Let's join the Kartini's Day Parade

Kartini is the pioneer of woman rights in Indonesia.

She was not the only emancipation heroine, but we celebrate Kartini's birthday as the emancipation day at April 21 every year.

Kartini who was born in an aristocratic family, founded a school for girls, at that time it was uncommon for girls to get formal education.

by the way, that time the learning method was the student write the lesson on their personal chalkboard, read it over and over until they remember, then erased it.  it looks like using iPad or tablet without memory :p

Back to Kartini's Day, at Kartini's Day the children usually wear traditional costume, complete with hairdoos (and the make ups).  I still don't know what the corellation between woman emancipation with traditional costume, but it's a tradition and it's fun (except for children, maybe).

This year,  @rajutanmama will hold a one day workshop with various knitting and crochet workshop.   it will be held at  28 April 2013 at Learning Lounge, Plasa Semanggi.

mark the date: 28 April 2013

one of the workshop material is amigurumi (with me as the instructor).  it's Kartini's Day so we will make Kartini amigurumi - finger puppet.  it's very simple, and easy to modify once you learn the basic, so we will have a tiny Kartini parade :)

You knew the ABCs, now let's learn crocheting amigurumi :)

This one is my Kartini finger puppet with a tiny hair bun, come make your own version and let's have a parade :)

Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih

Bawang Merah  and Bawang Putih

Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih were the hottest issue in Indonesia.  that was last month (or last couple months?).

I wanted to cover hot issue, making amigurumi of that when the issue were still fresh, but I had this severe laziness and too many excuses.  And making amigurumi based on actual news is tiring.

Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih were the hot topic because the prices are ridiculously high since the last couple months.  Who doesn't know the importance of Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih?  Even me who never cook, knew that Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih are the crucial ingredient for Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and many other Indonesian food.

quick bahasa (Indonesian language) lessons:

Garlic in bahasa is Bawang Putih (white bawang)

Shallot in bahasa is Bawang Merah (red bawang)

Onion in bahasa is Bawang Bombay (bawang from Bombay)

Bawang Merah, the bully

Maybe because we use Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih everyday, the names are used for a folktales.

Dear Readers

Sorry for not updating this blog for a while.  I have few reasons:

• Last month I  have prepared some amigurumis, but I'm out of yarn, so I can't finish it. I still haven't reorder the yarn.  The other amigurumis still need a lot of parts to complete, it's complicated.
•  it's getting close to my sister's wedding day, unlike when we were preparing my brother's wedding, this time I don't do stress-knittting, it's too stressful that I don't knit at all.
• I just got a new macbook (yay).  I installed Happy Street, a casual game which took most of my time in front of the screen. yes, stupid me got addicted to casual game. again.
• If I'm away from the macbook, I still have no time to use my knitting needle because I would be playing PSP (Playstation Portable).  My little sister having a graduation exam this month, so as a wise older sister, I borrowed her PSP (and play it).
• If I'm away from keyboard and the PSP need to be recharged, then there's a 10% chance that I would finally knit or crochet something while watching some Kung Fu movies.  If I have no more Kung Fu movies, there would be no guarantee that I would knit at all.
• I'm currently looking for a new job too. Hire meeeee :D
• Yesterday the editor called me, so yeah suddenly I have a deadline.

Astérix ét Obélix au service du sa majesté

I specially made this amigurumis to join The Francophonié Photo Contest.  The theme was "comme au cinema". and I pick Astérix et Obélix cause they are my favorite comic hero from the 2012 France Movie Festival. 

I spent a whole month doing nothing else but knitting afterwork and during the weekend just to finish this amigurumis.  So it's really heartbreaking when I knew that I lost.  I admit that the photograph is nothing special and I knew I didn't deserve to win (who am I kidding, I'm an amateur photographer!).  But once again, I spent a whole month, damm*t !  That stripped pants was killing my hands, but I'm glad it's done perfectly. Except.... the world didn't see them :(

I lost so many competitions but this one is terribly devastating, cause I kinda hope I could visit my birthplace (the first prize was a trip to France).  Maybe not today.  Someday, I hope I will be able to visit France with my own effort.

by the way I really need that French language course, since it's a shame for me to be born in France but unable to speak French anymore :((

Orangutanku #12: Mega

I've been thinking to continue my orangutanku project for time, but there are too many amigurumi project I'd like to do that I forget to continue this project.
Last January, Molly e-mailed me and asked me about Gede but in a bigger version. I thought: Good Idea!  Why not?  Orangutanku always be my favorite project to work on, and I've been wanting to make big amigurumi for a long time, so it would be a double fun project :)
So,I spent my February working on the biggest amigurumi ever.  I never counted that much stitches in a round before.  I took many pictures together with the Orangutan before I send it to Molly, so I won't miss it later.  I don't know the official name for the Big Orangutan, it's up to Molly to name it, but every orangutan needs a name, so I name it Mega, cause it is big.
in Indonesia, Mega also means Cloud, and I think a nature-themed name suits the orangutan perfectly.  and by the way, Mega also a name of Indonesian first female president.

Mega and Ginanjar

My two favorite things :)

Me, Mega and Uke

(one more picture before Mega take a long trip to Molly's place)

OMGrumi: Django Unchained

after making amigurumi for 5 years, I have a big box full of amigurumis.
I have trouble keeping them all and selling it might be a wise decision, but the problem is not every amigurumi made to be sold.
Some friends suggest me to focus on making amigurumi for the shop only or made by order, so I still can do my hobby while also getting money and no longer have problem in keeping every amigurumi.
but what's fun about that?
I don't think I will be happy by knitting/ crocheting the same amigurumi again and again just because it sell the most.  I make amigurumi cause I want too, just like this Django amigurumi.  it's not for sale of course, but I'm having a very great time making this amigurumi, which is priceless.
I instantly decided that I have to make Django amigurumi in that blue costume as I watched the movie because the costume is too ridiculous! I'm a fan of European costume, so I think Django made a very "good" choice on his costume as a freeman, too bad he didn't keep it until the end.  I like the movie very much.

I recently bought some rivet tools, and I already used it to add some buttons to the costume.  I misplaced the buttons, but since it looks good so I didn't fix it :p

Crocheting new projects

I made a rule that I won't knit or crochet any project during workhours.

but there's no rule in drawing something like this :)

I still preparing my new projects,

meanwhile you can visit my other blog: zuperdzigh I just add some posts at it.