from the US and projects

In a leisuring walk down eugene streets I was directed to this amazing store called soft fabrics packed with all kinds of knitting supplies. Very carefully I picked a lovely kettle dyed wool to knit my husband a birthday cap. and here is it.

knitted with my new bamboo needles too. The colorful cap is a purchase from a bazaar in Delhi. Crocheted in cotton yarn

Knitting chronicles note:

For my dear friend from Delhi I brought back susan bates needles made of plasic in US size 13 and 15 and guess where they were made (for susan made specially by coats india)

And this lovely yarn which was on sale from New York , manhattan

plan to make a ruana . Watch out for the next post.

and I went to the US

The knitting needle chronicles close for me. I got to visit the US of A and amazoned to myself two sets of bamboo knitting needles in all possible sizes. They were made in China and thankfully , not India and so I can avoid the deep embasrassment of an Indian citizen buying Indian products from USA. I also got myself some

Baby socks and grey cap

Its getting hotter and so making my projects smaller. The good news is that I seemed to have started an epidemic of knitting that is fast spearding in my institute. People will get sweaters with thier PhD. any way here are some photos!

My first project with circular needles that are attached with a wire.

Cute socks for a baby.again with circular needles. I used kitchner stitch to finish and it looks like a once piece work. Very clever stitch and loads of instruction on the net.

Break from knitting to finish a nice cross stitch project.

Section of the project, a birth sampler.

cap finished

The Next project I got off is a cap. Winter is over by now and its no longer wool time. Taking time to do smaller things like belts, caps and accessories.
here is a small cap for my dear friend S, knitted with a circular needle.
yahoo. My loving Bro is getting me huge needles from Romania.
watch this page for yet more things from the knitting in India.

My friend had a birthday and I knit these by holding two yarn together. I loved the easy project and it took me just one weekend to finish. I know the front looks floppy but I wanted it to be like the Indian Kholapuri slipper.

I added a note that said, click heels three times to feel warm comfortable and at home and she loved it.

Thanks to a great Seamless socks slipper pattern from http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/slippersseamless.htm

Knitting chronicles 2

I talked to the pony industries sales person, I found the number on the net! “Do you think you could get me the rosewood needles or the 6mm plastic needles or give me the name of an agent who could sell them to me....blah blah” I asked.
No, madam. They are for export only, how can we sell them locally?
Could you please sell me some?
I will pay in dollars if you want
No madam how can we sell for export needles in India?
Please I will buy a dozen. (Loosing it)
No madam, why don’t you try the Bangalore office, if they order then maybe…
Okay give me their number and address.

Tring...tring, Is this Bangalore Pony office?
Yes madam, what can I do for you?
“Do you….. blah blah” I asked.
Well madam the person in charge is on leave.
Huh? Could you tell me if you will get my needles for me?
Difficult madam, cant say! Why don’t you write an email and also to the head office saying what you want?
6 mm needles?
That? That is for export only!
…….

Well, the needle story continues. In commercial street I found a shop that had wool! Including the vardhaman special funfur type you see in the picture. I got my needles 4mm and 4.5 mm.and the cable needles! I decided to work in the limits and

1. asked my cousin to buy a gift set of needles from the US. I am importing Indian needles from the US!! ( what a large ecological footprint that is!!!)
2. asked my fellow Phd students to get me a size 6mm and 5mm needles
3. am asking my brother to make them
4. written a letter of reprimand to pony company
5. Bribe an employee of the industry to get a pair out ( STEAL?!?)
6. More next time, I have decided to go to chikpet!!
   
   By the way I designed stitch markers using cheap 10rs earring pairs I picked at a fair. I wound the hook around a plastic coated paperclip and bent the sharp edge in and voila! Stitch markers are ready.

My projects

I have three projects going.
1. A cabled vest for my husband. I did mess up the pattern a bit, the cables dont go over and under like weave . My fault for not trusting myself and following a book pattern blindly . But I corrected and unless you look closely you cant see.

2. A vest for me. I am holding two yarns to gether and I like double moss stitch. project UFOED till I get new 6mm needles.

3. Vardhaman yarns came out with a yarn that looks like funfur and the effect is pretty. I found out that patterns donot matter so I have begun knitting in st stitch and colours.

For day time @ research, I began something and am just making fabric. It can be a hat or a scarf or a purse.

The good news is that my brother who works with wood has some 6mm turned rose and teak sticks ( he was making a tray ) May be I can make something out of them - like Knitting needles!