Category: Creativity

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hooked

hooked 3

Nesting during pregnancy always manifests in different ways, but one main way for me personally is through making little things.

Not always for my new baby, just keeping my hands busy.

This week I have had a major case of Sciatica pain through my back and legs and I truly know I am embarking on the third trimester.

Sitting down is one of the only times I have been free from pain, so crochet has become even more of an addiction.

A friend asked me to crochet her a slouched winter beanie. I haven’t made one before and most of the patterns I could find for this type of beanie were knitted ones. So I had a go and fiddled and made my own. Here is my pattern for a slouched winter beanie.

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Slouchy Winter Beanie

Easy pattern: Beginner

crochet hook 5 US size

2 balls 50 gram

dc: double crochet

hdc: half double crochet

selfie

(here is a little selfie with the beanie on.)

Chain 4 link together to make a ring.

Round 1: Chain 2 (this counts as 1st dc). Make 11 dcs in the middle of the ring (12 stitches).

Round 2: chain 2, do 2 dcs in every stitch (24 stitches).

Round 3: chain 2, do 2 dcs in every stitch (48 stitches). This creates the slouchy gather.

Round 4: chain 2, Increase 1 stitch in every other stitch. (e.g. 2 dcs in 1st stitch, 1 dc in 2nd, 2dcs in 3rd, 1 in 4th and so on) (72).

Rounds 5-14: chain 2, do 1 dc in every stitch (72). If you want the hat to be slouchier then do more rows here until you’re happy with its length.

Round 15: chain 2, Decrease after every 6th stitch (do 7th & 8th stitches together) (64).

Round 16: chain 2, Decrease after every 5 stitches (do 6th & 7th stitches tog) (56).

Round 17: chain 2, 1 dc in every stitch (56).

Round 18: chain 1, Use hdc. Decrease after every 10th stitch (11th & 12th tog) (52).

Round 19: chain 1, hdc 52 stitches around.

Round 20: chain 1, hdc  52 stitches around.

Join and finish off by weaving ends in.

Depending on the wool you choose the size of the hat may vary.

This pattern fitted my head perfectly, but you may need to make smaller or bigger in the half double crochet rounds depending on head size.

face cloth

I have also embarked upon making dish cloths/ face washer cloths for the first time.

Using organic cotton and this pattern here that I changed slightly (extra rows of Half double crochet around the edging) Organic Dish Cloths

I think these will be perfect little presents to throw in with the care packages for all the people having babies at the moment.

They are also so simple and easy to make.

If you want some good videos on Novice Crochet, check out my post I did a while ago.

Speak tomorrow

Amanda

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In love with my city

fall in love with your city

In love with my city.

In love with my man.

Today is my wedding anniversary, each year we normally stay at a hotel but this year as I am in my third trimester of my second little baby, so we decided a day date was in order.

We are spending the day exploring our city and loving time spent as a little family together.

Travel is not easy at the moment, with this season but it doesn’t mean we can’t make days special.

We made a decision when we were first married, that we weren’t going to buy extravagant presents every anniversary because we wanted to make a tradition that was meaningful to both of us.

So every year we buy each other a book. Something to inspire each other to be ever learning.

This year I requested a magazine subscription, but I got a beautiful book Kinfolk Table as well. Time to lie and read full sentences is not easy these days, but a flick of a magazine makes me feel all inspired and loved.

The gift that keeps on giving.

Charl Viviers, you make me smile often. You make me think larger all the time and you astound me at the way you love and provide for our little team v.

Thanks for choosing me.

Happy days,

Amanda

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delight

circus 2

circus

My little man, Maximus went to the circus for the first time today.

The delight in his eyes as he watched the trapeze artists, he snacked on his Easter chocolate bounty and was enthralled by the animals will not easily be forgotten.

There is something so pure about delight.

There is something so simple about experiencing something for the first time.

Although he is only two, he shows me so much about creativity and life.

He delights abundantly in things.

Like;

Planes

Helicopters

Horses

Cars

Motorbikes

Animals

and more.

What delights you?

When was the last time you felt delight?

Signing off happy this evening.

Amanda

 

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free e-book today!

highgate

In the spirit of today’s post Light a Candle, I am making the e-version of ‘Capture: 30 days of inspiration‘ free for the next 24 hours.

If you know anyone who you think would like to read this 30 day inspiration guide on their Ipad or e-reader, then like the facebook button above and invite them to download the e-book today for free.

Its really simple, go to the link which is my shop. Fill in the details and purchase the book for free. Then you will get an email from me and there is a download link.

For the ipad/ iphone: open the PDF in Ibooks and you will be able to read like a normal e-book.

For the computer: open up as a PDF and read in any e-reading device.

Have a creative day.

Hope you are inspired.

Love

Amanda

 

 

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Light a candle

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(Image via Pinterest)

One of my all time favourite quotes is this…

‘You never lose your flame by lighting another candle.’

Creative online culture completely baffles me sometimes.

I am learning how important it is to credit people correctly but I want to be in this world and not of it.

Success, fame, popularity are not my obsession.

My one desire for this creative space is to inspire others.

To light flames that may never have been set on fire without my little inspiration thought.

Late last night I posted some simple thoughts and around the world I had people writing to me about how they struggle with unforgiveness.

This is my dream. An open space of conversation, that heals and brings new creative inspiration to our world.

Anyone can take anything from this blog and I don’t care whether they credit me or not.

Once you put something on the internet people do repost it, people forward it, people make it their own.

I love that!

If I light another candle, then my work is done.

Create dear friends.

Find your unique within my thoughts and reproduce.

Creativity that is a free flowing stream is the best kind.

Jealous
Coveting
Envious
Controlling

Inspiration is just not inspired.

Honestly no idea is ever original anyway.

We all hunt and gather constantly and reproduce what we have catalogued.

When you hold onto your creativity tightly worried someone is going to rob you of your copyright, you are the one who is enclosed in your creative fortress.

I believe in unique inspiration.

I believe in honestly crediting those who inspire you.

But for me and my house we are giving everything, our life, our ideas, our home, our money, our inspiration, our creativity away…with no expectation of recompense.

It’s a lifestyle.

Speak tomorrow

Ps- I love candles. So much.

Amanda