Violet in full bloom

I was finally able to make my Violet in full bloom this Saturday. I didn't blog about it as I couldn't take any pictures outdoors . It has continuously rained in the past four days. A short period of sunshine in the afternoon allowed me to have this picture taken outdoors. With the sun out, I thought that wearing this sweater was going to be so warm, but a sacrifice for an outdoor picture would justify the action. Ah, I was relieved that Violet was perfect for today's weather.

I feel that the neckline is a bit low but proper for the design. ( Thanks Joy for your support! Sometimes we just need someone to approve it. :D)
It's an easy pattern but my yarn split in a few spots making the stitches not perfectly uniform. This time I decided not to be lazy and tried a new seaming method for the reversed stockinette. And now my mending seems much better though to be honest, it still needs much improvement. In overall, I am happy with the outcome and I think the pattern would fit well cotton yarn.

I hope you are not tired of the purple carpet background ( it will be around as long I have purpleish projects), here it comes again! LOL I added a necklace to fill the big neckline. Btw, it's one of my creation made of amethyst and Bali silver beads.

Pattern: Japanese magazine - World Knitting 2005 Fall/Winter
Yarn : 9 balls of Cool Merino - Kid Yarn ( Italy) 100% wool
Needle : Japanese 6 (3.9mm) for the body and 5 (3.6mm) for the borders.
Modifications: I used one size up for the needles. Often the Japanese patterns are a bit small for me , so I decided to try to use thicker needles and yarn. In addition, I increased the armholes but forgot to enlarge the sleeves cap thus it's not as loose as I like around the arms.

To wrap up, how about some food photos? Pardon for so much red, I know, X'mas and Chinese New year are over but I was rushing to find something nice and this new tablecloth was on top of the pile.
In an adventurous mood, this past Sunday my guys decided to take over the kitchen and cooked their specialties. DH is kind out of touch in terms of cooking ( Since we moved to Asia, DH has been too busy to be in the kitchen), oops too much soy sauce in the fish and prawn. Though he is a great cook. I actually learned to cook from him when we first got married. :D
Older son had a Geography project at school and his group was in charge of Israel and he made this Israeli fried potato and onions dish at school and wanted to make a replicate at home( it's the small dish on the right). Initially the idea of them cooking was so delightful, you know, imagine the extra hours for my knitting. The fact is I spent a great amount of time in the kitchen afterwards doing what you just have guessed: cleaning all the mess left! Can't complain, it was a fun evening for all of us. We also had wine and sparkling soda for the boys.

The second photo shows what I prepared for tonight's dinner. It's all Chinese dishes, what we normally eat at home. On the left top is Salted vegetable with fresh soy beans and bean curd. On the right is a simple stir-fried cauliflower with garlic. Bottom left is chicken fillet with onion and mushroom and last, on the right is a cold dish, jellyfish with cucumber and sesame oil.

It's past 8:30 PM and I am anxiously waiting for DH to come back and have his dinner, so that I can start my knitting session!
Hope you are all having a good knitting time! ;)