Bangkok Jam

NB If you're wondering where all the comments went, I've just changed my commenting application to Haloscan. NB


Is Bangkok a great city or what!! My DH calls it a very large small town and that is precisely what is it. It's a jumble of hot and dusty narrow streets with plenty of tall modern buildings on the side. It's a city that hardly sleeps, with plenty of sights, sounds and smells. The people are friendly and the food is delicious although if you're not from this part of the world and don't have a cast iron stomach - avoid the sidestreet stalls and go for the airconditioned food courts in the shopping centers.

I haven't yet uploaded all my photos but will briefly let you have

THE YARN STORE REPORT

First stop is the Emporium Shopping Center - it's the closest to our hotel and boast the most upmarket designer label stores. It also houses the exclusive Emporium Department store which has a fairly large craft section at on the 4th floor. Crossstitch fans will find a Pinn Stitch outlet at one end and some acrylic yarns on the other end of the 4th floor.

There were a few wool and some cotton but the brands were not ones I am familiar with. BUT they had a rack full of Japanese craft magazines and some expensive treasures at the counter behind the glass case namely - A ball winder for around US$35.00 ( which I didn't get) and The Boyes Interchangeable Needle Set for US $120.00 ( which I didn't get either).

To get to the Emporium by BTS ( Bangkok Transport System) or better known as the Skytrain - stop at Phrom Phong Station on the Sukhumvit line - You can access the Emporium shopping center from the station.

The next place I went to was Central Department Store at Chidlom ( same line on the BTS - also with an entrance from the station) on the 2nd Floor. Now this section is almost entirely for knitting. There was even a couple of customers knitting away with some very chunky yarn ( heaven knows when winter starts in Bangkok?). For a tropical country like Thailand, there's hardly any cotton to speak off. Most of the ladies were knitting in Wool. Central carries a number of Bernat and Red Heart yarn - TLC Amore being one I can remember. Schachenmeyer Nomotto Catania and Jazz were the only cotton or cotton mix yarns available. And surprise! Surprise! They had Gedifra!! mostly novelty yarn but still Gedifra.

I was very tempted to get some Schachenmeyer Merino wool in a grape colour - looked absolutely delightful at $5.50 per 50gm ball. BUT I didn't. I wanted to get the same colour in Jazz - cotton/acrylic mix BUT they didn't have enough.
So I ended up just buying an Inspiration magazine, the Japanese Let's Knit series Spring 2003 and 2 balls each of blue and pink cotton for some baby knits I have planned.

There's something about being on holiday - I am too afraid to spend on yarn cos what if I run out of money for food. At least that was what DH was saying ...( NOTE - never bring your DH yarn shopping with you - he was quite horrified at the prices and came back eyeing my stash very suspiciously.)

That's as far as my knitting adventures in Bangkok went. I'll post a little about the off-knitting adventures once I get most my pictures up.