One done..four to go

I plan to finish 5 scarves by August and am thoroughly enjoying knitting the first one while looking for more patterns. No plain ribbing if possible, but interesting, yet easy and reversible patterns. Here's the first one - Fiona's Scarf.

Pattern : One row hand spun scarf by YarnHarlot

Size : 10" by 63" (unstretched)
Yarn : Katia Azteca, 50% wool 50% acrylic
Amount : 2 x 100gm x 197 yds (used all)
Needles : 6mm

Here's a close-up view of the one row stitch which I totally recommend for anyone looking for an easy reversible scarf pattern. In fact, I'm almost tempted to knit the rest in the same ! Wonder how I'd feel after the 3rd one???

Norwegian Woods and Green Gable FOs

Another enjoyable Sivia Harding knit - my Norwegian Woods scarf

Pattern: Norwegian Woods Scarf by SiviaHarding
Size: 60" x 27" (blocked)
Yarn: Dream in Color - Baby (Laceweight), Flamingo Pie colourway
Amount: 560 yrds
Needles: 3 mm

Green Gable from the cotton yarn bought in Ho Chi Minh City. Notice how the colour pools when I knit across the raglan section and the variegation stablises after? Lesson learnt.

Pattern: Green Gable

Yarn: 2 strands 4 ply cotton (1 variegated 1 white)

Size: 36" Length: 23"

Amount: 350 gms

Needles: 4 mm

More Yarny Loot

And to think I decided there wasn't anything much I wanted when I first went into the shop!!!! Maybe it was because I didn't quite like the shop assistant on the 2nd floor but got rather chumy with Ming on the 3rd.

Ten balls of any yarn is heavily discounted at this place, so you're looking at 2 balls each of 5 colourways of Katia Azteca planned for gift scarves for friends of YL leaving from August through February 09. Then I saw a gorgeous swatch out of the Filo Filu which I'm sure would knit up to a sexy slinky evening shawl..Couldn't resist that.

Ming persuaded me into buying the Japanese Knitting symbols dictionary and a book of 250 pattern samplers (mostly cables) when she found out I couldn't knit from Japanese patterns. I might give it a try one of these days... and there's a magnetic pattern marker too.

Remember the cheapie cotton yarn from the last post? Here's the green-white colourway growing very fast into Green Gable.. I'm using 1 strand of variegated with 1 strand white on 4mm needles. Would you believe the pile of knitting here is out of a single ball of each colour? This picture was taken when I was about to join the 2nd ball of green-white. Gosh! I'm still amazed I can get half a Top out of a RM 2 ball of yarn!!!

Yarny loot

I found the 2 ladies of Le Thanh Ton St ! - as recommended by craftycathy in Ravelry's Asian Knitters forum. They're street peddlers alongside the famous Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh, just 10 mins from Caravelle Hotel where I stayed. Very convenient.
Gosh! it's amazing I lived to post this blog. I had no clue about crossing roads where (really) hundreds of motorbikes were coming towards you from every direction. Terrified, I would wait patiently at the curb for other tourists (esp bigger Westerners) then get myself strategically sandwiched in the middle while waiting for them to start the dash!! I did that at no less than 6 junctions.


The ladies were always packing up by the time I arrived there in the evenings, so never actually got to see all their wares. The quality of their yarn was OK and there's loads of cotton, all in lace or fingering weight though, nothing heavier. I didn't have time to look at wool which were all from China.

Here's the loot after 2 trips to their stalls...33 x 100 gms of 4 ply cotton sold loose and by weight.

Each is less than US$ 0.65!!! and I've no idea what to do with them yet. Bought 10 the first day, went back to the hotel to knit up a quick swatch, washed it for colour fastness and was quite impressed with the subtle sheen and softness. The next evening I went by taxi :) for another 23 balls.

All packed and ready to come home...

Travel project

I've found the perfect project to take with me on my business trips for the next 2 weeks. It's the Woodlands shawl worked on only a skein of sock yarn! The pattern is simple but the 'shawlette' promises to be stunning judging by the projects at Ravelry .


Yarn: The Knittery , Colourway: Earth, Merino Cashmere Sock (60% merino 20% cashmere 20% nylon)

Here's a sneek peek at my Norwegian woods by SiviaHarding which is 1 repeat and Edging short of the finishing line. It's knitted with Dream in Color Baby in the Flamingo Pie colourway. I don't think this is the right colour to show off the design but I am looking forward to wear it with my usual dark office attire.


I'm not sure if there's much chance of knitting relating shopping in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh but any shortfall this end will be compensated with my booking into a hotel right smack in Hong Kong's yarn district of Causeway bay the following week!!! (I've got all the addresses, thanks to Ravelry)
It'll mean a daily two way 45 mins MRT commute to the office but what won't we do for yarn??? I'll have to come up with a sane reason why I HAVE to stay that far away though...

Last minute baby knits

I became a grand aunt for the second time this week and embarrassingly there were no baby knits to welcome Kate! I had clean forgotten her due-date and hadn't bought baby yarn nor planned a project.
Well, I started on a blanket with some Sirdar Snuggles and ran out when it was clear that the FO could only serve as an oversized burping towel! (total denial syndrome-itis again!)
After a frantic search I came up with these....

The Bootees pattern is from a Debbie Bliss leaflet and Magic Slippers by Sockpixie. Aren't they cute???

Yarn: Peony acrylic , Needles: 3mm, size: newborn

Am going to get some feedback on these slippers from the tired but happy mom (her firstborn is a boy), if baby seems comfortable in them and they don't drop off easily, I plan to knit more of these and not bother with another blanket.

Yarn: Sirdar Snuggles, Needles: 3mm, Size: 1-3 mths

Agatha FO

Fresh off the blocking board...I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Pattern: Agatha by thatloganchick
Yarn: Australian wool, 5 ply, Black

Needles: 4mm
Amount: 400 gm (yarn bought without labels and yardage information)
Size: Wingspan - 56" Depth - 25"

Notes: Followed pattern exactly, 4 repeats of main pattern

Would I knit another one? YES!!!

Can't put her down

Not having the recommended DK yarn didn't deter me as I found the remnants of a 5 ply Australian wool which could be a good substitute. It was bought as a scrap bag of about 700gms, no labels, no indication of yardage but there's 450 gms left over from another project which is plenty for Agatha, I'm sure. The yarn quality isn't too great and I would have prefered something softer in a different hue. But it'll do for now, I might knit another with some other yarn later.

I love the pattern, it's well written and the instructions, all 9 pages of them, user-friendly and easy to comprehend. Haven't been able to put it down since cast-on, however I think I will reserve it for daylight knitting from now. Black is a killer on the eyes and tires me out quickly

Here it is after 2 repeats....

Delayed gratification...

It was love at first sight with Agatha-ThatLoganChick and so I proceeded to purchase it at Etsy, planning to cast it on over the weekend.
I've been very good recently, knitting from Stash, so was certain there'd be a suitable wool mix or silky DK yarn tucked in there. Skeins are literally falling out when the cupboard is opened!
Now, how many mornings have we stood staring at the clothes closet ,surprised there's 'nothing to wear' when the bars are sagging with too many hangers? That's that same feeling I had when I searched and triple checked through the Stash for that just perfect yarn I would have bought and forgotten about many moons ago - there must be!
Nope, nothing, I came up with zilch, not even a substitute I might consider in desperation. Hmm...maybe my Stash is not as big as I thought????

Oh well! delayed gratification is good for the knitting soul sometimes and I might as well enjoy the online shopping....
Here's a peek at my WIPs...

Decided to stay with stockinette so as not to 'distort' the colourway, but might change to the Blueberry waffle stitch for the leg. Yarn - Supersock from Cherry Tree Hill in Spring Frost; Needles - 2mm

Office Casual (the third) with Peony acrylic yarn on 3.5 mm needles. I don't have a particular pattern and is winging it as I knit.

MOSS Lacy Wrap

A quickie update from the office!!!
Fresh from the blocking board and put to work right away this morning.

Moss Lacy Wrap by Teva Durham

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, 65% wool 35% silk, DK weight
Amount: 3.1 x 50 gm x 192 yds
Needles: 4.5 mm, Blocked size: 22" x 62"

Next project???? Has to be something a tad more colourful than the FOs I have been churning out the past few months!!!