Exciting news!

Hello, you lovely people, long time no see – I sincerely hope you’re all doing well!

I can’t believe it’s been three whole months since I last wrote a blog post; I’ve honestly missed blogging, and it sure feels great to be back here.
It must not have gone unnoticed that my summer break turned out to be a rather lengthy one. The funny thing is, it was all but a “break”: I honestly don’t think I’ve ever crocheted as much as I did in these past months.

You see…… I’ve been asked to write a crochet book, and that’s all that has been on my mind and desk this summer!
Late May I was contacted by a publisher whether I’d be interested to make a crochet book with them. Needing hardly any time to think about the fab opportunity they offered, soon enough I was on my way designing and crocheting to my heart’s content, all projects for my own book. A book that will have an isbn connected to my name: wow, how awesome is that?
The book will have a nice mix of projects for the home, as well as pretties to wear, and will be released internationally (in English) next Spring.
Almost all designs are ready: crocheted, their patterns written, charts drawn, and photos taken. Right now it’s all about testing, re-testing, crocheting projects in different colors and yarn, in short: adding the ever so important finishing touches.
Even though I’m close to the finish line, I still need to pinch myself regularly to realize, that, yes, it’s true: next Spring will see the publication of my very first crochet book!
All kinds of exciting, really!

This – of course – is the main reason why I’ve been extremely silent here and on other social media, and I’m delighted I can finally share my happy news with you.
Unfortunately I still can’t show a whole lot – a sneak peek here and there will be all, I’m afraid. But at least there’s an explanation for my absence (thank you, you sweet peeps for checking in to see whether I was okay), and the ongoing recycling of old work on my Instagram and Facebook.

Within the next couple of weeks I’ll start my “Treasury Tuesday”-posts again, and I’ll share the projects that I’ve made for CraftKitchen during the past couple of months (including the English translation of those patterns/diy’s), for instance the dream catcher you see in this post (↑), the cute knitted slippers (↓), and my latest, a felt Fall/Halloween-garland (↓

As I said, I’ve missed my blog (and YOU, my lovely readers) and I’m looking forward to spending time here again!
See you soon,

love,
Marianne xx

Treasury Tuesday

With the summer vacation period almost being upon us (us in the Northern hemisphere, that is ….), and because I thought it was about time to feed our yearning for cute crochet stuff again, I’ve collected camper vans for this week’s “Treasury Tuesday”.
How adorable are these all?

There’s a growing interest in VW camper vans, I’ve noticed (how about this tent? don’t you just love it?), and crocheters – being the trendy people that they are – have apparently picked up on this immediately!

Very hard to pick just two favorites from this “Treasury Tuesday” – happens every week -, but here they are:I adore the details on this VW van: the spare tire, the surf board …… so delightful!
My second favorite is this big tire cushion: I love it because it’s different (always like that), but also because it’s beautifully made!
Have a great new week, everyone!
Love,
Marianne xx

Treasury Tuesday

Just when I think I’m running out of themes for my weekly “Treasury Tuesdays”, I come across at least 4 topics I’ve never covered here whilst I was searching for some lovely crochet for this week’s feature, hurray!

No leitmotif was followed collecting the 16 beautiful crochet projects for this particular “Treasury Tuesday”, other than pretty crochet, and pretty colors ……

Colorwise I think this gorgeous photo fits right in (and I forgot to show it to you in my last post). It’s the picture Lisanne took of the deer bunting I made for her. I love the way it blends in with the dots and plus-shaped-knob on her wall!My two “Treasury Tuesday” favorites today are good old Charlie Brown; first, because he’s a cute character, and second, because this crocheted Charlie is perfectly made. Chapeau to the designer!

My second choice: these rings – to me they prove that pretty doesn’t necessarily mean complicated. Plus, this shop sells kits as well, so you can crochet your own. I like that too.

Wishing you a fun and creative week,
Love,
Marianne xx

Follow-up Friday …… on a Saturday

It has happened before: a “Follow-up Friday” on a Saturday :)
One can try to meticulously plan things, but it just doesn’t always work out that way – which is fine too, and I’m sure it happens to all of us every now and then!

Other than rather full, my week was a good one. Monday was a bank holiday, and we all enjoyed this extra day off. Tuesday my parents and I visited the Amsterdam “Rijksmuseum”. My mom and I specifically wanted to see “Catwalk”, an exhibition dedicated to fashion in The Netherlands from 1625 to 1960. The exhibit is designed by world-renowned Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf, whose work I greatly admire, so a win-win.
My dad happily tagged along ….

The exhibit itself was as good as we had hoped it would be, too bad it’s only running until May 22.
Aren’t these light fixtures at the start of the expo wonderful?

I absolutely loved the last room, that – naturally – had the “piece de résistance”: the glorious “dress with train”, that Helena Slicher wore on her wedding day in 1759. Mind you, the skirt is two metres wide! The embroidered flowers on this dress are copied onto the wallpaper that the room is decorated with: simply amazing!
Wednesday was another exciting day. The CraftKitchen blogger-team had a meeting at CraftKitchen-headquarters, the premises of G. Brouwer&Zn. We all brought the things we’ve created for CK so far: one big, fun show&tell.New and exciting plans were made, after which we were treated to a tour of the warehouse (wow! a true paradise for any creative person).

The CK-marketing&communications manager is pregnant, and all 5 of us surprised her with (handmade, of course) baby gifts.
I made this baby mobile, and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. Knowing it’s going to be a boy, I had to restrain myself to not add too many girly things, like hearts and flowers. Loving the quote “shoot for the moon – even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”, I made a string with lots-and-lots of tiny stars…….
The lovely pattern I used for the bunnies, is a free Ravelry-download, and can be found here; the cat, dog and bear were freestyled.

And then last Thursday, Mila the Wonderdog had an appointment at the vet’s. Not foreseeing any puppies in her future, we decided to have her spayed, and this seemed the right time. I’m relieved to report she’s doing a bit better today, but she was quite the sick puppy …… Feeling the need to keep an eye on Mila, I was able to crochet a lot of “Rustic Lace Squares”: I’m up to 110 squares right now, and I think only one more row of 11 is needed. I can’t believe I’m actually almost there! Time to start thinking about a border….. woohoo! I hope your weekend is good so far, and will continue to be a great one. I’m off to work on yet another little gift (more on that later next week), and the last of my “Rustic Lace Squares”!

Love,
Marianne xx

Treasury Tuesday

Right after the “Kingsday” celebrations, there’s another set of holidays being observed here in The Netherlands. First the solemn, and always impressive May 4th “Dodenherdenking”/“Remembrance of the Dead”, and then the joyous “Bevrijdingsdag”/“Liberation Day” festivities on May 5th.

The weather being rather joyous as well, Lex and I decided to play tourist in our own country, and went to Lisse (home of the “Keukenhof”), where we knew the tulip fields would be in full bloom. Ah….. the beauty! We so loved driving through endless fields of fabulous colors!

A couple of lazy days were spent at “Tuin11” too, our little cabin alongside one of Amsterdam’s canals. Lots of prettiness to be seen in the adjacent park over there as well – I love this time of year!

It must not come as a surprise I hunted for “tulips” for this week’s “Treasury Tuesday”, all very pretty also, don’t you think?

My “Tulip Top Two”:

Have a great week!
Love,
Marianne xx

Treasury Tuesday

There are many reasons why I knów it’s wise to write my “Treasury Tuesday”-posts in advance, but I hardly ever do this.
Today I’m regretting that ……

Because, I’m just sitting here, not knowing what to say/write after having just heard the terrible news of the bombings in Brussels – so close to home.
My first impulse was to not write anything at all, and skip this week’s “Treasury Tuesday”.

But you know what? However hard this is, I refuse to let bad things get to me!
My heart and thoughts go out to the people affected by this horrible act, but in my little world (and corner of the internet) I will try my best to focus on the good and positive – even though this might seem impossible at times.

Creating, feeling connected to the lovely group of makers that I know, spreading kindness, is the only thing I feel I’m capable of doing.
I think – and know – I’m not the only person whose spirit is lifted when creating/crocheting, so let us continue to do so.
Let’s create, make our little corner of the world a more beautiful place, spread some happiness through our work!

So, yes, I will post my “Treasury Tuesday”, even today, and hope you’ll find solace and comfort in these troublesome times too – whether it’s by listening to music, doing some gardening, going for a walk, or by being creative.
I know I’ll be taking Mila for an extra long walk, and be doing some much needed and meditative crocheting ……

Love,
Marianne xx

Treasury Tuesday

While there’s a howling wind outside, I’m in my happy place (my workroom), preparing yet another “Treasury Tuesday”-post.
I’ve so come to love browsing the Etsy market place, hunting for – mostly crochet-related – projects in a particular color, or with a particular theme. There are moments when I’m afraid to be running out of ideas, but no, there is so much creativity out there – not likely to happen anywhere soon.

Talking about creativity: I’m moderating the “Craft as Therapy”-feed on Instagram this week again – fun times. If you want to find out more about this community, there’s an interesting article on the Lion Brand website (link here).
The “Craft as Therapy”-theme I’ve picked this week is “creative challenge”. Did (or do) you have any creative challenges that you have overcome, or really want to overcome?

My biggest creative challenge was learning how to knit socks.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that for a long time just the thought of knitting socks scared me…… Ridiculous, of course, so one day when I saw a workshop announced, I signed up for it in a heartbeat. Really: what was the worst thing that could happen (well ….. dropping stitches, for example ……).
Anyhow: I had two lessons, a little help from my friend YouTube, and I did it! I faced my fears, and finishing my first pair of knitted socks made me in fact feel pretty good about myself.
Much to my own surprise I found out I’m actually enjoying sock knitting very much, and I’m now the proud owner of 4 pair of self knitted socks: yay!
As to the new “Treasury Tuesday”, I’m holding on to last week’s “Valentine’s”-theme for just a little bit with these red beauties.
My two favorites are these – I love how the dachshund image is divided over the two potholders. And I’ve picked the second one, because I have a soft spot for bags ….

Wishing you a great week, filled with lots of creativity, and maybe some creative challenges as well!

Love,
Marianne xx

Treasury Tuesday

Even though I’m working on a colorful project right now (the word “eclectic” even comes to mind), when searching treasures for this week’s “Treasury Tuesday” I was once more drawn to soft, muted colors.
Calm and comforting are key this Tuesday!

After all the fun, but busy December preparations and celebrations, I guess my gut feeling tells me to take it easy, cuddle up, relax and be comfortable – do a spot of crochet, maybe ;)?

One of my favorites this week, is this super cute jacket; too bad there are no more little girls around here …….
Crocheting the winter coat, while snuggling under my second favorite, the gorgeous lacy blanket – I like that idea!

Wishing you all a comfy & cozy (gezellige in Dutch) week!
Love,
Marianne xx

My Creative 2015

HaPpY  NeW  YeAr!!
First off, I’d like to wish you all the very best for a healthy, prosperous new year, filled with love, friendship, and lots of creativity of course!

It most certainly doesn’t feel like 12 months ago, that I was writing my last end of year post – 2015 has really gone by so quickly.

For “maRRose” this past year was a very exciting one, and I’m extremely thankful for that! A big and heartfelt “thank you” goes out to you, my lovely and loyal readers, for your continued support, encouragement, and feedback and for “simply” being there. It makes all the difference and I do hope you know how much I appreciate your being here!

I’ve already shared the collage above on Instagram. An easy click through this site gives you your “2015 nine best” – the 9 pictures that gathered the most likes on IG in 2015; my nine generated an unbelievable 307.129 likes, just these 9 …….(talking about being thankful …..)

Sharing another “best nine” – my own personal favorites – would be fun too, I thought, and here’s what they are:
In random order, from left to right/top to bottom, they are:
1. Love & Kisses Bridal Shawl
2. Lucy Cushion
3. Crochet Mood Blanket
4. Bétaille Blanket
5. Les Tourettes Shawl
6. Monsoon Stole
7. Rustic Lace Square Blanket
8. Rose Baby Blanket
9. Granny Square Abby Cushion

And since we’re on the subject of lists and preferences, I also had a look at what you liked best on the blog in 2015:
1. Yarn Ends Bowl
2. Triangle Pincushion
3. The Rustic Lace Square
4. Pixelated Cushion
5. Baby Blanket Justine
6. The Dijon Blanket
7. Friendship Bracelets
8. Hexagon Blanket
9. Granny Square Rose

Apart from actual projects, there was also quite some exposure in all different kinds of media, like the Koffie&Wol-shows (interview here, blog post here, Christmas Show here) and the mini interview on the “Draad&Praat”-blog.
Furthermore I was asked to join the KreaDoe blogger’s team – great fun, and something I’ll continue to do in 2016.
And then, this December there was an extensive interview in a lovely new Australian indie-magazine “Wild about Yarn”, me being their ‘featured artist’ (available here).
To top that off, I was interviewed by fabulous yarnbomber Stephen Duneier; you can listen to this podcast via iTunes (here), or on the web (here).
I’m telling you: proud moments!
More highlights were the crochet/yarn parties that I was invited to, like the ones in Echtstudio (blog post here), at Knotten (more info here), and last but not least the already mentioned Christmas Party at Wolplein. Getting together with fellow yarnlovers, crocheters, bloggers and instagrammers in real life has put many cherries on my creative cake this year.
The biggest cherry must have been meeting my sweet friend Heike/MadewithLoops, having her stay at Casa Dekkers for some days, and going on yarny adventures together. Throwing her a surprise “Crochet Party” in my beloved “Tuin11” was simply the very best!

I can’t wait to see what 2016 holds for “maRRose”!

Love,
Marianne xx

Treasury Tuesday

It’s hard to believe Christmas is behind us …… I sure hope yours was wonderful in every way!
To go easy on the let down of Christmas 2015 being history already, it’s a good thing we still have the New Year’s fun to be looking forward too.
In The Netherlands this holiday is referred to as “Oud & Nieuw” (old and new), and there are a few traditions linked to our “Oud & Nieuw”.

Firstly there’s the “oliebollen” – fried dough filled with raisins – and “appelflappen” – puff pastry filled with apples.
Secondly, fireworks ……. Under constant discussion (for obvious reasons), the Dutch are still allowed to set off their own firecrackers, sparklers and small rockets on New Year’s Eve. I’ve noticed this is mainly a male-kind-of-thing ……..

A far less dangerous and fairly new tradition (1999) in a lot of Dutch homes, and most certainly in ours, is listening to the “Top2000” on the radio. This is a crowd sourced list of the 2000 best songs ever and great fun to listen too. There’s even a daily spin-off on television – wonderful to watch as well.

What would you say are special New Year’s Eve traditions in your country, or home?
My guess is 90% of us will raise a glass of prosecco or champagne and drink to good health and prosperity of the people we’re with – I know we will!

Which brings me – finally ;) – to the newest “Treasury Tuesday” that has “champagne” as its theme!
Favorites this week are the clutch – I love its shape – and the stylish cardigan. The combination of the rather simple knitted body with the pretty crocheted border is an absolute win, I think.
I’m afraid I have to put some spotlight on the beautiful earrings too …… how amazing is that wire crocheted trim?

Wishing you a sparkly new week!
Love,
Marianne xx