Etsy Shop Rave Review: CelestialCreations4U

This rave review for an Etsy shop is long overdue!

At the beginning of the summer, I ordered a beautiful beaded silver necklace from a gorgeous handmade jewellery shop based out of Ottawa, Canada, called CelestialCreations4U.

The experience with the shopkeeper, Celeste, was amazing. She was so friendly, helpful and quick to reply.
Her jewellery is 100% authentic and handmade and you can see that she really exerts her creativity into each unique piece.

Very soon after my order, I receive this necklace, carefully wrapped, as shown in these photos:

This summer, I had 5 weddings (count 'em, FIVE!) to attend and I must have worn this piece to at least 3 of them. The workmanship is of very high quality and the colors go with basically everything. I love the vintage and classic style.

Celeste offers a lot of different varieties of dangly necklaces, feather necklaces, rings, and trendy necklaces.
Make your way over to her Etsy shop and browse to find your next staple, as I have found mine!!

Purple flower earrings - cabochons

I just listed a pair of these dark purple flower earrings in my shop.
Made from polymer clay with nickel-free and lead-free metal posts.

They are just smaller than a penny.

I'm keeping a pair for myself, I have so many weddings coming up this summer, I just know they will come in handy!

Grey chevron paper tags

It's been a while since I've been blogging, mostly because it's been so crazy around here.
Also, it's summer so my crochet activities have tapered off, due to obvious reasons.

Every summer, I find that I gravitate towards paper crafting and this year is no different.
At first, I was just destashing some gift tags leftover from my wedding...and next thing I know, I was getting requests for hand-cut paper tags of all prints.

One of the most popular designs has been this grey chevron paper tag. They are just going like crazy!
I think the mass appeal comes from the way you can write on either side of the tag and also, grey chevron is so in right now!

Grey chevron gift tags

'City blue' Etsy Treasury feature

This past weekend I was featured in the "City Blue" treasury curated by Orawee & Sam of squishnchips on Etsy. (Orawee and Sam are selling some really unique handmade gift items and animal pop-up cards! Give them a look-see).

It really caught my eye because of the stunning contrasts and amazing photography.

I'm honoured to have my Manhattan Infinity Scarf featured here!!

'City blue' by squishnchips

AKAI - 77 Reel-to-Reel Bag krukrustudio $170	shopper ORIGAMI alcantara SUHUcollection $36	Peacock // cabochon earrings... BelleAccessoir... $9
Eyedazzler Grey Leather Cuff oropopo $25	Vintage L.L. Bean Birdseye W... twigandspokevi... $62	Winter Fashion - Grey Sweats... sealmaiden $44
Geometric Necklace / Geometr... BlueBirdLab $30	2 balls of grey cotton visco... PerfectYarn $11	jersey dress - grey - polka ... stadtkindpotsd... $79
Original Abstract Art Print ... Printerella $13.5	MANHATTAN, infinity scarf, c... karliboutique $40	linientreu Messengerbag linientreu $219
Navy blue triangle ring Lepun $12	8x10 - Room for Rent - Surre... 9thCycleStudio... $25	Black leather handmade noteb... Buntmal $30
Loops neckwarmer, knit tube... ylleanna $65

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

My interview with Crochet Business Blog

Today, I was honoured to be the feature interviewee on the Crochet Business blog, written by Sara Duggan (momwithahook). She interviewed me regarding my craft of crochet, and spotlighted my Etsy shop.

Sara's crochet business blog offers important business tips, how-to's, and business advice for those hoping to start an online crochet/knitting business or blog for income. I have found lots of great tutorials and tidbits along the way on her blog and I'm glad to have been featured!

Read my interview here!!!

Sara also provides a short report "10 Ways to Earn From Your Crochet Blog," detailing how you can sell crochet products right from your crochet blog!

Thanks for the feature, again, Sara!!

Brooches be crazy

Crochet flower brooches - embellish away!

Since it is spring now (or trying very hard to be!), I have been racking my brain for cute but wearable items. I had some ideas for loose and airy scarves...but then I started making flower brooches and they seemed to take over. They are such quick projects but always so elegant. I have been playing around with different sizes of hooks and numbers of stitches to make them a little different from each other.

I also make my own fabric covered buttons so I've been raking through them and creating some cute color combos. It's addictive. I added a latchback pin to the rear and a brooch party was formed!

What colors are your favorite?
Personally, I think the yellow with polka-dot cloth button is the most adorable.

You can buy any one of them on sale at my Etsy shop.

Grey Flower Brooch with Rhinestone Button

Brown tweed flower brooch with metal button

Taupe flower brooch with metal button (this was made with Alpaca yarn)

Navy blue flower brooch with Damask fabric button (made the button myself too)

Yellow flower brooch with Polka-Dot Fabric Button 

Rose pink flower brooch with grey button

Trinity Braided Cowl

Here is my latest creation: the Trinity Braided Cowl, a new favourite.
I think it would work for both Spring and Winter as it's light and breathable.
I'm working on other colors and yarn types too.

See it here in my shop.

**
Named after the historic and beautiful Trinity Church located in what's now the Financial District in Manhattan, this braided crochet cowl has just as much character. The first Trinity Church, built in a gothic rectangular shape was constructed in 1698. The original building was burnt down in a massive fire. The second Trinity Church was torn down due to immense wreckage from snow. And today's third version of the church is still in use as a parish. Unlike its namesake, this cowl is made strong by its three strands of braided crochet to form a strong and resistant cowl!

 Trinity Parish in Manhattan, NYC.

Navy Blue Headband - custom order!

I received a custom order to transform one of my previously listed cable headbands into an ultimate adorable accessory. She wanted a navy blue band, which I was glad to have on hand. It took me a while to remember  what hook size I used but I ended up using a J hook and triple crochet cables to generate the chunky braided cable look.

I also make fabric covered buttons so my customer requested a couple of those to go onto her headband. Along with the crochet cable work, this headband turned out really cute!
I think we will see more of this fabric covered button + cable headband combo in the near future. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Crochet Infinity Scarves

How to crochet infinity scarves:
Worked in rounds, upwards.

Ch the number needed to achieve desired circumference. This depends on how many "wraps" you want for your scarf. I usually ch around 140 or 150.

Join ch, careful not to twist.
Work stitches (hdc, sc, or dc) across and you can join at the end of each round with a slip stitch, or just continue around in a spiral for a seamless loop.
Join at the end of the last round (# rounds depend on desired width).

I'm finding that I am really fad-functional. This means that I usually get into something and that something consumes my attention for a while, until I move onto the next fad.
As of late, even with spring just around the corner, I have been really feeling the whole infinity scarf thing. They are just so lovely and versatile. Not to mention they are really appealing in photographs. 

An infinity scarf is just a scarf that is connected into a circle. I think they are appealing because they don't have any detestable ends sticking out in nether-regions. It's a nice finish all around. Also, I think because it's much easier to wrap around one's neck than a standard rectangular long scarf. 

So, here are a few I've just finished making and posted in my Etsy shop.

Aritzia Online: Shopping Review

On Boxing Day, I came across the Atlantic Hoodie by TNA, at an Aritzia store. I immediately fell in love with it because of its ultra-softness and extra long length. It was on sale for only $10 off, but as those die-hard Aritzians out there will know, this is about as good as it gets.

Aritzia only recently launched their online shopping portal, in October 2012 and I thought I would review my experience here for other fellow online shopaholics who are curious! I know I did some web searches before my own purchase just because the site is so new and it's easy to be scammed by customs, hidden fees, or other extraneous online charges if you are not careful.

Well, I decided to purchase a black Atlantic hoodie (size S) because I seriously own too many grey sweaters and I already got the same hoodie in Salt and Pepper on on Boxing Day. At first glance, the site is primitive.

It barely uses flash, and the shopping sections don't allow zoom or alternate views.
However, the pricing automatically detects your location based on your IP address and it will convert to CDN or US $$ so the prices shown are domestic.

Placing the order was quite smooth too, you just add the color and size to your cart. You have to sign up for an account but that didn't take too long. You also have to pay by credit card as there was no option for PayPal so that's something they will need to work out.

Shipping was $8.00 flat to anywhere in Canada (standard shipping). I've heard they have promos for free shipping but since all their stuff is pricier, $8 is really not that much in comparison.

My item arrived in under a week's time (there was also a long weekend in between). I placed my order on a Tuesday and (including a holiday Monday), it arrived the following Tuesday via UPS.

This is the package containing the hoodie, very fancy:

And the receipt was tucked ever so sophisticated-ly in this premium envelope:

Overall, I'm very impressed with the Aritzia online shopping system and I'm sure it will just continue to improve. This will definitely not be the last time I order something, unfortunately for my wallet!!

New crochet pattern: Ruffle Crown Tea Cozy

I finally came up with a simple tea cozy pattern for tea cups, tea mugs and even skinny travel mugs that don't have a good insulation.
It features a cute scalloped edging and you can embellish with buttons, lace, or ribbon.
I've gone a little overboard with buttons, as you can probably tell.

Here I have 4 wooden buttons (15mm in diameter) two on opposite faces of the cozy.
It's quite stretchy so it should fit most standard circumference mugs with no handles.
You will need to know how to work in the round and also how to work foundation single crochets. This is a good tutorial for the fsc here.

Pattern available here.
You can purchase the finished cozy pictured below in my Etsy shop.

Materials: 
H hook 5.0mmm
1/4 of a ball of yarn (great with leftover yarn lengths)
Yarn needle
Notions like 4X 15mm diameter wood buttons


Pattern:
Worked in spiral rounds without joining. Use a marker in first st of each round to mark your place at the start of each round. All stitches worked through back loops only of the stitch below.

Available for purchase here.

Embellish by sewing on buttons at equal intervals and at same level on opposite face of the cozy. The starts of the spirals should not be noticeable so the rounds are uniform throughout.

(c) karliboutique
You may not reproduce or replicate any part of this pattern. If you wish to sell finished products from this pattern, please link back to this blog post: http://karliboutique.blogspot.ca

Free Crochet Pattern: Penny Cozy Wool Mittens

Penny Cozy Mittens Crochet pattern. In honour of Canada ceasing distribution of our penny, I have named my new mittens pattern after our has-been 1-cent token.

Here are some fun facts about the Canadian penny:

• other names for the penny have been "one-cent coin" or a "copper"
• the very first Canadian penny appeared on scene in 1858
• the first batches were made at the Royal Mint in London, England and shipped overseas to Canada
• on Jan 2, 1908, the Royal Canadian Mint opened in Ottawa and we finally could make the penny on domestic soil
• production of the penny actually ceased in May, 2012
• the backside of the penny shows Queen Elizabeth II (monarch at the time of issue)
• this design has been revamped 3 times in history
• between May 2006 to Oct 2008, each penny made from 1942 to 1996 was actually estimated to be worth $0.02 apiece because of the value of copper (which was a major constituent of the penny material in this period)

...And now you know!!

This pattern is for a pair of cozy, warm bulky mittens and it is  free here in PDF. I would love to see a photo of how these turn out for you!

You can purchase a pair of these mittens pre-made in my Etsy shop!

These bulky, soft mittens are great for beginners to practice working in the round. Each round spirals into the following round. Rounds are joined at the end. This pattern uses standard US abbreviations and crochet terms.

Materials:

     Bulky or 5 Weight Yarn (~ 100yds) – Use Alpaca or Wool blend yarn to create an extra soft feel
S   Size I Crochet Hook (5.5mm)

      4 X 15mm wood buttons or other buttons of your choiceYarn threading needle

Abbreviations:

sl st= slip stitch

ch = chain

sc=single crochet

dc = double crochet

RS= right side

Rnd=round

Sts=stitches

St=stitch

Dc2tog= double crochet two stitches together (join as one stitch)

The Pattern: (Make 2)

RIBBING

Ch 9.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across – (8  sts)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, working in back loops only, sc in each sc across. (8sts)

Row 3-Row 19: Rep Row 2.  Ribbing piece should measure 6.5in from beginning.

Joining:

Fold fabric in half with short ends aligned, sl st across both layers (8sts), making sure short ends are aligned to join last row to first row. Do not fasten yarn.

BODY

Rnd 1 (right side): Turn ribbing fabric 90 degrees, Ch 1, 20  sc at regular intervals around top edge of Ribbing; join with sl st in first sc.

Rnd 2: Ch 2 (not counted as a proper st here and throughout), dc in each sc around; join with sl st in top of starting ch.

Rnd 3: Ch 2, dc in first 8 dc’s, 2 dc in next dc, dc in nxt 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in last 8 dc; join with sl

st in top of starting ch (22sts)

Rnd 4: Ch 2, dc in first 9 dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in nxt 2 dc, 2 dc in nxt dc, dc in next 8 dc, 2 dc in last

dc; join with sl st in top of starting ch (25 sts)

Rnd 5: Ch 2, dc in first 10 dc’s, 2 dc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in last 11 dc; join with

sl st in top of starting ch (27sts)

THUMB OPENING

Rnd 6: Ch 2, dc in first 10  dc, ch 2, sk nxt 7 dc for thumb space, dc in last 10 dc; join with sl st in top of

starting ch  (20 sts and 1 ch)

HAND

Rnd 7: Ch 2, dc in each dc and ch around; join with sl st in top of starting ch- (22 dc sts)

Rnd 8: Ch 2, dc2tog, dc in each dc until last 2 dc, dc2tog; join with sl st in top of starting ch – (20 sts)

Rnd 9: Ch 2, dc in each dc around; join with sl st in top of starting ch. (20 sts)

DECREASING ROUNDS:

Rnd 10: Ch 2, dc2tog, dc in next 8 dc, dc2tog, dc in last 8 dc; join with sl st in top of starting ch – (18 dc sts)

Rnd 11:  Ch 2, dc2tog, dc2tog, dc in next 10 dc around, dc2tog, dc2tog (14dc sts)

Rnd 12: Ch2, dc2tog, dc2tog, dc in next 6 sts, dc2 tog, dc2tog (10dc sts)

Rnd 13: Ch2, dc2tog, dc in next 4 sts, dc2tog (6dc sts)

Tie off and weave tail ends through sts of last rnd and pull to close opening. Tie off again.

THUMB

With RS facing you, join yarn with sl st at side of thumb opening.

Rnd1: Ch 2, dc in each skipped dc (7 skipped) and sc in each ch (2chs) of thumb opening – (9sts)

Rnd2: Ch2, dc in each st (9sts)

Rnd3: Ch2, dc2tog, dc in each of the following 3 dcs, dc2tog, dc2tog (5sts), sl st at starting ch, tie off and pull top opening tight, weave in ends.

FINISHING

Weave in loose ends with yarn needle.

BUTTONS

Sew 2 wood buttons at top of sc ribbing, 1 inch from outer hand border.

(Or sew on at any location of your choice for a cute, stylish look)

Turn other mitten around and repeat. Ensure you sew buttons on RS of mitten!

© karliboutique

You may not reproduce, sell, or replicate any part of this pattern. You may use finished products for commercial purposes but please link back to my blog post: http://karliboutique.blogspot.com. Every effort has been made to test and ensure the accuracy of this pattern.