YOUR Personal Freeform CAL! - Week 7

Oh no! You've just recognized our Freeform Crochet adventure? 

It's never too late to join us, here you can find our first week!

Our Crochet Alongs are growing & so is our CAL Club!

Ulrike has posted some true words in Marina's facebook group

Freeform Crochet World Group:

It's not a competition!

It doesn't matter if someone has missed the first weeks

or if you don't have the time to create a puzzle piece within a week.

I love how the members in this group are celebrating

the different styles of the others!

It's art & we all can get inspired by each other -

the more styles the better!

Roberta, Jodie, Ulrike, Gwenda & Sandy are surely

as amazed as me about our new CAL Club members

Alicia aka Marcalic's Creations

& Marina Hoffstrom aka Snovej Crafts on facebook (related to her 

wonderful webpage Snovej) aka Freeform Crochet World 

aka Kal's of Maine (She is producing yummi food with her husband as well!).

& Anouk aka Een steekje verder ;-)

(I may have forced her a little bit to join our team -
I saw her beautiful freeform heart

& wanted her so badly in our CAL Club!
She is posting in dutch AND english now!)

& last but not least MariaElena!
All of us might have seen her beautiful first Freeform Crochet picture
in the Freeform Crochet World Group
& we are glad to have you in our team now!

A few more ladies are already interested in joining,

I'm so looking forward for new puzzle piece crocheters!

This week's project means so much to me.
We will yarnpaint the place we call home.
Of course our home is more than a building
but I think a house is a suitable symbol for the feeling of being home.
I hope all of you have the luck to live somewhere
where you can really feel at home.
If not you could maybe crochet the house of your childhood
if you have had a good one.
Of course you can also crochet the house of your dreams!
THIS is my home, my house:

I was living in this building since I've started 

my studies in the university of Gießen in Germany.

I'm quite a restless person, I'm 32 years old now & you won't believe 

in how many different cities & countries I've lived so far!

After a year or so I'm getting bored of a city & I was used to leave 

& move to somewhere else.

In Gießen I've finally found a home with 5 wonderful flatmates.

Sometimes flatmates move out but there's always a special connection

between the people who were living in this flat even when they move out.

I always wanted to stay in this house until I'm old & grey.

It is well known in Gießen as the "K1", a short cut of it's adress.

Last year was a hard year for me.

Somehow it began with the death of my beloved rat Erwin.

I broke up my relationship with one of the best persons on this planet.

It got harder for me to get the usual life stuff done.

I was glad to have my best friend Stephan.

He was planning to move to Aberdeen in Scotland in September.

A few weeks before he has left I've decided to join him.

In the beginning it was an adventure

but after the first months I got so sad!

I was crocheting around the clock

(it always helps me to feel better but it was really to extreme!),

& didn't meet friends anymore.

I got quiet & sad and actually it got only better since I've started this CAL project.

A few weeks ago I went to Germany & I realized

how much my home, my friends & my old flatmates mean to me!

I really love Scotland but here in Gießen is my heart.

I felt so much better here & I just didn't want anything more in life

but coming back to my old life.

Of course someone else was living in my old room now.

I've talked to Inga who has spent a wonderful time 

with my flatmates in the last 9 months.

I asked her if there's maybe a possibility somewhen in the future

to move into this flat again.

She did something extraorinary & unbelievable:

She has applied for a free room in the same house

& that's why I can come home again.

She got this neon unicorn I was creating during the time of waiting for 

the decision but actually I can never pay back what she has done for me.

But hey: She wants to learn to crochet

& we are planning to yarnbomb our bicycles!

Before I show you my crocheted home I would love to present you

my favourite song of my favourite singer, Radical Face.

The topic of our project is perfect to listen to it

& even if I adore this song since 5 years

it has never meant so much to me than now.

This is my crocheted home:

It's still in progress, I will surely add some more details

& I still have to find the right place for my Swirly Heart!

I've crocheted the street because it was easier 

to combine it with the first 6 weeks of the CAL in this way ;-)

Here are instructions again, maybe they can be helpful

(even if I think you're painting your way!).

Maybe another inspiration, a house I've crocheted for an exhibition a few years ago ;-)

I hope you've had a nice time while crocheting this personal puzzle piece for our CAL!

So looking forward to see your yarnpaintings on Facebook or Ravelry!

Stay awesome!

Your CAL friend Dada ;-)

Tiny Rainbow Unicorn Amigurumi by Ahooka - As a giant!

This will be a tiny but necessary post. 

Life can be serious enough - Sometimes we need to dream us away.

It doesn't matter if you are a child or not:

THIS unicorn isn't only cuteness overload -

it's fun to create & it makes this world a better place.

Maybe a few of you have already seen this picture on my facebook page &

are curious how the huge unicorn looks like?

You can create this lovely tiny version -

then you can go straight to Ahooka's lovely page & the Tinycorn pattern...

You want to have a huge version?

Then get yourself a 10-12mm hook.

I would have used Schachenmayr's gorgeous Bravo Big yarn

but it wasn't available in all of my favourite colours in my local yarn store.

I've improvised it with taking 4 skeins of Schachenmayr Bravo at the same time

& I took a 12mm hook.

The eyes measure: 20mm

These yarns are my favourite ones for such a long time:

They are cheap, available in many colours & have a damn good quality.

(Of course you can use other yarn, too! I won't.)

I've skipped the yellow & the red chainbraids in mane & tail

because the body is already neon yellow 

& red doesn't work with the neon pink of my unicorn.

Tinycorn or giant unicorn?

Both are gorgeous!

Go for it, you won't regret it.

By the way: My neon unicorn goes to a damn special person

who has done something unbelievable for me.

I will tell you more next monday

because I will integrate it in our YOUR Personal Freeform CAL post.

Hey, Ahooka is as curious as I am -

we have to see your gorgeous creations!

Please let us see a picture of your versions, ok?

Here you'll find the cute pattern!

Your Personal Freeform CAL! - Week 6

Oh no! You have missed the first 5 weeks of this crochet adventure? 

No problem, here you can find the start! It's never to late to join it ;-)

Look at all these gorgeous creatures! 

This week you've overwhelmed me again with your creativity & skills!

Thanks for sharing your beloved pets with me.

Our CALs are growing to a real diary -

Such a nice imagination:

One day when I'm old I will look at this blanket

& will think about all the things in life

with real importance to me.

And even when I'm dead & gone

there will be eventually a future relative

who shows this blanket to someone & says something like that:

"One of my ancestors has made this a few hundred years ago.

She was a crazy crochet lady & was badly addicted to neon colours. 

She has had impressingly huge hands & loved rats!"

Too funny!

But before we start our new project:

I'm so thankful for the amazing ladys walking this way with me

that I thought I have to give something back.

I've crocheted this Swirly Hearts for you.

It's a design by Marina Hoffstrom,

this passionate lady who does so much for us Freeformers:

She's giving us a home in the fantastic Freeform Crochet World Group,

she is running the Freeform Crochet World page in Facebook,

she gives us informations about our favourite way to crochet

& is offering fantastic patterns & tutorials on her webpage Snovej.

And last but not least:

She's a genius crochet designer!

I swear: You will feel like a magician while crocheting this pattern!

It's available on Ravelry or in her Etsy Shop!

Roberta, Jodie, Ulrike, Gwenda & Sandy:

Just send me your adresses to receive your hearts!

Do with it whatever you want:

Puzzle it in your CAL,

use it for a scrumbling project or just keep it

as a memory.

But now let's finally start our weekly project!

This week I've prepared a crocheted puzzle piece based on TWO ideas of
our CAL Club member Roberta Lovejoy!
She just wanted to try a little bit of freeforming -
and wasn't able to stop it anymore! ;-)

I think we all need her wonderful tree in our blankets badly

& at the moment she's experimenting with the Irish Crochet Technique...
Roberta has already planted a tree - but of course she needs a project for this week, too!
I've decided to create two different projects:
One for all of us & a special project for Roberta!
I hope you like your option - but of course you can grow another tree, too!
(Or something else with a deeper meaning for you!)
Thank you so much for your creative input, Roberta!
THIS is what makes YOUR Personal Freeform CAL
OUR Personal Freeform CAL!

First I will present you the tree project.
I hope you love nature as I do.
Maybe you've already planted a tree,
maybe you have a garden & you have a special connection to a tree.
Maybe you love apples & you want to plant an apple tree in your CAL for this reason.
Some people plant a tree when a child is born.
A tree is also a symbol for life & our roots.
I hope you've already a special tree with a deeper meaning for you.
If not: Take a walk in your neighbourhood.
I'm sure you'll find a gorgeous new tree friend!

The tree in my CAL is growing in Bavaria where I've spent my childhood and youth.

This tree is so special to me! It's not easy to find & the way to it is hidden

with bushes & other trees. As you can see I'm sitting in it on this picture.

A flash of lightning must have stroked it long times ago.

Somehow I'm always coming back to this tree.

I'm feeling so sheltered while sitting in it.

Like an embryo in a placenta or something ;-)

Many years ago I've babtized this tree:

Brother Anton.

I won't try to reconstruct this tree in a natural way 

but when I look at the tree in my CAL

I'll definitely think about Brother Anton 

& my childhood memories.

Roberta really likes the Irish Crochet Technique:

A lot of Doilys are created in this way, for example.

Doesn't it look impressive?!

On this picture you can see a wonderful piece of Irish Crochet art created in the 19th century.

(It's a photo of the page www.marquise.de, 

the picture was taken by Alexa Bender 

& is to find here in the Commons Wikimedia database!)

Of course whe don't have to crochet a stunning masterpiece as this example

but we can totally do a experiment with this technique -

by crocheting a treetop!

I thought about a little dreamcatcher -

Native American cultures believe that only good dreams are allowed to filter through a dreamcatcher.

Nightmares would stay in the net & disappear with the daylight. 

They are quite easy to create.

You can just use a pattern, 

here you can find a dreamcatcher collection by Grandma Perkins Crochet!

You can also do it my way:

Have a look at a photo & try to recreate it with a small hook 

(I've used a 1,5mm hook & thin brown yarn)!

Feels funny to crochet something with such a small hook,

I'm crocheting a lot with the 12mm & 20mm hook nowadays :-)

Or do you wanna crochet your treetop in a more detailed & impressive way?

Go for it! You don't have to create a dreamcatcher!

I've improvised this dreamcatcher & have found this lovely buttons &

crocheted a neon green foundation! (...of course...)

Now I will sew the dreamcatcher & the apples

on the basis...

It got some more branches & it got wavy!

I love the Hyperbolic Coral Technique

& have made one more neon green row...

3 stitches in every single stitch around!!!

Maybe I'll add a bird to the tree -

our CAL is actually never completed,

we can always add some details ;-)

So, Roberta: This is especially for you.

I thought you might like it but be free to create something else if you want...

In churches we often see beautiful windows -

beautiful coloured glass is telling stories

or just looks awesome!

Maybe your church has such a gorgeous window as well,

maybe you just get inspired by looking at pictures...

I've prepared a puzzle piece in a abstract way just for inspiration -

I'm already sure you will crochet something

wonderful & unique as always ;-)

My design is quite simple,

I've just tried to paint a person - quite abstract -

& crocheted some spontaneous details

(...time was working against me again!)

but just express yourself by trying to freeform some Irish Crochet!

Thank you Roberta!

All of you are invited to share ideas;

a few of Gwenda's ideas will be already crocheted in the future I guess...

Just let me know...

Hey: I have to create another Swirly Heart!

Alicia of Marcalic's Creations has joined our CAL-Club ;-)

Send me photos of your new puzzle piece on Facebook or

add your project to Ravelry!

Stay awesome,

Dada Neon

;-)

Grow your own Multifunctional Hyperbolic Coral!

The secret plant is finally ready to grow!

I already told you last week

that it is fashion, comfort & multifunctional...

Before I'm telling you how to create your own 

Multifunctional Hyperbolic Coral

I'll present you some different possibilities how to wear or use it...

THANK YOU

Jackson, Sarah, Sophie, Lela, Verena, Raphael, Lisa, Kathi & Alex

for the funny photo shootings!!!

;-)

Meet my lovely friend Sarah from Aberdeen/Scotland -

She was the first huge fan of my Multifunctional Hyperbolic Coral

& was looking so damn beautiful while wearing it

that I just HAD to give her my first huge coral

as a present for her birthday...

For this post I've had wonderful supporters to show you how the

Multifunctional Hyperbolic Coral

could look as a scarf...

...or as a dog bed...

(Thank you for the shooting, Jackson! You are such a gorgeous doggie!)

...or as a hat or wig...

...as a pillow...

...so glad that it's summer but during the winter we can use our 

Multifunctional Hyperbolic Coral as a muff as well...

...as a decoration...

You are totally up for creating your own Multifunctional Hyperbolic Coral now?

It's one of the easiest things to crochet!

Just follow these steps:

Maybe you've already seen pictures of Hyperbolic Corals,

maybe you've already created a smaller one.

This brilliant technique was developed by Dr Daina Taimina

- a mathematician experimenting with crochet techniques!

If you're interested in other amazing hyperbolic art opportunities

check out this page...

1.

Everyone has a hook size which is just like perfectly made for you: I just love my 12mm hook! 

For growing your own coral you should get yourself a 12mm hook. 

Online you can find a "pack of 9 sizes multi coloured Acrylic Crochet Hooks"... 

They are amazingly cheap & I really love the 12mm hook of this set...

2.

This project will help you to get rid of scrap wool -

we are creating it with 3 skeins of yarn at once

(just knot on another colour if one wool comes to it's end...)

or by using a real chunky wool...

Of course you can also create a monochrome version;

a friend wants to create hers just in black

& I'm sure it will look fantastic, too!

First we need a foundation:

If you've already found YOUR perfect way to crochet a circle:

go for it & let it grow with dc stitches (US: single crochet)

until you've reached 

about 24cm/9,5 inches in diameter...

Otherwise you start with 

4ch

7 dc (US: sc) in first chain

double every stitch in next row (14)

double every third stitch of this row

double every 5th stitch of the next row

double every 6th stitch of the following row

measure the diameter - maybe you've already reached 24cm/9,5 inches

- if yes: Your foundation is complete!

- if not: double every 7th stitch until you've reached 24cm/9,5 inches!

(The bigger our hook, the bigger the difference of the size - it depends on how tight you crochet!)

3.

Do nothing else but: double every stitch...

4.

After 6-7 rows of just doubling stitches you should have YOUR perfect size!!!

Congrats, you have just improved your life quality!!!

I'm too curious:

Please send me photos of your Multifunctional Hyperbolic Coral on Facebook or

add it as a Ravelry project!

Stay creative,

Dada Neon

;-)

YOUR Personal Freeform CAL - Week 5!

Awww... You wanna join this crazy crochet adventure 
& you have missed the first 4 weeks? 
It's really never to late to go on this freeform crochet journey, 
here you can find the link :-)

The last week was quite exciting for me... 
The phenomenal Facebook page Crocheters Anonymous has shared my tiny page & 
I was totally overwhelmed by the traffic & the huge number of new likes!
Hopefully we'll get some new members for our CAL Club as well :-)
The Vincent van Gogh yarnpaintings were growing so magnificent
& it's such a pleasure to see your pictures!
Thanks to all my lovely supporters,
especially to my talented freeform artists Roberta, Jodie, Ulrike, Gwenda & Sandy!



I have asked you to send me your ideas 
about what else we could integrate in our YOUR Personal Freeform CAL
& Gwenda has sent me some fantastic suggestions.
Your blanket should represent yourself in the end
& so we'll create a REAL personal puzzle piece today.

We will crochet our most beloved pets & animals this week!
Maybe you have the luck to have a dog, a cat, a turtle, a cow or whatever,
maybe you just have a special connection to an animal...
You can't decide which wonderful creature you like best?
We all love wool, so you could just crochet a sheep!
(I'm dreaming of my own neon dyed sheep 
& of course of my colourful spinning wheel!)


I've not only integrated Gwenda Miller's idea but have also "borrowed" one of her lovely details:

A colourful rainbow!
Maybe you want to combine YOUR favourite animal with a rainbow as well?
We are here to inspire each other 
& everyone of us will have a different puzzle piece -
it would be fantastic to have something in common!

This is MY favourite pet:
A rat named Erwin!



I have crocheted a few examples but this week you may have to create 
your puzzle piece in a total unique way...

Some advices for the way:




Sometimes we have to feed our inner child (we need it for doing art!).
I just love to crochet & i just love to read,
so I have to combine 2 passions.

Crocheting + Reading = Audiobook Crochet

I really like the website Books Should Be Free.
You can download & stream all the audiobooks on this page legally.
One of these audiobooks is actually for children & I've streamed it twice in the last months:

Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter!

I was in a bad mood a few weeks ago 
& thought about what could brighten up my day.
I've listened to this audiobook last Winter for the first time 
& suddenly it came to my mind.
I was laughing with Pollyanna again, I was crying with Pollyanna again
& I really think we can learn a lot of her.
If we all would play her "Glad Game" this world would be a better place.

Give it a try, if you want :-) The Audiobook Crochet Technique also works
with other audiobooks, of course!

Just some inspirations...
I love the cat paintings of Rosina Wachtmeister,
so I've tried to paint a cat in this way. 
Of course you can be as abstract as you want!
The little sheep was dyed with multicoloured yarn!



Almost a yarnbombing!



And last but not least MY favourite pet.
Her name was Erwin. 
Someone has abandoned her, friends found this wonderful creature
& gave me a call because they knew I've had rats before.
I've spent the most beautiful time with her,
during the day Erwin used to live on me or was just exploring her environment.
I can't even explain how much she has meant to me,
somehow we were soulsisters.
Last year she had to leave me.
 Many of the human friends she has made have joined her funeral.
I still can't think about Erwin without getting tears in my eyes.
I know that many people can't understand a friendship 
between human beings & rats.
Maybe this heart warming article can make you understand better
if you are one of them.



This picture was taken by my friend & talented photographer Jasmin Franz -
she has offered me to make a photo shooting with Erwin
when I realized that our extraordinary time was running out.
Thank you Jasmin,
the pictures you took 
are priceless to me.
♥♥♥



Erwin has found a place to stay in my CAL as a beloved memory.
The fried egg is representing her favourite meal:
Eggs!
The bright rainbow represents for me
all the joy & love I've received
because of Erwin's existence.


Roberta has sent me an idea for our next CAL piece - her brilliant creative input
will be prepared for the next puzzle piece, of course!

Please let me see your creations,
I wish you could see me jumping around
when I'm discovering a photo
of your growing masterpieces!
:-)

Just send it to me on Facebook or add it as a Ravelry project!
Let me also know something about your relation to your animal if you want...

Lovely greets,
Dada Neon

YOUR Personal Freeform CAL! - Week 4

I damn love this project - because of this wonderful people on this planet 

who are walking this crocheted path with me! 

When I've started this project I wasn't sure if it could work - 

the way of this tutorial is quite unconventional. 

But YOU, Roberta, Jodie, Ulrike, Gwenda & Sandy
(I found out she has a Facebook page, too - weeks after she has joined us!)

have proved that it's possible to do this adventure! 

I'm so proud of you & love your unique styles! For me all of you are REAL artists!

On the following picture you can see some of my crochet works... 

The topic of this exhibition in Germany was "art and catastrophies". 

I did this event with the german artists Anne Laubner & Anne Wende.

I've had several art exhibitions with my crocheting stuff so far 

& I want to encourage you to bring more Freeform Art to your local art exhibitions!

Take your time, show your work to strangers in groups...

(Good friends or relatives will love it anyway!)

Hey, maybe we won't become world famous but we're doing something special 

& there are ways to present your art.

Join your local art club,

show your works to a gallerist,

enter crochet or art competitions!

Maybe you will receive disappointments as well but if you don't try it 

you can never have this overwhelming feeling of presenting your work in public. ;-)

Our project in week 4 has to do with an artist as well:

Vincent van Gogh.

I saw his painting "Starry Night" and thought it could be a nice inspiration for our CAL.

Our Freeform CAL should be personal, my idea was to integrate the fact that all of us are living in different countries & are living different lifes.

But all of us have some similarities:

We love crocheting,

we are all joining an extraordinary art project

& no matter where we live

in the USA, the UK, Australia, Germany or somewhere else:

We are all looking at the same stars.

Maybe you are missing special persons living far away from you?

(I'm a bavarian woman living in Scotland & miss some of my friends & relatives in Germany badly!)

Think about your most missed beloved beings while creating a star to represent this person!

Hey, it's YOUR Personal Freeform CAL!

So let's paint a starry sky with our hooks!

Get yourself your favourite hook size!

Choose your yarn colours for this project!

(For the Van Gogh effects it's fantastic if you have wool with changing colours; 

if not just use several wools at the same time!)

Of course you can also paintcrochet a purple or black night sky with your hookbrush!

I thought it would be the best to start with the moon.

Created it in this way:

Chain stitches with two skeins of yarn;

Next row: slip stitch in the first chain, dc (US: sc), tr (US: dc) until the middle

(roughly - as we are freeforming we shouldn't count to much!),

treble (US: dc) + double treble (US: treble) + tr (US: dc) in the "middle" stitch

go on with tr (US: dc), dc (US: sc) in the last but one chain, slip stitch

Surround the moon with one more row!

Thought it would be the best to create a roughly circle.

I've used white & beige for small brush effects...

Now just crochet around the circle (sometimes you should double a stitch; 

try to feel when it's time for this move - 

the more we improvise, the more we learn to understand the language of our yarn!)

A "stroke of the brush" can be simulated in the easiest way with multicoloured yarn.

Combine blue and white shades by taking to skeins at once or just 

by creating your own multicoloured wool: Knot together different colours!

I would never use fluffy wool for a project based on a pattern

because it's hard to see the loops - for freeform crochet it's ideal:

Special effects no matter if you skip a stitch sometimes!

Created two star circles by using 2 skeins

Small star:

3 ch, dc's (US: sc) in first ch, slip stitch & one more row in blue/white shades

Big star: 4ch, trebles in first chain, slip stitch

Fluff or multicolour around!

Combine the pieces (I've tried to recreate the distance between moon and stars...) 

Maybe not a real Van Gogh but I like it ;-)

Send me pictures of your creations on Facebook or add your project in Ravelry!!!!

Next week I'll prepare a puzzle piece based on the idea of Gwenda!

What do we need badly in our CAL?

Take the chance to share your idea with me & get involved!

Sunny greetings,

Dada Neon