HOLIDAY IS HERE!!!! HOORAAYYY!!!!

Yay!!! Exam's finally over, now it's time for HOLIDAY!!!!
I'll be leaving for Singapore tonight, I'm so exicted!!! I'm taking bus, mind you, so that I can have lots of time to knit. It's a 12-hour ride, believe me, this is not my first time.
Hope that I can find some Rowan 4-ply cotton for Lucky, because I can't seem to find any good substitute. If I don't find them in Singapore, then I'll have to order them online. Problem is, I'll have to hid my yarns under my clothes, since my mom will definitely complain about my yarn shopping. I still have 30 skeins of yarn waiting for me at home, you know, yummy Knitpicks yarn.
I'm now up to the right front of mom's cotton cardigan, after that it's the sleeves. I'm really worried, I make the most horrible sleeve caps.
Anyway, this is the questionnaire for SP5. I'm really exicted about this, since this is my first time. I've waiting for it since I saw everyone blogging about the gifts they got from their sp.(Okay, so I'm doing it for the gifts, but I'll still be a real good sp)

This goes to my future SP, read on! I'm really easy to pamper, you know.



1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Well...there are no Red Heart or Lion Brand yarn in where I live, I think I like some of them, though I still prefer higher quality yarns...mmm...yummy...(so I'm a semi-yarn snob)


2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I crochet a little, but it hurts my hand, so I don't do it often, still love it though. Have no idea how to spin, but would love to try someday. I love fibers ;)


3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Can you believe that I'm allergic to alcohol?? I still drink a bit anyway. Oh, and I'm allergic to metal like cheap silver, so I'll be able to tell if my wedding ring is fake ;p But I think it's getting better now, my finger used to turn green if I wear plastic ring when I was little.


4. How long have you been knitting?
I learned it 4 years ago, but only get "addicted" to it since last year.


5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I've got one in Amazon, but I can't figure out how to put a link to it.


6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I love the smell of jasmine, peach and chocolate. And I like to sniff at various kind of tea leaves, they smell so good!


7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Definitely, I'm a chocoholic, dessertholic, and ice-creamholic.


8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
A lot, actually, origami, paper tole, clay modelling, beading, card making,etc. Although I don't do much of them after I started knitting.


9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Yep, I have a mini iPod too. I like pop, soft-rock, ballad, classical, and I love movie soundtracks. But I'd love to be exposed to all kind of music, even in foreign languages.


10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
No exact favourite colour, I love all colours!! But I still prefer bright or pastel colousr to dark and dull colours. Mixture of contasting colours is interesting to me tough.


11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I stay with a foster family, and they have 6 dogs from the neighbourhood that just decided to stay with us. Oh, and one of them just gave birth to 10(TEN!!) black pups.


12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
Life....hmm...I don't know yet. But my short-term dream is to go to UK for my degree. And of course visit the LYSs there!


13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I haven't knit with that many yarns, but so far my fav are Zara and Rowan KSH. I do have a lot of yarns that I fell in love with just by looking at them on my screen though ;D


14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Um...I have a love-hate relationship with novelty yarn. Love the way it looks, hate knitting with it.


15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Sweaters and bags. Oh, do knitting books count?


16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Haven't found it yet.


17. What are you knitting right now?
A cotton cardigan for mom. I've got some WIPs lying around, but I'm going to finish this one first.


18. What do you think about ponchos?
I like them, though I would never wear them. Not here in Malaysia at least, and definitely NOT in Indonesia.


19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I love both. I think they serve different purposes.


20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Definitely bamboo, though I prefer metal for specific kind of yarn. Never try wood before, not available here.

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Not yet, but I will be someday. As soon as the right yarn, the right needle and the right pattern came along.


22. How did you learn to knit?
The auntie at the LYS taught me the basic, then I learn the rest by myself.


23. How old is your oldest UFO?
My first knitting attempt was also a cotton cardigan for my mom, but I didn't even finish the swatch. It was 4 years ago, does it count?


24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Rabbit, love'em. And I have to say that I'm ridiculously afraid of living chicken.


25. What is your favorite holiday?
Gotta be Christmas, love the spirit around it, even if they don't exist in my family.


26. Is there anything that you collect?
A lot, but I don't really care anymore. I collect letter set, some bank notes, some coins, some ribbons, and lots of socks. And of course, yarn and more yarn.


27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None, isn't it sad???


28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Lots, actually...knitting books, John Grisham's latest, HP 6, etc.

I'm Tagged!!

Well, I'm tagged by Peggy for the book meme. I've been reading it at everyone's blog, and now it's my turn (at last ;P)!
Here it is...

Total number of books in your house...
Um...does comic counts?? I have around 100 books in my room here, and around 300 more in my home back in Jakarta. Anyway, if comic counts, then make it 500.

The last book you bought was...
Last-Minute Knitted Gifts and Hot Knits. I rarely ever buy books other than knitting books anymore, I simply borrow them from my school library.

The last book you read was...
Well, the last book that I bought that is.

5(or 6) books you often read or meant a lot to you...
None, I rarely read my books more than twice. But here are my favs:

-All thrillers by Dan Brown, John Grisham and Sidney Sheldon, they're superb!I have to admit that I love BestSellers.

-All Harry Potter series, I said that I'm a fan right??? And they do mean a lot to me, I cried when I read the 4th book. Oh, and I finished the 4th and 5th books in 1 day.

-All mysteries by Agatha Christie, I've read all of them and own most, trust me.

-Romances in the Harlequin series, corky, I know, but I own around 100 of them anyway.

-I bought a book entitled 'What If?' few years ago, I can't remember the author, since I left the book in my cousin's house in Singapore. It's funny, but it also quite thought-provoking ;) To prove it, I still remember it after 4 years not seeing it, that's quite something.
-And Enid Blyton's series, read them since primary school, still love them now. My fav is the Malory Tower and St. Clare series.


Who are you going to pass this to and why?
Um...I dunno, seems like everyone else had been tagged.

Bad News

This is bad. My Streamyx is being cut off. Apparently my aunt hadn't paid the bill that she told me she had, and still insists so. But why does my bill came and costs more than RM 200??
So, no more blogging after today..hikz...and I won't be able to check my mail either! What a disaster. But I think it means I should study instead. Hhhhh.....

Lots of stuffs....

I had quite a great time in KL. Not much time to shop tough, only about 4 hours in total, and I spent most of them in bookshops. I did a little yarn shopping, but couldn't find anything that I like. Check out my new books. And oh, they ARE pricey.



And my new yarns..only 2 skeins of wool, I was thinking of the Headline News from SnB when I bought this, but after I got home I realised that I'll need another 2 skeins, so it'll be something else. And on the right is another WIP, it'll be a lilac cable pouch. Can you believe this is the first time I'm using stitch marker??


I also finished my mini cardigan, at last. The front turns out to be bigger than the back, that maybe I could make it double-breasted instead. I haven't weave in the ends and block it yet. Do you think I could shrink acrylic?? I have no idea.


And check out the back, I love it!!


I can't find the same cotton yarn that I'm using to make mom's cardigan, so I mix colour in stripes instead. I'm not so sure about my colour choice though, don't think that it suits my mom.

It's salmon pink, white and lilac, I think they look too baby together.
Last thing, I'm having my exam starting tomorrow (Chemistry!!), and I can't get my hands off the needle, which is really bad. Oh, and I'm planning to go to KL again next weekend, but I'll be all alone, so I'm not sure. Then I'm going to Singapore. Hope that I could do some yarn shopping there, after seeing what Vanessa got. And maybe I could attend a knitting meetup too, just maybe....
P.S : I ordered 30 skeins of Knitpicks yarn!! It's waiting for me at my home, can't wait to see them.

I'm good, really...

Thanks a million to everyone's support, you all really made my day. I was smiling again, even though I failed that really really stupid driving test for the second time.
In order to comfort myself, I ehm...went for a little yarn shopping just now. That was the first time I ever spent that much money on yarn in a go. I swear that I never buy 12 skeins of yarn at once before. I usually bought it one by one. But it turns out that my mom doesn't want a summer top and requested for a blue long sleeved cardigan. So I bought 7 skeins of Japanese Egyptian Cotton yarn at once, because that's all they've got left. I can't risk running out of yarn, even though I'm not even sure 7 would be enough, since they're only 40g per skein.
Check out my new yarns....

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On the top of the picture are 3 odd balls of yarn which are only RM 5 each. See that electric blue mohair?? It's amazing!
On the center are the blue cotton yarns. Like I said before, blue is not really my colour, but for the sake of mom, blue that is.
On the bottom are 2 skeins of 100% wool yarn to make the Marsupial Tote from SnB. I had a really hard time making colour decision, but I got my eyes set on the teal colour. I only bought 2 skeins because I'm not sure which colour should be the bottom and the top part. Anyway, my gauge will be totally off, since the pattern uses 10mm needle and mine will be worked with 4/5mm.
And Mimi, to show that your advice works, here's another picture. Thanks again!!


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I guess that everyone can tell how much yarn shopping could cheers me up ;) I feel much better now.
Uh..sorry, one more thing, can anyone suggest on a cotton cardigan pattern? Long or 3/4 sleeved and with buttons, preferably with a little lace, so that I don't get bored that easily. Thanks ;)

??????

Gosh...I'm sure feeling a little bit depressed lately. School sucks, with exam coming really soon and so many activities keeping me away from class for weeks. My second driving test is tomorrow, and my heart is thumping loudly just thinking of it. I really want to pass this STUPID test and get my car, or at least my driving license soon. I've been eating like a bloating pig lately, so I guess my goal to lose 15 kg is getting further and furhter. Then, my dream of going to uni in UK seems to be drifting away from me. Maybe I just don't have the talent, or how the hell would I know if I do??? I'm more clueless than ever about that portfolio thing, how can I know what to make without any knowledge??? I mean, I'm supposed to learn about it in uni right? Isn't that what people goes to uni for? Then why am I being expected to be able to make great design in order to apply? AARrrGgGhHhH!!! And as if all that aren't bad enough, my hair is getting less and less, and the center hairline is getting more and more visible. Am I going to be bald at 18???

Uh well....enough ranting I guess, on the knitting front, I'm still working on my mini cardigan, but I assure you that I'm progressing. I accidentally left my knitting with my friend last saturday and only get it back today, so I spent yesterday trying to knit a mini-Branching Out with the left over KSH and size 0 needle to make a bookmark. More post on my knitting as soon as I'm done with mini cardigan.

I'm going to try and personalise my blog by using my limited knowledge of half-learned HTML. Hope it'll come out fine, even though I still can't figure out the way to send more than 1 picture using Hello and to put buttons on my sidebar. HELP please????

One last thing, I'm going to KL this weekend, hope that I can sneak out from my big group and go yarn shopping. Can't wait for new yarns....I'll need lots of cotton, been planning to make a cotton top for mami (mom, that's it) and Lucky Clover Wrap from SnB for me. There's a KAL for Lucky going on, but I can't figure out a way to join too. I'm such an idiot blogger. And oh yeah, I've been trying to register for sp5, still waiting for response though.

Today's post is way too long, anyone still reading at this point??

And here is a close-up for better view of the stitch. I was annoyed by it at first, but now I think it's just nice. I really need to get a digicam, my phone's camera sucks for indoor picture.

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Look at this!! Another FO, I can't believe that I finished it in 5 days. I know that lots of you can knit it faster than me, but I'm really proud of myself. I made 38 repeats out of the KSH and still have leftover enough for more than 2 repeats. This yarn is REALLY long, and it get fuzzier as the ball get smaller. I think that my Branching Out is really long, I think it's around 75 inches. Anyway, see my friend modelling it for me? Mr.Bunny is actually almost 17 years old, he is exactly a year younger than me. His name had changed hundreds of times, but for now he prefer to be known as Mr. Bunny. And can you see Rover beside him? I just have this weakness for red dog with innocent face. I haven't block it yet, cos I'm not sure how, can anyone tell me the right way to block KSH?

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