Lotus Blooms

I couldn't get someone to model it for me but I did get someone to take a photo of me modeling the Lotus Blossom Shawl.






The colours are much nicer once it's blocked. And it's sooooo light. I just realised that Fleece Artist Country Silk - the recommended yarn- is actually a sport weight not lace weight, which would account for the size and weight difference. My shawl is 72" across but only 36" in length. No matter, it suits us vertically-challenged asians well enough.

This is now going to be wrapped and ribboned for my Mum as her birthday gift this weekend. Just as well I finished it ahead of time. I have to give credit to the start of the English Premier League season. Sitting through match after match with my husband gives me plenty of time to knit.

What next?

I started the Silk corset and got the arm holes done. I tried to put my arm through and it embarrassingly got stuck halfway up my upper arm. So that's in the frogpond for the moment.

I've been toying with an idea of a A- Line top down lacy cardigan and with some encouragement from Lyn,I'm going to try it out this weekend.

Lotus Blossoming

Blossoming but not yet blooming - the Lotus Blossom shawl lies blocked on a hideous old quilt. Forgive the jarring green stripes - must remember to use my nice cream duvet for blocking and photography purposes.




It does look much better blocked so that sections of contrasting colours don't clash and jar side by side.







More pictures will be posted once I get it off the pins and cajol someone to model it.

Sneek Peek

I just got to show this quick peek at the completed but very crumpled Lotus Blossom Shawl.


Lotus Blossom Shawl from Fiddlesticks .
Cherry Tree Hill Merino Laceweight - Colourway: Dusk
Approx 600- 700 yds



I am not too pleased with the colourway - that sudden splash of electric purple does distract from this very lovely design. But this is one pattern I'm pretty sure I will do again.

What shall be my next lace project? I'm still deciding between giving Inky Dinky another try or Madli's shawl, from Interweave Summer 2004.

For some reason, my husband wants to take me out to dinner tonight. But I can't wait to get this little number blocked out. Tough Call huh!

Stash and Spinning

I've been going nuts with the sock stash lately - have a look at the two Opals I just ordered from Astrid's Dutch Obsession - The purply one is a prototype and the other one is an Opal Rodeo 1153. Astrid has great prices and wonderful service so take a look if you're interested in getting some Opals.


Forgive the me-trying-to-be-artisitic photo


And finally some spinning stash! Nice hand dyed corridale and romney blend from Kendig Cottage.



500 gms each of springy roving


Celia's been asking about my spinning. Well I finally managed to ply the Jacobs and the cream Corridale last week, gave it a nice warm bath and hung it to dry in the bathroom -



I'm glad to say that there was hardly any twist so it's fairly balanced.

Take a closer look at the good bits

and then the bad bits where the yarn is terribly overtwisted


Now comes the perennial new spinner's question - what shall I do with this yarn? I want to commemorate its creation in a special way. Perhaps a wall hanging?

*BTW Lyn told me that there's something wrong with my comment section. And here I thought I must have offended everybody cos I wasn't getting any comments. You can still comment by sending me an email. I'll put it up on the blog.

Hazy Hawaii Happy Dance

I wanted to wait for a good day of natural sunlight to take the photo of my completed Lorna's Laces Hawaii Socks but sadly, we're a little hazy in the Klang Valley at the moment.




In fact it's gotten so bad, some parts of my state is under a state of emergency, with closures of schools and public places.

Here's a pic of the socks anyway.





It turned out too big for me but fits my sister perfectly so guess who gets to to cuddle up to these on those cold (but non-hazy) winter nights in NZ.





Strangely enough, there was no sign of the dreaded Second Sock syndrome. I found my second sock went faster rather than slower, possibly because I no longer have to refer to the pattern all the time. yeh I know they don't match but hey I am not that fussed. Next up, toe up socks with Opal.

On the Lotus Blossom Shawl, I have it on good authority that when you have finished half the number of rows, you're only a quarter of the way through in terms of yarn.

So with some handy tips from the Summer of Lace group, I managed do up a shawl spreadsheet and figured out that at Row 121 of 166, I am only 50% complete. So no problems with yarn there.

I am targetting 1st September for the completion of either the Lotus Blossom or the Plaza, after which I just have to start the Silk corset pullover from Anne Modesitt.

City of Angels

Before I leave you with a few brief scenes of Bangkok/ Krung Thep/City of Angels - I got to show you what I am currently working on

Lotus Blossom Shawl



I am getting a little worried. I'm almost to the lotus blossom part and it really doen't look anywhere as big as it should. I am using Cherry Tree Hill Laceweight Merino in Dusk colourway. Beautiful yarn and it seems never ending. I got about 1000 yards which I would into 4 balls and I haven't finished 1 ball yet. Is it time for me to panic yet??


Hawaii Sock Part Two




I am just about ready to divide up for the heel. This is the sucky part cos I have to figure out the needle 1 ,2 & 3 position although I am knitting with a circular. My problem is that I always slip the last stitch of the needle on to the next one to reduce those terrible ladders by the side. So I am never at the same position at any one time. Sigh! toe-up and short row heels for the next sock, I promise.

And now I leave you with scenes of that exotic city.

Back from Bangkok

I got back from my extended weekend in Bangkok with my mum and sister on Monday when I was plunged in this crazy whirl of work. Some corporate visitors on very short notice, resulting spending two sleepless nights completing a presentation.


Bangkok has only two knitting related sites worth visiting that I know of, which I had detailed in my previous post.


The only thing I managed to score was this Knitting book

which I have wanted ever since it has been mentioned in the Laceknitters Yahoo Group.


It's not easy to figure out. The charts are for sections of a circle but after a certain row- the chart expands to the entire row for some reason I can't fathom. Anyone out there who has this book ? Maybe you can help me decipher it.


I haven't been spinning but I did the sleeves of the Plaza, late Wednesday night, just hours before we got on the taxi to the airport for our early Thursday morning flight. I brought my Lotus Blossom shawl to Bangkok and so far have managed to reach Row 97.


All this running around has made me a little short for cash so I am destashing again. Check my destash site for some Japanese Mohair and vintage Phildar mohair yarn for sale.