Baby Dress:

Fig 1

Hello friends,

I know that I am posting after a long gap. In between I have a great news of the arrival of my new grand daughter "Kanika". My daughter in law gave birth to a cute baby on 11th Feb. and I am little bit busy in that.

No need to say that I am in USA (Phoenix) and enjoying the time with my grand son and newly born grand daughter.

I arrived here on 18th Jan and since then made many baby sets and I will publish them as the time permits. Here is the last baby dress I have started and is incomplete till today.

When we come to USA, shift ourselves, we cannot bring all things with us, for example all yarns, all needles, all show buttons etc and then we fall in little bit trouble. I am in same phase. Crossing so many hurdles and enjoying the creativity.

This Vardhamaan yarn I brought with me from India so that my free time should not be waste. Moreover it suits a cute pink baby, so I decided to make baby dress. The pattern is not new but I have selected a new design around the increases at four places. My yoke is about to complete. Let us see, when I finish this.


Till then ETC, Enjoy the Creativity.

Crochet Purse as a New Year's Gift to Your Beloved

Fig 1

Hi Friends,
I have made this beautiful purse as a gift for my friend on new years occasion. It is very simple.
I made it with loop stitch in crochet with bulky yarn and 3.5 mm crochet hook.
Two similar parts are made and then joined. Lastly the linen and zip are sewed.
I am also sharing my video, how to make Loop Stitch? It is in Marathi language but has English subtitle.

ETC: Enjoy the Creativity

Decorating Coconut for Indian Wedding:

Fig 1

Hi friends,
Again marriage fever 👿!! This time I decorated the coconuts for the marriage of daughter of my sister.

In Maharashtrian marriages there are tow main events when coconut is offered to son in law  (to be). One is, when he arrives in the pavilion for marriage and other is, when the to be grand son is worshipped, supposing him as a God Vishnu (Simant Pujan).  Coconut is essential offering in both of these events. For these events I have decorated these coconuts one by beads and other by jari lace and decorative pieces.

Fig 2

 I will share one video from my you tube channel Kalopasak which will demonstrates in details how to make it. Though it is in Marathi but it has English subtitles. The beaded cover is started from the bottom by a ring of 8 beads, then ring of 6 is developed in second round and like that. See the bottom design in fig 2.

One more coconut is also decorated but in a different manner, by jari cord and decorative pieces, see fig 3.

Fig 3

Decorated Coconut for Indian Marriages,

ETC: Enjoy the Creativity

Cute Crochet Coconut:

Fig 1

Hi friends,
In my last post I wrote about Mandapi made for Gauripujan in Indian wedding ceremony. Till now I made 5 mandapis buy this time I decided to place Coconut on this pillar of kalash. When I went to purchase small coconuts, just 1.5 inches in diameter, I could not find it.  So I decided to make coconut myself.
Coconut and mango leaves are supposed to be very holy, pure and important in marriage. So I wanted to make coconuts for the top of the four pillars of kalash and I made crochet coconut.

See fig 2 for the pillar of pots with coconut at the top.

Fig 2

This coconut is made of 4 ply Vardhamaan yarn with 3 mm crochet needle.
Rd 1: Magic ring of 6 sc. Ch 1 turn,
R 2: Sc 2 in each st. (12 sts) ch 1 turn,
R 3: (Sc 1 in one st, sc 2 in next st) repeat till end. (18 sts) ch 1 turn,
R 4: Sc 1 in each st (18 sts).Ch 1 turn,
R 5: As R 4.
R 6: As R 4,
R 7: (Sc1 in each of next 4 sts, 2sctog in next st) repeat till end, ch 1 turn, (15 sts)
R 8: Sc 1 in each st (15 sts), ch 1 turn,
R 9: Sc 1, (2sctog) till end. (8sts), ch 2 turn,

Fill fibre inside the coconut then work last round.
R 10: Incomplete dc in each st, YO and pass through all sts on the hook, or pass the yarn through all sts by tapestry needle.

A beautiful, cute coconut is ready, see fig 3

Fig 3

Fig 4

The red symbol made on coconut (Fig 4) is called "Swastik". It is supposed to be symbol of divinity and spirituality in Hindu religion.
For detail about swastik please read,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Then the Mango leaves are made by crap paper, see fig 5. Finally the Mandapi looks so cute. Fig 6.

Fig 5

Fig 6

Mandapi (Small Pavilion) for Gauripujan in Indian Wedding Ceremony:

Fig 1

Hi friends,
It seems that I am steel in marriage fever because my consecutive second post is on marriage ritual decoration.

This event in the marriage is called "Gauripujan" or "Gauri-har-pujan". Here bride wearing yellow saree (gifted by her mama, means brother of mother), see fig 2, takes some "Akshata" (rice) in hand and render it to Goddess Gauri and prays the Goddess for her better marital life. Also the heap of pots / vessels are placed around it. They are silver, copper or mud pots called "Kalash", placed one over other.
Generally it is done as in fig 2,

Ref https://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/knowledge/article/why-is-gouriharpujan-performed-prior-to-the-marriage.html

Fig 2

For this Gauri pujan event, I made this Mandapi (small mandap or pavilion like structure) made for placing the Goddess in that, fig 1. Four such pillars of pots are placed at four corners of the Mandapi.

Material required: One saree box, wrapping paper, four wooden sticks of equal length (10-12 inches), Some old wedding cards, gum, small plastic flowers or made them by crap paper, lace or make bead lace

Fig 3

Top and bottom of the mandapi are made by saree box by wrapping them with a beautiful paper. Four sticks are wrapped by green paper. Those are fixed at the four corners of top and bottom, fixed them by fevicol. Also sew curtains to two sides of the mandapi. For mandapi in fig 1, I used earthen pots (kalash) and decorate them by a beautiful lace. See fig 3 here I used copper pots and decorated them by beads.

In Fig 1 and 2 I used plastic flowers for decoration but in fig 4, I made those flowers  by crap papers. Also the pots (kalash) used here are wooden pots. Old wedding cards have small beautiful and ritual symbols like swastik, kalash, Ganapati idol etc They are used where ever they suit. See  fig 1, 4. Some times instead of curtains, sides of the mandapi are decorated by wedding cards designs. See fig 5 and 6.

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 7

Fig 8

One more mandapi I made 15 years ago is in fig 7.

Recently I made one mandapi for the marriage of son of my friend, fig 8.

ETC: Enjoy the Creativity.

Pre-wedding Lunch: (Kelwan)

1. Flower Decoration around the lunch plate

In India, marriage is said to be union of two individuals for the life to pursue dharma, arth and kama. Dharma means to follow human duties together, arth means to earn together and store it properly in a positive way and kama means to satisfy each others physical desires.  Such a all over deep meaning is there. So marriage is a religious and festive occasion.

The celebration and rituals differ from state to state. In Maharashtra also marriage is full of rituals, colours, music, decorations and enjoyments. There are so many events in marriage ceremony.

Kelwan is one of the tradition followed on both sides bride and groom. Close relatives or family friends invite the bride / groom and her / his family for lunch or dinner.

When I think about this tradition, why it is? what is it's purpose? I think......,

The purpose of that may be that marriage is a big event to be celebrated along with relatives and friends. In old days there was no event managers or contract systems, so family persons particularly father / mother used to be very engaged and had extra exertion  during that period. So family friends and relatives invite them so that they could enjoy good lunch or dinner (which should not be neglected in that busy period)

Secondly the bride was supposed to go in some other city or join with the new family so Kelwan is organised so that they can have some chat with the girl  in a free atmosphere. Of course the menu of lunch / dinner would be favourite to her / him. The decoration should also be pleasant so that the family should be refreshed after that lunch or dinner.

Fig 2

The point behind such a long write up is, my sister's daughter is going to get married on 1st Jan 2019. I invite the family for lunch called "Kelwan", you may call it pre-wedding lunch. My niece and my sister like flowers of course every one likes but their love about flower is extra ordinary. So I decided to make some flower decoration in Kelwan and here it is Fig 1. No need to say that along with this decoration there is delicious lunch with five sweets.

Some more photos and close up of this decoration is below.

Fig 3

Fig 4

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 7

ETC: Enjoy the Creativity.

Hexagonal Rainbow Table Mat

Fig 1

Friends,

This week I made this hexagonal rainbow table-mat. Again this is one of the way to use the left over yarns. I always like rainbow's seven colours. They stand for the seven characteristics of life as I wrote in my post,

https://alkaandart.blogspot.com/search?q=tulip+flowers

Those beautiful flowers look more beautiful with that rainbow coloured base.

This is very simple to do. I made seven hexagons with three rounds in each and then join them. 

For details I have that hexagon in figure 2.

You can use these hexagons in various different ways. For example make baby blanket, make hexagonal door mat with twine (thread made by Katha tree).

Happy Christmas to all. 

Fig 2

Fig 3.

ETC = Enjoy the Creativity.