Taitai knits

Back home at last

We made it back home to beijing - just in time for packing up the house.

I have somehow managed to be busy on the crafting front - so here is photographic proof!

Shirts made for Claire's playgroup friends

Necklace made at crafty playgroup yesterday

Sweater for my soon to be born neice

Jetlag - 10 days out?

So my previous post was a lie.  I did not see the Roza socks on Joy's blog.  She knit some other equally fabulous socks.  I must still have some jetlag - 10 days after arrival - it could still be jetlag.  Or maybe it is anxiety lag - as soon as I hit the ground in China, we have to sort all our belongings and the movers show up a few days later.  That will be fun with another case of jetlag, at least I will have something to do all night.

Sockpal socks - finally

So when  I went to the knitting store (the not super friendly knitting store) I bought some nice dark teal Koigu yarn.  And today I started on the socks for my sock pal.  I decided to go with Roza's socks by Grumperina which appeared in the spring issues of Interweave Knits.  I saw them on Joy's blog and her's turned out great. 

Not feeling the love

So today I went to the local yarn shop that I have been really looking forward to.  I didn't love it.  Don't get me wrong it was filled to the brim with yarn goodness, but I found it all overpriced and too crowded to even walk around in.  And the overpriced part just wasn't yarn culture shock after being in China for 2 1/2 years - I looked up some things when I got home - they mark up prices.

I think the other thing was what the 2 owners said - one was very helpful - but when I said I was looking for sock yarn she replies "I don't knit socks."  Then her daughter comes to help and says "I don't knit cables." when I explained I was knitting cabled socks for the Sockapalooza 4.  No small talk whatsoever either.  I know these women don't have to be nice, but I probably would have bought more if they had been and there were no other customers.  Too bad for them.

Back in the USSR - no that isn't right

I made it back to the States a few days ago and we are dealing with MAJOR jetlag.  I have hit the shops hard but so far have not gone as crazy as I thought I might after 2 1/2 years in China.

After reading all about the new Martha craft kits here, I got over to Michael's yesterday.  I have to say I was a little disappointed.  I guess if I were more into making little bags or scrapbooking I would love them.  But nothing called out to me and I didn't buy a single one. 

Next up on my shopping stops is a proper knitting shop.  Not that the ones in Beijing are not proper shops, but they are just um..very different.