Motif Crochet-Along With Red Heart Baby Sheen Yarn!

Let's crochet-along with 3 colorful motif designs (including the design on the poster) at GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes in Eastwood City. I have 2 available sessions you can choose from:

August 10,  2:00 - 5:00 PM (Sat)

August 31, 2:00 - 5:00 PM (Sat)

A motif can be used to create bigger projects like afghans and bedspreads. The possibilities are endless with motifs. For this crochet-along, we will be using Red Heart Baby Sheen yarn. Obviously, we will not be shy of using bright colors :)

Basic crochet experience is required for participants of this crochet-along (at the very least, one must know how to do a chain and single crochet).

There will only be 5 slots for this session. Fee is P1,650. Each participant gets 5 skeins of Red Heart Baby Sheen yarn and 3 motif patterns, plus a large serving of any specialty coffee or tea and 2 cupcakes of your choice from GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes. Participants are required to bring their own crochet hook with size US F5 or 3.75 mm. If you do not have this hook, you may purchase this with a set from me for P455.

To know more about Red Heart Baby Sheen yarn, please go to this LINK.

To know more about Susan Bates crochet hooks, please go to this LINK.

To register, please fill up the form below.

GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes is located in the Felina Corporate Plaza Lobby, Eastwood Ave., Eastwood City, Quezon City.

A Doctor and A Rockstar

I happen to know a doctor and a rockstar. And the doctor and the rockstar are a couple. Here they are.

Chuck wanted to surprise Tina for her birthday so he asked me to make amigurumi versions of themselves. Tina is a dermatologist and Chuck is a musician. That is some couple right there :p

Chuck was very specific about his red guitar :p 

Tina had to have her white coat, of course. Chuck gave them to Tina last weekend already even if Tina's birthday is today - because he was excited to give them already :p Happy Birthday, Tina!

I like this picture and the way the doll is standing. It's got some swag :p

Check out another amigurumi couple I did for a wedding HERE. 

Oooh, Baby (Sheen)!

Last week, I posted this work in progress of a vintage baby bonnet pattern using Red Heart's Baby Sheen yarn (yep, it's already available here in the country!).

I wanted to test this yarn. The label says it is 100% acrylic. It felt like cotton though! According to Red Heart, this yarn has a soft cottony feel (I agree) with the wash performance of acrylic and is perfect for light and lacy baby items. A skein of Baby Sheen yarn is approximately 281m (307yd) and weighs around 100g (3.5oz). The color I used for the bonnet is Pink (Color Code 700).

I just finished the bonnet today! Well, technically, the crochet part is finished. I still have to add lace ribbons. I still had so much Baby Sheen left so I decided to make bootees! I still have to add buttons on the side of the bootees though. Next week, I will be featuring these projects with their embellishments and with a baby wearing them :)

So I managed to make a bonnet and a pair of bootees and I still have some Baby Sheen left! I think the remaining yarn is still enough to be used to crochet another pair of bootees or some accents for the baby.

As promised to those who have seen my post on my Facebook Page, go to this LINK to get a copy of the bonnet's pattern (just zoom in to be able to read it clearly). With the Baby Sheen yarn, I used 2.5mm aluminum hook (equivalent to 4/0 Japanese and 12 UK/Canadian - no US size equivalent though). On the yarn label, the gauge used is done with US F5/3.75mm hook (check out my entry on how to read yarn labels HERE).

This booklet is my source of the pattern. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the creator of the pattern. This seems to be a common case among published crochet patterns especially those in the 1950s up to the 1970s. This was published by Patons and Baldwins, Limited (Toronto). I followed the pattern as is and did not make any adjustments to it. The pattern has instructions if you want the bonnet for a 3-month, 6-month, or 9-month old baby. I used the 3-month pattern here (but I think it can fit a 6-month).

"Beehive for Bairns" 

The baby bootees came from a free pattern by Ashlee of "I'm Topsy Turvy." I used Susan Bates Silvalium crochet hook size US F5/3.75mm for this. It's a simple pattern but an adorable one :) The pattern says that the output can fit size 4 feet.

Screen grab from: http://www.imtopsyturvy.com/crochet-wrap-button-baby-boots-girls-boys/

I still have to add buttons on the bootees I made! I can't wait to see how they'd look like on a baby.

Red Heart Baby Sheen will be available in my soon-to-be-launched online store this August. But if you can't wait to get your hands on these skeins, you can just send me an email at gantsilyoguru@gmail.com or send me a private message at my Facebook Page.

Not in picture (but available in stock): Pistachio and Baby Blue. Home decor provided by Torch.

I have stocks of all the colors of Baby Sheen: Baby Blue, Lilac, Pink, Pistachio, Sunshine, Turquoise, and White. I love all the colors! It's tempting to make a granny square blankie out of these colors and use the white for the lining. By the way, the yarn labels on Baby Sheen have a free pattern on them!

A skein of Baby Sheen yarn is PhP 250.

I also sell another baby yarn from Red Heart called Baby TLC. It's like a "fluffier" and lighter acrylic yarn compared to Baby Sheen. Check it out HERE. I also have all colors!

I would like to thank Torch by Scentimentals, Inc. for providing the lovely setup with their home decor for the yarn. You will see more of their products in my website!

Gantsilyo in Health Today Magazine's July 2013 Issue!

You won't regret going through this entire post. A reward awaits you at the end of this entry :p

I want to give a shout out to Maan D'Asis-Pamaran for including Gantsilyo in her article, "Money-making Home-based Hobbies: Easy Business Ventures for Newbies" for Health Today's July 2013 issue! Thanks, Maan!

This is an excerpt of the article. Grab a copy of this issue and check out the entire article on pages 71-73. It features other home-based businesses (Gantsilyo included, of course)! I just gave a few tips on how you can jump-start your own crocheting business :)

Congratulations, here's your eye-to-eye moment with Mr. Ramsay :p This should be reason enough for you to get this month's issue.

Mr. Ramsay will not disappoint :p 

Amigurumi Workshop on Aug. 10 (Sat.) at Craft MNL

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting (or knitting) stuffed animals or anthropomorphic creatures (or objects). Learn how to crochet an amigurumi creation and get tips on how to create your very own!

Workshop is on August 10 (Sat.) from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM at Craft MNL.

Participants must have basic experience of crochet. When I mean basic, if you know how to make a chain, do single and double crochets, and slip stitches, you're qualified! We want to make sure that we make good use of our workshop time by teaching you an amigurumi pattern and tips on how to eventually create your own. We'll cover amigurumi basics.

Workshop fee is P1,500. This is already inclusive of your very own amigurumi kit: 10 sets of acrylic yarn, double-ended steel hook, fiberfill, tapestry needle, stitch marker, scissors, patterns, and 5 pairs of googly eyes.

To register for the workshop, please go to this link.

Check out scenes from my previous amigurumi workshop last June here.

Craft MNL is at Unit Y, The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., Brgy. San Antonio, Makati City.

Map courtesy of Craft MNL

To see where The Collective is, check out its location on Google Maps here.

Friends Finally Giving In To Crochet

It has to happen at some point. Some of my friends finally submitted themselves to crochet.

You know you're 30 when you spend a lovely Saturday afternoon at your friends' place, doing something that involves sitting, being quiet, and being happy that you are not socializing with strangers :p

Dudes are in the mix. That's what you call being confident with your masculinity. Rob, my very patient boyfriend, was happy he finally learned the things I've been teaching during my crochet workshops. This is in spite of him being present in most of those workshops. It's more fun learning crochet with others (then when people leave, you lock yourself up in your room and crochet to your heart's content).

Our hosts for the afternoon were Debbie and Enrik (bottom row of the pic above). It was fun teaching friends crochet. They understand me now :p

Gah, I wish I have this view every time I crochet. I wouldn't leave the bed, ever! I think Enrik found his own crochet corner. 'Til our next crochet session, friends!

Opening Soon: Gantsilyo.Com

Soon to bring out the lolas in you :p

Watch out for more updates in the days and weeks to come! I can feel the excitement in the air (my air at least :p)!

Basic Crochet Workshop on July 28 (Sun) at Craft MNL

I will be having a basic crochet workshop at Craft MNL on July 28 (Sun) from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM. This workshop is for beginners and is a good introduction to crocheting.

This is my only basic crochet workshop at Craft MNL in July. Check out some outtakes from my previous workshop last June 15 at Craft MNL here.

Workshop fee is P1,200. This is already inclusive of your very own crochet kit: 2 sets of acrylic yarn, 3 balls of mercerized cotton, 2 double-ended steel hooks, scissors, and patterns.

To register for this workshop, please go to this link. 

Craft MNL is at Unit Y, The Collective, 7274 Malugay St., Brgy. San Antonio, Makati City.

Map courtesy of Craft MNL

To see where The Collective is, check out its location on Google Maps here.

One Year of Gantsilyo Guru

I only realized this morning, after checking my old blog entries, that this blog is a year old! I made my first blog entry on June 20, 2012 - "Crocheting is Cool. And I'm not a Grandma." It was on that entry that I debuted some of the flowers I crocheted from years of crocheting. I crocheted them just because, in spite of the amount of time I devoted to working (hard) in the corporate world, I found solace in making these things that were not even made for any specific use. I just loved, and still love, crocheting.

After "coming out" as a crocheter through this blog, I became more certain about the path I was going to take. I decided to finally live out my passion and make something great out of this. This is what I want and what I love to do :) Like, really :p

Seneca said that "luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." There were times when  I asked myself why I only started doing this at 30 (but I feel like 28 :p). My answer to that now is, had I started it earlier, I wouldn't have the confidence to teach, the guts and know-how to approach the business side of it, and the network to help me grow this craft. I think, so far, I've been lucky :)

In the past year, I've taught 100+ people, did a lot of challenging projects, wrote 150+ blog entries about crochet, and met a lot of kindred spirits in the crocheting world. I never thought crochet would be this happening!

I'm definitely looking forward to many more years of crocheting! I think crochet is here to stay. Well, it's always been there. Thanks to social media, it's gaining more fans especially here in the Philippines.

Peace out!

Crochet 101: Knowing Your Yarn Labels

I will be starting a series of blog entries about the "basics" of anything there is to know about crochet and the things or technicalities that come with it. I want to start with one of the basics: how to read your standard yarn label. I will be using imported labels here as examples primarily because they can "educate" us a lot about the different varieties of yarn. You'll be surprised that just by closely looking at a yarn label, you can automatically know what hook size applies to it and how you can take care of the project made with that yarn.

Here is a sample label from Red Heart Super Saver. 

Let us focus first on the symbols on the top row. Let us go through them from left to right.

YARN WEIGHT SYMBOL

Yarn comes in different thicknesses and weights. There is actually a standard system of categorizing yarn. Check out the different categories HERE. In our example, the yarn is under Category 4 Medium (usually dubbed as worsted, afghan, or Aran yarn). 

In the Craft Yarn Council's site, you can already see recommended hook and needle sizes for the different kinds of yarn. Knowing the yarn type can give you an idea of what hook/needle size to use for it. "Idea" is the operative word, of course. Hook and needle sizes can change depending on the project and gauge required. It's still good information especially when you want to substitute yarn for a certain project. The yarn weight symbol should be your guide.

GAUGE

In the Lion Brand site, this is how "gauge" is defined:

"Gauge is the term that is used to define the proper tension you should work to insure that the crocheted piece you make will be the right size when it's completed. The hook size listed in the pattern is just the size used by the designer to work at the proper gauge. You may need to change hook size in order to work at the given gauge."

This is how the crochet gauge label is read (3rd from the left - 2nd from the left is a knitting gauge): using crochet hook with size 5.5mm (US I9), making 12 single crochets at 15 rows should result to more or less a swatch size of 4x4 in or 10x10 cm. Remember that the gauge label is just a guide. Each crocheter has his/her own unique tension in crocheting. If the output of the recommended gauge is too tight or too loose for you, then you would have to change the hook size.

WASHING & CARING INSTRUCTIONS

Don't be imitated with these labels :) There's always the internet to help you interpret them. You can find a guide HERE.

A basic interpretation of these symbols would be: machine wash (max. temp. 104F/40C), tumble dry, do not iron.

FIBER TYPE
We will tackle more of this in another blog entry. There's just a lot of them. In our example, the yarn is made of 100% acrylic yarn.

There are many yarn varieties. Percentage indicates how much of the yarn is made of that particular fiber.

SKEIN/BALL LENGTH & WEIGHT

Definitely important pieces of information.

It will help you estimate how much skeins or balls you need to get to finish a project. 

"NO DYE LOT"

This is a label that guarantees the user that you will get the exact same color of the yarn you bought, assuming it's the same brand and type of course, regardless where and when you bought it. Meaning, if I buy the color Spring Green of Red Heart Super Saver in the Philippines today, I should be able to get the exact Spring Green color if I buy it in the US or anywhere else later. For crocheters and knitters, this matters a lot especially if you want color consistency in the project you are working on. It would be frustrating if you started a project and run out of yarn in the middle of it and you find out that the next skein or ball you buy of the same color label has a different tone or shade to it than the original one.

Yarn is usually dyed in batches called dye lots. There are yarn labels with dye lots indicated on them. Here is an example from Katia.

It says here that this particular yarn with Color 21 is dyed under batch 47612. If you find another ball of yarn with the same color and same dye lot, then for sure, you will have the same tint. If it's a different dye lot, you might get a slightly different tint of the same color.

Labels tell a lot about the yarn! Remember this, kids!