Getting There!!!

Remember the bedspread I started with Red Heart Baby Sheen?

I went on full blast crochet mode to make motif pieces for the bedspread just this December. I'm supposed to make 266 pieces in total and have so far done almost half! 

I think I will be able to finish the entire queen size bedspread by February. When people ask me where I get the patience to make big projects like this one, I just say I simply like doing it. Thing is, even if I am doing the same pattern over and over again, every piece I make seems to be different from the one I made before. It's not just because of the different color combinations. I think it's also because I go through something different every time I make a piece. Curious, eh? I don't know, really. Crochet is very psychological :p

Here's the back side of my sample cluster. Do not underestimate the power of the back! One must try to have the back side of a crocheted piece to be as clean as the front, especially for bedspreads. It wouldn't be nice to have an ugly back when you turn it over. 

Now I shall go back to my hermit cave and crochet some more. 

This Is What Happens When A Crocheter Attempts...

...to model her work. This post is so vain. I know :p

So I wanted to show off the cowl/infinity shawl I crocheted with Hamanaka yarn by wearing it. I was with my boyfriend Rob at his office holiday get-together. I was wearing the crocheted cowl, so I decided to have some pictures taken with it. The experience was so excruciating. It's so hard to get a decent picture!

I was sort of going for some "look." The image in my head, well, remained in my head. Man, I'ma get me a model to do these things for me.

This may be the most decent one, out of 35 shots Rob took of me on that wall.

My right foot leaning against the wall is Rob's idea, by the way. I don't really know what I'm supposed to convey in this picture. As long as the cowl looks good, I'm good. Actually, it probably would have looked more awkward without the cowl.

By the way, if this post made you want that cowl (miraculously), go HERE for more details :)

Mad For Cowls: Made-To-Order Hamanaka Pieces

I am here to declare that the cowl is the new shawl :)

I'm a shawl girl. I like having something over my outfit especially when I'm in cold establishments. I also like having a shawl in my bag, just in case I may need it. It also changes my look if I'm wearing a plain outfit. 

Then I got drawn to cowls. They're like shawls that got connected on both ends. Check out this design by Hamanaka, from their 2012 catalog.

Photo belongs to Hamanaka from their 2012 pattern catalog (H105-962)

The draping differentiates it from a shawl. You can also change the look by twisting the cowl in the middle to wear it thickly enough to keep your neck warm (I don't know why she looks sad here).

This may come in handy for your cold-weather trips to Baguio or Tagaytay or even outside the country. Since I have Hamanaka yarn, I decided to crochet this design with, what else, Hamanaka yarn! I don't have the yarn in the picture with the model, but I have 2 delicious yarn that go well with this design.

This one is made with Cornetto (color 6) yarn. Nice, noh? The color has some shimmer to it and the variegation between colors are subtle - a characteristic I noticed of Hamanaka yarn with some variegation in colors. When laid flat and already folded into a cowl, the length is almost 23 inches. This will go longer once the cowl is worn over the neck because of the stretching of the yarn. I can attest to the lightness of this cowl as well.

The one below is made with Hamanaka's Rich More Percent Gradation, in color 206. The yarn is a bit thicker than the Cornetto and the length is longer at around 27 inches, when laid flat as a cowl. As usual, the color variegation is impeccable. 

Both of these pieces are available on sale. Just in case these aren't available anymore, we also offer them as made-to-order items and we're also giving you the option to choose from these available yarn and colors (subject to availability):

Cornetto Yarn 

50% Polyester, 28% Acrylic, 15% Nylon, 7% Wool

Percent Gradation Yarn

100% Wool
Colors: 206 (Left), 207, Right: 213