Hi there! Just a quick update on where I am. I am going away for the weekend (again…), taking some time off from amirisu work. Both Tokuko and I worked so hard in the past 2 weeks, now she is in Okinawa and I will also be by the sea. Guess this is our well-deserved weekend off. こんにちは、お出かけする前にクイックにアップデート。amirisuは２人とも週末それぞれお出かけ。この２週間ほんとに働いたので、ご褒美かな。雨ですが、でもうれしい〜。 Last night, for the first time in a few weeks, I was able to knit longer than 5 minutes on the commuting trains. (Which is becoming a norm in my life.) I couldn’t help but starting a new, very simple shawl with a yarn from my treasure box. 昨晩はとても久しぶりに、まともに編物をしました。最近は電車の中で５分、とかそんな状況だったので、そんなためにわざわざ毛糸持ち歩いてるの？っていう状態。久方ぶりに編もうと思ったら、また新しいプロジェクト始めちゃいました（笑）。だって、この毛糸使いたかったんです。。。奇麗でしょ？ Isn’t the color beautiful? I bought this yarn from Lotta (her Ravelry name is enugu) through Ravelry. I…
knitting and slow life in Kyoto
Posts from the “8. Craft” Category
Did I say I won’t buy any more yarn?I cannot remember.The Color Affection kit from Plucky Knitter has finally arrived. Somehow it took almost 2 months to get it, so I almost forgot I ordered it. But it was worth the wait… look at the colors!This kit is for a very popular 3 color shawl, designed by veera. She is one of the most celebrated designer in the online knitting world from Finland.Hopefully, I will finish my sweater before it gets too warm, then I can get started with this shawl.Plucky Knitterさんが販売していたColor Affection用のキット、やっと届きました。ご家族に何かあったのか、発送がすごく遅くなったみたいで忘れた頃にやってきた。でも待った甲斐あって、ほんとに奇麗！編むのが楽しみです。 Her blog: http://100-rain.blogspot.com/
Just finished this neck warmer about a week ago. I have been a very lazy knitter these days, unable to remember complicated lace patterns nor stitch counts, but not motivated enough to knit a long scarf.This was perfect in such occasion. The yarn is beautiful, too. Used up 3/4 of Malabrigo Rios. Same thing with this sweater. I have been looking for a good pattern to knit with this yarn (Rowan Scottish Tweed – gorgeous DK/worsted weight yarn, unfortunately no longer available) for well over a year, and realized that it is a good substitute yarn for Brooklyn Tweed SHELTER. So I decided on their Bedford sweater pattern, designed by Michele Wang.What’s good about it is – you just knit up in a round,…
Categories: **ENGLISH**, 8. Craft
今日とても気になっているのはこれ。BrainpickingsのBest Books of 2011シリーズ。特にBest Philosophy and Psycology Book in 2011リストが気になる。読みたい本ばかり。 それから、気になっているのは「しもかぷ工房」の「しもかぷククサ」。山の本を読んでいると木製のカップを持っている人をよく目にするのですが、これが探しても中々ないんです。ククサというのはフィンランドの木製カップのことで、幸福のお守りとして人にプレゼントするものらしいです。でも日本にも沢山木工職人がいるなかで、わざわざ海外から輸入されたものを買うのもねえ。ジンアキヒロさんという方のKikisaというカップも気になります。でもいつも売り切れのようです。貰うのを待っていても誰もくれないと思うので、やっぱり自分で買っちゃいます。 週末、国立能楽堂で初めて能を鑑賞してきました。これは若手の役者が中心となって初心者向けに矢来能楽堂で開いているイベントで、毎年１月だけは国立能楽堂で開催されるらしいです。曾我物語の歴史や能のレクチャーを聞いた後、曾我の兄弟が敵討ちをして最後には捉えられてしまうという、夜討曾我十番切を鑑賞。十番切というのは、１０人の追っ手を次々と切り倒して行く立ち回りで、中々珍しい番組だそうです。チャンバラ的でダイナミック、すごく面白かった。能というと幽玄な眠くなるような番組も多いらしいとは聞くものの、偶々昨日見たのがラッキーだったのか、「なんだ、要は型の決まったお芝居だ」と思え、すんなりと入れました（しかも個人的には突っ込みどころ満載）。歌舞伎も今度観に行くけれど、なんか能の方が好きかもな、と歌舞伎を見る前から思っています。ちなみに、国立能楽堂は素晴らしかったです。もっと能が手頃で観に行きやすくなったらいいのにと思います。
こんな日が来るとは想像していなかった。というもののひとつが、「山と渓谷」を読むこと。 もちろん私だって、昔からこの雑誌の存在は知っています。山登りとは、嘗ては暑苦しい山男たちの世界で、そのあと最近では薄茶色のグラデーションに身を包んだ年配のご夫婦の世界で。というイメージ。 もちろん、「山ガール」という言葉は良く聞くようになりましたが、あんまり実感がなく。と思っていました。 One of many things that I thought I would never do – is reading this famous magazine for mountain climbers in Japan. The magazine is quite famous so I had known about it all my life. But the words “climbing and trekking” always reminded me of sweaty mountaineers or, more recently, retired hikers wearing all brownish clothes. But hiking and trekking have become quite popular and common in Japan among younger women. I just thought I would never get to that myself. 「今年はハイキングに行こう」と思いついてから本屋さんを徘徊していたら、なんとなく目についたのがこの本。山登りが趣味の女性たちが自分のウェアや道具を大公開！という本。といっても、モデルやスタイリストの方々なので、全部がお洒落。見れば見るほど山道具の世界にハマってしまいました。今では、わたしのバイブルというほど。何が好きかと言われると、それは山ウェアの独特な色合わせなのか。それとも、ハイテクとローテクの微妙な混ざり具合なのか。男っぽさと女っぽさの匙加減なのか。ゴアテックスのジャケットに、手作りの皮の登山靴。ハイテクTシャツに木彫りのカップ。手編みの靴下。 山と渓谷社からは、Hutteという女性向けのムックも出ています。つい、入手。 Once I decided to start hiking, I started looking around for books (typical me). Found this book – a styling book for girls who love trekking. People contributing to the book are models and fashion stylists, so…
I am a hat knitter this winter. I’ve made 4 so far, two of them are gifted, one kept, one still on the needles. 4 hat projects are in queue. I don’t seem to be able to maintain my concentration long enough to knit a sweater these days. Hats are perfect, I only have to remember which row I am at. No “left body” or “right body”, no “I’ve increased 3 times so far” to remember. This green beret was gifted to my dear friend and colleague. Design is from Ysolda. I’ve made several projects of her design, but this one is my absolute favorite.I loved it so much that I made another one in white almost right away. The below, Christopher hat by…
Categories: **ENGLISH**, 8. Craft
Hi dear friends! It’s been a while since I last posted here. Those of you who are on Facebook should know that I am still alive – yes, I am. It’s been just so busy both at work and at home, that I hardly had time to think about what to write. Besides, something is wrong with my camera that I cannot upload photos. I am trying to make it a rule to add at least one photo. So here it is – if you remember about my weekly weaving lessons, this is how it ended up. The first project – a scarf – has finally been done. It’s pretty colorful and cute, which makes me thrilled. It is 100% hand made. My teacher…
Categories: **ENGLISH**, 8. Craft
I am a scarf knitter these days. I haven’t knitted a single sweater since September, even though the weather is becoming wooly week by week. Sweater knitting requires a strong will, good memory, persistence, and a lot of time. Not for me, right now. But what I can tell you is that I am a better knitter these days. I can’t say since when, but I became comfortable knitting something without a pattern, like, just pick a good yarn and swatch and calculate and start knitting. This is really new to me. This feeling of discovery is kind of like when I was still studying English. Learning something is like climbing giant steps. You try and try and try, then one day you find…
Categories: **ENGLISH**, 8. Craft
This year, I was very lucky to take 4 very different and equally inspiring classes at Squam Art Workshops. Hand Lettering was another fascinating class, not in the least conventional as what you would normally imagine by hearing the word “lettering”. We spent an hour hand lettering alphabets in all 26 different ways. It was the toughest thing! Everyone ran out of ideas after 10 or so, start running around the studio to check what classmates were doing. Everyone was so inventive…! Actually, an hour was way too short! So many different ways, so many colors. Below is actually mine. Ah, I know, it’s a mess. But it was so much fun. The second exercise was to create a page with our favorite quotes…
This was a photography class. Shari Altman is a self-taught photographer, takes poetic and introvert nature photos. She lead our ways into really “seeing” the world around us. The day was also the most beautiful day in early autumn, and was perfect for walking around the woods for mushroom hunting. We had never seen so many different kinds of colorful mushrooms. Shari, the teacher, and my classmates! One more class, but I am done for tonight. More, soon.
Sparkles*United 