Starry Nights Studio has a lovely giveaway

Look at this blog, Alissa is giving away some lovely charts. 

Starry Nights Studio: May Giveaway!

Free bookmarks week - 5. Mayflowers

One of my dear readers suggested the mayflowers. Only after that did I learn that in Sweden they sell mayflower pins for charity as an old tradition all May.

So I made my mayflower chart a bit simplified, more stylised because I wanted them to resemble the pins.

I imagined this on a nice coloured background, maybe some peachy-pinkish-purplish hand died fabric? But I drew another version with a more subtle background. Pick up what you have in your stash - anything that would let the white flowers stand out.

I also think that this would look really good with a bunch of French knots in the middle, in yellow (the first version). However, I know that lots of us are not particularly keen on French knots, so the other version has simple straight stitches instead. They don't need to be symmetrical, make them a bit "disheveled" :D

I hope you like it.

Tomorrow I will have a blackwork bookmark.

Plarn crochet projects

Not long ago I saw this site and I said I have to make it for my balcony. Then I thought that yarn is probably not very durable and also, I don't have any that I would willingly use for this, nor do I have money to spend on it. On the other hand, in school me and the kids have been trying out making and using plarn, that is plastic bags cut into stripes and used as yarn. So I put the two ideas together and this is what happened. I tried knitting, but then realised that crocheting is easier with plarn. I also remembered that in my childhood my grandma and my mom crocheted doormats from plactic bags milk was sold in.

So this is from the inside of the balcony:

...and this from the outside:

It was really simple, I made a long rectangle, about 20 cm by 80, folded back the two ends and crocheted the edges, leaqving about 10 cm in the middle to put over the rail. Then tied them together under the rail. It is actually lined with another plastic bag, with a few small holes in the bottom, so that the soil is not washed out.

The pansies have a wonderful scent!

Then I decided I would like to have a plarn pot too. I have just finished it so it is still empty but will buy some geraniums tomorrow.

I think it looks lovely with my other recycled "pot", the old washbasin with a hole that we found thrown out in the forest and I rescued it. :D

Free bookmarks week - 4. Geometric pattern

Those who follow my blog know that I really enjoy playing with geometric forms, creating colourful little patterns. This bookmark is also the result of such playing.

I made it in two different colour schemes. You can see how the whole character of the piece is changed depending on which of the colours you pick for the frame around the triangles. So feel free to use your favourite colours and experiment with them. Have fun :)

Tomorrow I am coming back with some more flowers.

Free bookmarks week - 3. Swedish flowers

The third bookmark in May shows the famous Linné-flowers of Sweden. They are so beautiful in real life, I saw them last summer, very tiny and very sweet.

If you would like to know more: here is Wikipedia's article about them.

Hope you like it.

Tomorrow will bring a geometric pattern.

Free bookmarks week - 2. Celtic bookmark

This design was inspired by Celtic knots. I love the dark green and gold together, with a hint of red and black.

Hope you will enjoy stitching it.

Tomorrow I am coming back with some Swedish flowers. :)

Free bookmarks week - 1. Hungarian folk art pattern

Hi, everyone,

May! Finally. :D

To start the celebrations, the first bookmark is, of course, based on a Hungarian folk art motif.

Enjoy! Happy stitching. Show me the finished products, please.

Come back tomorrow. There will be another bookmark!