A necklace in the making. Circle by circle. Piece by piece.
{Finished crochet pattern is now available for free.}
crochet turkish oya necklace
I am trying something new.
I came across this crochet technique when browsing the Internet for nursing necklaces – child-safe pieces of jewelry that make the mama feel pretty while offering adequate entertainment and visual stimulation to the child she’s nursing.
In its pure form, oya lace is in fact a form of needle lace, and is most often found adorning edges of scarfs – along with a lot of tiny beads. But I found plenty of crochet versions – and they inspired me. This is my interpretation of Turkish oya lace and how it could work as part of a nursing necklace.
Almost all of the nursing necklaces I found contained either a plastic, metal, or wooden ring that was crocheted over. The idea of plastic or metal doesn’t really appeal much to me, and even though an unfinished wooden ring would be fine, the hassle of having to purchase some first got me thinking about alternatives.
Why not use thread only? This way, the necklace is safe, soft and pliable, and easily washable.
The individual flowers are quite small, but weigh just enough to keep the chain nice and taut.
Made in neutral tones, it could be a nice accessory for a woman who doesn’t even think about children!
I really like the initial results – and I already have ideas on where to take it next. More Turkish crochet necklaces are sure to come.
crochet pattern: picture frame with small picots and colour accent
A new crochet picture frame pattern in the working.
The new frame features small picots around the edge and accent lines in two contrasting colours.
{Supplies Needed}
Worsted weight yarn
4.5 – 5.5 mm hook (US size 7-I/9)
{Stitches Used}
chain stitch
single crochet
slip stitch
double crochet
{Finished size}
approximately 11 cm (4 3/8 in) outside diameter
approximately 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in) inside diameter
from disposable to reusable: bamboo chopsticks
I am so very proud of my newest experiment. These simple, disposable bamboo chopsticks got a makeover and turned out exactly how I imagined.
Back in China, I dreamed about turning disposable bamboo chopsticks into beautiful, unique tableware people would never dream of throwing away when they are done with their take-out dinner.
Now back home, I finally got a chance to make that vision happen. I simply love how East meets West, nature meets technology, modernity meets tradition in their simple, clean, and minimalistic design.
I can’t wait to make many, many more.
free recipe: homemade lip balm
Some things are so easy to make it’s a shame not everyone knows about them. Homemade chapstick is one of them. To make your own single tube of nourishing and moisturizing lip balm, you need only a handful of readily available ingredients – Â many of them probably lurking around in your kitchen already.
You don’t even need any fancy containers. Reuse your old chapstick tube. Scrape out as much of the old balm as you can, and then immerse it in a bowl of hot water. Wipe the softened leftovers away, and the tube is ready to be used again. Alternatively, you can use any little tin, pill box – even that extra contact lens case from the back of your bathroom drawer!
Ready to get started? Assemble your ingredients:
- grated beeswax (0.7 grams, or about 1/4 tsp, packed)
- extra virgin olive oil (1.0 gram, or about 1/8 tsp)
- coconut oil (0.7 grams, or about 1/8 tsp)
- shea butter (0.7 grams, or about 1/8 tsp)
- apricot kernel oil (optional, 3 drops)
- tea tree essential oil (optional, 3 drops)
- sweet orange essential oil (optional, 6 drops)
That’s it.
This lip balm will coat your lips with soothing goodness – and it will stay on. Its  gentle, sweet scent of honey and orange in combination with the healing powers of tea tree oil and the skin-softening properties of apricot kernel and olive oils create a truly luxurious lip treatment experience.
Of course, you are more than welcome to use any of your favourite essential oil combinations – or leave them out altogether to keep it pure and simple.
The only thing simpler than these 7 wholesome, natural ingredients might be the process itself. It’s like re-heating an already cooked meal in a microwave. Seriously.
- In a microwave-safe dish, combine beeswax, olive oil, and coconut oil.
- Heat until melted, about 50-60 seconds.
- Add shea butter. Stir to melt.
- Add apricot kernel oil and essential oils, Â if using. Stir well.
- Immediately pour into a container of choice.
- Let set for about an hour.
- Enjoy!
