To read or not to read

I’ve been doing a little experiment. I have not read my RSS feeds for a week. The reason is to free up time to be creative. To give my brain space to think. I normally spend my morning going through my RSS over my cuppa tea and breaky. Some days it takes me a couple of hours to go through it all! My morning then becomes a blur from information overload. Not a good way to start the day.

But I started to miss reading it. I missed not knowing what my favourite bloggers were up to. I missed looking at all the pretty pictures and all the creative projects people get up to. Most of all, I missed feeling like I was part of this community. Is that silly?

[Reminds me of a great article I read on Make + Meaning. The article is called Choose your own adventure and it's about how you participate in the craft community. Worth a read and I dare say, worth subscribing to.]


Photo from Mashable

I launched my Google Reader this afternoon and I had over 600 items to read! Bugger! It’s a good thing that Google Reader has “Sort by Magic”. Really. Magic. I’m not kidding. Well, not pull-a-rabbit-out-of-the-hat magic. But the popular feeds that people like get shuffled to the top. Like magic.

I’ve been using it for a few months and it works a treat when I’m short of time but need a quick update. I don’t miss out on the good stuff. To return the favour of those who helped sort by magic, I click on the “like” icon too whenever I feel a post deserves it.


Silly me in 2006

Buddhism got it right when it taught us to find the middle path. My experiment proved that I cannot remove reading RSS from my life and it was stupid of me to think that I could. But I do need to evaluate who and what I read.

Then the question is what makes a blog subscribe-worthy? Here is my list:

1. It has to entertain me visually. Great pictures are a big attraction.
2. It mustn’t be too wordy. Some people have huge brain farts and I don’t really want a stinky mind.
3. Don’t post too often. Once a day is plenty.
4. I would like to be able to learn something new every now and then.
5. If it makes me laugh or go WOW, then I’m subscribing.

So what makes you subscribe to a blog?

Subscribe to Salihan Crafts


Stumble It!

Purrfectly organising my WIPs

Since Olly claimed my WIP* box as his a few weeks ago, he has settled right in and shows no sign of moving out. You will find his furry little chin hanging over the top of the box almost every single hour of every single day. He made it purrfectly clear to me that I had to find a new box for my knitting projects. This is Olly’s box now.



While wondering through Kmart in search of a replacement, I chanced upon this. Look closely at the white tag on the box…



Eureka! I’ve got my new knitting WIP box! I parted with my $10 far too quickly and excitedly for the under-enthusiastic cashier. But what does he know? He isn’t a knitter.



This box is purrfect! It’s large enough to hold the big soft toys that I like to make, a full-size notepad, my knitting needles, crochet hooks and all the other notions. It has a lid so my furry family members can’t easily get into it. Plus, it’s simple, minimalist design means that I can put the WIP box in the living room without it looking out of place.



I love it when it all comes together like this.

And I must also add that Ifa thinks her new bed is purrfect too! *smacks my forehead* Should have seen that coming, shouldn’t I? LOL



Thank god there’s only two of them running this household!

Well, I better go fluff up their pillows now. Toodle-oo!

*WIP = Work in Progress

You might also like these:
Olly’s Office
My Craft Space
New & Improved Craft Space

Subscribe to Salihan Crafts


Stumble It!

Donating to Doctors Without Borders

Thank you to those who purchased my crochet patterns in January. 50% of last month’s Ravelry sales was donated to MSF ‘Doctors without Borders’ to help provide care in devastated Haiti. I can only pray that my small contribution will help those who are still desperately waiting for medical attention.


Photo by Inside Disaster

I’m also gobsmacked to hear that knitters around the world has helped Yarn Harlot raise over $1,000,000 for MSF since she started ‘Knitters Without Borders’ in 2004. What an accomplishment! What a true inspiration! You can read more about ‘Knitters without Borders’ here and see how it’s so simple to pay it forward.

It makes me so proud to belong to this great community.

Subscribe to Salihan Crafts


Stumble It!

One World, One Heart Giveaway

I heard of Lisa’s One World, One Heart through my good friend, Cath. She told me of this great event where creative bloggers all around the world get to connect with each other, bloggers who may not normally meet. I jumped on the bandwagon like she did as it’s such a great opportunity to make new friends, don’t you think?

So if this is your first time here, I welcome you to my little corner of the blogoshphere where I write about things I love. I hope to make you smile, hopefully laugh a little, even if it’s just a giggle.

Let me also take this opportunity to tell you just three little things about me:

1 I love giant silly fruits and my hubby does too!



2 I love to knit, especially when it keeps the whole family warm and toasty!



3 I love to bake and oh such a terrible sweet tooth I have! But tell me, how can I resist all of these?



To thank you for dropping by, I’m giving away this cute crocheted baby apple. His name is Little Mac and I hope to give him away to a good home.


“Hi! I’m Little Mac. *suck suck* You can call me Mac for short. *suck suck* Would you like to be my new mummy?”

Any blogger in the whole wide world can enter. Simply leave a comment here before 6pm (Australian EST) on 15 February 2010 to win Little Mac. Don’t forget to leave your email and blog address. If you like, tell me a bit about yourself too! One comment per person, please. Winner will be announced the same day.

When you’re done with that, you might also like to check out all the other cool blogs participating in this year’s One World, One Heart.

It’s been a pleasure to meet you, friend. Hope to see you around again. Ta-ta for now!

Update: Giveaway is now closed. Winner will be announced shortly. Thanks for visiting!

Subscribe to Salihan Crafts


Stumble It!

“Forever” Blanket

I’ve wanted to crochet a blanket for a few years now. I want this blanket to stay with us forever. I want it made of the softest of soft yarn in the prettiest of pretty colours. However there were things holding me back, mostly money and time commitment. I started a hexagon blanket with scratchy, squeeky acrylic yarn last year but I didn’t finish it. It just wasn’t what I wanted and it felt like a compromise. I didn’t love the hexagon blanket like I hoped I would with my forever blanket.

In a twist of fate, I started working for Ecoyarns on a part-time basis a few months ago. One day, while I was preparing sample cards for the EcoOrganic Cotton range, an idea struck me.



I could make a giant granny square blanket just like Joelle’s from Purl Bee! I’ll arrange the colours similar to the sample card and it will be a glorious blanket. Working at a yarn store has it’s other benefits too. Discounted staff prices. Woohoo!

I brought the yarn home and brainstormed the idea with Richard. He wasn’t too sure that I should take on such a big project but he could see I was desperate to do it. As soon as I showed him the yarn, he instantly fell in love with the colours and the softness of the organic cotton. He was now assured that it was not going to look like a typical nanna blanket. It’s important that he will love this blanket as much as I will. It is our forever blanket.



I spent that weekend winding the yarn into cakes, with the “help” of Olly. He was trying very hard not to attack the yarn as it whizzed past. It was truly impressive how well behaved he was. He eventually moved away and slept under the table instead. What a good cat!



Just looking at the colours made me so happy! Look how pretty they are, all snuggled up close to each other.



When I eventually started crocheting, I could not stop. The EcoOrganic Cotton yarn is a dream to work with! So soft and it didn’t split like other cotton I’ve worked with before. It’s like knitting with Malabrigo wool. Simply heavenly!

The blanket grew quickly as I crocheted every chance I got. It became my Australian Open companion. As the tennis players manipulated the ball with a twitch of the wrist, I did the same with mine on the blanket. Alas, the tennis is over and I’ve managed to crochet 5 of the 16 colours.



Here it lays on the bed it is destined for.



The blanket feels right. It’s what I imagined it would be. I think I’ve got my forever blanket.

Subscribe to Salihan Crafts


Stumble It!