The Garden

Hello, I am just popping in to wish you a Happy New Year! Please accept my apologies for not participating in Instagram and blogging initiatives at the moment. As mentioned in the last posting, I am snowed under with professional projects, research work and business travelling.  

The photo above is an update of The Garden throw, the most beautiful pattern I blogged about previously.  I have finished about forty 25x25cm squares to date.  It is gorgeous, I cannot wait to see it in all it's full glory once finished.

We made time to visit a great new souq/bazaar here in Qatar, located in a town with the name Al Wakra, just south from Doha.  The maize of buildings stretches for 3 kilometers along the Arabian Sea with an esplanade running down the open beach side. It is build to reflect the town's fishing village heritage and features aged walls and brightly painted wooden doors. The souq will eventually be home to hundreds of shops and eateries. Only a handful are open at the moment and judging by the beautiful cafe in which we enjoyed coffee and cakes, we can look forward to atmospheric and quint eateries. Magical, I love Arabia!

Have a great week.  Cheers!

Indian Cotton Mattresses (gaadi)

Hello!  Our furniture has at long last arrived last week and I have been crazy busy organizing the Pigtails Palace ever since. Ah hell, I am clearly not 20 or 30 or even 40 years old anymore. My muscles are aching, my knees buckling. Three story palaces are really most suitable to the young and restless, not the middle aged! As soon as I unpacked my beautiful Vinnis Colours yarn though, I was feeling young and dandy again! 

 Friday morning I took a respite from unpacking to enjoy breakfast at Souq Waqif and stumbled upon the most interesting little street in downtown Doha. In fact, Doha is packed with interesting streets and I just love being able to finally explore the city now that the weather has cooled down significantly. This street is home to a few Indian Cotton Mattress (also known as gaadi) makers and traders.

 

Such shops are common in the towns of cities of India and it was a surprise to also stumble upon the same in Doha. Production of cotton mattresses (pillows and quilts too) is a labour intensive activity since it is all hand stitched. This YouTube video demonstrates the beautiful process, it is well worth watching to see how they pack the cotton sleeves, hand stitch it closed  (referred to as knitting in this video), flatten and compact the cotton with a stick before finally adding the edging to both sides and sewing the quilt like stitches. Indians are masters with scissors, thread and needles! These mattresses are very comfortable and suitable to hot and humid climates, however, it also loses shape quickly and the cotton needs to be treated and re-packed after a few years.

Two men recount how changes in the bedding industry in India, is affecting their craft:

Anser Basha Mattress Maker from Chennai

Khurban, Mattress Maker from Bangalore

I fell in love with some of the fabrics used to create these mattresses, not to mention that the mattresses and pillows are gorgeous items in its own right. My mind is spinning, I am thinking that this offers the perfect solution with regard to seating, or rather lounging, here at the Pigtails Palace. We have two great outdoor spaces, the one an L-shaped courtyard which also features a build in plant bedding on ground level and the other an entire rooftop area with beautiful wooden lattice shutters dividing space between the water tank and the rest of the rooftop. The space is accessible from a door on the third floor. It is the perfect weather now to develop the full potential of these spaces with the help of  Indian cotton mattresses don't you think?!
 

Have a great week!

Crocheting at the Cafe

Pattern: Inspiration from Sophie Digard, I just winged it as I went along

Pom Pom Edge Pattern from Once Upon A Pink Moon

Yarn: Pierrot Pont du Gard 100% French Linen manufactured in Japan and bought in South Africa from I Love Yarn and previously blogged about here

Pattern: An adaptation of Connect the Dots, one of 25 crochet patterns designed by the talented Cornel Strydom for Ideas Crochet magazine. Available for downloading from Zinio

Yarn:  Pierrot Pont Du Gard as per Crochet Pearls above

The Venue: The famous Istanbul Cafe Mado, now open in Ezdan Mall, Al Gharafa, Doha

The menu: Menemen and Cappuccino for breakfast followed by Turkish Tea, Kunafeh and Turkish Ice cream after an hour of furious crocheting!

To give you an idea of the ice cream that sang and danced on my palate  " . . .  Mado’s Maraş-style ice cream, which originates from Turkey’s Kahramanmaraş region, is made, entirely from natural ingredients. The milk used to create this delicious treat is obtained from goats that are on a strict diet of thyme, wild liquorice and wild orchids. Salep (a creamy drink made from wild salep orchids) is also used to lend a unique taste to the ice cream" - Time out Istanbul 

Photos edited in the car en route back home after The Driver picked me up from the mall. I used Snapseed and then created these collages via the magazine part of the Moldiv app.

Cheers!

Single Crochet Square Pattern

Single Crochet Square used in the Patchwork Blanket

USA Terminology, Hook Size 4

Yarn: Elle Premier DK in Grey and Taupe available from Woolhogs 

Hello! When Di made contact with me yesterday, inquiring about the pattern I used to make the Patchwork blanket, I decided to finally write it down and make a posting. Easier said than done though! I think I know now why I did not write it down in the first place.  It is easy to crochet, but fiddly to explain (perhaps due to my own lack of technical skills). Di and her friends living all over the world, are participating in a CAL to make a cot blanket for a friend. Their idea makes my heart sing, this is why we crochet and blog, to share ideas!  

The short version:

Ch 4 close ring. 8 sc into the ring and close. For all the rounds: sc ch2 sc to form corners, sc in sc of previous round to form sides. 

The long version: 

1. Chain 4, close
2. Round 1: ch1 to form first sc and work another 7 sc in ring = 8 sc
3. Round 2: ch3 and then sc in same space (first corner), sc in sc of previous round (this forms a side), then sc ch2 sc (this forms a corner) in next space - continue until you have 4 corners and 4 sides and slip stitch into first sc to close round, slip into corner space.
4. Round 3 (4&5): Ch3 and then sc in same stitch (corner), two times sc (side), sc ch2 sc (corner) in next space -  continue until you have 4 corners and 4 sides and slip stitch into first sc to close round, slip into corner space. Round 4 will have 3 sc on each side and Round 5 will have 4 sc. 

NOTE

I deliberately ignored the first sc that is somewhat hidden by the sc ch2 sc corner (as pointed out by needle in picture 2 below. It results in a first 5 rounds that has a slight curve when the square is viewed from the side. If you want a sharp, flat square right from the beginning, be sure to also add an sc in that specific stitch after each corner.

1. Round 6: Ch3 and then sc in same stitch (corner), 6 times sc, then sc ch2,sc (corner). Why 6 times sc? 
2. From round 6 onwards you will also be working in the first sc right next to the corner (see photo 2 above). In stead of automatically crocheting 5 sc on the sides as a continuation from the previous round, you will now have 6 sc as a result of crocheting into that almost hidden stitch. In each round it will also increase by 2 sc on each side in stead of just 1 sc. Holy moly, I hope this make sense to you! You need that extra stitch in order to flatten out the shape as the square grows bigger.  Just magnify these pics if my instructions are too fiddly/waffly and if you still do not get it, let me know and I will do a Youtube Tutorial. 
3. Round 7 will have 8 sc on each side; Round 8 will have 10 sc on each side; Round 9 will have 12 sc on each side; Round 10 will have 14 sc on each side; Round 11 will have 16 sc on each side. 
4. Round 12: I added a sc border with picot for styling purposes. Who knows, this might work for a lacy joining effect, but I haven't tried it out!

Meanwhile, in Doha through the lounge window:

 This is the view on a normal day above and during the sandstorm that just rolled in below!  

It is 21:34 and still hot as hell here.  The official reading is 39 degrees Celsius, but the apparent temparature (what it feels like according to Yahoo Weather) is  47 degrees due to the humidity and dust.  Unless one wants a free microdermabrasion, it is best to stay out of the sandpit and vegetate indoors!

The Teen Girl is busy vegetating crafting with Air-dry Clay. This is a ring featuring 4 teeth (don't ask, one doesn't interfere with Teen minds) and it has already received some pinkish and silver paint. I might just show you the finished evil eye broach and teeth ring next time I post. Tee hee, I love hormonal mindsets!   

This Week

Hello!  This week I received a lovely surprise when the postman delivered this parcel from the Netherlands. Woo hoo thank you Jenn, the Teen and I will enjoy everything this book has to offer during the two month summer holidays!  Be sure to visit Jenn's blog Color 'n Cream to see what the work of a color wizard looks like. I love her unusual but refreshing combinations and she now sells not only completed items in her shop, but also Yarn Colour Combos. And postcards.  Jenn regularly runs competitions and Mr Funky is my scoop after winning one of her competitions!

Mochi!  The Teen is studying Japanese as her 6th (yip, that's right!) language and is totally enthralled by anything and everything Japanese.  She has been driving me nuts over the past two years in her yearning to eat Mochi and wow, how lucky can one be. There are a few Mochi shops here in Doha and even though it is not quite a cheap eat, she is having the time of her life indulging in her favourite sweet. 

This is a Mexican Coffee Bun also known as Roti Boy Buns or Buns from Papparoti.  It is lip licking good! This treat originates from Malaysia and is a light aromatic bun with a buttery center and crispy coffee outer layer. This one is topped with caramel (other toppings include chocolate, toffee, cheese etc). No doubt we are frequent visitors to one of the many Papparoti shops here in Doha - t'is the new Cinnabon in my opinion! 

Katara Pigeon Towers (it houses pigeons!) constructed in indigenous mud-brick style. 

Pigeons, camels, horses and falcons are important animals in Arabia.  Pigeons, unlike camels, horses & falcons taken along by nomadic tribes during their wanderings, are associated with settlement and domesticity and are often kept in dovecotes at family compounds.  Pigeons are also prized because their cooing is said to be similar to the phrase "udhkur Allah" which means "remember God".  The three pigeon towers by Katara Mosque are a beautiful tribute to this tradition and provides an air of tranquility and calmness to the general area.

 Katara - I have almost no words to describe this mind blowing project and space.  It is a Cultural Village, an exceptional project of hope for human interaction through art and cultural exchange. Keeping pace with the emerging global culture that emphasises the importance of diversity in human development, Katara is a place of gathering and features theaters, concert halls, exhibition galleries, museums, restaurants, a beach with water sports, art cinemas, a childhood cultural center, an amphitheater and opera house and even career advise centers and a mall for children.

According to the Katara website "the village shall be a glimpse of the future of a world where people of different cultural backgrounds overcome their national boundaries and embrace common causes to promote a united humanity.  Katara is where the grace of the past meets the splendour of the future" 

This is a space where one can either visit for specific reasons or simply wander around and soak up the atmosphere.  

 The 3275 sqm amphitheater at Katara seats 5000 people.  I completely forgot to take a photo from the top of the theater, it overlooks the ocean and the views are epic to say the least.

Fancy shopping in Italy?  You can do this right here in Doha. This mall features mostly shops from Germany, the UK, US and Italy and even boasts a 150 meter long indoor canal with gondolas. After being shopping deprived in South Africa, we are finally in heaven once again. The few international brands available in South Africa sadly sells old stock from seasons past.

We enjoy going to this mall as it features a fabulous indoor theme park, a go kart track (the husband is a fan and raced competitively in the UAE and also won against 150 racers at Kyalami in South Africa last year), an Olympic size ice rink which is home to the Qatar Ice Hockey League, ten pin bowling center and roller coaster. 

No doubt we enjoyed hanging out at the mall this past weekend since we saw outside temperatures rising to 54 degrees Celsius (that is 129,2 degrees fahrenheit!). I managed to capture the reading at 53 degrees.  It is hot, very hot. Hot. As. Hell. At 9:30 in the evening it was still 40 degrees Celsius.  We love it though, the entire family dislike winter and we hope to only ever experience winter again when we go skiing, never again as a living experience.

Have a nice week!  I am joining my first craft share soon and hope to tell you more about the one and only yarn store available to us in Qatar!

Cheers!

Sending Ripples

Hello!

Two years ago the children and I lived in a gorgeous villa in the middle of the rainforest on the tropical island of Penang, Malaysia and frequently traveled via taxi, ferry, train and plane to our apartment near Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand where The Husband was working. I loved those train trips as I spent many hours crocheting away listening to the clickety clack of the train on a track. Bangkok was a 1 hour and 50 minute flight away from Penang Island; a 22 hour slow train trip covered the same distance!

A year and a half ago, we all packed up to continue our adventures in Mumbai, India and two weeks before the container with our belongings was to be shipped to India, the company's sister office in South Africa requested The Husband to join them in Johannesburg. Aaaaack! I arrived in South Africa kicking and screaming since I had to withdrew myself from a highly interesting ethnographic research I had just committed to in Asia. 

Today we are packing up house once again. Just because you were born somewhere, doesn't mean you belong there. We don't belong in South Africa, we are Global Nomads feeling at ease where East meets West. We are returning to our beloved Middle East where we raised our family for 8 years prior to living in South East Asia. We experienced Dubai rising from the desert, we are off to Qatar to experience the same all over again. We are beyond excited, we love living in the middle of the world where a 2-3 hour flight takes one to the most amazing destinations imaginable! Iran, India, Turkey and Tibet; the world is my oyster.

Talking about oysters - I used to love wearing neutral shades of oyster, blush, nude and peach, and especially like the combination of these with silvery grey.  I have this major urge to  revamp not only my wardrobe to incorporate more of these lighter colours, but am thinking of hooking a throw for our new abode in the desert in neutrals too.  

This scarf (hmm, yip another scarf!) is hooked in Vinnis Nikkim 100% cotton yarn in Peach-558. I absolutely fell in love with the Vintage Fan Ripple stitch by Janis Cortese and might use the same stitch for a blanket in a vintage colour scheme in the future.  

Note: 

The pattern diagram on Ravelry indicates hdc as the foundation stitches of the fans - it should in fact be sc (US terminology).  Even though the symbols are incorrect, Janis describes the stitches correctly.

Drawings source links on Pinterest  

Print by Jacqueline Maldonado