u/ShabbyBash

A really long time ago - Mum used to take us for picnics and outings to the various monuments in our city. These were mostly architectural marvels of Mughal era and were mostly mausoleums of various kings and their relatives. Grandeur was an intrinsic part.

And then Dad got posted to a UNIDO centre in Ahwaz - a smallish town in Iran. Education was limited to Persian/Farsi medium in schools, so we got left behind, visiting in our summer holidays. Once there, we took trips to the Caspian sea, Shiraz, Isfahan, Persepolis, and, of course, Tehran. All car trips. We saw - nay experienced - the absolutely glorious architecture and the fabulous geometric decor in tiles. The caligraphy was on another scale too - with the perspective calculated to a point where it did not seem to reduce in size. Mum made sure we were aware of all of this. She taught us to look and to appreciate the materials, the colours and the absolute insane labour, the planning, the geometry of these places.

I fell in love with geometry and tesallations, though I did not get to use it much in my career.

Today, I managed to replicate a design. The sheer happiness that has given me, is boundless. The smell of freshly baking bread, the setting sun while monsoon clouds clear, brings it all together.

Remembering Mum. Knowing how much she would have revelled in this too.

I am in Himachal right now. And while there seem to be a zillion punjabi dhabas, wood fired pizza places, fusion cuisine restaurants, there seems to be a dearth of local cuisine.

So, I asked around. Nope, there really are no dedicated resources. Today. I was treated to an awesome paneer dish that featured Bichchu booti (stinging nettle)! Anyone who had encountered this plant in the wild will understand how surprising it is.

So here I am, requesting true Himachali recipes. Thanks in advance.

Had a fabulous stinging nettle paneer dish today- a local Himachali dish.

I hear stinging nettle is had across the globe. I would love to hear how you would prepare it

I was clearing out some stuff and I found one of my older dresses. A craft largely created in and around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A mix of shadow work, murri phanda, knots, Et al.

This is not the finest example, and yet I love it. It is invariably done in white on white fine cotton, though more modern is being done in a variety of colours.

The one that I am totally enamored of is made on a muslin base. The embroidery was done with single threads drawn from the muslin. Some day, I will try to get photographs of that piece.

I was clearing out some stuff and I found one of my older dresses. A craft largely created in and around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A mix of shadow work, murri phanda, knots, Et al.

This is not the finest example, and yet I love it. It is invariably done in white on white fine cotton, though more modern is being done in a variety of colours.

The one that I am totally enamored of is made on a muslin base. The embroidery was done with single threads drawn from the muslin. Some day, I will try to get photographs of that piece.

I was clearing out some stuff and I found one of my older dresses. A craft largely created in and around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A mix of shadow work, murri phanda, knots, Et al.

This is not the finest example, and yet I love it. It is invariably done in white on white fine cotton, though more modern is being done in a variety of colours.

The one that I am totally enamored of is made on a muslin base. The embroidery was done with single threads drawn from the muslin. Some day, I will try to get photographs of that piece.

I was clearing out some stuff and I found one of my older dresses. A craft largely created in and around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A mix of shadow work, murri phanda, knots, Et al.

This is not the finest example, and yet I love it. It is invariably done in white on white fine cotton, though more modern is being done in a variety of colours.

The one that I am totally enamored of is made on a muslin base. The embroidery was done with single threads drawn from the muslin. Some day, I will try to get photographs of that piece.

I am in a country where while we get lots of types of needles, and we export a bunch to half the world, we have very few speciality shops that can sell you a specific type of needle by end use unless you can ask for size/thickness/length. So, I believe, I could get needles for sashiko a fraction of the price, if only I knew what size and shape they are.

Currently I could buy a Hidamari set (6) on Amazon for about ₹1100/-, while a 30 pc quilting needle set is for ₹180/- which comes packed in a beautiful rosewood and brass box.

Considering I'm not prolific in my crafts - I jump around a lot, I would like to limit how much I spend on the hobbies. I already dabble in embroidery - cross stitch and general, carving wood, cutting bottles, mosaic, leather work, batik, etc. Yeah, I'm certifiable.

So, could you please help a girl out and define what constitutes a sashiko needle?

I am in a country where while we get lots of types of needles, and we export a bunch to half the world, we have very few speciality shops that can sell you a specific type of needle by end use unless you can ask for size/thickness/length. So, I believe, I could get needles for sashiko a fraction of the price, if only I knew what size and shape they are.

Currently I could buy a Hidamari set (6) on Amazon for about ₹1100/-, while a 30 pc quilting needle set is for ₹180/- which comes packed in a beautiful rosewood and brass box.

Considering I'm not prolific in my crafts - I jump around a lot, I would like to limit how much I spend on the hobbies. I already dabble in embroidery - cross stitch and general, carving wood, cutting bottles, mosaic, leather work, batik, etc. Yeah, I'm certifiable.

So, could you please help a girl out and define what constitutes a sashiko needle?