Crochet Tip #2: Crocheting Large and Repeating Pattern

In crocheting large patterns, one of the problems that will arise is how to finish the whole pattern or project. Along the way, you'll get bored and suddenly you'll lose the interest of finishing your project due to monotony (repeating the same steps way too many times).

I don't know with the other crochet enthusiasts but for me, repeating steps with way too many stitches is very boring. If you're experiencing the same, don't worry, I found one good solution to that problem.

Since repeating the same steps is the problem, starting a new project helps. But what kind of project? One that is easy to make and won't take too long for you to finish it. Best examples are appliques and embellishments. You can make flowers, animals, beads and many more. You can also try making coasters, granny squares and many more. You can also start with a new project with large patterns like a blanket or perhaps a bag that you've been wanting to make. You don't have to burden yourself finishing it right away (well, unless of course if you have deadlines) but just make sure that whenever you start a new project, you must be able to finish it (again, not right away) so that it won't add-up to your pile of unfinished projects. ;)

Project 4: Fat Bottom Bag

Note: This post is long overdue.

If you've been reading my previous posts. I posted about my bag preference -- wide and spacious. After long hours of searching for a nice crochet bag pattern, I finally found one that's easy to do (beginner-friendly)

For the pattern, you can click here.

This project is a good practice for your half double crochet stitch (hdc) plus you'll be able to learn how to increase (v-stitch) and decrease stitches (hdc2tog). Now I'm working on altering this pattern to make a bigger version of this bag.

Things I used in this project are:

• 7 skeins of Red Heart Medium Worsted Weight Yarn (shade 10) -- approx. 35 m per skein
• 5.0 mm crochet hook
• tan-colored cotton cloth for lining
• sewing thread to match your lining cloth
• yarn and sewing needles
• stitch markers -- Why? Click here.

Reminders:

1. Count all the stitches to avoid errors.
2. Make sure you don't add additional chains when doing the single crochets on the edges of the bag.

All in all, this pattern is really worth a try! *thumbs up*

2 boxes full of goodies

Getting addicted to crochet means getting addicted to yarns! I've been reading posts about where to buy cheap yarns but I still don't have time to leave the house because my little boy doesn't have a babysitter yet.

Fortunately, I live in Manila where everything is accessible! I happened to browse on Coats Manila Bay Inc.'s Facebook page. It is actually the local manufacturer and distributor of Red Heart acrylic yarns, Caron yarns and threads, etc. in the Philippines. I decided to try contacting them if I can order yarns directly from them because it can be cheaper than the ones I get from the nearest yarn shop. After one call to their Customer Care, I found out that they accept orders! Yey! I took the email ad of the person who takes Red Heart orders. After few email exchanges and bank deposit, voila! YARN DELIVERY!!!

Now I'm one happy crafter! Yeehawww!

PS. Next time, I really have to experience that yarn bodega in Rosario, Pasig! I heard that it is a must-visit place for yarn addicts!

Crochet Tip #1: Counting Stitches Easily

Stitch Markers

Stitch is a word you often encounter on crochet tutorial videos and crochet patterns. This can be a single crochet (sc) or half double crochet (hdc) or double crochet (dc) and so on. 

In crocheting, particularly with large patterns, counting stitches can be difficult specially if you are still new to the craft. The use of stitch markers is a huge help. Less confusion and stress for you since you can easily count the markers. :)

You can buy stitch markers on craft stores that sells crochet materials or you can use alternatives like safety pins, paper clips, etc.

In my case, I'm using safety pins to mark rows since it's cheaper than buying plenty of stitch markers. :)

Recipe 3: Creamy Chicken Macaroni Soup (Sopas)

Creamy chicken macaroni soup or sopas, is a family staple not only during rainy or cold season but also for the random days that we don't want to eat rice. Every Filipino family has its own version of sopas and I'm proud and happy to share our family's recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 300 grams skinless chicken breast or thigh fillet sliced into tiny cubes
• 200-250 grams macaroni
• 2.5 liters water
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 pc large carrot, grated
• 1 pc sayote, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cabbage, sliced into thin strips
• 2 chicken broth cubes
• grated cheddar cheese
• salt
• ground pepper (black or white)

Procedure:

1. In a casserole, saute garlic, onions and chicken. Wait until the chicken is cooked then add the water then bring to a boil.
2. Add the macaroni and wait until it's almost cooked.
3. Add the cheese and broth cubes and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables, salt and pepper according to your preferred taste and mix, turn off the heat then cover for 10 minutes before serving.

Ultimate Greenbelt Mother-and-Child Bonding in a Less Expensive Way

For a single mother slash college student like me, I have to squeeze my allowance just to have a budget for a "mother and child bonding". Every school week, I only have two and a half day to be with him because I study in Laguna and he's staying with my family in Makati, so I really need to maximize our time together.

I am very fortunate to live near the malls here in Makati, so what I normally do is take my son out. If you live in Makati or anywhere near, you can bring your child/ren in Greenbelt. Yes, you read it right. The place may sound luxurious but I didn't say you should spend your money shopping. Remember, you are after an ultimate bonding.

Greenbelt has this "park" ambiance that you and your child can enjoy. 

This is one of the many things you and your child can see. My son actually thought that this is a real zoo.

You can also see cats and ducks roaming around the area.

There is also a fish pond in between Greenbelt 4 and 5. Here, you can watch and feed the fishes. So, for extra entertainment of your child, you could bring crackers, bread, etc..

If your child is fond of reading, you can take him/her to National Bookstore in Greenbelt 1 for a reading bonding. They have a special section for kids in the middle of the store. My son and I would normally squat on the floor and he would pick a book he would like to read and we'd read it together. You can also visit Powerbooks in Greenbelt 3.

If you and your child/ren are hungry, there is a Jollibee near National Bookstore. You can also find Razon's, Hen Lin, Happy Lemon, etc in Greenbelt 1 or you can cross to Landmark and dine at the food court. Those were the places you can visit if you want a less expensive food.

There are many ways to enjoy Greenbelt without spending too much. You just have to stick to the main goal which is to have an ultimate bonding with your child. Plus there are other parks near Greenbelt where you can bring your child -- Legaspi Active Park, Washington SyCip Park, Ayala Triangle Garden. Or you can go "mall hopping" since there are still other malls near Greenbelt. 

Project 3: Lacy V Shopper's Tote Bag (with alterations)

I don't know with the other girls but I am really a huge fan of tote bags because I'm the type of girl who just put everything inside. I don't want the hassle of opening way too many zippers whenever I put something in or take something out of my bag. I want my bag to be huge and spacious that's why I decided to make this bag plus it would be a practice for my beginner crocheting skills.

Do you wanna make one?

You can copy the pattern from this site:
http://www.freewebs.com/capscrochet/patterns.htm?blogentryid=4029022

Or you can download a PDF file from this site:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-v-shopping-bag

I also attached a lining on it so that I can use it better. If you don't know how to make a lining for this bag, click here.

Note: I altered my own creation so it's up to you if you want to alter your own or follow the original pattern.

Materials used:

• 17 skeins (15 grams approx. 35 meters each) of Red Heart High Bulk Acrylic yarn 
• crochet hook size 8.0 (4.5 mm)
• 1/2 yard navy blue Geena silk fabric
• black sewing thread
• sewing needle
• yarn needle

Yarn shades used:

• 8313 -- multicolor (bottom shade) 
• 0035 -- lavender (middle shade)
• 0048 -- navy blue (top shade)

Recipe 2: Pakbet Bisaya

Pakbet or Pinakbet is a famous vegetable dish in the country. It is just sauteed mixed local vegetables plus shrimp paste (bagoong alamang) and sometimes pork or pork cracklings. In our house, we normally serve pakbet whenever there's fried fish.

Bisaya is just one of the variations of this famous dish. This refers to those who are living in the southern part of Philippines (Visayas, Mindanao area). Since I grew up in Mindanao, this version is the one I knew. Anyway, if you wanna have a taste, here's how it looks and how to cook it:

Sorry for the poor quality photo, I just took it from my phone. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 squash, sliced
• 4 pcs eggplant (talong), sliced
• 15 to 20 string beans, sliced
• 10 pcs okra, sliced
• 2 tbsp shrimp paste
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 200 grams pork, sliced into mini-cubes

Procedure:

1. Pour cooking oil into the wok then saute onions, garlic and tomatoes. Add the pork then simmer until pork is cooked.
2. Add the shrimp paste, simmer for 2 minutes then add the squash.
3. When the squash is half-cooked, add the rest of the vegetables then simmer until all the vegetables are cooked.

There you go, 3 very easy steps to cook pakbet bisaya. You may also add ampalaya or bitter gourd if you want to. Anyway, as I've said, we normally serve this with fried fish and rice. Enjoy! :)

Recipe 1: Beef Steak

Beef steak or Bistek is an easy-to-prepare Filipino dish. It is a favorite dish in our family so I hope you too can enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 2 packs of beef steak meat (roughly around 250g)
• 3 pcs onions, medium size, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• approx. 5 to 6 tsp of calamansi juice
• cooking oil
• 3 medium potatoes, cut into flat rounds
• black pepper
• 1 tsp of sugar

Procedure:

1. Mix the soy sauce, calamansi, pepper and sugar in a bowl. You can adjust the taste by adding some more of the fore-mentioned ingredients until your desired taste is aquired.
2. In a separate frying pan, deep fry the potatoes for 5 minutes or more.
3. Separate one of the onions then slice it in rounds for garnish.
4. In a separate pan, saute onions, garlic and meat then pour the soy sauce mixture.Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Add the fried potatoes and mix. Add the garnish then turn off the heat and serve. 

Project 2: Scallop Hat

After the Mickey Mouse coaster success, I thought of another project that's a bit challenging than the previous one. Take note, just a bit of challenge, so I decided to make a scallop hat.

Tadaaaaah! Here's my finished product:

I'm so happy that it turned out great! My stitches have improved a bit but I still have to practice so that I could follow the recommended gauge. ;)

Do you wanna make a scallop hat too? Perhaps for your daughters or nieces or goddaughters or for yourself? 

Click here for the pattern. Enjoy and keep crocheting! ;)

PS. If you think you can't follow the gauge, you can add more rounds on the base. 

Playschool/Daycare in the Heart of Makati

Disclaimer: I wasn't paid nor asked to write this blog. I just wanted to share this discovery to other mothers. ;)

Looking for a convenient playschool or daycare center that has a reasonable rate is one of the common problems of mommies living in Makati CBD. Most of the playschools within the community are often too expensive (well, what do you expect?) and some are difficult to access.

Well guess what, Colors and Shapes Learning Center is the answer to that problem. It is conveniently located at Prince Plaza 1, Unit G8 (just across Greenbelt 5). The place is a condo unit or an office unit that was turned into a playschool. Believe it or not, the ambiance is so child-friendly. It's colorful, neat, clean, safe and most of all, the teachers are so accommodating. They have 2 classrooms, a playroom and a receiving area, plus the whole place is fully airconditioned. They also maintain a small class size for better guidance and motivation.

Their regular programs are the Camp Baby, the Junior Toddler and the Senior Toddler. They accept children from ages 18months and up. They also have 2 batches of Summer Program plus they're accepting enrollees all-year-round.

My 2 year-old son attended the first batch of their summer program. He really enjoyed his three-week summer class with them. He learned when to properly use the words "Thank you", "Excuse me" or even "Sorry". He also learned to return the things he moved without telling him to do so. That itself is a really great improvement on his part. They don't encourage parents or yayas to stay over since it may affect the child's behavior or participation throughout the class.

Anyway, if you're interested, you can contact these numbers: 0917-527-1234 or 09275281234. I know they offer a trial class for those who are interested. 

You can also check their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ColorsAndShapesLearningCenter

Project 1: Mickey Mouse coaster

Before I decided to start crocheting, which was two weeks ago, I already had some projects to accomplish in mind.

The first one that caught my eye when I searched for beginner crochet patterns online is this Mickey Mouse coaster since my son's an avid fan of Mickey Mouse.


So, to get this project started, here are the materials needed:

• Crochet Hook: H/8 or 5 mm hook
• Black Yarn: (4) Medium Weight or Worsted Weight
• Yarn Needle/Tapestry Needle

I know I mentioned on my previous blog the importance of using a not too light or not too dark shades of yarn for beginners. This project is the reason why I discovered its relevance. It made counting stitches a very difficult job! HAHA!

Anyway, if you're brave enough or confident with your eyesight, then let's get going.

Here's the full pattern:

Abbreviations:

Ch = chain

RD = round

Sl st = slip stitch

Sc = single crochet

Notes:  The Ch 1 never counts as the first stitch

Center of Coaster

Ch 2

8 sc in 2^nd ch from hook

RD 1 - Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around. Sl st to ch 1 space to join. (16 total sts)

RD 2 - Ch 1, *sc in next st, 2 sc in following st* repeat 7 times.  Sl st to ch 1 space to join. (24 total sts)

RD 3 – Ch 1, *sc in each of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in following st* repeat  7 times.  Sl st to ch 1 space to join. (32 total sts)

RD 4 -  Ch 1, *sc in each of next 3 sts, 2 sc in following st* repeat 7 times.  Sl st to ch 1 space to join. (40 total sts)

RD 5 – Ch 1, sl st in each st around.  Sl st to ch 1 space to join. (40 total sts).  Tie off

Ears  (Make 2)

Ch 2

8 sc in 2^nd ch from hook

RD 1 - Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around. Sl st to ch 1 space to join. (16 total sts)

RD 2 - Ch 1, *sc in next st, 2 sc in following st* repeat 7 times.  Sl st to ch 1 space to join. (24 total sts)

Tie off leaving a 6 inch tail.

Using a large needle and 6 inch tail, sew ears onto the top sides of the coaster.

Weave in all loose ends.

This pattern is from: http://tampabaycrochet.blogspot.com/2012/04/mickey-mouse-ears-coaster-free-crochet.html

Here's my finished product:

Sorry for the uneven stitches, as I've mentioned, this is my FIRST PROJECT. And I finished this the day after I started crocheting. HEHE. ;)

Crochet Newbie

Crocheting was once a frustration of mine.We didn't tackle crocheting in elementary and high school so I never learned.

Alas! There's this 4-month break due to the shifting of classes from June to August and my planned practicum didn't push through because my 2 year-old son doesn't have a babysitter. To cut the story short, I got bored and I  thought of something that could make me busy at home while babysitting. So that's when I decided to start learning how to crochet.

I didn't have the luxury to pay for crocheting classes but instead, I had Professor Google and Professor YouTube.

Here are the tutorials I watched to learn the basics of CROCHET:

With those videos you could learn the important stitches that every newbie should know.

Here are the basic materials you'll need to get you started (though it's already stated in the video):

• Crochet hook size H  (In my case, since my budget's tight and in this country, crochet isn't practiced that much, so I had size 7.0 and 8.0--japanese size)
• Medium-colored Yarn *take note on the medium-colored, trust me, it is very important to start with not too light and not too dark colors because you'll be counting stitches.

Where to buy the fore-mentioned things:

National Bookstore (Crafting Section)

       -They have local-branded yarns (Red Heart and Familia). They also have crochet hooks but they have the small sizes.

Dreams Yarnshoppe (3rd Flr., Glorietta 5)

       -This shop is the bomb! They have a wide variety of yarns from local to imported brands. This indeed is a real YARN HEAVEN. The owner of the shop offers a crochet class also, so if you're a beginner and you wanna have a formal class in crochet, feel free to visit there and inquire. :)

Buttons and Wraps (3rd Flr, near the mall exit towards MRT Ayala)

       -I bought my first hook and yarn here. Their hooks come in sizes and the biggest is 7.0 and 8.0 (double-end). They also have Monaco yarns and some crochet threads.

Powerbooks (Crafting Section)

       -They have Red Heart Super Saver and Art Attack yarns. They also have a double-end crochet hook with size 3.5 mm and 5.0 mm.

If you're just starting to discover the wonders of crocheting, I strongly suggest you visit National Bookstore. Whatever you'll find there is enough. 

And when you're somehow used to crocheting, you can start doing projects. You can find lots of free beginner patterns online. You just have to seek Prof. Google's help. 

Happy crocheting! ;)