Knitting and Crochet Patterns

So isn't it really annoying when you're looking for something specific and you have to go to 1000 websites just to find what you want?  Well for those of you who don't know, you don't have to!

Theres 2 pattern sites I swear by, even if its not for a pattern, even if its just for an idea!  They're all categorized so the only searching you'll be doing is ON the actual sight!  However, if you'd rather follow a pattern by a chart (which is me, but you know...we learn to adapt) then I suggest looking for them in another language like French, Arabic Whatever.  It seems that English patterns are almost always written, whilst European/Asian countries prefer a chart.  Anyway, here are the links:

For Crochet click here

For Knitting click  here


Weather has been weird over the last week, last wednesday it rained so much I thought we were going to get flooded, yesteday was really sunny and today it keeps changing.  Thats Melbourne weather for you!

Other things...

This section is for my other creations and other things ive come into posession of.

The table cloth from my mother in law, lovely colours and lacework, I hope one day to complete something of the same size.

Knitted turkish slippers made by my mother in law, I hate knittting and thinks it takes too long, but these are gorgeous, but they dont fit my feet lol

Handbag made by my mother in law.  This made my eyes pop out of my head when i first saw it.

My paper raffia clutch, it was more of a protocol than anything but a few people I've shown said that its actually really nice, i found it really difficult to crochet with paper raffia, the tension was a bit off and really hard to pull stitches through.  The inside is covered with material to match.

My crochet slippers, fabulous for winter! these are easy to crochet and pretty quick, you could use another granny square pattern, but i just used the basic one that i know.

My 1st two oya flower protocols, I made these about a year ago and i look back and laugh at how sloppy my work was and how i couldnt get some of the stitches right, but with practice comes a better product.  Its nice to look back at past work and compare where you were and where you are now.

My baby jumper with butterfly appliques, this is my own pattern.  Its worked all in HDC and i made this around a year ago aswel.

My crochet centrepiece, this took me 5 days to make and i can tell you i was jumping over tables when i'd finished it because it came to a point where it was just so draining to make.

Igne Oyalar From The Net

None of the work posted here is mine.  Nor do I take credit for it, these are merely for me to pass onto you for ideas and inspiration.  Enjoy!!

I've done one of these motifs before, Its one of the 1st motifs I ever learned, if i was to do any sort of tutorial on my blog, this is the one I'd teach.  Its simple and beautiful.

These look like christmas trees lol

This is a hand towel edging, of which I looked at and am in the process of making. 

This is a "namaz ortu" or "prayer covering"  the motif here is called "benli" or "spots" and on this scarf only one side is done with oya and usually its something huge as you can see above.

Cute and simple

I haveeee to make this! Its so cute!

Ahh the beloved 3d oya scarf, beautiful isnt it?

Suprisingly not as hard as it looks

Violets!

So many people blogging about OYA

So I was just looking through google, it seems like everyone and their dog wants to learn how to do oya loll.  I believe I wouldnt have been able to get to where I am today without a whole load of time on my hands and someone else to teach me.  I think its a bit adventurous to try and learn something that has no patterns and no actual way of teaching except through another person who actually knows this art.  If you have a load of time on your hands and you're persistant in trying to learn this artform, then I say good on you!  Although for Tig Oyalar (crochet oya) I suppose anyone with a crocheting background can in a way figure out how to do the patterns.  Mekik Oyalar (Tatted oya) is easy for anyone who knows how to tat, because in retrospect you can just make up your own patterns with rings and chains or whatever, you can even go that one step further and mix 2 types of oya together eg: crochet and tatting, where you'd make your base as crochet and tat flowers to attach to it, or the other way around.  I hope to find the time to show you all some of my experimentations in the near future.

On another note, how hot is Manu from dancing with the stars? lol

Scarves and their Oya edgings

This is a collection of Oya scarves that I have made, and that my mother in law has made.  I will update these regularly with pictures of my various other projects. Enjoy!!

My pride and joy, my first oya scarf:  this is a silk scarf I bought, and I couldn't start it until my shipment of nylon thread came from turkey.  It is made with green and orange thread, and green turkish glass beads.  It took me about 3 weeks to finish it, even though i believe it would have taken less time if I didn't have so much to do outside my craft time.  My inspiration came from one of my mother in laws scarves that I have in a box in the spare room.

This is my mother in laws work of which i took inspiration for my 1st oya scarf. 

This is my mother in laws work also, of which I cant seem to figure out how she put it all together, I'm sure one day she'll teach me!

This is a tulip, done with a light mauve colour, this piece is incomplete and as with any incomplete piece I will post pictures of them when they are completed.

I decided to do this oya on this particular scarf as it was very plain and only two colours (blue and white) so I didnt have much to work with.  This scarf is also incomplete and I will post the complete version when I've got around to finishing it.

Firkete or "Hairpin" oya.  this oya is called "broom" and its actually quite simple once you get the overall hang of it.  Its made with Pink and Purple thread and since i didnt have a spare hairpin, i just used a coat hanger! lol

My first 3d oya scarf.  I decided to go with the theme of the scarf which was flowers so I made a 4 petal flower with brown edging to match the scarf.  This piece is also incomplete.

Mix crochet/sequins scarves

Mix crochet/sequins





Igne oyasi with beads

Igne Oyasi :)

The full scarf.

Various Loose Oya Edgings

This oya was made with multicolor nylon thread, and white glass beads

This is my first shuttle oya, the name is "bes bir yerde" or 5 in one place, it is made with one shuttle only and consists of rings and spaces only- no chains! I'm still yet to perfect my tatting abilities though lol, made with light blue nylon thread.



This oya is made with a hairpin or Firkete, this type of oya is named Yelpaze or "fan", it is made with
blue and black nylon thread.  Its not as hard as it looks, but its a bit draining lol.  The fans can be separated and dont need to be made on a chain as above, and can be just attatched to a "stalk" of crocheted oya on a scarf (which I will provide an example of in the future)



This is crochet oya with beads (Tig Ile Boncuklu Oya) and is made with brown beads, and white nylon thread.



This oya is made on a chain, the green bit is completed first and then the petals are completed, this also has intervals of glass beads.  Made with dark green nylon thread, and light pink nylon thread. (Incomplete)



The blog overhaul

So I decided to redo the blog and start afresh considering I have new things and new ideas etc, from now on I'll be focusing on my knowledge of the Turkish handcraft part of my crafting abilities with the addition of a few other things here and there.  So recently I've been indulging in the art of Igne Oyasi, which I'm still not exactly and expert on, however I know enough to get me through.  Igne Oyasi is the name of Turkish needle lace which adorns the scarves, towels, bed sheets etc of Turkish womens homes.  They are often given as presents on wedding days as a trousseau.  Igne oyasi is just one of many "oyas" there is also Tig Oyasi (Crochet oya,) Boncuklu Oyasi (Bead oya,) and Mekik oyasi (Shuttle/tatted oya.)  And I will be giving an example of each in this blog.  If you don't already know, I am not Turkish, I am Lebanese however my partner is Turkish and he informed me of all this about a year and a half ago when I was just a beginner and somewhat ignorant to this brilliant art form.  I have had no patterns to learn from, and basically taught myself how to make the oya, except I guess I also in somewhat of a way thank my mother in law for helping me, from all the things she left here the last time she was in Australia.  The bad thing about this art form is that there are really no patterns that you can follow, unless you have a basic knowledge and can follow mere basic motifs in the book "Osmanli'dan gunumuze oyalar."  However I have seen extracts of this book, and if I didnt have a basic knowledge of Oya lace, im sure I wouldn't be able to complete half of the projects in there.  I won't be providing patterns (sorry if you thought i was going to go out of my way to take 70 photographs for the one project :(  ) however I'd like you to share with my me projects and appreciate the time I have spent making them.  I don't mind helping you with your queries, so feel free to ask if you need any help.  The name of this blog is CouchCrochetCrumbs, and I named it that because I started with crochet first, I knew nothing of Oya until a year ago.  So even though I still have alot to learn, enjoy my journey of discovering more with me! Happy blogging!