My Blessing to All of You/我的祝福

This is a family of stuffed owls that I made two days ago. The Japanese word for owl is fukurou, they made these as a gift for friends and there are not only as gifts but also as a blessing too. Because fuku in Japanese shares the same meaning and writing as the Chinese fu (褔) and fukurou seem to sound like fuku so they like the idea of giving their friends stuffed owls. 

Another Kuala Lipis Popular Breakfast/立啤早餐-章哥麵。

This is my version or replica of Kuala Lipis famous breakfast noodles, known as Cheong koh mien aka Cheong koh noodles. Cheong koh in Hakka means brother Cheong, It is also another Kuala Lipis specialty, it's a very popular breakfast noodles know as Cheong Koh Mien is noodles with minced chicken, fish balls and shredded dried shitake mushroom. The store is now operated by Cheong koh's son. There is also one in Kuala Lumpur which is operated by Cheong koh's eldest son. My version of Cheong koh mien is the original version and the one in Kuala Lipis has not shitake mushroom and fish balls in it. Originally the store only sells this noodles, with the choice of thick noodles, egg noodles, tear drop rice noodles aka silver noodles or mouse noodles and rice vermicelli. You can have it with soup or no soup, the egg noodles maybe ordered toss with dark soy sauce. Cheong koh's chilli sauce is also very good too. This is my childhood breakfast and if you ever go to Kuala Lipis, do have a bowl of Cheong koh noodle. You'll have to go early 'cos they sold out pretty quick.

My Tatting Project/我的梭织产品

Tatted Rose Ear Rings

I got the pattern of this pair of ear rings off a Japanese tatting book. I altered the way of putting it together by adding silver beads in between the link.
      

                                              Tatted Seahorse Bookmark
It is meant to be a pendant, but instead of using a thinner thread size I used Japanese shashiko's thread given to me by a friend. It turned out to be a little bit bigger.  So I think using as a bookmark is more appropriate. I think the size of this thread is similar to the no. 20 tatting cotton which tatters normally use. I got the pattern from www.ds9designs.com/patterns free.shtml and it belongs to Debbie Amold.

More Tatting Project/更多梭织产品

                                             Tatted pair of frog ear rings
I got the idea from a tatting blogspot, I did some alterations. I showed it to a friend and she said it looks more like an owl if I turn it the other way round. I think she is right, it does look like an owl.

                          Tatted doves and pearls bracelet and ear rings set
This is the second project I just finished a few days ago. I got the dove pattern from a lady by the name of Joann Stearns aka Sliver Shuttle. I would like to thanks her for being so generous to share the pattern with those who tat. I also used multi-coloured thread like hers but of different colour.

Origami And Paper Craft Projects/折纸和纸工艺项目

Origami Lotus - Serviette Holder

 Japanese Ladies Made From Pipi aka Clam Shells

Origami Doll

These are the three paper craft samples that I've made. The lotus is made of serviettes and it is meant to be place in the centre of the table for guests to take one either to hold deep fried food or to wipe their mouths or clean their hands after eating.
The pipi aka clam ladies are made from empty clam shells. Using Japanese washi papers. The origami doll is my last year's Christmas decoration workshop sample.

Mother's Day - First Sunday of May母亲节 - 五月的第一个星期天

                                             This is what we had for mother's day dinner. 

                                        A card that I made for friends to celebrate mother's day.

It was suppose to be posted on mother's day. I was busy doing something else and so this is a late hand up. As the saying goes, better late than never. My two sons are chefs, so on mother's day they said it's too much a hassle to go out for dinner. They gave me some money and that is what we have for dinner on mother's day. Half of the dishes were store bought and half were cooked by me. My friend complain about me cooking the dinner, it doesn't matter who cooked dinner on that day. The most important thing is that the person who cooked it is happy to do it. I don't mind doing it because that day was my sons day off and it's a bit much if they have to cook on that day too because they are always cooking for someone else almost everyday.

Ways to finish the left over yarns/odd balls/如何使用遗留纱线/奇球

                                                        Close-up of the 2nd photo

I've found two simple crochet patterns to finish left-over yarns/odd balls. It is very easy to make and it can be made into scarvf, cowl, bolero. handbag and small blanket for warming your legs while watching television in winter. The patterns come from a Japanese crochet book.

Burwood Wrap's Brithday - 10th May 2011寶活百家被子聚会的诞日.

Burwood Wrap is I year old on the 10th of May 2011, it was started in the first week of May last year. The total wraps/blankets for the whole year is 109. That is 109 x 27 squares, all in all we have knitted and crocheted 2943 squares. The Mayor of Burwood attended the party and most of the ladies brought a plate of food to share. There were lots of different food and we all have a good time. Thank you ladies, well done. Keep up with the good job.

Famous Breakfast of Kuala Lipis/著名的瓜拉立卑的早餐 - 糯米飯仁当.

                                          Rendang and Pulut aka Dry Beef Curry and Sticky Rice
I was born in Kuala Lumpur and raised in Kuala Lipis by my grandparents. Kuala Lipis was the old capital of the state of Pahang, it is situated in the middle of Pahang. The railroad from Kelantan to Singapore has to pass through Kuala Lipis. Kuala Lipis used to be the capital of the state of Pahang but later it was  change to Kuantan. After the changed Kuala Lipis became a death town, business stated moving with the capital and people being transferred away from Lipis. I've always like Kuala Lipis, it's quiet and peaceful. There are three streets and a back lane in the town of Kuala Lipis. The street are Main street, Jelai street and Cross street. Jelai street is beside the Jelai river. The famous breakfast can be bought at Cross street. The store was run by an Indonesian migrant and now it is operated by his brother's son. It is basically dry beef curry served with steamed sticky or glutinous rice. The curry has beef or chicken, roasted grated coconut, spices, kaffir lime leaves and ketchup manis aka sweet dark soy sauce in it. When I was young, they used to sell them in banana leaf packet. One packet consist of  a small amount of sticky rice and a small lump of sauce without the meat cost 10 cents. If one wants a piece of meat with it, one have to pay 50 cents more for the meat. It is eaten as breakfast or lunch, most of the school children will buy a packet to bring to school as lunch. You can still buy them at Cross street today, but it will definitely cost more than 10 cents. I am not sure how much it will cost now because I haven't been back to Kuala Lipis for 20 year. So here is the famous Kuala Lipis breakfast that I have cooked for my family breakfast yesterday. Enjoy.
                                                                                              

My First Love-Tatting/我的初恋 - 梭织

Tatting is my first love, I learned how to tat when I was 10 years old. It was taught to me by my 4th aunty, who in turn learned it from a nurse in Kuala Lipis general hospital, When she was admitted while waiting for an operation. She discharge herself half way through waiting and so was her learning how to tat. I finished my lesson from a teacher who came to my class as a replacement teacher. I tatted for a while, and didn't touch it till now. At first I thought that tatting was dead, I began to crochet instead. I have kept my shuttles with me all this while, till one day while I was browsing the internet for ideas to crochet. Out of curiosity I type the word tatting blogspot, and to my surprise there were quite a lot of sites came on screen. I was so happy that tatting is not dead, it still very much alive and it's all over the world. I was so excited like I've found my long lost friend again. Here is a bracelet that I've tatted and the pattern is from a Japanese tatting book and I've altered a bit of it. I would like to say thank you to Mrs. Lee Beng Keong once again for showing me how to do the picot join.

Ikan Masak Assam Pedas/Sour 'n Spicy Fish in Coconut Milk - 椰汁煮酸辣 鱼.

One of my family's favourite Malaysian dish. It's usually cooked with a fish head, and the English name for it is spicy and sour fish head curry. Here I used blue eye cod belly instead. It has fish belly, egg-plants, okra aka lady's fingers, tomato, coconut milk, curry powder for sea food, dried tamarind slices, lemon grass, galangal, ground chilli and curry leaves. It is has a hot, sour, savory and sweet taste. It goes very well with plain cooked rice.

Things That I Love Doing/我喜欢做的事情

                                                            
     These are the things I made when I have a few hours of the afternoon free. I made this firstly is just to keep myself occupied and secondly is as a gift for birthdays, charity groups and Christmas. I am currently running crochet workshop in the council community center close to where I live.                                             

                                                          

Interview From Local Paper For Wrap With Love/ 百家被子当地新闻报道.

Sorry for a poor quality photo, I just scanned it off the newspaper clipping. Recently I was interviewed by the local paper as part of the community spotlight. I belong to a charity group call "Wrap With Love" an initiative that started in Australia, which has many branches of small individual groups all over the country. The group I am part of started last year and is located in Burwood, New South Wales. We meet at Burwood library every Tuesday from 10.30 am to 12.00 noon. We are a group of women from different parts of the world who get together to knit or crochet squares before joining them to make a blanket - 28 squares are needed to make a blanket.
Prior experience is not required to join us. We are after all just a group of women who would like to give back to the greater community. In our group we not only learn how to knit or crochet but we also share recipes and life experience. It is up to you whether or not to bring your own yarns but we would appreciate it if you can bring your own knit needles or crochet hooks. So come along  and have fun.

Special Request/特殊要求

Thank you, for your visit. I would like to start this blog of mine in a better way but destiny always has her way. I would like you to say 2 prayers please. One for those who are living, working and studying in Eastern Japan at the time of the earth-quake. The other one is for those who have love ones in Eastern Japan. May God blessed them all.  Thank you for your prayers. May you be blessed too. It is for a friend who has a son studying in Tokyo. and whom I  haven't met for 38 years. We parted way since after our high school days. We found each other just a day before the earth-quake in Eastern Japan. Once again, thank you for your kindness.