Čestitke - mada ne novogodišnje (Cards, but not Christmas ones)

Obe naše bake imaju rođendan u novembru, pa smo iskoristile priliku da obožavano crtanje vodenim boja uobličimo u čestitke. Jedna od Eminih omiljenih tehnika crtanja vodenim bojama (mokrim bojama, kako ih ona zove) je crtanje prstima, pa smo se toga držali.

Pravili smo buket cveća tako što sam ja nacrtala drške cveća, a ona je umakala prste u boje i dodavala cvetiće. Ukoliko dete ne želi da igra po pravilima, pustite ga da stavlja tačkice gde god želi, a vi posle docrtajte drške cvetova.

Planirala sam da napravimo takve čestitke i za novogodišnje praznike, samo da umesto drški cvetova na slici bude kontura jelke, a da tačke predstavljaju ukrasne kugle, ali smo bili prezauzeti sa selidbom i majstorima, pa jednostavno nije stiglo na red ove godine.

Both of our grandmas have birthdays in November, so we used this chance to channel our beloved water colour drawing into making birthday cards for them. One of Ema's favourite techiques when using water colours (or wet colours, as she calls them) is finger painting, se we stuck to that.

We made a bunch of flowers in a way that I drew the flower stems, and she dipped her fingers into the water colours and added the flowers. If your child doesn't like playing by the rules, let him/her put the dots wherever they want and add the stems later.

I was planning to make similar cards for the upcoming Christmas holidays, but with a drawing of a Christmas tree in stead of the flower stems. The dots were to represent Christmas ornaments. However, with our moving into a new flat, I was too busy to see this through. Next year, perhaps.

Norveško zeleno - Norwegian Green

Konačno sam ga završila! Počela sam još u junu, ali su me vrućine omele, tako da sam se tek nedavno prihvatila igala. Mustra je savršena, nisam morala ništa da prilagođavam. Jedina zamerka mi je obrada teksta karakteristična za Dropsove mustre (sva uputstva su data u jednom pasusu, mali prored, teško se mogu snaći prostim bacanjem pogleda). Ali, kad je besplatna, ne smemo se puno žaliti. Ukoliko neko od vas poželi da isplete ovaj džemperak, a ne razume baš engleski, neka ostavi komentar i poslaću vam prevod. I ubaciti veći prored i podeliti tekst u pasuse, obećavam.

Sve u svemu, veoma sam zadovoljna sa ovim radom, iako nisam imala dovoljno prediva (nedostajala mi je jedna trećina štringle da završim okovratnik). Ali, ne primeti se, zar ne?

I have finally finished it! I started knitting it in June, but the heat waves put me off Alpaca yarn, so I decided to finish it only recently. The pattern is perfect, I didn't have to change a thing. My only complaint is about the layout of the text, which is characteristic of all Drops patterns (most of the instructions are given in one paragraph, with very small spacing, it is difficult to find where you are by just taking a glance at it). But it's free, so we shouldn't complain.

Anyway, I'm very pleased with how it worked out, even though I didn't have enough yarn (I needed a third of a skein more to finish the yoke). But you wouldn't have guessed, right?

Miholjsko leto i naglo zahlađenje -- Indian summer and a sudden winter

Evo kako smo mi proveli poslednjih par dana lepog vremena:

This is how we spent the last sunny days in September:

1. Igrali smo se improvizovane školice. Krugovi su kamenčići na koje treba da se stane da bi se prešla reka. Odlična igra za trošenje dečje energije. Kasnije možete pokušati pogoditi loptom određeni krug (tj. kamen).

We played improvized hopscotch. The circles are stones which you are supposed to step on in order to cross the river. It's a great game to channel your kid's energy. You can later try to hit a certain circle (ie. stone) with a ball.

2. Nacrtali smo kvart po Eminom izboru. Ucrtali smo sva mesta koja ona voli - bakinu i dedinu kuću, igralište, vrtić, prodavnicu, park itd. Onda smo se vozili kamionom od mesta do mesta i prevozili razne životinje, krede i sve što se može transportovati.

We used a chalk to draw a city block on the concrete in our yard. We drew all of Ema's favourite places - grandma and grandpa's house, the playground, the daycare, the store, the park, etc. Then we rode the truck from place to place and filled it with toy animals, chalk and all other things that can be transported.

3. Baka nam je dala pun lavor okrunjenog kukuruza i gomilu raznih plastičnih posuda, lopaticu i kašiku. Presipanje kukuruza iz jedne posude u drugu je trajalo više od sat vremena. Isto smo pokušali i kod kuće, u zatvorenom prostoru, sa pirinčem. Emi je bilo jednako zabavno, a meni još zabavnije da pokupim pirinač pod nameštajem.

Grandma gave us loads of corn seed and a bunch of plastic boxes, a plastic shovel and a spoon. The pouring of the corn seed from one box into another lasted for over an hour. We tried the same thing indoors, using rice. It was just as fun for Ema, and even more fun for me, trying to pick up all the rice from underneath the furniture.

A onda je zahladnelo...

And then it got cold....

1. Pošto je dosta teško pronaći gotove aktivnosti za klince ovog uzrasta, crtala sam Emi razne zadatke. Ovde je potrebno spojiti šerpe i poklopce koji su iste boje. Rešavali smo zadatke gde je potrebno spojiti koku sa jajetom iste boje, telo sa njegovim delovima, i sl.

Since it can be difficult to find ready made activities for kids this age, I draw different tasks for Ema myself. Here she was supposed to match the pans with lids of the same colour. We also had tasks to match a chicken with the egg of the same colour, or the body with the missing body parts, etc.

2. Ovo je jedna odlična ideja koju sam pronašla na blogu mame ne rade na repeat. Naime, od trulex krpe isečete razne geometrijske oblike i unutar njih prosečete otvor. Na krajeve kanapa vežete po dugme, dovoljno veliko da možete da ga provučete kroz otvor. Dete treba da naniže geometrijske oblike na kanap. Odlična igra za razvijanje motorike, ali i za učenje naziva boja, oblika ili čega god se još setite. Veličinu dugmića i rupice prilagodite detetu.

This is a great idea I've found on the blog moms don't work on repeat. What you need to do is to cut the cloths you use to wipe dust or tables with (unused ones, of course) into various geometrical shapes and to cut out an opening in the middle of them. On the ends of a string you are to tie a button, big enough to be able to slide it through the cutout. The child is supposed to line the geometrical shapes on the string. This is a great game to work on motor skills, but also for learning the names for colours, shapes or whatever you can think of. Adjust the size of the button and the cutout to the skill of your child.

Izlog u radu - Work in progress

Svi koji me iole poznaju znaju da ja nisam osoba koja skače sa projekta na projekat i koja ostavlja stvari nedovršenima. Međutim, ovo leto me je promenilo.

Počela sam da pletem ovaj džemper od prediva koje mi je stiglo iz Norveške, ali je ovo leto bilo toliko vruće (i još uvek je) da jednostavno nisam mogla da smislim dodir alpake.

Pa sam prešla na jedan drugi projekat. Pletem ćebe. U početku je bilo zamišljeno kao ćebence za moju ćerku, ali mi se čini da ću joj moći to spakovati i u miraz.

Kom tipu pletilja vi pripadate? Onima sa više započetih projekata ili onima što dosledno završe sve što započnu, pre nego što pređu na nešto drugo?

All of you who know me are aware of the fact that I am not a person who jumps from one project to another and leaves things unfinished. However, this summer has changed me.

I started knitting this top using the yarn I got from Norway, but this summer was (and still is) so hot that I just couldn't imagine the touch of alpaca.

So I switched to another project. I am knitting a blanket. In the beginning it was supposed to be a baby blanket for my daughter, but it has grown, so it looks like I'll be able to save it for her dowry.

What type of a knitter are you? The one with a lot of works in  progress or the one that always finishes all that she begins, before moving on to another project?

Slagalice u domaćoj izvedbi - Home made puzzles

Ema je trenutno oduševljena sa nekoliko stvari. Prvo sa Timijem (odn. Me, kako ga ona zove), Pepom Prase (što već znamo) i najnovije sa Benom i Holi. Druga velika zanimacija nam je slaganje slagalica. Kraćim obilaskom prodavnica došla sam do zaključka da su slagalice prilično skupe, a naročito one sa likom i delom gore pomenutih junaka.

I tako sam došla na ideju da napravim svoje slagalice. Sasvim sam sigurna da nisam izmislila rupu na saksiji, ali rekoh, ipak da podelim sa vama. Početna ideja je bila da slike (skinute sa Neta) odštampam u fotokopirnici (budući da nemam štampač u boji), zalepim na karton i onda isečem. Međutim, pretpostavljala sam da neću uspeti tako lepo da zalepim a da se ne odlepljuju krajevi. Druga ideja je bila da u fotokopirnici umesto redovnog papira štampaju na samolepljivom, pa onda da to zalepim na karton. Međutim, veoma ljubazna devojka u kopirnici, puna razumevanja za moje dileme, ponudila mi je opciju da mi slike odštampa na najdebljem papiru koji imaju, što se pokazalo kao dobro rešenje.

I, evo kako to izgleda:

Potreban materijal:

1. Odgovarajuće slike (šta god da je aktuelno kod vaše dece)

2. Skalpel ili makaze

3. Hamer ili samolepljivi papir i karton

4. Kolor štampač ili predusretljiva teta u fotokopirnici

Prednosti domaćih slagalica:

1. Daleko su jeftinije

2. Možete sami birati slike

3. Možete sami seći slike, tako da delovi predstavljaju smislene celine (što nije uvek slučaj kod kupovnih slagalica)

4. Možete biti ponosni na sebe i svoje delo

Nedostaci:

1. Delovi se ne uklapaju baš najbolje, nego se moraju približiti jedan drugom, pa često klize (preporučujem platneni stolnjak na radnoj površini)

* * * * * 

At the moment Ema is captivated by two things. Firstly with Timmy (Me, as she calls him), Peppa the Pig (which you already know), and lately with Ben and Holly. Her other great fascination are puzzles. A short trip around the toy stores lead me to a conclusion that puzzles are quite expensive, especially those depicting the above mentioned characters.

So I came to the idea to make my own puzzles. I am quite aware that I didn't invent anything new, but I still wanted to share this idea with you. The initial thought was to print out the pictures (downloaded from the Internet) at the photocopier's (I don't have a colour printer at home), glue them onto a cardboard and cut them out. However, I decided against it, since I believed I couldn't paste the picture in a way that it wouldn't come up at the edges. The second idea was to use the self adhesive paper for printing at the photocopier's and paste that on the cardboard. However, the very helpful lady at the photocopier's, who showed incredible understanding for my dilemmas, offered me the option to print the pictures on the thickest paper they have.

So, here it is.

Material needed:

1. Pictures according to your wishes (whatever your child is into these days)

2. A scalpel or scissors

3. Thin cardboard or a self adhesive paper and cardboard

4. A colour printer or a forthcoming lady at the photocopier's

Advantages of home made puzzles:

1. They are less expensive by far

2. You can choose the picures

3. You can cut the pictures yourselves, so that the pieces are meaningful (which is not always the case with ready made puzzles)

4. You get to be proud of yourselves and your work

Disadvantages:

1. The pieces do not fit into each other, but have to be put close to one another, so they tend to move around (I recommend using a tablecloth when playing with the puzzle)

Godišnji odmor u Krašićima - A summer holiday in Krašići (Montenegro)

Proveli smo deset fantastičnih dana na crnogorskom primorju, u Krašićima, kao gosti naših dragih prijatelja Miroslava i Helene. 

Krašići su jedno malo mesto smešteno u Bokokotorski zaliv. 

Ukoliko ste željni ludog provoda do sitnih sati, onda ono verovatno i nije stvoreno za vas, ali ukoliko volite miran godišnji odmor sa puno sunca i lepih plaža, nemojte ga propustiti. A evo i zašto.

Šta se može raditi u Krašićima?

* * * * *

We spent ten wonderful days on the Montenegrin seaside, in Krašići, as house guests of our dear friends Miroslav and Helena.

Krašići is a small town situated in the Boka Kotorska bay.

If you are looking for a wild time till the early morning, this probably isn't the best place for it, but if you prefer a peaceful holiday filled with nice beaches and sunshine, don't miss it. And here is why.

What can you do in Krašići?

Kupati se u bistroj i čistoj vodi. 

You can swim in a clear blue water.

Ako imate decu učiti ih da plivaju na lepo prilagođenim plažama za klince.

If you have small children, you can teach them how to swim on beaches appropriate for their age.

Dobro klopati posle iscrpljujućeg kupanja.

You can have a nice meal after an exhausting round of swimming.

Popiti pićence u hladovini Zanzibara, tik pokraj plaže.

You can have a drink in the shade of the Zanzibar cafe, right on the beach.

Baviti se ručnim radom.

You can do handwork.

I uživati u fantastičnom pogledu.

And you can enjoy the fantastic view over the bay.

Kivi devojčica iliti Napad panike (My kiwi girl or A Panic Attack)

Znate li onaj osećaj kad vam se jedan projekat približava kraju, a vi uviđate da nemate isplaniran naredni? Ona pitanja u glavi - Šta ako ovaj projekat završim večeras? Šta ću ujutru da štrikam? Ili - Sutra je nedelja, a prodavnice sa predivom ne rade! Šta ću da radim do ponedeljka?

E pa, ova kivi haljinica je rezultat tog napada panike. Jednog petka popodne, navrat-nanos, Ema i ja smo otišle u St. George da izaberemo predivo. Na brzinu. Bez razmišljanja. I kupile St. George Una 23. Kao što sam mogla i očekivati predivo se rasteže i pušta boju (vrhovi bambusovih igala su mi kivi boje). Ali, kol'ko para tol'ko muzike. Dobra stvar je što će, s obzirom na stepen rastezanja prediva, Ema moći da nosi haljinicu još godinama.

Mustru sam takođe odabrala na brzinu, mada se tu nisam pokajala. Moram da priznam da mi je odlučujući faktor bila jednostavnost mustre i preslatka devojčica na slici.

* * * * *

Do you know that feeling when your project is getting near the end and you slowly realize that you haven't planned another one? Those questions in your head - 'What if I finish this project tonight? What am I to knit in the morning? Or - It's Sunday tomorrow and all the yarn shops will be closed! What am I to do till Monday?

Well, this kiwi wonder is the result of such a panic attack. On a Friday afternoon Ema and I hurried to St. George yarn shop to pick some yarn. In a rush. With no thinking. And we bought St. George Una 23. And, as expected, it stretches and the colour runs (the tips of my bamboo needles are now kiwi coloured). But, you get what you pay for. The good news is that, having in mind how much the yarn stretches, Ema will be able to wear the dress for years to come.

I chose the pattern in a hurry, as well, but I have no regrets about it. Although I have to confess that the deciding factor was the simplicity of the pattern and the cutest girl in the photo.

Vidi šta sam dobila! -- Look what I got!

Pre nekoliko dana mi se muž vratio iz Norveške gde je proveo mesec ipo dana. Kako bi mi nadoknadio vreme provedeno van toplog doma ponudio se da mi donese neko lepo predivo. I ja sam birala i birala i izabrala Garnstudio Drops Alpaca predivo. Petrolej i roze boje. Po sastavu je 100% alpaka, a na dodir 100% milina. Jedva čekam da počnem da ga koristim.

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My husband has recently returned from Norway where he spent a month and a half. In order to make up for the time away from home he offered to bring me back some yarn. So I chose Garnstudio Drops Alpaca yarn, petroleum and pink. It's 100% alpaca and 100% joy. I can't wait to start knitting.

Pepa Prase u domaćoj izvedbi - A homemade Peppa

Pošto Ema ima dve godinice i u fazonu je Pepe Praseta, mama se potrudila da pronađe amigurumi koji će odgovarati željama njenog prvenčeta. Kraće surfovanje internetom dovelo je do recepta Debbi Birkin, objavljenog u časopisu Woman's Weekly Magazine, u novembru prošle godine. Recept je veoma jednostavan i pravo ga je zadovoljstvo plesti. Ukoliko niste iskusna pletilja, ova mustra vam neće predstavljati veći problem. Jedino što je ušivanje raznoraznih delova i njihovo punjenje dosta velika gnjavaža.

Za izradu Pepe sam koristila St. Georgeov Tango (svetlo rozi, tamno rozi, crveni, plavi i beli) i igle br. 4. 

Princeza je oduševljena, Pepa je već i večerala s nama, obišla bakino dvorište, rekla svim ukućanima laku noć i sada mirno spava. Uživancija!

ù  ù  ù  ù  ù

Since Ema is two years old she is all about Peppa Pig, so mommy did her best to find an amigurumi that would fit fulfill the wishes of her first born. After a short surf on the Internet I came across the pattern by Debbi Birkin, published in Woman's Weekly Magazine last November. The pattern is very simple and is a joy to knit. If you are not an experienced knitter, this pattern will not give you a lot of trouble. The only trouble is that sewing up all the numerous parts and stuffing them is quite boring.

For making Peppa I used St. George's Tango yarn (light pink, dark pink, red, blue and white) and needles no. 4. 

The princess is overjoyed. Peppa has already had dinner with us, was shown around grandma's garden, wished all the members of the family a good night and is now sound asleep. Joy!

Na ovaj sam izuzetno ponosna iliti šta je zeka doneo baki

Moja mama je jedna od onih žena koje kada naiđu na udoban komad garderobe nose ga do iznemoglosti. Tako ona ima jedan svetlo sivi prsluk koji nosi po kući i to već tridesetak godina. Zato je meni palo na pamet da je obradujem jednim novim "pokućnim" prslukom. Listala sam jedno starije izdanje Knit Simple magazina i ugledala ovaj model. A kako se Uskrs približavao, odluka je pala. Imajući negativna iskustva sa jeftinijim predivima, odlučila sam se za Vlnapov Exclusive. Izbor boja nije bio naročito velik, ali s obzirom da je tražila neku neutralniju boju, a stari prsluk je bio svetlo sive boje, izabrala sam ovu tamno sivu. Nazvala sam je telefonom i tražila da mi pošalje svoje dimenzije, otvorila Knit Simple i počela da pletem. Pomalo sam strepela što je u pitanju predivo sa kojim nemam iskustva, što su igle malo deblje, što nemam nju ispred sebe pa da naslonim rad na nju i vidim kako napredujem, ali zagrizla sam i rekla sebi biće kako bude. I bilo je super! Prezadovoljna sam i sa receptom i sa predivom i sa krajnjim rezultatom.

Pošto je i ona izuzetno zadovoljna sa prslukom, došla je do zaključka da ne može u njemu da dinsta luk, već da će ga koristiti za izlaske. I opet nosi stari svetlo sivi prsluk...

ª  ª  ª  ª  ª

My mum is one of those women who upon finding a comfortable piece of clothing will wear it forever. She has a light gray vest that she has been wearing around the house for about thirty years. So, I had an idea to surprise her with a new "homewear" vest. I was looking through an older edition of Knit Simple magazine and came across this model. And, as Easter was fast approaching, the decision was made. Having had unpleasant experiences with cheaper yarn, I opted for Vlnap Exclusive. The choice of colours was limited, but since she wanted a more neutral colour, and the old vest was light gray, I opted for dark gray. I phoned her to send me her measurements, opened Knit Simple magazine and started knitted. I was a bit apprehensive about using a yarn I had no previous experience with, the needles being a bit too thick, not having my mum around to put my knitting in front of her and see how I'm doing, but I told myself - be as it may! And it was great! I am extremely satisfied with both the pattern and the final result.

And, since my mother is also very happy with the vest, she concluded that she cannot fry onion wearing it, and that she would wear it when going out. So, she's back to wearing her old light gray vest...

Haljina za devojčicu - Little girl dress

U poslednje vreme sam bila baš zatrpana poslom (što je, u principu, dobro) ali i nekim drugim manje dobrim obavezama, pa baš nisam stigla puno da pletem. Kada mi prođe dan a da nisam sela bar 15 minuta da se družim sa svojim iglama imam osećaj kao da je dan bio izgubljen.

Ipak, uspela sam da završim Little Sister's Dress na vreme da mala princeza stigne u njoj na rođendan kod svoje najbolje drugarice iz vrtića. Pretila je opasnost da će joj biti pretoplo u ovoj haljini (taj dan je bilo preko 20 stepeni), ali smo haljinu ipak obukli.

Recept za haljinu je savršen, ništa nisam morala da menjam, tako da ga od srca preporučujem, čak i pletiljama početnicama. Jedino što zahteva veću debljinu prediva, tako da sam ja za dete od 2 godina plela najmanju veličinu (kao za 3 meseca). Eto potvrde da je neophodno uraditi gauge pre nego što počnete plesti (iako ja to nerado radim, jer jedva čekam da počnem novi projekat).

Koristila sam St. George predivo, Una 23. Ovo predivo nikako ne bih preporučila početnicima, jer se jako lista, pa morate biti dosta pažljivi da podignete celu petlju.

Još jedan podvig vezan za ovaj projekat je to što sam sada prvi put plela "kako treba". Naime, do sada sam prave petlje plela "through the back loop", misleći da je to jedini način. Međutim, nije. Sada kada sam plela "through the front loop", pletivo mi je puno ujednačenije. Trebalo mi je dosta vremena da treniram ruke da pletu drugačije, ali vredelo je. Isti problem sam imala i kod krivih i očica, tako da sam se i tu prevaspitala. Čovek se uči dok je živ :))

* * * 

I have had tons of work lately (which is, basically, good), but also some less than pleasant obligations, so I haven't had much time to knit. When a day goes by without at least a quarter of an hour of knitting, it is a day wasted.

Nevertheless I managed to finish the Little Sister's Dress in time for the little princess to wear it to a birthday party for her best friend from daycare. There was a serious danger that the day would be too hot for this dress (it was more than 20 degrees that day), but she wore it anyway.

The pattern for this dress is flawless, I didn't have to change a thing, so I wholeheartedly recommend it, even to beginners. It did ask for a thicker yarn, so for a two-year-old I knitted the size for a 3 months old baby. Just goes to show how important it is to do the gauge before beginning the project, which I rarely do because I can't wait to start a new project.

I used St.George Una 23 thread. I would not recommend it to beginners, because you need to be very careful when sliding a stitch, for it tends to break apart into individual threads.

Another personal victory connected to this project is the fact that this is the first time I have knitted something "the correct way" (if there is such a thing). All these years I have knitted "through the back loop", thinking that is the only way to do it. However, it is not. Now that I have switched to knitting "through the front loop", my stitches are much more even. It took some time to train my hands to do it differently, but it was so worth it. I had the same problem with purl stitches, so I changed that as well. You live and learn :))

8.mart, međunarodni dan žena - Mother's Day card

S obzirom da smo celu proteklu nedelju suprug i ja naizmenično dežurali oko Eme (temperatura preko 39 u trajanju od 5 dana), nisam baš bila nešto predpraznično raspoložena. Ali, kako bih sebi malo skrenula misli, skoknula sam do svojih mi omiljenih blogova i kod mame koja ne radi na repeat pronašla odličnu ideju za čestitku za osmi mart.

Naime, sve što vam je potrebno je:

1. parče hamera u željenoj boji
2. lepak za papir
3. skalpel
4. fotka drage vam osobe (dete ili čak i vi) koja drži ruku ispruženu, a prste skupljene (čik nađite jednu takvu kad vam treba!)
5. cvetić (možete ga i sami napraviti, a možete ga i kupiti kod Kineza, ja sam izabrala drugu varijantu)

Fotografiju razvijte na onu klasičnu veličinu nekadašnjih foto albuma, da bi vam stala čestitka u klasični koverat (praktičnosti radi). Kada birate fotografiju, bilo bi dobro da ispružena ruka ne bude ispred lica, jer je onda cvet nešto teže namestiti. Isecite po jedan mali trougao ispod i iznad savijene šake i kroz ta dva otvora provucite dršku cveta. Sve lepo prilepite na isečeni hamer, dodajte veselu poruku, spakujte u koverat i čekajte pozitivne reakcije! Mi smo poslali po jednu svakoj baki i sutra ćemo predati treću vaspitačicama u vrtiću (malko se ulizujemo, od malih nogu, ali šta da se radi :D ).

Having in mind that my husband and I spent the previous week playing nurse around Ema (a fever of over 39 degrees, lasting for 5 days), I was not really in the mood for the upcoming holiday. But, to take my mind off these things, I opted for reading some posts by my favourite bloggers. I came across this great idea for a Mother's day card on mothers don't operate on repeat  blog.

What you need is the following:

1. a sheet of paper for making cards in the desired colour
2. paper glue
3. a scalpel
4. a photo of a loved one (a child, or perhaps even you) with their hand stretched open and fist closed (I dare you to find such a photo when you really need it!)
5. a paper flower (you can make one, but I bought mine)

Print out the photo in the desired size (compare it to the envelope, make sure it fits). When choosing a photo, it would be better to have the hand stretched out away from the face, it will make the placing of the flower easier. Cut out one small triangle above and one under the fist and pull the flower stem through these openings. Paste everything to the paper, add a nice message, put the card in the envelope and wait for the oohs and aahs.

Faza prsluka - Vest phase

U jednom od ranijih postova sam već govorila o mom pletenju u fazama. Nakon faze kapa usledila je faza prsluka.

Naime, pletenje prsluka se pokazalo kao veoma praktično iz više razloga:
1. prsluk bude brzo gotov što dovodi do velike radosti kod pletilje i osećaja ispunjenosti
2. u eri centralnog grejanja u stanovima, a naročito vrtićima, pokazao se kao veoma praktičan komad odeće (jer, kako će dete da bude samo u majici? 'će da ozebe!)
3. pošto je za njegovu izradu potrebno malo prediva, dobar je način da smanjite svoj stash

Ova dva prsluka su pletena po ovom receptu: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pckristina/round-robin
Međutim, nije vam potreban neki poseban recept za njih. Naime, glavna fora je u tome što je motiv u obliku srca pleten krivim petljama, dok je ostatak pleten pravo, pa je nakon toga svetlijom od dve vunice korišćene za štrikanje izvezen, ovako. Ne morate za motiv uzeti srce - možete i slova ili neki drugi geometrijski oblik.

 Ova dva prsluka su pletena bez recepta. Dopala mi se ideja pojasa sa satenskom trakom i gornjeg dela na preklop.

A ovaj crveni prsluk je rađen po ovom receptu: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pckristina/just-a-little-undershirt Međutim, pokazalo se da ove trakice mnogo izazivaju dete i u njemu bude želju da ih žvaćkaju, tako da se nije pokazalo kao naročito praktično rešenje.

A uputstvo za ovaj prsluk možete pronaći ovde: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pckristina/pebble-henrys-manly-cobblestone-inspired-baby-vest

Pletete li vi prsluke? Šta vi volite da pletete klincima?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

In one of my previous posts I have written about my habit of knitting in phases. After the cap phase came my vest phase.

Knitting vests for kids turned to be a practical thing for many reasons:

1. the vest is completed in a very short time, providing the knitter with instant gratification

2. in these times of central heating in flats and daycares a vest proves to be a very practical piece of clothing (answering the age old questions in our tradition - how can you send out your child in just one shirt? won't it catch a cold?)

3. since for the making of it you do not need a lot of material, it's a good way to reduce your stash

 The vests shown in the first two photos are done according to this pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pckristina/round-robin, however you do not need a special pattern to make it. The main thing about it is the heart shape which is done in purl, while the rest is done in knit stitches. After that, all you need to do is to embroider around the shape (like this). The shape doesn't have to be a heart. You can do letters or any other geometrical shape.

The next two vests are my own design. I kind of liked the idea of having a satin ribbon around the vest and the V-shaped neck of it.

The red vest in the fifth photo is knitted according to this pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pckristina/just-a-little-undershirt However, it turned out that the two cords are quite a challenge for kids and that they can't resist chewing on them. Not a practical solution.

And the pattern for the orange vest can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pckristina/pebble-henrys-manly-cobblestone-inspired-baby-vest

Do you knit vests? What do you like to knit for kids?

Pobednik (Pobednici) darivanja za Dan zaljubljenih

Drage moje,
prvo moram da kažem da sam oduševljena ovako velikim odzivom! A oduševljena sam i vašim divnim crvenim radovima. Jedan lepši od drugog. A kao dokaz da romantika još nije izumrla u našoj generaciji, priložile ste i par lepih misli.
Pošto ste meni sve mnogo drage,  zadužila sam Emu da odigra ulogu Suzane Mančić i izvuče sretnog dobitnika.
E, sad, pošto je odziv zaista bio velik, odlučila sam da dodelim još jednu nagradu iznenađenja.
U pitanju je futrola za mobilni telefon, skroz u fazonu današnjeg dana. Dizajn je moj, a pattern ću, nadam se, objaviti uskoro.
Pa da počnemo sa izvlačenjem...

 A evo je i futrola!

Dobitnicama čestitam od srca, a ostalima se zahvaljujem na učešću i želim vam svima srećan Dan zaljubljenih!