I am still breathing..

Yes…i am still breathing, I know I have neglected this blog for so long. I have try update it sooner but things happen and it hit us like a lighting storm, one after another. As I mention the year didn’t start off very good for us, we found out that my dad had cancer at the beginning of the year, the news have hit us hard. However, the doctor is very optimistic about his case and have his cancer remove few month ago and he is cancer free now, at the same time…I have found out I am pregnant with twin….yes twin..We were so happy and overjoy with all the good news.

But..things didn’t turn out as you plan it… one of my dear family member found out she have cancer and is the finally stage.. even the best doctor in the country don’t dare to draw any conclusion to her illness.  The news have turn everyone world up side down and the worst part is she is young, very young… with 2 kids.

As for my pregnancy, “touch wood” I finally gets through the first 14 week of morning sickness, tired and miserable. I have not touch any knitting at all until 3 week ago, which my mood slowly come back and I feel more alive as myself.

bump at 17 week

I started to clear out my WIP but a few of my WIP top I can’t really complete it as my figure is growing bigger, I can’t try it on and adjust to fit. So far, I have finish one of the scarf I work on since last year- Phiaro scraf from Knitscene, the pattern are really easy but extreme brain less TV knit. I knitted as far as I could hang on to it,  the finished scarf is a bit small from what I expect, however after wash and block, it turn out not bad at all.

Pattern : Phiaro Scarf
Yarn : Olympus precious
Yardage : 5 ball
Needle : 3.5mm

Hello…

Hello and happy 2009, oops..hopes I wasn’t to late to greet all of you.. I been extremely busy and start off the year with serious flu…and other bad news,  hope and pray will be better soon.. Anyway, please meet our new family member Jessie!!!  After very long consideration, yup.. I decided to get my hb a puppy as a Christmas present instead of a hand knit jumper..hehe less work for me!

Well as for my knitting progress didn’t go too well, I am still stuck with all the WIP, some lacking one sleeve and some still sitting in the drawer..but I am still knitting, just a bit slower then usual.

At the other hand, I finally try my hand on book binding, I been wanting to learn how to bind a leather book since I saw it 10 years ago in Spain.  I been looking up and down in Barcelona last year trying to buy one but no luck, just can’t really remember which shop.

Anyway, after doing some research online, I decided to bind my own book instead and ..I really enjoy it. I still at very beginning stage trying to figure out different type of stitching/binding technique, and still trying to get the right material especially the the waxed linen thread which are no very popular over here and most online shop is only willing to send by global express which the shipping cost is much more expensive then the thread.

The different of stitching I experiment with

The finish products…all been claim..hehe , I quite happy with the outcome but still have to do more research on the material and hopefully can find some really unique leather next round.

have a merry little christmas…

super fast ..

I am working on rather small and quick project lately, which make me feel more relax. Of course, I still have a couple of big WIP on my hand which I have put on aside temporary until….I get back my knitting mood. I been eyeing on Liesl by Ysolda for quite a while, but keep thinking it the lace will take long time to complete. To my surprise it took me less then a week to complete the top, the pattern is so well written.

I use double strand of Olympus Cotton Novia trying to get the right gauge, some how my gauge still on the small side. I had to cast on the L size, it work out a bit tight on the waist line and I tried to block it by steam iron it….hmmm not a good idea after all. The whole top become too loose and I have to re wash it and tumble dry it… thank god, it shrink back to what it was.

Pattern : Liesl by Ysolda
Yarn : Olympus Cotton Novia
Yardage : 6 ball
Needle : 6mm

Sari Silk

Is been awhile I update my blog, mainly because I mess up my Garthered Cardigan AND Phiaro scarf ( found out too short when finished). My progress of knitting when rock bottom, I have no mood to knit or I keep frogging the project I work on. I start looking through my stash to find inspiration and I found 3 skein of Recycle Sari Silk I brought a year ago in Spain. I know I would not in my life time wearing it if make into scarf…is way too colorful and hairy to my taste, don’t get me wrong, I do love the color but just not on my body haha…

Last week, I brought some bag frame from Meowcraft, when it arrived I know it will be perfect for the  Sari Silk. The only to minimized the screaming affect is to crochet instead of knit it, I begin to test it, and I just couldn’t stop. It only took me a few day to crochet it but the lining almost drive me up the wall, maybe is my crappy mini sewing machine, the thread keep breaking for no reason (.. sewing is just not my game). However, after insert the bag frame, I am quite please with it.

Pattern : Crayon Clutch
Yarn : Recycled Sari Silk
Yardage : 1.5 skein
Hook: 3.5mm

lousy lining…is way too big

Forgotten

We took off work to Cameron Highland for a little break two week ago, the hotel is lovely but the weather are wet, froggy and cold ….actually we love it, thats what we hoping for, to get away from the heat in the city.

We managed to take a short trip to the nearby forest for a walk before the rain hit again on the next morning, and I forgot how much I love the forest..hmmm I think the very last trip I went to the forest is more then 10 years ago. I feel so calm and relax when we were in the forest, I don’t mind the leech or mosquito, but my husband is a bit freak out by that…oops, I forget to tell him wear long pants!!

moment..

It took me about 3 week to finished the body part of Gathered Cardigan, the amount of stitches on the body part is driving me to the wall.  And I almost drop dead when I try it on, It was the worst moment on my short knitting life.. IS TOO BIG!!!! and it look like I have a big backpack on my back. I really do feel like killing myself over this, I mean this is not this first time my work end up different size but this project are really boring and imagine 380+ stockinette stitch on one row, it really make me go nuts. I have to put this cardigan away, far from my vision.. at least for a few month before I decide what to do with it.

 

 

After much frustration over this cardigan, I need to temporary move away from a big project, I started another Montego Bay scarf. I always want to try Handmaiden Sea Silk, couples months ago I finally decided to treat myself a skein of  Sea Silk. I must said the pattern and the yarn is perfect match, I love it , is worth every pennies. I have done this scarf with slight modification, I use less strand for the fringe and increase the cast on sts to 61sts instead of 43 sts. I think next time I gonna increase more sts, I still think is a bit skinny for me.

 

Pattern : Montego Bay Scarf
Yarn : Handmaiden Fine Yarn Sea Silk
Color: Glacier
Yardage : 1 skein
Needle: 5.5mm

 

“Time to finish it”

“Is time to finish it off” this been in my head for quite awhile until last weekend I finally put it in action, I took some time off from my new obsession “spinning” to finished the Ash. I pretty happy about the result and the yarn drape beautifully, the only thing complain that I have is the length but I can’t blame anyone but myself. I was so bored on the back panel I cut short about an inch on the lace pattern, thinking it would make no difference and now I wish I haven’t done it.

I started this top together with Regg, we work out the pattern pretty much by guessing through the finish garment in Ravelry with slight change here and there. The construction I did basically similar as Dawn, knit up from left and right panel, then join for the back panel and knit down, simple !!

Pattern : Ash alike Rowan 36
Yarn : Olympus Cotton Novia
Yardage : 7 balls
Needle: 3.75mm, 4mm

I spin, i spin..

I been wanting to learn spinning for quite awhile but somehow never really get to it. After looking at all the beautiful hanspun yarn in Ravelry, I can’t hold on to it anymore, I brought myself a spindle.

I been spend half of my time on spinning since I got my spindle, somehow I still can’t really control it, the yarn is kind of overspun with thick and thin. I am so eager to try the plying technique, I spun up about 2 oz. of fiber and start to ply it immediately and wah-lah ……….I have about 25+ yard of tropical punch !!!

However, in some part of the yarn is really overspun and I didn’t ply it with patient , it end up like a little crumb. I love the colour in the yarn but is a bit tooooooooo bright, now what am I gonna do with it..haha.

Getaway

Last week I took a few day off to Krabi, Thailand for a break. We got a really good deal on the hotel because at the moment is a low season over there, sort of like raining season. Actually, is not really pouring down rain all day long, is more like a scatter rain. Is extremely hot and sunny in the morning but cloudy at evening, so is quite pleasant to us anyway and we got an upgrade to honeymoon suite with a very good price!!

View from Princess Cave

We went for a half day Island hopping trip on speed boat. It was amazing, the scenery are really dramatic with the caves, limestone cliffs, and turquoise blue water.

The offerings in the cave

We traveled to about 4 Island, the most impressive to me is the Princess cave ( Tham Phra Nang Nok). The cave is dedicated to an ancient fertility goddess, in the cave you can find a strange combination of large phallic symbol, garlands and offerings.

By the time we finished the tour, my husband found out he been bite by sand flies which he is greatly allergic to it. He leg have swelled up like a baseball the next day, and we have to cancel the jungle tracking. We spend the whole day by the pool side relaxing and watching the sunset in our jacuzzi tub.