Crafty Ladies: Lilli and Ines

Last Saturday after lunch I proceeded to Glorietta 2 for my date with Ines. I had no idea who else would be there, but I called first to make sure they were around. Had the good luck to finally meet Lilli!

Lilli noted that like most of the knitters in her group, I knitted Continental, while Ines knitted American style. Apparently Continental knitting is in again. I brought Ines the free diaper cover pattern, plus a free Bernat baby kimono pattern. Ines brought 2 projects, some baby socks and the start of a chocolate brown Lion Brand 100% cotton yarn afghan. I brought along Lilo's coral blouse as an example of what I'd finished, the current yellow dress front, and some practice cabling from a couple of days before.

I told Ines that the joins of my magic loop weren't that tight during my first attempt at home, but she said it had happened to her too on her first try. It really takes a lot of practice. I should have freed up my 2.5mm circulars so that I could start learning magic loop properly, but they were on the yellow dress project. So I didn't actually start on my socks lesson. Maybe on Tuesday afternoon. We ended up talking about how we got into knitting, and about the things we were still excited to learn.

Ines wanted to learn how to work with two colors. I told her about learning it from my Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlecraft (Sydney,1987 - now out of print), but like most people I guess she learns faster from demonstration. I'll probably bring 2 colors of Monaco thread and some needles for that tutorial, apart from the materials for my learning to knit the socks. She was so pleased.

Lilli was doing hardanger, a sort of white-on-white embroidery on linen canvasthat involved some cutwork. The finished product looks much like lace, only geometric. It's for a wedding-ring pillow for her son's upcoming marriage ceremony. In the course of our conversation it turns out that she is the niece of my favorite English teacher in UPIS! And as part of the De Leon clan, she used to go to our church (UP Church of the Risen Lord)! Small world!

As for Ines, I asked if she was a fellow Ilongga, because she would inject the word "dason" ("and then") in her sentences. Turns out that she is from Iloilo (my mom is from near Bacolod). She is a great believer in cotton for most projects. The chocolate brown afghan she is making she wanted to trim with olive green, but there was no olive green available, so she asked the Dreams staff to wind for her a 3-strand ball of Cannon. Which gave me an idea... when the Royal Yarn Winder Joy ordered for me in the US arrives, I'll be able to do the same thing at home!

Lilli will be traveling to Hong Kong soon to get her new orders. Hopefully there will be cable needles in that box. And size 3.5mm and 5.5mm Addi Turbos... And my wish list goes on, hahaha.

I'll be seeing the other crafty ladies Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday Knitting Group

After coming from a business breakfast meeting last Tuesday I had some time to pass by our local yarn shop Dreams, in Glorietta 2. It's run by Lilli de Leon, a lady whose work with DMC inspired her to put up her own shop. She carries most of the stuff you'd expect of a modest LYS in the US or Singapore, and offers lessons. Two months ago I called her to find out whether she would stock Addi Turbos in specific sizes. That phone call inspired my first ever (don't laugh) MRT ride to Ayala, in fear that the needles would sell out fast. Lilli told me about a group of ladies who meet every Tuesday to do needlecraft together and share techniques. This got me all excited, but time passed and I forgot about it. Yes, last Tuesday I met three senior ladies, Pacita, Nora and Ines. Nora mentioned that the rest usually came after lunch, by which time things would get more lively. Unfortunately Lilli was not there yet. That's the second time I've missed meeting her.

Pacita does tatting and a Japanese embroidery technique, and gauging from samples of her work, she's VERY good. She said she was interested in learning bobbin lace, which Lilli is presently passionate about. Nora enjoys knitting, and showed me some baby socks in the works (one set circulars technique - MUST LEARN!). Ines was also knitting baby socks in a different pattern, and said that if I would join them Tuesdays (also Saturdays in Ines' case) she would teach me how to make baby and adult socks! How could I resist! She uses Monaco or Cannon crochet cotton with 2.5mm (US size 2) Addi Turbos. I will be there this Saturday. Pronto!

Ines asked me to show something I'd made, so maybe I'll bring Lilo's baby dress. I told her about this free pattern for a vintage knitted "soaker panty" or diaper cover that babies used to wear over cloth diapers when disposable nappies weren't invented yet. Apparently, using natural fibers meant that babies back then didn't suffer nappy rash. Babies using cloth diapers were also toilet trained earlier. I told her that the use of knitted diaper covers is coming back in vogue in the US, and I'm sure pretty soon some moms in the Philippines will follow suit. Since one of her sons just started a family and now works overseas, she was mightily enthused by the idea. I'll print it out for her when I go. I'll also bring the acrylic practice version I made (too warm for the Philippines, methinks).

I had to leave in order to get home in time for lunch and get back to work, but while I was there I got myself some double-pointed needles (in sizes US 1, 2 and 3) and some irresistible mystery yarn from the sale bin (fingering weight, in brown, yellow and cream). I went there wondering if they had cable needles, but those were out of stock. Fortunately I could use dpn's in the meantime. I want to learn cabling to be able to make gifts from male friends and family, and as detailing for garments.

Ambitious, hey? Yes, but more like inspired. You get that from meeting new friends who knit.

[Dreams. G/F Glorietta 2, Ayala Center, Makati City. Tel. 894-5380. Lessons offered in cross stitch, hardanger, tatting, knitting and crochet. Lilli de Leon, teacher and owner.]