Also be sure to visit our Crafting & Crochet Resources in Kuwait page for other great crafting and yarn supply shops.
Barakat Showroom is having a sale up to 50% off from Jan 27 until Feb 6 on all accessories, knitting yarn, painting supplies, crystals, books and more at both the Salmiya and Egaila stores. Telephone: 2574-6727/8 (Salmiya) or 2383-9540 (Egaila) for more info. Check here for location details.
Also be sure to visit our Crafting & Crochet Resources in Kuwait page for other great crafting and yarn supply shops. Khayt Group's Monday workshop this week will teach how to join hexagons. You will need to have more than two hexagons in order to learn how to join them, as well as hook and yarn in the color of your choice for joining. Workshop will be held from 5-7pm in Sadu House on the Gulf Road (next to the Kuwait National Museum). If you've never made a hexagon before, try this quick tutorial: Easy guide to crochet a hexagon. Books are a passion of mine and with my older daughter learning to read, I'm doing my best to help encourage her by providing a variety of books. We like discovering new bookshops (or finding old ones I'd forgotten about or haven't visited in a while).
Saeed & Samir is one of the oldest English-language bookstores in Kuwait. They sell a lot of educational books, dictionaries, learning English for kids, encyclopedias for kids as well as books for moms on crochet, knitting, sewing, cooking, yoga, pregnancy and more. They also have a small selection of educational games and puzzles for kids (I couldn't resist and got two of the magnetic doll dress up puzzles for the girls - KD 4 each - and a giant ABC puzzle as well.). There are wooden cakes, baking sets, car & truck sets and other toys for the kids. The prices are comparable for other new bookstores in Kuwait and the toy/puzzle prices were very affordable and made from quality materials. Saeed & Samir is located in the basement of Laila Gallery (on Salem Al Mubarak Street, across from Sultan Center). Telephone: 2572-1168 Store Hours Sunday - Thursday: 9am-1pm and 5pm-10pm Friday: 12:30pm-4:30pm Saturday: 5pm-10pm Welcome to the charming and tender world of Isabelle Kessedjian
Isabelle Kessedjian is a Parisan artist, painter, sculptor, author, photographer, teacher, Instagrammer and serial crocheter. Her beautiful "Quand je serai grande ..." (When I grow up, I will be...) series of drawings have been sold all over the world and can now be found on totes, backpacks, notebooks, pencil cases and other children's school supplies and accessories. A divorced mother of two young boys, Kessedjian's art stretches across a broad spectrum of media including painting and sketching, sculpture, crochet, photography and papier mâché. She has published books on crochet, including the very popular My Crochet Doll and sells her sketches, drawings and other work here. Ms Kessedjian, 46, divides her time between her studio in Paris, where she teaches workshops for adults and children, and a family home in Sauveterre, a village in the south of France. Kuwait Moms Guide spoke with Ms Kessedjian to learn more about her art, her creative process and her crochet. KMG: Please tell us a bit about yourself? Kessedjian: I was creative from early childhood. As a diplomat's daughter, I was lucky to visit many countries and discover their craft traditions. After finishing school, I studied graphic arts and marketing for four years. My work is edited in the form of canvas prints and various items. KMG: What inspires your art and how do you create? Kessedjian: I am mainly inspired by the childhood's world and the everyday little things. I wake up every morning with a head full of numerous ideas! I exploit texture and color by instinct, even though my work is structured by my artistic knowledge. As a general rule, I have in my mind a very accurate picture of what I want to create. KMG: How would you describe your art? Kessedjian: Funny, tender, fair... I seek above all to get pleasure and I hope that my world makes people happy. KMG: How does crochet fit in with your drawings/art? Kessedjian: I see crochet as a mean of expression in its own right. It allows me to play with volumes and colors, as if I was sculpting with thread. KMG: What advice would you offer other creative mothers? Kessedjian: I urge other mothers to create with their children as much as possible! It is good for the development of children and it helps to create an harmonious family life. KMG: Your drawings of little girls are so unique and interesting, do they represent real people and do they have names/characters? Kessedjian: I often think about specific persons when I am drawing, but it is my secret! The most important is that people enjoy my characters and take them on board. KMG: How did you get started writing crochet books? What do you love about crochet? Kessedjian: The Éditions Fleurus/Mango was hoping to publish a book about my painting studio's world. In this way, I did a first book that dealt with various techniques (papier mâché, painting, sewing, recycling...). We then published books about crochet only. Above all, I love crocheting things that are simple but have their own charm, those things that support you in life. Check out Isabelle Kessedjian's blog or follow her on Instagram @kessedjian. You can also find the tutorial for the Instagram iPhone case here. All photos used with the permission and courtesy of Isabell Kessedjian. A quick and easy crochet project for the kids. I've started with the letters of my daughters' names and will eventually crochet the entire alphabet. I can then use the letters for learning games with the girls or appliques and etc. The patterns are pretty easy to follow though a few are not shown fully and you kind of have to guess how to complete the A and Q. Check out our full list of crochet events and ideas here. I also wanted to ask if anyone is interested in a learning how to crochet course. Pls comment below or email me at kuwaitmoms@gmail.com. (Source: http://hortenzie.blogspot.com/2011/05/hackovana-abeceda.html) Wanna learn how to crochet this adorable baby owl? The wonderful ladies of Khayt Group will be teaching this tomorrow during their regular Monday workshop. Khayt Group is a local community group that promotes the art of crochet through regular workshops. Khayt also organizes a variety of charitable activities including crocheting hats for the children of the NBK Children's hospital, the orphanage and Syrian refugee children. For the baby owl workshop, the following materials are required: 1. Three to four differnt colors cotton yarn. 2. Suitable size hook 3. Stitch markers 4. Any preferred batting 5. Scissors 6. Tapestry needle Workshop will be held at Sadu House (along the Gulf Road next to the Kuwait National Museum and just down the street from the parliament building.) from 5pm-7pm and costs KD 2 for non members. - Photo courtesy Khayt Group Learn how to make hats with a loom at Khayt Group's weekly workshop this Monday from 5-7pm (located in Sadu House ). Telephone 9996-0005 The wonderful ladies of Khayt Group (at Sadu House) teach me something every time I go. I didn't make it this past week but luckily Mona very thoughtfully taught me this adorable heart crochet pattern. It literally takes like five minutes and I've made about 12 hearts since yesterday. The girls love them. Anyway, I wanted to share the pattern and a few photos of the hearts I've made. If you make some, take a pic and send it to me (email kuwaitmoms@gmail.com) and I'll add it to the photos below. Also if you have suggestions on what to do with them, I'd love to hear ideas as I'm still undecided. I'm thinking to make a bunch in different colors and sizes and hang them in a mobile or maybe attach bells and make a wind chime. What do you think? I found a new yarn and craft shop in Kuwait. (New to me, not new to Kuwait :) It's a small shop and the selection of different types of yarn is limited but the colors selection for the types of yarn it does sell is really great and the prices are really affordable. The shop is located in the basement of the Kaifan mall and is called Crafty. I found some lovely 100g Alize Diva and Bahar. It's fine (maybe sock weight?) but I am not an expert so maybe someone can comment below on the best uses for this type of yarn? I typically prefer bulkier yarns but the colors were beautiful, especially the one with 'silk effects' so I'm thinking to try and make a prayer shawl with it. I crochet only - learning to knit is a 2014 resolution - so if anyone who crochets can advise me on the best projects for this type of yarn, that would be awesome. Thanks and wish me luck! |
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