Miniature crochet from FancyKnittles

Can you resist cute and tiny? This post is for lovers of sweet miniatures and small dolls. I'd like to introduce FancyKnittles shop today, it is full of charming crochet dolls, animals, flowers, vegetables and holidays ornaments. All of them are made by Irina, miniature crochet dolls designer. She manages to combine the creativity and high quality in a tiny shape. Visit her shop to see for yourself!

I was curious about how this all has started for Irina, so I approached her with some questions to share with my readers.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Irina and I live in picturesque South Wales, on the border of a small town in a valley. I love the countryside, traveling and photography and I think I'm quite a romantic person.

 

I would like to do what I love and earn some money at the same time. I was an architect when I lived in Russia and I think this profession generally helps me to see the harmony and beauty all around me. I gave up my profession when I moved to the UK. Here I started to make small crochet dolls and a lot of cute things that make dolls lives look similar to peoples lives. I've been crocheting all my life so it was quick and easy choice. Crocheting was a hobby at the beginning and step by step it transferred into business.

What is it about making small objects that intrigues you?

I don't know exactly why I love small things. Probably it's about my personality. A lot of people love small things, collect and play with dollhouses and little fairies.

How did you get started?

I've been crocheting as long as I can remember. I love small forms and enjoy making cute tiny things that mimic a real big-scale subjects. Every doll I make needs some accessories to give her charm, unique character and tell a little story about her everyday life. 

This is how I start making tiny flowers, potted plants, fruits and vegetables, tiny dolls, bears, bunnies, cats, dogs ... even umbrella and miniature Christmas trees. I love to hold them in my palms and imagine those things are real.

What are your favorite items in your shop?

I love my tiny plants and flowers but dolls will always be my favorites. Sometimes I get so busy with my orders that I don't have time to make new ones but summers are an inspirational time for me. People are busy with their daily lives, vacations and will come back soon for their Fall and Christmas shopping. So I am working on my new dolls right now and my shop's doll section comes to life again. 

 

Have you ever had a custom order that was especially meaningful for you?

I love my customers, they help me create some great things from time to time. Last Christmas my customer wanted to order a group of Angels to give them as a gift to friends and family. What a fun order! I made nine of them, they were all different with their own personalities. 

The other memorable order was four hats, one for each season, for my return customer's felted mice collection.

What are your hopes for the future of your business?

Life is always changing and you can not predict the future. I hope I will continue to create my tiny girls, boys and their fancy stuff and surprise my fans with new interesting ideas.

 Visit Fancyknittles shop on Etsy to see more of Irina's creations. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.  

Summer lace crochet, linen and cotton

Summer is here so it's time to wear lighter clothing! I was so hungry for colors and lace this summer that I crochet a few new items for our shop and for myself. I used linen and cotton yarn to make these so everything is natural and nice to have against your bare skin.

 

This little teal green shoulderette is very attractive.

 

It was crocheted from linen yarn and embellished with satin ribbon. A lovely way to cover your shoulders!

 

Another option for your shoulders is this mint green linen wrap. It can be worn as a scarf or wrap, it's up to you. The color is amazing.

These crochet linen barefoot sandals are an easy solution for fancy up your feet. They will draw attention to your beautiful legs in an instant! Great to wear around the pool, on the beach or during a summer party.

 

I crochet them in turquoise and hot pink colors.

And finally is this little wrap I made for myself. It can be used for around your waist or shoulders. It is made of white cotton thread and has ties to secure the width. I am going to use it as a cover up around the pool or on a beach if I will make it there this summer.

I can not wait for a swimming pool season :)

Summer linens

I was looking for some quality summer yarn for my summer crochet projects and I was happy to find this gorgeous Lithuanian linen yarn at YarnStories shop on Etsy.

I started with purchase of natural unbleached yarn first, just to see how the yarn will work for me. I spent a week working on this tote and I am very happy how this project turned out!

I purchased more yarn this time in numerous colors. It's thinner than the unbleached one but it's a pleasure to crochet with this also. I've decided to make a summer wrap, the kind you want on your shoulders at a nice ocean front restaurant. It's turning out so pretty!

Linen is one of the oldest fibers made by humans. It's made of flax plant and was always popular for the exceptional qualities in hot weather. It's lightweight, durable and moisture absorbent. It feels fresh and pleasant to the touch and will not give you a static shock. Linen was always expensive because it's labor intensive but it's definitely worth it.

I love the colors and variety of linen yarn at the Kate's YarnStories shop. When I've got my parcels with the new yarn I purchased I lined them on display at our living room for a week. Such happy colors!  

If you'd like to see more of Kate's yarn please visit her at YarnStories shop on Etsy. Her knit and crochet patterns can be also found on Ravelry so if you are ready for some colorful summer projects get some yarn and start working on your project!

What's new at Socksandmittens? July 2013

It has been a very busy summer for us. We are making more pretty items for you to wear this Fall and Winter or to give as gifts.

Since we are taking short trips from time to time we are not listing much at this time but wait until the middle of August! We are making new designs and more of the existing ones that are loved by many.

This year we will be adding some more crochet items,  cowls and scarves. We are also working on seasonal holidays items for the home and warm knits to wear.

Please visit us often this Fall and Winter to see what we have. 

Knit and crochet while on vacation

Of course, we had time for our favorite hobbies while on vacation. My mom was one busy knitter (as always) and I was making some crochet snowflakes for our Christmas tree. The pine forest, meadows and river near by our friends house were a great inspiration for these cold-time-projects!

 The one thing we were missing was some colorful yarns from our home stash. The ideas were floating in the air, we just had to grab them!

I wrote many of those ideas down. We are home now and have plenty of  time for this creative side of us. I like to visit places but I also love to be home!

Newly made - cotton beach blanket!

I crochet this sunny beach blanket for a friend.

She likes it! :)
It is a wonderful pattern and I made this blanket from cotton yarn. Since the thread is really fine, I have put a lot of thread and work in it.
I am definitely happy with the result!
So, I am thinking about making the same one for myself! :)