A different thread

Something that always made me happy in previous visits to Hong Kong was seeing the number of people KIP (that's 'knitting in public' to muggles), on the metro, in restaurants, occasionally whilst strolling about grocery-shopping, haggling and ducking+diving passers-by *major props* Logically this meant there had to be yarn shops around, and this time I finally got off my arse and tracked some down.

Tailor and Alteration turned out to be on the 14th floor of a nondescript buildling (other residents including offices, a dentist's practice, and a couple of flats) in the middle of a major road. It was a tiny room CRAMMED wall-to-ceiling with yarn, books, fabric, buttons, notions... *craftgasm* Being of relatively hefty giantess proportions, this was tricky to navigate but the staff were incredibly warm and helpful (and dainty). I don't speak (understandable) Cantonese, but using a combination of English, Japanese, Mandarin and writing/drawing/interpretive dance managed to:
1. Join their lifetime membership program (lol)
2. Order in some obscure Japanese tweed that had been on my w/l for a year
3. Haul:

Addi Turbos, a Japanese stitchionary that I've been lemming for years, some cheap merino to swatch with, and some Italian mohair that looked like fog and moonlight (but hairier)

Close-ups of the Bertagna Filati mohair on its way to shawldom (aircon = shawl weather)

Click to enlarge. Inside the stitchionary (everything is charted with Japanese symbols, which are awesome and pretty intuitive):

 SO INSPIRATIONAL

This one would make an awesome preppy cropped sweater in white or navy

This one some kind of structured jacket?

At a loose gauge in delicate golden laceweight/cobweb for a triangular shawl?

I also visited Cheer Wool, a much more 'normal' kind of shop -- a door that leads out onto the street, floor space for walking while you browse and squish things... and also an awesome used book sale section, where I picked up:

Wintery 'Going-outdoors' knits (sorry, my translation brain no worky) But it has a mix of cosy jackets, ponchos, gloves, socks, hats and accessories, and everything is adorably styled. <3