More Yarn Shops in China

On October 28th, I purchased about 6 projects worth of yarn from Love Knitting. It is now almost a month later and my shipment is still not here. 😩 On one hand I expected this. On the other, I had high hopes that I could have been delving into some Hannah Fettig patterns by now. Either way I will continue to wait for my yarn goodies.

Since my supply is running a little low ( I only brought yarn for 4 major projects) I hit the internet to search for some more yarn sources. The last place I went in Guangzhou was not my favorite. The shops were not the easiest to navigate. From my research, I found out about the Highsun Fabric and Cloth Market.

The Highsun Market is located not far from the Donghu Metro stop. The neighborhood is quite nice to walk around. The market is predominantly fabric, but I did find a few yarn shops. The first was quite upscale. I purchased 4 skeins for about 400¥. I loved the touches of light blue in the yarn and that it was oh-so soft.

I wandered downstairs and found another shop. It was packed! Every inch of this shop was filled with yarn. All of the yarn was in clear plastic packaging. However, the lady in the shop was super nice and let me open all the packages I wanted. At this shop I purchased 18 skeins for 200¥.

According to Google Translate, the yarn is a high percentage of wool vs acrylic. I have yet to find Fibers other than acrylic, wool, and cotton in China.

The second store was more my speed. It had a better selection of colors, yarn weight, and fiber. The price was also much more economical as well. I will certainly be visiting this shop for many of my future yarn needs.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

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Pivot Cowl

This summer when I purchased this yarn I had no plans for what would come of it. Cut to a week ago when I realized I brought no real cold weather clothes to China. Now that the weather is finally changing, and I have some trips planned to head north, I need to whip up some cold weather accessories.

First, I was going to make the Duotone Cowl with a matching hat. However, the colors I was using didn’t contrast enough for my personal liking. I did a little more research and found the Pivot Cowl by Purl Soho. I loved the simplicity of the pattern and knew it would let my yarn shine. The Pivot Cowl is super easy to create yet, has construction elements that keep even the advanced knitter interested. I made some modifications to the pattern that you can see here on my Ravelry page. Basically, I made the cowl shorter to fit my measurements better. I also used a variegated yarn (Magpie Fibers in Frankie Says Relax) on the front panels to give the cowl an additional dimension.

While I was knitting, I used my Knitter’s Pride Dreamz fixed circular needles. I love these needles. They are lightweight, perfectly pointed at the ends, and have good slip. The glide of the wood and the super soft yarn made this project fly off the needles. I have to say the rhythm I developed while knitting was quite addicting! On Sunday, I couldn’t put the project down. I ended up finishing my cowl while a binge watching Sons of Anarchy on Netflix.

Sadly, yesterday when I sat on the couch I pressed my hand into the cushion as well as my needles! One needle snapped clean off the joint! 😭

My beautiful needles!!! I immediately went into fix it mode. I have to save these needles. They are some of my favorites! I may be able to fix the situation with some super glue. The break was pretty clean so there may be hope!

Despite this tragic hit to my needle collection, I am super happy with my new cowl. I am loving the slight sheen and drape that the cashmere combination adds to the wool. If you have the chance (and the budget) I highly recommend picking up a skien (or two or three or five!) of Magpie Fibers’ Swanky DK.

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend was my first birthday in China. We rode the bus into the city and first stopped at Starbucks. I was surprised to find that the store was in Christmas mode. I guess they skip fall here… it was 85 degrees yesterday.😣 I did get to finish a little baby hat I was working on  while sipping a cappuccino. The hat was just a basic beanie with a six stitch cable up the front. 

Later in the day we headed to Liuhua Tea and Culture City in Liuhua Park. I have to say it didn’t dissapoint. The ambiance and food were quite lovely. I can’t tell you what we ate as I don’t know the names of a lot of the food. Many of the names of dishes don’t translate well so the picture menu was essential.

The park was also nice to walk around. The city has created a very relaxing space that mixes recreation and beautiful landscaping. The trees gave it some nice shade so it was somewhat comfortable to walk around in the heat. 

All and all was a great day filled with laughter, yummy food, and a wee bit of knitting. 

Until Next Time,

-Whit-

FO: Chunky Grey Cardigan

Looking back at my Karl Cardigan photos made me start missing San Francisco. Karl is tucked away at my mom’s house right now as it is way too hot to wear here in Guangzhou. Right now it is a chilly 75 degrees Fahrenheit. I am thinking I need to make a lighter weight version and actually write down the pattern this time.

knitsbywhit

Remember that project I just couldn’t put down? Well it is done! What was I creating you might ask? A chunky cardigan! Lately, I have been in the sweater mood and this project was instant gratification (It took me 2 weeks to create!).

It all started when I saw these on Pinterest…

I loved the texture of the grey shrug (Moss Stitch). It was simple, yet added a dimension of complexity to the garment. The orange cardigan had the length I wanted for the sleeves and torso sections. Since I wanted to combine elements from both sweaters, I embarked on making a sweater from scratch. I am by no means at the level of creating my own sweater patterns so there was a lot of research as well as trial and error during the knitting process. My swatch and tape measure became my best friends.

I had concerns about how…

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Stacks Hat

Fall is here and so it the Stacks Hat! Check out the birthday discount on the pattern 🙂

knitsbywhit

Since my birthday is approaching I am offering a 32% discount on the Stacks Hat. Buy this pattern before November 13th and enter the code: BIRTHDAYGIRL.

I am delighted by this pattern as it represents my design style so well. I love a clean look with an added element of interest. The Stacks Hat features a classic shaped beanie/toque with an added textural surprise. Instead of using the traditional ribbed stitch, I incorporated a twisted knit stitch. By doing this, the ribbing takes on a raised three-dimensional look.

The Stacks Hat is a quick project that is sure to keep you warm during the months of cold weather. It is a one skein project and the choices of yarn to knit with are endless.

(Featured: Red Hat uses Brooklyn Tweed Arbor in Fireside; Grey Hat uses Dark Star from Crooked Kitchen Yarns)

Want the pattern? Please stop by Ravelry

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