Loop London!

Hello!  The Afrikaans word for walk is "loop". I literally did a Loop London two weeks ago when I not only walked and walked, exploring the city on foot, but I also shopped and shopped - at Loop yarn store! I arrived back home with no less than 23 hanks of yarn in Lace (Merino, Silk and Linen) and Worsted Merino by Madeline Tosh, Artisan Yarns, Eden Cottage and The Uncommon Thread.  

I visited the shop twice, the first time to buy the Worsted Merino (6 hanks in purple and green) and linen (oops also 6 hanks in purple and green). What was that all about? Oh wait, I also got married in lilac and mint, those colours must have stuck with me after all these years! At the same time I picked up a few hooks, a pin for a shawl and the glorious Sophie Digard scarf in the above photo.

Once a back at the swanky hotel in Knightsbridge next to Harrods I called home for a few nights, I realised that I shunned the opportunity to buy the most amazing lace-weight yarns.  I have long since admired the work of Alice on Instagram & on her blog.  Right there and then I decided to return to Loop for more shopping as I would like to try my hand at something more delicate in the spirit of Alice's work and needed those lace yarns.  

I then invested in the most beautiful mushroom, stone and greige colours, a yellow, pink and charcoal too and am plotting and planning the next project for these yarns and am already whipping up sample squares to see where it will take me. Of course as I was about to exit the door, I spotted the Sophie Digard necklaces and promptly bought two of those too, one for myself and one for Anisa from Hellohart who introduced me to Editor Dala Watts, leading to an article of my work in the South African Ideas magazine!  I wanted to say thank you in a special way and have been keeping my eyes peeled for that special item that turned out to be the Sophie necklace!

The great thing about the Loop yarn store is also the location (not reflected in the above photo!) They are located in Camden Passage Islington. Camden Passage is world famous for its vintage and contemporary shops, markets and arcades. Be sure to pop into the leather handbag shops near Loop. I dislike the majority of women's bags on sale and much rather buy from markets or independent shops where simplistic styles are crafted by hand. This shop delivered a glorious green leather bag with a huge flap that disguises Ipad and wallet alike.

Just pho you! Finally, just before you hit the Underground, walk across the road where you will find a delectable bowl of Pho in a cafe serving Vietnamese street food. I have had a need for hot, brothy, salty, soothing beef noodle soup ever since we left South East Asia! There are few things better than a tangle of slick rice noodles in a rich, crystal clear, intensely beefy broth; the warm aroma of cinnamon, cloves and star anise rising up in a cloud of steam, balanced by a squeeze of lime and a handful of fresh herbs and chilies. Ah hell, I entered heaven!

Have a great week!

On top of the World!

Mom, as seen through the eyes of The Teen on paint.net

Yeehaw I am on top of the world!

Well, first of all we are still living in a glass enclosed tower with magnificent views over the city and the ocean.  I reckon we will be hauled up in a hotel for at at least another 2 and a half months.  It is quite a large apartment with plenty of space for the 4 of us and from our view and viewpoint we are on top of the world.

Secondly,  in Qatar copper networks have been replaced with fibre optic and we now have a choice of 10mbps, 50mbps or 100mbps (will you believe this!) fibre optic internet in our homes. Installation is the day after application. Pity the hotel is still providing slow internet.

Thirdly, The Teen scored the highest level and mark possible for her English exams last week and she was offered a place at one of only 4 schools functioning under the Outstanding Schools Initiative started by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned and implemented by the Supreme Education Council here in Qatar. It is back to the MYP/IB curriculum for her and we are all on top of the world, especially since waiting lists for schools are often up to 2 years here.

Last, but not least, I have just finished a throw in 5 days - hook in one hand, muscle ointment in the other. Wow, there was some furious crocheting involved, but tomorrow the couriers will arrive to whisk it away and I will be hanging out in the pool to soothe my aching muscles. It is a secret project, one I will be telling you about later, but for now I can say it is gorgeous.

When an idea for a new colour palette formed in my mind many months ago, I never realised how satisfying the whole process from selecting colours to executing the project was going to be.  I bought the yarn in Africa, hooked the project in Asia and the final destination for the item is Europe from where it will be shared with the whole world!  I had this idea to capture two of my favourite cities, Paris and Istanbul, in a project. When I was asked to design and hook something, I couldn't be happier that I decided to pack this yarn in my son's suitcase in stead of leaving it to sail the 7 seas in a container later. 

I will explain the process of choosing colours in a few pictures below:

Photo: Désaccord blog

The first time I visited the Désaccord blog, I was smitten by the colours in every single picture. I selected a few of the photos from the blog and uploaded it to some online sites that create palettes from pictures in order to get an idea of all the colours involved in the complete image opposed to just looking at the crocheted and knitted items.

Below are palettes generated by Palette FX and Colr, pictures from the Désaccord blog:

I decided to put mood boards together (see previous posting) to capture my idea of a woman working and living in cities such as Paris and Istanbul.  What would her wardrobe and space look like?

I  forwarded these mood boards to crochet guru Beatrix who sells hand dyed yarns in South Africa (See posting about yarn) and she put the colours together for me from the Colours of Grace collection. I approved and paid. Below are some of the colours:

I had the time of my life working with this yarn and am dying to share the completed item with you - but alas, we will have to wait!  I am just very glad that there are a teeny weeny bit of each colour left over, I plan to turn these into brooches over the next few days and will at least be able to show you those. 

Hope you are enjoying your short winter holidays (Southern Hemisphere) and loooooong summer holidays (Northern Hemisphere)

xxxxx

Damascus Crochet

Cart filled with sweets at the Al Hamadiya Souk, inside the old walled city of Damascus. Own photo.

Ever since Cain murdered Abel somewhere on Mount Qassioun, Syria has been associated with biblical events and rival orthodoxies. Here, Saul became Paul, changing forever the course of Christianity; here also, the early Caliphs of Islam held sway. To the call of God were added the enticements of Mammon, with Damascus growing rich thanks to the lucrative caravan routes from the East. 

Unable to resist the heady mix of religion and trade, everyone tramped through Syria to stake their claim: Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, Crusaders, Mongols, Mamelukes, Ottomans and the cast of Lawrence of Arabia have all trod the trail of Alexander’s Greeks, leaving their mark in an astonishing cultural legacy. 

The old quarters of Damascus, with its maze of narrow cobbled streets overhung by shuttered wooden balconies, are magical. Souks teem with life, colour and temptation. The abundance of sumptuous hammam, mosques, khans, churches, palaces and madrasas stand testimony to rich and enlightened centres of learning, where "lunatics" (burnt at the stake in Europe at the time) were treated instead with a diet of haute cuisine, poetry and music.

It is here in Damascus where the amazing crochet work by artisan Lily Keen can be found as well. Photos courtesy of artist.

Above: Lily Keen crochet lampshades. The bottom one is a traditional sieve on which crochet work has been fastened to create an interesting lamp. Below: Crochet jewelry, a curtain and more lampshades 

Damascus is the world's best kept travel secret - the city is a treasure showcasing authentic and original arts, crafts and trades. It is here where the copper-smith, the potmaker, the embroiderer, the wedding dress designer, the glassblower and more all still rub shoulders in pretty much the same way they have been doing for thousands of years. I have no idea why tourists swamp Marrakesh and pay ridiculous prices for products created mainly for errr tourists when the treasures of Damascus remain a secret. Having been to both destinations, I can vouch that Damascus is by far the superior travel destination. In times of peace anyway.  Pliny, the Roman historian, wrote about Phoenician merchants who accidentally discovered glass in Syria about 5000 B.C. when they placed cooking pots on blocks of nitrate. The high temperatures of the fire's heat melted the nitrate, which mixed with sand, formed an opaque liquid and cooled as glass. It is almost impossible to put into words the magical feeling strolling the old parts of this city knowing that it has existed like this for thousands and thousands of years. 

The below is a collection of snapshots I took with an old little pocket camera during a visit in 2008. For a beautiful collection of photos, take a look at The Husband's collection Soul of Damascus and Soul of Aleppo.

I will leave you with a video about activists crafting a revolution in Syria as posted by Yarnbombing See http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Video/Article.aspx?id=260343