Trey's Tray

On another note, here is my crochet tray - otherwise know as Trey's Crochet Tray :p

Well, it really serves it purpose. It helps me take my crochet anywhere in the house.

I made a shawlette using Hamanaka's Claune yarn. Will be showing "proper" pictures soon. 

Basic Crochet Workshop on Dec. 14 at Quezon City

My last basic crochet workshop for the year will be on Dec. 14 (Sat), 4:00 - 6:00 PM, at PIPINO Vegetarian (Malingap St., Quezon City). This workshop is for beginners and is a good introduction to crocheting.

Workshop fee is P1,500. Fee is inclusive of a crochet starter kit made up of a 6-pc. set of Susan Bates Silvalium crochet hooks, a sampler set of 4 colors of Red Heart Super Saver, a yarn and thread cutter, patterns, and illustrated stitch guide. Snacks prepared by PIPINO Vegetarian will also be served. Our goal is for you to make a granny square motif (as seen on the poster). This is a simple but classic crochet motif piece that is friendly to beginners.

Workshop is for 2 hours, but participants will get additional guidance (beyond the workshop schedule) in another area within the same venue (basically, we'll just move to another area within PIPINO's facility). Check out some outtakes from a previous workshop HERE. Only 8 participants will be accommodated.

PIPINO Vegetarian is located at 39 Malingap St., Teachers Village, Quezon City.

Map courtesy of PIPINO Vegetarian

If you can't make it on Dec. 14, I also have an earlier basic crochet workshop on Nov. 23 (Sat) at Designer Blooms Cafe.

To register for the workshop, please fill up the form below:

Hamanaka in the Philippines

I am proud to announce that Hamanaka yarn, crochet hooks, and knitting needles are already available in my online store, Gantsilyo Guru Selections.

We are also offering free door-to-door delivery nationwide (in the Philippines) of your Hamanaka for orders that total P1,000 and above!

So why did I bring Hamanaka to the Philippines?

I think I've asked myself this question a million times before I decided to actually bring Hamanaka to the country. First of all, I've always been curious about this brand. If you've been a crocheter/knitter for quite some time now, you should know those Japanese pattern books we can't get enough of. Most, if not all, of them are actually Hamanaka pattern books.

Even if we can't read Japanese, we still buy these books because the patterns in them use universal crochet symbols. It is hard to resist trying the patterns out simply because they are pretty and functional. Of course, we end up improvising by using whatever yarn is available to us. These books got me intrigued by the actual yarn being used in them and the famous Hamanaka Raku Raku crochet hooks being featured usually at the back flap of the cover. These crochet hooks are regarded worldwide to be one of the best. It's quite the investment, but definitely worth it.

Scree grab from Hamanaka China's website

I got to know more about Hamanaka when one of its representatives from Japan visited the country to explore the possibility of introducing its products to the Philippines. Only until that meeting did I realize how established and highly-regarded this brand is in Japan and the rest of the world. Hamanaka is Japan's largest yarn manufacturer. It is known to produce quality materials under strict production standards.

One of Hamanaka's production facilities in Japan (Miyazaki)

I also got overwhelmed by the vast varieties of yarn they have. I got attracted particularly to their variegated yarn (which we call multicolored), or what they usually call yarn with color gradation. They are able to achieve this subtlety in the transition from one shade to another in this kind of yarn. This is something very few get to achieve. And this is where you get to appreciate the attention to detail they put in their production process. Here's an example.

Exclusive design by Hamanaka

This lovely shawlette is made with Hamanaka Claune yarn (available in our store with the exact shade used in this project).

I love how the mishmash of colors worked out. They know how to blend colors and make them look tasteful. The range of yarn I chose for my initial Hamanaka offering is primarily meant to make clothes with - from blouses to shawls or scarves.

Now back to the earlier question on why I brought Hamanaka here. It's simply because I want you to experience Hamanaka. If you want to make a special project - maybe as a treat for yourself or for someone special - give it a try :) I think you will also enjoy working with them - be it one of their crochet hooks or knitting needles.

If you have questions or inquiries about pattern suggestions for a specific Hamanaka yarn that catches your fancy from our store, feel free to email me at gantsilyoguru@gmail.com.

There are actually 3 yarn labels under the Hamanaka brand: Homemade, Hamanaka, and Rich More. You will get to know more about Hamanaka products in future blog entries!

TMA Crochet and Knit Trading is the exclusive distributor of Hamanaka in the Philippines.

Basic Crochet Workshop in Alabang on Nov. 23!

I am finally having my first Basic Crochet Workshop in Alabang! It will be on Nov. 23 (Sat), 2:00 - 6:00 PM, at Designer Blooms Cafe. This workshop is for beginners and is a good introduction to crocheting.

Workshop fee is P1,500. Fee is inclusive of a crochet starter kit made up of a 6-pc. set of Susan Bates Silvalium crochet hooks, a sampler set of 4 colors of Red Heart Super Saver, a yarn and thread cutter, patterns, and illustrated stitch guide. Snacks prepared by Designer Blooms Cafe will also be served. Our goal is for you to make a granny square motif (as seen on the poster). This is a simple but classic crochet motif piece that is friendly to beginners.

This is my only basic crochet workshop for the year in Alabang. Check out some outtakes from a previous workshop HERE. Only 8 participants will be accommodated.

I will also have a pop-up yarn booth on that day! If you want to get your yarn fix and see and feel the yarn I am offering at my online store, do drop by! I will be selling yarn, crochet hooks, knitting needles, and other crochet/knit accessories. I will also be offering some of my crocheted pieces there.

Designer Blooms Cafe is located at Molito Commercial Complex along Madrigal Ave. in Ayala Alabang.

To register for the workshop, please fill up the form below:

Who Knew?

Who knew a crochet/yarn career would be this busy? I haven't been updating my blog that often (my apologies for that) because of the insurmountable work I have been faced with lately. I'm not complaining at all - it's just that I wish I have more time to do more things. But I love what I'm doing and I promise exciting projects and events for those who love crochet and yarn :)

So what have I been up to lately?

For one, I have been organizing my yarn stocks. Not stash, take note, but stocks. A year ago, if you told me I'd have this much yarn, I wouldn't believe you. I started with these yarn bins in an effort to make sense out of the boxes that are sprawling in my room.

While the organizing is happening, I have also been preparing for the launch of my latest offerings in my store. There's Hamanaka, which will be available in our store beginning October 27.

And the latest yarn from Red Heart! Soft, Celebration, and Creme de la Creme! These will be available in our store beginning November 4.

I have also been crocheting a shawl made up of 100+ pieces of african flower motifs! I'm halfway there already. More of this on a future blog post.

If crocheting that is not enough, I found time to make this combination of a beanie and scarf from one of the latest pattern books of Hamanaka. I just did this yesterday (fresh off the hook!). I couldn't resist making it. My hands were itching to make something else so I did it. I used Hamanaka's Yasai-Batake yarn, made of 100% soft wool. I will be offering this as a made-to-order item beginning November. More of this on a future blog post.

Oh, yeah, and there's the bedspread. I'm on it as well, but that's another story :) There are so much motifs involved!

Yeah, I have been pretty busy. It's the great kind of busy though. So now, back to work, b*&%*h! [This song does wonders. It makes me really productive.]

New "Hookers"

Presenting the new"hookers" from my basic crochet workshop last October 12 at Craft MNL.

This is the crafty kind of hooking. The participants of the workshop got their crochet starter kit made up of a set of Susan Bates hooks and a sampler set of Red Heart Super Saver yarn.

These ladies were fast learners. They managed to make their first granny squares within the session.

In between, we had tea. Yes, granny squares must be matched with tea. We lacked the rocking chairs to complete the "look" though :p

For beginners, I usually recommend the thicker yarn so they can easily see their stitches. 

Happy "hooking," ladies!!! By the way, I really like this picture :p

Be updated with my workshop schedules HERE.

My Yarn Bag

No question, crochet and knitting are both convenient crafts. You just need to have a ball or skein of yarn with you and your crochet hook or pair of knitting needles, and you can practically crochet or knit anywhere (trust me, I've done my share of odd places to crochet in). I've crocheted in the plane, on a cliff, airports, cafes, and even in a salon. Here's the (rather unflattering) proof. 

I asked the salon assistant to take my picture while crocheting and having my hair colored by Jocel the stylist. I really like Jocel, by the way, because he's so O.C.! So if you want to get your hair done in Piandre Greenbelt 1, get him! So going back to my crocheting, I wasn't posing, mind you. I was really crocheting! It helped me kill time while the chemicals on my hair were doing their thing. 

I always bring this bag because this, so far, is my best vessel for my yarn and hooks when I go out and about the city. 

I got it from Topshop a few months back. The body is made of canvas. I love how stylish it can be but practical for a crocheter like me. One main feature of this bag that I really like is the compartment on the bottom part of the bag. Ta-da!

This is the best part of the bag! I have room dedicated to my yarn. I place my other stuff in the upper part. The bottom part is solely dedicated to my crochet. I also like the bottom because the guards in the malls don't check this part anymore! It's spacious enough to accommodate some skeins and my crochet hook case. Because of this compartment, I don't get my other stuff mixed with my yarn. Genius bag design!

So how do you bring your crochet or knitting with you?

I Love Yarn Day Sale!

My online store, Gantsilyo Guru Selections, will celebrate I Love Yarn Day (yes, there is such a day!) on October 11 by offering all Katia Yarn at 25% discount!!!

Sale will start and end tomorrow, October 11. Checkout must be made tomorrow but we are giving you until October 14 to pay.

They are all made of 100% Cotton. Here are our selections of Katia yarn:

Candy

Cotton 100%

Tobago

Cotton Cord

We may not be restocking these anymore so if you have a project in mind, maybe you can get 2 or more balls of the yarn you want to complete a small project. For example, the 2 knitted baby tops below make use of 2 balls of Katia Candy for each design for a newborn size. The knitted beanie makes use of 1 ball for a newborn size.

Happy "I Love Yarn Day" in advance!!!

Yarn Storage

I've been having some wooden bins made for my stocks of yarn.

There are 3 bins for one whole set. I had 3 sets made. Yes, I have a lot to store. I can put one set on top of the other. I also arranged to have fiberglass fitted to cover each bin. Of course, the fiberglass can be lifted to open and close. I need my yarn to be contained but visible. I don't know how it will look like, so I'm just hoping they turn out yarntastic!

By the way, I got the design idea for the bins from the blog, "The Porch Swing."

There are many ways to store yarn. The design or medium you choose depends on the space you have, how accessible you want your yarn to be, on your budget, and maybe on the look you want to achieve. I chose to have those kinds of bins because I went more for storage than display. They have enough space to store many skeins/balls of yarn and they can keep my yarn clean. They can also store other items like books and other accessories I offer in my store.

Here are some examples of smart, creative, and pretty yarn storage.

If you're after celebrating the glory of having so much yarn, go for a full blown display - just like having your own mini yarn store. This can be a good source of crocheting/knitting motivation. This one is owned by Ravelry user lesliehsimon. It's also a good idea to organize your stash by color.

Photo belongs to lesliehsimon from Ravelry

If you want a creative way to store and hide your yarn, check this customized trunk by Meg of Meg's Knitting Knot. This will also work for the closet yarn hoarder in you :) Nice, eh?

Photo belongs to Meg's Knitting Knot

There are unconventional ways too. Try this DIY project from "Do Stuff! Leethal Blog" making use of recycled cans. Awesome idea!

How about putting skeins in your wine shelf or rack? Jacinda of Pretty Prudent had more yarn skeins than wine bottles.

Photo belongs to Jacinda of Pretty Prudent

If you have a tub, why not? Hygiene excluded.

Photo grabbed from http://kpotd.blogspot.com/2012/07/now-this-is-bath-for-knitter.html

Happy yarn organizing!