Mon Petit Violon designs

Inspiration...

2012-01-30T19:43:00.001+01:00

from anthropologie

Happy Monday, my friends! :-) The other day I saw this top on Anthropologie and feel in love with it. I am not a big fun of fringe but this top is made in such unique way that I love it! And I love, love the color combination! :-) I even have all colors in my stock right now... :-) Though it is not crocheted (unfortunately) I think it is quite possible to crochet something similar... not exactly as it is, but quite similar...

Right now I am actually working on white top from previous inspiration post! :-) I hope to release pattern very soon. I made it my way and with sleeves, but I hope you will love it! :-)

Happy Monday! :-)

Striped tunic dress...

2012-01-26T19:32:00.002+01:00

pattern available here!

And so here is the third (and the last for the moment) dress I made for Sophie! This is so comfy that I'd like to have one for myself as well. :-) It is made without seams, with very soft alpaca yarn and it is striped! :-) I love stripes so much, and I never have enough of them. It is also made more like tunic so it can be easily worn under the coat and with trousers. Besides - it is extremely fast and easy to make it! :-) And color combinations are endless.

Photos of the day!

2012-01-25T17:24:00.000+01:00

pattern available here!

So, as promised here are the photos of Sophie wearing her Popcorn Dress. :-) I made two Popcorn dresses for her - one pink with short sleeves and this one, with long sleeves! I hope tomorrow I will release the third (and the last for the moment) pattern for another dress. :-) Stay tuned!

Crochet tips!

2012-01-25T16:30:00.000+01:00

I am starting a new series of blog posts about crochet tips. Very often I receive many different questions - what does this crochet term mean? or how better to do this or that? I decided it would be much better if I would answer your questions here, and in this way also other people would be able to use this information. So, you are welcome to ask your questions in comments for this post and I will try to answer as many as I can. :-)

Mustard bow dress!

2012-01-23T20:59:00.002+01:00

pattern available here: Mustard Bow Dress

When I thought about making a dress for my little girl I had 3 ideas how to do it. I couldn't choose which one I liked most and so I decided to make all three versions. The first was Popcorn Dress. I still couldn't take photos of Sophie wearing it, but I will, promise! :-) And here is a second version - Mustard Bow Dress. It is perfect dress for everyday and for special occasions as well, and if you make it in light color and much longer it could be also a perfect Christening gown. :-)
Third version coming soon! :-)

Pattern for Popcorn Dress

2012-01-19T14:45:00.001+01:00

Pattern for Popcorn Dress

So, finally here is my newest pattern - it is a Popcorn Dress. It's been long time (I guess since she is walking :-) ) I wanted to make a dress for Sophie. This time I made even two - one pink as in the photo with short sleeves and shorter in length and another one lilac (I will make photos of that one later) with long sleeves and longer in length. I think she loves both of them and so do I. :-)

Skill level: easy/intermediate

Sizes: up to 4 years

Life lately...

2012-01-17T16:30:00.000+01:00

Lately every time I get out of home I take my camera with me and try to use it whenever I have a chance. And so, here are shots I made this week...

(1) While having a walk with Sophie (as always at this time of the day she got asleep in her stroller) I snapped a self portrait. I am wearing my Cocoon Snood.

(2) Trieste's street life.

(3) We have cold, but sunny days here. Love the blue sky.

(4) Sophie's boots from Zara kids.

(5) White tree and blue sky.

(6) Alex playing in the park.

P.S. Hoping to release new pattern tomorrow! Stay tuned! :-)

Tea time!

2012-01-13T21:00:00.001+01:00

Remember one my resolution was - each day make a photo of what inspires you! Today it was a cup of tea with lime and almond cookie... :-)

We are tea lovers here! In Italy almost nobody is drinking tea. Everyone is drinking coffee and if in the bar you would ask for tea they would look at you like "come on! who is drinking tea???". But in our family we love it! Our favorite tea shop is It is the best tea I ever tried and now I simply can't drink anything else. They even have their own garden in Tibet and you can get green tea from there, isn't it smart?! :-)
Some time ago their tea was available here in some shops, but as I said - here people don't drink tea, and it disappeared from shops as well. So, twice a year we are ordering from them online and never get disappointed. You must try it if you never did! You won't regret! :-)

Happy weekend!

For inspiration...

2012-01-11T21:03:00.000+01:00

These are not my creations and I don't have patterns for them. But I love to collect pictures of crocheted items I see around. They inspire me. Some details, colors or shape... anything can be very inspiring... :-)

from anthropologie

from yoox

I think I should design something for us ladies too! :-) What do you think? :-)

New year's resolutions...

2012-01-09T16:21:00.000+01:00

I think I never had so many resolutions as for 2012. :-) Some of them are:
* be organized (I will tell you more about this resolution another time);
* get rid of all things we don't need and most important DON'T BUY things we don't need;
* be more patient (this is a hard one);
* spend more quality time with Alex (it includes - teach him to read and write - he is already making great progress, but there is still long way to go);
* again - be more patient with Sophie! Oh, this girl! She is like little princess in this house. But those dramas!!! I was used to deal with a boy and it is completely different story. And now I am so impressed by how (we) girls can easily make drama from NOTHING! :-) My husband says I do exactly the same! :-)
There are also a few resolutions concerning my photography skills:
* find everyday what inspires you and make a photo;
* take more often photos of myself with children. I don't know why this lately is so important for me. Probably because I have a very few photos of me with my mother when I was a child; maybe because from photos, as I am always behind the camera, it seems that I am not there with them and I am missing something... I really don't know, but I decided that this year I will work on this. I guess it means you will see my face here much more often, haha! I hope you don't mind! :-)
Have a great week!

Cable V-neck Sweater!

2012-01-04T17:33:00.001+01:00

pattern available here

I made this sweater for my little boy when he was 2 years old. Since then I never could get back to it to write up the pattern. But some time ago my little boy asked me to make a new sweater for him. He wanted it red as he is a big fireman fan. So I thought that there is nothing better than cables and v-neck for boys and decided to make it again but just bigger. And this time I finally could write down everything and make a photos. My little boy was happy! :-)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T13:48:00.000+01:00

First days of a new year are always quite exciting. It is like taking a new journal and thinking about what to write in it! I am always looking forward the new year with big hopes, big dreams. But when I look back and see how actually great was the past year I always think - but could it get better?!

Yesterday I actually started my Q&A journal and the first question I had to answer was "What is your mission?". 10 years ago I think I wouldn't be able to give an answer, but today I am pretty sure about my mission. :-) And you - what is your mission? If you are already pretty confident about your mission I wish you to succeed with it in 2012, but if you are still on your way to figure it out - I wish you to find your mission! Happy New Year! :-)

Our Christmas...

2011-12-27T19:54:00.000+01:00

I hope everyone had very Merry Christmas. :-) We stayed cozy at home and simply enjoyed being together... I only wish it was snowing here, but no luck... :-)

Here are some moments from our Christmas...

And a family photo! Sophie was sleeping in her stroller. I was sick these days and wasn't feeling like taking family photos, it is always a big challenge for us... so at the end this is only picture of us all together from Christmas 2011... :-)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T21:21:00.000+01:00

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas weekend!

Merry Christmas!

P.S. Subscribe to our newsletter here to receive your gift on Christmas day! :-)

DIY tutorial - Crochet Jersey Bracelet!

2011-12-22T18:00:00.000+01:00

Did you know you can crochet with tissue? Yes, you can! For this bracelet I used soft jersey tissue, but you can try to make it with any other tissue you like.
All you need is:
* 2 inches (5cm) wide and approximately 47inches long (120cm) piece of tissue;
* big crochet hook (mine was 8mm or L).

Leave 2 1/2 inches long tail and start to crochet chain stitch.

I worked 13ch. And then fasten off.

Remaining tail must be as long as the first one (for a better look). Now simply make a double knot using the tails you have and that's it! Your bracelet is ready! And the possibilities are endless. You can make them using different tissue, you can make it longer and use as a belt, or a headband. Enjoy! :-)

Soon I am going to share another (big) project you can make with tissue and crochet hook! :-)

A gift for Newsletter subscribers!

2011-12-20T15:29:00.000+01:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I already mentioned on my facebook page that I have a Christmas gift for all my Newsletter subscribers. So, here it is! Brand new pattern for Mustard Snood. On Christmas day you will receive my first newsletter with free pattern for Mustard Snood. Hurry on! Subscribe now and receive your gift in a few days! :-) And thank you so much! This was a great year for Mon Petit Violon designs and only thanks to you! :-)

One day sale is here!

2011-12-19T16:06:00.002+01:00

Today instead of just one pattern you can have 4 patterns with 50% discount!

Pretty in Pink Baby Boooties

Knit look Baby Boots

Polka Dot Baby Cardigan

Waved Arm Warmers

Have a great week! :-)

DIY tutorial - Felt Heart Garland

2011-12-16T15:18:00.001+01:00

I know I am a little bit too late with this tutorial, Christmas is just around the corner, but it is better now than never. Actually this kind of decoration can be used for many occasions - Valentine's day for example, or a birthday party!

So, let's begin.

Materials:

* yarn (the best is to use 100% wool (or it should contain at least 80% wool otherwise it will not felt). The weight of yarn depends on you, just keep in mind thinner yarn you use smaller hearts you get. I used DK weight yarn.

* crochet hook - as I worked with DK weight yarn I used 3.5mm crochet hook

* tapestry needle (it should be quite big, it will be easier to work with it)

* beautiful scrapbooking paper (optional, you can skip this and add any other ornaments to your garland if you like)

* glue (I used universal one, which glues everything)

* scissors

for felting:

* bowl with hot water

* washing up liquid

* a little bit of patience :-)

Crochet hearts:

Row 1: Ch3, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in last ch, turn

Row 2: Ch1, 2sc in each sc, turn

Row 3: Ch1, 2sc in first sc, sc in each of next 2sc, 2sc in last sc, turn

Row 4: Ch1, 2sc in first sc, sc in each of next 4sc, 2sc in last sc, turn

Row 5: Ch1, 2sc in first sc, sc in each of next 6sc, 2sc in last sc, turn

Rows 6-10: Ch1, sc in each sc (10sc), turn

Row 11: ch1, sc in next 4sc, turn

Repeat Row 11 two times more and fasten off.

Turn the work and join the yarn in first sc working ch1, sc in same st as ch1, sc in each of next 2sc, turn

Repeat Row 11 two times more to shape the second half of the heart. Fasten off.

Make two.

Put both hearts together and work evenly sc around them (doesn’t matter where you start). While you work sc around the hearts try to hide all tails between the stitches. Leave 1 inch long space (don’t cut the year, you will have to close it later), and using this space fill the heart with cotton.

When it is done, work sc till the end to close the space and fasten off.

Now hide the tail inside the heart, insert the hook as shown in next photo, yarn over and pull it inside.

I would suggest you to make as many hearts as you need and then continue with felting. I made six hearts.

Felting:

One way to felt is to machine wash in hot water, adding towels to the wash for added friction. I don't suggest to do it with these hearts as in this case the result will be unpredictable and you don't know which shape your hearts will have when you get them out of machine. That’s why I suggest hand felting.

STEP 1

Prepare a bowl of hot, soapy water – washing up liquid is perfect! Leave all hearts to soak in the water for a few minutes.

STEP 2

Take one heart at a time, hold it between your hands and rub hard to create friction. Dip it in the water time after time and continue rubbing. If you get tired leave it in the water and take a break. Then continue rubbing until the heart gets thick and stitches disappear. You can make as many breaks as you need, just add hot water and some more washing up liquid every time. Do it with all hearts. You will see at the end you will need just a few minutes for each one.

STEP 3

When you are happy with the result, rinse the hearts in the clean water. Let them dry.

Stars:

I cut 5 stars from scrapbooking paper. I suggest to paint the star on the wrong side of the paper and then cut it out.

Finishing:

Now cut the strand of yarn as long as your garland should be + 20cm or 8inches to make the loops at both ends to hang your garland. I decided to make my garland 1.5m long, so I cut 1.70m long strand. Thread the needle with the strand you just cut. Take a heart and draw the strand through the heart as shown in the picture below.

Leave 10cm long tail (to shape a loop later), and work a stitch on your heart to fix it where it is and to prevent it from moving. Make it twice.

Do it with all hearts leaving between them equal spaces (think that in the middle of each space you will have to attach the star, or whatever you want). Also on another end leave 10cm long strand to shape a loop.

Take a star, in the center put glue (very little) and put on it the strand (take care about distances between the hearts, they should be equal) and cover it with small piece of paper.

Actually later I realized that it would have been better to cover it with exactly the same kind of star, so you would have a beautiful star from both sides, but I left it as it was as I was going to hang it on the wall anyway.

Repeat it with all stars.

Now the last thing you should do is it to shape the loops on both ends of your garland. Thread the needle with one end, draw it through the heart (at the same point where the end was coming out), shape the loop, and work twice a stitch at the same point to fix it. Then draw remaining tail through your heart and cut it. I hope this makes sense and here are the photos how I did it. Make the same with second end.

Well, I hope you will enjoy making this garland and Happy Holidays! :-) Other tutorials coming soon! Stay tuned. :-)

Newsletter and follow by email!

2011-12-14T15:00:00.001+01:00

I have great news, my friends - now you can subscribe to Mon Petit Violon Newsletter! What does it mean? Well, you will regularly (I promise I will not spam) receive an email from me with special offers (there will be many exclusive offers available ONLY for Newsletter subscribers as coupon codes, free patterns and etc). And once a month you will also receive an email with a review about the newest patterns. Doesn't it sound good? You can subscribe here or look for a subscribe form on the right side bar!

Another thing you can do - follow this blog by email! Each time I write something here you will receive an email with my entire post. It means you don't need to come here to check if there is anything new - you will know it at once and will not miss anything! :-) Subscribe here or look for a subscribe form on the right side bar!

Opera House...

2011-12-13T19:34:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday we went with children (for the first time) to Trieste's Opera House to a concert for children. Alexandre is big enough and is used to go to a theater and other public places, but about Sophie I was quite worried. The good news are - they didn't kick us out, which is already a lot! :-) Though she wanted to run and biggest part of the concert I had to stay with her in the corridors where she could run without disturbing anyone, while my little boy was staying alone and enjoying the concert, and seeing papa on the stage (did I mention my husband is a musician? yes, he is). I felt so bad I had to leave him, but I am glad he enjoyed it anyway. At least he could enjoy it! :-)
I hope you had a great weekend and did something fun too... :-)

One day sale! Pattern for Shell Motif Hat for 1.99$

2011-12-12T16:06:00.000+01:00

It is Monday, my friends, and One Day Sale is here!

Pattern for Shell Motif Hat for 1.99$ !

Pattern is available here!

Life lately...

2011-12-09T17:52:00.001+01:00

*I am wearing my Cocoon Snood. Love it!

* We put out our Christmas tree. It's magical! Our home looks much more cozy and children love it. When it is about Christmas I am very childish as well, and enjoy this time of the year as much as them.

* My little boy had his first piano lesson this week. It was so exciting! I think more for me than for him, but he really enjoyed it as well and now we have to organize his schedule for regular lessons.

* I almost finished buying presents for everybody... I really don't like to leave this for the last moment (as I was always doing for the past few years, just because I never had time to plan and think about it in advance).

* We've been sick for a few days... and today was the first day we got out all together for a walk and I snapped a few photos. Though Sophie got asleep in her stroller and we decided not to bother her... :-)

* As I am already planning Christmas meal and found some delicious and fun recipes I am going to share them with you very soon.

* I almost finished a fun crochet tutorial (it will be available for free very soon).

* Did you notice that now you can follow my blog by email? It just here on the right side bar. :-) It will help you to stay tuned and not to miss all interesting things I am planing for this month and for the future.

* Don't forget to vote (here) for the pattern you would like to buy on Monday with 50% discount.

* Have a great weekend! :-)

Christmas morning socks...

2011-12-08T15:20:00.001+01:00

Pattern available here!

I love knitted socks. My mother was always making beautiful knitted socks for whole family. I loved them. But I never had patience to work with 5 needles. They were always slipping away and I always got nervous, angry... but crafting must bring positive feelings, right. Each year for last few years around Christmas time I wanted to make crochet socks (for gifts, for myself), but there was always something else to do and I never got them done. Till yesterday... :-) Actually they are working up very quickly, I made my pair just in 3 days (with two little kids running around :-) ).

You can wear them in relaxed way as in the photo below, or by adding an elastic thread you can wear them as knee high socks. They look great wearing with boots as well! :-)

Let's vote!

2011-12-07T16:58:00.001+01:00

Which pattern would you like to get with 50% discount next Monday?

Vote here!

P.S. There will be only two more one day sales - next Monday and on 19th of December.

One day sale - Cashwool Leg Warmers!

2011-12-05T19:40:00.001+01:00

It is Monday, my friends, and One Day Sale is here!

Pattern for Cashwool Leg Warmers only for 1.99$ !

Pattern is available here!

How to wear a scarf?

2011-12-01T10:36:00.001+01:00

I even didn't know there were so many different ways how to wear a scarf. :-) The video is awesome! Must design some new scarfs to wear them in all possible ways! :-)

Are you ready to vote again?

2011-11-30T16:05:00.001+01:00

Which pattern would you like to get with 50% discount next Monday?

Vote here!

One day sale!

2011-11-28T15:21:00.001+01:00

Here it is! Another pattern with 50% discount. It is Choco Baby Blanket and Booties pattern!

pattern available here!

Autumn in (I wish I could say New York, but oh, well...) in Trieste!

2011-11-27T23:00:00.000+01:00

We had the most beautiful weekend here! The weather was perfect! The colors were stunning! And we could simply enjoy each others company doing mainly nothing (but it is the best thing to do, right?! ). Here are some pics from our walks. I hope you had a great weekend too.

Stay tuned - Monday's sale is coming very soon (it seems the Choco Set is winning, but if you want to change results, vote here)! :-)

Sophie is wearing her faux fur scarf (the pattern available here) and the coat I wrote about here!

Another sewing project - Baby Coat!

2011-11-26T15:30:00.000+01:00

I always knew if I ever have a baby girl I would make many, many cute things for her. It is much more difficult with boys. I love to make some things for my little boy, like sweaters, hats, gloves... but with girls it so much fun. And so, during the summer I tried my hand sewing for her some shirts and dresses, and when I saw ManiMina pattern for Hooded Kimono Coat I wanted to give it a try. I was surrprised how easy actually it was and I was so happy with the result!

First I made the coat using polar fleece and polka dot cotton. But as it was getting colder here I thought it would be great for her to have some faux fur coat and I decided to make a second coat. For the second coat I slightly modified the front and made it more round and closer to the neck, so that it keeps her really warm. I couldn't be happier with the results!

If you are an amateur in sewing as I am you must try this! It is so easy and looks so chic! :-)

Non-crochet projects!

2011-11-25T17:11:00.000+01:00

Well, I always wanted to learn to sew. I knew some basic things and was making some sewing projects, but I always wanted to do something more, to learn something new. There are so many talented ladies around who inspired me and I took a challenge. Maybe my experience will inspire you as well. :-)

I was inspired by this photo and this gorgeous sofa cover.

photo comes form here

It is been long time I naturally hated my sofa! I was trying to cover it in many different ways but was never satisfied. I found this tutorial and decided that I MUST try it. And so here is my "new" sofa. It took me one day to make it (I started around lunchtime and in the late evening it was ready)! Fortunately at that time my mother was visiting us and she kept children busy, otherwise of course it would be much, much longer. And finally I am in love with my sofa! :-)

I used vintage fabric from Paris, France, I got from my mother in law. I had it for a very long time but couldn't decide what to do with it. I guess it simply had to wait for it's moment. :-)

Another thing which I didn't like about my living room were curtains! I changed them many times and there was always something wrong. Then I saw this picture and knew - that's it! I want these curtains!

photo

I ordered fabric on internet and had a bad surprise when I got it and saw it's much, much thicker than I would need. So I had to change the plans. At the end I decided to leave only top ruffle and I made two braids from fabric to gather them, and here they are:

Details:

Tomorrow I will share what I made for my little girl - another sewing project! :-)

Let's vote again!

2011-11-23T09:05:00.001+01:00

Which pattern would you like to get with 50% discount next Monday?

Vote here!

Faux Fur Scarf!

2011-11-22T14:40:00.001+01:00

Pattern - Faux Fur Scarf

It is getting really cold here and my little girl needed some scarf. This one is really fun to make and the look is quite unusual. I think that many people will not realize it's crocheted without closer look. :-) I modified usual way how to make crochet faux fur and in this way it works up pretty quickly.
My little girl didn't have right mood today to make photos (lately she never has it :-) ) and I even had to give her some candies to keep her calm.

first she didn't understand what it was and what to do with it... but then she understood... and I had to stop...

Pattern includes an adult size too, if you want the same scarf for yourself! :-)

And the winner is....

2011-11-21T15:19:00.001+01:00

It is Monday, my friends, and here is another pattern for ONE DAY SALE! It is a pattern for Candy Pink Baby Cardigan which got the most votes!

You can get it today only for 1.99$! Buy here!

Tomorrow we will start to vote for another 4 patterns! :-)

Have a great Thanksgiving week!

How to make a non-slip sole?!

2011-11-16T20:24:00.000+01:00

This is second most common question you ask me. Read about first one here:

Sure there are many different ways how to make a non slip sole. Most common are:

1. Instead of crocheted sole use suede sole. It means you have to cut the sole from suede, then with big needle you make the holes all around it, so that you can insert the crochet hook in them (you have to make as many holes as needed to work each stitch of first round of upper part). When it is done, you simply skip instructions for the sole and start to crochet the upper part.

2. Sew on something on the sole - it can be anything - pieces of elastic, trim (with trims take care that they are not slippery by themselves), as I did on my Felted Ballet Flats.

3. My favorite - paint something on the sole! There is a magic product - fluffy puff paint! I used this one, but there is very big choice of them in craft shops or ebay and amazon. I used the one which puffs only with the heat, but there are also others which don't require any heat setting.

I will explain you how to use it.

1. First of all crochet the sole. Make two soles, like this you will save time. I fasten off the sole, then I simply open the fastened loop and continue to crochet upper part. Be sure that you will not need to make any modifications for the sole.

2. Take the puff paint and paint with it something on the sole - it can be simple dots, or funny faces, whatever you like.

3. Now wait 4 hours (or follow the instructions if you use another kind of puff paint) till the paint gets dry. Don't wait much longer than suggested, because then the paint gets too dry and doesn't look that good.

4. Take the iron and heat the sole (I did it on max heat, but take care and don't burn the sole) from the wrong side (don't iron on side where is the painting!) In this way the paint must puff! You have to be patient and heat it for at least one minute before checking the result, as it needs time to puff.

5. Now the soles are ready and you can work on upper parts. :-)

Have a great weekend!

Let's vote!

2011-11-16T18:38:00.001+01:00

Which pattern would you like to get with 50% discount next Monday?

Vote here!

Miracle Earflap Hat...

2011-11-14T17:42:00.001+01:00

With first cold days I had to fight with my little girl about wearing the hat! She just hated all beautiful hats I made for here, with tears in her eyes she was immediately taking them off and throwing away as far as possible. After she was trying to cover her ears with her little hands as she was understanding that something was wrong and it is quite cold now. But anyway - every time I was putting the hat back, she did the same thing. My little boy was doing the same at her age and at that time we found a compromise with hat-hoodie. This time it didn't work. I was almost ready to buy a hat made from tissue, thinking that maybe she will like it more. But then I decided to make last try. I bought this beautiful alpaca yarn (I used it in 4 strands to get it as worsted weight yarn) which is incredibly soft I made a new hat for my little girl. And OH, MIRACLE happened. She loves it! She even wears it at home! :-))) After first try (as I wanted check the size) I quickly took it off thinking she will cry again, but no - she was angry I took it off and for the whole evening she was proudly walking around the house wearing her new hat! :-) Well, that is why I call it Miracle Hat! :-) I hope your children will like it as well!

the pattern is here!

Great news - One Day Sale!

2011-11-14T15:00:00.000+01:00

Hello my friends!

I have a good news for you! Today I am starting a serie of One Day Sale! It will take place EVERY MONDAY from 9:00am CST (it is 15:00 Italy, ROME time) and till 9:00am CST of next day. Each Monday there will be one pattern for sale with 50% discount, it means only for 1.99$.

Here is this week pattern - crochet pattern for Felted Ballet Flats (baby, toddler sizes included).

You can purchase it through my Etsy shop .
Then starting from Tuesday you will be able to vote on my facebook page which next pattern you would like to have on sale next Monday. The One Day Sale will go on till Christmas! :-)

Enjoy!

Gifts...

2011-11-11T19:17:00.001+01:00

Well, lately I feel more and more that Christmas time is not that far... this year I began to think about gifts very in advance. Usually I leave it for the last minute and then I get desperate and have a few very stressful days. This year everything is going to be different. I am going to share some finds with you (I can't share everything, you know, some things must remain in secret till Christmas! :-) ). But here they are! Two books I ordered and I am very excited about. First I bought them just for myself, but then I thought that these ones could be perfect as gifts too. Both are from Anthropologie.
THINK, WRITE, CREATE - little planner book, but oh my - it is full of inspiration, it is beautiful and so nice to use (it even has small pocket where to put small photos, or anything you like).

you can get it here!

Another book is Q&A A Day. Every day you have to answer one question. Isn't it fun?! You can use this book for 5 years and follow how your answers are changing with time. :-)

this journal is available here!

And one more option for a gift! :-)

I just listed my newest pattern - Striped Mittens! The pattern available here!

In my country (I don't mean Italy :-) ) the most popular gifts for Christmas - are mittens! And that's why mittens always associates for me with Christmas time. Well, you see I am totally ready for Holidays! :-)

Have a good weekend!

P.S. I finally figured out how to add large photos to my blog posts! Still so many things to learn! :-)

It is time for handmade gifts...

2011-11-02T20:40:00.001+01:00

I know it is only November :-) But we have to think about those things in advance, right? And what can be better for Christmas than handmade gifts?! It is the best time of the year when to take your needles or crochet hook and start some fun projects to please your loved ones or yourself. I am sure you will enjoy making this Bobble Snood or Poncho!

There are two options - or you make it as a snood,, or you add a neck part and it becomes cute poncho! It works up very quickly as you have to use bulky weight yarn and 6mm crochet hook. I made mine just in a couple of evenings and my little ones don't let me to crochet for long... :-)

I also made a pattern for baby trousers! They are simple and very easy to make but they look sooo cute! You can make them striped or in one colour. I am sure after you made one pair you will want to make them again and again in all possible colors! :-)

I already made 3 pairs for my little girl! :-) I hope soon to share some photos of her wearing them... a while ago she started to walk and now is running away from the camera faster than I can press the button! :-)

Autumn SALE -30%

2011-10-14T20:12:00.001+02:00

Only for 3 days! Enter the coupon code AUTUMN30 at the check out in my Etsy shop and you will get 30% discount! The code will be valid only 3 days! :-) If the code doesn't work with the first try - try again, take care that there is no space before and after the code. I WILL NOT REFUND the difference if the code didn't work and you simply wrote it in "message to the seller". Thank you! Have a good weekend!

My crochet valley...

2011-10-08T09:48:00.000+02:00

The cold days are here and it is even time to think about holiday season and gifts. I added many new booties to my Crochetvalley shop where I sell my finished items. You are welcome to visit it. I am also making special offer - use coupon code BLOG20 and get 20% discount. Next week many new items will be added.

Have a great weekend! :-)

Cashwool Leg Warmers

2011-09-28T19:43:00.000+02:00

So, here is my newest pattern - Cashwool Leg Warmers. I love to wear leg warmers, and hope my little girl will love them too. I used this yarn and I absolutely love it. It is so soft and so beautiful! I am going to make many other things for my little one with it. It is sport weight yarn but use it in two strands and you get very nice worsted weight yarn! They have other lovely colors too. :-)

I am back!

2011-09-26T20:12:00.002+02:00

The Autumn arrived and I am so glad to get back to my hooks and needles. As some of you know I had an issue with my computer. I discovered it when many of my contacts received an email from me with a link with virus or spam, I don't know what it was. But it was so embarrassing. The worst part was when I began to receive almost rude emails that I should stop spamming and so on... I could understand those people, nobody likes to receive such things... but I was also a victim, and at that moment I felt even worse... I apologize to all of you who received such email and now I believe it is fixed and will not happen again. In any case everyone should know, if you receive an email, even from the person you know, with just a link - don't open it!

Another thing I wanted to mention is - my little girl turned 1! I can't believe! It was the fastest year of my life! :-)

And at the end of this long post :-) I wanted to share some new designs I posted last week:

first one is a Pom-Pom Headband! It is easy to make and I am sure your children will have a lot of fun to wear it when it get's colder! Pattern available here!

Another one is my third knitting pattern - Cocoon Snood! I always wanted to make one for myself. I finally made it and thought maybe you will like it too. The pattern is available here!

I also renewed photos of my Ladies Cowl Poncho! It is still quite hot here in Italy, but I can't wait to wear it again! It is so cozy! Pattern is here!

Many other patterns coming soon! :-)

Still enjoying the summer...

2011-08-22T15:36:00.004+02:00

We are having the hottest days of this summer. August is always very hot here. We are trying to enjoy it as much as we can - beach, pool, a lot of ice-cream and so on. But it gets tiring and we are all really looking forward the fall... :-) I still don't have any new patterns to share (I hope very, very soon I will), but till then here are simply some new photos from our everyday life... :-) Have a good week!

Our Holidays (Part 2)!

2011-08-14T16:26:00.006+02:00

So, here is a second part of our trip. After Lucca we went to Chiavari. Another beautiful town. It had very French look and I loved it!

Probably the most interesting part of this trip was visiting Le Cinque Terre. 5 beautiful towns! There were paths from one town to another but I couldn't make it! :-) So, we had to make short trips by train from one town to another. But it was worth it! Simply beautiful!

That's it! :-) On the way back we also visited Florence, but for very short.

I hope you are having wonderful summer too! :-) Now we have to get back to our routine, do some other nice things before September and get ready for school and work. :-)

Our Holidays (Part 1)!

2011-08-13T19:35:00.029+02:00

Did you notice I was away? :-) Well, we were away on holidays. Each summer we are trying to explore Italy and visit new places. Usually it is a mix of new places and places where we love to come back again and again. It is exactly what we did this time and we had the most amazing time.

Of course it is not always easy to travel with two small children, but I was well prepared and at the end everything went better than I expected.

So, here is a short review of our trip! :-)

First stop we made in Arezzo.

If you ever have a chance to visit Arezzo make sure you go to this restaurant. They are the best! The food is excellent and the place is very charming. Every time we go to Arezzo we go to them and we never got disappointed.

The next stop was Tarquinia! My first impression was - but where are all the people?! It looked empty! But then I just fall in love with this place. There is beautiful beach just 15 minutes away from the town.

From Tarquinia we went to Tuscania! Another fantastic (almost unknown) town!

After exploring new places we (at least me) never visited before, we were happy to arrive to our favorite town in Tuscany - Lucca!

Did you know Puccini was born in Lucca? You can feel it everywhere...

Every day half day we were spending in Viareggio on the beach! Here finally I could have rest... both children were playing in sand and I even could read a book and didn't need to run after them non stop as I usually do. It was perfect! Some kind of magical place! :-)

In afternoon we were enjoying charming atmosphere of Lucca and every evening we had to go to carousel as my little one couldn't get enough of it. :-)

Second and the best part coming soon! :-)

Thinking of Autumn Hat!

2011-07-28T16:33:00.005+02:00

Rainy and windy weekend we had here made me think about Autumn. I love it. I love when suddenly after hot days you can breath easier, you feel wind and fresh air, smell of falling leaves... I love to wear again my cardigans, scarves, coats. I love to dress my children in warm and comfy clothes to protect them and to make them feel even more loved. And here is the result of all these feelings - Thinking of Autumn Hat. :-)

Pattern is available here!

By the way, my daugther is wearing her Sleeveless Cardigan. Pattern is available here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/66477897/crochet-and-knit-pattern-pdf-file I simply made it in one color instead of using 3 different colors.

My favorite yarn shop!

2011-07-27T12:05:00.008+02:00

Very, very often I receive questions about the yarn I use - which brand is it and where I buy it. Well, here we go.

I was almost always purchasing my yarn online. Yarn shops here are simply unaffordable. I am yarn addicted, I need many and different kind, different colors and I am sure my budget would suffer a lot if I would buy my yarn in local shops. So after using eBay and some other websites, I was very happy when I discovered this shop: www.yarn-paradise.com. They are from Turkey. Yes, some yarn is let's say in very Turkish style, don't want to offend anyone. But they also have excellent and at the same time cheap yarn. I will share some of my favorites:

Almost everything what is in Category - Luxury Premium Yarns is worth buying.

For many my patterns I used Soft Merino yarn and I love it!

Viscose Merino yarn, the one I used for my Petal Infinity Scarf is marvelous too.

Very nice yarns for summer are: Cotton Elite, Nomade Cotton and Viscose Premium.

I could go on for very long actually, but I am sure if you browse through their shop you will find many, many lovely yarns.

The types I mentioned they have for quite long time and many colors are not available anymore. But almost every week (especially during the winter) they list new types. Then you have to hurry on to get the best colors! :-) On Tuesdays they make special discounts. Shipping is very fast, though quite expensive, but as the yarn by itself is very cheap at the end it is very convenient to buy from them anyway. They do ship to US too! :-)

Good luck!

Expressive photography...

2011-07-27T09:00:00.002+02:00

photo

I am always looking for the way how to improve my photography skills. I am a total amateur and I know very little about all this stuff... but I love to make photos, I love to capture moments from our life, to see how our children are changing and growing, to remember things they did for the first time, their big eyes when they saw something for the first time... but I also want to make my photos look good, interesting...

Recently I bought this book and I loved it! It is so well written and in simple language so any amateur as me can understand it. It is very inspiring and has many concrete advises. I have many books now about photography, but this one is the favorite so far. The ladies who wrote the book have also a wonderful blog - Shutter Sisters. Check it out here!

The best everyday sandals ever!

2011-07-26T12:49:00.004+02:00

from topshop.com

Who knows me knows that I love shoes! I never have enough! For a while I was looking for something extra comfy for summer trips and long walks and I purchased these sandals. From the first second I put them on my feet I understood - this was my best purchase this year! They are too comfy! You almost don't feel them and they look cute and go with everything! And for this price!!! We will see how long they last, but for the moment I couldn't be happier! :-)

Our weekend...

2011-07-24T14:55:00.013+02:00

Well, it was a sad weekend. First of all I couldn't stop thinking about what happened in Norway. It is terrible! My heart is with all people who have to go through this, who lost their children... their family members... it is such a pain. Then arrived the news about Amy Winehouse... so sad... Yes, she was absolutely self destructive and such end was predictable, but she was only 27, and she was so talented...

It was raining all weekend here, and though I always enjoy staying at home while outside is bad weather (what can be better than being in cozy home, crocheting and watching children playing while outside is rainy and windy?!), I felt like we needed some cheer up! A few days ago I came across this recipe and I knew at once - I have to try it! It was the right moment to do it. And here is the result!

It was exactly what I needed... :-) Only instead of raspberries I used mix of berries.

Have a good week my friends! :-)

Two things...

2011-07-22T21:33:00.005+02:00

There are two things I would like to share with you before the weekend.

First of all I added new pattern to my Etsy shop. It is a pattern for Halter Top. Works up quickly and is perfect for sunny summer days.

Another thing I wanted to share is this beautiful photo with my Multi coloured sandals. One my client sent it to me and I couldn't resist to post it here. :-) I like the color combination even better than in my own version and those little toes are simply too precious. :-) Thank you Amy! :-)

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! :-)

Good news - SALE!

2011-07-18T16:48:00.004+02:00

I have a sale this week (for 3 days) in my Etsy shop to celebrate 2000 fans on my facebook fanpage and 12000 sales in my Etsy shop. :-))) Thank you everyone! Enter the coupon code CELEBRATE30 at the check out in my Etsy shop http://www.monpetitviolon.etsy.com/ and you will get 30% discount! Have a good week! :-)

two new designs...

2011-07-06T15:38:00.004+02:00

While my little monkeys are both sleeping after playing outside I have a minute to write a short post about my two new designs:

Daisy Braided Strap Booties! Matching headband is here!

And Simple Flower Sun Hat!

Both patterns are easy to make!

I hope you are having wonderful Summer! :-)

Officially on Holidays...

2011-06-25T17:09:00.007+02:00

Yesterday was my son's last day in kindergarten and now he is officially on Holidays till September. We also had some kind of party there and I liked that first thing he did when we came to join him at the party - he gave a kiss to his little sister! :-) So cute...

I know it will be hard to find them both entertainment for each day (we don't have grandparents or any other relatives near who could help, just we two), but I am happy he will be with me all day long. I like to have him around. He calls me his best friend! :-) Way too cute... :-)

But of course all this doesn't mean I will be on Holidays too... :-) I hope to share very soon some new patterns...

Venezia...

2011-06-22T12:20:00.009+02:00

So, here we are! I had a pause from crocheting, designing and writing and instead had small holidays! First my mom and my brother joined us to celebrate my little boy's 4th birthday! I can't believe he is 4! But he is really 4 and lately is behaving as a really big and smart boy. It is a wonderful age! I can speak with him like with a man and it is so cute to discover everything he has in his mind and the way he thinks is so fascinating. Sometimes I do get tired of his "why?" and "what is it?" especially when I don't know how to explain something... but it is so cute! I begin to see things in other way too, I notice so many things I didn't notice before.

My little princess is doing great too! She learned to stay on her feet, she likes to dance, and she adores her big brother. When my boy is back from day care I can relax - she is very busy following him, trying to participate in his games (which he doesn't like that much, for now, I hope...).

We also had small family trip. We went to Venice, to Lido di Venezia where we found wonderful beach. We stayed in this charming hotel: www.hotelvillapannonia.it

And here are some photos from our trip.

Wishing you are wonderful summer!

Headwear for my little girl...

2011-05-16T17:00:00.008+02:00

Well, lately I have big inspiration to design hats, headbands... in other words - headwear! Here are my newest designs:

Shell Motif Hat

Summer Sun Hat
Cherry Blossom Headband
Daisy Braided Headband

EASTER SALE!

2011-04-22T16:20:00.005+02:00

SALE, SALE, SALE!!! Let's celebrate Easter (and my 10000 sales :-))) ) together! GO TO MY SHOP ENTER THE COUPON CODE - EASTER30 - AND YOU WILL GET 30% DISCOUNT! ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT! :-)

HAPPY EASTER! :-)

Zara...

2011-04-20T22:29:00.006+02:00

Did I ever mention I am a big fan of Zara?! Well, I am. I love their line for home zarahome.com and I love their clothes zara.com ! And since I have a baby girl I am just obsessed with all cute things they have for babies! Especially for girls! If you live in Europe you should absolutely have a look! Here are some of my favorites for ladies and baby girls!

How to make baby booties “stay on”?

2011-04-20T13:45:00.004+02:00

Sometimes I receive questions about how to make the booties stay-on. Finally I decided to put together all advices I have so you can use them. If you discovered your own "tricks" you are welcome to share them! :-)

1. The most important thing is to make the booties in the right size. If they are too small or too big most probably it will be very easy for a baby to take them off. If the pattern offers only one size you can adjust the size using different kind of yarn – thicker or thinner, and bigger or smaller crochet hook.

2. It also depends on which kind of yarn do you use. From my experience best “stay on” results are giving natural yarns – cotton, wool. The worst – 100% acrylic. You should avoid using 100% acrylic yarn for baby sandals and low booties.

3. Make the strap shorter. If you see that the bootie is getting of baby’s foot too easily make the strap shorter.

4. Sew on a piece of elastic on the back of the heel. You should do it in the following way – first attach both ends to the bootie, then stretch the elastic and make a seam.

5. Work an extra row along the back of heel and work 2 sc together as many times as you can, like this the back of the heel will be tighter and the bootie will stay on better.

6. First put the socks and only then booties

I hope these advices will be helpful.

By the way here is my newest pattern for baby sandals - Foulard Baby Sandals

I hope my little girl will wear them a lot this summer! :-)

And one more thing! My blog is featured on Circle of Moms! If you have a minute click here
http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/mon-petit-violon and vote for me! :-) Thank you so much! :-)

Is it already Friday???

2011-04-15T18:18:00.005+02:00

Well, my big plans for this week failed... simply because my little angel had her own "big plans"! But can I complain?! I don't think so...

Sophie wearing Girly Ruffle Pants - diaper cover. Pattern available here!

Happy Monday!

2011-04-11T14:08:00.002+02:00

As I am an "official photographer" of our family usually there are very few photos with me. But since my little boy is very interested about computer and especially about making photos with webcam (we always have to laugh about his self portraits with all possible funny faces) lately I get many such photos: "what are you doing there... ???"... :-)

Have a good week! If I am lucky there will be many new patterns this week! :-)

Pee Wee Pilates...

2011-04-08T09:25:00.005+02:00

image

I bought this book while I was pregnant with my son. I enjoyed reading it and dreaming how I will make all these exercises together with my little boy. But when my boy arrived I was so overwhelmed with all new feelings and duties that I completely forgot about it. Besides I was in better shape than ever (seriously!)... Now, almost 4 years later, after my second pregnancy I can't say same words about my body... I can get in all my before-pregnancy trousers but I am just not happy with how I look in them... and then I had "click" in my mind and remembered this book...

"Giving birth is like taking your lower lip and forcing it over your head."

Carol Burnett

It is not only about how to make Pilates, but it is like speaking with someone about how you feel and how your life (and body) has changed...

It was a good book to "clear" and "put in order" my mind, now it is time for exercises and I hope my body will be back in shape very soon too... :-)

Have a good weekend!

Beautiful weekend and new patterns...

2011-04-05T15:11:00.011+02:00

Spring is here! At least to Italy it finally arrived. And we enjoy it a lot! We had beautiful weather this weekend and spent wonderful time... here are some pics from our Sunday walk to Piazza Unita - main square of Trieste.

My children didn't have right mood for making photos - my little boy was trying to escape each time we took the camera in our hands, but Sophie slept all way long... and of course we didn't want to wake her up... :-) I hope you had beautiful weekend too!

And here are some new patterns:

Chocolate Baby Booties and....

... Ruffle Mary Janes!
Enjoy and have a wonderful week!

It is Monday...

2011-03-14T18:24:00.006+01:00

You know, there was a time I hated Mondays... really! First day of the week at school, at work, it was always heavy... but since I am stay at home mom, and since my little boy is going to a day care center - I love Mondays! ;-) Really! I love when my boys (I mean my hubby and my son) are on the way to school and we - girls are at home alone... usually Sophie likes to have a long morning nap and meantime I can do my things - put in order all things... have a blackcurrant tea with lemon and banana bread... or simply enjoy the silence... after all the fun we are having on weekend it is so relaxing...

Today I did more... I finished to write this pattern:

Camellia Baby Booties

Enjoy! And have a great week! :-)

Yesterday was my birthday and here is a free pattern for you...

2011-02-23T17:47:00.005+01:00

So, I officially turned 31! Good age ... though I must admit I was feeling that I get older till I turned 25 and since then I always feel as 25 years old! :-)))

And now about the pattern! Since I have my baby girl I was thinking about making for hear bear hat... babies are so cute wearing them. And here it is! It is so easy to make and you can choose or you knit it or crochet. I added sizes from newborn to 2 years.

Here you can download the pattern - Little Bear Hat

By the way, my daughter in this photo is wearing Raglan Baby Sweater I made for her!

Enjoy! :-)

Felted slippers...

2011-02-16T20:46:00.005+01:00

I was asked many times to design felted slippers. So here they are! Very easy to make, principal is the same as for my Ballet Flats only different sizing. I explain in the pattern also how to felt them - I prefer handfelting as you can control the process very easily. Even if you never made anything felted before you will be able to make these slippers! You just need one skein of 100% wool, 3.5 mm crochet hook, bowl of hot water and washing up liquid and a little bit of patience! :-)

Sizes are:

3-6 months – 10cm or 3.9 in

6-12 months – 11cm or 4.3 in

12-18 months – 12cm or 4.7 in

18-24 months -14cm or 5.5 in

2-3 years – 16cm or 6.3 in

I also added trim - for decoration and to make them nonslid!

Enjoy! :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T18:48:00.006+01:00

February is a special month for me! First of all I was born in February! 6 years ago I met my future husband... it happened also in February... And then I discovered that his birthday is in February too! It is a special month indeed... :-)

Just made delicious cupcakes for my family to celebrate this day! Recipe is here !

Sweaters for my sweetie...

2011-02-12T18:57:00.007+01:00

My little girl is a big inspiration for me... I want to make so many things for her and I try do as much as possible... with two kids it is not easy but when everything is done the satisfaction is great! Here are my two newest creations:

The Rose Baby Sweater

and the Raglan Baby Sweater - both patterns are available in my Etsy shop!

These are working up so easy and are so comfy for babies!

For both patterns available sizes are 6-9, 9-12, 12-24 months.

Infinity Scarf...

2011-01-25T16:17:00.003+01:00

When I saw this yarn I just fell in love with it... I love this colour so much! But then for a while I couldn't decide what to do with it! :-) At the end I made this scarf and just love it... Here is the pattern!

My little girl's debut...

2011-01-20T16:08:00.006+01:00

First of all - thank you everyone for following this blog (I always feel guilty that I don't dedicate enough time for it) and for your greetings about my previous post! :-) Since my girl was born my days are very busy here... but when I look in those big blue eyes I forget about sleepless nights and busy days... those big blue eyes make me absolutely happy... I am following Elizabeth Kartchner's blog and what she said about confetti moment was sooooo right! :-)))

And here she is - my little Sophie almost 4 months old... It is her debut as a model for my newest pattern - Sleeveless Cardigan!

I made it mixing crocheting and knitting and it came out so comfy and I think will be just perfect add to your girl's wardrobe!

Sizes - pattern is made for size 3-6 months with changes for size 6-9 months.

You can also make this cardigan for 12 months working with DK weight yarn or LIGHT 3 yarn (crochet hook 3,75 or F) and using instructions for 3-6 months or for 18 months using instructions for 6-9 months.

She is here...

2010-10-03T13:15:00.004+02:00

At the end of September my shop was closed for a few days. I had a very good reason to close it - my baby girl - Sophie was born on 23rd of September! Everything went well and in a couple of days we were at home. Now I am getting used to be mom of 2! We are doing great during the day, but nights are still heavy... actually this night was the first one when we all could sleep more or less well... I think we are just getting used to each other... In any case it is such a joy to have this little girl with us... :-)

In near future I will be slower with new designs, though I miss so much my hooks and yarn and for sure, as soon as Sophie will let me, I will be back with new projects and patterns. Maybe it will happen sooner than I think... :-)

I any case you are welcome back to my Etsy shop and have a look at all my patterns I designed before! Have a great week!

My Etsy shop will be closed for a while...

2010-09-20T18:34:00.007+02:00

Hello everyone!

Lately I am so busy... and very soon I will be even busier... :-)

I wanted to share with you some of my newest patterns and also make an announcement that later this month my Etsy shop will be closed for a few days. Meantime you will be able to get my patterns at my Ravelry Store. It is even more convenient for you as you will be able to download the pattern at once and don't need to wait till I send it to your email. Just click Buy it now!

And so, here are my newest patterns:

Ladies Cowl Poncho

Baby Bottines
Baby Cocoon and Hat Set
Knit look Baby Sweater
Soft Merino Hooded Cardigan
I will be back very soon with many interesting news! :-) Have a good week!

I am still here...

2010-08-02T14:10:00.007+02:00

As you can see lately I have very little time to blog... I had so many things I wanted to post about, but time is running and I can't make everything I want... sorry...

But here are some pics of my newest patterns, just to show that I am still here and hopefully soon I will have some more time to add some interesting things to my blog... :-)

Baby Autumn Cable Boots

Bobble Baby Blanket
Candy Pink Baby Cardigan
Polka Dot Baby Cardigan
Polka Dot Baby Mary Janes

Knit-look Baby Boots!

2010-06-29T17:49:00.003+02:00

And here is my newest pattern - crocheted Knit-look Baby Boots! No back or front post stitches!!! Very easy to make and the result is almost knitted boots! Perfect for both - boy or girl! Matching Hat and Sweater are coming very soon! :-)

I've been away for a while...

2010-06-29T17:29:00.014+02:00

As you could notice I was away for a while... June was a month full of rest, joy and traveling... and almost no crocheting or knitting! :-)

First we celebrated our little son's 3rd birthday! I can't believe he is already 3! My mother and brother joined us and it was a great day!

Then we took a boat and went to the beach for one week! We had marvelous weather and a lot of sun!

When our guests were away we took our suitcase and went for another week to Tuscany! We love it and always enjoy staying there!

Now we are back! I missed my hooks and yarn, and now I have a new wave of inspiration, so many new patterns are on the way! Stay tuned! :-)

Giveaway!

2010-05-31T20:10:00.004+02:00

So, last week I hit 4000 sales in my Etsy shop and to celebrate it there is a giveaway on my Facebook Fan page (it is on the left) ... go there, "like" the post about giveaway and on Friday you will know if you are the winner... The winner will be able to choose one pattern from my shop for free!

Here is my newest pattern, it will be listed for sale later today or tomorrow... Choco Baby Blanket and Booties. Two in one! :-)

Have a great week!

New patterns and another giveaway!

2010-05-29T14:13:00.004+02:00

So, first of all I wanted to tell about the giveaway! On Monday I will post it on my Facebook fan page. You will have whole week to "Like" that post and participate in the giveaway. On Friday I will write who is a winner. The winner will be able to choose any pattern from my shop. I still didn't decide if there will be only one winner or more... :-)

And here are my newest patterns:

Pastel Green Baby Slippers

Ladies Milky Slippers
Pretty in Pink Ladies Slippers

New designs and other news...

2010-05-10T19:16:00.005+02:00

So, here are some new designs from past week and one from today! :-)

Pretty in Pink Baby Booties

Multicoloured Baby Top
Multicoloured Sandals (can be made as set together with Top if you use same colours)
and Ladies Ballet Flats...

I hope this week a few more patterns I will list in my shop, as they are almost finished.

I know that some of you were upset that missed giveaway on my facebook Fan Page, so probably at the end of this week I will make another one... I will warn you in advance... stay tuned! :-)

Giveaway on my Facebook Fan page...

2010-04-23T20:40:00.003+02:00

I am currently making a giveaway of my Pattern for Milky Baby Booties on my Facebook Fan page. So, you are welcome to become a fan of Mon Petit Violon designs on facebook (you can find my Fan Box on the left) and by clicking on "Like it" below the post about the giveaway you will participate in it! I will write who is a winner on Monday or Tuesday... Next week there will be another surprise on my Fan page... so - stay tuned! :-)

Again on the Front Page!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!

2010-04-22T09:18:00.002+02:00

It is a second time in this month my pattern was featured on the Etsy Front Page! This time it was Pattern for Green Mary Janes!

Thank you so much!!! Beautiful Treasury!

Trip to Venice...

2010-04-20T10:15:00.014+02:00

Yesterday we had a very nice trip to Venice. We live 2 hours drive from this wonderful town and in my opinion spring is the best time to visit it. I love Venice. I love its quietness (if you know right streets, and my husband knows - he lived in Venice for 5 years), without cars, surrounded with water... it brings such peace... Well, but yesterday we had quite little of peace as Alex had to explore everything. Almost whole day we saw only his back, like this...

It is good there are no cars and we could let him run, BUT there is water everywhere and we had to take care that he doesn't finish in it...

He was also choosing which church we should visit.

And when we got in every time I heard "wow"... :-) I think he is little art admirer...

At the end we were very tired and happy to come back home...

I wish wonderful week to everyone!

Here are some more photos from our trip.

Shop update...

2010-04-18T19:16:00.004+02:00

So, here are two newest patterns listed in my shop!

Cross Strap Baby Sandals and...

Sorrento Ladies Home Slippers!
Sorrento slippers came out very comfy... it is also easy and quickly to make them. As they are very breathable I think they are just perfect for spring and summer! I just love mines! :-)

Tomorrow no crocheting - we are going to have small trip to Venice. I will post some photos on my blog when we are back!

Have a great week!

Two new designs!

2010-04-14T22:52:00.004+02:00

As I promised some time ago many new patterns are on the way to my Etsy shop.

And here are two new designs - Double Sole Baby Sandals (sizes available - 0/6, 6/12, 12/18 months) and....

Milky Baby Booties (for 0/6 and 6/12 months).
Happy crocheting! :-)

News in my shop!

2010-04-12T18:04:00.004+02:00

During this weekend I finished to write two patterns:

Sorrento Hooded Cardigan...

... and matching Sorrento Slippers!
The pattern for cardigan for the moment is only in size 3-6 months. Other sizes coming soon. But slippers can be made in two sizes - 0-6 and 6-12 months.

Etsy Front Page!

2010-04-12T08:16:00.002+02:00

Yesterday my Vanilla Slippers were featured on the Etsy front page! Thank you!!!

Baby Bobble Cardigan

2010-03-29T18:00:00.002+02:00

Baby Bobble Cardigan
Originally uploaded by mon petit violon

This is my very first pattern for a cardigan. It is made in sizes for newborn, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months old baby. I tried to make the pattern as easy to follow as possible. I used DK weight, 30% cashmere 70% wool yarn. I love how it looks and it is so soft. Matching hat and booties coming very, very soon.

Weekend...

2010-03-28T19:08:00.004+02:00

I hope everyone had nice weekend! We did! First of all we had marvelous weather here - almost like summer. I was very inspired to do some "gardening"... well, I don't have real garden, unfortunately, but I have balcony and other places in my home where I can enjoy this little hobby. I planted some new flowers, took care about old ones... I am also very excited about my new little friend - Bonsai! I just love it!

To celebrate this sunny and warm weekend we also made some sunny and delicious muffins with cherries...

I am back!!!!!!!

2010-03-22T20:26:00.009+01:00

I know, I know... it is been sooooo long time I didn't write anything here... I was coming here, I was happy for each new follower (by the way - welcome everyone!), for each comment... but I was just too busy to write. Big changes are happening in my life now, I would say - wonderful changes. I will speak about them more another time. Actually I have so many things to post about and for sure I will! I have many interesting projects I would like to share with you (and not only knitting and crocheting). Well, let's begin with something...

www.monpetitviolon.etsy.com

Today I listed two new patterns in my Etsy shop. It is the pattern for Baby Strap Shoes and for Baby Ribbon Lace Booties. Lower part is the same for both patterns, I would say it is a two versions of one pattern. I am sure they will be absolutely great for this time of the year. Both can be very easily made for a boy or a girl - just play with the colours!

Another thing I would like to tell is about one new Etsy shop, here it is!

www.loasidellamaglia.etsy.com

My friend Julia is running this shop. She is very talented knitter, and I know she has great ideas and many more patterns are on the way to her shop. You are welcome to visit it and keep an eye for more patterns to come!

For the moment that's all! But I will be back sooner than you think, with many other news! :-)

Miss Potter... Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and others...

2010-01-06T12:26:00.005+01:00

Yesterday I watched the movie Miss Potter. And I loved it! It is so beautiful, enchanting and so touching... I will definitely watch it once again! Today I already ordered some of Miss Potter's books for my little one. Can't wait to get them! :-)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T14:51:00.003+01:00

I hope everyone had wonderful Holidays! We enjoyed very much this Christmas and New Years Eve. Our boy is growing and his shining eyes and big smile makes us very happy. It brings us back to our childhood when Christmas was a magic, it was time of big hopes and big surprises.
And now here is 2010! I remember many years ago I was thinking how will be my life in 2010? It is important year for me as I will become 30! I have to say I am glad about where I am, who I am and with whom I am. These 30 years were very interesting, I had big ups and downs. My life several times completely changed in the way I could never imagine. But I was lucky because I always had wonderful people around me, who were teaching me a lot and helped me to grow in all senses.
I wish you a great year! I wish you to have always good people around who could help, could support if something not very nice happens, who could be near to you to share your happiness, your success, which is sometimes even more difficult... and I wish you to dream! Like in childhood! There must be a place for dreams in our lives. When becoming an adults we forget about dreams. Everyday life, duties are leaving very little space for them! But it is not right! We all should be a little bit childish... our children will teach us... just let them do it!
Happy New Year!

Thank you... and Happy Holidays

2009-11-27T21:31:00.006+01:00

Hey, I hope you have a great time!

Lately I am learning many things about US, as many of you, whom I meet on my blog and my Etsy shop are living there. I hope you had great Thanksgiving day, and today you had big fun making shopping... it is a pity I am not there... I am good at making shopping (I don't think my husband has same opinion... but I am sure I am good). We still have to wait for our sales... :-(

I also wanted to say thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments about my designs, my creations. I really really appreciate it. It is actually so important for me... Thank you and enjoy this period of year as much as I enjoy it! :-)

Ladies Hat Hoodie

2009-11-23T20:33:00.004+01:00

Do you have problems choosing a hat which fits you well? If yes, then this is a right thing you should make for yourself. I always had and still have this problem. Hats just don't fit me, maybe only berets... After I made a hat hoodie for my little one, and I had some requests about designing similar one for ladies, I thought - it is a great idea! And here it is! It is so comfy, looks great and for sure will protect me in windy days here.
Pattern is very easy, has many photos and detailed instructions. Enjoy! :-)

New look for Ruffled Arm Warmers...

2009-11-18T22:47:00.004+01:00

I came across my pattern for Ruffled Arm Warmers and realized that the previous yarn I used wasn't suitable enough, and I decided to redo them adding instructions how to make them in two colours. Actually it is very simple, just for last step - when you work on ruffles, you should use contrasting colour yarn. I think now they look much better, what do you think? :-)

Right now I am working on matching cowl (though it will be without ruffles)!

Free Pattern at Pulling At Strings!

2009-11-16T15:39:00.006+01:00

Mon Petit Violon designs has been featured on marvelous Pulling At Strings blog. Here you can read an interview. Here you can see amazing yarns from different artists. In Pulling At Strings shop you can find many interesting things: yarn, fiber, accessories and patterns. Some of my patterns are also available there. And there is even one big surprise for everybody - FREE PATTERN for crocheted Bobble Cowl. It is fun and easy to make it! And as it has many holes which you can use as loops for buttons, you can play with it’s shape as you want. Here are some versions, but I am sure you will find many more.

Enjoy!

New Pattern - Cappuccino Mary Janes

2009-11-16T15:24:00.002+01:00

I love cappuccino! I think nowhere else they make it so delicious as in Italy! Yesterday, when I finished to write a pattern for these Mary Janes and I was thinking about how to call them... I looked at them and thought about... cappuccino...! They look so soft, creamy... that at once I imagined cup with hot cappuccino, covered with steamed milk foam and cinnamon and chocolate powder...mmmm... delicious...
Well, I wish I could offer you a cup of Italian Cappuccino... :-) but for he moment I can offer you only this pattern which is already listed in my shop! Enjoy! :-)

Basic Slippers and Leg Warmers

2009-11-12T14:52:00.004+01:00

I just finished to write a pattern for basic slippers and matching leg warmers. It means that in one pattern you have two patterns! :-) You can make them separate, but I think it will be much better to make them both. I used merino wool and silk mixed yarn and they came out so cozy, so warm that I am not taking them off while I am at home. Pattern is very easy and will perfect even for beginner! You can purchase it here! Enjoy! :-)

Hat hoodie...

2009-11-03T18:56:00.006+01:00

Yesterday I listed for sale new pattern - Hat Hoodie!
Lately my little one didn't want to put any of his hats, and every time while being outside we had to fight. It was till I made for him this hat-hoodie! It is so comfortable for him and for me that now we will not change it for anything else. It covers very well his head and ears, keeps him warm, but it doesn't disturb him as it was with hats, because his face is opened. He doesn't need anymore scarf and every time he takes off his hood it is still there, and not on the ground or hidden somewhere...
I made also second one in pink and now you can buy it here!

New look...

2009-10-28T21:34:00.004+01:00

Some days ago I downloaded Illustrator trial version from http://www.adobe.com/ . I never used it before and didn't know what to do with it. I was just playing with it and trying different things... and at the end I made new banner for my shop. You can see it here. I also designed new tags for my finished items I am selling on Etsy.

It was fun to do and I am quite proud with the result! :-) Hope you like it too... :-)