Akamatra

Owl amigurumi free pattern

Hello darlings!

I am currently working on organizing my daughters baptism which is a huge deal here in Greece with lot's of guests and lot's of celebrations. It is customary at the end of the baptism to give a small token or favor to the guests, something we also do at weddings too. And while after a wedding everyone gets the same favor, in a baptism it's often that kids get a special one, a small toy or a small decoration for their room, something like that.

As you've guessed from the title of the post I decided to make the kids' favors and made them small amigurumi owls which can be a pocket pal or can be hung in their backpacks. I couldn't miss out on writing the pattern and sharing with all of you of course!

Fine yarn or special amigurumi yarn in your color choice.

A little bit of yellow cotton yarn.

A 3.0mm crochet hook

Two 8mm safety eyes

White felt

Yarn needle

Scissors

Here's the pattern for the owl's body:

ABBREVIATIONS
In US terms.
MC= magic circle
SC= single crochet
SL=slip
ST=stitch
CH= chain

HDC=half double crochet

DC= double crochet

INC=increase

DEC=decrease

The pattern is worked in spiral, no need to join at the end of each round.

Make a MC
R1 = 8sc in MC (8)
R2 = sc, 2 sc in each one of the 3 following stitches, sc, 2sc in next 3 sts (14)

R3 = sc in next 2 sts, 2sc in next 3 sts, sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next 3sts, sc in the final 2 sts (20)

R4 = sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next 3 sts, sc in next 7 sts, 2sc in next 3sts, sc in the final 2 sts (26)

R5= sc in the next 7sts, 2sc in next 3 sts, sc in next 10 sts, 2sc in next 3sts, sc in the final 3 sts (32)
R6= sc around (32)
R7-R20= repeat R6
R21= *sc in next 3 sts, dec* repeat another 5 times, sc in last 2 sts (26)
R22= *sc in sc in next 3 sts, dec* repeat another 4 times, sc in last st (21)
R23= *sc in sc in next 3 sts, dec* repeat another 3 times (17)
R24= *sc in sc in next 3 sts, dec* repeat another 2 times (14)

Don't secure your yarn but leave a long tail and cut. Once you complete the eyes and nose and stuff the body you will use this tail to crochet close the opening.

Now let's make the eyes. Cut two circles or ovals from your felt. With you fingers pinch them and make a slit with your scissors to the lower left end and on the other eye to the lower right one.

Fit the eyes through the slits of the felt.

Find the center of the body and insert the eyes (along with the felt) to a couple of rows above the center.

Secure the eyes on the inside of the body. Press the discs firmly to make sure the eyes will stay put.

Now that your owl's eyes are in place it's take to embroider the nose. Use your yarn needle and the yellow yarn. You need to make a triangle under the center of the eyes.

A few stitches to fill the triangle and you are set!

Now it's time to stuff the owl. Make sure to fill it to the top.

After you stuffed the owl press the opening side together and using sc close the opening.

I made the ears with yarn. For each ear I used 2 pieces of the yarn color I used for the body (in this case pink), two pieces of either one of the other two colors (blue or lilac) and one piece of yellow.

Use your hook to pull through all the yarn pieces in the two ends of the owl's closure site. Then make a secure knot with all the pieces and cut with your scissors to about 2-3cms.

You owl is now ready!

I've made 61 of these owls! I only hope they will be enough for the kids! And that they'll like them!

So, what do you think? I'd love to see your owls if you decide to make some with my pattern! Of course you are totally free to make them and sell them just please give me the credit of the pattern with a link. Thanks!

Lot's of love

11 comments

, by M. Akamatra

home improvement

DIY Dreams: Could Building A House Be The Perfect Choice For You?

Hello darlings!

Have you trawled the Internet for months trying to find a house that lives up to your idea of perfection? Have you been to look at several properties only to find that they fall short? Are you struggling to find anything affordable in your chosen location? If so, you may wish to consider buying some land and building your own home. If you didn’t think it was possible to find your dream home, this could be the perfect option for you.

house

Budgeting for your project

Building your own house can save you a fortune, but it’s essential to get to grips with the numbers from day one. When you’re buying a house, it’s relatively simple to work out how much it’s going to cost you to complete the purchase. You need to add the agreed price to additional fees and then factor in renovation or redecoration costs. With a building project, you’ll need to consider the price of the land, fees, and the total cost of the building work. You’ll also need to add in the cost of designing the interior. Every project is different, so you’ll need to bear your budget in mind when you’re viewing plots of land, and get a set of quotes for every property on your short list.

What does a building project actually involve?

If you’re a fan of TV makeover shows, you may think that building a house is a relatively quick and simple means of making your dream home a reality. What they often don’t show you on TV are those days when the roof can’t be fitted because it’s pouring down with rain or the time when the wrong windows are delivered. It’s very rare for a project to run smoothly with no hiccups along the way. However, if you plan every detail in advance, and you’re around to make sure that everything is running like clockwork, there’s no reason why you can recreate the successful projects you see on the small screen. It is useful to have a realistic idea of what is involved. The building firms you choose will be able to give you an accurate projection of the time frame you’re looking at, and you should be prepared to hit a few hurdles along the way.

Mucking in

If you’re a fan of DIY, you’ve got some spare time, and you’re desperate to get involved in the build, you can save yourself time and money by mucking in and helping out. You may not be able to do everything, but there are lots of jobs you can help out with, such as clearing the site and painting walls once you’re ready to decorate. You can ask the site manager to recommend a circular saw or hire some tools and work through a list of jobs that are suitable for amateurs. There may be long, hard days ahead, but all the blood, sweat, and tears will be worthwhile when your ideal home is finished.

If you can’t find your dream home on the market, why not consider building your own house? The process may take longer, and it may be hard work, but at the end, you’ll have a perfect place to call home.

Lot's of love

24 comments

, by M. Akamatra

decor

Keepsakes You Should Keep Safe and What You Should Let Go

Hello darlings!

I have a question for you. Do you hold on to your memories? It could be cards from past partners, your child’s first blanket, your grandfather’s hat, perhaps even more valuable heirlooms. If, like me, you enjoy looking back at times gone by, it can be quite overwhelming, both emotionally and occasionally physically too.

But sometimes you might feel like they’re taking up too much space in your home; they’ve become unmanageable and need sorting through without any regrets. Sound familiar?

Here are some of my tips on how you can decide what to keep, how to store it, and what to get rid of.

Approach it Carefully

There’s no need to rush into it. This isn’t like regular de-cluttering. This is more personal and emotional than that, and so, it needs to be approached carefully. In other words, don’t expect it to get done quickly.

Set some time aside once a week to tackle one box (or drawer, or whatever) at a time. Don’t overdo it, and if you feel like you’re getting upset, just enjoy the memory and leave it for another time.

Try not to get sucked into simply working your way through your keepsakes soaking up the memories, and try to focus on these questions:

keepsake box

How much room do you have for keepsakes?

Your aim is to whittle your keepsakes down to one box, or one beautifully styled vintage suitcase. Keep this in mind while you look through your keepsakes.

Is it your memory, or someone else’s?

Things like the invitation from your best friend’s wedding or the programs from your niece’s budding theatre career can go straight away. These aren’t yours to keep, as ruthless as it may sound.

Does it need to be stored securely?

If, on the other hand, you have items that are particularly valuable to you, then consider storing them more securely. A jewellery safe, for example, could provide protection from loss or damage in an affordable way, while a bigger safe could comfortably secure most of the items you’re looking to put in safekeeping.

Does it make you feel good?

Your keepsakes shouldn’t be associated with negative emotions. If a photo of you as a teenager makes you feel bad, then perhaps it shouldn’t make the cut.

diamond necklace

Was it inherited?

These items once belonged to someone close to you, and now they’re yours. If you want to get rid, then there’s no need to feel guilty. The person who gave them to you would not want you to keep something you don’t like. Something like a tea set can be sold or passed on to another relative who wants it. Or if you don’t feel like you can part with all of it, keep a teacup and saucer and donate the rest.

How old is it?

Things like gig tickets, birthday cards and invitations can be kept for a while, but they don’t need to be kept forever, unless it is a reminder of a particularly spectacular event.

Can it go on display?

Most keepsakes aren’t valuable to anyone else, so it could be the perfect way to honour that memory and make use of that keepsake. You could create a shadow box dedicated to that particular occasion; it could get hung on the wall as is, or it could feature in a charming vignette on the console.

Some of my most loved keepsakes are on prominent display in our house. That way they are safe, they are honored and I can look at them to my heart's delight! What about yours?

Lot's of love

64 comments

, by M. Akamatra

ecolife

Home Plants for Improved Air Quality

Hello darlings!

Many homeowners struggle to keep their indoor air quality fresh and pure. Luckily there is a myriad of air purifying products available in the market ranging from aerosol cans to activated carbon filters. While most of these solutions are efficient, they are not devoid of challenges. For instance, some are chemical based and unsuitable for someone suffering from asthma or allergies, while others require electrical energy for them to work.

Such challenges made people desire better air purifiers, and their solution came from nature herself. NASA identified several plants that are very effective at purifying indoor air as I've previously told you about here. The following are some of them, which you too can use in your home. They’re also a wonderful way of making your property more inviting.

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Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a relatively easy plant to grow. The flower boasts of numerous health benefits, no surprise the Egyptians referred to it as “the plant of immortality.” For starters, it is highly effective in removing formaldehyde and benzene from your home. Moreover, this sun-loving succulent contains a gel-like clear liquid rich in enzymes, vitamins, and amino acids, all of which gives it its wound- healing, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Golden Pothos

If you are in search of a hardy plant that can help you tackle formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from your home, then the fast-growing Golden Pothos will suffice. In fact, NASA ranks it among the most efficient air purifiers. It grows impressively fast into a striking indoor decorative piece, which looks magnificent in a hanging basket. A common concern with this plant, however, is that it is poisonous and should be far from children and pets.

Snake Plant

Another great air purifier you can use is the Snake plant or the Mother-in-Law’s tongue. It is among the best filters of formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and xylene. These impurities are common in everyday household products like cleaners, toilet paper, and personal care products. The good thing about the Snake plant is that at night, it breathes in carbon monoxide, and exhales oxygen, which is highly unusual of most plants. You can, therefore, place in in your bedroom and enjoy a lovely sleep. The plant is also tough to kill since it thrives in low light and dry conditions.

Spider Plant

If you want an efficient and safe air purifier that does not require constant attention, you should try out the spider plant. It is an easy houseplant to grow, and thrives in dry soil, under cool to average room temperatures. Spider plants, also known as airplane plants, can filter harmful elements like formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, and carbon monoxide. Most importantly, the tiny white flowered plant is safe to have in the home even if you have children and pets.

source

The Garden Mum

Another indoor air purifying champion is the Garden Mum. It eliminates practically every indoor air impurities including ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene, all of which are common elements in detergents, plastics, glue, and paint. The Mum is a favorite among homeowners because it is inexpensive and comes in a variety of colors. All you have to do is place it near a window where there is direct sunlight, and its bright, colorful leaves will liven up the room.

Dracaena

The Dracaena is an excellent pick if you are searching for a reliable air filter for your home. It exists in up to forty different varieties from which you can choose. Interesting options include the Warneck dracaena and the Red-edged dracaena whose leaves can add a pop of color to your home. The plant is a common sight in homes and offices and can help you to remove benzene, trichloroethylene, xylene and formaldehyde. However, be careful if you have kids or pets as the plant is poisonous.

English Ivy

Even though the English Ivy is an aggressive invader, which threatens any nearby vegetation, it is a superb air purifier. In fact, besides reliably filtering formaldehyde from the air, the plant can also reduce the amount of airborne fecal matter particles. The traditional herb grows best in moist soil and requires at least four hours of sun exposure per day.

Bamboo Palm

The Bamboo or Reed Palm has remarkable air purifying properties that enable it to filter out benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde. What makes them this efficient is that they can grow up to pretty large sizes, ranging between five to twelve feet high. The palm thrives in humid environments, where there is bright indirect light. A possible location to put the plant in your home is close to furniture pieces that emit formaldehyde.

Lot's of love

26 comments

, by M. Akamatra

decor

Essential Design for Making a Room Feel Bigger

Hello darlings!

If there is something that owners of tiny homes or studio apartments struggle with, it is how to make the rooms appear larger. Naturally, the only way of doing that is to modify the property’s layout by knocking down one or two walls. That, however, is a costly and time-consuming option. Luckily, there are other ways of making it appear bigger than it is. All you need are just a few creative designs to actuate such an impression. If you are working with a professional, they can definitely help in making the property more attractive. If on the other hand, you are not, keep reading for some serious room design tips. Below are several essential designs that you can borrow.

Use reflections

A fascinating trick to make a room seem large is by using light reflecting surfaces like mirrors, glass tops as well as glossy paint finishes. If you strategically place mirrors along the walls, it creates the illusion that the room extends beyond the wall. Similarly, applying reflecting paint on your ceilings makes the room feel taller and uncluttered. The skill lies in identifying a focal point towards which you will angle all the mirrors so as to produce the depth effect.

Go big

As ironic as it sounds, introducing an oversized household piece in a room that has modest-size furniture can indeed make the room feel spacious. For instance, you could add a huge portrait, painting, dramatic curtains, or long curtain rods. What you are doing here is playing with scale by adding something big amongst tiny pieces. Such a design dupes the brain into believing that the room must be spacious for it to accommodate such big pieces. It also leads the eye to go up visually, making the ceiling feel more spacious than it is.

source

Lighten up the room

The human eye instinctively tends to follow the light and avoid shadows. Besides, light opens up a room and makes it feel widespread, livelier and less constricting. Put this knowledge to good use by illuminating the room to eliminate shadows. An ingenious way of doing that is by having at least three light points preferably table and floor lamps in each chamber. Alternatively, you could ensure that all the ceiling fixtures lead or direct to the cabinets and walls. Moreover, do not restrict yourself only to artificial lighting options. Instead, also consider natural solutions like installing large windows and doors on your property.

Go for multifunctional furniture

As mentioned above, at times your furniture takes too much space. It would, therefore, be unwise for you to have many pieces, some of which you might not even use. Prudent reasoning dictates that you go for multifunctional pieces that you can use for more than one purpose. Fortunately, the market is awash with such households that are convenient for studio apartments. For instance, you can invest in a sofa that doubles up as a bed, or a coffee table which you can also use as a chest. Similarly, you can get expandable and foldable items like dining tables, which you can conveniently tuck away when you are not using it.

Color variations

House paint has a way of eliciting different moods and feelings. For instance, bright hues stimulate a sense of warmth and can make the room feel sunnier and bigger. Furthermore, they are reflective, which means they can arouse the illusion of space. If you have excellent painting skills, you can, therefore, play around with a variety of colors to come up with stunning and spacious rooms. For instance, you could apply varying shades of the same color on your walls, or use pale hues such as light gray, white, cream, or pale blue. All these variations can produce an expansive room effect for your property.

Rearrange the furniture

Any seasoned homeowner will tell you that how you arrange your furniture pieces determines whether the property looks airy or fit to burst. For starters do not put too many furniture pieces in the room. Instead, just stick to the basic items such as a large sofa and a matching coffee table. Secondly, arrange the pieces smartly. Avoid shoving the furniture against the wall, or sprawling them all over the room. Instead, float or angle them. An ideal design could be angling the bed in the bedroom, and floating the sofa in the living room.

Define focal points

A fun and elaborate way of making the property seem large is by designing several points of interest in the apartment. For instance, you could use hanging flowers, cabinets, and area rugs to define the different sections in the room, to make it feel spacious. Still, you could raise the bed to create additional storage space underneath it.

Lot's of love

18 comments

, by M. Akamatra

decor

Kitchen Changes That Aid Weight Loss

Hello darlings!

We tend to think that losing weight has to be hard. It has to involve depriving oneself of everything one enjoys, going on an extreme exercise regime and giving up on fun until target weight is reached, but this simply isn’t true.

source

Sure, if you want to lose weight, you’re going to have to cut down on the junk food, and you’ll probably want to exercise at least a few times a week, but you definitely don’t have to live like an aesthetic. In fact, you could lose weight just by changing a few simple things in your kitchen. Here’s how:

Get Rid of the Junk

You don’t have to give up junk food completely, but if you want to lose weight, you’re going to have to significantly cut down on the amount of ‘bad’ foods you eat. Ideally, to help you with this, you should completely rid your kitchen of the offending items that cause you to overeat and binge whenever you’re hungry. If you don’t want to get rid of your cookies and chips completely, at least store them in a high cupboard, which is out of the way and not as easily accessible as the counter. That way, you are much less likely to reach for a bag of chips when the fruit bowl is easier to access.

Buy Smaller Plates and Bowls

Time after time, research has shown that people who eat from smaller plates and bowls take in around 44 percent fewer calories on average than those who eat from larger ones. So, simply by stocking your kitchen with more compact crockery, you could finally ditch the excess weight and start eating much healthier portions.

Install a Blender

If you don’t already have a high-speed blender in your kitchen, now is the time to invest in what will be one of the best appliances you’ve ever purchased. A good blender will help you to increase your intake of low-calorie fruits and vegetables by allowing you to easily make healthy soups and smoothies.

Eating soup before a meal, or drinking a small smoothie will help you to feel fuller, which means that you will probably eat less overall.

Start Using a Slow Cooker

If you tend to eat out or order in a lot because you’re too tired to prepare a healthy meal when you get home from work, bringing a slow cooker into the kitchen is an excellent solution. Once you have one, you can prep and cook your evening meal while you’re at work so that when you get home, it will be ready and waiting to be dished up, and that means no more calorific pizzas and Chinese takeout meals for you. We are totally in love with ours!

Paint it Blue

Research has found that the color blue is able to suppress the appetite. So, if you have trouble controlling your portions, and you never feel quite as full as you should, painting your kitchen in a light shade of blue and using blue crockery could help you to rectify the problem. Just stay away from red, which is thought to stimulate the appetite, and could be part of the reason why McDonald’s fries are so moreish.

Pin Up a Meal Plan

When you’re looking to lose weight, it can be so easy to go off plan and eat something naughty simply because there is nothing in the fridge to cook and you have no idea how you’re going to put a meal together. By looking up healthy meal ideas at Momma Jane or The Kitchn, and then planning your meals for a whole week, pinning a meal plan up in the kitchen, you can ensure that you’re always organized and able to create a healthy meal.

Fill It with Plants

Planting herbs and veggies in pots and containers in the kitchen is a great way to ensure that you always have something flavorsome and healthy to help you cook a meal. Often, it is because we think that healthy food lacks flavor that we opt for greasy, sugary and salty foods, but if you have a kitchen well stocked with herbs, that will no longer be a problem.

Make it Comfy

If you make your kitchen comfy by decorating it in colors you like, adding personal possessions, comfy stools and attractive kitchen counters and cupboards, as well as a TV or radio, you’ll be more inclined to actually spend some time in there cooking nutritious meals to help you drop the weight you wish to lose.

Has your kitchen helped you lose weight? How did it work?

Lot's of love

41 comments

, by M. Akamatra

food

No-Bake Desserts To Try

Hello darlings!

Cooking in the summer can be a bit of a love and hate thing. You can love the results of it, but hate the process of it. When it is warm outside and it often is in this part of the world, one of the last things that you want to do is be by a warm stove cooking. Which I think is why salads and cold foods are so popular in summer! The same goes for desserts too. Who wants to be eating a warm chocolate cake in the heat, when there are cold, no-bake options? So here is a bit of a round-up of some tasty no-bake desserts that are perfect to have at this time of year and over the coming weeks.

S’Mores Bars

The taste of s’mores is amazing. But no one wants to be sitting around a campfire waiting to toast a marshmallow when it is ninety degrees outside. So a no-bake option has got to be a winner, right? All you need to make a large baking tray full of the bars is:

One stick of soft unsalted butter
One cup brown sugar
One tsp vanilla essence or extract
Two cups cracker crumbs (Graham Crackers)
One cup all-purpose flour
One tsp salt
One can condensed milk
1 ½ cups chocolate chips
1 ½ cups mini marshmallows

Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Put the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla into a large bowl, and mix until light and fluffy. The stir in the cracker crumbs Beat in the graham cracker crumbs, the flour, and the salt. Next, stir in the condensed milk, along with the one cup of the chocolate chips and one cup of the marshmallows.
Pour the mixture into the tray and then spread the rest of the marshmallows and chocolate tips on top, pressing them gently in. Refrigerate until firm and then slice into bars and serve.

source

Berry Trifle

Ready made (or store bought) Madeira cake, cut into small cubes
450g sliced strawberries
450g blueberries
Blue Vanilla snow cone syrup (or make your own sugar syrup)
Two packs cream cheese
¾ cup white sugar
Two cups whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and smooth. The pour in the whipping cream and keep whisking until fluffy and thick. Stir in the vanilla.
Next, comes the assembly of the cake. In a trifle dish or a large glass tray, layer around a third of the bought cake cubes, and then drizzle over some of the snow cone syrup. Smooth over a third of the whipped cream mixture and then add a layer of sliced strawberries on top. Continue layering with cake, syrup, cream, and fruit, until it is all used up. Try to create a pattern on top with the strawberries and blueberries, if possible.
Serve the trifle immediately (or at least on the day it was made), as it doesn’t keep very well. Enjoy!

So there you have it, two tasty no-bake recipes that will be perfect to make this summer. Will you be giving any of them a try?

Lot's of love