Umi

No longer by my side but forever in my heart.

Dear Umi,

Tsuru is still jealous of you.

Comes running whenever I call your name.

Shhhh . . .  don't tell her, 

it is now my trick to get her to come to me.

She is clueless. 

Renulek's Wiosna 2015 WIP 5

I am all set for the next round. The orange crush seems to pop next to the turquoise. I think this pattern is perfect for a tat along as each tatter has put in their colour interpretations and all looks so lovely. What is yet to come?

Queueing

Cars queueing to cross the immigration checkpoints into Malaysia last week for lunar new year. It normally takes about 3 hours to drive to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore but on that day it took us 6 hours. On several points on the highway, traffic came to a crawl. 

Renulek's Wiosna 2015 WIP 4

Can you see the holes in my blocking board? Looks like I need a new board. 

I just started on Round 5. Should be done soon, I hope!

Ang Chao Mee Suah

This is one of the dishes we had for new year's day lunch. It is chicken soup cooked with a traditional Chinese rice wine poured over mee suah / vermicelli. 

Tatted Centrepiece WIP 4

Twelve daisies tatted and joined. There isn't enough thread to tat the remaining 12. I chose an apricot shade to continue with. It isn't perfect but hopefully it will still be pretty.

New Year Cakes

These 'nian gou' were unusually good because of the way it was presented and it was not intensely sweet. The usual nian gou are brown because of the caramelised sugar, round blocks which are cut up and pan fried. This was a pretty reddish pink in a cherry blossom shape and very palatable. 

It went well with the tea which was served by this skillful lady with a long spouted copper teapot. The long spout allows the hot water to cool to the correct temperature for brewing tea and the water pressure allows the tea leaves to roll in the tea cup. 

Happy New Year 2015

Now It's Right

Hours of tatting later, its half done. It will have to wait.

I think the dark ocean turquoise (Lizbeth size 40 #657) is less of a sore eye now.

Tonight is our family reunion dinner. Most people have to travel home for this. It is often a temporary human migration of sorts. If you are having a meal with family, enjoy happy conversations.

View from the 60th floor

Buildings of the central business district on the left and the southern tip of the island on the right. On a hazy day and through the glass window so the photo is not very clear.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Yes, it is turquoise but it looks rather dark at the moment and . . . . . . it is all wrong. I did not realise it until after the 3rd repeat. Is it too late to unpick or should I just cut it off and start again? Or should I just leave it and continue? What do you think I will do?

Making Dim Sum

Spent one Saturday afternoon learning to make 3 types of dim sum from a chef of a Sichuan restaurant.

This was my little pear-shaped potato dumpling with pork floss filling

All different shaped made by different participants

After it was deep fried and plated. 

It was delicious. 

I would try it at home again. Yes, maybe soon.

Tatted Centrepiece WIP 3

It took some time to tat the rounds after the half daisies. Yes, I have been working hard. It is now measuring 16 inches across. Now, another 24 daisies and 24 fillers to be added. 

Are you wondering how the daisies would look in yellow and white? Pattern can be found in Aunt Ellen's Treasury - Tatting Patterns on page 35.

Lotus Biscuits

Have you tried these biscuits? 

They go perfectly with a cup of hot coffee. I have been enjoying this with my cup of Moccona hazelnut coffee. I dip them in the coffee for a few seconds before devouring them. 

Delicious!

Wiosna 2015 WIP 3

This is round 3 of Renulek's spring doily. WIP is work in progress. Yes, the pattern is revealed weekly and this week will be the third instalment. 

I decided on the colours based on Lizbeth Sea Scape (#125). I did not have the exact colours but chose the closest shade in my thread stash. Can you guess what colour the next round will be tatted in?

Recycled?

Above is the Christmas 2014 decor at a local mall. Last week when I visited again, I thought that they had recycled the base of the structure as it looked similar. I remember taking a photo of it so I took the lunar new year decor to compare. Similar but different. The 12 boards around the spring character is the 12 zodiac horoscope for the year 2015.

Lunar new year this year falls on February 19, just less than 10 days away.

Renulek's Wiosna 2015 WIP 2

Round 2 is done but there is an extra picot in my very first chain. I don't think I will correct it. 

This is tatted in Lizbeth 40 in Orange crush (#183) and Wedgewood dark (#656).

Goats in Chinatown

Last weekend was the light up for the street decorations for the lunar new year. I was there in the morning and took a quick snapshot of it. They look rather magnificent. I refer to them as the mountain goats of Chinatown.

Tatted Centrepiece WIP2

Another 12 half daisies were added. It is a little stretched as it would not like flat so I pinned and blocked it. Next few rounds will be easy as it is simple rings and chains before the last rounds comprising of daisies again. Full daisies, that is.

Question?

How are my Marigold seedlings doing?

They are quite little but the first flower bud is emerging.

Can you spot it?

I have yet to transplant it into its own pot.

Will they be in full bloom by the Lunar New Year?

Rest assured, I will post a photo when the time comes.

Mom sowed her own Marigold seedlings after Christmas. 

Mine are a month older than hers but perhaps her Marigold seedlings will do better. 

You see, she has green fingers, 

mine are well . . . . purple.

Wiosna 2015 WIP1

I am joining Renulek's Wiosna 2015 upon Fox's arm twisting. No, I'm joking - about the arm twisting. We were discussing Fox's invitation to a tat along with Ben Fikkert's Corona pattern. Instead we ended up doing this for now. I am glad more people are going to join us. The corona tat along is still on. I ordered the Floriade book from Ben Fikkert and it should arrive soon.

Why do I have two centres of the Wiosna 2015? The blue one had mistakes so I tatted the orange one. I need to catch up with Fox. Still have another round to go.