Rain's Knit-Bits

I've got stitches in my sides

2010-12-18T13:32:00.006+08:00

So I've been watching a lot of old British sitcoms lately. A blast from the past indeed. I've been feeling all Christmassy and what better to do that snuggle up with a good comedy running and a bowl of chowder to pass the time?

Now thanks to the wonders of the interweb, no longer do we have to wait a week to watch Hyacinth drive everyone insane with her nitpicking personality or see Basil Fawlty get bullied again.

I was wondering whether anyone thinks the Vicar of Dibley is hilarious? Dawn French on a roll is ripping stuff! (See I've picked up English bits now!)

I wonder if there are any more old fun comedies to get hooked on? I'm not limited to English comedies of course, I love me my American sitcoms too :)

It's just that I'm running out of things to watch now and I need ideas!

Hope everyone's ready for Christmas :) (for those who celebrate) and the rest are making the most of the holidays!

Christmas is almost here!

2010-12-09T14:55:00.003+08:00

Are you knitting? Spinning? Crafting? Painting? Quilling? Tatting? Crocheting? Sewing?

There's not much time left - I would know, I haven't done a thing.

Wisdom for the day:

A two idiot explodes a sphere.

Spinning updates

2010-10-11T13:28:00.004+08:00

I finished this some time ago but never got to blog about it.

Name: Easy Tiger
Fiber: Maude & Me polwarth
Yardage: 170 yards

The fiber was an absolute joy to spin!

My new hobby

2010-09-01T15:36:00.004+08:00

Spinning!

My second handspun project - the first was too much of an embarrassment.

100% wool

78 yards

2 ply

Fingering Weight

Project 3:

Merino Wool
258 yards
Fingering weight

First FO for 2010!

2010-05-05T10:22:00.004+08:00

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf
Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Wool Print (2 skeins)
Needles: 3.5 mm

Notes: Smaller CO sts to get a thinner scarf. Took up exactly 2 skeins and barely a meter left over. Great stitch definition.

Hope everyone's enjoying 2010! It's May and it's raining here. Hallelujah!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T17:15:00.004+08:00

From General

May you have a blessed 2010 with all your hopes and dreams coming true :)

Shhh...Whisper it to me

2009-10-06T00:10:00.003+08:00

Yeah, this is way way overdue.

Pattern: Whisper Cardigan by Hannah Fettig
Yarn: Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in Papaya (thanks Rambling Roses)
Skeins: 1.5
Needles: 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm,4.0 mm

Brilliant construction with such a lightweight yarn makes this a delight to knit and wear. I carry it with me every where!

Sorry for the sparse blog-posts, I'm currently on holiday in Malaysia and more about this fantastic trips in the following posts.

Lots of love to everyone and lots of prayers to those who are suffering in Samoa and Indonesia.

Happy knitting, crafting, reading - or whatever your hobby may be - everyone!

Summer!

2009-07-25T13:31:00.003+08:00

Oooh I've been a naughty blogger. I shall try to make up for it.

Well, most of you know that I left for a summer vacation to the motherland, Sri Lanka. It's been 8 years and seriously, nothing has changed. Except for the humidity. I could literally feel my hair frizz up as I stepped off the plane. Van de Graff's got competition.

Now that the war is over, things perhaps do look to be a bit more peaceful and people seem to be happier; free of the tendrils of fear that clasped the nation for decades.

Knitting-wise, nothing much has been done. I've got a Razor Cami in the works and a promise to fulfill blocking the Whisper Cardi that's been enthusiastically sniffed at by all the pets :D

Left to Right: Tina and Yoda (do you see the resemblance to green Yoda?)

There are two dogs, three ducks and an occasional snake in addition to the brood.

My cousin has been teaching me a new sort of embroidery and it's rather lovely. A preview:

I ought to begin knitting again. I shall. In fact I have a blocking appointment tonight :)
I've been hunting for yarn shops around here but to no avail. I've only seen icky acrylic. A big disappointment indeed.

That's about all for now. Updates will be regular henceforth, hopefully with good info stemming from the exploration phase that takes over anyone who travels.

Happy knitting everyone!

Crafty me

2009-05-12T05:27:00.005+08:00

I like symmetry.

Knowing that I can put this like of symmetry into my knitting is a very comforting thought. That is why I keep track of every single row that I knit, every stitch that I might tink, every increase, decrease - you get the picture.

This can however lead to rather complicated nonsense scribbled on any bit of paper near me while knitting - grocery lists, envelopes, anything.

Therefore to help me in this quest for keep track of things in style, I fashioned a row counter for myself.

When I first saw these on blogs, I could never figure out how and why would anyone want a contraption like this tangled in their knitting.
But after knitting rows and rows of stockinette, the symmetry lover in me realised that this is the easiest way to remember how many rows I'd knitted without having to stop after each row and mark it.

Each jump ring represents a row, a repeat or whatever you'd like it to be.

Here it is in use with the sleeve of my Whisper cardigan.

Yeah I sorta got lazy as I reached the top and put in an old wire that I had twisted for practice before heh.

But I like how it came out. It also helps to keep my purple obsession in check without having to knit everything in purple.

Would you use one of these in your knitting?

Phase II

2009-05-07T20:01:00.006+08:00

Nothing helps to finish up rows of stockinette like a good movie - or a bad one...

I've got my WIP count to ZERO - it IS possible and I've done it. I frogged the jacket and chucked Twiggy Tweed into a basket to be cut into bits because I know I'll never use it.

Phase II: Knit More, Much More - has begun
It feels good to start with a clean slate.

Last night, I cast on for the coveted Whisper Cardigan using Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud in Papaya which I swiped from the lovely Rambling Roses.
BE WARNED, make sure you use cables with the smoothest join. My KP options kept snagging and I wonder whether something can/should be done.

...back to the movie. I chose Cloverfield.

Bad choice.

20 minutes into it, I was ready to barf all over my knitting. It's a POV movie and all the running made my head spin.

Tonight I shall attempt to watch it again, however making sure I do not eat two hours beforehand. Ick.

I've been having lots of ball winding fun at the KOs lately. I'm very proud of this:

Caroline and I managed to wind 10 yarn cakes during the meet up. Sadly I don't have pictures of her bunch. Thanks for the winder Jhocy and Yanti for the swift.

Dubai eye candy.

Burj Dubai and note the cute metro train at the bottom.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Status report

2009-04-23T06:18:00.011+08:00

Mission: Zero WIPs
Status: 2 down, 2 to go

Item #1
Halter:

Completed.

Yarn: *No brand name, sorry. This was started before I knew such things were important, ie. my first knitting project of all time.*
DK - 8 ply mercerized cotton, 4 skeins
Sport - sparkle cotton tape, 3 skeins
Needles: 5.5 mm and 5 mm straights
Size: 34"-36" bust

Item #2
Bayerische Socks:

After 2 years, this is a real relief to be done with.

Pattern: Bayerische Socks
Yarn: Knitpicks Palette, 2 skeins
Needles: 2 mm dpns
Size: Woman's 8

Have a great weekend everyone. Must. resist. casting. on.

Sorry for the rather short post, blogger's being extremely uncooperative.

Zero WIPs? Possible or Impossible?

2009-04-02T03:42:00.007+08:00

I'm on a mission. A mission to get my cobwebbed WIP count to zero.

Pending:
Twiggy Tweed - 70% done
Cropped Jacket - 35% done (heading for the frog pile)
Bayerische Sock - 75% done
Purple Halter - 95% done

Attempt one:

**Clockwise from top: 1. Trying it on (photo courtesy Rambling Roses) 2. Blocking 3. Blocking 4. Sewing the back casing to hold a strip of elastic [more pics here]

Verdict:
I thought the front was perhaps a repeat or two short.
But the incredible group of knitters that I've luckily met in Dubai voted that it was a-ok : Thank you girls!

Yes. There are other people who knit in the UAE.
Thanks to Ravelry, I tracked them down and they're a delightful group of fun gals from all over the world, who like nothing more than to get their knit on!
We've got a Sock KAL in the works with Lorna's Laces One Hank Socks.

ETA:
Some of the gorgeous knits at the KO:

**1. Jhocy's Clapotis - modelled by Jackie 2. Jhocy's Leyburns

Jhocy, Jackie, Jennifer, Caroline, Preeti, Hala, Debbie, Gilly it was a pleasure meeting y'all and I can't wait for the next meet up!

Okay I did get distracted from the big WIP mission:

**Left to right: Crochet hat, Loop Pillow, Crochet hat

These are FOs, so they don't count right? So yeah other than that, go ME! =D

We've had such lovely weather lately, kinda shocking since its already April and normally we'd be peeling off layers instead of piling them back on.

A steady downpour, whooshes of hail - that scared my cat out of its wits - and strong winds have been dithering over Dubai.
I managed to capture these while staring, mouth agape, at the torrents of rain beating down on the streets.

I love rain (go figure) and I miss it dreadfully since coming back home so I hope it lasts.

Have a fantastic week everyone. How many WIPs have y'all got ruminating at the back of your cupboards eh?

** - all mosaics created using this.

Oh happy days

2009-03-17T17:33:00.013+08:00

First something that made me go SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!

My valentine's day pressie arrived a few weeks ago from my significant other (SO) in this lovely box:

He does have the knack for picking up pretty pretty boxes.

Inquisitive and damnably hard to surprise by nature, it was all I could to stop myself from badgering him with a deluge of questions.

Excuse the abstract and in-your-face shot, my itchy fingers were tingling to get to what was inside.

The reveal~

14.7 mega pixels of gorgeous! I've been lusting after this ever since Canon came out with this model, in this limited colour too. Isn't he the BEST?

Now you know why there have been pictures.

Ah but it didn't end there.

Every knitter's joy, a man who knows what she wants -->

SO didn't even know the name of a single knitting magazine but boy did he hit the jackpot. He picked these out himself.

Can you just picture the delirium yours truly was in? I think - nay I guess, that the rest of the day did pass by in haze of flashes, patterns and squeals.

Let's catch up on some FOs the shall we?

Argosy Scarf

Yarn: Knit picks Felici - Hummingbird
Skeins: 1
Needles: 3.5 mm straights
Blocked Length: 60" x 4"

Interesting to knit, lovely to wear.

Slouchy Hat

Yarn: Cashmira Acrylic - White
Skeins: 1.5
Needle: 5 mm hook

The little puffs are super cute but I'd add a little more slouch the next time round.

Tribble

Yarn: Lily's Sugar 'n Cream
Skeins: 0.4
Needles: 4 mm

Fastest FO ever. Already in use at the kitchen sink.

That's all for today. I hope y'all have a great week.

Happy Knitting! I know I am.

Modified Hew

2009-03-09T20:26:00.003+08:00

A completed photo of something I started working on a long long time ago. Perhaps the speckled yarn was not the best to use, to show off the gartered rib but I like the randomness all the same.

Pattern: Hew
Size: 36" Bust
Yarn: Spotlight Acrylic
Skeins: 1.4
Needle Size: 4 mm
Mods:
1. Joined at the neckline (front center) to make it a pullover shrug instead of a wrap around.
2. 2 x 2 ribbing as a hem all over except for the garter rib.

This is perfect to wear out here, what with indecisive weather. I don't think it needs any blocking eh?

More FOs on the way =)

HAPPY KNITTING!!

Update + Meme

2009-02-24T19:56:00.008+08:00

Thank you to everyone who commented and emailed me! I really appreciate that you all care, your emails really touched my heart.

Mum's getting along better but she's rather weak and that scares me. Dad, on the other hand has recovered fully and he's been a whirlwind around the house.

Now for a meme, it's been a while since I've done these.

10 Favourite things - Letter L - courtesy of Craftylilly!

I'll dish out letters to anyone who says they want to play too.

Love - It makes the world go round and everything is more beautiful when you're in love and to be truly loved is a wonderful blessing from God.

Lace - there's just something about how it forms off the needles that is so fascinating

LOTR - when I want to escape

Low Mai Kai - (sp?) a sinful glutinous rice + chicken dish that I discovered in Malaysia

Lifehouse - my fave band since highschool =)

Pink Lemonade - good times!

Laughter - the best medicine indeed

Lingerie - not in a lewd way but doesn't every girl love it? It's nice to own purty things.

Letters - I love getting letters, long ones, short ones. The charm of snail mail never dies.

Lasagne - 'nuf said

Have a great week y'all.

..

2009-02-07T16:12:00.004+08:00

It's February already.

Knit-wise this year has started off fairly well, I've got 4 FOs in the bag, all being put to good use. Two scarves, one sweater and one hat. Thank God for a satisfying winter this year.
I wanted to post pics of the FOs but really couldn't bring myself to take any good ones.

Another reason being that I lost my beloved camera on a terrible night that I discovered a revolting secret about the company I used to keep (sorry I'm being cryptic but it's also such a burden that I had to blog it out). Y'all would think I'd have been devastated but instead I was glad not to have any memories left of that night and was finally able to think of the whole experience as cleansing. Good spin on a bad day no? Thank Heaven I had just retrieved all my pics earlier on!

Big plans had been made for regular blogging this year too but unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances, I haven't been able to get down to it.

Mum's been terribly ill and it's been disheartening at home.
Ever since I was little, she has been the pillar of strength. She single-handedly took care of my brother and I and also our Dad too since he was gravely ill and not even once did we ever see her cave under the harsh reality of our lives.
But now, the tables have turned and seeing both our parents so frail is terrifying. But we pray, asking for strength and miracles, because we have faith that things will be better.

Hope y'all have a great week.

2009

2009-01-14T18:25:00.000+08:00

Did you know that it's been 10 years since the release of the Matrix?

Yeah, I reacted like that too. We're getting old. Unless you never watched the Matrix which would be impossible. But that would be a whole other story.

Hmmm..seems like Keanu Reeves managed to beat the years. Much like the whole cast of Friends after 10 years, while those of Fraiser looked like they've been through the grinder.

Yes, things to think about in 2009.

Sure there's a whole lot more, what with the recession (say it louder, it echoes!), the wars, earthquakes - just to name a few. Sigh.

But it's always nice to imagine the future, recession-free, clouds of yarn and picket fences made of knitting needles. What fun.

Gingerbread house you say? Sure thing, throw that in too.

Now to the tradition that I almost never keep: New year's resolutions. I'm a big list-maker. OH yeah. But I tend to make the lists in my head, so that really never works out you know, cos after a shower, all that's left is a soggy mess - what? my head's porous you say? mental note: I should look into that.

Last year I recall, after much discussion (no, I didn't do that in my head), the only thing on the list was something to the effect of 'let's have an awesome year' which incidentally did happen.

Moral of the story? I think it was the direct result of positive thinking and it'll work for you too. Trust me.

So what're my resolutions? Crap..I just showered before writing this. Sorry. But I think it was something along the lines of what was decided last year.

I'm hoping that for every single one of you too!

Happy 2009 everyone! Here's to an awesome year!

ps - knitting has been done! No, seriously. Updates soon.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T16:57:00.002+08:00

Wish you a blessed Christmas!

SOT - Save Our Tree!

2008-12-18T15:07:00.003+08:00

Y'all have cats right? How on earth do you keep them away from the Christmas baubles on the Christmas tree??

My cat has developed a fetish for tapping the baubles, real darn hard, till they fall off the tree and she'll chase it all over the house. Only those not accessible to her (think...7 ft tree, 3 ft access - she uses the couch for extra reach) are safe from the wrath of Grinchy McKitty.

HELP!!

Home Sweet Home...sigh...

2008-12-10T19:01:00.006+08:00

Darn it. I was hoping not be gone for a month! The last few weeks have been insane - from travelling to entertaining (and being entertained) to shopping etc. etc.

Now I'm finally home with mixed feelings. It's not easy leaving people you love behind and then the transition of moving your whole life from one country to another. It's terrible. I've left my heart behind. It HURTS!

Knitting however, will be back in the picture soon. Till then, this is how I've been entertaining myself. Well I certainly am a little bit more deaf but hey, watching sweet rides like this sure makes up for it dunnit?

I know what I want for Christmas? Car? Not really...how about Mr. Right who stole my heart, all wrapped up under my Christmas tree? Sob...absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Shop with good cheer everyone, for God certainly has given us a wonderful reason to celebrate this time of the year.

It's going to Jingle soon

2008-11-07T02:36:00.006+08:00

Warning: Pictureless Post

It's been raining cats and dogs almost every single day. Rather fun I must say. But I do feel sad for the little kitty-cats that live below my apartment. They don't like it much as most tenants can gather from their pitiful mewing.

Oh phew, it hasn't been a month since my last post but not much has happened since then either. No knitting yet. I miss the feel of knitting needles and the much-loved clink clink clink as I settle for an evening of knitting while watching Friends reruns.

That's my favourite thing in the world to do. The perfect way to unwind.

Oh, Christmas decor is coming up full swing everywhere in this country. That does put a rush on things. The year is coming to an end so soon!!

Time flies don't it? Have you started your Christmas shopping yet??

The beat goes on

2008-10-13T23:54:00.008+08:00

There still hasn't been any knitting going on this side of world =(

My time instead, is spent traveling, visiting, catching up with friends. So unfortunately I don't have much material to put up here. So here are some pictures of the places I've been recently.

Nature

Fun

Good times

Relaxation

Have a great week y'all!

In a nutshell..

2008-09-24T07:15:00.006+08:00

Wow, it's been almost six months since I last posted. And a lot has certainly happened since then.

Unfortunately there is no knitting content that I can be proud to post here because I've left all my knitting equipment at home! Here in Malaysia I have to be content with staring at yarn that I wasn't able to send back home.

Let's get up to speed now shall we?

My final semester commenced in Feb and ended in June. These past six months were the most amazing out of my fours years here in Malaysia. Though there was not much knitting involved, these few months were a time of self discovery - still ongoing though.

I've graduated with my first major =)
Also, I've managed to pick up some Bahasa Melayu (national language of Malaysia) and can carry out rather funny conversations hee hee.
I've met someone absolutely wonderful and I know I'm just the luckiest person alive!

That's a start for what I know and believe is the beginning of the rest of my life!

Thanks for the sweet knitters in the loop who wished me last Sunday! Sure I'm a year older, but heck, I surely don't feel it haha.

Here's to keeping this blog going. Thanks to those who emailed me often wondering which edge of the earth I'd fallen off of, I really appreciate it!

Hope y'all have a fantastic weekend, I know I will =)

Perhentian Island ~ a vacation I'll never forget! More on that later ;o)

A Tideless Beach

2008-03-28T14:00:00.006+08:00

A road trip to a beach with the lowest tide I've ever seen! Bagan Lalang, located in Sepang, Malaysia is known as a beach and imagine my surprise when what I saw was a stretch of land all the way to the horizon!

There was sand, shells, crabs, the salty air smell, all reminiscent of a beach yet there was that essential ingredient missing...sea water.

Strange yet true. It was a fun, impulsive road trip with an aim to get away from the city and turned out to be just what we needed.

A five star resort is currently in the process of being built at the "beach" and as you can see, everything is on stilts. Why? The water level actually rises that high by night time.
Creepy isn't it? Just to think that the sea water actually creeps in - or wait - more like rushes in by night time. The tide is known have very strong currents and many have lost their lives, not being able to make it back in time before the tide comes in.

The sandy shore itself was good fun to look at. What with the millions of teensy crab scrambling to get away from the big bad monsters stomping around.

I shall try to upload a vid, let's see.

That was Mr. Crabby building a home to keep away the baddies. He's cute isn't he?

Before hitting the beach, we decided to visit one of my friend's mum's plantations. Such fun.

Dragonfruit Tree

The Purty Pineapple

Gorgeous Oil Palms

It was fun fun to get away from the city and enjoy the greenery.

I hope y'all had a restful a weekend too!

Serenity

2008-03-19T04:13:00.012+08:00

Sometimes, it feels like forever. Sometimes it feels like a flash.

Time - the dimension that cannot be stopped, where we exist in so helplessly and wield no control over.

So you might assume I have lost all control of time. Yes I certainly have. Life happened.

After months of deviant madness and the beginning formation of some sort of a leash to rein it all in, things finally seem to be slowing down.

Suddenly it feels wonderful to stop and experience each moment for its own beauty.

Nature Reserve, Malaysia (2008)

Unknown berries, Kuala Selangor, Malaysia (2008)

This blog is officially running again and I hope to keep it regularly updated. Hope all of you are keeping well.

It's good to be back.

Update =D

2007-12-01T18:26:00.000+08:00

Just an update to let you all know how great you all are!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments. Y'all put a big smile on my face! I really appreciate the cheering and the pick me ups =D

The world is my oyster hee hee and I'm doing fantastic!

I have been knitting my darned sleeve - who knew my arms were so long?

Nothing else new so far! But stay tuned, all regular scheduled programmes will return shortly =D

Life happened

2007-11-26T15:09:00.000+08:00

It's been a really long since I last blogged and a LOT of things have happened since then.

Here's the lowdown:

I made it through my exams. Instead of a pair of socks as expected, I have two leg portions. Heh.
I ended a three-year relationship. It was definitely a big step but nevertheless, the right decision. I couldn't see the point of moving on. What else can you do when the man you thought you knew for three years turns around and ignores you when you need him the most without giving any reason?!
I am single after over three years! DUDE...I've forgotten what that was like!
My little brother turned 21.
I've to get used to everything I own being covered in bales of cat hair *gasp*
I am STILL working on my wonderful sweater.

Now in other knitting news, I received a fabulous package from Here Be Knitting as a prize for her very very very awesome contest. Take a gander won't you?

Approximately 1100 yards of the softest merino yarn in laceweight and a tube of delicious blueberry body lotion. I love the colour! Thank you Deb!

Next, I received the final package of SP 11.Wooooot! And my SP really outdid herself. Look at all the yarny goodness. I was speechless!

Two balls of bamboo-wool in a gorgeous blue-gree-purple mix (extreme lower left).

One gaily coloured Sockotta - it's cotton and the colour just cheers me right up! And I really needed that!

One beautiful purple-pink mix of Tofutsies, get this, it contains chitin along with soysilk. Now that's really funky.

Two skeins of purple-blue-green-white Cascade fixation. I love this yarn!

A cute notions case containing a chibi (yay!) and a very cute tape measure. Thank you very much Laura!

Now interrupting all regular scheduled programming for some big news: my little bro bought a car. Like OMG. This is a BIG BIG deal to me because those who know my family and our situation would understand what a big deal it is. Here's a peak of the new mama sita:

Isn't she a beaut?

I thank God for the favour he has bestowed upon my family. We've been through terrible ordeals but He has held us together making sure we wouldn't crack. So those of you going through hard times out there, remember it all happens for the best and I myself certainly believe that with all of my heart.

Therefore you see, it has been a bittersweet month with both good things and bad happening, but eventually I've come to see the good and the reasons for the bad and I am grateful. I also want to thank Mira for helping me in ways I cannot even begin to express. Thanks babe and I miss ya too!

Oh btw, am sorry I haven't been reading many blogs lately because my internet server *insert a lot of colourful language* has BLOCKED FLICKR. How damnedly insane is that? So you see, I haven't been able to access most blogs.

Well, that is all for now. Excuse the digusting cell phone pics. Next on my wish list, a kick-ass digital camera. Heh.

I hope all of you are keeping well and had a fabulous Thanksgiving too.

Cheers!

Thinking aloud

2007-11-04T23:31:00.000+08:00

I'm confused. It's exam time. Hair getting fried. Brain cells exploding everywhere. Blood vessels threatening to burst.

I. must. knit.

And so the Bayerische Sock was born. Perhaps I shall have pair of socks to mark each time of year the exams roll in. Perhaps not. But I certainly am enjoying this pattern to bits.

But right now, a sock doesn't seem to cut it anymore. Must. cast. on. multiple. projects.

Something simple?

Something CROCHETED?

Pattern here.

Something more substantial?

I cannot decide. Perhaps you'd help me =)

Oh yes I finally manage to take a picture of my very long-awaited SP 11 package.

A skein of Euroflax, a pair of 4mm addi turbo needles, rosebud salve (I love this), sachet of wool wash, keychain and a tin of mints. Thank you SP. I also want to make an apology to my SP for the misunderstanding on Ravelry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.

I think that's about all for now. I must return to knit-cough-study.

Toodles~

I am blessed

2007-10-26T20:05:00.000+08:00

It's been over a month but it's never too late to show birthday goodies now is it? In random order.

My very first affair with tweed.

I think Sally read my mind because the little flecks of colour caught my eye just the day before while admiring someone knitting with some gorgeous tweed.

Lo and behold, I have my very own tweed.

Thank you Sally! I think a scarf is in order with this yarn but I am hunting for the perfect pattern for it. I've been knitting and scrapping so many swatches in search for perfection.

Then I was pleasantly surprised with a gift that made it all the way from Singapore. Thank you Regg, it was so thoughtful of you. The cotton yarn is just so soft.

There was more....two hairbands and a cute set of buttons, all being put to good use =)

Then this arrived in the mail. My very first pair of Addis with a gorgeous load of yarn. Thanks Annie.

I've already experimented with Magic Loop using the needles. Loving it so far. The yarn is wonderful too.

And last but not certainly not the least, the wonderful package from my buddy Mira. Gorgeous cotton yarn, stitch-holders, aromatherapy oil and a face mask.

Thanks babe. I love everything!

Thank you ladies, you made the day extra-special. And of course I want to thank each and everyone of you who remembered and were kind enough to wish me. Y'all turned a frown upside down.

Also, thank you for the kind comments on the demise of my hamsters. It was good to share.

Further grim news, exams are upon me. Hence the scarce blogging. What's even worse, I can't seem sit still enough to knit anything - I should be talking about studying but y'all know what it's like. But let's just not ruin it shall we?

Anyhoo, here's to great friends, good times, blessings and better year! CHEERS!

Over the rainbow

2007-10-19T09:44:00.001+08:00

Last week, two of my beloved hamsters crossed over to the otherside of the rainbow into Hammie Heaven.

I dearly miss them. From the rambunctous family of four, we are now left with Meta (mumsy) and Rinky (the brat).

Ed (dad) and Binky (sweet thang) have left and I was pretty much in shock at losing both of them so suddenly. Ed was old, sure, but Binky was ill. She pretty much refused to eat, drink or do anything despite our best efforts. I just hope she didn't suffer.

Now however, we are focused on keeping Meta and Rinky as happy as ever and they are simply overjoyed at the increased amount of attention they're getting. I can see the happiness swelling in their content tummies.

I tried to get Meta to keep still for a photo but it's a losing battle. But I got an angelic shot of the little one (R) as she napped.

Here's to wonderful pets who make life much more special.

ps. Thanks to Kessa for giving me the nudge to post about this. I pondered for too long making no headway at all.

Shopping Cart Software

2007-10-18T02:33:00.000+08:00

Ashop Commerce, is a prominent company in the web world who are well-known to be the providers of shopping cart software for use in online shops. Everyday now, you can see bloggers putting up shops with their creations and other lovely handmade things that are for sale. As simple as it may sound, setting up shop however is not so effortless.

This shopping cart software however strives to help merchants start their shops with a bang, but without all the stress. It contains everything you may need to start your own online shop and its fantastic features allow your shop to stand side by side with the most powerful and popular sites in the web nowadays for a very low monthly fee.

If you are wondering what features does this software contain that makes it better than its competitors, all you have to do is try out their 10 Day Free Trial and see for yourself! Not only that, they also provide an offer where clients can get a free design for their online shop!

So if you are going to start your own business online, why not give Ashop Shopping Cart Software a go? It might be the best thing you do to boost your business!

~This is a paid post~

Uncanny

2007-10-10T03:52:00.000+08:00

How the heck? I mean seriously how?

No I am not loco.

I took a Quiz which I thought was like any other. But then - some stuff rang very very true! I iz confounded.

You're Confessions!

by St. Augustine

You're a sinner, you're a saint, you do not feel ashamed. Well, you might feel a little ashamed of your past, but it did such a good job of teaching you what not to do.

Now you've become a devout Christian and have spent more time ruminating on the world to come rather than worldly pleasures. Your realizations and ability to change will bring reverence upon you despite your hedonistic transgressions. Florida will honor you most in the end.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Do take the quiz and tellz me if you iz confounded too.

ps. Who/what is Florida (not the place I assume)?

Tagged!

2007-10-02T06:58:00.000+08:00

Recently Lis tagged me with the 8 things about me meme and I've been meaning to do it earlier but the fact that this would be a boring and pictureless post put me off.

Anyhoo, I decided to suck it up and write it.

Rules:

Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

8 things about me:

1. I was a rebel in school. Imagine the hate-loathe relationship I had with my teachers. Heh. Teachers those days loved to mentally torture students into submission, I was their Everest. But at the same time, a nerdy rebel.

2. In reference to #1, I made one of my teachers cry.

Why? She went mega-nasty on me for something I didn't do. I won out in the end. The look on my nemesis' face? Priceless.

3. Honestly, I am a nice person. Picking on people for kicks is just wrong.

4. I hate spelling mistakes. They just irritate the crap out of me.

5. I hate geckos. Geckos scare me enough to shriek like a banshee if they catch me unawares.

6. I only knit when I'm in a good mood. I know many who knit to get rid of bad moods etc. but me, I could never. I feel my knitting should only embody feelings of happiness.

7. I love rain and gloomy weather. Big surprise. LOL.

8. I love dark chocolate =)

I tag: Mira, Sam, Ayumi, Jollin and whoever who'd like to join in because I do not know who else who hasn't been tagged! Let me know, I'd love to read more about you.

**ETA: Adding Kitman and Sharon to the tag list. You're it!!

Ahoy there!

2007-09-27T18:52:00.000+08:00

During one of my daily traipses through the internet I came across something I thought I might share.

Do you own a boat? I certainly don't, I haven't seen a bed of water in three years - if you don't count the reservoir that recycles mucky water that is nearby.

Well anyways, if you do own a boat, did you know that you can actually insure it? From small dinghy boats to cruisers to luxury yachts marine insurance is apparently quite common. I seriously didn't know that. You can get a quote online for your boat's insurance costs. You can even insure a canoe too! Splendid isn't it? More reason to pick up fun hobbies.

Fresh air, salty breezes, vast expanses of blue and pure bliss, yep all that comes with a boat. So if any of you lucky peeps out there have a boat, why don’t you get it insured? From the looks of it, the process seems easy and painless! Oh and invite me for a day of fun in the sun please.

Bad knitting, good presents and leafy fun...and oh yes..a fly

2007-09-20T15:36:00.000+08:00

Sweater news first. I managed to snap a lousy pic of the icky front. Go on, take a gander.

I've frogged it and am redoing without shoulder shaping, which you can see in the pic...looking horrendous. UGH.

On a happier note, I just received my birthday pressie - a day early (good timing!). All the way from home. I miss my family.

It's the very very cool Ipod Nano, from my little bro. Isn't he the best brother in the world?

Warning: Non-knitting content ahead.

Last week a bunch of us were taken to MARDI (Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute) by our university to understand and get a first hand view of organic farming. It was a mellow experience. This organisation however was making waves in Malaysia with their research that inevitably bettered the crop production of the country.

However, I do have a question. Would y'all prefer organic crops that haven't been sprayed with pesticides or any other chemicals to genetically enhanced, highly nutritious, high-yielding crops? Would you mind picking up organic veggies that have teensy holes...cos...well...no pesticides so it's really party time for that dang catterpillar.

I'm not too sure what I'd pick. No chemicals sure does appeal, but to me, so do the genetically enhanced ones.

Oh yeh, they have a couple of scary ass chickens, whose dung is used as fertiliser (!!!) in organic farming. I've never seen chickens so HUGE. Damn it's like seeing Chicken Little on steroids. Here's one that was camera shy:

Trust me, it was huge.

While we're talking about veggies, here's what our Crop science project looked like a few weeks ago:

Aren't they purty? Unfortunately, the whole lot is right now drying in an oven. How sad is that?

Warning: Grossness ahead

Just for funsies, a picture of a mutated fly (Drosophila). The red dots are eyes. And yes you do see eyes all over the fella.

The fella was knocked out using ether and then used for the photoshoot. I've got more, but then y'all would just be totally grossed out. Lets not have that shall we? =)

Lis, am still thinking about things about me for your meme. Will post it soon =)

That's all for today. Happy Knitting everyone!

Smorty

2007-09-18T00:37:00.000+08:00

Most of you have been blogging for years now and well I know it has been a very emotionally and socially rewarding experience. But now the craze for blog advertising has caught the blogsphere and it seems very lucrative and can pan out to be an additional financially rewarding experience.

One of these services is Smorty. Smorty allows you to advertise on blogs and in return you get paid for your efforts. You get to post your opinions with links to advertisers' sites and Smorty reviews your posts and pays you. Reviews are done amazingly quick compared to other competitors and you get paid weekly too, through Paypal.

You get to select the subjects that catch your attention and blog about them and yes... you do get paid. Also you have the option to post on multiple blogs and earn more! Who wouldn't say no to that?!

Head on over to Smorty and start blogging for money!

~This is a sponsored post~

Knitting + Contest + News

2007-09-13T14:16:00.000+08:00

Knitting is back on the books. I've got my knitting mojo up and running and I can't seem to stop knitting my hoodie. The front and back have been completed but oh horror of horrors the two pieces of the front......DO NOT ALIGN! I would show you a picture but I do not have a cam and I think y'all might have to grit your teeth and bare a few pictureless posts purty please.

I know that after a while, the knitting does stretch out and I'm hoping that will happen to the latest piece I cast off. Or must I frog it? The stitches are equal on both sides. Really. I'm so sad. Help. Anyone. Please.

Contest:

A super contest is up at Beckyknitstoo and I'm sure all of you would like a shot at the goodness she's giving away. A link on your blog earns you an extra entry. G'Luck!

In other news, another earthquake just hit Sumatra, Indonesia again. This is so bad. That country has been afflicted so severely by so many misfortunes that it makes my heart ache to see the poor people running for their lives trying their best to salvage what they have. Prayer is what I can give to this nation and I hope y'all would do the same too.

Time for a change?

2007-09-06T17:31:00.000+08:00

For those of you living in the UK are thinking about renovating your homes, there's good news. Anglian Home Improvements is a reputed company based in the United Kingdom, dedicated to helping home owners improve their homes for more than thirty six years.

Their services are extremely personalized and efficient, with uttermost care taken in each and every client's home to provide quality service. They provide a range of services from Double glazing windows to different fittings like Sash windows, Casement windows etc.

Whatever your renovation needs, Anglian Home Improvements is the place to go for reliable and top quality Home Improvements!

~This is a paid post~

WOoooOOOT!

2007-09-06T16:13:00.000+08:00

My ----'s best friend was supposed to drop by Malaysia some time ago and being that he was coming from Australia, I instantly resorted to nagging my ---- incessantly about getting his buddy to bring me yarn. Much to my chagrin, teaching some guys about yarn is like telling a darned hamster to stop biting its' cage - they never get it. Those of you who have hamsters can attest to this.

Therefore after giving him addresses, emails, websites, telephone numbers, fax numbers, brand names, content instructions, yardage instructions, weight instructions and even shop timings, I thought my work was done and I had educated two of the macho (cough!) lot to understand our kind.

But instead I got frantic phone calls from a yarn store saying "They only have 4 fla-ee!!! What IS that? Er.. what's merino again?"

For those keeping check: fla-ee= ply

The prices he told me where off the top and well, I meekly told him "Sorry for the trouble bro. You gotta get OUT of there." And he did and I...well....moped for a few hours and promptly forgot about the whole incident.

Well when we finally did meet him, he handed me gigantic bag containing these:

I think what I said was: "OMG OMG OMG YARDIBESDOODINDIHOLWORL" - roughly translated: "you're the best dude in the whole world" in a very very high-pitched squeal.

5...yes five balls of 8ply Classic wool in Cranberry...OMG! I'd never thought I'd ever get to knit with Bendigo yarn bebeh!

Turns out he did learn a thing or two about yarn and actually ordered these online for me =) OMG!! Yeh, okay, I did educate them about Bendigo wool and complained about four hundred and seventeen times that I had no credit card hehehe so perhaps that was the big big hint.

Okay - now that it's out of my system. I'm fairly calm. I know it ain't such a big deal because most of you do have Bendigo wools stashed somewhere but it's a biggie for me!

O'rite then. I'm off to talk to ma new wooly 200gm pets.

Cheerio~

Planning

2007-09-06T14:28:00.000+08:00

November's a-coming and it's going to be awesome! Why you ask? Summer hols. Three and half months of nothing-ness. Hallelujah! No reports, no assigments, no essays, no waking up early, no studying. Y'all feeling what I'm feeling?!

Boy I can't wait. To go home. To travel. To knit. To be with my family again. Hopefully this time instead of sitting at home, we'll go places. After my recent trip to Singapore, the travelling bug bit me rather hard and I've been itching to go places. Ever since I've been a kid, my parents who LOVE travelling took us kids places. Well being a kid, we usually never do appreciate this - except for springy hotel beds that are just so dang fun to jump on. Oh yes and hotel breakfast buffets. Bring IT!

My mom's been on my case about booking tickets since...er...June? Yeh. She's afraid I might not be able to get a flight out. And she's a worrier (that's where I get it from). So basically I have to book a ticket in the next two weeks or get an earful. Bet she'd send me a Howler if she could.

For the first time, I went online to book my ticket and guess what, online deals won't necessary suck you dry and leave you parched. Hotel Reservations is a very interesting site that helps you find the best deals online. It's even great if you are touristy and are looking for hotels, ways to get around and of course....looking for the best deals!

Seriously, the prices for air tickets at Hotel Reservations were extremely competitive and almost exactly the same as you would get if you took time out of your day.....got a ride to an airline office that in my case is extremely FAR away.......wait in line till your hair turns grey....watch seethingly as people cut queues....and finally buy the ticket.

The hotel search is pretty thorough and lists everything out very accessibly. You can search for hotels, motels, resorts and even specify around which landmark you would like to stay!

I definitely believe that this site has made things for all travelers so much simpler by getting everything from airfares to travelling to accommodation with the lowest rates all together in one place. So next time you want to take a break and are looking for places to go without burning a hole in your pocket, Hotel Reservations is where you must visit to start your planning!

Decisions

2007-09-02T21:42:00.000+08:00

I haven't been knitting much.

What with all the assignments and essays and reports and assignments and essays and reports - I could go on and on.

But then my ---- gifted me this:

Now how do you expect me to do anything? (Yes that's stunted knitting on the side)

I read way too fast for my own good. Heh. SO now I have decided to read it a chapter a day.

Yes. I CAN hear you laughing!

I do have a major essay due tomorrow. Anyhoo Chapter 7, here I come.

Tata.

ps. I can still hear you laughing.

Worldwide Wednesdays from PPP!

2007-08-30T11:54:00.000+08:00

I know that most of you may already know about the very supremely cool PPP - Pay Per Post.com

If not, here’s a refresher: it’s a fantastic organization that gives bloggers around the world a chance to post about products, articles or topics in their blogs and get paid for it! Honestly, it’s as simple as it sounds.

Though this organization is based in the United States, I noticed, it has a very large following / fan base all around the world. Their advertisers are mainly from the United States and sometimes the companies target the population of U.S. bloggers. International Posties (that’s the cool name for us bloggers outside of the U.S.) are usually not entitled to these Opportunites (Opps).

Ever since I joined, I’ve had the most fantastic time looking out for Opps and posting about them in here. And sometimes I see awesome Opps for U.S. bloggers and I think…. “sigh….” Heh.

No more sighing for me bebeh! PayPerPost has now introduced Worldwide Wednesdays that run on Wednesdays at noon EDT to Thursday noon EDT and are available ESPECIALLY for us International Posties!!! How awesome is that?!!

YEP it’s true, between the times mentioned above, special Opps under Worldwide Wednesdays are expressly available to bloggers outside of the U.S.!! That’s me ME!!! Wooooot!

Oh trust me; you’d want to get your hands on these Worldwide Wednesday Opps: two US$50 Opps and one US$150 Opp!!! Bring it ON!

Thank you PayPerPost for thinking of us international posties and making this possible for us! Worldwide Wednesdays are simply awesome and I can’t tell you how excited I am waiting for the Wednesdays to roll in =)

Who’d have known Wednesdays could be such fun eh? Got to freshen up and get ready to grab those awesome Opps hot off the oven!

Thanks PayPerPost for being so considerate because Worldwide Wednesdays just made my day!

Belated Bloggiversary

2007-08-26T10:51:00.000+08:00

Just this morning I realised that I actually missed my own Bloggiversary - one year of blogging. Here, I was thinking that I surely must have started somewhere at the end of this month only to find out, well...I was wrong.

August 6th 2006 was the beginning of Rain's Knit-Bits (formerly Knit-Addict), the rollercoaster ride and it was an amazing ride. I started out in an empty car with no one riding with me and now look, there're so many new friends sharing this odyssey with me.

I want to say that I'm so grateful to all you wonderful people out there and to the numerous good friends that I have made in this journey. For each and and everyday you have brought a smile to my face as you shared a part of your life with me and I with you, distance never hindering the long and wide bridges that we built.

The good times and the bad, sharing it with all of you made the pains bearable and the joys more exhilarating. Your kindness and generosity has been overwhelming and I know I'm very lucky to have known all of you.

So here's to another year of blogging, making new friends, sharing hopes, dreams, highs and lows!

Source: http://bushwhacked.net/bits/hugs.jpg

Good CTR on sponsored posts!

2007-08-25T12:31:00.000+08:00

As y'all may have noticed, I have been posting some sponsored posts on this blog after joining PayPerPost.com. Sometime I did wonder whether there was good exposure for sponsored posts till I came across this a very interesting post that shed some light on the matter.

I was actually surprised to learn that based on a study of a population of over 40,000 bloggers and over 8,000 advertisers that the average Click Through Rate of sponsored posts was 10.545%!!!!! That is pretty amazing when what some people are saying that sponsored posts are not the best choice of advertising medium that should be used. Here is proof proving them wrong, hands down! This is an average value of course and based on individual posts, I am sure that there are much higher rates than the average here and even lower rates too. This average just levels out the fluctuation and still comes off with a good rate.

The results of this study have been compared with other advertisers and found to be much better. Different advertising strategies like Google Adwords and campaigns on MySpace have been studied and it was found that the average click through rate for these were approximately between 0.5%-1.5% CTR and 0.05% CTR respectively. Comparing this with the average ctr of 10.545% shows how well sponsored posts are doing. But this does not mean that the other media used are not successful but instead adds to the diversity that represents the marketing world.

What does this all mean for us bloggers you might ask? Well honestly, this does what every blogger strives to do best: blog interesting posts and increase traffic to our sites! The extra exposure to a wider audience never hurt anyone.

Now with the study on Click Through Rates, you can see that sponsored posts do indeed direct good traffic to your site and the advertisers get more exposure too and everybody wins!

Singapore Loot

2007-08-20T15:30:00.000+08:00

It's long overdue and I only just managed to get some good pictures. Here is what I brought back from my awesome trip to Singapore.

This is the collective loot.

The grey yarn and the orange on top of the pyramid was a lovely surprise from the fabulous Regg. Thanks gal! I love it.

It has an unmistakable sheen and is so soft. I was at a loss at what to say when I received it.

Sigh...thank God for wonderful friends!

Moda Vera - Merino Acrylic, I love the colour of this yarn and it seems soft enough. Well that should be expected from merino and acrylic I guess.

The colour pretty frickin' awesome. A lovely shade of magenta.

Destined to be a top? Tube? Cami? My crystal ball wasn't too clear on that.

I've never heard of this brand but since it was 100% mercerized cotton, I snapped it up.

Okay I lie, I think I thought about this for at least one and a half hour before impulsively buying just before we left the store.

I'm quite awful when it comes to deciding what to buy. But then if I don't get it and my gut says I should and didn't: I can't sleep at night. It's true. I swear. Then I'd fret till I finally get it.

I'm neurotic like that.

This is 100% acrylic that was within my little budget. There were six balls originally.

But one has become this:

It's the back of a hoodie that I'm knitting.

Notice the rope cables? Thats from Knitty's Mariah. The rest is my own pattern. I HOPE IT'LL TURN OUT NICE.

Sorry...just had to break the jinx that I might have brought upon it by blogging about it so early.

One of the balls is currently doing this:

'Kay the ball ain't doing that. I am.

Last but not the least, the gorgeous Peony which has become this:

Back of a cropped jacket using a lace chart from Kitman and the rest of it is my own pattern.

*dances around the room twice on one leg* - jinx-breaking ritual from the tribes of Knittingville.

OMG I love this yarn. Soft. Shiny. Soft. Shiny. Yeh, I could go on. It's frickin' wonderful to knit with. Who wudda thunk acrylic cud be so love-ley eh?

That's all for now. Back to pretending to study =D

Cheers Chicas

Rockin' Bloggeroo

2007-08-20T00:56:00.000+08:00

I've seen this cool pink badge floating around the Blogsphere and well, heck I wanted one too!

Oooo lookie, Sally and Annie nominated me for it:

Ain't it cool?

Thank you:

Sally who is a knitting speedster I tell you! This Rockin' Girl (Mom) ought to be given a speeding ticket! Her FOs are super fab! And Annie - *drool* check out her FOs, worthy of all Rockin'-gness bestowed upon her.

As a Rockin' Chica now, I get to nominate five more Rockers. Since most of you already rock...here are my nominations:

Ennairda Knits - Lovely blog with all her yarn eye candy and cool FOs. She has the cutest hamsters.

All Tangled Up - I'm sure all of you know this wonderful blog. I don't think I have to say more!

Knitty Kitty Kat Chat - a soon to be mum and she's got her own etsy shop and podcast!

Frog in Knots - Another Rain who's lots of fun and has lovely FOs.

Compassion Knits - love your Yugioh pattern over n over! Here's to many new patterns from you =D

Keep Rockin' Gals!!

On God's Business

2007-08-18T03:32:00.001+08:00

As a Christian, many of us hear the words missionary quite often. For those of you who are unfamiliar, this involves the propagation of religion worldwide.

At my church here in Malaysia, which is rather small, I keep seeing groups of dedicated people traveling to the poorest, most remote areas in the world to spread the love of Christ and the word of God. It's so heartwarming to see the difference that they can make to so many people.

Now another thing I've wondered about it is how these missionaries travel the world. I learnt that it's not so easy and they have to work hard to stretch their budgets. I'm sure that those of you who know of missionary groups would be interested to know that there is a travel agency that actually caters to missionaries as well!! Golden Rule Travel strives to provide missionary flights with the best rates and the praise by their faithful clients are a true testament to their service.

Day or night, if any missionaries are looking for a flight out, their 24/7 phone service is available for missionary flights airfares with personalised service from the dedicated founders and staff who themselves are former missionaries. Their special deals and agreements with airlines make it easier for missionaries to get the best deals in airfare.

So if any of you do know of missionaries in need for the lowest fares to travel, Golden Rule Travel might just be the travel agency they've always wanted for the best missionary flights. Spread the word, it'll be your good deed for the day!

SP 11 Questionnaire

2007-08-09T13:44:00.000+08:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
According to weather conditions, cotton is the best to knit and I love it. I also do love Misti Alpaca, its the softest yarn I've ever used. I like merino wool too and I've never tried silk but would love to. Not a fan of acrylic (except for Japanese Peony) or eyelash yarn. Oh, I'm allergic to mohair.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Needles are currently in a jazzed up Pringles tin. Hooks are in a in a see through plastic pouch.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've seriously been knitting for about one and a half years but I learnt more than ten years ago from my parents.
I think I would probably call myself an intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yep, check the side bar.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Don't call me an oldie but I love Rose.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Dark chocolate and After Eights can rock my world bay-bay!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Other than knitting, I crochet and err... nothing really. I don't spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like alternative rock, eg. Lifehouse

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favourite colour is purple but I like wearing black and white. I like deep blues, maroon, dark green.
I hate yellow and beige....BLEARRGHHH, but other than that I would like to say I'm tolerant.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a room-mate and four hamsters =D

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yep I do wear ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I like knitting tops, nice and flattering ones. Stuff that I can actually wear out.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A cropped jacket and a hoodie.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I like to be the one doing the knitting but other stuff is cool.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I prefer circulars definitely and aluminium too.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Unfortunately neither.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Er that would be just around one and half years old.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas...and does my birthday count =D ???

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn, patterns, needles and pattern books hehehee.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I would love to own some Addi turbos. Yarn, I would love to try out bamboo and silk...they sound so dreamy to wear.
Patterns, I've been trying to get the Li'l Red Riding Hoodie by Jennifer Stafford; Babette blanket in Interweave Crochet.
I have no magazine subscriptions unfortunately.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Magic loop.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yep I do knit socks once in a while. I'm a size 8

23. When is your birthday?
September 21st

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yes, Rainknits

Pay Per Post

2007-08-09T09:33:00.000+08:00

It hasn't yet been a year since I started blogging but all in all it has been a wonderful ride. Honestly, I never thought I'd be the type to blog (I had an internet phobia when I was young) BUT when you start knitting and surfing the net, it's inevitable that you would stumble across some gorgeous blogs with yarn that'd make you drool all over your screen. Heh.

THEREFORE Rain's Knit-Bits began and boy was I glad I started off. With just a blog, a whole new world opened up. I made tons of wonderful friends like you guys and got a chance to showcase my knitting. How awesome is that?

Well now there seems to be much more tweaks jazzing around the internet. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out that cool things are happening bay-bay! The most coolest thing that has got my attention right now is Pay Per Post or more simply known as PPP. It's a site that lets you do what you love (blog) and then get paid for your efforts too!

I was introduced to this wonderful site by Kitman and on signing up I realised what a lucrative idea this was. Advertisers post up opporunities for us Posties to blog about and on approval, you get paid! Sounds simple? Well, it IS. Not only that, you also get to interact with other Posties who are in the community and learn a thing or two about it all.

Why don't you see for yourself what you could get out of signing up with this amazing site that not only motivates your blogging but also rewards you for it?! Start planning what you can do with what you earn! Yarn...look out...here I come!

Hope you to see y'all at PPP!

Cheers

Kitty

2007-08-09T07:34:00.000+08:00

The newest addition to my family back home is this ray of sunshine:

Isn't she the cutest little thing?

Her name's Kitty (yeah...corny...I know) and she only answers to that. Apparently she's a fiesty thing too. She LOVES mucking around in yarn and will probably be a hazard to my poor knitting.

Her best friend is Dad and enjoys climbing up curtains and sitting on top of the curtain rods. I've got a few videos of her but for the life of me, dunno how to upload them. Anyone?

How do you keep a kitty out of your knitting ladies?

Ravel me baby

2007-08-08T19:30:00.000+08:00

I've been Ravelrised and its frickin awesome.

Unpack boxes or mess around with Ravelry? Hmmmm.

Tough choice.

Holiday Shopping anyone?

2007-08-08T18:16:00.000+08:00

Hello everyone. I've moved =D I think it'll take just a while for life to slow down and for the dust (literally) to settle.

Half the year has zoomed by and the holiday season is creeping up upon us. End of the year always rocks, what with all the spiffy holidays coming up! Being away from my family for so long, I've come to know that the internet is simply indispensable when it comes to keeping in touch. And now, not only that, I've ventured into online purchasing, thanks to my fiber related hobbies! Sending gifts and buying gifts (even if just for myself) has never been easier!

I've been rather obsessed with buying books off Amazon since I was amazed with their efficient service and quality of products offered. I was more than happy to find out that CouponChief.com were having fantastic Amazon coupons that would offer even more value to my purchases!

Now with the substantial amount of coupons being offered, I think I can start thinking of gifts for Christmas for my Mom (who is super picky) to even my new cat, Kitty! I think Mom would probably wind up with something from Cooking.com's deals. And I believe I have found the perfect coupon for my talented brother. Guitar Trader's coupons are too good to be true and I'm pretty sure he'd owe me for the rest of his life since I'm so thoughtful hehehhee.

Hmm usually as most of us gals do know, guys are the hardest to shop for (my bro's easy going) and I'm quite bored gifting Dad with the usual perfume, tie, perfume, tie, shirt, perfume...and the cycle continues. Heh. Dad's a clean freak and Dirt Devil has the perfect gift for him, a nasty dust busting vacuum cleaner that looks like it may as well be a weapon!

Last but not the least, pets!! Duncraft a reputed pet store has a rather enticing offer that just might cause my pets to be spoilt rotten just in time for Christmas.

Funky gifts + handmade knitting gifts too = the perfect way to bring out the merry holiday spirit in any family!

Trust me, there are a lot of coupons out there that would catch your attention! Check them out, you won't regret it.

Gaaaaah!

2007-07-30T15:05:00.000+08:00

I'm moving.

Holy crap. I have a lot of stuff!

Update =D

2007-07-27T20:29:00.000+08:00

Okay it's about time I uploaded some pics and wrote a nice post. Uni life has crashed on, full swing and it ain't easy. The new campus: Awesome, but frickin far!
I've actually had to leave home a full HALF HOUR before class so I'd reach on time. Erm. Frickety frick frick!
Okay I'm just being nasty. I love the new campus. It's big, it's pleasant and actually feels like a university. Heh.

Anyhoo. Let me tell you about Singapore. Mira and I took a very short vacation off to Singapore for funsies. It was awesome. Who'd have thought that a country could be SO accessible?

After a very very s.l.o.w. train ride of 6 hours, we arrived in Singapore. A cab ride and a lot of oooing aaaahing about the different cellphone service providers that kept buzzing our phones with roaming services later, we arrived at our stay. A family friend of Mira's.

Next morning, armed with full backpacks and two maps, we were set to explore the country! It was neat fun going around and seeing the place. Everything clean and ordered as a pin.

We also had the fortune of meeting the lovely ladies from Knits from the Heart and My Free Time and we had such a wonderful time! Thanks Regg for the amazing surprise! We then made our way to the ultimate hang-out spot, Spotlight the yarn store, that was the highlight of our trip!

This must be what Heaven must be like =D

So basically, when we were not in this lovely place...we were cruising the city on the very efficient train system. We certainly did manage to get around most places and had a smashing time. I would love to go back and....er....camp out at Spotlight? Yeah pretty much.

We both made some wonderful purchases....whoop dee doo....totally worth the quid.

Here are some pictures that we managed to take:

An old post office converted to the rather grand Hotel. It sure is a beauty.

A Chinese temple that was simply magnificent.

Unfortunately we did not have a very good camera with us so our cell phones had to suffice and this is the best we got out of it. I've got a few more but I can't seem to upload it. But all in all, it was a great trip!

That's all for now. Happy knitting everyone!!

Back to the grind

2007-07-13T16:15:00.000+08:00

I apologise for the very long long absence. I just got back from Singapore this morning. My only vacation that really counts heh.

Pics and everything else will be up soon.

Uni starts this Monday, how awful is that?! UGH.

A Dilemma

2007-06-29T16:45:00.000+08:00

IT'S OVER....for two frickin' weeks bay-bay. Hallelujah! I'm so free, I don't know what the heck to do with myself.

I've got a dilemma. I finished my Anthropologie Inspired Capelet and this is how it looks like:

Okay, it isn't blocked but you get the idea. Normally, it's supposed to be pinned at the neck but that just makes me look like a stuffed monkey.

So hence, the bottom pin. BUT you see the rolling in at the top opening? I do not like that. Do I leave it be...or frog it and knit this:

The pretty Minisweater by Glampyre.

Please tell me what y'all think? The life of my capelet depends on it.

Toodles~

Would you take me to...Funky town?!

2007-06-24T01:53:00.000+08:00

**Sorry folks for bringing this post back up. There has been some hoo-haa about derogatory blog content defaming our University and they're on a hunt for posts about the uni. I decided to slash this post just to be safe rather than sorry.**

It's been a while since I've been around to blogging so peg me down for a bucket of guilt will ya. But I do have a good excuse...EXAMS!

My finals have been weighing on me. On the 27th of this month, I will have officially completed one degree...Medical Bioscience and with another year's worth of slogging, I can finally graduate with two honking degrees y'all!

Well with all the exam fever, there has been no new knitting. However I did manage to finish Calorimetry, an eye mask and some other projects =)

Now...however...again, I am projectless. Ah...27th..baby...I can't wait...going to knit till my hands beg for mercy!

Anyhoo..in lieu of knitting content, a tour...a very SHORT comparison of my old and new campus. The university is currently moving to the new place in hope of starting the next semester with a bang.

The pics I believe, will speak for themselves.

****PICS REMOVED****
**** In short, New campus = Brand spankin' new****

Now which one is everyone's favourite campus??? Lemme hear y'all louder......!

Yeah bay-bay....New campus hands down! The only catch, it'll probably take eleventy-one minutes to get from one class to the next....sigh....

Not to forget the half an hour's walk from home to uni and back. No more waking up 10 minutes before lecture and still making it on time....*sniff*....

Oh well...you win some, you lose some.

Till later chicas...Ciao.

Another Contest

2007-06-08T17:11:00.000+08:00

Interrupting all mundane things (studying, studying and studying...okay I'm kidding, I haven't been studying much...mostly just wasting time) for a little fun.

Another contest for y'all to take part in. Simple to enter:

Leave a comment on Pheelya's blog post telling her about your favorite alcoholic drink or your favorite project, favorite yarn, favorite pattern or favorite anything :)

You should also mention that you found the contest from my blog and give her the address.

Then leave a post on your blog telling others about the contest and link back to her contest post asking people to say they found this contest off your blog =)

GOOD LUCK everyone!

UGH!!!

2007-06-05T09:17:00.000+08:00

It's that time of year again....

The time that comes just twice a year,
To fill strong minds with feelings of fear,
Whispers of doom
And tall tales of lore
Prey on their thoughts and hearts, oh dear.
Look oh look, its the Omen of gloom
With nary a smile nor hope that blooms.
What oh what do these people see?
It's Exams dear lass,
Yes, that time of year!
- by Yours truly (Picture source: Animation USA: Casper and the Ghostly Trio)

Just to put a mad spin on exam stress! So y'all know why there hasn't been much activity around this blog.

The timing's awful with me bitten by a random flu bug who thought it would just be SUCH FUN to see me squirm and suffer during this rather haunting exam time.

Shocking to also say: I have NO WIPs at the moment. Horrors of horrors! But with me being dizzy (and ditzy) most of the time, guess it's a good thing.

Hope y'all are having a better week than me!

Summer Knitting Goals & a Contest Link

2007-05-22T18:00:00.000+08:00

The Capelet has been completed. A quick trip to the dye vat (okay...just a teensy saucepan in my kitchen) and it will be ready for display.

I'm going to dye it using the Koolaid that my SP sent to me. Anyone who has dyed Patons Classic Wool with Koolaid? Would appreciate any advice flung this way.

Here is a list of my Summer Knitting Goals:

Undo and redo OSW
Complete another pair of footies
Knit a tank for myself
Design something and knit it!
Knit a Swallowtail shawl

I know that it's a rather short list, but reasonable I think. I'm not a very fast knitter so I think these would be doable and help me keep my rule of one project at a time. Of course, it's subjected to amendment at any given time :D

Now for some fun. CONTEST TIME

Ali is holding a very cool contest on her blog. Go check it out. Here is the link.

ALSO, do mention that you saw this contest from my blog, as every referral will get you an extra entry!! How's that for coolness?!

Contest runs till the end of May.

GOOD LUCK everyone!

A little bit of this & that

2007-05-20T19:45:00.000+08:00

That's what I've been doing all week.

Okay...not all week but isn't it such fun? Hand wound centre pull balls (no, I do not have a ball winder).

From bottom left, clockwise:
Knitpicks Gossamer in Rose Garden, Claudia's Handpainted in Deep Blue and Knitpicks Gossamer in Sweet Pea

Who knew that a Rose Garden would look so fiery? It's an actual blaze of colours!

Here is the progress on the Winter Capelet:

I just have four rows of ribbing to go to complete this. I must confess, it looks rather drab and shapeless in the picture. But it's really not that bad, heh. Modeled pics after completion of course =D

That's all the knitting that has been done all this while. Bad init? But then again, uni is keeping me awfully busy.

This weekend however was lovely. It was my dear ----'s birthday and we had the tiniest of celebrations, just the way he likes it. I had a rather fun time cooking ;o)

The very very very chocolatey Birthday cake and a Sheperd's Pie. The cake was store bought since I ran out of time...sigh..

...and my improvised "Tuna Quiche"

A special thanks to Mira for helping me get all the stuff and hide it in time hee hee.

Anyhoo, that's all for now. Happy Knitting everyone!

An update

2007-05-08T01:39:00.000+08:00

Just an update:

Pharmacology - done

Pathology - report and assignment done, test tomorrow

SCI - done

OSW - pending

Capelet - frogged

Also a little surprise from the Nora at GYK, boy I love this site.

Thank you Nora, I love them!

Have a great week everyone =D

Tinkering along

2007-05-01T01:55:00.000+08:00

Yes I have been bad. Bad bad bad. And I'm sorry. I promise I will be better from here on.

Y'all don't see me posting, feel free to knock me over the head and remind me. NOT that I have forgotten about you, oh no NO NO. MUAKZZ....I luuuuuuuuurve you guys.

Just that a post without a picture = pretty darn boring (heck, I wouldn't read it myself!). So today the opportunity arose to snap some pictures (note that I do NOT have a camera, heh) and I did so immediately.

Anyways a little update on life...
Uni - crazy as ever, reports piling high. Assignments haunting my dreams.

Life - the cricket world cup ended somewhat like a big fat stupid joke with players (presumably most were werewolves with bionic eyes) flailing about in the dark thanks to wonderful weather conditions in SA.

Knitting - behold...

The One Skein Wonder...

I know I know, its a rather frumpy picture. But its not done.

Sad to say, I look rather dumpy and fat in this. It somehow bunches around the armpits and the yarn is bulky and adds to my rather copius fat mass. I think I shall be undoing the ribbing to extend the sides to make it little wearable.

While I thought my OSW was an FO, I casted on for another project, the Reversible Winter Capelet with the yarn I received from my SP. It's going rather slow, which is expected since the original pattern was knit using 8mm needles and I am using 4.5mm needles. Heh.

A little preview...

Oh yes, here's something I've not had the opportunity to show you lurvely peeps. I was able to purchase this after winning a book voucher at my church. A blessed surprise, I must say!

It's a lovely book with wearable patterns. The scarves and socks however, not my cup of tea. Loving the little jackets and all. I shall give you a peek the moment I get access to a camera again.

Anyhoo, that's pretty much all that has happened knit wise so far. I'm hoping to make better progress before the next blog post. And hopefully with an FO in tow.

Just to add to my rambling, my To-do list for tomorrow:

Pathology - complete report, assignment and study for mini-test
Pharmacology - complete two reports
SCI (a totally useless subject) - prepare info for poster presentation
OSW - frog ribbing and extend stockinette (OR) extend ribbing (WHAT D'YALL THINK?)
Capelet - knit good woman, KNIT!

Y'all think I can do it?

Remembering that fateful day..

2007-04-30T05:40:00.000+08:00

A Prayer and GYK

2007-04-17T06:01:00.000+08:00

I assume that most of you have already heard about the shooting at Virginia Tech University. I was certainly shaken up to hear of the horrific incident that left so many people dead and dozens wounded.

I cannot begin to understand what the families of the victims are going through right now. So I shall not say more.

Let's all send out a prayer asking God to give strength and support to the families and friends of the victims of this tragic incident. Thank you.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I believe that most of you might have seen this:

Good Yarn Karma is the brainchild of Donyale, Jae and Nora. They came up with the brilliant idea of a place to give away or swap yarn that you may have stewing in your stash cupboard, making friends with dust bunnies.

It's simple enough. Got some yarn you know you'll never use? Swap it or give it away to a loving home. Magazine, knitting notions, fiber....basically anything knitty.....Good Yarn Karma will help you clear your stash for new stuff ;o)

To find out more, click on the button =) Go on y'all get yourself some good karma.

My very first swap resulted in me receiving these gorgeous goodies from Kimberly.

Speaking of goodies, I received three gorgeous skeins of Knitpicks Gloss in Black from Mira as a resolution of two rather funny bets that we had! Thanks chica.

It's so lovely. Excuse the crappy picture. Batteries did a good number on me.

I know I'm rather late to jump on the bandwagon, but after much contemplation I got this off of Amazon for a steal! The lovely and extremely talented Kitman brought it over to me and boy was I surprised at the thickness of the book. I still haven't got the time to go through it but it seems vibrant and fun.

That's all for now. Happy Knitting everyone.

Back!

2007-04-02T20:56:00.000+08:00

I just realised its been so long since I updated my blog. Time flew by so fast that it still feels like only yesterday I came back from my weekend getaway to Cameron Highlands.

It's been quite some time since my brother left as well =( I miss him. He's the best brother anyone could EVER ask for.

I sent out the FBS and DFS to my mom and aunt. Managed to snap a few pics before it was sent off. I'm also happy to say that they love it.

Blocking time

Miles of Flower Baskets...

A rather hurried picture of the DFS, just minutes before it was mailed off. The pink thing you see is Mira's make-your-car-smell-nice thingee.

I am currently out of things to knit. Seriously. I have two balls of the cutest boucle yarn, one lavender and one baby blue, its cotton and feels so soft. I have absolutely no clue as to what on earth to knit with it! Anyone with suggestions on what to knit? I was think perhaps a face cloth, tiny towels or an eyemask...etc...I just have a feeling that knitting it up would produce a terrycloth, towel-like fabric. Absolutely any ideas, links, etc...would be highly appreciated.

Has anyone had a problem with blogger lately? I have, just a few minutes ago I logged into blogger and the dashboard indicated that there were some unmoderated comments, which was strange since all comments that are posted get routed through email to me for moderation.

Anybody know how to fix this leak in Blogger? Do let me know.

Road Trip!

2007-03-12T20:46:00.000+08:00

DFS is off the freezer and on the frying pan again. What a relief. For a moment I thought there was no hope but then things do have a way of working out init?

Sadly enough, I have had to cast on for another project. A baby bonnet. I realized I prefer one project on the needles at one time. All my WIPs are consequences of not sticking to this simple rule. But this was a special case where time was of the essence.

But I haven’t really got much knitting done. What with the new semester starting and my brother visiting me =)
We’ve been exploring Malaysia. Next stop Genting.

Here are some pictures of the places we’ve (bro, Mira, a classmate and my ----) been to.

The Petronas Twin Towers

Lata Iskandar - a little waterfall with clear cool water, on the way to Cameron Highlands.

Vast expanses of tea plantations that smattered the hills on the way up

A rather steep climb by foot brought us here (pretty darn high up in the mountains I tell you). Veggies don't get any fresher than this!

Now this is a story I have to tell...

On the way up the mountain, by car, there was a middle aged man going home after work. He was carrying a little pink bag full of groceries. The typical homely farmer going home for dinner after a long day at work.

We all had a major itch to get up to the mountain to see the highest peak in peninsular Malaysia and he obliged us willingly and told us how to get up there. Mind you, we had to leave the car and walk.

So following his directions, we took the car up the hill and parked it when the road got too narrow. As we rounded the bends, we met him again and this time he was carrying a chicken (can you see it?). Dinner. Cruelty? Well if you think so, then you better stop eating chicken aiite? Where do you think your meat comes from eh?

It was rather heartening to see people who lived life much simpler than us complicated folks. No cellulars, no MP3s, no computers, PDAs and what not. It was really nice to chat with him to find out what life was like way up there. His little house was situated up high in the mountains and everday he walked up and down (a forty minute walk) to work and back. By the time we reached halfway, we were beat, huffing and puffing like the sky had fallen on our heads. We couldn't take it anymore.

You may see, how simple their life is and how advanced we are. But despite all that, he was nice enough to invite us to his part of the town so that we could get the freshest vegetables for free. How humbling is that? How many of us would extend such courtesy to complete strangers? I was truely touched by this simple man.

Moving on...

The view from the Hotel where we stayed the night.

Budget stuff but not so bad except for the fact that the TV channels kept changing whenever we got to the best part of a movie.

But anyways, I enjoyed the stay. Good fun, good food. FAR away from the heat of the city.

A little strawberry plant. Cameron Highlands' source of sweetness hee hee.

And of course the Cameronian tradition...

Tea and scones

For those of you who are visiting, I know I don't have to tell you this but do visit the Tcafe. A homely restaurant in Tanah Rata selling homemade hot piping scones with creamy butter, whipped cream and jam. Oh mama. I would go back just for that. BUT do note, it's closed on Sundays.

Anyhoo... the weekend is over. Time to get back to life.

Happy Knitting everyone!

SP 9 revealed!

2007-03-01T04:53:00.000+08:00

My SP9 spoiler has struck for the last time! It was the perfect package to put me in a wonderful euphoric mood for the rest of the day. My spoiler was Jamie from Jamie's Journey all the way from Canada.

The first thing that caught my eye when I opened the box was something pink, and completely fluorescent. A pink giraffe!! Bendy and everything! Lookie here...

His eyes are so wonky! Part of his charm hehehe.

Next I saw a glimmer of dark green and the heavenly smell of peppermint wafted up into my nostrils...that meant one and ONLY one thing.....AFTER EIGHTS! Not just one but TWO big packets. I almost flipped over in delight! Thanks Jamie...it was such a treat...(was - since its LONG gone).

Also she thoughtfully included two packets of the most amazing Cranberry Cider that I was raving about when she sent them to me before. I.LOVE.IT. seriously.

Does anyone in Malaysia know where I can get it here?

Next up, I dug through to discover a wonderful selection of lip balm, inspirational magnet, hand cream and bath salts.

Next up...knitting surprises. I almost started dancing when I saw this:

Two sets of Susan Bates circulars and a Count 10 Plus gauge thingee. OMG...I've already started using one of the circs...hence the missing one in the pic and the gauge thingee is SO USEFUL. I'm so freaking lucky! Thanks Jamie, I was squealing in glee when I figured out how to work it!

And now...the best for last...my jaw dropped and I was speechless for a couple of minutes when I saw this...

5 balls of a beautiful lavender color...100% mercerized cotton! Patons - Grace as you can see.

I'm stumped at what to knit with this that would required exactly 5 balls. Jamie recommended a tank top and I think she's right. I'll have to start pattern hunting. But if any of y'all have any brilliant ideas..PLEASE...let me know.

Jamie, I would like to thank you for such a wonderful package. I can see that you have put in a lot of effort into this well thought-off package. Thanks for being such a cool spoiler.

In other wonderful news. My brother is here on holiday. It's so nice to have him around after such a long time. Wish my parents were here too. I have a nice supply of home cooked food to last me awhile now. Yumm...

Speaking of yummm...mom sent me a roasted turkey. My bro, buddy, ---- and I had a rather belated Thanksgiving dinner. Boy were we full!

Anyways thats all for now. I am currently knitting the Diamond Fantasy Shawl in Knitpicks Shadow. It's currently in the freezer because of a big ass mistake. Got to figure out what to do.

Happy Knitting y'all!

Current mood:

Freedom

2007-02-16T11:55:00.000+08:00

The sky seems bluer, grass seems greener, twittery birds are now cute and no longer annoying....

My summer research is finally over! Hence the euphoria. This last week, the culmination of three months of work crammed into 4 days drained the life out of me! The longest I've slept since Sunday was 3 hours a day.

But now...I'm FREE as a bird. The catch? It only lasts ten days and the cycle of doom begins again.
Ah but still..sweet freedom.

I first celebrated by sleeping 15 hours straight and my dreams were haunted with images of shoot tips, callus and freakish scenarios of "you haven't submitted your thesis yet...you need to get up now and GET ON IT!"
I actually did wake up in confusion and proceed to rifle through my books only to realise, Dang...I've submitted everything early this morning, what the hell is wrong with me?!

ANYways...here is a pic of my sock on my feet. A better idea of how it look except the sunlight made it look rather faded.

I've tried and tested the sock and worn it a number of times and here's what happened: IT FELTED!!!!

Perhaps the friction of my feet and the shoes....perhaps my luck....perhaps....dunno...

But yes ladies...that's my take on Claudia's Handpainted....it felts: DURING USE!

I've got tons of projects that need to be completed ASAP and it's going to be a race against time. But it's going to be fun.

Anyhoo that's all the news from this side...a promise: more interesting and picture-smattered posts next time...I'm still in Laze-About Phase.

GONG XI FA CAI!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

To all those who celebrate this vibrantly colourful day....

Happy Knitting too y'all!

Current Mood:

Back from the Abyss

2007-02-07T02:49:00.000+08:00

Ah..it's over. I must say that I did my very best and now have to sit back and see where my efforts have put me.

Thank you all for your wonderful support, it was truly heart-warming to see how much all of you cared and shared my sorrow. I am relieved to tell you all that I am much more light of heart and am not as stressed anymore.

And I know that your prayers played a substantial part in it.

Yesterday was my buddy Mira's bday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!

Mira: I hope you have a great year babe. You totally deserve it. Thanks for being an awesome friend.

I have an FO to show. Cast on during times of stress and completed with such joy. I love the colours. They make me feel so vibrantly happy.

Pattern: Bob Marley's Grandma's Footies
Yarn: Just over one skein of Claudia's Handpainted in Deep Blue
Needles: 2.75mm dpns in a set of 5
Size: Ladies size 9-11

Comment: The cuff was replaced with twisted ribbing to give more definition. The yarn was lovely to work with and knits up real smooth. To see another pair worked in this pattern, click here. My inspiration =)

That's all for now. Thanks again for your support. I appreciate it beyond what words can ever express.

Happy Knitting everyone!

Thank you

2007-01-23T13:43:00.000+08:00

Thanks for all your support! It really means a lot.

Today I have to study with all my might and then...
...8.30am tomorrow morning, I run the gauntlet.

I need all the luck and prayers I can get...

Sigghh...I miss my family, they were the perfect pick-me-up on days like these.

But thanks for your well wishes, my knitting family, it will certainly help me through.

Tough times

2007-01-18T01:24:00.000+08:00

I just recovered from a long knitting slump since the FBS. Boy does it feel good to knit again! But I really shouldn't be knitting, I should be sitting at my desk, doing more research, burning more midnight oil and studying for my Immunology exam next week. But I think I'm in burn-out mode, I have no more energy to give, no more motivational spirit, no more....just...nothing.

I need a vacation.
And knitting time is closest to a vacation I'll ever get this year, isn't that a depressing thought?

That's all the energy I have to give today. Hope y'all are faring way better than I am.

Current mood:

Happy New Year!

2007-01-05T00:30:00.000+08:00

A new year, a new beginning. That's what we all hope for. A little prayer for forgiveness is whispered perhaps? Well I hope whatever you wish for (if its good) and hope to achieve...you will this year.

God bless you all.

Just to break in the New Year, here is an FO that I've been meaning to post since last year. The FBS, sigh...I still have not gotten around to blocking it. But I did manage to finish it.

Well that's all I have got to show for now.

Till laterzzz....happy knitting everyone!

Current mood:

First SP package

2006-12-21T02:15:00.000+08:00

Yes, it's finally here. My long awaited SP package, all the way from Canada!
Thank you Knitting Godmother.

Right, I'll shut up now.

Here's the good stuff...

An overview. The lighting ain't that good but what're you gonna do eh?

I certainly have received a lot of yummy goodies. Chocolates, drink mixes, candy canes and Kinder Christmas Egg(?). Those are the collective edibles =) Next up, Cinnamon Candles, a very phunky tape measure (really needed that), Penguin Soap, R - ma very own post it pad, a cute Journal and a magnetic notepad (very cool)!!

Knitting related...my SP sent me some Kool-Aid (a-whoo-hoo!) with instructions from Knitty to dye the Patons Merino Wool, and she has included a pattern from Magknits for a cute bag. Oh yes...a bottle of woolwash (I love it, I've been actually looking for something like this!) and the Jan 2007 issue of Creative Knitting for my reading pleasure along with some handmade stitch markers.

Close ups...

Gone in 60 seconds? I certainly hope not.

The fibery part of the package

Hmm...what should I knit? The wool is SO soft, I just wish it were cold enough here in Malaysia to wear woolly garments....sigh...we miss out on so much.

Purty handmade and customized stitchmarkers

Thanks a lot Knitting Godmother for a very excitingly Christmassy package.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Current Mood:

Yay!

2006-12-08T19:51:00.000+08:00

Just to let y'all know...FBS is back on track and will be done soon. I didn't rectify the mistake but sort of trudged on and crossed my fingers hoping no one would notice. Hee hee.

Am in such a hurry so pics + story later y'all.

ps. thanks Mona for offering to rescue it!

Back again

2006-11-30T00:49:00.000+08:00

I'm BACK. Ah...it's good to be on top of things again. Without further ado, I shall proceed to the interesting stuff, in chronological order.

Here, minus all the chocolate (where did it go? ask my cat) is the prize I received from the very cool Kimberly after winning her contest.

Two balls of creamy white Misti Alpaca and two balls of funky olive green mohair with pretty silver sparkles running through it.

She had included eight lovely stitch markers that were perfect for lace projects (no dangle = no tangle).

Not only that, but there was MORE, a big fat bar of dark chocolate with blueberries...yummmm...and tiny cute hershey's bars that were uh...gone...blame the cat.

ps. I don't have a cat

Thanks so much Kimberly! I tell you, she knows how to send out very cool prizes y'all.

Next up, I finally received my long awaited Funky Scarf. My swap pal I must say, is wonderful. Her first scarf actually had the misfortune of being lost in the mail and she made me another one. It's lovely.

It's the prettiest mulberry shade, with light pinks and grey. I love the way it feels. The rayon cotton blend is tangibly cool to the skin. I just fell in love the moment I put it on. Thank you swap pal, you're awesome!

Unfortunately, amidst all this joy, there is a grey cloud casting its shadow and this time its in the form of a very serious error in my FBS. It's so bad that I have actually put it down and can't even bring myself to look at it. It gives me the jitters y'all. Anyone willing to perform lifesaving surgery, please contact me, seriously. No really. I'm serious.

Norovember on the other hand, is going swell. I have succesfully HAND-FELTED (yeah baby, YEAH!) my Twiggy Tweed, panels and body. Who's your daddy now? Here is a blocking pic.

Hopefully it'll be put together by tomorrow, just in time for the Norovember celebrations.

That's about all for now. More later. Laterzz y'all

Current mood:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T08:16:00.000+08:00

I've been a bad blogger lately =(

My excuses:
1. Pictureless post = boring
State of mind = lazy
Environment = lazy

So...lazy + lazy = LAZY
Therefore....LAZY = no photography
= pictureless post
(until 22.11.06)

Current mood = motivated
LAZY + motivated = post with pictures =)

2. Been caught with my FBS in hope of finishing it by the end of the month.

3. Uh...too much food = excess glucose = brain overload = POOF

Anyways I'm back, WITH pictures so that y'all don't fall off yer chairs bored senseless.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you thankful for? I'm thankful for my wonderful family, my loving ----, my awesome friends, my online knitting world and friends, my little pets and life in general. Remember, say a little prayer for everything you're thankful for whenever you can =)

Now onto knitting updates. FBS is on the needles and progressing. I'm on the 9th pattern repeat and I do not know how much longer I should continue. I'm using 4.5mm circs, one strand of Knitpicks Shadow. How many repeats should I knit for a fairly sized shawl for my mom?

A progress pic:

Not a very flattering picture I must say but it's the only one that brings out the closest color match of the yarn.

I love the bumpity bumps of the pattern before blocking

Whats the deal with lifelines? I can never bring myself to use 'em. It's painstaking and well...I simply do NOT have the patience....HENCE....every mistake takes me around an hour to fix hehehe. And it's not like there hasn't been a lot of mistakes, pfffff....I think I could lop off about 4-5 hours in mistake fixing! Dang.

The Twiggy Tweed has not been put together yet, but here is a preblocking, prefelting picture just to show you the wacky colour combination.

Wacky n'est ce pas?

That's all for today. Back to FBS for hopefully what will be a continuous, mistake-free, knitting session.

Happy Knitting y'all!

Current Mood:

Post-Exam schedule

2006-11-12T05:08:00.000+08:00

It’s finally over. Now I can knit till I go cross-eyed. Isn’t that a wonderful thought?

So in celebration of exam-termination, Twiggy tweed from Knitty was cast on. The body and the two panels were completed in two days. In the spirit of Norovember, the panels have been done in Noro Kureyon. It should present a good contrast.

Now it’s time for felting, BUT I do not have a hot water washing machine!! Has anyone had any success with hand felting? I would love to hear of any experiences. Pictures soon.

Another FO would be the cozy I knitted up for my buddy Mira’s cellphone. It’s the Yugioh Pattern, really cute I tell ya. Here is a preblocking picture.

The yarn is 69% cotton and 31% viscose. Any idea how to block it into shape? It’s a bit floppy, but in the picture, a rather small cellphone is hiding inside.

Next up is the beginning of all things Christmas-y. This is the first time I’m going to be knitting gifts for my family, it’s a scary thought since I take like forever to finish something. Eeeep.

Here is what is going to be on the needles soon. The Flower Basket Shawl with Knitpicks Shadow in Sunset.

Those gorgeous Addis are not mine….but belong to Mira who very graciously lent them to me for this project. She received them from her awesome SP.

Now for more cool news, I just received a package from the very cool Polly at All Tanged Up. She noticed that there weren’t any selections of sock yarn here in Malaysia (yes I did whine about that many-a-place) and so she suggested a swap and tada…I received my package. There was yarn, ooo yes there was yarn, and also a tin of delicious Jaffa Cakes that vanished within 3 minutes after I unpacked everything.

The skein on the left is Amethyst from Fleece Artist. It’s in the most gorgeous deep purple I’ve ever seen.

The red ball is Lana Grossa – Meilenweit Cotton Spirit. It’s so soft and yummy.

The lighter pink one is Trekking XXL, soft sweet shades of pink and lilac. The two little balls are Cascade Fixation in a kaleidoscope of colours!

Boy do I have plans for this lot as well. Thank goodness exams are out of the way. WooooOOOoooooot!

Thanks a lot Polly. I love everything you've sent.

Well thats about all for this post. Isn't life just great after exams?

Current mood:

A sock and a scarf

2006-11-02T00:29:00.000+08:00

Exam stress.

I cast on for...

Toddler socks

It was a win-win situation. I get to practice socks, beat stress, end up with an FO and blog about it too.

And it turned out to be...

Look Ma...no holes! (with a pen for scale)

Toddler? Three year old more likely.
Why? Uh...well technically, I did swatch it but then realised it was a tad too big but continued knitting anyway. No harm, no foul. I did learn how to get rid of the darn holes, keep my stitches even AND the kitchener stitch too!

Now I have one sock in a size that is certainly no use to anyone I know. My first sock, I think I shall frame it. Memories of Socktoberfest immortalised in a framed sock. Interesting.

Anyways moving on. Kathy at MinxKnits finally received her funky scarf and I'm ecstatic to say, she loves it.
Here is a lovely picture that she was nice enough to take while modelling it!

Doesn't she look purty?

In other news, if you are completely bored and are looking for something to do, check out these bloopers in the celebrity world and entertaining commentating, go visit this site. I’m sure you already know about it but ah well, it’s easier having the link put out for you.

Happy Knitting bloggeroos!

Current mood:

Funky Scarf and Socktoberfest Update

2006-10-24T04:10:00.000+08:00

First off, the Funky Scarf Swap. If y’all had noticed, the FS % bar on the right has suddenly hit 100% and so, I’m very proud to say that it was completed and shipped off to Kathy at Minx Knits in USA. Unfortunately I have no pictures to show for my work but I’m hoping to swipe a few from her when she receives it. Am crossing my fingers and hoping she likes it.

Next, Socktoberfest update:

Ladies and gentle cars…

Presenting...

The one…

The only…

Starter Stockinette Sock…

Do you see the hole? Its me-made, not hamster-made.

Magenta? Mais non....

And well, only if you are wondering…IT’S ACRYLIC! Yes yes, the hot, itchy, horrible stuff that bad yarn days (and dreams) are made of.

Why you ask? Ah…let me tell you. That’s the beauty of the story…the madness. Now as you all know I’ve never knitted a sock in my life. And you also know that I have received a very beautiful colorway of Claudia’s Handpainted to experiment with socks. But don’t y’all agree that it’s too precious to “experiment” with (think frustrated ripping, loose gussets and dpns used as a weapon)? I could never do that to the pretty pretty sock yarn.

And so, out comes the acrylic and BIG dpns (3.3mm). Again I was too chicken to use the lovely ones Ruth sent to me. Casting on was a cinch, but not so much like the first time using dpns.

It took me sometime to get used to sticks poking me while I was knitting (note: these dpns are 12’’ long [stop laughing]). But after a while I did get a hang of it. So by the time I reached the heel, I remembered to try it on and well it’s BIG. Why? Hello. It’s 3.3mm and acrylic in sportweight y’all.

What you didn't see before....

Isn’t it hilarious? It’s waaaaay too big at the cuff. Not to mention the big, fat hole, where I picked up the stitches to join the heel flap.

Anyways I trudged on, the heel flap was cool fun to knit. And my fave, the turning of the heel. This time I kept trying it on and reducing accordingly whew. I'd rather not mention the hole that you saw before. Any tips to get rid of the darn thing would be highly appreciated.

So, what do y’all think? Should I cast on for a real sock with the proper teensy dpns and actual sock yarn just yet? Or continue this one? Any suggestions will be seriously given good thought and happy vibes sent to everyone at the same time.

Oh yes another thing I would love some help on: one skein of Claudia’s Handpainted in Sea dreams. What can I knit with this? I’m itching to try it out but don’t know what I can finish with it. It’s fingering weight, 182 yards. Someone please help =)

In other news, Meta, otherwise known as the Big Momma of the Hamster underworld gave birth to 5 little babies. (Sing along y'all....Ma Hamster, she taught her four pups *ma ma ma maa*, Ma Hamster, to handle a bun...*ma ma ma maa* [to be sung in the same cadence as Ma Baker by Boney M and yes, my hamster family love buns and any sort of bread for that matter]). Both babies and mommy are doing great. Can't wait to play with the little fellas.

My finals are starting this week, all the way till mid-November. Less knitting time, unfortunately but that's life. You give some, you take some. Hard work and luck, that's what I need and of course, God's grace. But I'm still fReAkInG oUt.

Anyways, that’s all for now. Hope y’all have a great week, knitting and otherwise.

Current Mood: (what do I see? EXAMS y'all....LOTS of 'em)

Title Change

2006-10-15T05:23:00.000+08:00

As y'all can see, the name of my blog has been officially changed to 'Rain's Knit-Bits'. This is after a lot contemplation as to whether 'Knit Addict' made any sense grammatically and I figured: IT DOESN'T.

What was I thinking? Probably wasn't thinking. But then I figured, who cares, I probably was the only one with a title like this, only to find out that there is another Knit Addict in the blogging world who started waaahaaaay before I did.

That made up my mind, I got to change!

So if anyone has linked to my page as Knit Addict, sorry for the trouble, but do change it. Thanks =)

Current mood:

Fun Qs

2006-10-14T19:59:00.000+08:00

Our very cool SP9 hostess tagged us with these interesting questions on her blog and I thought I'd give it a whirl =)

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
At my study table, in front of the computer so I can knit while watching FRIENDS, its my favorite thing in the world to do.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
I would write, I love writing =) ; other than that I would probably try to pick up spinning or dyeing.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
Hmm...I would really love to go back to Switzerland for a longer trip (I barely spent a week there a long time ago), its just SO beautiful and tranquil.
Next on the list would be Japan, because it's just so cool and then of course the United States, to get every type of yarn there is ;) and pay the mind boggling shipping costs myself =P

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I wanted to be a doctor or a sleuth. Well I like to think that I'm on way there and what I'm looking into right now, would fall a bit into both categories woooOOoooot!

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Without doubt, chocolate. Anything with lots of dark chocolate yep. My current favourite is Maui Brownie Madness at Baskin Robbins (it's yoghurt, so 98% fat free!!). Try it y'all, it's amazing!

Wonderful Surprises

2006-10-08T19:29:00.000+08:00

This is an exciting post. A few days ago, a package that I had been desperately waiting for turned up in the form of a collection letter at my door. There was a big hoo-haa to go collect the package but I'll skip those details.

The highly awaited package was from Ruth who is simply AWESOME. Thanks so much Ruth, ~HUGS~. I love absolutely everything you've sent to me.
I just can't wait to get started on my socks now that, thanks to Ruth, I'm completely armed with everything I could possibly need.

Anyways, I'll shut up now and you can see for yourself why I'm so ecstatic.

Mr. Box, who brought all my goodies to me, safe and sound =)

The Book Family who are raring to teach me the art of sock knitting and help me keep track of everything

The one on the left is shaped like a sock. It's got loads of fun patterns that I'm just dying to try out. The pamphlet is full of techniques and lastly the Journal...oh I LOVE it! It's too precious to even touch, I can't bring myself to write in it, I just want to put it in its own pedestal and just..well...admire it =)

Three amazing shades, all waiting to be knitted up.

This is a closeup of the Regia in maroonish brown. Perfect for guy's socks!

Claudia Handpainted in Sea Dreams – isn’t she so pretty?

Claudia Handpainted in Deep Blue – this is amazing, if there is an Ocean in Heaven, these are the colours the water would take. I just love the colorway, it’s all my fave shades of blue rolled into one! Ruth, how did you know?

I completely flipped out when I saw the Claudia's Handpainted skeins. Who would have thought that I, ME, would EVER get a skein that gorgeous yarn. The best I could do before this was drool at the gorgeous colorways floating around on the internet. And...and...n.n.now look...I actually have not one, but THREE skeins!

The whole loot that made my day =)

I wasn't able to take closeups of the needles but you can see two sets of dpns there in the EXACT sizes I was looking for! Thanks a bunch Ruth. Now I can attempt those gorgeous footies she's knitted. Won't be nowhere near as nice as hers though! I'm a newbie.

I also received a skein of Noro from Carine who visited Malaysia and most of us knitters here got the chance to meet up with her. Thanks Carine! This is my first skein of Noro.

Hmm...Noro oh Noro, you shall remain as Noro. What should I do with you eh?

Sigh...I'm giddy with happiness =) thanks to the wonderful friends I have made through this oh-so-addictive hobby and the internet of course. Thanks so much you guys!

Well I think that is all for this super happy post. Enjoy the week everybody! Lots of good vibes for everyone from me.

Current Mood:

SP9 Questionnaire

2006-10-06T20:36:00.000+08:00

Dear SP9,

Here is my completed questionnaire. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact me =)

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love knitting with any yarn that is soft and silky. Cotton is what is best suited for weather here in Malaysia. But not so big on 100% acrylic really, because it’s SO HOT here and no eyelash yarn either.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Right now, I’ve got a Pringles’ tin that has been dressed up to look like a passable holder for my straights. Nothing for my circulars yet though…

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learnt knitting from my parents 10 years ago and picked it up again early this year.
I would think that my skills are probably intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes....check the side bar please.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I love rose the most. Floral, spicy and fruity are lovely.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Hell yeah…I’m a total sucker for dark chocolate. My favorites are After Eight mints.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I crochet too, but am not a big fan. I don’t know how to spin. I would love to learn how to dye my own yarn too.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Well Alternative, I LUURVE Lifehouse. I’m into some RnB too.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Oh purple purple PURPLE, I love purple. Sorry, yes, calming down now. I like pink too, followed by deep blues and fresh deep forest greens and black of course. I hate colours that are too bright and fluoresce, oh and I do absolutely detest beige! White is nice on me though.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a room-mate. I have four adorable hamsters.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I do wear scarves and hats. I’ll wear my PONCHO when I’m finished with it.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Well I love anything that’s flattering and trendy. Always looking for flattering, sassy, sexy stuff to knit ;)

13. What are you knitting right now?
A shrug that needs some damage control and a halter.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes of course

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circulars definitely. Aluminium I guess. I’m loving the only pair of Inox circulars I’ve got.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Unfortunately neither

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
The knitted halter is about 6 months old and the poncho 10 months old.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Hmm…I take holidays during my birthday, does that count? =) Okay okay, I love Christmas and Easter.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Does yarn count?

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Needles: Addi Turbos
Patterns: One Skein Wonder & Simple Knitted Bodice by Glampyre Knits
Books: The Stitch 'N Bitch Calendar 2007, Stitch 'N Bitch Journal; Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitters Handbook by Debbie Stoller
Unfortunately I have no suscriptions to any Knitting magazines.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Magic loop, knitting on two circulars and the sock-in-sock technique illustrated in the Fall Knitty 2006.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I’m just getting started. Ladies size 8.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
September 21st

Knits and bits

2006-10-05T03:21:00.000+08:00

Here is the picture of the other yarn that I received from my ---- for my Birthday. It’s Katia Sevilla in the most gorgeous color, well I know I’m a purple person, but itsn’t this blue just breathtaking? Don't mind the horrible editing, but I had no patience to run it through Photoshop or Illustrator so just used a lame block brush in Paint. I might update it later =)

Finally Lelah is done. Cast off and everything. Just have to give her a good wash and see if she needs any blocking. Here is a picture taken just before casting off, the battery ran out after this so it’s the closest FO pic I have:

I'm not a big fan of the yarn I've used for this. I wish I had had some cotton or something just as nice, like silk (Tilli Tomas?? Now that's wishful thinking).

My shrug is done as well. But then after trying on I realized the back is a tad too short and so I decided to pick up the stitches and extend it a bit. I’m not quite sure where I’m going with this shrug because I barely have half a ball of the mohair left. Need a miracle here people.

Here is the last of my pending WIPs, a purple halter. My very first knitting project. I started it a LONG time ago at a LYS. I specified the pattern I wanted, the size I wanted and the ladies working there seem to have hearing problems and are too haughty to admit that they were wrong when I pointed out that the halter is not turning out the way I wanted it to.

This is the reply I got “Oh it’s the same, the SAME, the same, the SAME. Don’t worry. It will be the same.”

How the bloody hell can two things be the same when the pattern is SO CLEARLY different? Are they stupid or am I blind? It cost me a fortune for this damn thing.

I don't like it. Can I sue?

Well since I’m almost through two of my three pending WIPs, I decided to treat myself and cast on for a new mini project. It’s the Eye Mask from Knitty. My ---- requested for one to cope with my nocturnal habits during weekends when I’m at his place. I love staying up late, blopping, blogging, knitting and just plain wasting time =) so much so that he’s given up convincing me to sleep at night. Actually I cast on a few days ago and it’s done now. I wish I could post a picture but again, batteries dead.

Somehow the pattern did not agree with what I was looking for so I completely altered it beyond recognition and instead, I followed the instructions in my head. Does that make this my own pattern?
What do you think?

Well that is about all I have for this time. Oh except for leaving you with a picture of a WIP that is about 10 months old now. It’s a crochet poncho.

It’s so simple, why can’t I just finish it?

Happy Knitting everybody!!

Current mood:

Bday Post

2006-09-26T14:52:00.000+08:00

Here is the belated birthday post that I've meaning to do since the 21st but ah well, things got in the way.

First things first, I GOT MY PC BACK! How much did it cost? Three hundred and thirty bucks. That's around $92. My cellie is going to cost another $50 so that's going to be non-operational till further notice.

Well the morning of my birthday pretty much sucked lemons. So did the rest of the day till around twilight. Well then it kinda picked up after I went off for dinner with my ---- and my buddy Mira. I got my first bday pressie from Mira just as we sat down to order. Lookie at me, soo excited:

What's inside? Want to take a peek?

It's three skeins of yummy mohair in the dreamiest of colours! Gorgeous init? Thanks babe! I started dreaming of what to knit the moment I saw the skeins. I'm hoping to knit the Serrano in Knitty by cosmisplutoknits, let's see.

Now to the food. Here's what we had...

This pizza interestingly you can maybe see has pepperoni, smoked chicken AND shrimps. We each got to choose a topping, which explains the clashing ingredients. But it was pretty awesome, I would kill for some right now.

My stomach just gave an audible growl, yikes! But boy does that pizza look good! It was gone in about three minutes after this picture teehee....

The next on the menu was a gorgeous looking lasagna. Its veggie but looked absolutely fantastic. Not that big on taste though, I must say. It tasted way too tomatoey for me and everyone else. But this was my ----'s choice so I just stole a bite =)

But doesn't this pic make you want to have some? Looks oh-so-cheesy but trust me if you are at Pizza Uno, don't go for this unless you love eating tomato paste thats been baked with cilantro. Oh oh, the egg plant somehow looked yellow, but it was quite okay (yes I stole a slice of eggplant too =P)

Next was the Spaghetti Napolitana and the Fettuccini Carbonara. Somehow the Napolitana is too tomatoey (surprise!). BUT it compliments the Carbonara so well, which is a bit bland. Siigggh....I'm HUNGRY! Pictures? Blogger refuses to upload again...

Here's the last one. Fettuccini Bolooosomething something lol.

Looks fabulous, doesn't it? Ah well.

Here's some advice, please order the Iced Chocolate. It's fantastic!

Last but not least, my teensy, but BIG on taste Mud Cake. The reason I look so embarrassed is that there are a LOT of people singing Happy Birthday to me.

That was my day =)

This seems more like a restaurant review than a post. But hey, it's my blog so =P

I got some more awesome yarn from my ---- the next day but didn't have a camera to take pictures of it so that will be left for later.

Thanks to everyone who remembered and wished me well.

Signing off...

Current Mood:

Life goes on

2006-09-18T18:40:00.000+08:00

Last week was honestly the longest week I have encountered since I started life in Malaysia 2 years ago. Strange? I KNOW. Usually days go by in a flash and I'm left in a vortex that's spinning madly and I'm thinking, where did the weekend go? Heck, where did the week go?

But boy, last week, days slugged by, amazing that Monday finally came. No premonitions yet on how this week is going to go.

I was hoping this could be a picture post but instead I lost functionality of both my cell phone AND my PC, how rotten is that? I have so much work due this week and I just discovered I may have to spend a fortune on repairing my lifelines. I'm am so lost without my PC, can't get any work done...nothing. But repairing must be done asap, that would mean I'll have to delay treating my buddies for my birthday, which totally sucks. But let's see, God has a funny way of working his magic.

Ah my shrug is coming along just swell. I just realised that, the bonehead that I am, I should have started practicing the sleeves using dpns in order to get ready to knit socks from some yarn that I ordered from Knitpicks! But NO, now I have to seam and I have not done a matress stitch EVER and I can't seam to save my life. Help please....

Lelah is still in her corner with another pair of circular needles for company. "Soon soon..." I tell her, everytime she looks at me.

OH yes, the Funky scarf swap, as you can see, my percentage bar shows a zero, thats not because I am a bad swappie, but because the yarn I have ordered, has not arrived yet (yes, from Knitpicks).

The Drop Stitch Scarf is swimming in the frog pond along with another over-zealously cast on belt that is too hideous in colour to even mention! Actually it was quite nice but I realised I would never wear it, so what is the point, my fellow bloggeroos?

To another long week....and hopefully this time I'll stop and smell the flowers...

Current mood:

Swatches and things

2006-09-09T03:07:00.000+08:00

I’ve been swatching on the mohair that I received a few weeks ago and it’s so soft, that I just want to cuddle it. A 6.6mm needle gave me a gauge of 12 to 13 stitches and 20 rows (4”). Almost like bulky weight! I redid the swatch in 5.7mm needles and now am satisfied. Thought of casting on for a shrug with it and hopefully I will have enough yardage to go around. Well actually I already did cast on for the shrug but it turns out the pattern’s dimension are way too big for my taste. A few alterations should do the trick…*fingers crossed*.

Going through my wardrobe I recently unearthed a simple white cami that I have owned for many years and realised that though I have grown very much in horrible proportions in all the wrong areas (waist, people, waist….what were you thinking?!), it still is quite flattering. I’m hoping to sit down one day and reproduce the pattern on it in crochet. But you know that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Oh yes, dearest Lelah will finally get some attention now, I bought a pair of circulars especially for her today. But then again, considering my size, I think I would need another larger needle size to get an even bigger flair to hide the flab or be shot down by the Knitting Police for tainting the name of knitting teehee…

Have a look at this sweet vest at My Knitting World, its simply so blissfull and sweet. Hm....I'm inspired...

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Current mood:

The Birthday Month

2006-09-02T20:18:00.000+08:00

It's super September, the Birthday Month (yes, including mine). I think I know over 20 people with birthdays this month. Isn’t that just fab?

I’ve been spoilt rotten by my closest friends (love you guys to bits) on my birthdays so far since I’ve moved to Malaysia and well I think it’s time to return the favour init? Well of course I’m going to treat myself too, with knitting accessories, yarn etc. etc. of course, what else is better to receive as birthday presents than that?! Tee hee.

It’s been raining constantly here and I think that it’s just great. Such beautiful weather…knitting…hot chocolate…good company…good movies….what else can I ask for?

Oh speaking of rainy days, here’s an FO I finished on a rainy day. A quick half an hour knit using just half a ball each of navy blue and black acrylic. It’s so quick. I think I managed to wear it the same day I knitted it!

A belt, a skinny scarf, a head band....whatever you can imagine it to be!

Oh yes, Secret Pal 9 sign ups are open. Sign up, sign up wherever you are.

Enjoy September everyone! It's the best month of the year!

Happy Days

2006-08-31T19:33:00.000+08:00

It was a gloomy day (my favourite type of weather) and I had just managed to miss a heavy heavy rain shower. I hadn’t slept for two days (insomnia creeping in seriously) and the world seemed to be swimming before my eyes.

One of my friends who had signed up for Mark those Stitches had finally received her package the day before. Check out the funky stuff my bud got here and let me tell you, she was super excited. Anyways I trudged home, looking at the misty sky; I walked on the yellow line on the side of the road so I would walk straight and not fall into a ditch!

I checked my post at the pigeon holes in the lobby, and got zilch. I too was waiting for a package from my Mark those Stitches swap partner. But look, what was waiting for me at my door?

This:

Suddenly, I was wide awake and fit as a fiddle; I bounded into my room like a kid with a new toy!!! I quickly ripped it open (okay I do not rip, I open stuff really carefully) and before pulling out the contents, realised that the package smelt really nice. My swap partner had put in some purple dried flowers, really sweet of her. Well digging deeper, out tumbled my pretty pretty stitch markers, strung on a length of soft yarn!!!

Sweet isn’t it? I certainly am going to be making some more stitch markers in the coming future. Suddenly the plain ones I’m using currently seem like such a boring drag. Sorry for the loopy pic, that was the best I could take with the sun hiding behind the clouds.

Well to leave with a sweet note. I have officially christened my baby hammies, they are to be henceforth known as Rinky and Binky (both girls). One day my little hammie, Rinky decided to go “a-wandering” and look where she turned up?

Ain’t she a cutie?

B-l-oggart Attack

2006-08-30T06:21:00.000+08:00

A b-l-oggart attack, yes that is precisely what I suffered from, last night. I was messing around with my template, modifying, adding, amending etc. etc. when suddenly Blogger died without saving any of my changes. Panic time? No, I am pretty patient, I can do this again. Login again, open template, wait till it all loads….wait till it all loads…wait till it all loads. Nope, just the main page without any of the side links. Panic? No no, I can handle this. Login again, open template, wait till it loads (X 20). Panic? Maybe a little. Lets view my blog in a new window shall we? Okay. Load. Zilch. Nada. Just “Knit Addict” and a BLANK blog. Panic? It’s about time.

All hell broke lose; I was fuming, miserable and a complete raving idiot all at the same time (it took 15 minutes of rant and rave, 15 minutes of ‘calm down talk’, 20 minutes of emailing Blogger Help to “get my blog back pleeeease oh puuuhhleeeease” to come back to sanity). Not bad eh? Somehow after messing around more, and seeing my posts were all over the place to understand that somehow I could not let my poor blog die. So out came the thinking cap and 60 minutes later, Knit Addict was up and running again (no it wasn’t easy and yes I do deserve all that chocolate I had afters “…to calm me down”).

Well all’s well that ends well. Let’s just leave it at that shall we?

Blocking acrylic

2006-08-27T17:22:00.000+08:00

I've noticed that there're aren't many articles on blocking acrylic, especially in times of need. My interest in blocking acrylic is to get the final product flattened out so that the stitches can be seen nicely. Also acrylic is way softer when blocked. So here's my version of how to do it.

What you need:
1. A big clean towel
2. Tons of pins - pearlised rust-proof ones are my choice (OR) waste yarn - longer than your project length
3. Yarn needle
4. Steam iron
5. Patience
6. Wipers on your spectacles (if you wear them) because the steam will mist up your glasses and thats not fun when you don't know where you're going with your iron.
7. A bed to pin the needles to

How its done:
Okay first of all, you have to decide how you want to pin down your project. Pins or yarn? Personally I have used both and I can confidentally say that the waste yarn method gives a much more even edge, especially when blocking scarves. I'll explain both.

First you need to lay down your big clean towel on the bed so that you can pin your project onto the towel. I'm not sure why this is done but it's a practice I read about and prefer very much to follow.

I. Stretch me Baby, Yeah!
a. Pokey pokey time
Right, for the pinning method, stretch out your project and start pinning it from one end. Do not be afraid to stretch out the acrylic (but do NOT pull till it screams for mercy) so that the stitches are seen clearly and pin out all the edges. You can pin the middle as well, to even out your pattern.
You WILL need a lot of pins. Keep stretching and pinning till you reached the end of your towel. No space? No problem. You can pin the rest in the second round after the first bit has been blocked. Proceed to 'Steam me Baby, Yeah!'

b. A Stitch or two (X100)
This is the second method of stretching out your project. I read this in a blog once a long time back and I do not have a link, sorry. I do not have a picture to show you but I will try my best to make it sound coherent.

NOTE: This type of blocking is better to be done in one round, make sure you have enough space to stretch out your project to its full length to block it in one go.

Right, take your yarn needle and thread your waste yarn through. It's wiser to have this in a contrasting colour to your project. Do a very widely space running stitch all around the edge (you must know that this is best used for scarves and shawls etc. that require straight edges). Leave slack of about a foot and cut off. Do the same for all edges.

Now stretch out your edges. For example, for my scarf, I stretched out the waste yarn on the shorter edge and pinned it to the edge of my towel and stretch out the opposite end and did the same on the other side of the bed. Now that you have done that. You can take the waste yarn of the longer side and stretch it out making the scarf wider. Securely pin the ends of the yarn ( I usually tie it to my headboard and bottom edge of the bed).

This method ensures that your edges remain straight and that you will not end up with scalloped edges like the pinning method may induce. Use more pins to pin the project out if you are not satisfied.

II. Steam me Baby, Yeah!
Load your iron with max level water and set it to the highest setting. My iron has two steam settings which I set to the highest and a steam button that poouffffss out steam. Once the iron is heated. Go over your stretched fabric slowly. DO NOT touch the fabric, under NO circumstances. Acrylic melts on contact so don't even try unless its for kicks.

Keep a distance of about an inch or so and steam the whole thing. You can actually see the yarn stretch and ease out. It's pretty darn fascinating. Continue till you have steamed the whole length that you have stretched out. For those using the pinning method, you can steam the first part and then unpin and pin out the second part and steam as above.

Leave it to cool in the stretched state and steam again if required.

See, wasn't that easy as pie?

III. Wear me Baby, Yeah!
Now you can remove your waste yarn, snip it out and pull out in bits, or take out your pins. You will see that your project would probably remain in its stretched form. You may notice that your yarn is softer and well, more malleable. Enjoy!

Wrap it around your gorgeus self and POSE!

I was trying to load some pictures but Blogger was being really stubborn about it, so maybe later.

Oh wait, here are some links to the UNBLOCKED version and the BLOCKED version of my Branching Out scarf from Knitty.

Good luck blocking everyone!

Sweet Surprise

2006-08-25T03:54:00.000+08:00

You've just been tagged. I read this while at Strikegal's blog the other day. Grab the nearest, yes the NEAREST book to you and follow these instructions.

1. Get a book NEAREST to you.

2. Open the book to page 123

3. Find the fifth sentence

4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

6. Tag whomever you want, or not.

Well since I had my Immunology book open while surfing, here's my three sentences:
"Humoral immnity is more important than cellular immunity in defending against microbes with capsules rich in polysaccharides and lipids, and against polysaccharide and lipid toxins. The reason for this is that B cells respond to, and produce antibodies specific for many types of molecules, but T cell, the mediators of cellular immunity, recognize and respond only to protein antigens. Antibodies are produced by B lymphocytes and their progeny."

HAHAHA, I can see your eyes bulging out if you had the patience to actually read that.

As promised this is a picture post.

Here are some of the pictures of the yarn I bought for my secret swap partner:

Excuse the mess around the yarn, but its the closest colour match I could get from my phone camera and I wasn't going to mess it up. Well this is it in its unwound glory. Pretty init? I just love the colour (heck I love any shade of purple). I still haven't wound this into a ball, I just like to leave it on my bed and stare at it and day dream . Crazy? Oui, oui.

And that's my pretty pretty yarn knotted into a skein and the other skein I managed to wind into a ball. The little tail is a part I frogged from the swatch.

Any ideas are very well welcome, in any category (funky, crazy, whacky, insane, sane, elegant, assault to the senses etc.) I do have a few ideas playing in my head but nothing concrete. Hmmm....harder than I imagined to decided on one design, everything out there is so pretty.

Okay here is the most important part of my post, I had the most amazing surprise from one of the knitters (I don't know whether she would like to remain anonymous or not) from the Knitters Community (a forum for Malaysian and Singaporean knitters). I was telling her my yarn sorrows and the aversion to knit with acrylic, and guess what she did?! She actually left me a parcel at my LYS with some yarn that she thought would serve better purpose with me than her. Isn't she the sweetest? I received the softest balls of mohair and a big ball of baby wool in the most adorable colour. Oh heck, a picture speaks a thousand words don't it? So have a look:

Isn't that wonderful? Such a thoughtful gesture. Makes one regain faith in humanity again. Maybe the world is not so full of Flakes as I had perceived. Its my first actual squishy soft mohair. I absolutely adore it. My mind is on a roll, dreaming about what to knit with this treasure trove. She also sent me a wonderful book, a Daily Bread, which is precisely what I needed I think. Thanks again for making my day!

Socks and Scarves

2006-08-24T17:51:00.000+08:00

Lately I have been having a craving to learn to knit socks. Seeing all the pretty pretty socks proudly displayed by knitters all over the blogging world (and because I found a hole in my fave pair of socks after being worn so much) the itch to knit socks has been so overwhelming. But I cant seem to find any sock yarn anywhere at my LYS and I can't order online :( so I'm at a loss at what to do. I would love some deep purple sock yarn to knit a pretty pair for myself, wouldn't that be such a treat?!

But first I must find my way around dpns, I've never used them before but am raring to learn. I think I've got two dpns of No. 6 (japanese sizes, so I don't know what it really is) and the other two are with a friend of mine, we split the set for some crazy reason that I fail to recall.

I'm currently at a loss at projects to start, which is a rather tragic period I must admit. I do have to get on with my funky scarf, but somehow feel that I need a plan before I blindly start off. The yarn that I have bought (yes pic in next post for SURE, but remember its purple not blue like the pic depicts) I somehow feel is just not right, well this is probably because I'm at a loss at what kind of pattern to start with. Let me describe the yarn a bit, its chunky weight, made of the lightest, soft fluffy fiber. I'm not sure what it is composed off (there was no label and it was one of the few skeins left, and I just loved the colour) but its so soft so I just had to get it. Well anyways, its the loveliest purple with a strand of shiny, glitzy purple thread spun along. So when knitted up, its soft and has purple glittery threads sticking out giving it a funky look =) Now I have to decide how to use it which is what is eating my brain cells at the moment.

All funky patterns will be highly appreciated along with tips for knitting socks.

I feel quite behind in my scarf knitting, have you seen Studio_T's scarf? It's so amazing, check it out here. Everyone else seems to be spinning and dyeing their yarn. I'm just knitting, that sucks don't it? I need a windfall to start all that up.

Its Thursday already. Where did the week go? I need to get cracking on so many things, why isn't there enough time? I need 48 hours in a day, I really do! Don't you?

Stitch markers & Shopping

2006-08-19T11:50:00.000+08:00

Its the 19th already and I'm not even slightly close to getting a stitch marker done! The markers need to be sent out by the 23rd and all I've got so far are lots of squiggly shapes wires that are completely exhausted from being bent every which way.

It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be and much more frustrating than I had even imagined...and now I have a much heightened sense of respect for all you wonderful stitch marker-makers. Check these out, they're absolutely gorgeous and made me want to cry! Well another attempt shall be made after a strong coffee to steady my cracked nerves and shattered dreams. But don't worry...if my stitch marker swap pal is reading this...you will get your stitch markers, somehow!! =)

Alrighty then, I'm off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz, maybe he can help me...

I'm back and I found an awesome tutorial that makes stitch marker-making look like a cinch. Wonderful stuff Laura! I was hoping to post some of my attempted stitch markers but my cellie doesn't seem to be in the mood for taking nice pictures. Ah...well some other time maybe...

20.08.2006 Stitch markers completed! Yes its finally done! Rather okay for a first attempt I must say and I sure am looking forward to making more.

Yesterday turned out to be super bargain day at a nearby mall. My only intention at first was stocking up on yarn for myself and selecting some funky yarn for my scarf swap partner but in the end, I ended up getting tons of goodies for myself at rock bottom prices! Now that's what I call Shopper's Luck! As for the yarn I got...definitely classified as funky! It's two skeins of the most beautiful fresh purple glitzy yarn! I absolutely LOVE it! I just hope my scarf partner likes it too. I think I better get another skein for myself, the squishy texture is delightful. I tried to take a picture of it, but it came out blue, so will leave that for later.

Then my second yarn purchase was two balls of deep purple wool to try out some felting. I think its 100% wool but then I can't read Japanese so I'm not pretty sure. Need to read up on felting to get started. Any tips would be appreciated.

The Lelah Top is on hold at the moment with all the work I'm swamped with, can't wait to get it off the needles to start the funky scarf and well to wear it of course.

Enjoy the new week everyone. Happy Knitting!

Swap Questionnaire

2006-08-15T15:12:00.000+08:00

Alrighty the Funky Scarf Swap Questionnaire is out =) here goes swappie, wherever you are......

Let’s get the allergy part out of the way. Are you allergic to any fibers?
Umm....not really, but I did find that I had a bad itching spell with Mohair.

Do you prefer any fibers over others?
I love anything that is soft, silky and not scratchy. I've been keeping far away from mohair after The Itch but other than that....anything else is okay. Oh, not a big fan of cheap acrylic too.

Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky!
The Nagano Sakura scarf on Knitty.com

Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern?
Either...both sound fantastic!!

What are your favorite colors?
Purple, pink, maroon, black, fresh,dark shades of green, deep blue.

What is your favorite piece of art?
Well I'm not that into serious art but I always loved Greg Hildebrandt's illustrations of The Wizard of Oz...such amazing attention to detail...

What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face?
Anything fluorescent unless its really dark and thats the only way to see...

Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl?
An actual scarf please.

When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf?
Hmm...I think something long would be right. I usually use a scarf to accessorise and jazz up an outfit.

What is the climate like where you live?
HOT and HUMID all year round =(

Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe?
It's hot enough already so I guess I don't need more warmth.....so lets bring on the FUNK!

What else would you like your partner to know about you?
Not much else really. Just a big HELLO to my swappie who would be reading this!

Progress...

2006-08-13T23:38:00.000+08:00

Ah...my Lelah Top has just passed the 50% completion line....YAY....I'm so psyched! It's lookin good so far....my first attempt with the circulars....now I need to save up and buy a few larger sized pairs to incorporate the flair into the waist bit....gosh....this was such a fun project to knit (touch wood)!
Alrighty...here is a pic of progress so far:

Not a very top quality picture I'm afraid.....the very best I could do with my cellie. BUT anways, what do you think of the colour? It's supposed to look like blood red (well in reality it does) but ended up looking like faded out red here and the bedsheet is actually YELLOW not whatever this colour might be! I am SO looking forward to wearing it....but i do think it might be a bit tight....hmmm......

Oh yes, I finally got assigned to my swap partner for the Funky Scarf Swap....woohoooo! My very first swap =) I'm so excited!!! Can't say who it is well hehehee.....but boy am I happy!!

Well only a lil' post for today....got a report to hand up tomorrow and I haven't even gotten started on it...siiigh...but hunger right now is taking over so got to attend to that first and foremost ;)

Cheers!

Flakes and The Mess

2006-08-09T12:16:00.000+08:00

It was Day 3 yesterday in the blogging world....it was a hazy tuesday and it was all hell in the real world. So lets not go there. Anyways....I'm super excited to have finally joined my first swap!!! As you can see by the button on the right....siiigh....can't wait to know who my secret pal is going to be =)

Oh boy what a day yesterday was (have to vent about the real world).....had to smile and hold it though all I really wanted to was scream and yell. Some "people" can be SUCH flakes, as I have been noticing these few weeks.....it's irritating....unbelievably irritating.

I need a Crazy Witch meter! Anyone willing to design one for me? Its my newest invention for the blog world....
Here's how it works...or how it will work.....
There is going to be a little Icon of a witch and everyday if she/he (the person(s) that are in my witch meter) does something bad....I get to put a black spot next to the witch, if she/he does a good thing, I put a green/gold/purple spot.....
Like the idea? It's a mild way to release stress online isn't it? I shall look around for someone to get this done for me....seriously......and if anyone here knows how....oh PLEASE contact me!!!

Anyways that's that. Now well back to my day yesterday....horrible I tell you....oh wait......someone did brighten it up for me though....yeah...she knows who she is.... =) made me smiiiiiiiile. Actually three people managed to make my day....yay!! I guess there's 3 wonderful people to 1,000,000 flakes. Wow...that's a scary thought!!

Hmmm....I can't wait to get home and get to my knitting, I've got just one WIP at the moment....it's pretty scary right now....because I'm not quite sure it'll even fit. It's my first time with circulars you see so that's why. It's the Lelah Top. Had my eye on it for a really really long time and finally got a pair of circulars to start off with. Last night, I managed to do my first short rows and boy was I fascinated with them....I proceeded to explain how to make short rows to anyone who would care enough to listen and the polite response I got was "Hmmmm......really?" in a tone of dreamy wonderment.

BUT I do have lots of work to do, boy what a mess. Speaking of messes, I have the mother of all messes in my room! It's a horror that is unimaginable but SO real. Need to get down to my working boots and attack it before it spreads and takes over my knitting!!

To a new beginning....

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

Hi everyone.....this is my very first blog, and very first blog post too!! This has been an idea that had been playing on my mind ever since I started reading other knitter's blogs with eyes bulging at the gorgeous stuff they knit at...oh boy....really AMAZING speed!! Siiiigghhh....I'm still building up my speed since time as you will soon see....is an issue.

Okay a little background now. I started officially knitting this January after a very LOOOONG break of more than ten years. Hmm....oh yes....mom and dad were the ones who taught me how to cast on my first stitch and so forth....gosh Dad still remembers how to knit and he was the one who gave me the push and a major recap when I went down to see them on holiday this Jan.

What else....? Oh yes....

I'm in university so knitting is my portal to sanity (along with another obsession of watching recaps of FRIENDS and cooking).
I have four hamsters =) who are absolute darlings: Ed and Meta (dad and mom of the family and I'm watching them for a friend honestly), Binky and Dinky (those are the kiddos who are miiiiiiiiiiiiine!!)
My yarn stash is tiny...sad to say.....(yarn cost's a hell of a lot where I live and so my meagre budget is not able to cover my wild yarn dreams).
Currently I have 4 FOs and only ONE WIP (yes THAT would give you an idea of how tiny my yarn stash is.....)
I love coffee and dark chocolate.
Purple is my favourite color! Pink comes next in line =)
I am currently also making a Salmon Quiche (the dough is in the fridge, I've just got to run down and get some salmon from the store).
I LOVE YARN!
I LOVE YARN!
I LOVE YARN!

That's all for now.....the hint of a new beginning....