Swahaste tvahastam (from my hands to yours)
After a gap, I've been testing for Kathy again, and here is the result:
Here it is in close-up:
And here are the gory details:
Thread: Anchor/Red Heart size 40 (2 strands) initially and then size 20 (1 strand) later. Stash busting!
Hook: Tulip 1.5 mm/size 2. It's one of my favourite sizes.
Pattern: Torchlight doily from Katchkan
Time: About 10 days
Size: 32"
Extra: #1 Got back to thread crochet after a few months away
Lesson 2 of Tunisian Crochet:
Choose a light colour to work with.
Lesson 1 in Tunisian Crochet:
Make the starting chain l o o s e .
I'm all excited because a real bookstore is coming to our city. Not the kind where you stand at the counter and say "Do you have Phalana's Guide to Organic Chemistry, but the kind which has chairs and sofas and it takes you some time to walk from end to end and you can browse!!! Yippee. The store opens on 14th June. I can't wait.
Or,
Why having the right address is important.
The same chappie (one assumes) wrote back to a friend of mine who lives in the US:
From: DHL INDIA EXPORTS <dhlindiaexport@yahoo.co.in >
Date: Jun 3, 2006 1:53 PM
Subject: Re: D. H. L. India Exports Business Enquiry Through IndiaMART.comGood evening MrsFife's friend,
We make Surina wood knitting needles all the needles sizes are listed in the price list. Attached please find the price list of Surina wooden knitting needles. We accept any quantity of initial order the shipping cost is also included in the cost of the needles and the delivery is door-to-door.
We accept wire transfer of payment for which we'll forward bank details after receiving the order. Delivery will be after 2 weeks from the confirmation of the order.
Thanking You
Someone-in-charge-of-business
He very kindly attached full colour pictures of their products and detailed price lists.
I have nothing to add to this.
I loved this post by Suse about cultural confusion. Made me laugh out loud. Being Indian, I really heavily on the Internet to clarify things…
Or why India s##ks in services.
You know those famous “Surina” wooden knitting needles and hooks? Well, googling and research led me to their Indian manufacturers’ website, and I dashed off an email, enquiring nicely if I could buy their stuff here in India. How nicely, you ask? Well, like this:
Hello!
I found your website via someindianbusinesssite.com. I am very interested to know if I can buy the wooden crochet hooks and knitting needles that you sell (both straight and circular, in all sizes) here in India (I live in Visakhapatnam, AP). What would be the price?
Thank you for the information.
Mrs Fife
And this is the answer I get:
From: DHL INDIA EXPORTS<dhlindiaexport@yahoo.co.in>
Please dont sent again!!!
Is this how India does business?! I’m speechless with fury irritation frustration bewilderment total shock.
On the other hand, the man could have written back politely:
Dear Mrs Fife,
We are extremely sorry, but we much prefer nice green $$ notes and euros and pounds. We detest talking to or doing business with people in our own country *shudder*. Please refrain from bothering us with such frivolous queries.
Thank you kindly,
Poorly-etiquetted responder
OR
Dear Mrs Fife,
Someone has obviously stolen our email ID. We do not now, have ever in the past or in the future intend touching such products with a 40-foot bargepole (not Surina wood). Please do not disturb our peace by enquiring about them.
Thank you kindly,
Badly-educated responder
So, how am I to take the mail? Opinions please!
No bloodshed here (not yet anyway). I'm going in circles! Finally I'm doing something with one of the two circular needles (pairs?) I have.
I thought both were the same gauge, but one is 3.75 mm and the other is 3.25 mm, same length, though, 80 cm. Pony of course.
The beginning of the pattern has you doing a flat piece on the circs and being the novice that I am, I debated and googled and generally fretted for hours (aren't you supposed to have stockinette st when you use circular needles? Does this end go in this hand or the other? Can't I enlarge the pattern photo more to see if the bottom is maybe a garter st bottom?)
before deciding that when the pattern said:
Knit every row
it meant, quite surprisingly, to knit every row. So I got my flat piece of 30 garter stitch rows:
Then came the terrible struggle to pick up and knit sts along all the other 3 sides, but I did. Then a bit of research on the Magic Loop method (because of course the needle is longer than called for in the pattern) and a brash assumption that I understood what I needed to do, and here we go:
Except for my epic struggles involving strange muscles in my wrists and calluses on my left fingertip, there is nothing outstanding about this pattern at all. A nice ordinary (think Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady) pattern, the prime attraction of which was that it proclaimed itself "self-lined". (Imagine, no fiddly sewing needles and thread and ghosts of unfinished bags hanging over me).
The pattern link is here. (You might have to sign in/log on/register, I'm afraid).
Yes, the pattern calls for a 4.5 mm circular needle, but you see my problem? I don't have any!
Sorry to be so vulgar, but I’ve finally finished my first adult knitted garment. The candy stripes cardigan is done and here it is:
Front
And back:
Yarn: Acrylic from Shillong. Less than 600 gms both colours together.
Needles: Pony 3.75 mm and 4.5 mm straights (pattern calls for 4.5 and 5.00mm)
Pattern: Robin Wools sheet from Shillong (Rs 10 per sheet)
Time: Over 2 weeks
Size: Me!
Extra: #1 First-ever adult garment!
#2 Used the largest size number of stitches and worked it to my size measurements
#3 Read what Nona says about process vs product. I’m not sure I like the fit of this cardigan either, but I liked making it. And of course, I look nothing like this: :-p
I got my CAT PAC for April from Kathleen today. First, the yarny goodness:
This includes Caron Simply Soft, TLC Cotton Plus, Moda Dea Ticker Tape (oh, the frivolity of it!) and Sugar 'n Cream. The first three are all new to me. Yummy!
Then of course, since I need to know what to do with these: 
and 
and: 
Now you know why it took me half an hour just to go through the box.
In non-yarny goodness,
Tea! and some cute cats:
Not shown here, a couple of lovely postcards from the coast, a ticket to ride on the Chesapeake Beach Railway and a bio introducing Kathleen. A very thoughtful PAC. My week is made.
swakrta.com 