Beaded Rangolis:

Fig 1

Bead Work is an art of making beautiful show peace, jewelry etc by threading them through cotton thread or nylon wire. When I was in third grade my mother made beaded bangle for me which I liked very much. I have also done some bead work. 

In my previous post I have written about Rangoli, that how rangoli is important in Indian culture and how it is drawn in festivals. Before  hundred years for daily lunch also rangoli is drawn around the lunch plate, particularly for gents 😠. Do we have so much time today? of course not. So now a days only if guest arrive or in festivals, such rangolis around the lunch plates are drawn. But time does not allow to draw rangolis when 5-6 guests are invited. For such situations  these beaded rangolies are the best option. Here are some photos. Just by looking them you can thread beads            and  make them. I have made 5-6 beaded rangolis.

All beaded rangolis in this photo are made by my mother

As a variety I have also used crochet and tatting to make such type of rangolis  that I will post some other day.
My mother had made number of beaded rangolies with variety of designs which are very useful for us whenever we invite more number of guests. She had also made Toran, a lace type decorative piece to be attached on the top of the door as a symbol of purity or to welcome guest which are supposed to be God in our culture.

Other than rangolis, I have made some simple bead work. This is swastik, ( a symbol of good things) which can be used to put Niranjan. I have also made three different designs of Mangalsutra, (a necklace which is symbol of married woman in India).
                                                                                                                                                                   

Mangalsutras

Swastik

Some other day I will also post three dimensional bead work I have done.

Reading Inspiration Day: ( वाचन प्रेरणा दिन ):

Marathi books on knitting, crocheting

Today, 15th October, the birthday of our beloved President, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam. In India, we celebrate this day as "Reading Inspiration Day". Everyone knows the importance of reading in our life, in Marathi we say "वाचाल तर वाचाल" which means "if you read then you will survive". True. Books feed our mind, enrich and deepen our thoughts, inspire us. By reading, we expose to many new things new concepts, new ideas. We can connect ourselves with topmost personalities in the world in those particular areas. In today's internet era the reading culture is fading up which we have to re-establish deliberately. But how?

Here I share one of my experience in USA stay, one day in the evening my grand daughter said, "aaji lets go to read, I said why? and her reply was it's a "Family Reading Time". I said oh! it's very good idea, let us go. I really like this concept we can adopt it. Decide some time daily or some day weekly as per your regular schedule and celebrate Family Reading Time. There can be some more options to cultivate this culture as, you can gift book  to your friend, colleague, relative etc and of course one can purchase a book on his /her birthday every year, so many other ways like this.

I love reading and being a professor and researcher in Mathematics, I have read, rather studied so many Mathematics books. Simultaneously I have also read many books on Indian Classical Music as I was the student of Alankar examination ( examination equivalent to post graduation). Then I also read General Marathi books particularly travel experience, biographies and some novels.

Also I tried to read books on various arts like knitting, crocheting, tatting etc. but in the city library and even in our institute's library (which is actually a big treasure of knowledge) there are very few books on this subjects. But whenever there is Book Exhibition in my city, I always visit them because there, I can at least see some books on knitting, crocheting etc. I have purchased some Marathi books on knitting and crocheting from these exhibitions. These books boost my imaginations and charged my potential creativity. Here is the list.

१. शकुंतला जोशी यांचं आकर्षक विणकाम
२. आशा पत्रावळी यांचं तुमच्या  बाळासाठी छान छान स्वेटर
३. इंदुमती रिंगे यांचं लोकरीचे शास्त्रोक्त विणकाम
४. प्रतिभा काळे यांचं नवीन फॅशनचे लोकरीचे विणकाम
५. सुशीला पतके आणि विजया कुलकर्णी यांचं एका सुईची करामत
६. प्रभावती पुरम यांचं दोऱ्याचे मोहक विणकाम
७. शकुंतला जोशी यांचं नाविन्यपूर्ण विणकाम.

Recently when I was in USA, I visited two libraries, one at Chandler and other at Los Gatos  and I  was happy to see so many books on knitting, crocheting etc and my thrust of good books was allayed here to some extend. But I could not go through all available books because of limited time. In the next trip it will be my target to read maximum books on these subjects. I share here the list of books, I went through.

1. Sweaters for Men by Beryl Hiatt and Linden Ward
2. No Sew Knit by Kristen Ten Dyke
3. Knitting Over the Edge by Nicky Epstein
4. Lace Style by Pam Allen and Ann Budd
5. Knitting Green by Ann Budd
6. Top Down Sweaters by Ann Budd
7. Itty Bitty Toys by Susan B Anderson
8. Finishing Techniques by Nancie Wiseman

I learnt so many things from these books. I am thankful to the authors of these books for such wonderful work.

Crochet Shabnam Bag 7, Crochet Shopping Bag

Crochet Shabnam Bag:

Hand bag

The cotton bag with long belt, which can be carried on the shoulder is known as Shabnam bag. Actually the word shabnam means purl like dewdrop with luster but the name of the bag has nothing to do with this word or its meaning. A bag bears the name, after the movie "Shabnam" in 1949, in which the hero Dilip Kumar and heroin Kamini both used to carry such bags and there after this bag is called as "Shabnam bag". Of course before that movie also the bag was used by generally journalists, freedom fighters etc. (Ref: http://thinkmaharashtra.com/node/1845 ). Slowly Shabnam bag becomes fashion symbol for about 20-25 years. I made this bag in those days.

So let us start crocheting this Shabnam bag.

Ready size: 12.5" x 9.5" and belt 1.5"
Material: Reused wool or any wool, crochet hook UK No 11 or 3 mm, Contrast color cloth for lining, zip, sewing needle and matching thread.
Instructions: The bag is made by working separate motifs and then joining them.
Motif: Each motif nearly 4" x 3"
Instructions: Ring of 8 ch, join
Row 1: ch 1, sc 3 in the ring, (ch 8, sc 4 in the ring) repeat two more times. ch 8, sc 1 in the first ring of eight chain. Total four loops of eight chains are formed.
Row 2: slip st in the three sc worked (underlined) in the starting of the previous row, in the next 8 ch loop work, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 3, ch 3 picot, dc 5 in the same 8 ch loop, ch 3 picot, dc 5 in the same 8 ch loop, ch 3 picot, dc 3,  hdc 1, sc 1 all in the same 8 ch loop. One petal worked out. Now in the next 8 ch loop work, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 3, While working next ch 3 (shown by underlined) join with ch 3 picot of the previous petal made then dc 5 in the same 8 ch loop, ch 3 picot, dc 5 in the same 8 ch loop, ch 3 picot, dc 3, hdc 1, sc 1 all in the same 8 ch loop.Two petals made. Similarly work third petal and while working forth petal join first picot with the third petal and fourth picot with the first petal picot. Thus the four petal flower is made. BO.
Now join yarn at middle ch 3 picot (not at corner's picot. Of course you can join at any picot but the written part below is as per middle picot joint.)
Row 3: *Ch 7, sc1 in next ch3-picot, ch 5, sc 1 in next ch3-picot, ch7, sc 1 in corners ch 3 picot, ch 5, sc 1 in same ch3- picot,ch 7, sc 1 in first middle ch3-picot (because there are two ch3-picots in middle), ch 5, sc1 in another middle ch3-picot.
One motif is complete. Make 24 motifs.
Now while working with second motif go on joining with ch 5 picots to form 4 x 3 rectangle of 12 motifs. Make such two rectangles of 4 x 3 motifs.
Belt: Join thread at one of the lower edge. Go on working sc on each stitch of the bottom (approximately 80 sts) of one rectangle then along side (approx. 60 sts) then ch 160 then sc on remaining side of the rectangle (approx. 60 sts) and lastly join with the first st of the belt. (Approximately 360 sts)
Work ch 3, turn then work dc on each sc of the previous row. Work three more rows of dcs on each st around. At the time of last row of dcs, join with the other part of the rectangle.
Separately sew the box type bag of lining cloth taking into consideration size of this crochet bag. Either fix zip or sew press buttons. Put the bag inside crochet bag and sew the upper side with hemming and your "Shabnam Bag" is ready.

Silk Ribbon Embroidery Table Mats:


                                                                         

 Friends, when all of a sudden some guests         arrive your home who are very respectable and special for you and you want to warm welcome them by having special dish in lunch along with  rangoli around their plate at the time of lunch / dinner as per Indian tradition,  but you don't have time to do all that then here are these beautiful Hand-made Table Mats. You can put them on the table then plates over them, Waah! Surely your guest will praise your creativity and you will be satisfies.

These table mats are very simple to work out.

Material: Pink color poplin cloth, Matching     lace, various colored silk ribbon,  embroidery       Coats thread matching with the ribbon and           tapestry needle and embroidery needle.

Designs: As I have decided to embroidery all designs with silk ribbon only it gets difficult for me to get specific design which will suit for my silk ribbon (Considering its width). So I draw my own designs for all six table mats.

Instructions: Cut the pink color poplin cloth      rectangles 18" x 12". Fold the sides and sew the lace as in figure. Trace the designs on left side of each mat.
                                

Three stitches are used in these mats. One is stem stitch, satin and silk ribbon work. First I have done all stem stitch and satin part. Now thread the silk ribbon in the tapestry needle if A denotes the pointed edge of the petal then bring the tapestry needle up at "A", pull through the ribbon and insert at "B" as shown in the last figure but be careful that the ribbon should not be twisted.. Then without stretching the ribbon tightly then bring the tapestry needle up at the pointed edge of second petal and so on. At last sew the first and last tails of the ribbon by the embroidery needle and matching thread.
Also I have hemming very delicately on the sides of the petals in order to maintain the shape even after washing.

Knitted Scarf:

Ear Flapping Scarf

Friends,
This scarf is specially made for the women (of course men also can wear it) who don't like to wear hats. In India generally elder women don't prefer hat for the protection in winter, for them this is the best solution. Also after pregnancy it is said that the pregnant woman should be protected from strong wind for which grandma in the house ask her to tie big scarf and cover her head and ear and for this purpose the scarf is perfect.

I am also emotionally attached with this scarf.

Sunanda kaku, my anti under whose  guidance I have knitted my first sweater. She was no more but before nearly two years, she had health problem and was unable to go any where. Being a great lover of knitting, for time pass she wanted to knit this scarf which she herself had made years ago but she could not remember the pattern of scarf. So one day she showed me the green color scarf which she had knitted and asked me whether I could knit it by just seeing. As she was my Guru (teacher) in this field, I decided to try it and it worked. She was really very pleased when I showed her this scarf which I have knitted and she decided to knit a similar scarf but she could not complete it. So this pattern is in her memories...

Material: One skein wool of any color, UK 10 number and UK 12 number needles.

Special Abbreviations: kfb: knit the stitch from front (as usual knit) and also knit the same stitch from back side thus one stitch increases,
K2tog: knit two stitches together
pm: place marker
sm: slipmarker

Instructions: Cast on 8 stitches with 12 number needle
Now Slip 1, K 7
( Slip the first stitch for each row)
Repeat above row, for 49 more times. Belt is ready. Now move to 10 number needle.
Row 1: Sl 1, K 1, kfb next stitch, K 2, kfb next stitch, K 2. (Total 10 sts)
Row 2: Sl 1, K all (All even rows as row 2)
Row 3: Sl 1, K 2, kfb next stitch, K 3, kfb next stitch, K 2 (total 12 sts)
Row 5: Sl 1, K 2, kfb next st, K 3, kfb next stitch, K 2, kfb next stitch, K 1. (total 15 sts)
Row 7: Sl 1, K 3, kfb next st, pm,  K 4, kfb next st, pm, K 3, kfb next st, pm, K 1. (total 18 sts)
Row 9: Sl 1, K 4, kfb next st, sm, K 5, kfb next st, sm, K 4, kfb next st, sm, K 1. (total 21 sts)
Row 11: Sl 1, K 5, kfb next st, sm, K 6, kfb next st, sm, K 5, kfb next st, sm, K 1. (total 24 sts)
Note that each time 1 stitch increases before every kfb. Just as in 7th row knit sts before three kfb stitches are 3,4,3,  in 9th row they are 4,5,4  in 11th row they are 5,6,5, in 13 th row they will be  6,7,6 and so on. Repeat till the Knit stitches before three kfb stitches will be 37, 38 and 37.                  Thus total stitches will be 1+37+2+38+2+37+2+1 = 120.
Next 15 rows all knit.

Now we are going to decrease the stitches.
Row 1: Sl 1, [ knit till two stitches to marker, then K2tog those two stitches, sm,] Repeat [ to ] two more times, K 1 (total  117 sts)
Row 2: Sl 1, K all
Note that three stitches decrease in each odd rows. Repeat row 1 and 2 till 12 stitches only remain on the needle.
Next row: Sl 1, K 2, K2tog, K 3, K2tog, K 2 (total 10 sts)
Next row: Sl 1, K all.
Next row: Sl 1, K 1, K2tog, K 2, K2tog, K 2 (total 8 sts)
Next row: Sl 1, K all
Next row: With 12 number needle Sl 1, K 7
Repeat this row 49 more times.
Cast off.

Multi-Color Tatted Edging:

We always think that our gift should be special, it should be different from others. How is the idea of presenting this "handkerchief with colorful edging" along with the gift to bride for the beginning of the colorful marriage life! I guarantee that the bride will be too happy to see this hand made tatted edged handkerchief.




Material: Red and Green coats threads No. 40, one light lemon color handkerchief with machine picots done on all the four sides, needle to sew.

Instructions: Fill two shuttles one with red and other with green color threads.
Start with Red color thread, R of 5 ds, 3 p, sep by 5 ds, 5 ds, close.
*[R of 5 ds, join to the last picot of the of the previous R, 5 ds, 2 p sep by 5 ds, 5 ds close] repeat twice. Three petal red flower is ready. Turn the work
With green color thread, Chain of 3 ds, 5 p sep by 3 ds, 3 ds. Turn the work.
Now with green color shuttle, R of 6 ds, join to the last picot of the three petal red flower made.  6 ds, close.
With green color R of 6 ds, 1 p, 6 ds close. Turn the work.
Chain of 3 ds, 5 p sep by 3 ds, 3 ds. Turn the work.*
Repeat from* to * till the required length.
The letter P is tatted with two colors using the technique of Split Ring (SR) with two different colors red and green. For SR, you can watch the video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrB6ZIVcsq0

Split ring for the letter P

Beaded Triangular Shawl:

Triangular shawl with beads

The availability of ready made cheap woolen cloths causes the interest-reduce in the traditional arts like knitting, crocheting particularly in India. This is painful but a fact. Before 30-40 years, this was not the situation. When I joint the institute in 1985, we have a group of three friends (myself and Prabha from my Mathematics department and Rajani from Home science department) who wear interested in knitting, crocheting etc so when I made this beaded triangular shawl for my sister to wear in her marriage, then we all three had  knitted the small version of that as a scarf to wear in winter because at that time our college timing was in the morning at 7 o'clock. What ever we knit, we share and enjoyed it collectively.

Today when I remember those days I feel that "Knitting Together" gives a special pleasure.

Scarf

Size of the shawl: 6 ft in width and 2 ft 10 in height

Material: Vardhaman 4 ply wool 250 gm. brown color, artificial small size purls, knitting needles preferably circular, UK 10 number i.e. 3.25 mm

Note: Underlined stitch is middle one

Instructions: Shawl is started from the center. Cast on 4 stitches.
Row 1: k2, YO, k2 (total 5 sts)
Row 2: k2, p1, k2
Row 3: k2, YO, k1, YO, k2 (total 7 sts)
Row 4: k2, p3, k2
Row 5: k2, (YO, k1) 3 times, YO, k2 (total 11 sts)
Row 6 and all even rows: k2, all p till last two stitches, k2
Row 7: k2, YO, k3, YO, k1, YO, k3, YO, k2 (total 15 sts)
Row 9: k2, YO, k5, YO, k1, YO, k5, YO, k2 (total 19 sts)
Row 11: k2, YO, k1, YO, k5, (YO, k1) 3 times(second of this is middle one), YO, k5, YO, k1, YO, k2 (total 27 sts)
Row 13: k2, YO k3, YO, sl 1, k1, PSSO ( slip one st, k1 and pass the slip stitch over), k1, k2 tog, YO, k3, YO, k1, YO, k3, YO, sl 1, k1, PSSO, k1, k2 tog, YO, k3, YO, k2 (total 31 sts)
Row 15: k2, YO, k5, YO, sl 1, k2 tog, PSSO, YO, k5, YO, k1, YO, k5, YO, sl 1, k2 tog, PSSO, YO, k5, YO, k2 (total 35 sts)
Row 17: k2, YO, k1, YO, k5, YO, sl 1, k2tog, PSSO, YO, k5, (YO, k1) 3 times (middle one is center), YO, k5, YO, sl 1, k2tog, PSSO, YO, k5, YO, k1, YO, k2 (total 43 sts)
Row 19: k2, YO, k3, (YO, sl 1, k1, PSSO, k1, k2tog, YO, k3) Repeat in the bracket till the central st comes, YO, k1, YO, k3, (YO, sl 1, k1, PSSO, k1, k2tog, YO, k3) Repeat this untill the last two sts remain, YO, k2.
Row 21: k2, YO, k5, (YO, sl 1, k2tog, PSSO, YO, k5) Repeat in the bracket till the central st comes, YO, k1, YO, k5, (YO, sl 1, k2tog, PSSO, YO, k5), Repeat till the last two sts remain, YO, k2
Row 23: k2, YO, k1, YO, k5, (YO, sl 1, k2tog, PSSO, YO, k5). Repeat in the bracket till the central three sts remain then (YO, k1) 3 times (middle one is the center), YO K5, (YO, sl 1, k2tog, PSSO, YO, k5). Repeat in the bracket till the three sts remain then YO, k1, YO, k2

Repeat the rows 19th, 21st and 23rd till the required height of the shawl.
For shawl I have made knitted till 46 diamonds are formed at the center and for scarf we had made 16 diamonds in the center.

Next row: k1, YO, k2tog, last st k1
Last two rows all k.
Bind off.
In order to decorate the shawl more, I have stitched some artificial beads (purls)as shown in the photo.
If you want, you can increase the beaded lines starting from center also also you can attach tassels on two sides.
Wear this shawl and you will look gorgeous.