Setiawan, Perak

We took advantage of this Hari Raya Puasa holidays to go for a day trip to Setiawan, Perak. I knew there is a Chinese Temple called "Da Bo Gong Temple", which is located in Kampung Pasir Panjang, Setiawan, Perak.

What a spectacular sight!! It was so amazing when I saw the giant size statues of deities. Below the giant size statues, there were many other statues on the inside and outside of the courtyard. A part from that, there was a garden next to the temple. There were many statues lining the side of the path leading to three man-made caves which contains a deity respectively. Walk through the caves, you could see many other statues of deities and the animals from the Chinese lunar calendar were built around a big fish pond. From my observation, the main attraction drawing crowds of visitors is the feature of these unique statues.

giant size statues of deities.

small statues at the surrounding of the temple

the Da Bo Gong temple

man-made cave

fish pond

There was also a monkey park nearby the courtyard. There was a concrete pathway leading to the mangrove forest. It is pity that a lot of mangrove trees were felled at the both side of the pathway as if for a certain purpose. It seemed to me that the management was going to build something here because I saw a few buildings around the temple still under construction.

the entrance of monkey park

sea view at the monkey park

After the visit of the temple, we drove to Kampung Koh for our lunch. We stopped by an old-fashioned restaurant. I was so curious there was a lot of people queuing up at the back of the restaurant. I found that they were queuing up to buy a kind of traditional Foo Chow biscuit called "Gong Pia". Obviously, the demand exceeded the supply. The biscuits were still in the baking process .......while so many people willing to wait for a long time.....this made me even more curious about its attractions. I placed an order and queued up too......

They were using a very special charcoal oven to bake the biscuits. The appearance of the oven looked like a well and the baking method was so special. I saw them stuck the the flattened doughs on the wall of the oven one by one. What a manual process!! It is really a labour-intensive industry.

Another Foo Chow cuisine that I had never tried was the rice vermicelli noodles in red wine. I heard that this kind of noodles is a local delicacy and the red wain is made from fermentation of red yeast rice.

red wine rice noodle served with chicken meat

It is worth to pay a visit to Setiawan, Perak ........ We tried something new there.

Drop stitches

 A Drop stitch is worked by wrapping the yarn twice (or more times) around the right needle instead of once and dropping the extra loop (loops) on the following row. The more times you wrap the yarn  around the needle the longer the drop stitch. If you want to make a really long drop stitch, you can wrap the yarn on the right needle more times.

The photo below shows you how I make drop stitches by wrapping the yarn twice around the right needle. I always get the drop stitches done knitwise.

1. Insert the needle tip into the first stitch as you are going to knit a stitch and then wrap the yarn around the right needle twice.

2. & 3. Pull the two stitches through as you complete the knit stitch. Knit every stitch with this method until the end of the row.

4. Look at the photo, the number of stitches is increased.

5. Turn your work. On the following row, knit one stitch and then drop the extra one stitch off the left needle. Repeat this step until the end of the row.

6. See the result.....a nice looking pattern.

Now you can try to create other drop stitches by wrapping the yarn more times around the needle. You can also try to create them purlwise.


Note: 
There is another method to create the same pattern of drop stitches as shown above :

• Knit one stitch, then yarn over twice on your right needle. Repeat this step until the end of the row.

• Turn your work. Knit one stitch and then drop the extra one stitch off the left needle to create elongated stitch. Repeat this step until the end of the row. 

Yarn-Over (YO)

What is yarn-over? Yarn-over is a method for increasing a stitch. It is an essential increase method to all lace patterns in knitting.

A yarn-over increase is made by simply winding the yarn once around the right needle. We can make one stitch by Yarn-Over between two knit stitches, two purl stitches, after a knit stitch and before a purl stitch or after a purl stitch and before a knit stitch.

I am going to show you the way I make a Yarn-Over with the above mentioned methods respectively.

First, take the yarn on the knit stitch that you have created at the right needle, bring it forward (facing to your body) between the two needles. Then return it to the back of the right needle, the yarn is wrapped from front to back on the right needle as shown is the first photo. Now the yarn is in the correct position for you to knit the next stitch as usual until the end of the row.

One stitch is increased between two knit stitches. Look at the arrow shown in the second photo, you will find that this increase method creates a hole between two knit stitches. Anyway this is the way we usually use to create lace patterns in knitting.


 

First, take the yarn on the purl stitch that you have created at your right needle, wrap it over the top of the right needle counterclockwise. Now the yarn is in the correct position for you to purl the next stitch as usual until the end of the row.

One stitch is increased between two purl stitches. Look at the arrow shown in the second photo, you will find that this increase method also creates a hole between two purl stitches.

Bring the yarn forward between the two needles and then wrap the yarn over the right needle counterclockwise, again the yarn is brought forward between the two needles. The yarn is now in front of the right needle for pulling the next stitch.

One stitch is increased after a knit stitch and before a purl stitch. Look at the arrow shown in the second photo, you will find that there is a hole between the knit stitch and the purl stitch.

 The yarn is in front of the right needle after you work a purl stitch. Take it up over the top of the right needle to the back and knit the next stitch. Automatically, an extra stitch is created.

One stitch is increased after a purl stitch and before a knit stitch. Look at the arrow shown in the second photo, you will find that there is a hole between the purl stitch and the knit stitch.

How to make a sock penguin

A penguin from Antarctica?!! No, no, no... It comes from my home, it is called "Red Happy Penguin" Haha! I like penguins of Antarctica. I like its movement, I like to see its waddling walk... In the cartoon fairytale, it is always portrayed as a cute character. Many kids love cute penguin and so do many adults. Let's create one either for yourself or the little ones.


Materials:
1. A pair of coloured ankle sock
2. One white sock
3. Matching threads
4. Matching ribbon
5. A decorative flower

The diagram shown is the sock penguin pattern. First, turn each sock to the wrong side.  Then, draw the patterns as shown in the diagram on the socks. You can draw the patterns on a piece of paper, cut out, pin on the socks and then draw around each paper pattern.

Sew the red lines before you cut the pieces out. Don't sew the blue lines, just need to follow the blue lines and trim. They would be the opening of the body parts or it is a single piece to form a certain part.

After you have finished sewing the necessary parts, cut out the pieces. Remember to leave about 2 mm seam allowance along the sewing lines.

The diagram shown is the pieces I have cut out of the socks.

1.& 2. Now, start to make the penguin's head and belly. Turn the head and belly piece to the right side and stuff up with poly-fill material, then run stitches along the raw edge.

3. Before pulling it tight, fold in the raw edge. Tighten up the opening by pulling the thread fully and then make a few stitched across, knot and cut thread.

4. The photo shown is the finished part of the head and belly. It is thicker at the bottom part. The bulging end is the backside(butt) of the penguin

5. & 6. Turn the back piece to the right side.

7. Put it on the head and belly you have finished sewing just now. Pin the back piece in place as shown in the photo.

8. Sew along the raw edge of the back piece with slip stitch. Fold in the raw edge about 2mm depth as you go along.

9. & 10. You can see the result now.

11. Now, turn the beak piece to the right side.

12. Stuff up the beak piece with the poly-fill material.

13. Close the opening with whip stitch.

14. Press the seam with your both thumbs after you finished sewing it.

15.&16. Sew the beak in place as shown in the photo.

17. Turn the flipper pieces to the right side.

18. Stuff up the flipper pieces with some poly-fill material.

19. Close the openings with slip stitch respectively. Remember to fold in the raw edge as you go.

20. Sew the flippers to the both sides of the body.

21. Turn the foot pieces to the right side.

22. Stuff up the foot pieces with poly-fill material.

23. Close the openings with slip stitch respectively. Just sew it as you made the flippers.

24. Sew the feet to the bottom of the body as shown in the photo.

Now, sew the eyes on it and put the decorative flower and ribbon on the desired part of the penguin.

See, my Red Happy Penguin is born!!

How to make a sock teddy bear

Create a teddy bear with a pair of ankle socks... Here show you a step by step tutorial to get it done. Let's do it now!!


materials:
1. a pair of ankle socks
2. embroidery floss (scarlet -  for the mouth and nose)
3. poly-fill material
4. two buttons ( for the eyes)
5. matching thread

The diagram shown is the pattern for making a sock bear. First, turn the socks to the wrong side with the heels facing up. Then, draw the lines as shown in the diagram. You can draw the patterns on a piece of paper, cut out, pin on the socks and then draw around each paper pattern.

Sew the pink lines before you cut the pieces out. Don't sew the green lines, just need to follow the green lines and trim. They would be the openings of the body parts or it is a single piece to form the mentioned part.

After you have finished sewing the necessary parts, cut out the pieces. Remember to leave about 2mm seam allowance along the sewing line for each piece.

The diagram shown is the pieces I have cut out of the socks. Don't throw away the remains, keep it for making a tail in next step.

1.& 2. Now, start to make the bear's head. Turn the head piece to the right side and stuff up the head with poly-fill material, then run stitches along the raw edge.

3. & 4. Before pulling it tight, fold in the raw edge. Tighten up the opening by pulling the thread fully and then make a few stitches across, knot and cut thread.

5. & 6. Turn the body part to the right side. Stuff up the body. Then, run stitches along the raw edge.

7. Tighten up the opening. Do it the same way as you made for the head.

8. Now, join the head and the body together with a slip stitch.

9. Turn the shirt to the right side.

10. Put on the shirt as shown in the photo.

11. Take the part for mouth and nose.

12. & 13. Run stitches along the raw edge. Put some poly-fill material on it and pull the thread until you get an oval shape. No need to close the opening completely.

14. Sew short basting stitches along the edge of the oval with contrasting  thread.

15. Sew the oval in place by a slip stitch follow the basting stitches. Pull the basting thread out after you have finished sewing it.

16. This is the part where the mouth and nose will be sewn on it later.

17. Turn the ears pieces to the right side.

18. Stuff up the ears.

19. Fold the raw edges inwards and close the openings respectively with a slip stitch.

20. Attach the ears to the right place and sew them on with a slip stitch.

21. & 22. Turn the hand pieces to the right side, stuff up and close the openings as you made the head or body.

23. Press the point near to the opening to form a flat-shaped upper arm. Do the same for the other hand.

24.  Sew the flat-shaped upper arms to the left and right side of the body respectively.

 

 25.- 27.  Now, take the remains and simply cut out a circle to create a tail. Run stitches along the raw edge and put some poly-fill material on it. Pull the thread tight to close the opening. Don't cut the thread, sew it to the right place with the same thread.

28. Turn the sleeves to the right side.

29. Put on the sleeves. Now, push down one of the arm and sew it to the body with a slip stitch. Push the other arm up by pressing the upper arm. Then, sew the eyes, nose and mouth with the scarlet embroidery floss on the right place. See, the cute teddy bear own a nice posture!