Diwali 2013 - Lights, Fireworks, Candles

One week has passed after Diwali, already one week! The festival season has gone, however here and there are scraps of celebrations: lights on the houses, rare sounds of crackers, tea with gifted sweets and dry fruits... People don't want to let go this merry time, so I in order to give a tribute to it too have a collection of these clicks for you. 

My table with a jar candle holder and a mini marigold bouquet.

Fireworks by our neighbours.

Our so called "chakra" fireworks - such a peculiar picture!

One more "chakra" - amazing view!

A calming view of the diyas (lamps) we put on the house wall during Diwali. All the neighbours do it too, and it creates cozy and cheerful atmosphere around.

I don't have many pictures this time, but all are truly of Diwali spirit - a festival of light.

Have a happy Sunday and a great week ahead! 

Granny Triangles Pouch & A Mystery Stripy Case

Hope your week is going on a good note, my dears. I resumed my work on Wednesday,  it was difficult to get up early after Diwali break, go by auto, spend 8 hours in the office, just dreaming of time when I can finally pack and go home. I failed to post Diwali pictures, but maybe will do it in the next post, as of now  I cannot wait to share some new mini-projects I added to my list. I did them taking rest from my blanket, to which I am about to give a border.

I first wanted to make another drawstring bag using granny squares, when granny triangle idea came to me suddenly. I crocheted 4 different granny triangles, single crocheted them together and voila, my very useful and pretty pouch! I noticed that I used the same colors I have been attracted to for the past few years. Hope this color addiction goes away soon, but perhaps I can never live without purple.

I like that you can change the whole look of such project by simply turning its sides. I already filled the bag with another lot of miscellaneous.

Now guess what is this? Yes, it is a case for something I purchased few years ago and didn't have a chance to make proper "clothes" for... a set of tarot cards. Just recently a friend and a colleague of mine inspired me to make some spreads. Once again when I took out my deck, I felt pity for its already starting to wear off paper cover.  I finished this acrylic attire for arcanas day before yesterday and hope they like their new "sweater". Come on, it's getting colder here too now! 

 As usually I used one of the buttons I have in my stash for such kind of projects - perfect color match and a cute flower in the middle. I went for a simple case design, randomly choosing the stitch type for each row. There are single crochet, double crochet, puff stitch (or corn stitch?), and crocheting in back loop stitches technique. The triangle cover attached at the back of the case was made by decreasing the number of stitches in the rows. 

Linking to the November Stash-buster challenge at Linda's Crafty Corner.

I attempted to get a navigation drop down menu in my blog, but got a problem with it hiding behind the gadget, and if I increase the width, the whole gadget stretches what doesn't look good at all. I might try again today, so if you see some changes in my blog, it means I am up to some blog renovation :) Have you started preparing for any other holiday, festival? Like Christmas? I know that many are still to celebrate the Thanksgiving day. This is my birthday month, so I need to do something good in my blog very soon, I mean a giveaway for example. Thanks for your praising (as usual :)) and loving comments on my posts, my dears! 

Have a great weekend and keep warm! It got pretty chilled in the mornings here in North India :)

Pumpkin, Crochet Skulls and Me

Post-Halloween greetings, my dears! I had a great one in  spite of the last minute preparations. My sweet D indeed brought me a big pumpkin yesterday evening (Hey, Jojo, yes, they grow in India too!), which was the first one I ever carved. Carving happened to be a little more difficult than I expected all because of the rather hard pumpkin flash which I had to scoop out and then cut into. I went for a simple design, and the result of my hard work is in the photos below.

I am very pleased with how the bat shape falls on the wall, great effect! I am going to keep my Jack-o-Lantern till Diwali, as on Diwali you are supposed to lit every kind of lights, and carved pumpkin is just so fitting into this idea! I am thrilled by the thought that being in intercultural marriage opens up so many possibilities of mixing, sharing, exchanging of various cultures!

Besides I also managed to crochet two skulls (Spanish "calavera") in the office, following these awesome instructions. They look so nice, and I am going to make two-three more, in different colors. They'd make a nice garland, or can be used as a single ornament.

Well... now me, a cat girl. Haha,  I look so funny with those ears. It was 10 minute work to attach them to the rim. I liked how they turned out, I might make a tutorial or a "how to" later.When my D was about to come back from office and I was meeting him outside the house, he saw me from inside of the car and, his first expression was this :O. Then he lovingly said that I am crazy, but he knew it was for Halloween. He didn't dress up with me this year, but participated in either way, getting that beautiful pumpkin. I had really great time on Halloween 2013, and hope that yours was also enjoyable. Tomorrow is my MIL's birthday, right before Diwali! :) 

Hearty wishes of a great weekend to you, my dears!