This is Knit

 This is a little yarn shop guide when holidaying in Ireland. This is definitely a literally little guide as I believe I have yet to discover all the yarn shops located in Ireland. But here are some places that I visited during my short trip. :)

When I was in Ireland, I went to a delightful yarn shop called This is Knit. This lovely yarn shop is located within the Powerscourt Centre, in central Dublin. My mission for the visit was to get Irish yarns. When I told my friend, Melita that I had to go to Ireland for work-related visit, she excitedly told me that I should buy some Irish yarns back. So I did just that. :)

Other yarns shops in Ireland that I visited: 

 Cork Wools - accessible via the English Market, Cork.

The yarn offering at Blarney Woolen Mills is actually pretty limited. However, if you want Aran jumpers and Irish gifts, this is the place to go to. They also have fantastic range of fashion from Irish brands. Definitely, worth a visit. :)

This is my yarn loot from the trip. I know it is pretty small to even be called a "loot" but keep in mind, I was traveling with my husband. So I had to be pretty reserved...;;^^

In keeping with the yarn and knit theme, I'll leave you with this humorous sign, spotted in This is Knit. I used to work in a wool shop and know that little hands can cause havoc in a yarn shop... but I love how polite and funny this sign is. ^^

Love,

from me to u.

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.

Ireland

Wicklow Mountains, Ireland
Taken with a Sprocket Rocket

Earlier this month, I went for a conference in Dublin, Ireland. Due to changes within my school where travel funds are non-existent for PhD students, I had to pay for my own trip. So I turned it into a holiday trip instead. :)

Ireland is a really beautiful country blessed with plenty of rain and gentle sun. The sun is perfect for photography. We were lucky to be able to visit other places outside Dublin and I will be blogging about some of these places. And, I also managed to find some good places to buy textile/craft products and yarns! :)

Love,
from me to u.

Onsen-ing

One of the most fun thing to do when in Japan is going for onsen. What is onsen?

Onsen is basically taking a bath at hot springs and Japan is blessed with many natural hot springs. The benefit of onsen in manifold such as healing, and most of all relaxing. From what I gathered, bathing together is also something that a family or friends do in Japan. 

Yes, onsen requires one to disrobe completely in front of whoever you are bathing together with and also random strangers. But one of the things to keep in mind, at public baths women and men sections are strictly kept separated. 

My first onsen experience was around 2005 when I visited one of my Japanese sensei in Japan. She took me to an onsen. Although, I was initially shy, I realised nobody else was. So why should I? That began my love affair with onsen.... :) Read more about onsen here.

Anyway, on my honeymoon I did go back to Japan again as you probably have known. I made sure some of the places we visited are famous for their onsen. Other than Yudanaka Onsen, we also went to Gero Onsen on the 14th April 2011. Gero Onsen is accessible via Nagoya where we had opted to stay for 3 nights. We took the Limited Express Wide View Hida train and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. 

We decided to save time by buying bento in the train for brekkie.
It was so yummy!

View from the Wide View Hida train.

Gero Onsen

It's obvious what Gero is famous for... 

While in Gero, we also visited Gassho Mura. Read more about Gassho Mura and Gero Onsen here.

After Gero, where were we off to? Takayama!

This entry is part of my honeymoon journey.


Love,
from me to u.

Katuki in Summer, Nakazaki-cho, Osaka

More photos from Katuki. Courtesy of Katsuki-san. ^^
Katuki in Summer.

Don't you love the kimono display? I told you it's a treasure trove! ^^

Visit Katuki's website here!

Love,
from me to u.

Spotlight on - Katuki, Nakazaki-cho, Osaka (Part 3)

If you are ever in the Nakazaki-cho area in Osaka, you absolutely have to find Katuki. This amazing and precious shop belongs to Katsuki-san. Inside this little shop, you'll find a treasure trove of antiques and hand-made items. What I absolutely adore about this place is that there are just so many things to see. The antiqued kimonos are just beautiful. It is a textile and antique collector's dream shop! Katsuki-san is also very nice! ^^ When I left, she gave me a little rabbit toy with her best wishes which I will treasure always. :)

Unfortunately, the time I spent there was simply not enough to really explore the shop due to other plans for the day. (I was going back to Australia the next day). I would love to be back there again the next time I'm in Japan. ^^

Katsuki-san also has a map of all the shops in the Nakazaki-cho area. The places that I managed to find when I was there was just the tip of the iceberg... Nakazaki-cho is definitely a place to visit when in Osaka! ^^

Visit Katuki's website here!

Love,
from me to u.

Spotlight on - Nook Tour, Nakazaki-cho, Osaka (Part 2)

One of the shops that I visited while in Nakazaki-cho was Nook Tour. They sell lovely jewellery and cute small items. Some of the earrings in this store is sold as a piece. I love the concept that you can buy just one instead of a pair. After all, the fun bit is mixing and matching. Each key earring has a different number and you can pick which number you like. Totally love the packaging too! ^^

Visit Nook Tour online here.

Stay tune for more spotlight on Nakazaki-cho. ^^

Love,
from me to u.

Travel Photography - Nakazaki-cho, Osaka (Part 1)

One of the places that I visited while in Japan was Osaka. In Osaka, there is an area of old houses and some of these old houses have been converted into cute shops. These cute shops are located in Nakazaki-cho. Some of the shops sell 2nd hand/vintage items, while some sells hand-made items. Nakazaki-cho is the Osaka version of Melbourne's Brunswick Street or Singapore's Haji Lane. It definitely worth a visit if you are in Osaka area. ^^

In my next post I'll talk about some of the shops I visited while I was there. ^^

Love,
From me to u.

Travel Photography - Lights & Trees

Taken at the climb towards Jigokudani Monkey Park, Yamanouchi, Nagano-ken, Japan

Love,

From me to u.

Just because...

... I love this taxi signage/logo. Taken at Kyoto, 21st April 2011.

Love,

From me to u.