Yet Another Knitting Blog

I’ve been writing this post in my head but it got stuck between actually having adventures and the fatigue that comes from the same.

Last Friday was Ching Ming, a holiday that was banned in Main Land China until this year. I worked the morning in our empty, empty offices and headed for Kowloon with a list of yarn stores in my hand.

I only had the vaguest notion about where to find any of these places but I knew I could figure it out – eventually. The MTR station was pretty darn easy to figure out. The street? Not so much.

I literally walked in circles around the blocks until I finally found the street that I wanted. However, I didn’t realize how long that street was. Nor did I remember that a lot of streets have fences on the corners so you can’t cross the street. This means that you have to walk a block or two in either direction, cross the street in the direction that you want to go and then walk back to the street on which you want to walk. Sometimes there are elevated walkways but I needed to be able to read the street address on the buildings.

Eventually I came to a section of the street closed to traffic. It was filled with booths selling all sorts of stuff – none of it was tourists. I was in the far Eastern section of Kowloon where very few Westerners go. The booths back-up onto the sidewalk leaving the side walks narrow, dark and very crowded with people trying to get into and out of the shops that are still open for business.

After walking for about an hour, I finally found the yarn shop which is up a level from the street. Here’s how I know that I was in the right spot.



But the door to the upper levels was closed and locked. No worries, there was a bell.



No one answered.

As I turned to leave, there as a Chinese couple who were obviously going to the yarn store too. “It’s closed,” I said. Apparently, they didn’t understand me. The husband tried the bell so I hung out thinking I’d go up if the door opened for him.

No one answered.

So, of course, the wife had to try the bell.

No one answered.

But that was okay, because I have a whole list of yarn stores. I walked back to the MTR station, using the elevated sidewalk. I cut through the MTR station (which cost me $3 hkd) and was at the next store in maybe 15 minutes. I took the corrugated tin lined elevator up to the 5th floor, only to find the door chained shut. I was so demoralized that I forgot to take a picture.

I gave up and met my friend for a late lunch and then cocktails at Aqua

This is one of the places to watch the nightly light show in Hong Kong. We didn’t get to see the light show due to the fact that the harbor was fogged in but I did have a great mojita and scored some cool photo graphs:

This is the lighted floor photographed in reflection on the giant windows that face Hong Kong.





The next two are the sushi bar. None of these photos really communicates who hip or how dark the place is.



Dinner in Lang Kwai Fong and back to the hotel. Yarn would have to wait for another day.

cross posted to the usual places

I've decided to finally knit a sweater. I'm going to try the "Minimalist Cardigan" from the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits. Here's the yarn I ordered:



Isn't it pretty? It's the wrong freaking yarn. It's Cascade Pastaza, not the Cascade 220 that I ordered. So, why am I an idiot? I didn't notice it was the wrong yarn until after I checked the dye lot numbers, paid for five skeins, had the yarn shop ball it for me and got it home.

I've checked out Ravelry for inspiration but nothing I see sweater-wise makes me jump up and down. Plus I think I'd need more for any sweater that needed that bulky a yarn. I'm sure I'll make something out of it. Hmmm, maybe a vest...

I made a few new icons today. Two are generic yarn shots but this is my favorite. The nose in the shot belongs to my collie, Fionn. He thinks he's a cat and loves to play with yarn. I'll have to post the pictures of him with his original "Mr. Yarnyball." The new ball is "Lord God King Yarnyball." Yarnyballs are the best use of the cheapo acrylic yarn that my niece abandoned when she moved out last year, taking only the "good" yarn with her.

Last night while Miss E was at dance class, I met some friends for Happy Hour in bar near the studio. Is it morally bankrupt to spend your daughter's dance class drinking discounted alcoholic drinks? Nnaaahh. Plus I arranged to have fingle pick her up so that I could linger.

I didn't want to bring both my purse/briefcase and my knitting bag while I held down the fort until my friends arrived. So I stuck the curvey scarf into open middle pocket of my other bag. It didn't fit all that well but it would do. Fast forward to 9pm. Happy Hour and dinner are over, we're standing in the parking lot to exchange good-byes. As usual when I see my friend Wally, I can't find anything in my purse. I plop everything on the hood of my car to fish out my keys. I keep dropping needles, yarn & assorted other small items on the pavement. Wally keeps laughing at me. I keep dropping things. I finally find the keys, throw the blasted bag into the car on the passenger side, get in the drivers side, roll down the windows because it's a nice night, gaily wave good-bye and go on my way.

A half mile up the road, I have the following conversation through the open passenger side window with a man sitting in the back seat a silver Escalade.

Me: On the headset talking with fingle
Man: "Excuse me, Miss?"
Me: "Yes?"
Man: "You're not going to believe this."
Me: "You'd be surprised at what I believe." (Chuckling in my ear)
Man: "Well, you have an entire ball of yarn trailing out of your door." (Snort of laughter in my ear)
Me: "Oh, that's easy to believe. Thanks!!"

I pull over and it's five or six yards of loose yarn, plus the rest of the skein. *sigh* I guess I should have taken a picture of what happens when you drag a skein of yarn in the street for five blocks. It was very sad. At least it's relatively inexpensive yarn and not some beautiful hand-spun.

(cross posted to teddystutz

Yesterday, we went to see our friend, Tim Powers at an autograph session for his new book. The bookstore is in what could have been a very dangerous shopping center. Not only is there a book store, there is a knitting shop and a needlework shop. Turns out I don't need to worry about the needlework shop as it was almost exclusively needlepoint canvases. Very little in the way of fiber or fabric for embroidery. Plus, I was given the "I don't know you and I don't want to" look from both the staff and the obviously regular customers.

The yarn store on the other hand... Very small but there was a lot of inventory stashed in there. The owner, Trudi, helped me find a substitute yarn for the baby sweater. It's acrylic mixed with microspun. It doesn't make my teeth hurt at all. Additionally, when I showed her at hat that I want to make for a different baby, she offered me her Tahki Cotton scraps for the little flowers instead of making me buy entire skeins in six or eight colors. I didn't take her up on the offer - yet.

In the completed items category. Here is Fionn modeling version II of the slipstitch hat. It doesn't go as well with my coat as I hoped so I will probably give it as a gift.



I don't usually torture the dog like this but he really did get paid-off in a big way. Rib bones will get me every where.

I've stalled with projects. The slip stitch hat is languishing because I don't like anything I've tried for the top. The last one was too flat. This one is too...stripey? Not slip stitchy? I don't know.

The second sock for my friend Laurie stalled until I could find the book that I've used to knit the other one. I don't have my own "sock recipe" yet. I knit a swatch for another sock with some yarn I bought in Phoenix. It's very thick after knitting with socks on the little needles.

I tried looking for yarn for the baby sweater but the most local Local Yarn Store didn't have much in the baby yarns and everything they recommended was too bulky. The biggest YLS is closed for vacation until the end of next week.

Last but not least, the gorgeous book by the Shackleton Sisters doesn't have yardages. What's up with that?

About five months after the knitting bug bit me, I started to travel quite a bit for work. During the first major trip to Hong Kong, it never even occurred to me to try and find yarn shops. Besides, I was so stinking busy, who had time?

Long about the time that I left on a tour, I had been bitten by a second bug - the "good" yarn bug. The allure of novelty yarns waned (no doubt to wax again around Yule) and the quest for fine yarn began. I made it a goal to try and get to an independant yarn store in every stop the tour made. It didn't happen, what with the crazy schedule and all. On the other hand, I did manage to go to yarn stores in Tucson, San Diego, Seattle and Portland.

So during last week's business in Hong Kong, it occurred to me. HK must have yarn stores. It was owned by the British, for crying out loud! A little Google here, a little map research there and Voila, two yarn store within walking distance of an MTR stop.

After getting turned around several times, I finaly managed to find one shop. Tiny, hidden on the second floor, full of people knitting - none of whom spoke English. Who needs English when you can point at fiber and hold up what you think is the appropriate sized needle? The models in the store were exquisite. All were far beyond my abilities. I didn't think to look at any of the pattern books. I assumed they would be in Chinese.

After much pointing, I left with something I thought was wool and little something else. I took the balls to work hoping that a co-worker could translate the labels. L was able to do that for me - despite the label being written in Japanese not Chinese.



I like how the high gloss on the dresser reflecting the labels.


See how the Chinese characters are made of yarn? Love that!

And, my current WIPs:


The second sock from the yarn I bought in San Diego and another slip stitch hat. The hat is from some Patens Classic Wool and a fancy ribbon yarn from Seattle called "Cleo" in "Denim". Hopefully the finished hat will match my vintage Pringle of Scotland coat.