LYS Hopping in Beijing

I really haven’t got much knitting progress to report… but I took a morning off my recent trip to Beijing and hopped around a few LYS in the western part of the city:

Beauty Wool (名线)
Location: Shop 3018K, Golden Resources Shopping Centre, 1 Yuanda Lu, Haidian District
(海淀区远大路1号金源时代购物中心3018K)

Tel: + 86.10.8887.5848 or call their hotline on 800.829.6889
for other locations in Beijing and other major cities
(http://www.beautywool.com/)

This giant centre is located between Beijing's West Third and Fourth Ring roads and was the first shopping mall that came close to a western standard on the Chinese mainland. And Beauty Wool is a nation-wide chain store that carries a whole range of imported yarn brands, such as Mondial, Katia, Online, Ornaghi, Richmore, Hamanaka & etc, as well as Japanese Knitting magazines, Addi needles and some Clover tools. The yarn and prices are probably not the most attractive around here, but it’s really good to know where I can go in case I forgot to bring my knitting needles or got them confiscated at the customs.

* * * * *

My second stop is less than 15 mins away -- a local wholesale market place north of Lianxiang Bridge... Certainly more of an adventure...

This one came as a surprise before I actually found entrance to the fashion market.

Hui Kun Wool Yarn (慧昆羊绒毛线）
Quite a small but friendly store that sells Chinese branded yarn in balls or cones. Well, it’s definitely more appealing inside…

And then I finally got into the huge but hot and stuffy Golden Five Stars Fashion Wholesale Market

Found the "yarn alley" too, but....

...there was only one yarn stall crammed with some low-mid range yarn and a grumpy owner!

The Old Couple's Yarn Store (老俩口毛线店)

Golden Five Stars Fashion Wholesale Market (金五星服装批发市场)
Location: No 118, Zhongguancun Lu, Haidian District (North of Lianxiang Bridge)
(海淀区中关村东路118号(联想桥北))

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Saving the best for last, my final stop at Daqianye Yarn Company is the most fascinating! I’ve visited their smaller Xuan Wu branch 2 years ago but didn't know that they were in fact the biggest local yarn company in Beijing.

This store is "HUGE"!

And chock-a-block full with Hengyuanxiang, Sanli and
almost all of China’s top yarn brands!

Knitting needles for the cheap!



Daqianye Yarn Company (大千业绒线公司)
Location: , No 6, Xin Jie Kou Wai Da Jie, Xi Cheng District
(西城区新街口外大街6号)
Tel : +86.10.6202.0352

I’ve translated some of their other locations here for you,
or go check them out at http://www.daqianye.com/.

No. 96A, Yong An Lu, Xuan Wu District
宣武区永安路甲96号
Tel: +86.10.6303.8504

No. 45A, An Le Lin Lu, Chong Wen District
崇文区安乐林路甲45号
Tel: +86.10.8726.7522

No. 1, Guang Qu Men Wai Ma Chuan. Chong Wen District
崇文区广渠门外马圈1号
Tel: +86.10.6778.0542

No. 96, Dong Zhi Men Nei da Jie. Dong Cheng District
东城区东直门内大街196号
Tel: +86.10.6407.1770

No. 120, Xiao Dao Kou Nan Da Jie. Dong Cheng District.
东城区交道口南大街120号
Tel: +86.10.8404.8415

A bit of everything

First of all, Don and I thank you all for your lovely words on our anniversary. May has been one of the most frantic but prolific month of my year. Aside from my busy-as-usual work schedule, I took a short break and brought Jasmine to sunny Singapore to see grandma and grandpa and many of her uncles and aunties.


In additions to family gatherings during those few days, we squeezed in a playgroup session at Kindermusik, had some good fun at the pool, did some shoppings and I also got to meet up with Erin and Lois for very enjoyable laughter-filled afternoon, well into the evening. Thank you, gals!

I even managed some knitting on her baby AJ while Jasmine catches up on her magazines at Starbucks. It's such a fun trip and I really hope to do that again soon.

Well. and in between all these, I also went through a series of interviews, reference/background checks and negotiations and ended up with a new job offer from an UK firm. And June started with me being in a dilemma over whether or not to switch jobs... my final decision is to stay put but that's another story for another day. Let's get back to the knitty bits now....

On finishing up - I'm all done with knitting for both the baby Apricot Jacket and my Claude... good thing I've already got all the buttons picked out so these will be wearables as soon as seamed. I also bought some silky fabric as linings for Claude but we'll see how drapey it gets before doing that.

Turning over a new leaf- As you may have noticed, a few previous WIP has made their way to the frog pond. Trellis is a must "rip", the yarn choice is just not right, it's not only too thick but rather stiffly too... and I even did the left twists wrongly on both the back and left front. My Jaywalker in Regia Silk has lost its charm but half a sock is an easy decision compared to my half-done adult-sized Apricot Jacket, my gauge is actually tighter than desired but I just failed to face it any earlier... Last of all, the only one project that I might be able to salvage is the Diagonal Ribs and Cables sweater, which turned out too short for me. I'm thinking my helper Loida, who's really petite and this might fit her just right.

The old and new - I'm back on my CTH Oak Ribbed Socks and started Jawbreaker from Interweave Winter '06 with some Araucania Patagonia nature cotton, both in Red for the June/July Project Spectrum. And I'm also slowly getting things updated onto my Ravelry, it's super cool and fun and absolutely addictive... I'm sure you've already heard about it all.

Up and coming - My first hank of Handmaiden Seasilk has arrived and now waiting in queue for the perfect scarf/shawl pattern... And I'm still deciding on my sockapalooza socks but that will certainly be my next pair.

Finally, happy WWKIP day and have a good weekend, everyone!

Just checking in....

As luck would have it, I'm all done with the fix-up and finished the baby sweater this morning... So all I need now is just some modelled photos before giving you a full FO report... hopefully very soon.

But on this last blue/gray day, I'm actually here to show you what I got from the post office today.


20 balls!!! of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Chunky in Damp, a gray shade flecked with blue, green and white. I'm absolutely in love and excited and they are going to become Kooch from Rowan 38. Thanks to Domesticat for the great idea about substituting yarn... You won't believe the rock bottom prices that I paid for them... I don't either... ;o)

Oh well, and I actually have got yet another project-spectrum inspired project to report... I started my Claude this afternoon... but instead of boring you with the 3 inches of seed/stockinette... I'll save the progress shot for next time. Bye for now and happy knitting to all of you.

Claude by Anna at My Fashionable Life

My Guilty Pleasures

First of all, thanks everyone for your kinds words to help justify my splurges. A couple of things in my non-knitting life has taken over… and I'm sorry for the lack of response over the past week… Well, here are some of the good stuffs I’ve received thus far for your viewing pleasure…


3 bags full of Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora in each of these colors… the lilac and gray are for Jasmine and I ended up getting one more pack in pale blue for myself, and I’m thinking Claude. By the way, the pale blue is not quite the same as the other two. The fiber content is the same but I definitely see/feel more angora in blue, and the lilac and gray says 78m/ball instead of 90m... Maybe they came from different mills, anyone has any idea?


And with thanks to Joy and her friend, I’m impressed with this beautiful lot of Debbie Bliss Soho/Maya in Peonies from Elann, this yarn is probably not the softest to touch but the colors are so intense and pretty and I just can’t wait to see how they knit up.

I actually did received more good stuffs but both the Rowan Spray from The Knitting Garden, and some RYC Soft Tweed from Cucumberpatch came in the wrong shade… so they will be returned… In fact, my guilty pleasures continued as I gobbled up even more Rowan goodies from here and here again. I knew I'll never survive those crazy prices so falling off the wagon seems inevitable…. (but that’s probably good until he sees the Webs order at our doorstep and/or the bursting drawers)… LOL… wahahaa…

Back to the knitting, I’m happy to show you some (new) knitting in progress… First, we have the EZ February Baby Sweater that was originally planned for February (of course), but only got start last week with the DB Cotton Angoras in Gray. I’m working on the body first and just a few inches passed the * wonky* garter yoke. All is going on well and as my Lady Eleanor is on a standstill due to the warming weather, I’m hoping to finish this little sweater before we move on to the next Project Spectrum sequence.


And here's a pair of Oak Ribbed Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks at works with some Cherry Hill Tree yarn, and I'm showing it off along with the DIY Sock Blocker that I made yesterday.

Long Time No See...

Could someone please tell me where did July go??? I just can't believe that it has been 6 weeks since my last post, and I'm certainly way behind on all your blog feeds.... *sigh*

Well, before I start -- thank you for all your kind comments about Jasmine and my mom's clapotis. I appreciate them all and I miss you all. I have basically been busy shuttling between Hong Kong and China over the past weeks... and all of these sneaked into my luggages and came home with me... ;o)

Pure Silks in Tan + Creamy White

Angora+Cashmere+ Cotton+Wool Blend in Assorted Colors

Cuddly Soft 4-ply in Khaki and Brown
Yummy Lambswool DK in Purple, Lime, Sage, Hot Pink

And finally some lace weights in lavender and Fuschia

And thanks to the in-flight knitting, I actually do have some knitting progress to report but guess I'll save them for tomorrow.... Bye now!

Time sure flies....

I was rambling through the Tang Lung Chau Street market in the middle of bustling Causeway Bay yesterday and stumbled upon a yarn stall… Oh what a great surprise! I know this stall when I was a kid but just never thought it is still here after 2 decades… !!! Just can’t believe how fast time flies. It seems like only yesterday that I was here buying yarn for my first sweater… it was an angora wool blend in Ivory. I was so excited to finish the project and planned to wear it on my 16th birthday. And I did, but the angora was way too warm for March… but that's another story...

Now, the stall is still owned by the same warm-hearted lady and the buying experience remains “raw” but very fun… Yarns are sold by weight (just like the veggies/foodstuff next door), at rock bottom prices with no precise yardage, gauge or fiber content descriptions. But don’t worry; the owner is so very helpful. She’ll quote you the needle size and will leave it to you to touch and feel anything you spot. She’ll then ask about your project plan and weighs up the yarn for you with her Chinese Steelyard.

Let’s see what I have got here:

1) About 180g of Silky Cotton in a grayish blue shade. I swatched on 4.5mm for a summery clapotis… it turned out so soft and drapey and with good stitch definitions and a lustrous sheen. I REALLY love this wonderful lot, and only wished she had more… but these are the last balls…

2) 500g of Plied Cotton in a creamy color with beige spots - this beautiful lot is reserved for an Apricot Jacket (Rebecca 27), will swatch up and confirm ;o)

Hey, see my new toys....

I was working mid-way through the 2nd sleeve of my Scoup Du Jour this morning and thought I might be able to finish this off real soon... Then came Mr. Postman and I was completely distracted with my new toys.

First a niddy noddy by Kromski, it's mahogany in medium size and supposed to make 48" skeins. It does look small at the first glance so I took out the Joan & David's sweaters that I wanted to recycle to try them on the niddy. By the way... I got these 2 sweaters last winter at an outlet sale for merely HK$360, that is US$46 - yes only $46 for 2 sweaters worth of cashmere yarn!. The original retail price tag says they cost $1800 each so you can imagine me giggling when I checked them off at the till. It's a very silky soft cashmere/silk/wool blend, the original design is... ummm, think an over-sized stockinette cardi with a thin belt. Wish I had taken a photo of it for record, but I have already dismanted them before I remember. Anyway, with my new niddy - unravelling them is a breeze. Whew, see what I have accomplished in less that an hour... this is about 1200yard or 400g of DK yarn and I think I can finish the rest today.

Other than the niddy noddy, I also bought these yummy lavender merino top and an Ashford turkish drop spindle. The drop spindle is actually quite huge, much taller than my niddy. The shaft measures 16", whereas the niddy is only 12". I'm hoping to teach myself to handspin with these hand-spinning tutorials and this shall be my summer project. ;o)

Thanks very much, Krista!

Hey, look at these beautiful, yummy cascades yarn from Krista! Thanks so much! I just love everything including the sweet note and postcard!

Sent with my warmest regards!

Mission accomplished... these were mailed out today. Cheers!

• Mail Package #1 - 4 balls of my Jaeger Trinity to Krista (hope you'll like them)
• Mail Package #2 - 1 pack of Noro Silk Garden #88 to Lois (good luck to your Lady Eleanor)
• Mail Package #3 - 2 sets of Newborn Hats & Socks to Babies in Bamiyan, Afghan (made with yarn from my previous kool-aid project, pics here)

Everytime I go shopping for someone else, I ended up buying more stuffs myself... This time is no exception... when I was at Nathan Woollen shopping the Noro SG for Lois, I picked up a pack of it for myself, plus another 3 balls of #47 which will become a scarf.

And finally, thanks to all for your suggestions on my Flower Basket shawl. Based on the formula referred by Erin, I should be able to do 3 more repeats. But I'll plan to go for 2 to be on the safe side. Will update when I'm done.

Flash Your Stash

I took an afternoon off work on Wed and finally sorted out my stash into the 2 new yarn chests that I bought at a second hand store...

How about some close-ups...

1) Forsell Pure New Wool 300g for Kool-Aid, Happy Wool in Assorted Colors 400g, Local DK Cotton in Coral/Pink 500g
2) Vintage Wool Lace 16oz, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted - Black Purl 12oz
3) Knitpicks Andean Silk 6 Balls, Knitpicks Shimmer 3 Skeins, Handspun Flax and Wool 200g, Knitpicks Wool of the Andes - Assorted Balls
4) Lane Monterosa Delfino Cotton 8 Balls, Jaeger Wool Stretch 10 Balls, Jaeger Extrafine Merino Aran 10 Balls
5) Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky 15 Balls, Rowan Cork 10 Balls. Bottom: Rowan Cotton Glace 10 Balls, Jaeger Trinity 14 Balls
6) Natural Wool 250g, Japanese Angora Wool 250g. Bottom: Hayfield Kid Mohair 10 Balls, Busse Retro Mohair 300g
7) Others not in photos - Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Misty Blue 200g, Hand-dyed Merinos in Red 700g, Interlacements Alabama in Poppy Field and Carbon Dioxide Pastels 2lbs, Caron Simply Soft in Assorted Colors 18 skeins, Peace Fleece Worsted in Assorted Colors 400g, Jo Sharp Soho Summer in Oyster 500g

* * * * *
Now let me treat you to my yarn feast...

Here's my new stash...

I went on eBay and absolutely lost control... heheee, buying yarn really makes me happy... and these are all baby-friendly stuff too :o)

Look what I've got:

Debbie Bliss Merino Chunky in Green 14 balls

Rowan Cork in Gleam 10 balls

Rowan Glace in Delight - Aubergine 10 balls

And some are on their way... (will post pics later)

• Knitpicks Shadow Merino Lace in Brown 2 skeins
• Knitpicks Shimmer in Flower Garden 3 skeins
• Lane Monterosa Delfino Cotton in Beige 8 balls
• ONLine Linie 94 Filou in Green Multi 6 balls
• ONLine Linie 94 Filou in Blue Multi 10 balls

I'm also buying some more Interlacements Alabama Cotton through Yahoo yarncoop... Planning to use the Knitpicks Shimmer for my Clapotis and make a sweater or two out from Rowan's Cork Collection with the DB Merino Chunky and Rowan Cork. Other than that, I have no idea what I want to do with the rest...

Destashing - Mohair/Wool

As mentioned earlier, I have some yarn to destash... please view them here and email me at maryann33hk@yahoo.com.hk if you're interested. I accept paypal and will be happy to trade for some knitpicks yarn. Thanks and happy viewing!

Gong Hei Fat Choi!

Today is the 2nd Day of Chinese New Year and I wish all of you a wonderful year of the "Dog".

I'm a knitter in Hong Kong and here's my knitting resolution for Spring:

1) Create a knitting blog. Done!

2) Get my hands on some Knit Picks yarn. The fact that they don't ship overseas is just killing me. But I just won some Shimmer on eBay ... oh I'm so anxious to receiving them!!

3) Figure out what to do with my 700g of fine merino. Perhaps 2 sweaters, one for me and one for my baby. No clue about the pattern yet, but these are really RED (they seemed more pinkish in the pic... & how I wish they were). And what's more challenging is - these knit up to 6.5sts/inch so it's going to take me months to complete... therefore I'd better find a nice stylish pattern to make sure it worth my time.

4) Knit a sleeping grobag for my baby. I'm considering using Alabama from Interlacements. But I'm also expecting some Caron Simply Soft from a yarn swap. They are in the mail now so I will wait another week. Will usually prefer natural fibers but maybe the Carons are really soft and I'll change my mind. God knows...

5) Make a Clapotis for myself.

6) Destash all my mohair yarn - I carry my baby in her babybjorn a lot and she sneezes everytime I wear mohair so all these will have to go!