My 100th Post! Yay!

Woohoo!

I have been blogging here for almost one year now, and I can’t believe that this is my 100th post already. I know I am not the most active blogger in the world, so hitting this milestone is quite something for me.

I would like to celebrate this with something. Maybe buying myself something nice — more yarn, more cross stitch kits, or probably even lots of cooking books. But I couldn’t. I keep being reminded that in few months, I might not be able to stay in this country because of this thing going on in Britain right now.

Buying things wouldn’t be… wise.

But not being able to celebrate doesn’t mean that this milestone doesn’t cheer me up. It does cheer me up. It makes me feel that at least I have achieved something, and I am glad I did.

So… I would like to thank my fellow bloggers here. It is not a glamorous thing, but I am inviting you to celebrate this with me (separately, in your own home, in front of your own computer or tablet or phone). I propose a toast…

*lifts wine glass* (but if you don’t drink alcohol, tea or any kind of beverage would do too)

For my fellow bloggers, my fellow wordsmiths. My knitting, crocheting, and stitching buddies. My inspirations, and my comrade in crafting, cooking, and gardening. We gather separately here and there to celebrate a milestone in the midst of uncertainty.
May the future brings more socks, jumpers, and amigurumis. With more cakes, and pastries, and the harvest from the garden. May we drink, as if we need a reason to drink, for us bloggers. Prost!

x ❤ x

One Mystery is Solved

Remember the mysterious plant we were wondering about few weeks ago? Well, now since the aforementioned plant is already blooming, I can tell you what it actually is.

Although, before I tell you what it is, could you guess?

Yes?

Well… a gardening enthusiast might have known it already, but for those who haven’t been able to guess what it is. This is Nigella flower.

I know. I have never seen anything so cute and colourful before either — they are blue, pink, purple, white… So wonderful. I have four pots like that, put two indoor, in the windowsill, and two outdoor in my vertical garden. The indoor plants just blooming like crazy while the ones outdoor are just… green. Don’t know why.

Anyway… There you go. One mystery solved.

x ❤ x

From Farm To Fork…

Well.. in my case it is actually from Garden to Gut, but that doesn’t sound pretty, does it? I harvested the young leaves of my Bok Choy, or Pak Choi — I am of Chinese descent but I still am not sure how to pronounce this Asian themed vegetable.

Some of the leaves were munched by something, and I am not sure what has munched my leaves. Some said that slightly munched vegetable leaves means it is free from pesticides. But… still I am not happy about my something eating my veggies without my permission. That’s thievery…

After washing them out, I am left with beautiful fresh looking baby Pak Choi leaves. Not a lot to start with, but I wish it will change in the future (next harvest). I decided to make something out of it.

Tada…

Stir fry is one of the most common way to cook things in our culture. My grandmother basically stir fry everything. I think she believes that stir frying things is the best way to keep the nutrients in the food, because the meat — in this case I had chicken, will be cooked first, and the vegetables would be flash cooked (so quick, it didn’t even realise that it’s actually being cooked).

Sooo excited. Especially because of my courgette is start flowering too. Really can’t wait to harvest this one too. Eek!!

x ❤ x

WIP New Project

I feel bad for my husband now, as I feel that I have neglected him a bit. The knitting, the gardening, and Euro Cup has take a lot of my attention. So, I have decided to make him something in return.

He has mentioned the socks I have made for him so many times. He actually showed it off to his friends and colleagues — I don’t know if I should feel proud or embarrassed. But anyway, I know he likes the socks I have made for him, so I am going to make him another socks.

My husband said that he likes a thick warm socks because he got cold feed a lot. So I tried to find one with DK weight yarn. It is surprisingly difficult to find socks made with DK weight yarn. Even sport yarn is not easy to find. I found one from here, and it was a godsend.

It is quite easy to follow, and have clear instruction. I am using two colours instead of one. Don’t laugh at the colour… my husband chose it himself.

x ❤ x

Hot Off The Needles!

With the Euro is now only broadcasted once a day, I have got more time to concentrate to the knitting. Less ripping, more knitting…

I quite like the design, although I have altered it a little. It was much longer in the pattern, but I thought it would look silly for a short girl like me to wear such long socks. The lacey cable design though, needed a lot of attention and focus, but it was definitely worth it.

Although it is quite thick, it is not too warm for summer sock, as it has holes which let some air circulation. And they’re pink. So yeah…

These are my feet modelling for the socks. I am fully aware that I am not the best model for socks, but my feet are much better than my husband hairy ones. And these one is too small for him.

The pattern is called Ice Cable Socks from Rowan, and I had it for free from their website, however I couldn’t get the link now. And, the yarn is the Robin Bonny Babe. Somehow the gauge fits.

There you go. Socks.

x ❤ x

More! More Flowers!!

My garden is doing well lately. Especially after few sunny days, it seems like everything is blooming, or at least budding. The chamomiles which has bloomed last week, is now going crazy. I had to make a prop from barbecue skewer to keep them growing upwards instead of.. everywhere else.

And then, the violets. Viola? Violet?

What do you call this? I was told that it is called violet, but when I googled a bit, some call it viola. Viola tricolour. And apparently it is edible.

I have eaten so many things — coming from Indonesia where everything could be magically made into food, not much food-wise could surprise me. But eating flower? I have never done it. Extract? Yes, a bit of lavender or rose, and it gave a nice touch to desserts, but not munching the whole flower.

Is it safe? It seems too cute to be eaten.

Oh… Do you know what else is cute? Bok Choy‘s flower! I didn’t know that they would look like that. It is quite decorative apparently. I thought they were just all about edible leaves — never expected anything quite that beautiful.

You know what?

The first time I decided to garden, all I could think of is something to keep me busy, and at the same time could help with the groceries. You know, when you have a vegetable garden you could grow your own food, and… unlimited salad. But, now that I have seen flowers, I kind of understand what my dad told me earlier this month…

“It is a good thing [gardening]. It makes you happy when you see that your hard work pays…”

x ❤ x

 

New Skill Learned: Grafting

This is not my first time knitting socks, but this is the first time I do the grafting properly. Usually, i just sew them together, and… now that I know how to graft, I felt embarrassed that I didn’t do it properly. It is not that difficult really, I don’t know why I haven’t learned this much earlier.

Grafting, or Kitchener stitch is… in my noob-eye opinion– how you join pieces seamlessly. Almost like Mattress Stitch, but the main difference is that Kitchener stitch is done in an open, working stitch.

So, when I have done the toe decreasing, the tip of the toe will be open like that, and this is where we do the grafting. I found the tutorial from Knitty as the one that is easiest to follow. One from DROP design is not at all helpful.

So basically there are 4 main steps:

1. pick the first stitch from the front needle knitwise
2. sew the second stitch from the front needle purlwise
3. pick the first stitch from the back needle purlwise
4. sew the second stitch from the back needle knit wise

now that you have picked the first stitches from both needles, your second stitches has become the first stitches. You do the four steps until all of them are picked and sewn. The yarn would be loose to start with, but I tug them gently to make sure I didn’t screw the tension.

And… Tadaa!

I mean no trick here, only concentration — which I didn’t have as I was doing this while watching football match. I think I missed one or two stitches.

Ah never mind no. One down sock down — much faster that I thought it would be– I will have the chance to do better grafting on the other one.

x ❤ x

My Heart Is With Orlando

I am not in the mood to write, nor knit, nor cook… you get the point.

The news about Orlando shooting upset me quite a lot 😦 Especially when I heard the story about a mother who exchanged text messages from her son who was trapped in the bathroom while the gunman was coming after him. That is really sad. I can’t imagine how devastating it was for her not being able to do anything to help the situation.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/166294-pray-for-orlando-memes-tributes-to-share-to-show-your-support

I am not a religious person, so I don’t pray. But my thought and my heart is with all the victims and the families.

❤

Who’s Watching Euro 2016?

I am.

I have to say that I am not following club leagues. I used to. When I was in Indonesia, I would sit and watch football with my father. But here in the UK, I would have to subscribe to a special channel, and pay some good money to watch football.

I don’t think it’s worth it. Especially because my husband doesn’t like watching football — I can even say as far as he hates football. And, it won’t be the same watching it with such enthusiasm while having someone looking grumpy in the background.

Anyway. The international football match is different.

World Cup and Euro Cup. I would insist on watching it. It is free on telly. And it is much… much better.

So yeah. I am watching this Euro Cup, and for some reasons my husband started watching it with me. I think my sister in law’s husband would appreciate this development — him being an avid football fan.

However sometimes the tension gets me, so unlike watching Agatha Christie’s Poirot… I can’t watch football game while knitting. You know… Tension. Knitting. You get me?

So… yeah. It’s a kind of disclaimer that the pink sock will probably take a while to finish. I would have to put it down so often because I kept losing concentration while knitting, as the football game gets really exciting.

Are you watching the game? What do you think about the teams so far?

x ❤ x

About Time….

To start a new project.

Having done stuff for my sisters, it is time to start making things for myself again. Yes, true I have a brother too, and I will make something for him soon. Graduation gift or something like that? Hm…

Anyway. I am making a pair of socks for me again.

And this time I am doing a Rowan’s pattern, and do it in pink — one of my favourite colours. Just to be clear, I like pink not because I am a girl. Pink has grown in me after I went to university.

I used to hate pink because I was made to wear it all the time when I was much younger. I used to associate pink with… you know discrimination, misogyny, etc. But to be honest with you, one day I just realised that pink is just a shade of colour. And it is pretty too. I can’t discriminate pink just because the way it was used to oppress me when I was young.

Anyway… New project! Yay!

x ❤ x