Hi my dears,
I was going through my work and I just saw, that I have some rests. So before I write the post about my blue summer I promised you in my last post :-), I have to work on some rests. One of my spring project was little duck appliqué.
And finally I wrote the pattern :-) If you like it and would you like make this sweet little duck appliqué - the pattern is ready in my patterns store. I think, it coud be really cute on some baby blanket.
I used this sweet appliqué for one autumn hat. I used same material (Baby Merino by Drops) for an appliqué and hat - I was curious, how it will looks like - or maybe I was lazy to find Catania - I can not remember exactly now :-), anyway I made some changes in the pattern, but from my point of views, it looks nice too.
Thank you for reading, my dears :-)
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Hi my dears,
how are you? What is you summer time???
The middle of the Summer is here and we just returned from our family vacation. As well as last year and the year before we were in same place - tiny town/village in Croatia. But we just love that place very much :-) Those, who are following me on my Instagram saw some pictures already :-)
You know, that I took a new yarn with me this time .... What do you think, made I some new summer project? For now, I just could say - the work was done! Are you curious? :-)
Lovely time with my beloved ones... and some pictures ... :-)
We lived in tent as always, to the girls known some adventure and because we love it :-) And one day we had an visitor :-)
Face to face to the Mantis :-)
We returned this creature to the nature and after some while, it was quite unrecognizable in the vegetable.
The look of the wall before of our tent.
As always, we visited some nice places. This is Museum of Salt in Nin.
Blue moon in Solana - Nin...
Black winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) - the main habitant of Solinas.
Nin in small but wonderful historical city with best ice cream I have ever had. I love ice cream! :-)
Wonderful architecture in Zadar.
When the Sun goes to the bed - Zadar.
Wonderful nature in Croatia
The view by dish washing. I guess I could get used to this view :-)
So goodbye the sea - next year :-)
Thank you for reading, my dears :-) And next post will be about my blue summer :-)
Hi my dears,
a week ago I wrote you about a blogtour of Alla Koval new books - Imagical Seasons /Spring and Summer – Vol. 1 & 2. Aaaand as you know, 21 of July it was my day of this amazing tour. And I was quiet like a fish. I am so sorry, about it, but it wasn't on purpose - all my devices and my internet connection were in strike - one of my nightmares came alive - I guess some of my hair get grey in last days. Today all looks good finally - sooo here it is - my interview with Alla Koval.
Vendulka: Tell me, please something about you?
Alla: Oh, where to start? ;o)
My home city is Poltava, Ukraine; it has long history and many traditions and I love my city; my family is still there and I love to come back to them from time to time. I finished high school over there and moved to bigger city, called Kharkov to study in University. Even if both cities are only 3 hours on the bus apart, I started to live alone and that's a big difference, as you can guess, and I had many friends, memories, stories and adventures and also love that place. After graduation I was working as a software developer for almost a decade.
In 1999 I moved from Ukraine to Seattle and that's where I live with my family in our not big but lovely house for last 16 years and hope to be able to live 100 more years!
Russia and Ukraine, as probably any other country, has knitting and crocheting as a traditional women's favorite hobby so my grandmother and my mother were good in that, and as a girl, I picked that up very fast. Another good part is actually a location - living in a place where European and Asian traditions met each other you see all of them and learn from all of them. Now, with Internet help this is not that important, but 30 years ago it was, and I am glad I was exposed to Ukrainian, European and Asian knitting schools.
Vendulka: What could find the crocheters in your new books?
Alla: I can show exactly! :)
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| Alla Koval, http://imagicalseasons.com/ |
Vendulka: Who is your new book suitable for?
Alla: I wrote these books pretty much to express myself to the other crocheters and designers. The main message, I believe, is a language of design and inspiration, which is not only international but targeted all ranges of skills. I tried to express myself in detailed crochet stitch diagrams and schematics, in different approaches how to apply same pattern in different ways to get outstanding results. I see my book to be useful for English readers from US or Europe and for readers with no English at all; useful for crocheters of any skill level - from beginners and to advanced designers; and finished projects to be worn by girls from 2 to 12 years old and some pattern are suitable for adults also!
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| Alla Koval, http://imagicalseasons.com/ |
Vendulka: You made wonderful projects now in your current collections, but in past also. What is your biggest source of inspiration?
Alla: Thank you so much Vendula for your kind of words!What is my biggest source of inspiration? Oh, that's easy - a magic and power of COLORS! It’s no secret that I am endlessly inspired by beautiful colors, you just have to take a peek at my portfolio (http://allakovaldesigns.com/) to see that most my designs are thoroughly and obsessively color coordinated.
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| Alla Koval, http://imagicalseasons.com/ |
Sometimes, the idea for a design just comes into my head and I don't know from where. I just visualize it clearly and then somehow make the mental images into something real. I call it “design as you go”, when having the rough idea is enough to get started.
Vendulka: Please tell me some funny story from designing of last collection - something behind the scene :-)
Alla: I decided to take a little break from books routine and to crochet some swatches for Scarlet tunic (a pattern, which is still on my schedule since last 2 years, uhhh…) and to play a bit with one of my favorite, really gorgeous and versatile lace stitch patterns I used for the tunic…
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| Alla Koval, http://imagicalseasons.com/ |
And I ended with 2 coats, jacket, brim hat, beanie and Blue poppy flower pin, so it is how my Flower 2015 collection was born …most off-the-cuff one ;o) Well, all garments from this mini collection were totally improvisation, and a kind of a little “escape” from that endless-very-last book’s polishing, patterns routine, the deadlines … It was absolute pleasure, but "magically" I got 7 more patterns to write. On the bright side - one of these coats came just timely to complete Imagical Seasons: Winter book collection!
Vendulka: What is your next plan?
Alla: It's very tough question. I have tons of plans and ideas! I am working on next 2 books - Fall and Winter, both should be finished and printed around New Year! And then few more! Plus I have few new patterns in different stage which I plan to release in nearest months.
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| Alla Koval, http://imagicalseasons.com/ |
Dear Alla, thank you very much for your trully words and so many wonderful creations you made. They are bright, colorful and wonderful. True inspiration! It is honour for me to be a part of your blog tour. I wish you many lovely magical times with your hook and needles :-)
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| Do you remember this wonderful tunic Alla designed in 2010. Wonderful piece of art :-) Photo by Alla Koval www.allakovaldesigns.com |
For those, who are interesting of Alla's new books: Imagical Seasons /Spring and Summer – Vol. 1 & 2. you could buy them here. Visit Alla's Koval website: http://allakovaldesigns.com/ also!
Schedule of Alla Koval blog tour once again:
July 13: Knitting and Crochet – Amy Solovay
July 17: Petals to Picots – Kara Gunza
July 18: Stylish Knits – Simona Dest Merchant
July 19: Craft Gossip – Sarah E. White
July 20: Positively Crochet – Mary Jane Hall
July 22: Cute Crochet – Jocelyn Sass
Where are you going? Wait! Don't you see, how beautiful I am?
WHAT?! That the true beauty is hidden inside?
Wait, please, stay here a little while with me ...
I, ehm, .... I will learn a humility.
A little bit crocheting, a little bit beading, a little bit of humility and my humble boy was born....
This is the cousin of my humble boy - The King of our ZOO
And the second cousin - the White prince
When we were at zoo, we heard the screaming of peacocks. It was so loud, intense and dramatic. I was so curious what was happened? So I followed the sounds and then I saw these two peacocks looking through this fence and screaming to each other.... I would really want to know, what they were discussing about... :-)
And my humble boy flyied to his new home... ♥
