can’t believe I almost forgot to post this!

I’ve been going through my trip photos trying to distill them into a good slideshow length for the family (get-together over Easter = trip slideshow time) and I found this one that Vig took!

yarn by bike

This was in Udaipur, Rajasthan (the place with the windy, hilly roads, lake palace, and Octopussy). We were just walking along, and I looked down and alley…and said, “Is that what I think it is?!”

yarn by bike

This dude was selling yarn off the back of his bike! There were at least 2 other women checking out the yarn as well. I was a little shy to ask anything about it (obviously I am studying it very intensely in that photo above!) but I felt it a bit – very un-soft, and the colours were pretty flat too. It didn’t really feel like wool, it was probably synthetic. I think that was the only time I saw yarn for sale in India! I think it was pretty cool!

Checking in on my sweater jacket-in-progress, here’s an updated pic as of Thursday:

getting there...

Right now I’m doing some edging at the bottom (nothing fancy, just garter stitch) and then I’ll be casting off the body! It’s about 21 inches from the underarm, plus another two or so to go. Then it’s onto the sleeves!


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12 responses to “can’t believe I almost forgot to post this!”

  1. yarnpiggy Avatar

    Love the yarn-wallah’s bike! — too bad the yarn wasn’t great.

  2. Silke Avatar

    A friend once brought me a ball of yarn that she bought on her vacation in India. It turned out to be japanese acrylic and was shockingly pink.

    I never asked anybody to bring “souvenir yarn” again ;-)

  3. Tina M. Avatar

    I always forget that knitting and crochet aren’t common other places, when I visit family in Puerto Rico, or they visit here, it’s complete culture shock on both sides. When I bring out the spinning wheel, which is often, it’s jaw-dropping time and then my mom has to try to explain what the hell I’m doing in Spanish. Starting with “it comes from sheep”…

  4. Jennifer Avatar

    Well – even if the yarn wasn’t nice to the touch… the pictures are certainly a delight to the eye. So glad you got such wonderful pictures. A yarn salesman with a bike. Interesting.

  5. Kate Avatar

    Do you read Road Blog Ahead? She talks occasionally about local knitting customs in her adopted Himalayan town – I think your suspicion was right – they do prefer acrylic. The brighter colors and the increased durability. I would imagine that it’s a similar idea that you saw in India.

    Fascinating stuff:
    http://www.customjuju.com/joy/joyblog/?p=312

  6. Hege Avatar

    I love the yarn on the back of the bike pictures!
    To bad the yarn was not good…

  7. erin Avatar

    ha, you look like you’re very intensely investigating the yarn. cute sweater!

  8. shaf Avatar
    shaf

    Hey, i am from India. Nice to hear that u visited our place. I am a big fan of yours and i am doing one of your patterns also (Thermal from knitty). In India this type of synthetic yarns are the only common ones. One can find good quality yarn but only at selected outlets. Nevertheless i am quite fond of knitting and i really like the yarns you can have there in states. I wish i could have them too or the same quality could be available in India.

  9. kitkatknit Avatar

    What pattern (if any) of yours are you using for the sweater jacket? I’ve made your sweaters in bulky using knitters math but it would be great to see an actual pattern on paper!

  10. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Laura — please please please tell us that you’ll be writing up the pattern for this circular yolk cardigan! I’ve got some yarn that I’ve been saving for a cotton sweater, and i’m intrigued by what you’re cookin’ up. keeping my fingers crossed…. :)

  11. Marnie Avatar

    I went to Pune and Mumbai a few years ago and found yarn a few times. I got some pretty cotton yarn from a shop in a little plaza and some really nice laceweight merino at an open air market. Never saw it for sale off a bike, though. That’s pretty fantastic.

  12. TracyKM Avatar

    You’d think Indian cotton yarn would be popular.
    Do you do anything special with bottom garter bands to prevent ‘the flip up’? Always a pet peeve of mine (esp. when using non-blocking type yarns).

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