My Mini Rings Of Change Jacket!

Today I've completed this jacket!

More details how I made it

in this blogpost

but first some other words...

This year is coming to an end

& I guess I won't have the time

to write another blogpost in 2015...

Tomorrow I'm travelling

to Bavaria to visit my parents

& a couple of days later

I'm already sitting on a plane to London!

I will spend Christmas & New Year's Eve

with my prince Alex

& his lovely family!

And I will meet a real special friend again:

Lin of Crochet in Colour!

Exciting!

It's been another productive year

and I had great fun with a lot of

Finished Objects -

& also with my works in progress

I've been playing around!

On the other hand there were

loads of less bright happenings

in world politics.

Times are changing

& this planet has become more insecure.

Europe can't close it's eyes anymore

because of the wars going on.

Millions of people had to leave their countries

to look for shelter

& to save their lives.

Terrorism has caused

lots of tears & sadness

in Europe & the USA.

I'm living in Germany at the moment

& it's becoming more radical.

The refugee crisis

has split this nation into

2 different positions

& it's causing more & more violence.

Refugee shelters were

set on fire hundreds of times this year,

protests are ending in riots.

I've spent the weekend in Berlin

visiting friends

& someone said to me:

"You are from Leipzig, aren't you?

Do you know what's going on

there at the moment?"

I watched what has happened in my city

straight next to the place I'm working:

It was the worst idea ever

to organize an anti-refugee-protest

walking through a left-wing district of Leipzig...

69 police officers & probably

a much higher number of people got hurt,

destruction all over.

There's nothing I'd wish more for 2016

that there could be a change to a more peaceful world.

Noa, a friend from Berlin, showed me this 

beautiful video last weekend,

so much truth & so much hope.

It's in french with english subtitles

& is presented

by the wonderful strong Lady Keny Arkana.

In the end we are all

brothers & sisters

on a weird planet,

let's stand together

& let's keep our humanity & our hearts

in all this chaos.

If everyone on this planet would

be a crocheter this world could be so much better!

People would have problems like:

"No!!! I'm running out of the yarn 

I need to finish this blanket!"

or

"Damn! I made a mistake 3 rows ago!"

Just a dream...

***

Sooo... But now something about my new jacket!

I always wanted to crochet

Frank O'Randle's

"Rings Of Change" blanket

but actually I have enough blankets!

His Mini Rings Of Change

is a free pattern

& you can make a glorious baby blanket 

- or a circle jacket!

I followed the pattern until round 27.

Round 27 was perfect for making the armholes:

Instead of just scs around

I started this way:

ch 25, skipped 25 stitches,

30 stitches

ch 25, skipped 25 stitches

scs all around

ended with a slipstitch in first chain

(This worked perfectly for my size

if your arms need more space

try it with 30 chains

& skipping 30 stitches...

Try it on!

Not enough?

Increase the chains & skipped stitches

& also the number of stitches

between the arms!)

Then I just worked the pattern till the end!

Sleeves:

a round of 50 stitches all around

*2 dc, 1 ch, skip 2 scs* around

complete first round with slipstitch

in top of first dc

slipstitch in next dc & the following chain

3 chain (= first dc)

dc & ch

work in all 1ch bridges:

2 dc, 1ch

after dcs/chs round number 9

I increased the stitches in round 10 -

in ONE of the 1ch bridges

I worked: 2 dc, 1ch, 2 dc, 1 ch

round 11-15 as usual

round 16: increase like in round 10

round 17-25 as usual 

I ended with a row of shell stitches,

*7dc in a stitch

skip 2 stitches

stitch

skip 2 stitches*

You don't need button holes -

they are already there!

I've put on 5 buttons

but do as you please!

Yay, that's it!

(If it's not big enough for you at this point

get yourself the actual Rings Of Change pattern

for some more rows

OR

just improvise & play around with stitches

for some more rounds!)

Some more pics

(Thank you to my flatmate Fabi

for taking the photos!)

Sooo...

I will pack my stuff for the next weeks now

(& all the christmas presents!)

& I wish you wonderful

christmas days

with your family!

:-)

So much love:

Your friend Dada

♥♥♥

My crazy Pineapple Shawl!

This Pinapple Shawl was such a fun project!

And I got rid of loads of scrap yarn!

I've started it with a pattern

I sadly can't recommend here.

In the second row I was struggling

because the written pattern didn't make sense

at some point.

I looked up this pattern on Ravelry

& many crocheters have suggested different edits -

the designer has never replied

& as the corrections haven't been made

I googled for a pineapple shawl chart.

With some little changes I followed

this chart!

I highly recommend using a chart for pinapple projects

- so much easier to follow!

As you can see my shawl has become pretty colourful!

I just used scrap yarn -

whenever a yarn came to it's end

I just attached another colour with a knot!

I tried to change the yarn colour

whenever there were a few

dc stitches next to each other.

You can perfectly hide a knot

& also the yarn ends

if you just crochet the followings dcs

above it!

Some yarn ends couldn't be hidden this way

but my friend Silviane Radtke

has an amazing technique

to avoid weaving them in:

Just add beads to yarn strings!

Hard to see in the beads in this colourful mess

so here is another photo:

My naked Nana Venus

wearing my crazy shawl in progress!

And she has met Luna from the first floor!

Nanas LOVE doggies!

In the end I just crocheted granny square stitches

all around my triangle scarf.

And here is the result:

I REALLY love my new shawl!

And also this Lady looks pretty cool wearing it:

And of course we can also wear it as a skirt!

This world needs more colours
& if you will also create such a funky scarf
please show me photos on Facebook!

My Wade's Blanket CAL

I'm really happy about my new blanket & so it deserves a little blog post of course!

This CAL was hosted by Zelna (Zooty Owl) & Andrea (Kokopelli Design)

& it was great fun to crochet it!

I LOVE CALs!

It's just such a difference to work on a project

while other crocheters are growing the same patterns.

You have the opportunity to see

photos of other CAL members

& I guess everyone else was unpatiently waiting

for the next part being published! ;-)

It was a special pleasure that my friend Lisbeth
has joined this CAL as well!
With her friendly permission
I can also show you a photo here:

Isn't it beautiful?!

Of course you can still find all patterns online

so you can still grow your own "Wade's Blanket CAL".

 Here you find Zelna's post with links to all parts 

& this link will guide you to Andrea's tutorials!

So this was my journey:

(I have added an additional row to every square
so my blanket is a little bit bigger!)

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Don't ask me for the heart pattern!

I'm a freeform crocheter & so I've just grown it!

I've basically just sewed the heart on a huge neon yellow granny square!

Part 6:

Part 7:

...and part 8, the border:

Taking good photographs of bright neon colours

is an impossible thing without a proper camera

but I can't change my favourite "colour", haha!

If someone is interested in the yarn I've used:

Only Schachenmayr Bravo,

the Lady in the yarn store always

says: "The Bravo girl is coming!" :-)

I'm really busy these days -

I have to write an essay for my philosophy studies

& the book has 729 pages, haha!

I hope you have more crochet time,

sending hugs:

Dada (or Julia)

YOUR Personal Freeform CAL - "Week" 26

You need such a visual diary blanket as well?
It's really never to late to start it!
I will always post your pictures
on my page Dada Neon Crochet & add it to our CAL photo album!
No time pressure at all!
If you wanna join this freeform adventure you can find the first project here!

♥♥♥

I'm so blocked when I think about crocheting

the very last puzzle piece!

I have a fabulous idea (given by Sandy)

but I just CAN'T realize it!

So I'm really happy that Saskia

has given me another idea

for a puzzle piece...

Great to have some more time before

going on with the last one! ;-)

Can't say goodbye to this project yet!

It means so much to me

& I'm so happy about

the friendships it has made!

Isn't this amazing:

Lisbeth has crocheted this gorgeous monkey

& has sent it from Denmark to the USA!

A present for her CAL friend MariaElena!

(MariaElena/Malena has also sent lovely gifts

to Lisbeth & me!) 

I bet MariaElena & Greg

have lots of fun with their growing kindergarten!

I received a dreamcatcher &

a crocheted granny heart from MariaElena! ;-)

AND a wonderful scrumble for my CAL

with a beautiful handmade card from Saskia (MalleSas)!

It's so special to have something in your hands

crocheted by lovely friends.

The world is becoming smaller

& it's just amazing to have found

such great playfellows!

And I have to show you some newborn Nanas! :-)

Both are created by our CAL friend Nora

& really special!

On the left a flaming heart Nana

(I might have to borrow your idea, Nora!)

& on the right side

a Nana wearing the colour of Nora's motorcycle!

Nana-Power, yay!

(The free pattern is to find here!)

I'm also in progress with a new Nana!

My Facebook page will have it's

first anniversary on 7 May 2015

& there will be another giveaway Nana! :-)

♥♥♥

My greetings go to:

 Roberta,
Jodie,
Ulrike,
Gwenda,
Sandy (Sandy's Sundries),
 Alicia (Marcalic Eve)
Marina (Freeform Crochet World, Freeform Crochet World Group,
Snovej, The Snovej Circle, Snovej Crafts & Kal's of Maine),

 Anouk (Een steekje verder), the highness MariaElena,
 Lin (Crochet in Colour)

Shawn (Dragonbird Creations) Lisbeth,
Jane,

Tracy (Eden Reborn),Jenny (Craft Cove),
 Donna (Walker's Whimsies & Freeform Crochet World Group)
 Anne,
Zelna (Zooty Owl)
 Monique (Yemanja)

   Princess Saskia ("MalleSas"),

 Cilly, 

Michi (Knittenfee),
Brenda,

Enna (Mishook aka Strikkeliese & Mishook), Nancy (Needleful Things),
 Judy,
 Nora,
 Jacqui (Hooky Delights.),
Denise (Wickedcrochet),
Alex,

Lisa (Knotty Girl Yarn Art),

 Lindy,Anne,

Marijke,

Katherine,
Cathy,
Kerry (Silver Owl Promidi),
Shelly (or Shell!)
& Anoinette (Moonbrush Wood Studios)
Kathy,
Ilene,
Bj

 ...and: A new member of the CAL Club!
Christine Leconte has found her way to us!
She is a really inspiring freeform artist from France
& I'm so happy & proud she has joined us!

 Here is her puzzle piece number 1,
unique & colourful as all her makings:

And her beautiful hand project:

Welcome to our CAL, Christine!
I wish you a wonderful adventure!

But there are more progress pictures to present!

Bj has crocheted this amazing yarnpainting,
what a wonderful place to stay!

Some gorgeous puzzle pieces of Monique (Yemanja)

have arrived me, first her gorgeous childhood memory project:

Here is Monique's sunny days puzzle piece,

makes happy just to look at it!

...and: Her sensational CAL in progress! Just wow!

And our Antoinette (Moonbrush Wood Studios)!

It's such a pleasure to see your works!

Here you can see her wonderful heart project:

...her homage for Terry Pratchett,

what a piece of art!

And her favourite childhood toy:

Pencils, of course!

And what a tiny detail work for Antoinette's favourite movie:

Groundhog Day! Awesome!

...and just in time this beautiful foot has arrived me!

Thank you so much for presenting me your works,

means so much to me to see it grow!

 ♥♥♥

Our topic this week (haha!) is crocheting

our favourite symbol!

What a great idea of Saskia ("MalleSas")!

I'm attending a real interesting lecture about symbolism

in university at the moment

& actually I wasn't sure what my favourite symbol is

when Saskia gave me her inspiration!

I wanna start with her project

& her own words about it!

Saskia's favourite symbol in yarn:

And her words about this gorgeous crocheted symbol:

"My symbol is the pentagram, it is used by Pagans/witches. I own a lot of pagan books because I am interested in what pagans do. It is a nature religion, you can do what you want but don't harm anyone. I love this, everybody should live by that one rule, there would be peace on the world. :-) "

A beautiful work by a wonderful Lady!

Hugs to my good witch! ;-)

And now my symbol...

First I thought about the "ankh" symbol:

 It's an egyptian hieroglyphic character

& it has different meanings.

It can symbolize life, sun

& it has also inspired the sign for the goddess Venus.

But then I remembered another symbol

which is just perfect for a person like me...

And actually the "ankh" is integrated in it!

An anchor!

An anchor has also several meanings,

it stands for hope & home.

And it's one of the most

popular tattoo symbols ever...

Hope & home are wonderful meanings

but I love this symbol for another reason.

Because of a real special Lady!

She was born as a bavarian princess.

(Of course I'm also a bavarian princess

but she was officially royal!)

Some of you might have seen the Sissi trilogy movies

with Romy Schneider...

I honestly love this movies -

but I read lots of biographical books about the

Empress Elisabeth of Austria 

& her own poem book...

The movies don't show

all the fascinating shades of her personality.

She grew up as a wild nature child 

in the countryside

& married when she was 16.

To become a caged bird.

As a free mind she was suffering

because of the formal & structured life.

One of her daughters died early,

her other children were raised

very strict by her mother-in-law.

She escaped her golden cage

& has travelled the world -

she had problems with her lungs,

the best excuse for her journeys.

She was open-minded,

loved to learn languages

& meet other cultures.

And Sisi (she hated it when people called her "Sissi")

got a tattoo!!!

Her husband Franz Joseph I of Austria was shocked!

About the anchor on her shoulder!

Sisi didn't care.

For her the anchor represented

desire of freedom

& her love for the ocean 

& being on a ship.

The end of her life was so tragical.

An italian anarchist stabbed Sisi

 with a sharpened needle file.

He only knew she was royal.

I wonder if he would have done this to her

if he would have known what

a libertine, rebel & free soul she was. 

♥

What a pretty, strong lady!

There would be many more stories to tell

but...here is my anchor!

For my soulsister Sisi

in loving memory:

Haha, I love it!

For the background I tried something funny:

Granny freeforming,

I just played around with granny stitches,

so much fun!

Who says they should be squared?

  PLEASE give me some more ideas!

I don't want to complete this CAL 

but I'm running out of ideas! :-(

And MalleSas,

THANK YOU for your support again, my princess!

♥♥♥

Stay awesome my princesses & princes,

 your friend Dada (or Julia)!!!

♥♥♥

Let me see your art in Marina's & Donna's Freeform Crochet World Group, on Dada Neon Crochet or Ravelry!