A finished object!

Well okay, it is only one sock. The yarn was dyed with Easter egg dyes with the “help” of my daughters.  The “help” qualifies them to a proprietorial interest in the sock, and I am sure that Older daughter thinks that she did most of the work in the making of the sock. The sock is my basic children’s sock pattern (which I promise I am writing up!), and I used some bamboo circulars that I am considering stocking in the store.

I am not feeling motivated to cast on the second sock, and Older daughter won’t get a chance to wear them until we go to Australia in August. I’m thinking about some Regia Silk socks for my husband, as a belated anniversary present.

Family fun

Here’s a photo of my family on Mother’s Day. My patient husband is holding older daughter on his shoulder as they push younger daughter together on the swing.  The photo is taken in one of the many gorgeous play grounds in Hong Kong.  This park is one of our favourites, despite the fact that there are often biting midges that leave incredibly itchy welts. I had scolded my daughters for incessant scratching of their bites, until I found myself at work bleeding at my desk.  I had dug a hole in my hand after a touch of absent minded scratching. 

Mother’s Day was good, especially given that I don’t believe in the institution at all. I am deeply suspicious of the manufactured “Hallmark” holidays that seem to require people to purchase superfluous small electrical goods. I got a two and a half hour sleep-in (thank-you my lovely husband), two hand made mother’s day cards, and the eating of substantial amounts of Chinese vegetables by both small children without gagging or other protests.  For those of you that are interested, I have minimal enthusiasm for other shared holidays – apart from a completely secular appreciation of Christmas (which still should have a “de minimus” approach to present giving).  I am much more enthusiastic about birthdays and anniversaries, and our anniversary is next week. Of course, I totally ruined that by giving birth to younger daughter the next day, so we might escape to Thailand in late June to celebrate 8 years of marriage.

Younger daughter’s socks are finished, but you will need to take my word for it. The finished product has been seen by some Hong Kong stitch’n'bitchers. I’ve been busy photographing Addi knitting needles – the latest addition to the store! I’ve also been designing Ravelry ads, and 4th birthday party invitations (younger daughter). I’m busy dyeing yarn, and knitting dead simple socks out of yarn dyed by the girls with easter egg dye (post to follow). 

NB edited for clarity following my husband’s critique.

France report

So we went to France – we had a week in a village in Provence, and a week in Paris. In Provence (apart from other activities), we visited the Anny Blatt factory store.  It was fun, and I did make a purchase, but I wouldn’t recommend driving a massive distance out of your way to get there. It is however, very close (well half an hour’s drive) to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, so if you have relatives, or say a husband with interest in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, you could soften them up with some wine tasting, and then shop to your heart’s content. It was a little bit unusual from the Australian / Hong Kong / US yarn shopping perspective. 

The sign above reads “Thanks for not touching the skeins”, and fondling was quite discouraged. There was no sock yarn on display, the assistant referred me to some plain yarn which could conceivably be used for a sock after I enquired “Avez-Vous des laines pour les chaussettes”, but the yarn was not super wash. The assistant also expressed concern that I would be knitting with “tres fine” yarn. Lace knitters should not expect to find anything of interest on the lace weight front.

I did see the sign below, which reads “100% Cashmere, 10 euro per skein”, and got interested (and I touched them and all…) 

I ended up buying 6 balls of Anny Blatt pure cashmere, and even knit my husband another cashmere hat, despite his other disappearing in mysterious circumstances. 

Anny Blatt factory store: 33 rte Ste Cécile 84830 Serignan du Comtat (just outside Orange).

We then went to Paris, and as much as I love Paris, this was not our most successful trip. Younger daughter woke up on the second night vomiting, and then the fourth and sixth nights were spent with older daughter out-vomiting younger daughter ten-fold. I did visit two shops, and bought yarn at the second. The photo below shows older daughter outside Coudre-broder-tricoter (15 Boulevard des Batignolles, Paris 75008). She is wearing another hat knitted by me to the Veronik Avery pattern in Classic Knits (links to follow). It still rides up! 

About the first, the shop is lovely from the outside, but they only sell Pingouin yarns, and apparently (or so I was told in the store) all Pingouin yarns contain acrylic. I did buy a much needed set of row counters.

The second shop was lovely. Le Comptoir (Knit Map details) is a tiny shop, but the selection is impeccable. I bought some Noro Cashmere Island to make a striped scarf for myself this time. I also slipped and picked up some Regia silk 6 ply (I love, love, love Regia silk), and “helped” my mother buy some more Regia Kaffe Fasset sock yarn. All in all, a worthwhile outing. 

Le Comptoir: 26 Rue Cadet Paris, Ile-de-France 75009