Where is she now?

Anyone still looking for me?

2006-05-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

It's very sad...25 people used to read me when I was here, now only 8 do, at least according to Bloglines. Sad.

Anyhow, if you want to add me to your RSS aggregator/feedreader/whatever, here is the URL you need:

http://mrsfife.wordpress.com/feed/

Apparently you need that last feed/ thingy some times. I hope I see some more readers.

Moving, please change your links

2006-04-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

In case I wasn't clear in my last post, I'm moving to http://mrsfife.wordpress.com and anyone who has me on their blogrolls may please change their links accordingly.

Thanks!

They have categories and smilies! Enough said.

Joining the bandwagon

2006-04-13T00:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone's doing it, so why not me? I've transferred my allegiance to Wordpress.
Transferred all my posts and comments, and being the anal retentive that I am, I'm also working on categorising all the archived posts.

Squeak!

2006-04-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

This is what you'd call a narrow squeak:

Notice how close I've come to the end of the yarn on this front panel. Luckily, I have this in store:

that my SP sent me. Yay!

We are now on sleeve #2. Heee.

Most of my projects are determined by the amount of yarn I have rather than anything else.

Oh darn!

2006-04-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you don't read a pattern fully before plunging in. Darn.

I've just gone through the Short rows jacket pattern again and realised what I thought was the back is actually one front panel. Daaaaaaaaaaarn. And dang.

So, am I frogging? Nope.

This little baby will just have to be inventively worked. Darn. It will entail picking up stitches on the other side. It just shows you that a more experienced (or attentive) knitter would have known how such patterns work and would have cast on for the front anyway.

If only the pattern had said "Cast on 60 sts for the front right (or left) panel."

Anyhow, since my yarn is a thicker gauge than the one in the pattern, the 30 ridges called for in the pattern would be too broad a front panel and I'd have to modify the pattern in any case. So I do it now. Darn.

Young lady, let that be a lesson to you!

Bunnies!

2006-04-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

The other day, my vegetable vendor was selling bunnies! Real, will-grow-up-to-be-rabbits bunnies. I immediately drooled all over them and proceeded to pet each of them. There were two gray ones, one black and one cowering white one which never showed its face. One of the gray ones was up on the fruit shelf making merry among the grapes. The black one was giving me black looks and I hesitated to touch it at first because it scared me. Supposing it bit me? Do bunnies bite people?
I've never touched anything so soft in my life! I wish I could get them home with me. But bunnies seem less hmmm interesting than cats somehow. Do they have personalities? I also read somewhere they don't like being held, which will defeat the primary purpose in getting them, which is to cuddle. Also, do they make any sort of noise at all?
But that softness! sigh.........

Hey, look! A sleeve!

2006-04-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

See, on the right of the picture, you see a sleeve! Yippee.

Working the short rows on both the cuff end and the neck end, it is just a wee bit confusing, but I will persist. I've made a bit more progress on the sleeve since the picture was taken.

Is it just me or does anyone else think the sleeve seems too short? Ah well, I can always pass them off as 3/4 length ones or something.

Crochet FO

2006-04-06T23:37:00.000-07:00

It's a ripple doormat! Finally managed to finish something with the rectangle ripple pattern. The colour is more purple than the dull nothingness in the picture.
Yarn: RH SS Dusk Rose (?) and RH Aran fleck, each with two strands held together. Not full skeins.
Hook: Size K 6.50mm Crystalite
Pattern: Ripple stitch, 62sts wide
Time: Overnight
Size: About 27" long and 18" wide
Extra: First ripple and nice, too.
Also nicer than the so-called Half Circle that I made with the same yarn in January.

Yarn stores in India

2006-04-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

Desiknitter wanted to know about yarn stores in India. So here is a list that we at the Crochet_India group have gathered so far (and some of these stores include thread-only stores as well):

Bangalore
Bombay Embroidery Stores,14, Raja Market, Avenue Road,
Bangalore - 560 002 22237311

Bombay
Pradhan Stores
Bora Bazaar

Chennai
Raja Thread Store

Chennai
R S fancy Stores
Adyar opp Telephone Exchange

Chennai
Adyar Thread Emporium

Hyderabad
B S Kamaladevi & Sons
4-3-747 Sultan Bazar Hyderabad
24754468

New Delhi
New Kalpana Tracers
Shop No. 120 (Opp Vegetable market),
Sarojini Nagar Market
2410 1702/2467 8396

New Delhi
Sushila (wool depot?)
Munirka Mkt

Pune
New Galaxy
Wonderland, Pune - Camp

Visakhapatnam
Rathi Stores
Poorna Market,
In lane opp Aarif Opticians

Visakhapatnam
Sivam Garments
Next to HSL colony gate, Malkapuram

No, laughing is not allowed. We take what we get.

And Desi, Vardhman does make fun fur and feathery types of yarns and I didn't know this either until J from Lucknow sent me some. There are colours, also, apparently. I have to confess *shamefacedly* that I've never knowingly used Indian wool, either. But it is available in northern cities in various qualities. Yarn snobbery, yarn stores, stash...a bit unreal, what?

See Eunny Knit!

2006-04-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here I am discovering all sorts of treasures in the knitting blog world. Eunny has great tutorials and other info for knitting lace. Too bad I didn't see it before I made that scarf/stole.

Adventures of a Desi Knitter

2006-04-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Adventures of a Desi Knitter
Yes! I finally found a fellow Indian knit blogger. Yay! Go on check her out, she's got beautiful knitting happening.

It's not pretty

2006-04-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here are my adventures in wrapping rows for short row shaping. It's not pretty, so if you're at all squeamish, please turn away now!

The first two pictures show the piece (it's the back of the jacket) from two different angles, and so far, it's ok. If you squint, you can even see the shaping.

Now the thing approaches (this photo shows the true colour of the Froya Narvik, by the way) and you begin to shudder:

Yikes! See what I mean?

And this:

Now off you go and look at some pretty knitting instead! And no, I am not going to frog this. No.

Too bulky

2006-04-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

Here is what I tried with the ggh Aspen. First the pattern is very poorly written, and then the yarn is too chunky for this, I think.
I spent hours googling for an explanation of the honeycomb stitch, not very successfully. Then I found it in my Harmony Guide, but I needed the diagram to understand what to do. In any event, I found I'd soon run out of yarn if I attempted to go any further on this, so it's waiting to be frogged.

Naaah. This yarn is still in search of a good pattern to be shown off, and something tells me it might be knit. This bit took an entire skein!

Stash bag

2006-04-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

This was the bag that Viji gifted me for my stash. Nice! Handmade by a lady in Pune.

New tenant

2006-04-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

A new tenant from Indonesia over there on the right side ----> Go and check it out!

What a neat concept!

2006-03-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

Got this from Grumperina's blog and I'm about 3 months outdated, but what a neat concept! If it weren't scarves and shrugs, maybe I'd join the next one. What do you think, Cordelia? A lacy-ish cardigan would be nice and I can't seem to bring myself to finish anything of that size for myself. What a nice concept. Will there be a next one?

Short rows

2006-03-31T01:18:00.000-08:00

Still on knitting. I'm trying out the short row technique on this pattern: Short rows baby jacket

It doesn't look too bad...Using the grey Froya Narvik 100% wool (no indications of any allergic reaction, thank you) with 3.75mm needles. The lightbulb hasn't yet gone off in my head for this technique, though it seems logical enough. 3 ways to wrap, only tried one yet.

Here is how it looks so far:

I think I'm confusing myself because I'm trying to work simultaneously from the pattern as well as tutorials for the technique from the original site, from knitty.com and so on, plus there's some wrapping instruction in the pattern as well. Too many teachers.
The shaping is happening, but I don't think it would stand up to closer scrutiny.

Goldmine!

2006-03-29T09:45:00.000-08:00

I was browsing knitting podcasts and came across this gem:
let me explaiKnit

It's got detailed notes on several knitting issues and I've not read them all yet! I hope she's got a tutorial in there somewhere for circular needles...What a find!

Edited to add:
I got the link from Pointy Sticks.
There's so much knitting wealth out there. Where have I been all this while?!

Then there is Nona as well.

Fluffy but dangerous

2006-03-29T00:09:00.000-08:00

It's Mr. B's birthday coming up, so off you go and wish him, please!

This grew on my needles

2006-03-28T02:14:00.000-08:00

Remember the fun-furry yarns that J had sent me from Lucknow? Well, both have been needled. One is yet a UFO, but the blue feather type got made into this mini scarf for my poor neglected SP. It feels really soft. Knit in garter stitch throughout on straights.

Yarn: Vardhman funfur-ry 1 50gm ball
Hook: Size 7 (UK?) 4.50mm straights
Pattern: Garter stitch, 24 sts wide
Time: Overnight
Size: About 36" long and 5" wide
Extra: Knitting is best for fur-type yarns. The simplicity of the garter stitch shows the texture well.

On a closer look, the yarn looks like something to do with chickens...

Sold!

2006-03-27T23:40:00.000-08:00

Following the lead of Sara, I've sold space on my blog and my first tenant is Full Metal Photographer who has some interesting photos. Go pay him a visit!

Enough

2006-03-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

I've become bored with reading all the mails about Michaels closing and also about Mainstays being discontinued and about the 8oz skeins now becoming 7 oz skeins.
We don't get any of those here, so it's all academic anyway. And it increases the feeling of Alice Through the Looking Glass that I get most of the time from reading about all those brands and shops.

Oh well, now I've become one of those irritable slapper-downers. Sigh.

OFO or NLSWIP

2006-03-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

Remember the SWIP I talked about long long ago when we were all young and innocent? Well, it has graduated now from being a SWIP to an NLSWIP (No Longer a Secret Work in Progress) or an OFO (Open Finished Object). Three cheers for me!
Here it is in part of its glory (it was too long for me to photograph in one frame horizontally without employing a step ladder and/or stilts).

So now you know, it is a Lacy Knit Scarf (or maybe a Stole? We're not particular here) in what is probably 100% acrylic, but very soft mango-y yellow, and it is going to be sent to a friend. I'm thrilled to bits for several reasons:

1. It's knit! (as in, not crocheted!)
2. It's lacy knit!
3. It's lacy knit without a written pattern and from a chart!
4. It's lacy knit from a chart I manipulated in order to get it to the width I wanted!
5. Yippee!
6. It's knit! (as in, It's done!)
And so forth.

Here is how it might look on a person...

...if the said person has shoulders about a foot wide and does not rise more than 3 feet above the ground. Now, I think the recipient is definitely not these proportions, but I'm sure I shall be forgiven for my first attempt at such a project. We shall see. Anyhow, here are the tech specs:

Yarn: Unknown acrylic in mango-y yellow
Hook: Size 7 (UK?) 4.50mm straights
Pattern: Made up my very own! (Yippee!)
Time: Aeons
Size: About 60" long and 10" wide
Extra: #Look at points 1-6 above

Nobody will please mention the trifling errors I made or the weird proportions. Or the fact that I probably yarn over all wrong. The thing is you see (all those with more important things to do may please leave now), I knit with the yarn in my right hand and for normal stitches I yarn over from under (clear as mud, aren't I). But for the lace-effect YOs, I tend to YO from over! Got that? Plus, according to the instructions in the book where I got the lace pattern from, I was supposed to do K1, P1 into the YO on the subsequent row. Being as I'd reversed the direction of my YO, I did P1, K1, since it was more convenient! So I think it's all wrong, but *shrug* it's got the look! And I sort of know how to use a chart to knit now. Yay!

And although it is acrylic, I did block it, on the sage advice of the scientific mind. The lace needed to be opened up.

Cross 2 off the list

2006-03-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

Now I know:
#1 What is a blighted ovum
#2 How a miscarriage feels

That's two things I can cross off my "Try-everything-once-in-life" list. Yay! Maybe that's 3 (for #3 Get pregnant). There are so many things that can happen to you and you haven't even heard of them till they do. Amazing.

What's that?

2006-03-10T23:09:00.000-08:00

A book! Yes, a tome found its way to my house today courtesy Indian Post, Bookcrossing, and a bookring (or is it a bookray?) started by a certain someone in Bombay. And it is this book:

A nice juicy British mystery! The stuff of my dreams! (Yes, I do have some weird dreams, partly why I enjoy sleeping so much.)

Life or death

2006-03-09T23:32:00.000-08:00

Well, not quite. But I'm dying to work with the yarns my SP sent me, one of which is ggh Aspen in a pinkish colour, 50% merino wool and 50% acrylic, and I have 200g (about 220 m). It is bulkyish.

The other yarn is Froya Narvik double knitting yarn, 100% wool in grey and I have 100g (260 yds, 240m). Thinner obviously. Both yarns are machine washable, so they won't felt.

My er suggests baby things with the Aspen. Any other ideas? Or specific patterns for baby items? I don't want to waste this yarn or spoil it by trying something that doesn't look nice. My fingers are itching to start...

What is possible with ~200m of yarn? *showing my extreme ignorance here*
This is a funny feeling, to have some real yarns (things that have an internet presence) at hand, and not to know what to do with them! I've gotten so used to making yarns fit patterns, that I'm finding it difficult to fit patterns to yarns instead! Weird! Have to explore the manufacturers' sites, although I can't find one for the Froya yarn. The Americans have that down pat, with extensive sites giving patterns by yarn and substitutes. Not all, maybe, perhaps the higher-end US yarn websites don't do that. Not having seen any of those, I can't comment.

Also, these are my first yarns with wool in them (that I know for sure) and not having seen anything except what seems like the bottom rung of US yarns, right now I feel the Europeans have it better in terms of yumminess. Probably they pay more too? I'm not able to say this right.

Are European yarns more boutique-y? Obviously I'm not talking about the handspun ones and things like that. Is it a case of class vs mass?

One exposure to natural fibre and I'm already making judgements! Wow! I feel a natural-born yarn snob deep inside...

Just been a little deeper into the websites. Patterns for ggh are not listed by yarn at the Muench site (the US retailers) and the makers themselves are still building their pattern pages. The Muench ones are all for sale, not free. So they believe the patterns have a market seperate from that of the yarns, and consumers will pay for them. Maybe the American strategy is that if the free pattern is interesting enough, people will buy the yarn for it. hmm. More points to ponder. Maybe that's why most of the free patterns on the net are American.

FO

2006-03-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

Finally have an FO. Ok, it's only about 6" high, but it's done, nevertheless, and I used my hook and yarn and hands...

The pattern is by CroJulee at Crochetville.

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in purple (teensy amount only)
Hook: Pony Size 5.00mm
Pattern: Here
Time: 30 minutes (or less)
Size: 6"
Extra: #1 Sort of like a one-night stand, for instant gratification.
#2 Now I have to think what I could possibly put in this bag. Any suggestions, anyone?

Kudos to Viji

2006-03-08T23:46:00.000-08:00

While I was away, I met a fellow crocheter, Viji, and was just overwhelmed at the affection she and her husband, Victor, showed me. But also, I was in total awe of the amazing work Viji does with her hands, not just crochet but several kinds of international and local embroidery. She is working with a local institute in Chennai to help create lessons for these sew crafts and the examples she has sewn are unbelievable.

I got a couple of pictures of her crochet work:

And one sampler of the other kinds of embroidery she's working on:

This embroidery is fully reversible, and Viji's work is so neat! What's more, Victor is fully supportive of her work, and even knows better than her where her WIPs, FOs, and stash items are!

Viji & Victor treated me to lunch at Saravana Bhavan in Mylapore, followed by an extended browse at the Landmark bookstore. They gifted me with the Harmony Guide to 300 Crochet Stitches (Vol 6 of the series). Yummy!

Viji also gave me a bag for my stash, which is made by a lady in Pune, apparently. I'll post pictures of it later. It's a padded black bag with handy zip pockets on the sides for hooks and needles, and about 15"x10"x10". Also a few balls of Anchor thread (Knitting cotton).

A wonderful time! Thank you, again, Viji & Victor!

I've died and gone to heaven

2006-03-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

and you still have allergies here!

Evidence of being in heaven:
I am right now on my bed, working on my 12" Apple iBook G4, via wireless internet. No, it's not a dream.
My SP sent me wool!!! European wool, from Muench/GGH yarns and from umm...Norvik Froya yarn. One is 100% pure new wool and the other is 50% wool, and 50% acrylic. The yarn is begging me to be made into something, but what?

Oh and I've been sneezing from the moment I woke today (only touched the wool after I started sneezing, so you can't tell me it's that, but maybe it made it worse?) Can someone with wool-allergy tell me if you get sneezing or other forms? Anyhow, so now I have to get back to "phus-phus" (my nasal spray) every night. Sigh!

I have a lot of catching up to do on my blogging, and I promise I will.

The Brother Juniper Collection

2006-02-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Brother Juniper Collection

I love these cartoons and miss reading them from my childhood.

Neuropeans - Arts, Sports, MKP2001, Neurope Tower, Europanto

2006-02-10T03:19:00.000-08:00

Neuropeans - Arts, Sports, MKP2001, Neurope Tower, Europanto

Very funny. I almost wish it was a real language! Do come back and tell me what you think.

Why complicate things?

2006-02-10T03:13:00.000-08:00

There you are, knitting a bag with funfur. Why does it have to be complicated as follows:
1st row: (WS). With MC, K1. *yf. Sl1P. yb. K1. Rep from * to end of row.
2nd row: Purl.
3rd row: With A, K1. *K1. yf. Sl1P. yb. Rep from * to last 2 sts. K2.

Why all the Sl1Ps and things? Wouldn't plain ole' garter st do as well? The free pattern from Bernat uses the Disco yarn (yes that infamous giveaway yarn, which by the way, I never got despite giving 3 different addresses two separate times) in two colours, while I am substituting this yarn:

Since this is already bi-coloured, I think I am missing the point somehow.
Will the scientific mind please tell me if it's to make sure the two colours blend, or just a scam to make you think you're making something complex? I'm inclined towards the latter, but maybe it's the former, and I am strongly tempted to swatch in two colours of a unfunfur yarn just to see how it matters.

While on the subject, I've read the pattern through several times, but am yet to understand
#1. How does knitting this pattern lead you to a purse which is halfway usable (may be related to the fact that it is funfur) (or that you start the handles at 5"...what sort of purse is only 5" deep?)

Anyhow, I needed a picot-less pattern, and pretty mindless, so I am ~~feeding this monster~~ knitting this anyway.

Random Act of BookCrossing Kindness

2006-02-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

Random Act of BookCrossing Kindness

I found this site today for people wanting to send/receive books randomly. Yay!

Vintage crochet

2006-02-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

This was made in the 1920s by an aunt I never knew. She died when my mom was an infant. She apparently did a lot of crafts. I have to gather my courage to try and repair this. My eldest aunt gave it to me when we visited her last year. She also crochets and knits and taught my mom a lot of the crafts she does. My aunt also gave me a granny square doily made by my grandmom which I've given to my uncle.

Been framed!

2006-02-06T03:31:00.000-08:00

For the first time ever, I framed one of my doilies. This was the Amethyst doily from Kathy's birthstone series. This went as a housewarming present to someone who is also a crocheter, so hopefully she'll value it. Another housewarming present was the mammoth Ruby Dreams (unframed), and it seemed to be appreciated, though I'm always unsure about my presents...
The framing cost RS 160/- and the background is cream/off white handmade paper.

Aquamarine doily

2006-02-04T23:30:00.000-08:00

By now my dear readers must have given up on ever finding the right colours under the titles of my posts. Suffice it to say I'm using up my stash to make these doilies, rather than going on a shopping spree, when quite possibly I wouldn't get the recommended colours anyway.

Here is the info on this one:
Thread: Madura Coats Red Heart size 20, Grey
Hook: Tulip size 2/1.5 mm steel hook
Pattern: Kathy's Aquamarine Starcatcher
Time: 2-3 days
Size: 19"
Extra: #Can't think of anything right now.

HBTY Mr Doo

2006-02-01T21:54:00.000-08:00

Please join me in wishing Mr Doo a happy birthday!
(yes the photograph is stolen)

SP calling

2006-01-30T07:59:00.000-08:00

Here is the pc I got last week from my SP! Still haven't found out who she is, but she might be from the UK. Hmmm. A spot of blog trolling is called for, I see. The card is of/from/for the Unicorn Theatre. Does that mean my er is involved in theatre?

The 4's tag

2006-01-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

Jomo tagged me (danke!) and here are my answers....sadly they are all very dull.

Four jobs you have held:
1. Market research executive (on a scale of 1 to 5 how do you rate this soap wrapper?)
2. Correspondence in charge for a club
3. Freelance editor for a newspaper group with several business publications
4. 'Consultant' editor for finance/stock market website

Hmm, not as chequered as I thought.

Four places you have lived:
1. Hyderabad
2. New Delhi
3. Bombay
3. Visakhapatnam

Four vacations you have taken:
1. Dehradun & Mussoorie
2. Mount Abu & Udaipur
3. Darjeeling & Gangtok
4. Orissa

Four vehicles you have owned:
1. None. The scooter I drive was paid for by the husband

Four bloggers you want to tag:

I think everyone I know has already been tagged, so if you, dear reader (hey wake up!) haven't yet been, please consider yourself "IT"!

I'm still alive

2006-01-29T06:21:00.000-08:00

And here's the proof:

This was a doily I tested for Kathy, called Ruby Dreams, one of the twelve birthstone doilies she's designing. She made it in ruby red.
Thread: Madura Coats Red Heart size 20, white
Hook: Tulip size 2/1.5 mm steel hook
Pattern: Kathy's Ruby Dreams
Time: Over nearly three weeks, I think
Size: 28"
Extra: #1 The first time I did a filet in sections
#2 First time I did filet in a circle
#3 Very badly blocked. I cannot fathom how to tackle the uneven edges without the normal doily motifs.

Proof No. 2

No, it's not a butterfly wing shawl, but my first ever encounter with a Q hook. That hook is painful! I had a tender spot on my hand where the hook rested for a couple of days. And this pattern comes from Leisure Arts #3068.

Yarn: Red Heart SS Aran Fleck, unknown brand (probably RHSS) in a dusty plum colour, both ww
Hook: Susan Bates Q hook (ouch)
Pattern: Half Circle (yeah, right) rug from Leisure Arts #3068
Time: 4-5 hours?
Size: about 3 feet across, maybe? I was too discouraged by the shape to measure it.
Extra: #1 First ever Q hook project
#2 First ever rug
#3 First time I switched to the knife hold because it was so painful to crochet with the pencil hold (or whatever my regular hold is)
#4 I got the yarn from the recycling contest at Crochet Partners.
#5 Worked with four strands held together

And for those who are curious, I went straight from the 1.5 mm steel hook to the plastic Q hook. Oopsie. Call me crazy or maybe I just wanted a change.

Vive la Inde!

2006-01-16T00:35:00.000-08:00

This is late in coming, but I had a bit of work last week. J kindly sent me two balls each of fun fur she found in Lucknow, made in our very own India, made by our very own (whatever, have to alliterate) Vardhman. For the first time I present...

The blue one (Feather Fresh) is definitely softer than the pink-multicoloured stuff (Fun Feather). Each ball cost Rs 55. Thank you J!

Not being a yarn snob yet (Maybe I'll scream the next time I see another Red Heart skein ;)), I think these will add to scarves and things...hmm

Sweater (coat?)(jacket?) for friend's baby

2006-01-12T23:43:00.000-08:00

This is for a friend's baby (the same one I made the slant stitch afghan for), in the same local yarn that I finished the afghan/blanket with. The pattern is from ~~Paton's Woolcraft~~ Golden Hands Baby Clothes of 1974. I used a size 4.00mm Winfield hook that Chrissie in the UK from Crochetlist sent me in memory of Susan Renfrow.

Here's a closeup of the stitches:

I'm sorry I cannot share this pattern, since it is in the book I mentioned.

The chain is complete

2006-01-11T22:50:00.000-08:00

I've been assigned my spoilee and been assigned to my spoiler...woohoo (or yahoo, if you prefer) for SP7. Also, here is a button that shows exactly how I feel a lot of the time:

I call this cat Sippy. She will be moving to the sidebar shortly. Thank you to whoever designed her!

Both my ee and er have cats, yay! My er has sent me a couple of pics already and I look forward to getting to know her ~~cats~~ well in the next couple of months...

PS My postman still hates me and my allergy is acting up. But I had a courier the other evening, more of which later.

Secret Pal 7 questionnaire

2006-01-10T07:47:00.001-08:00

Okay, here it is...The time when my Secret Pal goes Oh god, what have I gotten into!!!
PS, I'm allergic to dust/dander/smoke/perfume

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
I don't think I've ever met any natural fibres in yarn to speak of - except cotton from friends in the US. We get woollen yarn in the north, I am told. Hereabouts it's only acrylic. Used Red Heart again from friends, never seen Lion Brand...See sidebar for a list of "furrin" yarns I know ------>

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
Crochet madly, never spun yarn (stories, yes...there was this rabbit that got stuck in an underground train...)

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a crocheted hook case I made myself, also a couple of plastic pencil cases. Knitting needles are all over the place. Usually my hooks and needles are with whatever project they're being used for

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Hmmmm...intermediate, maybe? I'm not afraid of any patterns, but I couldn't design to save my life, whether crochet or knit

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, link(s) on the sidebar------>

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I'm allergic to most perfumes, actually, but if you really want to know, I'm partial to the scent that rises from the earth when it rains after a long dry spell....coffee...(not much of a hot coffee drinker, though)

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Chocolate will do it every time! Nothing too sweet, though.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Try everything once....

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Old Telugu and Hindi film songs, western and Carnatic classical music (Foxed you, haven't I? Ha!). My computer can play MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love pastels! And earth colours (brown, tan...) Most colours are fine, actually

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Live with husband and MIL and dream about having a cat

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Nope, sorry! Can make you some if you want! Actually, we don't have the climate for such things

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I likes what I gets *grin* How they feel is important!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Scratchy things?

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
None...

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I generally like making baby things because they finish fast (and no, I'm NOT pregnant, thank you for caring)

17. What are you knitting right now?
It's a secret!!!

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I prefer giving them, most things in India are handmade :D Pssst, want a doily? I got some!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Haven't been able to master this circular technique A-T-A-L-L...I will some day, though

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
We only get metal hereabouts, you know! (I've got plastic hooks from some US friends, though...would you believe it, Crystalites are made in India but not sold here as far as I can make out????)

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nopes. Got two hands and two knees *grin*

22. How did you learn to knit?
From my mother when I was a kid...was also supposed to have learnt in school, along with crochet, but shhhh, my mom made those booties for the craft class

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Ummm...A year or two? It's this pineapple doily that I gave up on when I got tired of cutting and joining (that pattern is like that...)

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Garfield, Hobbes...I love cats, cats, cats...(am allergic though, waaaaaaaaaah!)

25. What is your favorite holiday?
With little cooking and lots of books to read...All I want is a room somewhere...Far away from the cold night air...with one enormous chair...oh loverly....

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Does gathering moss count?
Seriously? Small interesting stones from riverbeds and streams and seashore wherever we visit...no "collections" as such, really

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Get real! We don't have any publications in India dedicated to yarn-craft, only one quarterly needlework magazine that covers crochet sometimes.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
In my wishlist-------->

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Crochet on the double, circular knitting...um, can I add to this later? Watch this space!

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Never knit a sock. I'm fascinated by self-striping yarns, though I've not met too many face-to-hank. My foot measures...8"/20 cm from heel to toe. Haven't a clue in European/American sizes, sorry!

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
April 24

You're still reading? I'd have given up after #3 or something...

I wish....

2006-01-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

I wish I had the luxury of being able to answer when asked: "Is there any yarn you do not like?" "Yes acrylic! I absolutely loathe it...." What about if that's the only kind you get?

Don't mind me, I'm still going through the participant list at SP7. Seem to be whining too much, but let's think of it as "mind-broadening", instead ;)

Correction: There be crocheters, too!

2006-01-08T04:40:00.000-08:00

Just not very conspicuous, you know... In Secret Pal 7, that is. Been trolling through the participants list and found some do both crochet and knitting. Yay! Only reached as far as 'B', though!

Found the international participants are from the UK, a couple from Germany...one in Japan...will have to see who else I discover. Found another fellow-crocheter, too!

I confess

2006-01-08T04:06:00.000-08:00

I DO NOT HAVE A STASH!

Yes. I don't. (Or should that be No, I don't? whatever!)

On this mailing list I'm on, people are talking in terms of hundreds of skeins...I don't think I've even used one measly hundred all put together!!!

Yes, shameful, I know...But it doesn't stop the guilt whenever I buy more...Been using up my thread stash a bit with Kathy's doilies, and got a couple of projects with some of the yarn stash...and I suppose it certainly helps to not have yarn stores available either online or off!

Dang blogger...

2006-01-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

Why does it take so long to load the edit page that I forget what I wanted to blog about?

Anyway, those of you who also use Blogger/Blogspot what improvements/features would you like to see? I'm just curious, you know. I'd like:

1. Smilies! I miss those from C'ville and Yahoo Messenger
2. Faster loading of the edit/create post page
3.

Let me hear from you!

Sheila, have you tried using the "Compose" link on the edit box, rather than the "edit Html"? I discovered it recently and have been playing with the fonts (and colours and highlighting). Even that isn't strictly WYSIWYG, though. I totally agree with you on wanting an easier way to add links and stuff. I wish they'd have a "drag-and-drop" editor for the template. Fishing around in all that html makes me nervous!

It's out!

2006-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

The Secret Pal 7 questionnaire is out. What is reveals is what I feared, that most of the participants are knitters alone, because one of the questions is :

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

It only gets more knitty, because the questions go on:

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
...

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

17. What are you knitting right now?
...

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
...

22. How did you learn to knit?

30. Are you a sock knitter? ?

Ah well...I knit as well, so I suppose I can take it in my stride...Karla and I appear to be the only crocheters, so yes, we'll have to pretend not to know each other if we're assigned together. But I have to go and check out all the blogs of the participants... What else is scaring me? There seem to be many of them saying "pooh" to acrylics. And I can't find non-acrylics in my part of the world.

How nice it must be to be in a position to choose materials!

So, let's take stock of what I have going against me so far :D

1. I crochet *shudder*
2. I only get acrylic yarn
3. I'm probably the only one from India

Three months from now, I wonder if I'll have had a satisfying time or not...It should be a learning experience, anyway, and one thing is for sure, I'll add to my postal adventures!

Sheila, being from India isn't a bad thing, except it makes me stand out like a ~~crocheter in a bunch of knitters~~ Christmas tree in the Sahara! So I have to put my brain to work on how to camouflage my mail. Who wants to exercise their brains?

Katchkan's Amethyst Doily

2006-01-07T03:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's blocked and done! Yay! It might look good framed, no?

Here's a close-up (just like that):

I love being a pattern tester! It brings together my two interests: crochet and ~~fault-finding~~ editing nicely.

Thread: Anchor size 20, two strands, one red and the other variegated in red and dark brown/black
Hook: Tulip size 2/1.5 mm steel hook
Pattern: Kathy's Amethyst Doily
Time: Over two days (no, you'll never get time in hours from me, ain't a marathon person)
Size: 18"
Extra: #1 Kathy might be doing a whole series of these doilies
#2 It cupped a bit after the final row, but it lies nice and flat after blocking. (No "wrassling" involved ;))

PS: It's called Amethyst because that's the colour Kathy made it in.

The postman hates me

2006-01-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, he does! I know for a fact that there are 3 packages (yes, count them, t-h-r-e-e) on their way to me since last month or before...and how many have I got? Zero, z-e-r-o! In fact I haven't got any mail for at least the last 10 days (that's t-e-n). Why does he hate me? Danged if I know!

Oh, and my stalker has deserted me, too. Dunno why, but I miss being ambushed...was it something I did?

On the yarny front, I picked up my SWIP again today and made some progress. Let's just say it's made of diamonds and I've got about 11 (yes, e-le-v-e-n) of them done, with maybe another 9 (n-i-n-e) to go. It's nice and easy and I'm enjoying doing it. But pictures will have to wait, of course.

Also, I finished last night another doily I tested for Kathy, and it is being ~~crucified~~ blocked right now. As soon as it dries off, there will be images, I assure you.

Today I also had my first tea from my elfing, the Mixed Berry flavour. Had it cold, of course. It was...nice and berry-like :D

Also please welcome India's ~~second~~ third crochet blogger, Pearlin! Go and check her journal out!

Why does the postman hate me?

Clarification

2006-01-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

Just so everyone knows, I make booties because they are fast and easy. No, I am not pregnant, nor particularly wanting to be. Thanks for asking. So there! *sniff*

Why can't I be allowed to make booties if I like them, huh?

Yay, she's back!

2006-01-04T22:14:00.000-08:00

Cordelia and family are back safely after being evacuated for a wildfire. Yay!

Instant sherbet!

2006-01-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

I love booties. Have I said that before? Anyway, these are my first ones from the pattern booklet that B sent me (the first pair on the third row):

Yarn: Local acrylic, unknown brand
Hook: Boye F/5/3.75mm aluminium
Pattern: Sherbet booties from Precious Baby Booties by Carolyn Christmas
Time: Maybe 3 hours?
Size: Sole is about 3" (pattern size says 3.5"-4")
Extra: #1 I actually had the colours (love them) used in the pattern!!!! (not the transparent ribbon, though)
#2 The pattern uses "leave a long loop" instead of cutting and rejoining yarn for the colour changes. While of course I appreciate not having to weave in a thousand ends on such small items, I cannot really say the long loops help much...(and the inner side is obviously marred by the drawn-up loops, but maybe I did the drawing up wrong?!)
#3 While googling for Carolyn Christmas, I discovered she's also the author of another book I'm drooling over:

I will get my hands on this and the hooks for it. Although of course the Afghan/Tunisian stitch does create a very thick fabric, it's a technique I want to try. I have two slender afghan hooks but the swatches I create with them always curl. Someone said this settles down after a bit, but I've never gone beyond the first few rows, you know.
Meanwhile, I wish the price of the book on Amazon would fall so I could actually buy it with my $10 gift certificate (shipping is $4.95 or so!!!). Miracles can always happen :D

Redemption!

2006-01-04T07:59:00.000-08:00

After falling down badly on two of her assignments, I actually finished testing a new pattern for Kathy. It doesn't have a name yet. As usual, the pattern is unusual and interesting. You can see Kathy's version here.

Thread: Madura Coats Red Heart in size 20, white and yellow
Hook: Steel "Jyothy 5"
Pattern: From Kathy
Time: Over 3 days (yesterday was particularly busy with editing work)
Size: 24" across from point to point
Extra: #1 More or less my first time changing colours quite so brazenly
#2 Redeemed myself in my own eyes after failing Kathy twice in the past couple of months
# First doily in ages!!!

Thoughts for Cordelia

2006-01-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

Please everyone, keep Cordelia and her family in your thoughts. They've had to evacuate because of a fire near their home!
Hugs, Cordelia and hope you're back safely soon.

Sunset Sunday!

2006-01-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my blogdom friends a happy and fulfilling 2006!

Elfed!

2005-12-30T05:26:00.000-08:00

A dear friend, B, has once again sent me a thoughtful elf dropping...I got these two baby pattern booklets, one of them from my Amazon wishlist. I just love the pastel shades!

I can't wait to start making some of these.

Knitted dishcloth

2005-12-29T02:03:00.000-08:00

Some Peaches n' Creme left over from Kat's CAT PAC with the help of # 7 knitting needles (don't ask me for mm please!) turned into this dishcloth for my first CLBFX partner: She actually wanted Sugar n Cream yarn, which I can't find here, so I sent her some local yarn (Vardhman, acrylic, what else), but decided to turn this bit of cotton into something she might use.

I know, I know, it looks hideously misshapen...Now you know why I crochet more than I knit...This was my first-ever knitted dishcloth and I didn't have enough of the yarn to make it square or to add a proper edging. Bah. Should I have blocked the thing for aesthetics? It'll only get wet again, anyway....

Also perhaps the stitch pattern wasn't the best choice for a variegated yarn:

And do you know, Sugar n Cream is thicker than Peaches n Creme? They are both 4-ply cotton yarns, mind!

Now to wait 15 days till she receives the packages (yes, after all that fuss, I forgot to pack the dishcloth into the package, so I sent it separately....)

Also does it sound nicer to say knitted or knit? Anyone?

Knit
Yarn: Peaches 'n Creme in ombre
Needles: Aluminium 7/4.50mm
Pattern: On the back of the yarn wrapper
Time: Don't remember
Size: Did not measure (was too discouraged by the shape)
Extra: #1 Ombre does not look nice with a textured stitch in knit
#2 I need to finish my knit items better

Secrets!

2005-12-29T01:33:00.000-08:00

Yup, I've got a few....

First, I've signed up for Secret Pal 7. (expensive hobby, the husband calls it) ~~I will be subsidising a few national postal services~~. This round runs from the middle of January till the end of March. From what I see, most of the participants seem to be knitters rather than crocheters...hmmm. Has it occurred to you that as the singular participant from India (which I'm very likely to be) I have little or no chance of remaining secret? Talk about lost causes.... But you gotta try everything once, right?

The other secret I have is a SWIP! No, not a Swap, a SWIP - Secret Work In Progress. I cannot reveal what or for whom, but I'm learning a few things on this one. It needs a few pattern repeats, and I'm working from a chart the first time. Very proud of myself because I used my scanner to duplicate the pattern so that it had the number of stitches I need for the width I want the SWIP to be. I just hope I don't run out of steam on this one...

Crabby Cabbie's scarf

2005-12-23T23:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, needed an FO fast to feel ~~occupied~~ productive, so here is my version of Crabby Cabbie's scarf.

Close-up of stitch pattern:

To recap:
Yarn: Local acrylic yarn in green, bought in Begum Bazaar in Hyderabad in September/October
Hook: Pony aluminium 6/5.00mm
Pattern: Crabby Cabbie's scarf
Time: About 4-5 hours
Size: 6'8" by 4.5" (without fringe)
Extra: Chained 240 instead of 160 in pattern, was afraid of curving in the middle, but it worked out fine.

Yay for scarves!

That's the way aha

2005-12-22T23:58:00.000-08:00

I hold my hook...

There's a thread over at Crochetville with pictures of how people hold their hooks. It's very interesting. Have to see if anyone holds theirs like I do.

Basket case

2005-12-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I made this Rolled Edge CD Basket using Donna's pattern for a friend who saw mine and wanted one too. Used...hmmm a 5 mm hook, I think. Left out the beads suggested in the pattern. The yarn is GUM.

Here is how it looks with bottles and things in it (it's for the dressing table).

Some of you may remember I made a scrubbie with the said GUM. I am sad to report, it is highly useless. The thing absorbs a lot of water, but has little or no grease-cutting properties, and leaves streaks when I try to use it to wipe my stainless steel stove.

#2 Also, maybe someone might be able to tell me, how the dang do I use those scrubbies with the nylon scrubber in the middle (sort of like eggs sunny side up)? How do I hold the thingy? I can't figure it out.

#3 Also, at what point in their lives do cotton yarn dishcloths stop leaving streaks on my stainless steel surfaces?

Crochet Paradise - Waaah!

2005-12-22T22:37:00.000-08:00

For "stageacter" who was looking for Denise Augostine's Crochet Paradise site, ~~you can~~ one used to be able to find it through webarchive.org here.
But checking today, I find that all I get from the archives is a domain registration site....Waah!

The Wayback machine is a good resource for finding any website that has become defunct, just enter the last address you remember for it and it gives you the cached archive. Sometimes pictures don't load properly, but you can often do a directory search and see them.

Meow!

2005-12-22T22:34:00.000-08:00

From Sara's blog, I couldn't resist!

You scored as Couch Potato Cat. Decorative pillow? No, that'd be you sitting on the couch, even still. Hmm. . . I'm guessing you have Web TV.

Couch Potato Cat

75%

Ninja Cat

67%

Pissed at the World Cat

67%

Nerd Cat

50%

Deranged Cat

50%

Love Machine Cat

33%

Drunk Cat

33%

Which Absurd Cat are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Drumroll

2005-12-22T02:47:00.000-08:00

Please welcome the second crochet blogger from India......Yasmin! She does amazing, lovely work. Yay!!!

Oh phoooey!

2005-12-22T02:34:00.000-08:00

Never thought I'd use the term in real life, but that's how I feel right now...Remember the Yahoo group I started for crocheters from India? Well, I'd written to Needle n' Thread magazine (from Coats India) asking them to feature my letter about it in their next issue. Today I get a call from them saying they wouldn't be able to do that, because they have their own website! Phooey is the only term I can come up with right now. That website is the site of the UK/US Coats and Clark (the site www.coatsindia.com never seems to work), while mine is obviously just a grouping with no commercial purpose whatsoever. I guess it's a great thing we even have a needlework magazine in India. Sigh!
So we'll have to think of other ways to publicise the group. Right now we have 10 members.

Notice I have absolutely no hesitation in naming names, knowing I have nothing to gain.

Spike bag with Windmist

2005-12-22T02:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the Windmist brushed acrylic yarn Fiona sent me was calling out to be a bag, so I moped around the net and hassled Cordelia ~~all day~~ a bit, before rediscovering the Spike stitch bag at Crochet Me. Here is my version:

which looks absolutely nothing like the designer's. That's why she is a designer and I am a copycat.

As I hate seaming, I decided to crochet in rounds, with a Crystalite size G/6 4.00 mm hook. I also turned the finished tube upside down to fix the bottom.

And here is another photo with my foot for scale.
Please don't mention the clashing colours of the bag, I give a very good impression of being colour-blind even when I'm not.

The thing still needs handles, more of which in my next post.

Weird fact #1. The fuzz is mostly concentrated on the "wrong side" of the bag, why?

Update: Or what makes a scientific mind! Noricum gave me the answer to my weird fact question:

The fuzz is probably mostly on the inside because when you pull the yarn from back to front, the fuzz gets left behind.

Now why couldn't I think of that?

Bagged!

2005-12-22T02:22:00.000-08:00

Finished the spike bag last night. Yay! Did the handles on the French Knitter. The bag will need a lining, obviously, and I'm still pondering what sort of closure to put in.....

From a distance:

Close-up:

Handles:

To recap:
Yarn: Windmist Brushed acrylic (100%) in Ocean Blue (50 gm) and Hollyberry (50 gm)
Hook: Susan Bates Crystalites size G/6 4.00mm
Pattern: All in my head, derived from Crochet Me's Spike Stitch challenge
Time: About 4-5 hours
Size: 9" by 10" by 2.5"
Extra: Used knitting knobby for cords for handles

Update: Thanks everyone for your nice comments! Yes, Sheila, I will be keeping this one for myself. If I can just get off my butt and line it... And Sue, Sara and Jomo, it's good to know you like my work :D! Darn, I wish Blogger would do smilies....

By any name

2005-12-16T00:27:00.000-08:00

Here is what I am using to make the cord for the bag handles:

It is a Pony French Knitter also called knitty knobby, knitting nancy, spool knitter.... The instructions that came with the thingummy weren't too clear, but I found this excellent site with pictures and stuff.

Here is what the cord looks like. Magic, isn't it?

Best of all, this toy is Made in India and for a change, it is actually available here. *clap vigorously* I got it for Rs 42 on my last trip to Hyderabad.

Chenille hat being knit

2005-12-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

Or...never frog a chenille!

Here is my progress so far on what I hope will become a hat from the Bernat chenille I got from Grace in August (for June CAT).

This thing is striping, but I'm thinking, wouldn't it be nice if manufacturers included information on how many sts would make a symmetric striping? So if we wanted symmetry, we'd follow the sts or else not...

But, the yarn absolutely dies if it's frogged...Serious, I've had clumps of the stuff shedding on me...

Wanted: Someone with a head small enough for 85 yards of chenille! Finders will be suitably rewarded.

Elfed!

2005-12-12T23:55:00.000-08:00

Yay! I got my first Crochetville elfing for the Xmas wishlist in the mail today! Took 7 days to reach me (fast by some standards), but what yummy stuff!

Here is a pic:

The yarn is Made in Italy for Yarns Brunswick (the company seems defunct now), colours are Ocean Blue and Hollyberry. It's a fuzzy brushed 100% acrylic. Yummy!

Also in the package were 4 different flavours of Lipton tea: Plain, Honey, Lemon Ginseng and Mixed Berry. Should I drink these cold or hot? I'm more a cold coffee/iced tea person....

One Hershey bar (in fridge right now for resuscitation after the long journey reduced it to pulp).

Two pattern sheets (for baby cardigan and Xmas runner), a recipe for caramel corn (what is Karo syrup?) and a handwritten greeting card from Mumbles, my elf!

Yay again! Sure feels good to know someone thought of me...

I knit, too!

2005-12-10T00:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, I do! Although this my first knit show-and-tell since starting this blog, there was a time when I knit more than I crocheted....

Anyway, I had Cordelia's DAOK Yarn Bee Wild Child Eyelash in Fiesta calling out to me and it looked like it would dazzle in knit rather than crochet, so I dusted off my needles (Gasp, I even had the recommended size 7/4.5mm!!!!).

While carrying on a conversation with Cordelia, I cast on 20 sts and stitched away in garter stitch to produce this creature:

Isn't it beautiful? I keep expecting it to mew at me. I wish it would, too. (Weird colours for a feline, but who cares?!)

Later in the evening I had an epiphany and decided to make it a "keyhole" pattern. Therefore without much ado, I frogged back a few rows,, knit 8 st, BO (Bind off, silly) 4 st, knit 8 st for one row, then knit 8 st, CO (Cast on) 4 st, knit 8 st the next row. Voila! I now had a "hole". Garter st the rest of the way....

At the end of the ball, I had 24 inches of furry pleasure...the only question is, who will it fit?! Round my neck, for example, it looks like this:

I cropped off the photo so you can't see my tongue sticking out (just kidding!). Not to mention the hole seems to be rather unfortunately located, so the entire arrangment is lopsided. *sigh*

Can someone tell me what I could do?

1. Frog and store
2. Hats with fringe
3. Find a small funky child in desperate need of neck warmer

4. Any other suggestions you might give me

I love the yarn!!!!

Update: The keyhole has now been moved to a more comfortable place and now I can even breathe while wearing it. Only thing is, I'm still not funky enough for it. Maybe I will be when I grow up...

Noricum: How wide should a skinny scarf be? This one is 4 inches

Sheila: Yes I used the entire skein, not a cm left to talk about...I'd forgotten what colours the Cheshire cat was. Maybe I will keep this...

Baby sweater #x

2005-12-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a baby sweater I finished two nights ago. It was washed yesterday. The yarn is a local acrylic that I bought in unlabelled hanks in Hyderabad. The pattern I adapted from Auntie M's site, the Abigail sweater (so, it's a girl's name and my friend's baby is a boy...so what? Stop asking me that question!!!!)

I used a Pony brand 4.00mm hook in aluminium. I added a pattern repeat for the yoke since it was coming out way too small, and a couple of repeats for the body. Also, the sleeves as well.

Please tell me it isn't too girly....

RAOK...Maybe not so random...

2005-12-06T23:41:00.000-08:00

It took 3 months, but they finally got to me!!! Yay! Cordelia sent me The Cereal Murders by Diane Mott Davidson, full of food and thrills.

Also included was an Annie's Crochet issue full of kitten patterns...July August 1997! I may never make them, but I love the cats!

This package was mailed out on September 2, 2005 and reached me on December 5, 2005. Surface mail. Cordelia never lost hope, though I did.

So now there is one less package with my name littering outer space. Sad. ;)

Kimberley: I should have known a post about the post (pun, pun, pun) would bring you out of commenting hibernation...

Dude: I'm honoured you still follow my postings...

Cordelia's Ruffled Eyelet Scarf

2005-12-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

Haven't blogged much recently, have I? Pressures of work...or whatever!

Anyway, I tested Cordelia's Ruffled Eyelet Scarf pattern a while ago, and here it is!

I used RH Super Saver in Amethyst, and a I/5.5 mm hook (Boye, I think).

This shows the colour more closely...For some reason my camera thinks it should be blue.

It was first-ever vertically (lengthwise) worked scarf, and also my first-ever intentionally ruffled anything!

Thanks for letting me test the pattern, Cordelia!

Vest with CAT PAC yarn

2005-11-25T02:31:00.000-08:00

This was a rush job, as I was leaving that afternoon, so both I and my nephew were blurry-eyed and half-awake...
I used a girl's pattern from Freepatterns.com for the boy's vest (gender-bender, that's me!) and used up almost all of the 7 oz Red Heart Super Saver skein in Soft Navy that Christal sent me for the September CAT PAC. This PAC arrived providentially while my sister was visiting, so I was able to take the yarn (she chose the colour) with me when I went with them to Hyderabad.
As usual (dunno why I bother writing this at all) I ran out of skein, so I made do with some local yarn in a very dark navy blue. I used a K 6.50mm hook. I started off with Red Heart Crystalites, but found it wasn't sliding through smoothly, so I shifted to a Boye K 6.50mm instead. Much better!

The original pattern calls for chenille.

Several things are wrong in these photos:
1. Both of us were unwilling to wake up
2. The color didn't come out properly, so I fiddled with the pics in an editor.
3. His pajamas are too dark to show off the vest/pattern properly
4....

You get the picture.

Yahoo group for Indian crocheters

2005-11-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I've finally gone and done it! Yup, I created a Yahoo group for crocheters from India. It's exciting, and I hope it'll help us help each other with supply-related woes or pattern doubts or anything else, for that matter.

If you are a crocheter and from India (wherever you might be living now), do come and join us!

Click to join Crochet_India

Clarified on Wool in India

2005-11-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official (more or less). The guy at the shop I bought some yarn at yesterday told me categorically that we can only get woollen yarn in Pune and Nagpur and similar cities (Vardhman, he said). Hmmm. Wonder if I've ever bought any...No woollen yarn available in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Sad!

Cabled hat for nephew

2005-11-19T23:11:00.000-08:00

Did I already blog this? I don't remember. Anyway, the pattern is from Etaria's Crochet Garden, and I've made it several times already. It's super simple to do, and getting the cable effect in crochet is a great idea! Yarn is local, but I'm not too sure of which hook I used...

My nephew is modelling it for me here:

And here is a closeup of the pattern:

Cardigan for my niece

2005-11-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you have a skein of Red Heart Baby Sport Pompadour freshly minted in Hushabye, chilly weather in Hyderabad and a smallish niece in need of a sweater? You crochet a sweater.....(dumb question, silly answer).

I turned the net upside down (you mean you didn't notice?) looking for a nice cardigan pattern for a 7 year old girl which wasn't too dense (thick, heavy) but didn't find any. So I turned to a baby pattern instead, from Serendipity Crochet. (This site seems to be defunct now, but I've given the web archive link here)

So here it is:

Isn't the colourway (or whatever you call it) adorable? I'd love to see how it turns out knitted. Here is a closeup of the pattern stitches, which is a simple one using crossed dc (skip 1 st, dc in next st, dc in skipped st across).

As usual I was too lazy to go out and buy buttons, so I made flowers for closure instead. Here's a closeup:

And here it is all buttoned up:

I used a size J hook 6.00mm (Boye). I bought some very soft white local yarn to do the edges in. Worked out ok, I think.

Thank you so much for the , Red Heart yarn Cordelia!!!

Alack and alas, the cardigan looks just right, so it might be too small for next year...A good excuse to make another next year!

RAOK!!!!!!

2005-11-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

Cordelia sent me this lovely package of thingies....

Yarn, of course, Red Heart Baby Sport, which I plan to use for a sweater for my niece:

Bernat Handicrafter Cotton (I could get used to this....)

One skein of Yarn Bee Wild Child eyelash yarn in Fiesta: Funky, isn't it? I see many fringes in my future....

This delicious cat notepad:

And one Burt's Bees lipbalm which is pepperminty and I love the tingly sensation and the smell it leaves....it's already nestling in my purse.

What a wonderful fairy she is! Not only does she keep me company the whole day almost every day, but also sends me stuff! Mwahh, mwahh!

September CAT PAC!

2005-11-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

I got an absolutely wonderful CAT PAC from Christal in Germany for my September CAT PAC. I was thrilled to actually get a real ~~live~~ box in the mail...She packed it full of so many goodies, I lost count!
I got my second set of G-K Crystalites, this time from Susan Bates (and yes, they were made in India as well). Christal also included a bright yellow plastic case so that I can find my hooks easily wherever they are

She sent a soft white yarn doily that she made herself:

And a heart bookmark in multicoloured thread: (she's a booklover (and Bookcrosser) too!)

A scrubbie and a dishcloth in cotton in a colour combination I can't resist!!!

Two skeins of Red Heart Super Saver (navy, purple) and one of Mainstays (cream)

But the piece de resistance were these absolutely scrumptious fridgies:

And Christal thoughtfully included a note to explain all the different things she had sent, which added that personal touch to the entire thing. Thank you so much, Christal!!!

There is an unCAT (unscheduled, unhosted) this weekend as well, which I'll be logging on to as, I missed the last one.

Bookly goodness

2005-11-15T03:23:00.000-08:00

There was a sale of books surplus from American libraries in Vizag and I got lucky!!! I got this book, Crocheting for Pleasure, by Mildred Graves Ryan for Rs 95 (about US $2)

Then this British book, called simply Crochet, for Rs 195 (about US $4)

This one, McCall's Needlework Treasury, for Rs 295 (about US $6)

And of course, I had to have this:

Evening Shawl

2005-11-15T02:27:00.000-08:00

I got the pattern from Craftown, but in googling for it today, I also ran across a similar pattern on the Lionbrand website. So which is it? The one I made is the Craftown one, because that is what I referenced in my post on it way back in June when I first started this one *blush*. The post has a closer view of the pattern.
Here is my cousin for whom I made it.

It is sort of a batwing pattern, in that the shawl shapes itself so that it drapes on the shoulders and you don't have to clutch it all the time. Much better than my experience with the Serafina Shawl..*shudder*

I used a gray yarn with silver running through it that I got in Delhi last November, with a 5.00mm Pony hook. The pattern is so easy that I finished the shawl without having to refer to the printout once.

Yarn sample card

2005-11-09T04:01:00.000-08:00

Also forgotten (how could I?!), is this free yarn sample card from Australia's Ozeyarn. I could pet it for hours....

It arrived while I was away in Hyderabad.

FO gifts

2005-11-09T03:15:00.000-08:00

I forgot to ~~brag~~ blog about these FOs that I made to give on our recent road trip. I made both of them in Hyderabad. So here they are:

This is another skinny scarf, made with some novelty yarn that I bought in Delhi last year. It was an unfinished bolero in its previous life. I made it for my niece. Just ch to the desired width, and then dc (American) in each stitch across. The beauty (!) of the scarf lies in the yarn itself.

I made two caps for my cousin and nephew. One of them I forgot to take a photo of, but it was made from this pattern at Crochet Garden here in an ugly green yarn that was one of the only colours I was able to buy in Hyderabad. Why our people like to make(buy) yarn in ugly primary colours is beyond me. I changed the brim a bit to make it fit my *sense* of symmetry.

UPDATED: For Mimi, look at this post for a picture of the hat I made from the same pattern but in a different colour. The brim here follows the original pattern, though.

Anyway, this other cap I made from this pattern, (I can't find the link online....!!!) in my famous patchwork yarn from Delhi, very soft to touch. I like this pattern very much, it works up very nicely, and the ribbed brim is cool!

Sorry for the blurry quality of the pics!

Sunset Sunday

2005-11-06T23:35:00.000-08:00

After a long break, I know, unforgiveable, isn't it? No excuses, except I was away...

And plus, since it is sort of winter here, the sun has moved southwards, meaning that the sunsets are usually obscured behind a building :(

Dishcloth #2

2005-11-06T23:22:00.000-08:00

With Peaches n Creme yarn that I got from Kat for the August CAT PAC.
My dishcloth #2, the pattern on the wrapper is just rows of hdc, and I used size I hook, one size higher than recommended, Crystalites. The hook was also part of the same CAT PAC.

I love the colour repeat! Guess what desktop wallpaper I have on my PC right now :D

Knot stitch poncho!

2005-11-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

Poncho for my friend's daughter who is about 6 years old, and I'm afraid it might be too small for her...but it looks beautiful anyway, even if I do say so myself! Local (Santi) brand yarn and a size 4.00 mm (that Chrissie from England sent me in memory of her CAT friend Sue Renfrow). The pattern is here.

This is my first FO with the Solomon's knot, Lover's knot...instructions can be found here, here and here, amongst other places.

What change, young man?

2005-11-03T03:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, the template has been changed. I think I've fixed most of the customisations I had, but if you find any bugs, please let me know!

PS The title comes from the Two Cheers programme on BBC World Service Radio sometime during Maggie Thatcher's reign...Anybody heard that one?

Done!

2005-11-02T22:48:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the RH SS baby blanket I was making for my friend's baby girl:

The 8oz skein finished midway through Row 28, so I frogged that row, ran out for some matching local yarn and segued into the border.

The pattern can be found at Angelcrafts here. I chained only 123, and made 27 rows (plus border 3 rows) to end up with a 32" x 34" blanket. Hook size was Boye K/6.5 mm. Yarn is worsted weight, 4-ply.

The border was my own inspiration (thanks everyone for your suggestions!). For the border I did (using American terminology):

Rnd 1. Without ending off at the end of Row 27 (or wherever you stop), ch2, working on side of blanket, * make 4 hdc in each ch4 and 1 hdc in each sc, 2 hdc in corner*. Working on the other side of foundation ch, ch 4, (dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next st, sl st in next st, [sc, hdc, dc in next ch4], tr in next st) across to next corner. Work 2 hdc in corner, then repeat from * to * once. Ch 4, +in next ch 4 (dc, hdc, sc), sl st in sc+, repeat across from + to +, join!

No, that was not written in gobbledygook, it's just my confused mind.

Rnd 2. Hdc in each st till end, join

Rnd 3. Ch 3, sc in next st around. Join, fasten off!

Basically what I wanted to do was to produce a level set of stitches around to work a solid looking border, since the pattern itself is wavy enough.

Yay!!!! My first-ever object approaching a afghan/blanket/whatever.

Question: Won't it be a bit thick and heavy? Although it is lacy...

Weird observation No.1: Both the RH SS and my local yarn are 4-ply, but the local yarn is much thinner, so I used 2 strands together.

Indian needlework magazine!

2005-11-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

By courier yesterday evening, I got my first copy of the Anchor Needle N Magazine, which is from Coats India and features all Indian content. You can subscribe for Rs 225 per year and the magazine is quarterly, so you get an issue every 3 months. I got my subscription form from Viji in Chennai, and was very thrilled to get my first copy! I'm quite pleased at the overall content (several different types of needlework & embroidery) and the mail order pages.

Also in the envelope was this kit for coasters:

It uses cross stitch.

Nice! Apparently you cannot buy this magazine on the stands, which might explain why I've never seen it before. I wonder if there are any more such hiding somewhere?

On the crochet front, this magazine has a filet curtain pattern.

Deepavali photos

2005-11-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

We had the festival of lights, Diwali/Deepavali on Tuesday, November 1st. Although nowadays it is more sound than light.

Here is Sridhar watching a flowerpot do its thing:

And here is the whirling Bhoo chakram

It whirls on the ground. There is also a Vishnu chakram which is held in the hand...

RH SS UFO & FOs

2005-11-01T00:48:00.000-08:00

I realised I don't usually show any UFOs here and wonder what it says about me (no, I don't want to know, can't you spot a rhetorical question?!)

So here is a UFO, a baby blanket I'm making for a friend's new baby girl, born this September. I'm using the 8 oz skein of Red Heart Super Saver in Light Coral that I got for my August CAT PAC from Kat over at Crochetlist.

The pattern is from Angelcrafts, and you can find it here. The yarn is obviously Worsted Weight, and I'm using a K/6.5mm Boye hook. Instead of the 180 chain the pattern originally calls for, I chained 123 (don't ask!) and that makes it about 30" wide, which I reckon should be enough. I think I'll work it to 30" square, and then do an edging. Maybe not the one in the pattern, it's too holey, which the blanket already is, anyway.

So if you have any ideas on nice 2-3 row edgings, please tell me.

And here are a pair of cute FOs! Booties for another friend's baby, a boy this time:

The pattern is from Darcy Richardson, and very easy and quick. I finished this pair in just about 2 hours, with about WW yarn and a 3.50mm hook.

I'm still alive

2005-10-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, even if it sounds unbelievable...Got back from a hectic road trip to the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, and since then I've been busy with a course for radio announcers at All India Radio. Will put up pictures of the trip in my travel blog shortly, but here is one of the two FO's from that trip:

The pattern is from Pineapple Crochet Designs ed. by Rita Weiss:

I used size 20 Red Heart thread in gray, and and and....a .95mm hook, if I remember rightly...A lot of ends to weave in on this one!
I also made a hat for a nephew, but forgot to take pictures...

August CAT goodies

2005-10-15T01:19:00.000-07:00

Also while I was away, I received my CAT PAC from Kat for the August CAT. And here are all the goodies she included:

My first ever Red Heart Super Saver, in Light Coral. Now I only have to figure out what to make with 8 oz/225 g of acrylic worsted weight yarn in a pale colour...

This pen:

These translucent markers:

These yarn needles (blunt-ended) from Boye:

My first ever Crystalite hooks from Red Heart, and you know what's most ironic? They were made in India!!! Where oh where can I buy these here?

Another first, a skein of Peaches & Creme cotton yarn in a pleasant blue-green ombre:

I've used the Crystalites, not any of the other stuff yet. But I *loved* the PAC. Thank you so much, Kat!

Postcrossing!

2005-10-15T01:14:00.000-07:00

While I was away from Vizag, I received these two postcards for postcrossing:

from Lauren in Chicago and

from Jessie in Oregon

In the mail today

2005-10-14T01:55:00.000-07:00

was this:

from Laurie on Crochetlist/CAT. She remembered I was looking for tops to hook with thread/cotton and sent it to me when she saw the top on the cover and another inside. Haven't made up my mind yet which/whether/with what I will make either, though. I love how generous people are! Thank you so much, Laurie!

Chowmohalla

2005-10-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

My sister, mother, niece and I went sightseeing today to see the Chowmohalla Palace near Charminar. First, a picture of Charminar, the distinctive landmark of my city, Hyderabad.

Chowmohalla is a complex of 4 palaces (which is what its name means) around a spacious courtyard with a fountain/pool in the centre. The largest is the Khilwat, which has a large durbar hall with a marble dais for the seat of the Nizam. The entire durbar hall is lit by 19 Belgian crystal chandeliers. Upstairs they currently have an exhibition of period textiles. We were not allowed to photograph either of the exhibits, but I have a couple of picture of the outside of Khilwat Mahal, front, back and side.

The entire complex is being restored by the Nizam's family, to whom it still belongs. There was also a photography exhibition of photos of the Nizam's family form early last century. We found some smaller interesting details, such as this seal on some fireproof almirahs made in 1857:

and the work on these doors and windows:

Plus, being the flower spotters that we are, we also liked these pink and white hibiscus: