Shawl Love

Hello!  I hooked this beautiful lacy shawl for The Teen over the past week using a yarn that I have been eager to try out for months since I bought a few balls prior to leaving South Africa earlier this year. African Expressions Soul is a 4 ply/sock weight yarn in merino wool, mulberry silk and kid mohair. According to their website - 

"African Expressions was born from the desire for Africa to share her natural beauty with the rest of the world. Through our unique range of yarns we express the essence of that which makes Africa magical. Our range of select colours is inspired by the landscapes of South Africa - from sunrise to sunset. Each colour represents one small element that makes Africa, Africa. Our heart and soul is knitted firmly into Africa and would like to invite you to join us in this “African Expressions” Experience."

Brenda Grobler designed the most beautiful pull over for African Expressions. It is a great pity that I only brought 6 balls along, but i have bookmarked her pattern and really want to try it out!

The Teen is in seven heavens and has already worn her shawl with an off-the shoulder velvet top and a maxi skirt in a sheer fabric with the "above the knee" part lined but the rest of the skirt left flowy and see through. The complete look is utterly stunning and I am so sorry for not posting a picture, but I you can help me catch a Teen for a photo op . . . . 

Images :RawRustic and Own

Pattern: Eva's Shawl by Milobo available for free from Ravelry

Hook Size: 5mm in  order to achieve this lacy effect with a sock weight yarn

Yarn: Soul from African Expressions in two colourways. Body is worked in a solid army green/grey colour code 7289 and I then edged in a stripey version where this army green/grey is combined with blue code 7042M  The effect of this yarn is quite mesmerizing! 

Hook Size: 5mm in  order to achieve this lacy effect with a sock weight yarn

Images: RawRustic and Own

Problematic Painful Pedantic Patterns

"Melancholy". The gloomy state of mind here at the Pigtails Palace after I failed to decipher a pattern that is described as problematic on Ravelry.

Image created with the Intuos Pen and Touch and computer by The Teen who recently turned 15 years old. She reminds everybody that copyright belongs to her.

Pattern: The beautiful Barcelona Jacket. 

Bodice: King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK

Hook Size: 4mm

Problem: Pattern riddled with mistakes and perhaps also a project best suited to advanced crocheters rather than the intermediate level mentioned. Some Ravelry members either frogged or hibernated this project. Others commented that they heavily modified the pattern, found it frustrating or even undecipherable. I am thinking that the few who enjoyed the pattern are experienced hookers! To quote a member on Ravelry:

Nice yarn + completely undecipherable pattern instructions + approx. 4 months wasted on this bad boy = crappy, frustrating project ==> unhappy crocheter (me!) UGH!!!PS -- Dear Caron pattern editors: this is the second Caron crochet pattern that has driven me nuts and according to both designers it is because you apparently change/alter/edit their original instructions. PLEASE reconsider your editing strategy!!! Thank you.

Personally, I am stuck on row 3 of the sleeves and cannot proceed until I understand what needs to be done. My frustration levels hit red on the "frustratometer".  The Teen is most disappointed too. She needs something pretty to wear with a long sleeved velvet top that leaves her shoulders bare since the official dress code in Qatar demands shoulders be covered.

The pattern reads like an Escher staircase as I also mentioned on Instagram e.g. (not actual pattern) rows 118-129 (6 pattern repeats) repeat rows 58-69  (6 pattern repeats) and when I get to those rows, it says to repeat rows 8-19 (5 pattern repeats) except for row 10 (increase) and rows 8-19 is in fact a repeat of rows 2-5 which forms the base of the pattern . . .  

Last night I started hooking a pretty wrap instead and decided to use a sock yarn in silk, mohair and wool with hook size 5 to create a lacy effect. As soon as she saw it, The Teen demanded to know who that was for. I said whoever wants it. Turns out she wants it. The mood is a happy one once again!   

Have a great week and do let me know whether you have hibernated or frogged an item before due to poorly written patterns rather than personal preferences!

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!

Toothpicks and a Cardboard Box

Doily + toothpicks + cardboard box = blocking with minimal resources

I already have a plan to crochet a throw resembling Islamic design

Vinnis Serina in Dark Army or Army + Amanda Perkins pattern in either Clementine or Jonquil = Islamic inspired throw

Our new abode

This is the view from the l-shaped courtyard on the ground floor

There is also a rooftop patio leading from the third floor

T's a happy feeling home

BUT

We have a pink, yes a PINK kitchen for goodness sake!

Dusky pink and stone coloured tiles . . . 

Loving the Linen Stitch!

 

 Pattern: Woven Stitch/Linen Stitch

Yarn: Drops Paris in 6 different colours

Hook Size: 5mm

Thank you once again for my gorgeous yarn Haafner, I have doilies hanging from the hooks at the moment and hope my effort to create gorgeous doily bowls does not disappoint! 

 A while back I spotted these hand-size butterfly beauties from the 1920's in an antique store and instantly fell in love with it. When The Teen gave me an idea of what she would like her new room to look like, I realised that these would make for a perfect start to execute her vision. I was doing the happy dance when my eye also spotted the brass mirror, it is solid and heavy and I wish I had more information about the origin of this standing mirror. The glass was broken, but life is endlessly surprising and a glass & mirror shop trades right across the road from the antique shop. Within 5 minutes, I had a hand cut mirror fitted. 

The Champs Elysees Palace (yes, that is the name of this antique shop!) is owned by a Hindi, Arabic, English and Farsi speaking Iranian. The shop is located on Al Mirqab Al Jadeed Street, Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile Ikea didn't disappoint either! We bought the full length mirror and clothing rack as can be seen in the above picture, with the hat & coat stand and carpet to follow soon.  Looks like the Teen is not interested in this particular throw, but I really like it and think it will be a great item for the master bedroom. 

I have also spotted a gorgeous velvet single bed throw trimmed in faux fur at another one of my favourite stores in the Middle East, namely THE One. Invented by a Swede, the stores are referred to as Theaters: "We don't sell products. We sell feelings. Because we believe that it's not what you buy that's important, it's what you feel after you have bought it."  Apart from ethical sourcing, they make a difference by employing challenged people, do a lot of local volunteering and is involved in a sustainable village community programme. It is easy to see why THE One has been rated the top local employer to work for by global research and management consultancies for the 4th year running.  I am almost feeling guilty for not making that purchase yet!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Today is the last day of what was a wonderful Eid holiday here. 

xxxxxx