. Amigurumi took the world by storm so you must have heard about it. I have only made one amigurumi which was a Star Trek Enterprise toy for boyfriend. But I really want to make a bunny one day.

Pattern found here:

Pixel art is something else completely, you can use cross stitch patterns to do this or graft your own. Pixel art is usually squares that you crochet and together they turn into a picture, like this:

Hello Kitty pattern and "how to" from repeat crafter me.

She also made this cupcake blanket  Also I own this book from Hannah Meur and there are lots of wonderful fun patterns in this.

What I think makes Pixel art japanese is because a lot of the games used in pixel art like Zelda are japanese and the use of kawaii style (more on that later) and Hello Kitty sort of makes it Japanese style I think.

Kawaii style:

Kawaii is japanese for cute, adorable and in crochet and cross stitch the kawaii style usually means bold colours or pastels, cute motifs, often with big heads, big eyes and eyes on inanimate objects like cupcakes, making something odd cute like poo,  Here are some examples.

  Cross-stitch of poop by jimjamcrafts 

    Cute coffe mug by allaboutami         

I love carrot by Soda Stitch

Playful Kitten by Soda Stitch

Sweet tea by Gorjuss 

Look at designers Twinkie Chan allaboutami 

Kokeshi Dolls:

Was all the fad a few years back and you could get them with everything, in wood, sewn, crocheted, cross-stitched or drawn. I designed one of my own.

Kokeshi dolls of my beloved j-pop group W

Japanese flowers:

Were also quite popular for a while and I think they are timeless. I have no idea why they are called japanese flowers, when I think of japanese flowers I think of Sakura (cherry blossoms) and these don't look like that. But I do think they fit with the timeless yet modern Japanese style.

There are many patterns out there, but I liked this one.

Japanese style:

You can also see the japanese influence in crochet in the more modern, classy, adult, lacy, subdued style in their patterns, they are divine. First of all they are all charted so you don't have to read japanese, second they well thought of and planned, third they look very chic and modern and something you could easily wear to the office or to a party. Often in greys, whites, black, browns and blues they look so soft and wearable. I love japanese crochet patterns. Most of all I love the ones from Pierrot yarns, after all that is where my wedding dress pattern was from and my dress was delicate, elegant and cute, the pattern was easy to understand, they had included both cm and stitches so it was easily customisable.

So what do you think of the japanese influences? Which one do you like? Kawaii or the more softened Japanese style? I like them all and can't choose^^

Bunnies, flowers and hats in Socktober

M got flowers from work. This is one of the two vases we got from our wedding. I like it, and I love the flowers, I wonder how long I can keep them alive. 

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 I want to show some of the hats I made this year, two were finished, but never really had a proper Tadah moment, but the last I had to redo several times, I am still not completely happy with it, the top looks a bit funny, but the yarn is too tired of frogging for me to try again, so I decided it was done too.

This knitted hat has been done for almost a year now, poor thing and never got a proper tadah post, but here it is finished. It is a tiny bit too small for M, but he wants to keep it anyway. (that is the trouble with making things and using myself as a model because I have a tiny head, and I thought I had made this the right size.)

This hat was finished several times, but first it was too small and then it was too pointy and weird looking, it is still a bit pointy, but M claims he likes it that way. This is crocheted in reflective yarn. If I ever find the pattern I used I'll let you know. 

Now it won't matter if M forgets to put his reflectors out from his jacket pocket when walking home from the bus. (Yes, it is that dark here both in the mornings and evenings already)

I found the pattern here in this Norwegian blog, she makes lots of hats and has decided to give hats for all birthdays this year.

It is supposed to look like a cat, and it does, on boyfriend! It is a bit too long on me so the ears won't show properly. So I guess I need to make another for myself? Because M refuses to wear this, maybe my curly haired friend could wear this though. I'll ask.

 This too is made of reflective yarn so that one is very visible for cars. 

I have another started knitted hat and one crochet hat, the knitted is in deep trouble because I have no idea what pattern I used. I am guessing either garnstudio or some other easy Norwegian hat pattern, but since I am such a newbie at knitting I have no idea if the patterns I am searching for is the same I started. So I might just ask someone who knows what they are doing to see which pattern is correct... It is the same as the blue and grey one, do you think it it this pattern?

But when that hat is done I am so doing the Socktober kal on revelry! I need some sock yarn though, because shockingly I have none...

But October has just started so I should be able to finish a pair of sock right? Are socks much harder than hats?

Bunnies have been really lovey-dovey after their ordeal at the photographers.

I think it did them good, I am sad M is back to work because the time we had together felt too short, we haven't really had a proper honeymoon yet.

How to make a crochet wedding flower bouquet

I know there are many different tutorials on how others have made their crochet wedding bouquet, but I thought I'd share mine anyway. First I saw the idea somewhere else and wanted to make one of my own. 

1. 

Make lots of crochet flowers. You could either go for a colour scheme or make flowers entirely from scraps. In the end the one for my maid of honor is made from scraps (because it suited her dress perfectly) and mine in colours that we used as a theme in the wedding.

After you have weaved in all the ends I glued (be sure to use transparent glue) small beads into each flower.

Here are some of the free patterns we used:

From Garnstudio:

- Geranium

-Rosa

Gosyo:

I used this one a lot, some times I skipped the last round to make some smaller ones too. I also used the leaves in this pattern a lot.

But you could always browse Ravelry to see other free flower patterns.

The other leaves were made from this book number 134 and 135,

 the 135 one is a bonus because it can double as a heart.

The book, by Heather Lodinsky

2. 

I then cut a styrofoam cone and sphere to fit like in the picture below. I then glued some fabric onto it because I did not want to be able to see that the bouquet was initially made of styrofoam. Since there was going to be another layer on top of the fabric I just rippet the fabric into strips and glued on so that the surface was smooth. My friend helped me with the next step after the glue had dried.

3. 

Then we cut some machine crocheted trims into strips as well and glued them on. Two on each side upwards to the end. 

You can see we are using a mug so that both hand were free to glue.

Before we reached the tip we did the last side bit so that the last strip around would cover the tip. 

4.

After we had glued trimming onto the cone and the cone had dried, we popped it into a tall glass for easy access and glued the leaves on. Because some of the leaves were a bit big we glued them onto the sphere instead of between the sphere and cone. We then added flowers. we started at the bottom and worked our way up. We made sure to pop a few of the smaller leaves in between.

5.

In the end we added a bow to both bouquets and we were good to go. We used an all purpose glue that the nice lady at Panduro recommended and everything stayed firmly in place throughout the entire day. I have seen some just pinning their flowers onto the styrofoam but I would be nervous about them staying on for the entire day, and if there is one day where one would hope everything went according to plan it is your wedding day so we used up our bottle of glue to make sure our flowers were securely in place. (Besides I would also be nervous some of the pins would drop and hurt anybody as I am a catastrophe thinker.)

I got lots of praise on my bouquet and at the moment it is lying on my doll house as a decoration and I smile as I walk past it.

この感動を共有したい

Or rather I want to share this excitement

 

 Bunnies say hello, I haven't  featured them in a while on my blog and they are feeling a little under-appreciated. That may be because they have been constantly molting all summer, Mimle has gone from shedding from her head and in stages all the way down and is now currently to the patch just above her tail. Paws crossed the end is near and she doesn't start all over again. It is after all almost fall so the winter-fur needs to be in place soon! Phew. I am glad I am not a bunny.

Valmin is shedding all over, he is generally an all over the place bunny so it fits.

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So what is new with me? Not much, the dress is assembled, almost all yarn-ends have been sewn in, the frill is done. I am contemplating how best to make a few rounds around the armholes, the three rows in the pattern make the previous rows all scrunch up and I can't seem to get the right tension, so I might just do something else entirely. And then there is the last five rows on the bottom, ironing, stretching and then I am sewing on some frills I think, and then there will be a tadah.

These flowers were found at gosyo, but drops has a lot of free flower patterns too.

Another tadah that is on the steps is my flowers. I am thinking of making the ones in the bouquet in the softer hues and using the ones in darker shades as decorations, but I might change my mind. Boyfriend and I bought some beads, fabric and glue to assemble everything with later.

I made some new leaves, the colours are not completely accurate, it is a soft sort of pistachio colour, that I think goes great with the soft pinks and purple of the current layout of the bouquet.

Also I just remembered I need a smaller bouquet for my friend and boyfriend and his friend

needs a corsage of some kind, but I bought the essentials for that too.

I am not so sure these flowers are more cheap than real flowers anymore, but they are certainly more fun!

And they'll last forever too.

Like us.

A friendly heart

I am being a good girl and checking my gauge whilst making a swatch. I hope this yarn will fit, although I think the pink would have been nicer in a slightly darker shade. But we will see, so far the pattern has not been too difficult, but I need to check the other parts of the pattern as well, so you will likely see some more swatches soon.

Sandnes babyull garn, although it appears that particular colour might be going out, but their web page states four other pinks, so I guess I am good. :p

My friend made me some flowers, aren't they lovely?

Thank you.

And some very green leaves that were impossible to take a photo of because they were so tiny.

With my flowers I think I almost have a full bouquet so I guess the rest of the flowers will turn into table decorations:)

I am ending this post with some bunny love... Valmin is grooming Mimle.

In the Sunbeams there is hope

Look,  my flowers are growing. I am very bad at growing real flowers but these just seem to grow by themselves without much encouragement, which is my kind of flower. 

 My goal is at least one a day so no wonder they seem to fly by. 

Look, the box looks really at home in my dollhouse! The frame above is the one I am contemplating to paint the same pink. I Love this little corner of our room, now all it needs is a comfy chair to sit and stitch in, grandmas chair for instance. 

I've made another bunt in my bunting ;)

Mimle and Valmin were good buns today and ate their salad together ^^Mimle usually steals Valmins pellets as fast as she can, but this time she let him eat his heart out. He looked very happy.

Isn't he precious?

Remember the friend I talked about the other day? I can't seem to remember much about her, but the things I do remember for the most part are happy memories. Like how we ate at McDonalds together and she could only have the fries, like she always sang the song about fishballs that lived in the sea and drove me nuts. I am very happy that I wrote those journals because 11 years later I had forgotten about the fishballs song. Every Christmas I take out the snowman she got me for my birthday and I think about her. I wish she was still around but I am sure she is at peace now. 

Finished Friday

But I almost forgot to post. I finished my shawlette (I learned a new word too, apparently a shawlette is a small shawl, so I thought it fitted) yesterday night and laid it to block all night, I still need to iron out some creases though, and when I have done that I will give you the measurements.

But it works perfectly as a scarf as well, and yes, that is my foot for comparison.

Photo courtesy by E2knity

My friend has contributed to my bouquet,  I love the colours, the good thing about asking people to make flowers for you is that you get new yarn and colours. Plus it is fun and I love having things that others have made for me whilst thinking of me. Doesn't everyone?

If I have ever made anything to you it means I like you.

I wonder if I get any knitted ones for my bouquet as well?

Look! We have flowers in our garden!

And a bike! And they match! 

I was a good girlfriend today and whilst with my mum we went to the shops and bought some stuff, had lunch and picked up boyfriends bike, I hope he'll like it.

And since I finished my shawlette I started another in thicker yarn. I hope this one goes a little faster, and that I have fewer mistakes, I only counted five on the last shawlette so it is moving forward. The light pink is from stash and the variegated one I bought at a sale, because I needed some wool to go with my stash buster yarn. Naturally I had to buy two skeins since they were on sale. I might not be stash busting as much as I think I am.

Hehe.