Hello from Hong Kong

amy.cohas@gmail.com wrote

on Dec 12, 2007 8:54 PM

Hi,

My name's Amy, my grandmother taught me to crochet when I was about eight or nine, and I took it up again about two years ago. I'm a new member of Crochet Me and have been having fun roaming around on the Forums and reading about what people are up to.

I'm originally from Long Island, NY, but since May have lived with my family in Hong Kong. I'm the mother of three girls, the youngest of whom is 5 1/2 months old, and who was born six weeks after we arrived here. It's been a busy time to say the least. I love to crochet, it provides a desperately needed creative outlet, and helps me deal with the stresses that come with living half a world away from friends and family.

It is so interesting to be able to correspond with others who are working on the same thing.

Here's to new projects!

All the best,

Amy

crocheter-guy wrote

on Dec 16, 2007 8:23 PM

Welcome Amy!

Keep crocheting!

Paul

amy.cohas@gmail.com wrote

on Dec 19, 2007 6:18 PM

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your reply. Hong Kong is really cool. An amazingly dynamic, beautiful city, everyone just seems to be bursting with energy and ambition.

I'm really happy because I've just found an LYS (local yarn store) that has a great range of dk and aran wools in beautiful colors. Some kind soul went around HK in the summer of 2005, tracked down all the yarn shops, and posted the addresses on the internet - I found the list on google. So I'm checking them out one by one when I get the time.

Good luck with your projects!

-Amy

wendebular wrote

on Mar 30, 2008 3:21 PM

Hi Amy

I've moved to Hong Kong recently, and I haven't crocheted for a while due to travelling, looking for jobs, and what not.

I would love to start up again, but I the only wool I've seen is at a market in Wan Chai and an amigurumi shop in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Any chance of you recommending somewhere (I live near Yuen Long in NT), or posting the website that you found your addresses on?

Thanks!

Wendy

amy.cohas@gmail.com wrote

on Mar 30, 2008 10:11 PM

Hi Wendy,

Here's the website: www.mathomhouse.typepad.com

I hope that helps. I live on Hong Kong Island, so I can't personally recommend any places near where you live. Have you checked out the wesite called Ravelry? It is this absolutely amazing online "community" for knitters and crocheters with all kinds of special interest groups - I'm a member of one called "Hong Kong Knitters" - a great place to get information from other stitchers in Hong Kong. There is a waitlist to join Ravelry, but there is no fee and it is a lot of fun. Just like Crochetme, but bigger.

Good luck!

-Amy

wendebular wrote

on Apr 4, 2008 12:24 AM

Hi Amy

Thanks for your tips. Unfortunately I can't see the mathomhouse site; apparently I need a login?

I'll check out Ravelry when I get some time.

In the meantime, are there any shops on the island that you can recommend? I'm in Kowloon and on the island fairly regularly.

Cheers!

Wendy

amy.cohas@gmail.com wrote

on Apr 4, 2008 8:30 PM

Hi Wendy,

I just checked out the mathomhouse site, the last time I went there there was no sign in required. For whatever reason, it has been changed.

Here are the three shops that I've visited on Hong Kong Island - they are all good:

1. Cheer Wool at the Cityplaza Two mall in Taikoo Shing (you can easily get there by MTR). Shop 126. tel 2569-7638. This small shop has a nice selection of yarns. I've bought a lot of dk merino there. They accept eps payments (I prefer to pay by eps, so I always find this helpful to know this in advance about shops).

they also have a location in Kowloon Bay - shop 409, Telford Centre, tel: 2754-5233

Wan Chai tel: 2527-3919

They open 10:30 am, they accept eps. This is a bright, cheerful (no pun intended) shop on a main road. Nice selection of yarns, many Italian and Japanese brands, no Jaeger or Rowan though. Have emroidery floss, buttons. Small selection of hooks, lots of Japanese pattern booklets.

Causeway Bay tel: 2863-5103

open 10:30 am, don't accept eps. They just moved here so the place is crammed, and it can take the salespeople a while to find what you are looking for, but this shop is my current favorite. They are friendly and helpful, carry Clover hooks - expensive, but really great, and all kinds of funky toy eyes if you are into amigurumi (a new interest of mine, but I've got a baby at home, so I can't use plastic eyes). Like I said, the shelves are PACKED, but they seem to have a nice range of wools - including a nice acrylic/wool blend called Cheval, that doesn't feel like steel wool. Lots of Japanese pattern booklets, embroidery floss.

Hong Kong

tel: 2577-1101, times square MTR station, exit A: or Causeway Bay station, exit F. Between Lee Garden Road and Yung Ping Road). Don't accept eps.

Great range of Rowan and Jaeger wools, plus Italian and Japanese. Very complete range of aero hooks. Lots of stock, but the atmosphere is chilly, salespeople not particularly friendly, you cannot take the wool off the shelves yourself.

Good Luck,

Amy

amy.cohas@gmail.com wrote

on Apr 5, 2008 6:36 AM

Hi Wendy,

Earlier today I wrote you a reply with a list of my favorite yarn shops, and when I hit "preview" poof! It disappeared and is probably now floating around somewhere in cyberspace. Ugh. I don't know what's up with the mathomhouse site, it did not used to ask for a password.

So, here goes again:

tel: 2577-1101

Times Square MTR station, exit A, or Causeway Bay station, exit F. Between Lee Garden Road and Yung Ping Road.

They don't accept eps payments (something I always find useful to know ahead of time).

A big shop with a good selection of Rowan and Jaeger yarns, as well as others. A very complete range of Aero crochet hooks as well. Staff somewhat chilly, you have to ask them to take the wool off the shelves for you, not allowed to do it yourself.

tel: 2527-3919

They accept eps.

Admiralty MTR station, exit C1, or Wan Chai Station, exit B1. Between Anton and Landale Streets, at western intersection of Hennessy Road and Johnston Road.

This shop is um, more cheerful than the one I listed above. A small, bright shop, with lots of Italian and other (though no British) yarns. New selection of cotton dk and maybe 4-ply. Embroidery floss, buttons, and lots of Japanese pattern books. Last week when I was there with my bickering nine year old and three year old daughters, the ladies who work there were kind enough to giggle indulgently - which helped me feel a tiny bit less mortified. So, I like this place.

tel: 2836-5103

Don't accept eps.

They've just moved to this location so the place is PACKED with stuff halfway out of boxes and it can take the (very nice and helpful) staff a while to dig out what you're looking for. Seems to have a nice selection of yarns, embroidery floss, and Japanese pattern books. They have Clover crochet hooks (more expensive, but more ergonomic), and if you are into Amigurimi, they have polyfill stuffing, all kinds of googly eye thingys, and a brand of acrylic/wool yarn called Cheval which does not feel like Brillo. They're kind of a mess at the moment, but this shop is my current favorite.

Good luck! Let me know how you get on.

-Amy