iro~iro 色いろ

The simplicity of granny squares

2011-12-07T11:12:00.000+08:00

My very first memory of crochet is of a little girl in school uniform sitting on the bus from school, and furiously stabbing away with a thin metal hook & cotton thread, oblivious to the stares from strangers on the bus.

I was about 12 then. We had just learnt how to crochet in Home Economics. Till today, my friends tease me that while everyone was struggling to crochet little chains, I had already gone on to crochet a pineapple lace tablecloth. That memory makes me smile. I did finish that tablecloth, and gave it to my grandmother.

Since then, I have crocheted many many things - Barbie doll clothes, coasters, more coasters, clothes, bags, even a bikini. But the simplicity of the granny squares never fails to inspire me. It is the most simple form of crochet, with no need to plan or count rows. Just dip my hand into the yarn containers, pull out whatever strikes my fancy, and off I go.

In the spirit of stashbusting, I've dug out my softest cottons (and about 10 years old in my stash), and have been crocheting granny washcloths all week. It's amazing what a little washcloth can do for your skin - my face already feels cleaner and smoother after a few uses.

My not-so baby

2011-12-02T21:45:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, I forget that my little girl has only been on this earth for 3 years. She has changed my life so much, redefined our family so much, that I can't even remember my life without her. Sometimes, in my eagerness to see her grow, I push her too hard. I see other parents sending their kids for enrichment classes and worry that I didn't give her a chance to reach her potential. I see her hiding under her bed & giggling to herself and wonder if she's wasting her time while others are learning how to paint / dance / learn Mandarin.

But when she's asleep like this, I remember how young she really is. I marvel at the innocence of those round (ok not as round as I'd like) cheeks, those tiny rosebud lips, and I remind myself not to be too hard on her. She's only 3 - let her sleep, let her wander around the house in her pajamas, let her play....

I love you, little baby of mine.

I think I am back

2011-11-25T09:24:00.003+08:00

Ok. After a brief flirtation with tumblr, I've realized that I blog for user comments (yes, shameless I know), which tumblr doesn't support. Plus it's weird that people keep reblogging stuff - maybe I'm not quite cool enough to understand that yet - but I do like to know the source of people's posts, and tumblr is very good at hiding it.

So I've found Blogger's iPhone app (it's about time, Google!) and am ridiculously excited about it.

In the meantime, I've rediscovered my love for crochet, and have been making lots of instant gratification presents.

Crochet Gift Baskets (pattern from here)

Crochet Sun Hats (made 5), modified pattern from here

Granny Square Cushion (back)

Granny Square Cushion (front)

Changing to Tumblr

2011-07-08T14:49:00.002+08:00

Dear friends,

I'm switching over to try Tumblr for a little bit. Blogging seems to require too much commitment, and I like that it's so easy to post to Tumblr from my iPhone. I figure that a little bit of writing (on Tumblr) each day beats no writing (on Blogger) for months at a time. See you over at iroknits.tumblr.com !

2011-04-04T09:14:00.003+08:00

It's difficult to be a knitter in Singapore. The weather is hot & humid, and most of the time, I have a sheen of perspiration on my face and neck. Everyone who sees me knitting will ask 'isn't it hot?'. Hence, I have learnt that when knitting for myself, thin little cardigans and shawls to protect my arms from the freezing air-conditioning are ideal.

Having said that, I think I have found the perfect pattern. Something that is pretty & fast & that I will get a lot of wear out of. Liesl cardigan. Knitted in worsted weight Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran, it ought to be really warm, but because of the feather and fan pattern, is surprisingly wearable. Best of all, it took me about 5 days to knit & finish & block it (twice). I am already planning to cast on another. It's fun to be knitting for myself again.

Bliss

2011-03-30T10:55:00.001+08:00

A fresh cup of coffee on a pretty coaster.

A fresh stack of magazines just delivered.

Madeline Tosh yarn...

A morning of uninterrupted knitting time. Bliss.

What my knitting needles have been up to

2009-09-21T23:19:00.003+08:00

A couple of friends commented fairly recently that they still read my blog. I track back to my last entry and am ashamed. It's been 9 months and my knitterly buddies haven't thrown their hands up in exasperation at me?? Instead, they are STILL reading my blog..? Wow.

On the knitting newsfront, small quick projects that don't require much brain power have ruled. Hats, scarves, hairbands, more hats. Oh, and a cardigan for my not-so-little-one who has outgrown her pretty pink BSJ with the gorgeous buttons!! How dare she!? :)

Little one said 'mommy's yarn', and 'knit like mommy' the other day. I am one proud knitter mommy. So since there is so little action on the knitting front, you would assume that my needles have been sitting idle? No sirree... This is what they have been up to.

They have been pretend pencils for little one to draw with. They have been sticks for her to collect and wave around (while nearly poking out her own eye). They have been treated like music instruments, been arranged artfully in yarn cakes and in my knitting. Initially, I was horrified, then (like everything else when it comes to dealing with a toddler), I gave up and just went with the flow. At least I got a chance to touch my pretty knitting sticks.

The garter stitch scarf in the pictures above are my current knitting project. Using Noro Iro and 6mm needles (a la brooklyntweed's version). It's pretty and it's a fast-ish project but I am soooooo bored with it. But little one says it's 'nice' when I told her it was for her 'gu-gu' (auntie in mandarin), and gently patted it, so I guess I might persevere.

When oh when can I knit lace again?

Knitting Wishes

2008-12-31T20:22:00.003+08:00

I tend to be really bad at making and keep resolutions, so for this year I have decided not to make any major resolutions (since I forget it all the next day anyway). However, as a knitter, it helps to keep my knitting in focus so let's just call them 'Knitting Wishes' shall we?

1. To have a ready pile of luxurious scarfs, hats, little gifts ready for the invariable last minute birthday, baby shower etc.

2. To only use beautiful yarn that doesn't make me itch or sneeze.

3. To de-stash. (ok stop laughing, seriously...). I probably have enough lace yarn to knit 20 shawls so this is a serious problem. Not to mention enough cotton to knit another 20 blankets. So to show how serious I am, I'm declaring that I will only buy new yarn after I've finished 5 projects using yarn from my stash. I would make it more projects but at the rate I'm knitting, 5 projects could very well take half a year, so quit your sniggering....

Actually, come to think of it, de-stashing is also really relevant in other parts of my life. Living with the minimum, trimming away excess clothes, shoes, cosmetics, and just stuff. I could probably come up with really meaningful reasons for why we should learn to live with less stuff (world economy, going green and so on) but there is just one shallow reason - mess makes me grumpy and itchy. So here's to a clean & neat 2009!

P.S. Gift yarn doesn't count as buying yarn right...?

A Christmas Dress

2008-12-26T17:08:00.003+08:00

The holidays sneaked by me with minimal knitting this year.. but I did manage to finish the Rainbow Dress just in time by Christmas eve. Didn't have time nor energy to sew in the ends though, so the little girl wore it around the house with a bunch of ends trailing around her. It's a tad too big (hence the sexy off-the-shoulder look) but I absolutely love it.

Pattern : Rainbow Dress by Tikki

Yarn : Sublime Soy Cotton in Pomegranate, and RYC CashCotton in Apple

Needles : 3.5mm

Here's a picture of her guzzling down Bucks Fizz to end off the year. Happy Holidays!

A Day at the Beach

2008-12-06T15:36:00.005+08:00

Pattern : Children's Cotton Hats by Kim Hamlin (Last Minute Knitted Gifts)
Yarn : Rowan RYC Silk Cotton (Cucumber)
Needle : 4.5mm
Size : Toddler

A cool refreshing drink.

A straw.

A little summer hat knit out of luxurious Rowan Silk Cotton, with a yellow ribbon fluttering in the breeze.

A great way to spend the afternoon.

The Joy of Giving?

2008-11-25T21:06:00.003+08:00

My 10 month old (who suddenly has more friends than I do) has a little friend who is turning one. So I cast on for this halter top, as that little girl will be spending her holiday in a beachside resort and I could just imagine her playing in the sand, looking cute wearing this. I even chose a machine washable yarn so that her mommy wouldn't have to handwash it. Checked and rechecked the size, debated on whether she would look good in the colour - my usual paranoia when knitting gifts. Hated the yarn, it hurt my fingers and was uninspiring to work with. But I had a ton of it in my stash, so I persisted.

Pattern : Katja Halter from Knitty

Yarn : Butterfly Super 10 Cotton

Needles : 3.75mm

Mods : Used a DK weight yarn instead, so cast on for the largest size.

It was worth it. The final effect of the mercerised cotton was awe-inspiring. After a good soak, the cotton evened out and the subtle sheen of the cotton and the slightly heavier drape made this a truly special project. I couldn't resist getting my little one to model it. And then someone asked me 'why don't you keep it for her instead?'

Why not indeed.. I have had so many mediocre reactions from gifting my knitted items away. Items that I've spent weeks labouring over, endlessly thinking through every little detail, only to receive the same reaction as the next pile of store-bought toys. I guess that's why it's called 'the joy of giving'. But (I whine).. I would like a little phone call thanking me for that special special present!!!

Which brings me to the moral of this little story - I am simply not a 'giving' type of person. I am pretty sure that this time, the recipient's mommy will appreciate it, but will she ever know how much thought went into this? Hence my dilemma, do I give this away? or do I keep it for my own special little girl?

The lone bootee

2008-09-10T21:13:00.004+08:00

As many of my friends know, I've not knitted (much) for the past 7 months. Recently, I found myself pondering baby socks - why is it that they can never stay on my baby's foot for more than 5 minutes before she yanks / chews them off? Then it occurred to me that I can knit bootees that will stay on her feet and still keep her toes warm in air conditioned malls. So I started looking for patterns - and that's when it hit me. The pattern sizes indicate '0-3months', '3-6months', 6-9months' and '9-12months'. Without realising it, my baby had already graduated to the 2nd largest category! And I have not knitted her ANYTHING at all since she was born. Horrors. And I call myself a knitter!

So here's a bootee that I knitted for her - it took 2 weeks - 1 week to look for a pattern, 2 days to locate the yarn for it, 1 day to locate the needle, 2 days to locate my knitting bag, and 2 days to cast on (cos she thought it was a new game and kept pulling the yarn).

And while I'm at it, here are some pics of my baby wearing stuff that I knitted for her, for public record, so that she can't call me a lousy mom in future.

P.S. Thanks my dear knitting buddies for sending me knitting news and yarn, and generally keeping me sane during these months :)

The toughest WIP of all

2008-03-14T13:06:00.010+08:00

Dear folks,

A new post (finally!) after a 1.5 month absence, and this is not even about knitting! I'm working on the toughest WIP of my life - our little baby gal was born on Feb 10th, and she has managed to turn our lives upside down in just 5 weeks.

This has been the most dramatic roller-coaster ride 5 weeks of my life. People tell me they fall in love with their babies on sight. Welllll... Our little one turned out to be a bundle of contradictions

She looks like an angel when asleep but turns into a little banshee when she's hungry
She head butts my breast for food but squirms, kicks and cries when she gets it
She falls deeply asleep in my arms but wakes up wide-eyed the second her butt touches the bed/rocker
She cries when hungry, cries when full, cries when her diaper is wet, cries when we try to change it

I was emotionally drained. There was just no pleasing this little one. All my carefully laid out plans and coping strategies were steam-rollered under the force of her cries and whimpers.

And then, she got sick with the usual infant problems, one following the other : reflux, thrush, sore throat, diaper rash, cold... I became paranoid mommy, surfing the web and forums while nursing her to find out what I did wrong to cause her little body so much damage.

As I diligently syringed medication into her little trusting mouth, I kept reminding myself that this will be over soon. "She'll stabilise in two weeks and then we can have a normal life".. I told myself. Two weeks passed, two more... and still I kept waiting for the day when she won't be so 'sick', when I'll have an ideal little baby to bring out, when I can spend hours knitting with her coo-ing happily next to me.

Then one day, as I stared at her willing her to stay asleep, I realised that her lashes were growing longer and curlier daily (they are longer than mine now.. so jealous). And that her nails which we trimmed just a few days ago, are long again. That's when I realised that as I was waiting and plotting, she has been growing up. There is no 'waiting for normal', cos she is normal now (albeit a tad cranky). And if I didnt start living my life with her as a part of it, I was gonna always be saying '..someday..'

So, instead of seeing this as a perpetual WIP and waiting for it to be finished, I have decided to enjoy her as an FO - finished, perfect, normal - just as she is.

That Four Letter Word

2008-01-29T13:46:00.000+08:00

I found 5 of these things in my home recently. There were only 2 steps away from my yarn storage room. Never paid them much attention previously but somehow when I saw them crawling slowly towards my yarn room, all the little hairs on my neck went on alert. A frantic google search confirmed my fears. M-O-T-H.

The household casebearer, Phereoeca uterella, is a moth in the Tineidae family of Lepidoptera. Many species in this family are casebearers and a few are indoor pests of hairfibers, woolens, silks, felt and similar materials. Most people know this species by the name "plaster bagworm."

The larval case is a slender flat fusiform or spindle-shape case which resembles a cantaloupe or pumpkin seed. It can be found under spiderwebs, in bathrooms, bedrooms and garages. Cases can be found on wool rugs and wool carpets, hanging on curtains, or underneath under buildings, hanging from subflooring, joists, sills and foundations; on the exterior of buildings in shaded places, under farm sheds, under lawn furniture, on stored farm machinery and on tree trunks.

Regular cleaning practices, increased use of air conditioning in houses, and reduced number of woolen goods, along with pesticide application in cracks and crevices for household pest control, have decreased the incidence of the household casebearer. Manual picking or vacuuming of cases and spider web removal should be enough to keep this species under control.

And then I read this line and nearly fainted :

"....when woolen threads and woolen cloth were offered to the larvae “they ate eagerly”. "

I spent the next few days crawling on my hands and knees, and peering underneath sinks, scrutinising door frames, and combing all corners and cracks of doors, in an effort to find more of them. I did find more, and I also found 2 x dead mama moths, and lots of little old spider webs behind chests of drawers, behind the fridge etc.

Lest you think we're a dirty family who don't clean their house, we do have cleaners over every week, and they vacuum and wipe and mop. It baffles me as to where all these things come from, and how I'm supposed to regularly move the fridge & heavy furniture to vacuum away those old spider webs which the moth cases feed on!

At any rate, I ziplocked up all my yarn - praying that there were no eggs in the existing yarn stash... and put cedar blocks in my yarn storage cupboards. I did try to shake the yarn to see if I could identify any 'eggs' or moth-like tendencies, but not knowing what exactly to look out for, I hoped for the best.

This is my yarn storage area now... the stash still looks kinda naked and vulnerable, even clothed in their protective ziploc bags. Maybe I should revert to plastic bins - what do you think?

Cables & Lace Update

2008-01-24T13:35:00.000+08:00

I've been good and knitting away on the Cables & Lace Kimono Cardy.. it's a really fun knit and now that I've done something like this I don't think I can ever do a stockinette-only sweater/cardigan.

It was kinda scrunched up and tight-looking at first, but after a light steam blocking, the lace opened up and the yarn kinda 'relaxed' - this is pretty typical of Sublime yarn, I think, maybe because of the silk content?

Here is where I am as of today, I have to finish off the belt/tie (which is like 200+ rows of 7 stitches!), and then pick up and do the ribbing around the neck area. Glad that this should be done before baby is due!

Bye Bye Tuscany

2008-01-17T11:22:00.000+08:00

I've decided to frog the Tuscany Shawl (pattern from 'No Sheep for You'). Although the yarn is really seductive (Handmaiden Seasilk!), its striping effect and dark color really seems to overshadow the delicate lace pattern of the shawl. Anyways, I think a shawl named 'Tuscany' should be a joyous burst of color - so maybe I will use the red Malabrigo lace yarn instead. Last pic of the unfortunate shawl - bye, bye...

To make up for my disappointment (and also as a break from the tedious chart reading of the Cables & Lace Cardy), I cast on for this Entrelac Scarf. The pattern is free from Freckles & Purls, and I had the yarn ready bought for this - Paton's Soy Wool Stripes in 'Natural Earth' colorway. I had wanted to learn Entrelac for a long time now, but if A hadn't shown me hers, I don't think I would have the courage to start. Once I cast-on though, I was addicted and spent the whole of last night going 'just 1 more square'. See what you done, A?

I chose the yarn specially with a friend in mind, she's a real browns/naturals kinda gal and I thought this colorway is just so 'her'. But as I knit, I see more indigos / purples popping up in the yarn.. what's up with that? Argh.

Caitlin's Summer Hat

2008-01-10T17:54:00.000+08:00

I decided to rip out the first bobble hat and re-do it from scratch using the 2nd ball of yarn - thankfully there was just enough to finish it off. And since precious little heads need protection from our very hot tropical sun, I modified it into a summer hat with a little brim.

Today I gave it to the (less than) 1 month old recipient, and to my amazement.. it FIT! Errr, I mean to say, (cough, cough).... based on my thorough research on baby head sizes and careful accurate measuring, of course it fit, (cough, cough), I didn't mean to imply that I simply winged it and crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.... not that at all....

So to celebrate a successful little project, I'm officially naming this Caitlin's Summer Hat, and sharing the pattern here. Word of warning though, I fudge (A LOT) when crocheting, and if the maths doesn't always work out, please be patient and throw in / take out a few stitches to suit your fancy. Or you can always email me :)

Caitlin's Summer Hat (Free Crochet Pattern by Iro Iro Knits)

Yarn : Sport / Light DK weight cotton (less than 1 ball of yarn)
Hook : Clover Size 6/0 (4mm)
Gauge : 22 sc to 4 inches

Measurements for 0-3 month old baby
Circumference @ crown = 14in
Diameter @ crown = 4.5in
Depth from top of crown to brim = 5in

Stitch description : “Bobble St” – 5 hdc in the same st, pull loop of last hdc through top of first hdc

CROWN
R1 : Starting with an adjustable crochet ring, ch1, 6 sc in ring. Pull ring to close. Join. = 6sc
R2 : ch1, 2 sc in each st, join = 12 sc
R3 : ch1, (sc in next 1 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep* until end of round, join = 18 sc
R4 : ch1, (sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep* until end of round, join = 24 sc
R5 : ch1, (sc in next 3 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join = 30 sc
R6 : ch1, (sc in next 4 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join = 36 sc
R7 : ch1, (sc in next 5 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join = 42 sc
R8 : ch1, (sc in next 6 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join = 48 sc
R9 : ch1, (sc in next 7 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join = 54 sc
R10: ch1, (sc in next 8 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join = 60 sc
R11: ch1, (sc in next 9 st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join = 66 sc (diameter at crown should be around 4.5in)
(For a bigger crown size, continue increasing each row as above until desired circumference.)

SIDES
R12 – R18 : ch1, sc in each st across, join = 66 sc (for a deeper hat, increase the number of rows here accordingly)
R19 : ch2, hdc in next 4 st, bobble st, (hdc in next 5 st, bobble st)*, rep * until end of round, join.
R20 : ch2, hdc in each st across, join.
R21 : ch2, hdc in next st, bobble st, (hdc in next 5 st, bobble st)*, rep until 3 st left, hdc in remaining 3 st, join.
R22 : ch2, hdc in each st across, join
R23 : ch2, hdc in next 4 st, bobble st, (hdc in next 5 st, bobble st)*, rep * until end of round, join.

BRIM
R24 : ch1, (sc in next st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round,
R25 : ch1, (sc in next st, 2 sc in next st)*, rep * until end of round, join
(above 2 rows create a slight ruffle at brim)
R26 : ch1, sc in each st across until end of round, join.

Pull loop through and cut. Weave in ends.

Cables & Lace Kimono Cardigan

2008-01-09T10:53:00.000+08:00

There's no other way to say it - I'm a masochist.

My little one is due in about 5 weeks, and when that happens, I don't know if I will even have time to breathe, let alone knit. So the most practical thing to do (knitting-wise that is), would be to knit baby items, or small quick projects like hats, scarves, dishcloths.. you get the idea.

Instead, I cast on for this.

It's my biggest and most ambitious project to date - I've only ever done 1 cable project, and about 3 lace projects in my entire knitting life. Not to mention that this pattern is 10 pages (!) long, is for the 'Intermediate' knitter (I consider myself newbie-ish with a phobia for anything tough) and requires more than 1000m of yarn. All I know is, I saw the pattern, I have the yarn for it, and I cast-on. And after the first 10 rows (at which point the pattern says 'following pattern as established above), I spent another 2 hours trying to figure out which charts to follow and when.

Thankfully, the knitting itself is not tough, it was the actual interpretation of the pattern that got me freaked. So I went to the stationary shop and bought post-it flags and pasted them all over my pattern, and would painstakingly move the flags down each row whenever I worked it. If the flags should drop or anyone should move them by mistake, I will kill them.

In other less stressful knitting news, I found stray balls of yarn in my stash.. they were about 10 years old. Took 2 hours to crochet this little summer hat in a nubbly cotton yarn. It finished up so quickly and turned out so cute that I wanted to go out and buy more of that yarn (go figure).

Feeling high from my superfast hat, I started another bobble hat of my own design. As I was crocheting the third row of bobbles, I noticed that it was an entirely different shade of green from the top of the hat. Knitting 101 - pls make sure that dyelots are the same? Yeah - try telling that to stray little balls of yarn whose labels have disintegrated.

So the bobble hat sits unfinished as I try to convince myself that the yellow-ish tinge in the third row of the bobbles is actually a "design element".

How difficult is it to knit a scarf - conclusion

2008-01-06T20:59:00.000+08:00

OK, we've decided to go with Option 2 - very smooshy, very fast, very red. I had my doubts when I first started, but as I knit along, I began to fall in love with the different tones of red.

As a side note, we may also exercise Option 1 .... we shall see.....

How difficult is it to knit a scarf?

2008-01-02T12:23:00.000+08:00

Mission : Knit a masculine scarf in a rich color by mid-Jan for DH, yarn must be comfortable and luxurious (and preferably has some color variegation or interesting stitch pattern so that I don't get bored).

Sounds easy, you say?

Option 1 : Buy a luxury yarn like cashmere, or qiviut, or (as suggested by some evil knitting buddies...) Buffalo Yarn (yum!) *image from buffalogold weblink*

Pros : It's unique, it's uber soft, it's warm without being chunky, it's certainly luxurious.. and definitely very manly (how can anything called 'buffalo gold' not be manly?)

Cons : What cons? It's Buffalo Yarn! Aside from the small problem of it costing USD70 a skein, of course. Oh, and I probably won't get the yarn ordered and shipped in time. Hmm.

So as I float down from la-la land... I begin to consider other more practical options.

Option 2 : 3 strands of yarn held together for a chunky modern scarf, in a simple 2x2 rib stitch. 1 strand of fingering weight Merino wool in a deep blue-red, 1 strand of Rowan Wool Cotton in a warmer tomato red, and 1 strand of some kidsilk mohair in a brown-red.

Pros : Yarns are from my Japan stash (yes, I have lots of red colored yarn in my stash). Although using up my precious Japan stash takes a lot of courage, I console myself that I can buy more yarn to replenish the stock. More pros : it's a fast knit, the rib pattern is masculine and simple enough, and the subtle color toning of the various shades of red definitely makes a statement without being too fussy.

Cons : Wonder if the chunky homespun look is too funky for DH?

Option 3 : A more traditional looking scarf, in leftover Rowan Cashsoft Aran in a dark slate gray, using a double moss stitch pattern for some texture.

Pros : Certainly classic enough. Understated elegance in a very comfortable yarn.

Cons : Don't know if I have enough of this yarn left... only 2.5 balls... thats like 220+ yds or so. Plus this will definitely take longer.

I tried various other combinations but the results of those are simply too ugly to be shown and are a testament to my lack of colour sense.

At this point, I remind myself that I'm overthinking this scarf and should probably just go have a cuppa tea and a soak in the tub.

Last FO of 2007, first WIP of 2008

2007-12-31T13:27:00.000+08:00

Though it was not a deliberate attempt, I managed to squeeze in one last FO before the year ends. Here is the baby bolero from One Skein book, done in the same yarn as the pattern called for, a most sumptiously soft Blue Skies Organic Cotton. This is one of those magical yarns that, once cast on, simply glides and floats through one's fingers... and before you know it, the entire skein is gone, and all one can do is give a wistful sigh that such beautiful yarn is used up.

Another WIP that I cast on 2 nights ago (yes while in the midst of trying to finish my Tuscany shawl as well). 'Wisp' published by knitty. Maybe it's the rainy spell we've been having, but I itched to touch silky halo-y mohair yarn, and those who know me know that I literally itch and break out in a rash as soon as I do. But this 'Silkid Fine' by Puppy Yarn (55% mohair, 45% silk) that I found in my Japan stash, defies all previous mohair-itch experiences and I love it so much that I've been knitting non-stop the past few days. Look, Ma, no itch!

More sparkly stuff

2007-12-26T17:20:00.000+08:00

More practice pieces, trying out different lengths and shapes of ear wires

Finally learnt how to wire wrap the top of the briolette bead

I need another pair of ears

2007-12-23T16:05:00.000+08:00

Happy Holidays everyone!

I've been holed up at home and madly indulging in all my crafts, and I must say this is a great way to spend the Christmas season. The rest of the time I've spent trawling through the beading shops in Singapore and buying packets and packets of swarovski crystals, and strands and strands of stones and beads.... bliss....

Results of the hobby immersion week :

Earrings... several pairs made over 2 days - I need another pair of ears to wear them all. Am sure my neighbour has fun watching the waddly preggie lady sitting in the balcony in the mornings, in pajamas, with a cup of coffee and a different earring dangling gaily from each ear.

More earring pics here

On the knitting front, I've been working on the Tuscany Shawl from 'No Sheep' book, in Handmaiden Seasilk. This yarn totally lives up to it's reputation - it's addictive and I'm already plotting for another colorway soon. Wasn't in love with this particular browny colorway until I realised that the tatting thread that I bought and some recent bead purchases are also in the "Tigereye" color scheme.... Oh great.... Now when I obsess about a color, I have 3 hobbies to stash it in!!

Iro Iro tats and beads

2007-12-11T15:12:00.000+08:00

Lately I've been thinking about changing my blog name.. cos Iro Iro no longer only knits, she has been tatting, and beading, and lately seriously contemplating making bears again.

This is what I've been up to in a sudden burst of inspiration - all in like 2 days.

Tatted using : (left) Oren Bayan thread, motif from Blomqvist and Persson's book, (right) "Forest" in Size 80 from Yarnplayer, Christmas tree motif from an old booklet. This is my first time using Size 80 thread and I have to say, it's not for me... I much prefer the crispness and solid feeling of Size 30 knots!

Stitchmarkers! This was what started the whole beaded jewellery craze for me.... I've been practicing those triple loop headpins (those flowery looking ones) cos I love the look so much. The last 3 markers are a combination of beads & tatted motifs.

Christmas themed earrings in Green and Red ... I like 'em long and dangly so these are gonna be for me.

Pendants. From top left : Egyptian Nile (the wire wrapping and color combi just reminds me of Egypt), Mistake Key (cos I made so many mistakes that the wire kept getting cut shorter and shorter and in the end there was only space for 3 little seed beads), Oriental Xmas (christmassy colors in jade and clear quartz), and bottom : Green Chalcedony on silver.

Petal Bibs from One Skein book

2007-12-08T20:33:00.000+08:00

Petal Bibs done up in pink and green - one of my favourite color combinations. Butterfly Super 10 cotton is fantastic for bibs - it's not rough on skin, yet in a DK to light worsted weight, it works up fast and is hardy enough. Used a slightly smaller needle (3.75mm) so that the bibs wouldn't be too floppy.

Petal Bibs taking a bath to even them out. They were all wrinkly and the edges were all curled up. No idea if it was the yarn, all those short-row shaping, or just me - but they behaved after that.

Posing with a matching 2 color silk changing mat from Blu Lily.

A last minute present

2007-12-06T15:12:00.000+08:00

As if I didn't have enough hobbies, the notion of beading popped into my head one day. Nothing fancy, mind you, just the bare basics to make a simple pair of drop earrings, maybe. I really don't have enough space for stash for another hobby.. horrors.

This morning I toyed around with a tatted floral motif, and thought how pretty it would look as a pendant for a little girl. So I found the basics on YouTube (how to make a wire-loop, how to open & close jump rings)... and came up with this :

The pearl bead has its coating completely worn off at the top cos I abraded it so hard with one of the pliers. The gold coating of the wires has also been rubbed black in certain places where I had struggled to make a loop... and I'm pretty sure the bead doesn't hang quite straight. In spite of all that, there is a certain sense of satisfaction - my first piece of hand-made, hand-tatted jewellery. Ta-dah!

I also found the perfect brown choker and fushcia jewellery pouch in my stash to complement the pendant.. Nothing makes me happier than digging around in my stash to find matching materials to finish a project - it's like going to my very own craft supplies store in my pajamas......

This little pendant is now ready to be gifted. Not bad at all for a morning's worth of work. Now just cross your fingers for me that nothing drops off....

Baby Blossom Dress

2007-11-29T10:07:00.000+08:00

Pattern : Blossom, by Melissa Wastney (published by Magknits)
Yarn : Sirdar Pure Cotton 4 Ply in Cream
Needle : 3.5mm

This turned out really cute and it was such a fast & simple knit too. I started it on a Tues evening and probably had it done by Friday. I find that if I just cast on without worrying too much about fit and gauge and wearability, I can actually start and finish a knit pretty quickly. Shows the paralysing effect of overthinking...plus the fact that the recipient's mommy was gonna be induced that very evening of course!

The original pattern had embroidered flowers, but being totally useless with that, I opted to personalise the dress with my latest passion. I had several tatted motifs that were made when emptying the shuttles, and was pretty excited about just sewing those motifs on with 'invisible thread' aka monofilament or beading thread, so that nobody could spot my lousy sewing skills.

Lesson No. 1 - Invisible thread is invisible not only to others, but also to the sewer.
Lesson No. 2 - It's in-VI-sible; not in-VIN-sible - tugging too hard breaks the thread and it takes the patience of a saint to locate the break point and redo.

It took me nearly 2 hours to sew on those motifs. Will take clearer pictures when my eyes stop crossing and my hands stop shaking....

Surfing eBay in the wee hours

2007-11-12T10:37:00.001+08:00

Well folks, this is what happens when I can't get to sleep cos the little one is inventing some new form of kick-gymnastics in my tummy. Started randomly surfing eBay and found a store selling the Turkish tatting threads that I love so much. And because I have to blame someone / something, I blame the wonderful seller of Demi's & Julie's Crochet Heaven for being so responsive and nice, and uhhh.... I blame the pregnancy hormones.

Here are the results of my insanity - all 27 balls of them. They are gorgeous & I'm torn between leaving them intact in the ziploc bags and never ever using them, or immediately tatting something of each color... arggh.

Peaches

Blues

Pinks

Purples

Yellows & Black

Greens

More tatting

2007-11-06T16:45:00.000+08:00

Remember when I said I had a new addiction? Well....

More floral bookmarks (from left) : Altin Basak Size 50 thread, Yarnplayer "Snocone" Size 20, Flora Size 20, Altin Basak Size 50. I love the smoothness of the Altin Basak thread but it is a little soft if you prefer the sturdy bookmarks. The size 20 threads seem to hold up to bookmark abuse better. I spent about 2 hours at Spotlight picking out the perfect shade of ribbons to match these thread colors... talk about obsession. These are gonna be for gifts for some old school friends of mine.

My first tatted cross. I used relatively fine thread and a basic cross pattern from "The Complete Book of Tatting" by Rebecca Jones .

Some motifs, and a little experimenting with bead tatting. I found these beautiful Japanese seed beads that were green lined with pink (leftmost motif), but somehow the beads are kinda lost in the motif. The centre motif seems to showcase the pearl beads much better.

The tricky thing about motifs - what in the world do I do with them? Tatting books tell us to use them as notecards or greeting cards, though the idea is sweet and beautiful, but since I'm one of those who tend to throw cards in the bin (yes, sorry, shame on me), I can't expect others not to do the same. Maybe keychains...? Ideas are welcome.. in the meantime, I'll just keep tatting 'em!

Another type of lace

2007-10-28T11:30:00.000+08:00

Instant gratification is my middle name. Some might say this is the result of being an only child but I leave these Freudian theories to more qualified people. All I can say is, life is short, why not spend time on pretty things that makes one happy?

Enter my newest instant gratification addiction - tatting.

With tatting, I don't have to plan for hours in advance, thinking of whether to make it a cardigan or a sweater, substituting different yarn to achieve that perfect gauge, and then spend days or weeks worrying about whether I got gauge and whether that size will fit the recipient.

With tatting, I just pick up any color thread that grabs my attention, select a random motif or bookmark, load the shuttle and go. If I make a mistake along the way, I cut it off and start again. No commitment, no hours of endless worry, no advance planning needed.

And at the end of that hour or two, I have a delicate piece of lace. And I can then think about what I want to do with it.. or simply just hold it and admire the crisp knots and lacey picots.

I have a feeling this addiction is here to stay...

Tatted floral bookmark
Pattern : available on the web from Kersti
Thread : Altin Basak Turkish thread in Size 50

Tatted floral vine
Pattern : available on the web somewhere
Thread : DMC Embroidery Floss (3 strands)

Some inspiring sites that showcase the fresher side of tatting :

25 Motif Challenge - a tatting showcase of sorts, lots of pretty motifs

Yarnplayer's Tatting Blog - she sells the most beautiful handdyed threads at her etsy shop

Jon's Blog - beautiful pictures of tatting & tatted items on her site

Threads from a Tatting Goddess - just look at this tutorial on card making

War of the Voices of Baby Items

2007-10-25T14:27:00.000+08:00

Pattern : Easy Baby Knits by Claire Richardson

Yarn : Sublime Merino Silk DK (slightly less than 1 skein)

Voice 1 (aka Angel Voice) - "ohhh this is going to be so squishy and cute"

Voice 2 (aka Demon Voice) - "isn't this yarn kinda hot for our weather?"

Voice 1 - "a little, but it's quite light weight so it shouldn't stifle the baby"

Voice 2 - "it's too small, how are the baby's hands gonna stretch in that"

Voice 1 - "most babies curl up their fingers, and anyway the yarn stretches"

Voice 2 - "baby will snag a nail in the loose weave and will probably end up yanking out her entire nail"

Voice 1 - "but look at those cutie matching ribbons I found in my stash that matches the yarn perfectly..."

Voice 2 - "what if baby chokes on the ribbon when it comes undone"

Voice 1 - ".....but, but.."

Voice 2 - "besides which, Mothercare sells those for like $10 for 3 pairs, you're gonna take forever to make them"

Voice 2 - "and your mom will put those in the dryer and shrink them, then they definitely won't fit anymore... /evil snickering

Voice 1 - /concedes defeat and is silenced forever

Game, Set, Match - Demon Voice
And I thought that knitting baby items would be easy...

Re-discovering old WIPs

2007-10-09T10:50:00.001+08:00

Hey, lookee what I found while unpacking!!

This WIP brings back such memories... I had bought the kit while in Tokyo in Nov 2006, from this impossibly elegant yarn studio called "Mother Earth". I still recall the crisp morning autumn air as I dragged my poor husband through the streets of a suburban neighbourhood, desperately scanning for signs that scream 'YARN' to me. I had even dug up my courage to enquire (in horribly rusty Japanese) of a passerby as to where the shop was.. only to have her reply (in perfect English) "oh sorry i'm not local". Hmmm.

We finally found the quiet little storefront, tucked away in a corner. The soft tinkling of the bell as I opened the wooden door, the comforting smell of lavender & rose oils in the air, and the subdued, mellow shades of cones and cones of natural-dyed yarn adorning an entire wall; awakened all my senses. This was and still is yarn heaven for me.

Needless to say, I did major damage there, and in the process, horribly shocked the soft-spoken owner when I nearly bought entire cones of yarn off the wall. She actually refused some purchases. My favourite was the scarf kit above that is made up of little crochet motifs. The center of each motif uses yarn naturally dyed from the Sakura plant, and the edges are in a whisper-light mohair. The colors go together so harmoniously and the motifs come out so delicately that I recall thinking to myself that I will never use big needles or bright colors ever again... such was the influence of that shop experience.

And in case u think I made up such a shop...

The one that took 6 months..

2007-09-12T19:45:00.000+08:00

I was gonna attend a play. Previously whenever I'd attend a play I've always regretted bringing along a commercially-purchased pashmina. This time - I tell myself, I will bring my Madli shawl with me.

I dreamily envisioned the lustrous dark purple shawl that will go so beautifully with my black dress and dark nail polish... then my imagination was given a swift kick in the butt when I realised that my Madli shawl had another 75 rows to go, plus grafting, plus ends to be woven in, plus blocking. Not to mention this was a project that I had started in June and it was now Sept and I hadn't felt like picking it up at all for the past few months. This would also be a good time to inform my ambitious imagination that the play was to be at 2pm the next day.

Talk about working on a deadline. I actually managed it. Stayed up till 2am and got the whole thing grafted, blocked and all. Draped it casually around my shoulders the next day while hanging around in the theatre foyer waiting for the play to start.

And then I promptly dropped the shawl into the toilet bowl during intermission.

Some projects just have a tougher life than others.... Here are pics of it while it was clean.

Knitting makes it to our newspapers!

2007-07-28T04:16:00.000+08:00

There was on article printed by the New York Times on July 12th - titled "The Knitting Circle Shows Its Chic". The article can be found at the NYTimes site (registration required), and it's also referenced at this blog.

News articles about craft and knitting in USA are gradually getting more attention as people all over search for individuality & meaning in this 'self-enrichment' era. However this time, this same article was re-printed in Singapore's very own 'URBAN' supplement that was out this week Thursday! The article even had a picture of Teva Durham, sitting on a couch & surrounded by her knitted pieces. It was unbelievable, I'm almost tempted to write in to Straits Times & congratulate them for finally getting an editor that realises that knitting in Singapore is not limited to only aunties in Chinatown and/or sleazy little shops in remote HDB heartlands. There are many knitters here, most of us have not had bifocals (yet), and we're all well connected to the web & the blogosphere, and we can even operate iPods, DS Lites and PDA phones. Woot!

All I can say is - well done, Straits Times.

Crochet Ripple Baby Blanket

2007-07-19T18:24:00.000+08:00

I've recently had the attention span of a gnat.. This means no energy to follow the Madli shawl lace pattern that changes every other row. This means no energy to search for the next perfect pattern, dig in my stash for the perfect yarn, swatch & cast-on... Therefore, this means zero knitting action for the past 2 weeks.

I'm developing a theory that this has to do with the way I knit. Since I'm a relatively new knitter, I tend to hunch over my knitting and bring the work rather close to my eyes, which tires me out very quickly versus something like crochet, where I can crochet lazily in an almost horizontal position. Crochet also suits my current ADD-like frame of mind, where I can just quickly put in a couple of double-crochets and then put it down without trying to finish the row.

So here's what I started on last night - a crochet ripple baby blanket in colours that remind me of the mediterranean sea, in soothing shades of greens and blues. I have no idea if the recipient will be a baby boy or girl but who's to say little girls can't wear blue - I mean, look at a mermaid's tail. It's blue, and green, and a mermaid is undeniably female. So there. (Yes I know I lost the logic there somewhere but such is my lethargy that I'm not editing that)

This is done in a very simple ripple pattern, in sirdar 4ply cotton. In order to prevent the dreaded stiff & crunchy crochet texture, I've gone about 2 sizes up on the hook and am using a 3.9mm hook. The resulting fabric is airy, drapey and very soft. I hope it will be a nice summer blankie for our humid tropical weather.

Knitting funk.. & a recipe

2007-07-03T21:10:00.000+08:00

I'm in a knitting funk lately. Only 1 WIP on the needles - the Madli lace shawl - which I've knit maybe an inch since my last post. And I have no urgent desire to cast on for anything new. Been busy with life lately and my knitting is taking a little backseat for now. I need a kick-ass project to get me off my butt!!

In return for no knitting and no pictures, I thought I'd post a 'Cheaty Udon Soup' recipe that I make for dinner pretty regularly. It's slightly tangy and salty and soupy and takes only 20min to cook - really good for those days when you're dead beat but don't want to eat outside food. I call it cheaty cos I don't use authentic chicken stock (& i hate the fake taste of stock cubes), but the preserved vegetable acts as a readily available soup base.

Iro's Cheaty Udon Soup Recipe (portion for 2)

Ingredients
2 tomatoes (slice in half)
2-3 clove garlic (slightly mashed to release the taste)
1 small packet of preserved vegetable or 'szechuan vege' (can be found in cold storage)
Vege of choice - I usually use Japanese cabbage
1 packet beef (the Japanese shabu shabu beef is especially yummy but any sliced beef will do)
1 packet of enoki mushrooms (rinsed well & with base trimmed off)
1 packet tofu (cubed)
Chilli padi, usually 3-5 depending on chilli tolerance (sliced)
2 packets udon

1. Rinse preserved vegetable well to get rid of surface oil
2. Put garlic & preserved vegetable in pot & add about 2-3 bowls water. Bring to the boil.
3. Add in tomatoes, enoki shrooms, and vege and boil for another 10min
4. Add in beef and cook quickly (so it's not overcooked). Remove beef from soup once brown.
5. Add in tofu, udon, chilli padi and let simmer for few more minutes.
6. Add pepper & a little salt to taste (the preserved vege & tomatoes are already salty).
7. Serve steaming hot :D

7 random things

2007-06-20T13:16:00.000+08:00

I was tagged by Lois some time ago for this meme, took me forever to think of 7 random/semi-interesting things about me. And since I'm relatively new to the knitting blogosphere, have still not thought of who to tag. Oh well, here goes for now :

1. I drink coke with salt. The salt makes the coke colder, reduces the fizzy bubbles & removes that metallic after-taste. Also, it's said to be a really good remedy for sore throats. Try it

2. I have an obsession with red lipsticks. I'm forever looking for the 'perfect' red - not too blue as it clashes with my Chinese skin; not too orange, but just right with a tinge of brown. However I seldom wear red lipstick. I just like to open the tube to look at the creamy texture & color.

3. I change my hairstyle everytime I go to the hairdressers - even for a trim. It's this inability to say 'no' whenever the hairstylist suggests a 'new look'. Guess this is a safe way to express my individuality & take small risks?

4. I drink my morning coffee sitting on my bathroom floor. It's very clean. Enuff said.

5. I love onigirii. Not the fancy exotic sushi-type, but basic, comforting onigirii rice ball, with a little grilled salmon in the middle, fresh seaweed wrapped around it, with just a tinge of plum powder. The best onigirii i ever ate was at a roadside stand in Tokyo, where the rice ball was warm & slightly salty, and the seaweed crisp & fresh. Droool

6. I read really fast. I take maybe 2 hours to finish a paperback chick-flick type of book. When I was young, my idea of a perfect day would be to stock up 3-5 books, and spend the afternoon in bed reading & eating instant mash potatoes.

7. I am allergic to rust & dust. No, this isn't a ploy to get out of housework. I recall a time in school when we had to use sandpaper to remove rust from the chairs & tables. I had hives allover after that and had to get an injection and was sick for the next week or so. (And I was also excused from the table/chair cleaning exercise, hehe)

The dreamiest holiday of them all

2007-06-17T17:01:00.001+08:00

I heard about this on Brenda Dayne's latest episode of Cast-On, and had to pause the podcast to check it out immediately. Now DH is probably wondering why I'm typing so furiously with a secretive smile on my face.

Tactile Travel. In Italy.

Textiles, Yarn, Knitting, Food, Shopping. Did I mention, in Italy?!?

What a breathtaking travel idea. Now, this is what I call a dream holiday. I'm saving the weblink, just in case...

Madli Progress

2007-06-16T15:12:00.001+08:00

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement on my rather unusual start to Madli's shawl :)

I'm glad to report that I've successfully ventured into the center portion of the shawl pattern & am enjoying the 'wave' motifs very much. Unlike my first Kimono shawl, this does not have any glaring errors (so far). I'm about 6 reps into the center pattern (25 more to go), and the experience of knitting with the Zephyr lace yarn + addi lace needles is almost magical. I'm once again addicted to lace...

Progress on Madli

Zephyr yarn in Plum

In other knitting/crochet news, I'm making up several of these coasters for a friend's housewarming gift. He likes natural earthy home decor items (think unpolished wood and rough ceramic bowls), so I'm using this raffia-type yarn in keeping with the rustic feel. Simple single crochet in spirals, with a backward crochet edging. The yarn is too busy for anything more.

I am the Thumb?

2007-06-14T11:33:00.000+08:00

You Are the Thumb

You're unique and flexible. And you defy any category.Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well.You are a natural leader... but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few.
You get along well with: The Middle Finger
Stay away from: The Pinky

What Finger Are You?

Err.... this is me? I sound scary.

Madli trouble

2007-06-12T21:14:00.000+08:00

My 2nd lace shawl project (Madli's Shawl by Nancy Bush, from IK Summer 2004) has been jinxed from the start. I finished the 26 row border each time, only to mess up and had to painfully rip it - and I did this a total of 4 times!! The pattern requires a lot of concentration, and my brain tends to drift off when I knit... Obviously the shawl didn't like competing for brain space with mundane thoughts such as 'what shall we have for dinner?'

On the 5th try, I finally got past the border, put a lifeline there (Pearlie White Anti-bacterial Floss for the winz), and happily knitted really fast for another 3 inches or so. When I finally stopped to congratulate myself on my intensely prolonged attention span, this is what I found :

Two. Borders.

Seems that I repeated the border pattern a 2nd time instead of starting on the actual shawl pattern. I bet these are the same brain cells that direct me to drive the wrong way REPEATEDLY, even though I tell myself NEVER to drive via that way again.

There is no way I am going to rip this again (plus I worry for the state of the delicate lace yarn), so I've decided that my Madli shall just have 2 borders.

Pretty Yummy pics

2007-06-08T13:18:00.000+08:00

From C-Cup. These people are really busy, there's a wait & they have stopped taking orders for June or something. These babies are $3 each.. although expensive for such an itty-bitty thing but I can smell the freshness of the strawberry cream & the richness of the chocolate cupcake. Very scrumptious!

From yummy cupcakes to yummy yarn, these are from Scouts Swag. Zephyr Wool/Silk lace-weight yarn. From left : Prepster, Snowbunny, Rosalie.

Join us on the MRT for W.W.K.I.P Day!

2007-06-04T19:21:00.000+08:00

June 9th (Sat) is World-Wide-Knit-In-Public Day!!!

Yippee - I've never joined in any of these before. This will be my very first year. And the Singaporean knitters will be knitting in public, on a very appropriate form of public transportation known as our MRT or Mass Rapid Transit trains. And in answer to some of you.. YES, I know how to buy a ticket okayyy.

I recall for other awareness days, like Breast Cancer Awareness, Health Awareness etc, they always list the benefits of the program to educate people.

So here is my educational message on the health benefits of knitting. I figure we could get the MRT stations to announce it on their PA system on WWKIP day.. yeah.

1. Knitting keeps your brain alert & staves off memory loss. By actively engaging those brain cells when trying to remember charts, or trying to figure out a badly written pattern, knitters can keep mentally alert well into our older years.

2. Knitting helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Instead of spending money on grand, heavy meals in restaurants, knitters have been known to opt to stay at home just so they can knit. Therefore instead of wasting knitting time & yarn money going out for a meal, we make do with that solitary apple left in the fridge. Yumm... healthy....

3. Knitting helps to lower your stress levels & blood pressure. Just ask any knitter who's had to knit round after round of stockinette.. the soothing rhythm of the stitch can be so boring that we actually find our breathing more interesting & start paying more attention to it. Worst case scenario it sends you to sleep & that's a surefire way to relax anyway.

The above is just my rambling and in no way represents any form of medical fact

Finished! Sirdar Just Bamboo Tank

2007-06-03T20:56:00.000+08:00

It's been a little slow on the knitting front, but I'm really happy that I've finished this gift for my SIL way ahead of time for her birthday. Now I have some extra time to shop for a pretty bag to wrap it in. I contemplated getting her a card as well, but we're not a very formal family & even if I bought a card, it would probably just say 'For You', which frankly, I think is a waste of $2.50 that can be spent on lunch.

Here's a picture of it being blocked on the couch. See all those ends hanging out? It will take forever to sew them in, any volunteers?

I panicked slightly after washing, it shrank by almost 2 inches width-wise & I had to really stretch it out & pin it in order to get it to the right size. Makes me wonder how I'm going to teach my SIL to block this... or maybe I shall just tell her never to wash it...? On the other hand, I washed a spare swatch & didnt block it but just laid it flat to dry, after which it relaxed upon drying.. so maybe it will be alright. Thank goodness I made it a size bigger so even if it shrinks it still won't be too tight.

The pattern is from Sirdar, I used about 4.5 balls of the Just Bamboo yarn in Shade 0117 for the medium size. I shortened the torso by about 2 inches, and left out the waist shaping as I wasn't too sure how to re-calculate it, but I will definitely put it in next time as it does look a little bit baggy at the waist.

All in all, I'm really pleased with the yarn, and the pattern is simple & quick enough (took me about 10 days of knitting) to make another someday. Now off to tackle the zillion extremely slippery yarn ends... See ya!

Eco-friendly yarn review

2007-05-25T20:32:00.000+08:00

'Eco-friendly' is the hottest new buzzword on the catwalks nowadays. Just check out these articles by Elle, and Thinkfashion. Fabrics & fibers that are bio-degradeable, chemical fertiliser & pesticide-free, sustainable and renewable are the latest trends in the fashion world today.

The buzz has translated into 'eco-friendly yarns' and this has led to the emergence of bamboo, linen, hemp, soy, organic cotton, even corn yarn! If knitters elsewhere in the world are excited over this, let me tell you that knitters living in tropical climates like us are jumping up & down everyday, and no longer plotting to migrate to someplace with four seasons. We used to have only one sweaty-weather alternative to wool - cotton. Now.. we have all those other exotic fibers, PLUS we get to slap an 'eco-friendly' tag to it & feel good about ourselves!

So with above excuse (reasoning? whatever) in mind, I picked up 6 balls of the Sirdar Just Bamboo yarn - for a simple tank for my SIL's birthday present. All in the name of saving the environment, you see...

This is a 100% bamboo tape yarn that is extremely soft and lighter than cotton. Unlike some of the metallic-looking ribbon yarns, there is only a very slight sheen and it doesn't have any of the crunchiness so often seen in ribbon yarns. The resulting knitted fabric is soothingly drapey, elegant, soft & light; and slightly cool to the touch (although actually, that last bit could be due to the air-conditioning..)

The yarn is roughly worsted weight (19st to 4 inch), using a 5.5mm needle. The yarn is a joy to knit with as it doesn't split and even though it is slightly slippery, it is not unmanageably so.

I chose a light tan color - not the most exciting but I think it showcases the simple pattern well. The only quibble I have about this yarn is the rather small color selection - muted shades of rose, lilac, blue, and neutrals - would definitely have preferred a wider range with darker shades or jewel-tones.

Now that I've tried bamboo.... some Amaizing corn yarn.. anyone?

Explaining 'yo'

2007-05-23T21:23:00.000+08:00

"p1, yon, k4, s1, k2tog, psso, k4, yfwd, yrn, pl, k1"

In that 1 row of instructions alone, there are 3 terms that got me scratching my head - 'yon' (yarn over needle), 'yfwd' (yarn forward), and 'yrn' (yarn round needle)... huh? I tried moving the yarn forward & back to try and imitate what the terms must surely be telling me to do, but only succeeded in looking like I invented some kind of new knitting dance.

Finally I did an online search & roughly managed to understand that these were all terms referring to 'yarn-over', the difference in each term just depended on whether the yarn-over was done between knit or purl stitches.

Therefore, if the sequence is :
k1, YO, p1 - that YO is called a 'yfwd' + 'yrn'
p1, YO, k1 - the YO is a 'yon'
k1, YO, k1 - the YO is a 'yfwd'
p1, YO, p1 - the YO is a 'yrn'

I may be over-simplifying matters but isn't a yarn-over just that - taking the yarn from front to back over the right needle? What is done to the yarn after that will be whatever is normally done - i.e. bring the yarn in front if the next stitch is a purl, and bring the yarn behind if the next stitch is a knit. Why make it so complicated?

Oh well, guess this falls under the same category as single crochet / double crochet between American & British terminology... you say 'to-MAY-toes', I say 'to-MAH-toes'...

The Clapotis Rite of Passage

2007-05-20T16:51:00.000+08:00

Some say that the Clapotis scarf is a rite of passage.. thousands of knitters who have online web access have heard of this pattern since it was first published in 2004.. I mean, just look at the 3,006 photos in Flickr!

I am very glad to have completed this rite of passage & can finally call myself A Real Knitter! I love the pattern - I love the way the accordian pleats scrunch up to form a cushy warm scarf, the way they open up to become a little shoulder-warmer in freezing cinemas, the way it drapes and hangs when worn. I am definitely going to make another - maybe in a luxurious silk or a soft cashmere - something that doesn't exfoliate my skin so much.

P.S. Mr Noro, I apologise for all the less-than-complimentary words I've thrown your way when working with the yarn.. the color striping is simply magical.. I did not try to match the stripes at all, I just knitted and knitted and yet the color changes are so gradual and just perfect. You are da man!!! (but I still think I will stay away from your yarn for a while)

Pattern : Clapotis by Kate Gilbert (published in knitty.com)

Yarn : Noro Silk Garden in #243 (mauves/lilac/purple/greens/browns/black), 5 balls

Needles : Clover Bamboo Circulars in 5.0mm

Size : 23 x 56inch; done with 9 repeats (vs 13) in the straight section

My hunky male model

A full-length shot

Super-duper blurry artistic close-up shot

Modelled on husband's coat (& leaving lotsa mohair fuzz in the process)

Waves in the ocean

The definition of '100m'

2007-05-19T19:47:00.000+08:00

I'm feeling rather short-changed at the moment.

There is just no way that my last ball of Noro Silk Garden is '100m', as the label says. I know that the label yardage is just an estimate but surely.. there cannot be anything more than 50m in that last skein.. unless the length of every bit of twig and hay is also meant to be added to the yardage? Hmmm...

I was very careful to take note of my yardage at the beginning, so I am absolutely sure that I used up exactly 1 ball (or 100m) to knit from the beginning up to the entire increase section. According to the pattern, the decrease section is basically a mirror-image of the increase section, right? Therefore, it should also take 1 ball (or 100m... see I'm smart) to complete the decrease section. But it sure doesnt look that way at all!!

When I'm done sitting here snarling at the little pouf of yarn left, I shall have to make a decision to either rip back & make the scarf even shorter, or buy another ball of yarn online. Snarrrl.

Clapotis Progress

2007-05-17T14:26:00.000+08:00

I've temporarily put aside all my other works-in-progress (WIPs) and have been working exclusively on the Clapotis this entire week, because :

1. I'm addicted to the pattern & to the parts where I get to drop stitches, although it is not as fun in this Noro Silk Garden yarn as the stitches don't really slide down smoothly; it requires a gentle tugging of the loops 1 row at a time as some bits stick together. (Note to self :try this in slippery silk someday for added kick)

2. I love the way the scarf drapes and has that scrunchy, organic texture to it.

3. Actually I'm speeding through this as I don't enjoy working with the yarn. It sheds, leaves bits of twigs and pokey bits on my clothes, and I am forever anticipating the next clump of prickly seeds or whatever. My hand hurts and I yearn to touch soft smooth yarn again - preferably silk or cashmere please.

OK, enough whining, here are some progress shots.

It suddenly dawned on me last night that I may have to shorten this significantly as I only have 5 balls of yarn (545yds vs the 600+ the pattern calls for). Don't ask me why I didnt look up yardage earlier - I just assumed that 5 balls was plenty for a 'scarf'. Doh me.

Anyways, here's my logic : I took 1 ball to finish the increase portion, and another 2 balls to complete 6 repeats of the straight section. So I figure I should be able to squeeze in maybe 8 or 9 repeats with my 4th ball, thus leaving me with the 5th ball to complete the decrease section.

Ladies & gentlemen, I ask for your utmost focus in crossing your fingers along with me in hopes that my logic works.

This is why it's called Silk 'Garden'

2007-05-15T12:20:00.000+08:00

My bed has bits of pokey twigs in it. This is because I knitted the Clapotis (in Noro Silk Garden) in bed last night. Even though I had a towel over my leg - all the better to dispose of those bits of twig & seeds from the yarn, m'dear- many stray bits still landed on the bedsheet.

Here's a picture of the culprits.

WIP update

2007-05-14T13:11:00.000+08:00

Clapotis in Noro Silk Garden #243 (lilac/purple/green/black)

I'm actually much further along than what this picture shows, have managed to get to the drop stitch part of the scarf. I really like this pattern, it's easy enough and yet not mind-numbingly boring. The Noro yarn though, is another story - I have a love/hate relationship with it. When it's good, the drape and the loft is very very good; but when it's bad, the twigs, bits of nests, seeds etc poke my hand and irritate me to no end.

Madli Shawl in Zephyr Plum

Not a lotta love for this lace shawl right now, I'm about 1 rep past the border.. have had to rip out the border 3 times and finally got it right on the 4th try. It was the stitch markers - the pattern has decreases that are worked across the stitch markers and was extremely confusing, so have done away with the stitch markers. I've also had to rip out the center panel pattern couple of times, and it was only cos I had help that I didn't need to rip out more. So Madli is on a little vacation at the moment till the stars align or something.

Summertime Tunic from IK Spring07 in Filatura Cotton. KAL here

This is my TV/anime project - it allows me to read subtitles and laugh at the jokes while knitting rounds and rounds of stockinette. I've already finished the waist ribbing part and now have 11 more inches of stockinette to go. That should last me through an entire season of anime. Thank goodness it's summer year long here.

Rowan Tapestry Scarf + more scarves

2007-05-11T13:57:00.000+08:00

I've been fiddling around with the camera set-up so don't yet have pics of my works-in-progress (WIPs) to show. At any rate I have not yet learnt how to take a decent wip photo...

This is a crochet granny square scarf done using Rowan Tapestry in Potpourri, the colors remind me of the crisp air & soft glow of autumn. Still about 1.5 balls of Tapestry left so I may use it for a pair of Fetching gloves..... so that I match when I travel & dont look so errrm 'touristy'? Actually why is it that whenever I go overseas I never look like the locals and always stick out like a sore thumb? Will matching scarfs & gloves help I wonder?

At any rate, this is what I'm currently going ga-ga over on Flickr :

Chevron Scarf in Koigu KPPPM (yes I know I'm slow getting on the bandwagon)
Rib Scarf in Noro (brooklyntweed does a killer combination)

Someday I will have a whole drawer supply of gorgeous koigu and noro scarves, all prettily done up, waiting for my next trip overseas. In the meantime I can only stare at websites like these and maybe they will reward me for staying so long at their site & give me some free yarn?

Yeah, rite.

Mahogany L-O-V-E

2007-05-06T11:53:00.000+08:00

I've never been a 'browns' kind of gal, but this 880 yds of Handmaiden Sea Silk may just change my mind. The colours are rich & saturated, ranging from the lightest touch of toffee, to a shimmery copper, to a reddish-brown; deepening into mahogany, with the occasional tinge of burgundy thrown in. The hanks are ridiculously fluffy, and I really don't think I want to wind this up for knitting anytime soon. L-O-V-E. This spells baaad things for the future of my yarn stash.

On the topic of yarn stash, I attempted to take inventory yesterday, but got distracted by all the yummy yarns that had to be squished & fondled, and all the surreptitious casting on "just to see what it looks like". As of last count, I have 30,000m of yarn in my stash. That's 30km. That's the distance from Tuas to Bedok.. and more than the distance from the southern to northern tip of our island...

Loot from Europe

2007-05-04T16:17:00.000+08:00

Remember this painful episode?

Here are my replacement needles - hand-picked & air-flown by the finest connoisseurs, all the way from Europe! (actually they are non-knitter friends but considering the amount of stuff they bought back some major ass-kissing is in order)

Not 1, but 3 Addi circular needles! (3.5mm 60cm, 3.5mm 80cm in Bamboo, and 3mm 80cm)

After several international calls & frantic surfing at the GGH site to confirm colours, they also bought for me:

14 balls of GGH Scarlett (100% Egyptian cotton in a fingering wt).. very soft & shiny. Colors : Fire Engine Red, Lilac/Dusky Rose, and a Creamy Biege. I'm so itching to make camis like this.

5 balls of GGH Linova (74% cotton, 26% linen) in an aqua-green shade.

And a free pattern which I'm having the hardest time photographing due to it's shiny surface so you'll have to take my word that it's a very pretty lace sweater in a very foreign (German) language. Thank goodness for lace charts. Gonna bring it along to the next knitout so smarter knitters can help me figure it out.

I was told that my friends felt uncomfortable in the yarn shop as the shop lady was just standing there looking at them while they attempted to buy something... so if there are any Viennese yarn shop owners reading this (somehow I am highly doubtful, but just in case) - pls be nice.... Non-knitters can buy a lot of yarn too!

P.S. Thanks to my wonderful friends for helping to increase my yarn stash :) See their hol pics here..

Trivia for the Knitting-Obsessed

2007-05-03T16:03:00.000+08:00

You are an obsessed knitter when:

1.You wander to the craftroom to touch your yarn before you brush your teeth in the mornings

2.Your friends go travelling & take pictures of yarn stores & yarn for you

3.Your husband refers to the grocery supplies as 'stash'

Kimono Shawl - to block? or not?

2007-04-29T23:31:00.000+08:00

I've never been a very adventurous person. This was evident when I finally bound off the last stitch on my kimono shawl at 3am last night, looked at the blue squiggley pile that's occupied the past 4 weeks of my life, and decided that I will not block it.

Yes - you heard right. I just cannot bear to think of the multiple potential problems that might arise with blocking - what if the color ran? what if i used the wrong shampoo & the yarn felted or something? what if... what if...it stretched & stretched like the rubber arms on that Fantastic 4 guy? So in my sleep deprived state, I thought it looked very pretty just as it was and didn't need blocking.

This morning my inner Aries decided to show up, and I worked up my courage to block it. It wasn't easy as I had used 3.6mm needles at 1 end, 3.0mm in the middle, and 3.25mm needles at the other end. Long story .. see earlier blog entry. Let's just say I spent a lot of time on my knees arranging pins.

100+ pins later

Blocked size : 19inches x 70inches (I only did 23 pattern reps but it's definitely long enough)

Posing prettily with the paper gift bag that I happened to find that matches so perfectly

I found an entire row missing only when I took this shot - it's cropped out of this picture, no sense posting a permanent record of my mistakes now, is there?

I'm so relieved that this is finally done. Today for the first time in an entire month, I am not knitting lace. And guess what? My fingers feel funny when I pick up my 4-ply cotton. I miss lace, I miss the floati-ness of Zephyr yarn....... I cant wait to cast on for another lace shawl!

Sublime Service

2007-04-23T20:36:00.000+08:00

Pattern : Flair from Knit and Tonic
Yarn : Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran (75% merino, 20% silk, 5% cashmere), Shade 0017
Needles : 5mm Clover Bamboo circulars
Mods : Left out the buttons as big buttons look silly on me. Will use a brooch instead

When I first saw this pattern, I could almost see Kate Moss or Sienna Miller wearing this chunky swingy cropped cardigan atop their skinny black jeans, with boots, a beret, and a 'oh, i just woke up & threw this together' attitude. You see, I was on the hunt for my next project and wanted something 'of the moment' and fashionable, and this totally fit the bill.

There is a special chemistry between the Sirdar Sublime yarn and Clover bamboos - the stitches just hover above the needles and magically form an even fabric without me even trying. The yarn was very soft and yet it wasn't so insubstantial that the cardy would fall apart after a few washes. It was one of those magical projects where even plain stockinette was fun, and as a result, I completely lost track of the yardage and didn't realise that the yarn was being gobbled up. There was not enough yarn to finish the sleeves... Crap.

Abandoning my knitting, I googled "Sublime" (and got some mighty weird & definitely non-yarn-related searches in the process), sent multiple emails to any retailer who carried it, and waited anxiously, my mind frantically searching for other alternatives. Another colour, no sleeves......hmm...

One of the online retailers was kind enough to forward my request to Sirdar, and their sales manager sent me an email, telling me that he had sourced & found 3 additional balls of yarn - in that particular dyelot. YIPPEES. Plus, he mentioned that he would be dropping by Singapore & offered to bring it with him so that I could save on the cost of shipping. Seriously - isn't this the best service? To put it into perspective, Sirdar only has 1 retailer here... so our market isn't big, and yet he was kind enough to do that little extra for little ol' me. If I didnt already love this yarn, I will definitely buy more from Sirdar just for this.

Well, now that I have enough yarn, guess I better go finish the sleeves on this cardy before the trend for cropped jackets is over eh?

Crochet Bucket Hat & Bag

2007-04-13T19:13:00.000+08:00

Pattern : Self-designed, August 2006
Yarn :
Four Seasons Cotton Quick in Fushcia, 1 and ½ balls (main body & base of bag)
Four Seasons Miami in Lilac, ½ ball (handles & big flower)
Scrap Yarn in Light Pink (small flower)
Hook : Clover Crochet Hook Size 5/0

Cost of Yarn : S$15; Cute smile on model's face : Priceless.

ahhhhhh....

2007-04-12T23:47:00.000+08:00

Dear Customers, here is a sneak preview of the new knitting needle brought to you by iroiroknits. Ergonomically designed to assist knitters who enjoy the challenge of knitting with only one bent needle. Precision engineered to an angle of 12.9 degrees for your ultimate knitting pleasure. Sculpted to the most pleasing aesthetic - by my very own left kneecap.

Kimono shawl update

2007-04-11T19:11:00.000+08:00

No pics today, just a quick update on the Kimono shawl. I'm onto repeat number 6 out of the 25 that's indicated in the pattern. I think there are little gremlins who sneak into my room & undo the lace while I'm asleep...

Heard some news today which made me a little down, and treasure my health, and the health of my loved ones. Ok - not so much treasure as 'start to obsess about'. It also gave me a huge sense of urgency to finish the Kimono shawl, so that it can be a source of comfort.

Given our tropical weather, I've always thought of a shawl as a frivolous accessory. But I hope that this shawl can serve a deeper purpose than that. Hopefully, it will warm up the cold, impersonal air of hospitals & waiting rooms. Hopefully, it will also be a reminder that 'you're not alone, we care'

Fetching is done!

2007-04-10T10:42:00.000+08:00

It's done! It's done! These are the best photos I can do till I get actual on-the-road pics <hint hint>.

Great sense of satisfaction even though it may seem like a simple project. I learnt how to cable, how to use (and carry around) dpns and all about that mysterious hole in the thumb. Not bad for 2 days work.

I sailed smoothly along the first glove, encountering none of the problems that others seemed to warn me about. Hole? - nope. Difficulty picking up stitches? - nope. Feeling smug I quickly cast on for the second glove.

I didn't pay as much attention to the second glove (was chatting with fellow knitters over coffee & oogling shade cards...). And lo and behold, as I was picking up stitches for the thumb, I found not 1 but kind of 1.5 holes. eeek. I redid that about 3 times before I realised that I was stretching the stitches & doing more harm than good. So I finally left it alone & used my non-existent sewing techniques to patch it up.

So err Friend, if your right thumb gets a little cold.. just cover it with your jacket k?

Fetching is now taking a little bath in cashmere shampoo.... In the meantime, these are the modifications that I did, mainly to make the glove slightly longer.

Pattern : Fetching from knitty.com
Yarn : Rowan RYC Cashsoft Aran in Shade 003 (Mole)
Needles : 3.5mm dpns, Clover bamboo

Mods :

1. Added 5 more rows to the 18 rows before thumb

2. Added 1 more cable repeat at the top before binding off

3. Bound off in rib stitch instead of picot

4. Picked up 3 stitches one each side of the thumb instead of 2. Decreased 2 st in following row to compensate

Today is my Fetching day... doo da

2007-04-07T11:56:00.000+08:00

Pattern : Fetching from knitty.com

Yarn : Rowan RYC Cashsoft Aran in Shade 003 (Mole)

Needles : 3.5mm dpns, Clover bamboo

Taking a short break from my Kimono shawl this weekend. A friend is leaving for Europe in a week (lucky gal!) and I'm knitting a pair of fingerless gloves to accompany her in style.

We oohed and aahed at the pretty lime & turquoise color combination featured in the Fetching pattern. My friend liked it (actually she liked the turquoise jacket. muggles) but I said "hmmm I've never knit with dpns before"....."I dont think I can learn cables in 5 days!"......"i dont even know what's a cable cast-on"...

All reasoning flew out the window the longer we looked at the picture (there's a strange kind of magic going on there.. Knitty team, what have u done...). I bought my very first pair of dpns, and this yummy merino/cashmere blend from RYC in Mole. Yucky name but the color is gorgeous, khaki with just a tinge of olive. Perfect!

Just a word on this yarn & the pattern... it's addictive. I was worried the glove would turn out all stiff as we were using much smaller dpns.. but the cashmere content has kept it velvety soft. The yarn went so smooth along the bamboo dpns, that I almost cried whenever I finished a round.

Oh, for those new to dpns? Uhmmm after u distribute the stitches on the 3 needles... you are supposed to use the 4th dpn to knit. Not...errr... ahem, try to knit using the existing 3 needles. Just so you know..

Learning to Lace

2007-04-04T10:55:00.000+08:00

It all started with this, and this.

I had wanted to knit a thank you gift for a special person. Feverishly clicking on links, I chanced upon the sites above, and images of my recipient casually draping her handknitted lace shawl while attending a glitzy dinner, starting floating across my mind.

(Incidentally, I also started dreaming of a lace shawl softly floating behind me as I walked serenely along the beaches, the light-weight warmth of the shawl shielding me from the chilly sea breeze. Yes I'm aware there is no chill in the breezes where I live, but it's my dream, honey)

So despite the fact that I didn’t know which way a ‘yarn-over’ was supposed to go, I was determined that I would learn lace. And then I will go find a chilly beach to walk on.

This is the yarn I used. G-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. Jaggerspun Zephyr (wool/tussah silk laceweight yarn) in Aegean Blue, and when it arrived I was so excited. It was soft and light, had a slight sheen, had just the right amount of ‘spring’ to it, and the color was saturated and not at all Sentosa Musical Fountain Blue as I had half-feared. All in all, a very promising beginning.

I spent days scouring the web for the perfect beginner lace pattern. It had to be easy and yet look professional when done. A fellow knitter had shown me her Madli and she assured me that it was relatively easy. It was near the end of our conversation when she oh-so-casually slipped in, “oh & at the end you just graft it together”. Nonononono…. Grafting does not feature in my dreams, thank you very much.

So I picked a simpler pattern – Kimono Shawl from Folk Shawls, took a deep breath, cast-on, and knit. And knit, and knit, and knit – for 20 whole garter stitch rows. Where’s the lace!? I wanna learn lace!

By the end of the first lace repeat, I had a sore left thumb. I was using 3.6mm Clover metal circulars. Between the joint which kept snagging the lace weight yarn, and my tendency to strangle the stitches, I was shoving stitches past the joint more than I was knitting. But the times when I actually got to knit, was really really fun! I was hooked.

So I went to buy a pair of Addis (well, it’s either that or I spend the money on band-aids, and those are not as fun). The slight problem was that the shop only had Addis in 3.0mm. Well, I figured… I’ll just hv to learn how to knit looser.

Ouch. Wonky stitches and irregular holes

If I almost close both eyes and squint at the monitor, it looks quite pretty in a blurry way :)

I was assured that blocking would do wonders. I think people were trying to be kind.

The smell of color...

2007-04-01T11:19:00.000+08:00

I never knew that color had a smell. Or maybe, it always had, and I had just forgotten it.

I had gone to the art supplies shop, intending to purchase pencils for my sketching purposes. Sometimes ideas pop in my head while I am listening to Cast-on or L&V while knitting, but the second I reach for a pen, the idea disappears. It seems that my inner muse doesnt like pens?

So pencils it will be.

I made the mistake of informing DH that I would be buying pencils.. and maybe, 1 or 2 color pencils.. just in case my muse prefers color. He immediately insisted on accompanying me to the art shop & helping me select the appropriately correct & optimal tools for the job. (It doesnt matter that they are just color pencils, it's a PROJECT to him). He convinced me that I really really needed to buy a full set of color pencils, because it would be disastrous if I wanted to draw a chartreuse top & didnt have the correct shade. I stood in the shop for an hour, testing out the pencils, rolling them in my palm, reading the box labels even though some were not in English... and generally pretending that I'm a real artist.

Back home, I carefully opened the flat metal container, and lifted out the 2 plastic trays encasing 36 different colors. I was immediately surrounded by that peculiar combination of woody, waxy smell that I used to smell in art class, many many years ago. I used my brand new fuschia battery-operated pencil sharpener (wanna guess who's idea that was?), and carefully, inserted each pencil in for exactly 3 seconds, trying to make each point just sharp enough but not too crumbly.

Then, I took out a blank sheet of paper & started doodling, tentatively at first, not sure exactly what I should be drawing. The scent of freshly sharpened pencils filled my nostrils and brought me back to days when as a child, I would sit & draw & color the whole day away. It was a simpler, happy time... when we did things just for the enjoyment, not necessarily for a purpose.

This was a feeling which has been missing from my life for far too long. The smell of color has reminded me of that.

Here is my contribution for Project Spectrum 2.0 for the month of April

Flower Garden Granny Squares

2007-03-30T20:27:00.000+08:00

I was overwhelmed by the explosion of colors & combinations of granny squares when I chanced upon this Granny-Along, and their flickr group. So much freshness & color, applied to something so basic & simple to crochet.. this is spontaneous, fun creativity indeed!

Seeing the number of Japanese publications that are coming out, it does seem that granny squares are having a major revival. Or maybe they never left.. just quietly & slowly endearing themselves into classic status? There are squares that are lacy, puffy, cute, earthy, colorful...looking through the Japanese books I have almost convinced myself that I really really must have a granny square rug/table runner/coaster/chair cover....like NOW. pls?

Thus inspired, I dug around in my stash and chanced upon nearly 20 balls of Cleckheaton 8-Ply Wool & Woolcrepe mix.. i had mauve, burgundy red, cream, tan (w a little mohair), variegated greens/purples/browns.. I had bought them separately but wonder of wonders, the colors work! Does this mean that I actually have some color sense..? wow. Or maybe, it just means that I have too much stash...

The motif is from this Japanese book, I really liked the texture of the puffy flower in the middle vs. a traditional granny.

It is so liberating to just pick up a color and crochet a round, pick up another for the next, and another... for someone used to overplanning my projects, this feels really free & refreshing. I would highly recommended this project for those of you who wish to exorcise your inner control freak.

No idea what I'm going to make from these squares yet... for the moment, I'm just having fun. Any ideas?

A little dip to test the waters...

2007-03-30T19:19:00.000+08:00

It has taken several months to ease myself into the idea of blogging. This is essentially a very public activity, and for most of my life, my thoughts have been very private & exist only in my head. This blog is meant to record the bits & pieces of knitting, crochet & craftwork that goes on in my life, and document my growth as a creative person. It will be a place where I see beauty & inspiration. It is a reason to use those cool buttons as I participate in knit-a-longs and stash reduction projects. It is my entry into the knitting/crochet blog world, my little carved out space in this community where knitters are well-read, savvy, and maybe, just a little geeky like me. Really looking forward to the journey ahead!