Hello! It has been a few very sunny and hot weeks yea! How are you doing? I hope everyone is well hydrated!  This summer I would like to introduce you to colors of Malaysia, my home country. I was lucky to be able to go home in May, after been away for 3 years! I was very surprised to see so many changes in these 3 years to the point that I almost cannot recognize many places that I normally used to go. Anyway, in this installment, I am going to introduce to you a few Malaysian food and my hometown, Ipoh. That is why, instead of tea, I brought back some coffee, which is Ipoh’s specialty, to share with all of you! I’d be delighted if it slightly piqued your interest on a glimpse of what Malaysia can offer.

Color

From left: Concubine Lane, Ais Batu Campur, Ipoh White Coffee, Wall Tales, Joget, Kerabu

Pics are shown in the gallery are in the following bases from left to right: Moko Mohair, Merino DK, Sock and Merino Singles Lace.

Concubine Lane is an infamous lane in Ipoh Old Town where long ago, a rich mine owner presented it to his first concubine. He had 3 wives and each of them gets a lane of their own as income from rental. Apparently the first concubine's lane is the longest and most occupied. Nowadays it has become a tourist attraction with colorful shops and decorations! My interpretation of it is before the tourists boom, that was how I remembered it to be. It was a peaceful lane with a few eateries and many gorgeous, albeit rundown pre-war buildings. Looking at them made me imagine the glories days when the lane was busy and fully occupied by opium dens and brothels!

Also known as ABC, Ais Batu Campur literally means 'ice cube mix'. It's Malaysia's version of kakigori! We add colorful syrup with coconut milk and palm sugar. For toppings, there are usually red beans, cendol, cincau jelly, peanuts and sweet corn! There are many variations nowadays with a variety of toppings. It's sweet and super yummy! Perfect summer dessert!

Ipoh is famous for it's food because there's really nothing much to do in this small town! Many people consider Ipoh to be Malaysia’s culinary capital (me included!). And one of the famous food is called Ipoh White Coffee. It started from a kopitiam (coffee shop) in Old Town but has many branches across the world now. You will see many Ah Pek (old uncles) sitting in these kopitiam sipping coffee, reading newspapers and chit-chatting the day away. When it’s tea time, it’s best served with some kuih (traditional desserts) or egg tarts. When you order a hot white coffee, it’s frequently served in a cup and saucer with dark green flower motifs. It also comes with a small white spoon as a stirrer but sometimes orange ones too! 

Ipoh’s New Town and Old Town is divided by Kinta River. To me, I prefer Old Town because of it’s classical look. In that part of the city, many colonial buildings are still preserved until today. Some were not so well preserved and shows signs of peeling, which makes it quite sad. But when I look at these walls, these layers of peelings look as if they are telling me a story of their lives. I guess it’s one of Old Town’s charm.

Also located in Old Town are many beautiful murals, similar to those in Penang. I heard that the same artist was commissioned for these murals. They have since been one of Ipoh Old Town's newer attractions, an activity for locals or tourists to locate them. This one caught my eye particularly because of the movement and color usage. There are a few murals on white coffee too! Joget is a traditional Malay dance.

Now I'm pretty sure some of you have heard of Nasi Lemak or Nasi Goreng. However, I like to introduce to you Nasi Kerabu. What makes it so special is the rice. It's colored with butterfly pea flower which gives it a distinguished blue color. It's normally eaten with keropok (fish crackers), fried chicken/fish with sambal, fresh vegetables like cucumber, beansprout and long beans and topped with mint leaves. If you have a chance, do give it a try!

As for Signature Solids, here are what we have prepared! These colors are inspired by mosaic tiles in Ipoh's old shops. It's also my ambition to have these kind of tiles on my genkan if I ever buy a house in Japan :)

From left: Kunyit (Tumeric), Ros Sirup (Rose Syrup), Rami (a leaf used in Malaysian cooking), Marin (Marine) and Jati (Teak).

There are more than 30 other colors on sale too! Remember to check them out!

Bases 

This update we have a total of 9 bases! Here's the breakdown:

Fingering
Sock - 85% SW Extrafine Merino, 15% Nylon (4-ply). 400m/100g.
Sparkle Sock - 80% SW Extrafine Merino wool, 15% Nylon, 5% Gold Stellina (4-ply). 400m/100g.

Lace
Moko Mohair - 60% Kid Mohair, 40% Silk (1-ply). 60m/50g.
Merino Singles Lace - 100% SW Extrafine Merino wool (1-ply). 800m/100g.
Silky Merino Lace - 50% Silk, 50% SW Extrafine Merino wool (2-ply). 800m/100g.
ASCA Lace - 70% Baby Alpaca, 20% Silk, 10% Cashmere (2-ply). 800m/100g.
BFL Lace (New!) - 100% Bluefaced Leicester Wool (2-ply). 800m/100g.
Basil Lace (New!) - 70% Baby Alpaca, 30% Silk (2-ply). 800m/100g.

BFL Lace - This base is amazingly bouncy and fluffy! Not only does it takes in color beautifully, it is also soft and airy.

Basil Lace - An alternative to ASCA Lace, Basil Lace contains 30% of Silk, giving it a ultra soft touch! Similar to it’s sister base, Asca Lace, it has a similar luxurious touch with an extra sheen.

We've got you covered with summer knitting with all sorts of lace yarns. Do give them a try and see which one you like best!

Update

Update will be happening on 24 July 2022, Sunday at 9pm. As packing will take up some time, please allow 2-3 days before your orders are shipped. I brought back a few bags of Ipoh White Coffee to share with you guys. With any purchase, you'll receive a sachet of the 3-in-1 coffee! Just add water! For me, I like to add ice especially in this hot weather.