After handpainting, there is kettle dyeing and as you can see, the test skein above yielded some pretty remarkable results. Sometimes it’s unbelievable what some dye, hot water and vinegar can do to yarn (and roving). Plus the beauty about kettle dyeing mixed with handpainting is that it cuts my working time by at least half!!! So that means a higher production level!

Anyway, this little baby is a small 18 gms (or so) skein of merino-cashmere-silk laceweight that I’m brought in specially for the store. I can’t really sell it so am using it to knit a smallish-lace triangle scarf-lette design that I’m currently working on. It’s based on a combination of two stitch patterns that I found in Evelyn Clark’s Knitting Lace Triangles. If it goes well and passes the whole copyright thing (I did my own charts, instructions and all as well, so I hope it’s not a problem since stitches aren’t copyrighted), I hope to either knit shawls based on this or publish this. *keeps fingers crossed*

In the meantime, there’s always some good autumn weather – we’re thinking of doing a 20.5 km ride around the lake area – to look forward to plus heaps of other stuff to get busy with, not including assignments like term life insurance quotes…

Fall is finally here…in the form of wool and alpaca yarns! Yes, I just updated the stock for the shop. Here’s a quick preview of what’s in store!

Stocking up for the store really has put a dent on my credit card. I’m at least a few hundred bucks poorer now…or at least when the bill comes.

The first of my purchase arrived yesterday and someone suggested taking photos but I’m too lazy right now. The heat is horrific and I still have about 14 rows to go for my shawl before I start on a new one.

Perhaps I’ll go do some yarn winding later and take some pretty pictures. It’s time I update the store and this blog with pics! No?

Look at what the postman delivered today!

Top to bottom: Cherrywood and Forbidden Forest from The Singing Yarn by Kessa, Trekking XXL, Austermann Step and some Lorna Laces.

Omigod, I finally got invited to Ravelry and boy o’ boy is it nifty!

You can put up a pictorial inventory of your needles, yarn (affectionately known as “stash” ) and even projects!!!! I have yet to explore the other functions but so far, I like what I see in there. Just need to take more pictures now…*kekeke* Talk about taking knitting organization to the next level!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!

Btw, if you have signed up for an invite, please be patient. Ravelry is run solely by TWO people and they have about 4500 invites to send out.

And look at what some stash re-organization churned out…

I could talk about my progress with Ivy which is doing alright considering that I’ve just started knitting seriously again. Been delaying it because of the room and other stuff like my last day at work yesterday. But I just want to rant…please.

Y’know…one thing awful about being stuck in South-East Asia as a knitter is this: I cannot get any damn decent sock yarn without burning a hole in my pocket. Shipping is almost always a bomb, even though the exchange rate recently dipped to USD1 = RM3.38, and the only sock yarn I ever get here that is affordable is from Sirdar (no offense). No Koigu, Lorna’s Laces, Yarn Pirate, Sweet Georgia or Claudia‘s goodies.

*sigh*

Heartache mode really. Should I even attempt to dye my own sock yarn?

So tell me, how does one find alternatives or a way of getting these little beauties without dying in the process?

Yes, pictures of yarn again. *kekeke*

It has been a while since I last flashed my stash. Probably because I haven’t been free enough to do a proper inventory on how much yarn I have lying somewhere in the cupboard. All I can say is that since my trip to Paris (ended up with 12 balls from Bergere, 10 balls of Amy Blatt, 10 balls of some unknown vintage wool, 1 skein of Cherry Tree Hill and 2 skeins of Harrisville Flax & Wool) and parents’ trip to Hong Kong (six balls of baby wool) (see above), I have ended up with enough for a couple more projects.

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