Back to knitting....

My travel to Ireland was intended for my PhD work. However, the travel to Ireland, Dubai and Abu Dhabi actually re-ignited my love and passion for textiles. I love the rich culture and history that permeated in these places I visited. The architecture and vivid colours of these places are simply inspiring. It also helps that along the way I encountered amazing textile places like Avoca Handweavers in Ireland and the souks (markets) of Dubai. Anyway, I've gone back to my knitting and it feels good. :)

This is my current knitting project. Knitted with Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran, purchased in Ireland. I'm knitting it together with Adorn Silky Yarn 8ply which I purchased from Wool Baa on Saturday to compliment the lovely Irish yarn. :)

I will be featuring some of the knitting shops I found when I was in Ireland and more on Avoca Handweavers in my next few posts. So stay tuned! ^^

Love,
from me to u.

Cardigans with hearts

Cardigans with hearts on them should be a wardrobe staple. At least in my wardrobe. :) This cardi is from Alannah Hill. I love that it can be worn during the cooler as well as warmer months because of the colours.

I also love my scarf which I knitted using the Zpagetti yarn. I picked this yarn up during the craft show that I went to a couple of months back. I finished knitting this scarf within a few hours. Of course putting it up on my blog took months.... *guilty look*

What are you loving?

Love,
from me to u.

This post is part of Anna's Much Love Monday

A knitter should have....

... a lint-shaver for the little balls of pilling fibres, especially after your knits are laundered. Knitting after-care tool are just as important as the knitting tools used for making your knits. After all, you would want the things you knit to look as good as when you did the last cast-off stitch.

What is a must in your knitting after-care? How do you keep your knitting looking as good as when you first finished?

Love,
from me to u.

Starting anew....

I've started a new knitting project.

The pattern for this is 13 stitches on 4mm needles, using Filatura di Crosa Zara yarns (8 ply), knitted in moss stitch. Though it is an experimentation, I thought it is a good idea to document on my blog so I can find the pattern later. ^^

Have you started any new knitting project recently? How do you document your knitting experimentation?

Love,
from me to u.

It's new year's eve!

And it is definitely time to do a recap of what has been happening this year!

More Hana brooch produced this year, one of me.u's bestsellers. Available as a custom-made piece, a variety of Hana was created in 2010. It still remained one of my favourite collection to make, where extreme creativity can be used to achieve a match between the design of each piece and the new owner.

My favourite piece for the year was Little Frog. The best pieces are created when I do take a longer time to finish. Why? There are some ideas that I needed to sit on or even source materials for. This piece was only completed when I acquired the vintage button seen in this piece. Oh, and did I mention this piece is modular? That's why I have to sit on my ideas for a while to work out how things can be pushed further.

 me.u had a debut at the Fitzroy Market this year. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disaster with the Melbourne weather. The other session to make it up didn't turn out well either. For these reasons, markets for me.u plans will be shelved until further consideration.

The colour of the year for me was definitely mustard yellow. I fell in love with anything mustard yellow. Two major scarves were knitted. My yellow mustard scarf and my pink scarf.

2010 was the beginning of freebies from me.u. The first ever me.u give-away started for Christmas. Two sets of necklace from Animals of the Forest were given away with a special me.u original Christmas bauble. Also me.u original free gift tags template was made available this Christmas. Look out for more freebies in 2011! 

 This year was certainly an interesting year for me as there were definite highs and lows. 2010 started with a major personal low when I had to go through a trying time. However, due to that personal experience, I became more philosophical about life in general. Life indeed do go on...:)

 Photography by Jave Lee 

This was also a year of weddings! I attended many weddings this year. First and foremost, the wedding of one of my best friends early in the year. Then followed by another two weddings and finally it was my own wedding! We had a weekend wedding on the 2nd and 3rd of October. It was a wedding 1 year in the planning from engagement shots, colours to the invites. Next year, read more about how I put my wedding together. Although, when the whole thing was done it was kind of bittersweet...ah well...there is always honeymoon planning next year. :)

All in all 2010 was an interesting year for me.u and for me personally. I do hope 2011 will bring more exciting things. Happy New Year everyone and all the best for 2011!!! ^^

Yellow Scarf - Knitting Pattern

For those who asked about the pattern on my yellow scarf, here it is.

Cast on 16 stitches using 3 ends of 8 ply yarns on 12mm needles.

Diagonal Rib:

1st and 2nd rows: *K2, P2, rep from * to end.

3rd row: K1, *P2, K2, rep from * to last 3 sts, P2, K1.

4th row: P1, *K2, P2, rep from * to last 3 sts, K2, P1.

5th and 6th rows: *P2, K2, rep from * to end.

7th row: as Row 4

8th row: as Row 3

of food & summer knitting ideas

Continuing my food blogging... ^^ Tonight's menu is Chicken Baked Rice. I've done this recipe for many times now and my mum helped me come up with the original one ages ago... But I've decided to improve on the presentation by garnishing it with the parsley that Shanwen had suggested I put into my pasta.

This is it, full view and presented. ^^ BTW I'm working on putting some of recipes together in a little book... I mean a book for myself. ^^ But that means that I'll be putting some of them online on PDF format when I can. However, my style of cooking is anything goes... I'm the type of cook who rarely measures anything... ;;^^ So chances are my recipe would not have much measurements... everything is kind of done to taste.

On the knitting front, I'm thinking of a summer project... I have this nice silk yarn. I guess it's going to be another scarf... But I'm hoping to merge the jewellery making technique with this one... hope it'll work! ^^

BTW Melita, when you asked me the vest I was confused... lol I was talking about my supposedly quick knit vest. ;;^^ But later I realised you were talking about the vest I borrowed from you...haha. Sure I'll bring it down to Wool Baa when you are coming down. Please let me know in advance. ^^

scarf progress....

Remember my previous scarf? Well this is it, progressing quite nicely albeit slowly... ;;^^ But I'm quite happy with the 7mm needles, the ribbing and the Zara yarn. ^^

I'm going to try out another hat pattern...I'm still thinking what yarn I'll be using and if it works. But if it works, chances are the pattern will be posted here again... ;;^^