Drop-stitch scarf

Got some new yarn over the weekend from the store Uncommon Threads. Finished a drop-stitch scarf with it. See pattern



Just got the shipment for the Tahki Stacy Charles New tweed yarn. Can't wait to start working on the poncho this weekend.

Baby Boots

Finished the baby boots over the weekend. Tried various different sizes and finally settled on one. Hope it fits her well. Fingers crossed.

Andaman Islands

Andaman and Nicobar islands is a group of over 400 islands nestled in the Bay of Bengal/Indian Ocean. Most of the islands are uninhabited or occupied by the tribes of the region. However there are many islands that are developed and have lately been attracting tourists from all over the world.

I got an opportunity to visit the islands this February. After visiting the islands the first thought that comes to me is "Why haven't I visited this place before" or "Why haven't I heard people raving about it". It offers as many possibilities to tourists as Hawaii or the California coast. The reason for this is its inaccessibility (just one flight a day from chennai/calcutta, extremely high fares, no international flights considering it is about the same distance from indonesia as india). But now the government is planning to fix some of these issues. Hopefully this will help the tourism industry there and build the local economy. But I pray that in the interests of tourism they do not destroy the pristine beauty of the islands by making it extremely commercial (with resorts, etc.) like Goa

We visited quite a few islands but the two main islands visited were Port Blair and Havelock. The islands are all unique - some of them are rocky like Port Blair while some are sandy like Havelock. They have regular ferries between Port Blair and various islands.

Port Blair

Must-do's in Port Blair:
1. The cellular jail - Visit the cell of Veer Savarkar. See the sound and light show in the evening
2. Drive along the ocean (This is just like Route 1). A lot of this was destroyed by the Tsunami last year but they have started fixing it
3. Beaches
4. Cottage Industries - The store has lots of things very unique to andaman - Cane/Bamboo artwork and furniture, coral jewelry, shell work - chandeliers, etc. And all very reasonably priced
5. Ross Island (Owned by the Indian army)

Where to stay:
Fortune bay resort - Very lovely on a bluff with the view of the ocean. There is an impressive view of the lighthouse that appears on the Rupee 20 note

Some Pictures:

Fortune Bay Resort:



Cellular Jail:





Havelock island

This is an island about 2 hours from Port Blair. The islands claim to fame is the Radhanagar beach which was featured in the Time magazine in the Top ten best beaches in Asia. And one must definitely visit this island.

Things to do in Havelock:
1. Radhanagar beach - Absolutely the best beach I have been to. The water is lovely, There are hills all around and the sunset there is breathtaking
2. Snorkeling - Lots of coral reefs and the experience is amazing. This was the first time I went snorkeling and it was lots of fun. They also have scuba diving, sailing etc.
3. Hiking - They have lots of fantastic paths with the ocean on one side and hills on the other side. They have lots of different kinds of trees along the path and it is a haven for bird watchers
4. Sunrise - Lovely...and we could view it right from our room :)
5. Elephant training camp

Where to stay:
Dolphin Yatri Nivas Resort - They have cottages right on the beach. And the beach is gorgeous - white sand, hills on one side, the most varied range of blue water (thanks to the coral reefs)

Some Pictures:

Dolphin Resort





Havelock

Brussels

Brussels is a gorgeous city. It has a lot of Parisian influence in terms of architecture etc. But it has a dutch influence also which makes it very unique and not as if you were in mini-Paris. This mix of French and Dutch is seen in the fact that all street names in Brussels are written in both languages.

The city has palaces, museums, churches etc. but the few must do's are:
1. Grande Place - It is almost impossible to describe this. It is a huge square in the heart of Brussels and each building in this square is unique and absolutely breathtaking
2. Manneken Piss - It is kind of funny that this is such a famous sculpture :) But people swarm it like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre. Another unique thing is that they dress the statue in different themes. When we visited there was an Asterix-Obelix theme
3. Oh so yum Waffles - and there is a difference between Belgian waffles and Brussels Waffles
4. Chocolates - No substitute to belgian chocolates
5. Tapestry - Very famous..all very exquisite

Some Pictures:




Tips:
None, since my uncle and aunt took care of everything...so no planning...nothing :)

Copenhagen-Denmark

Denmark is a country of castles and kings and ofcourse the famous fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. There are lots of fantastic castles all over the country, each one unique and very impressive. There are two castles in Copehagen itself.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a very charming city. The city has a fantastic mix of the modern and the traditional which is very apparent when you are at the city center knows as Radhuspladsen. And the danes are extremely friendly and nice. And they speak really good english.

The city can be explored on foot. All the sights can be explored in a day but you need another day to just enjoy the city, the food, the shopping and the beer.

A one day itinerary:
1. The little mermaid (Den lille havfrue) - This is Copenhagen's most favorite statue.
2. Rosenborg Slot. Take a tour of the castle inside. Visit the crown jewels collection. Stroll in the huge garden surrounding it.
3. Walk to Amalienborg Slot (about 15-20 mins). There is a change of guard ceremony at 12 everyday. Its pretty impressive (Haven't seen the one at Bukingham Palace) and they let you stand pretty close and watch
4. Walk towards the ocean to get a view of the new opera house
5. Walk to Nyhavn. This is very unique and is a good representation of Copenhagen. Enjoy a meal there in some fantastic seafood restaurants
6. Walk to the central square and relax and enjoy the beauty (Opera, Hotel d'Anglettere, etc)
7. Christianborg Slot which is the parliament house
8. Boat Cruise that takes you along all the attractions
9. Walk along Stroget (Lots to shop :)
10. Relax at Radhuspladsen
11. Spend the evening/night at the Tivoli

Some Pictures:






Must-do things:
1. Eat danishes :), their bread and ofcourse beer (they have a special beer during christmas and the day they start serving this beer is an event by itself :)
2. Walk along stroget and shop
3. Visit the Oresund bridge that connects sweden and denmark (Very impressive). Best view is from the flight while landing
4. Buy Amber (House of Amber) and porcelain stuff (Royal Copenhagen, other stores on Stroget)

Restaurant recommendations for vegetarians:
1. Indian Taj (Amazing indian food in the heart of Copenhagen)
2. Tapas Bar and Restaurant (Really good spanish food. Lots of vegetarian plates)
3. The blue elephant at the Radisson (Thai)
4. Vesuvius of Copenhagen (Italian - pizzas and pastas)

All of these restaurants are at the city center.

Exploring around Copenhagen

A day trip around Copenhagen is a must. There are lots of castles to visit and other smaller cities to enjoy. And ofcourse nothing is as spectacular as driving around the countryside with the windmills and the traditional danish homes

Following attractions are a must see:
1. Kronborg slot - This is the hamlet castle at Helsingor. Very nice. If possible try to catch a hamlet play there. You also get the best view of Helsingborg in Sweden from here. They have ferries between the two countries here
2. Frederiksborg slot - A very impressive danish castle built on an island. Just what one would imagine a castle to be like as a kid with a moat
3. Fredensborg slot - This is where the royalty resides in summer. The baroque gardens around the castle is massive and very beautiful A walk along the garden takes you to an impressive view of the Lake Esrum, the second largest lake in Denmark

Exploring mainland Denmark (have not done it yet)

1. Great belt bridge
2. Esekov castle
3. Legoland

Knitting

(Click on image for a larger view)

This is my current passion. I have been taking classes for three weeks now (3 classes so far) . Last weekend, I finished a scarf. It is a simple scarf in garter stitch (See below) using the lionbrand yarn Boucle



The knitting projects I am currently working on are:
1. Poncho
2. Diagonal scarf
3. Baby boots for my new-born niece (pattern)

Going to go yarn shopping this weekend :)

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4/17/2006

Baby boots

Finished the baby boots over the weekend. Tried various different sizes and finally settled on one. Hope it fits her well. Fingers crossed.



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4/22/2006

Drop-Stitch Scarf

Got some new yarn over the weekend from the store Uncommon Threads. Finished a drop-stitch scarf with it. See pattern



Just got the shipment for the Tahki Stacy Charles New tweed yarn. Can't wait to start working on the poncho this weekend.

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5/13/2006

My very first felted bag

This was my first felting project. I made it using my own instincts..so did not follow any patterns. It turned out quite well. ..the handle is a little wider and longer than I hoped. Also I wish the yarn was a little softer. Felting rocks cause it beautifully hides all knitting errors :)

Below are pictures of the purse before and after felting

BEFORE
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AFTER
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5/26/2006

Drop-stitch poncho

Finally finished the drop-stitch poncho and I absolutely love it. It was very simple to knit but looks really cool. The pattern is from Lorna Miser and I used Tahki New Tweed (absolutely love the yarn and have ordered more not knowing what I will make).

I used some beads to just make it a little more dressy :)




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6/20/2006

Corkscrew scarf

Bought a lot of yarn in May hoping to knit some new things like a sweater, some party purses, shawl etc..but so far have not made much progress...

Below is a picture with all the yarn accumulated :). I have some :
- Noro Kureyon (#52) with a dark brown cascade 220 for DP's sweater from Sally Melville's color book.
- I have a Laura shciffer variegated yarn (extremely gorgeous) for an opera scarf and ofcourse
- my favorite Tahki New Tweed (in dark red) for the anthroplogie capelet and/or the circular shrug and
- a dark maroon acrylic yarn to make a shawl and some wool and fancy yarn for some party purses.



The only FO in the last two months has been a corkscrew scarf (pattern) in blue....Pretty lovely..I underestimated the length..so it is quite long and not as wide and ruffled..I would have prefered it to be a little wider..anyways looks nice..

Hiking

If only this rain would stop!!

Paris

Paris is the most gorgeous and romantic city in the world. The architecture, the museums, the cafes and boulangeries, the seine and just walking on the streets of Paris is just amazing. One can visit the place a million times and would still want to come back for more.

Below is a sample 4 day itinerary to Paris that we followed. The itinerary is based on proximity of the locations to one another so you are not spending time traveling:

Day 1: Hotel des Invalides, La tour Eiffel, Cruise on the Seine at dusk starting neat the Eiffel tour (as the lights are just about to come on)
Day 2: Notre Dame, Versailles (Plan to go there on the day they have the Grandes eaux musicaines), Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe
Day 3: Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Saint Chapelle
Day 4: Opera Garnier, Galleries Lafayette

Some Pictures:





Must do in Paris besides visiting the touristy places:

1. Pasteries at Laduree (most famous for their macaroons)
2. Seine cruise as lights come on
3. Musee d'Orsay
4. Notre Dame at Night
5. Strolling along the Seine and buying local artwork
6. Visiting a local boulangerie
   

Tips:

1. Stay in a centralized location, preferably near Louvre/Notre dame. There are a couple of hotels on Rue de rivoli and Rue du Pont Neuf. One recommendation is the Hotel Ducs de Bourgogne (Best Western chain). This will reduce travel time and avoid taking the metro to go everywhere. Also there is lots of streets to stroll on and discover new things
2. Buy a book of 10 tickets for the metro. It is very convenient over buying a 2/3 day pass.
3. Buy cheese and wine and art from local artists on the street
4. Have a heavy breakfast. Most hotels include breakfast in the rate and it is amazing. Also this way you can have a light lunch (a baguette sandwich, crepe, etc) and get more sightseeing done.
5. Visit the museums on the first Sunday of the month if possible. There is no entry tickets. Absolutely free!!