My heart will go on with knitting: Review on Tulip's stitch markers in HEART SHAPE

Hi Knitters,

Recently I had a few trips to Asia.  It was great to explore the world and found out what knitters from the other side of the earth are up to.

When I went back to my home city Hong Kong, I went to a local yarn store in called Cheer Wool Co. Ltd in Wan Chai and got this:

Yes! Jumbo stitch markers in heart shape!!!!!!!!

Are they just lovely?  There are totally 6 of these stitch markers in the package.  They are made by Tulip, a celebrated Japanese brand that is famous for it's crochet hooks and other knitting accessories.  Elastic.  Made of polyethylene as indicated on the package.

I used two of the markers to finished a hood that was originally designed by me as a snood.  That's Op. 24.  Opus twenty-four.  

The snood was knitted with US #10 needles.  The usage of the markers were actually optional.  It was just easier to distinguish the borders on both sides and the subtle heart shape pattern in the center of the rows with the help of the markers. It was not especially easily or difficult to use the markers.  Nothing special about it except the appearance.  Yeah, you don't have to own them.  But I bet when you see them you'll just go crazy like me.  

These markers are pretty big.  You shouldn't have problem using them on needles even in US size 15 (10.0mm).  (I tested it)  Anyhow, details and pattern of Op. 24 will be blogged.  Stay tuned.  

Happy knitting!

Variation may not be a good idea

Hi knitters,

I designed a hat pattern which requires only simple techniques like knit, purl and slipping.  What I tried to do was to create something beautiful and simple.  So I tried to make a complicated pattern with the knitting skills mentioned above.  

I was wrong.  The pattern looked weird to me.  It was pretty but...something was just WRONG.  The first 2/3 was fine.  I made some variation for the last 1/3 and expected an interesting pattern would show.  Hm....Disappointment fell to me.  So I undid the last part of it and continue the same pattern until the end.

Sometimes, it's better to keep things simple and neat than complicated the matter and keep the faith that "change must be good".  Sometimes it doesn't work that way.

Anyhow, thanks to the help of those makers from Clover, I have my hat done.  I used those as stitch markers and row markers.  They worked great with size #8 needles.   It wouldn't work well for laces.  May buy something smaller for tiny projects in the future.  

Pattern for this hat will be available soon.  Thanks for reading and

HAPPY KNITTING