MOONSTITCHES

water

Hi. I am back. A busy weekend, a little journey to my old dentist on Monday, two days of having a cold, a rainy day spent at the Yokohama History Museum around the corner and finally reunited with the blog again... This year's rainy season really is worth its name, it's pouring down almost everyday. Making everything grow like mad and looking fresh, to say the best about it.

Looking up in the sky, I'd say we are in for another of those grey days...
Maybe today we will be staying at home. If so, there will be sewing and knitting. Sewing and knitting! And cooking and laundry, of course.
You have a great day, too!
Oh, and thanks a lot to CRAFT and Jena over on Modish for featuring my craft room!

Green around the House

Just a look at the green around our new home. Hydrangea, bamboo, the occasional rice field, very cliché, and very, very good to be surrounded by.

Have a pleasant day!

rainy season - つゆ (tsuyu)

Lots of rain, slowly drying laundry, ajisai (hydrangea), Calpis and first kakigori (shaved ice). And new rubber boots.
Time for expeditions and twirling around.

A no-pattern skirt with a little saddle yoke (thanks Sooz!)and elastic, finished in no time, and a new cardigan that took forever. Started some time earlier this year and was almost done before the move.
When I picked it up again only one front part had to be knit but I had a hard time remembering what I did exactly with the first front... the pattern is to be found here and sized for up to 24 months. I modified it a bit to make up for a larger size and different gauge. I haven't taken notes though and can't say anything about it now. Only that Dagny fell into a muddy puddle that day two weeks ago and the cardigan had to be washed, ending up even larger after drying.

I used yarn I had on stash, but I didn't have enough of the off-white for the band and had to distract from its different colour there by using two additional contrasting yarns (red and blue). That worked well and I even like it better this way.
The yarn is Munsell King from Yuzawaya, nothing fancy but really soft. I don't expect it to be looking well for too long though, too bad because this cardigan will be fitting for quite some years.

To see the skirt better, two pictures from yesterday:

Thank you so much for the craft room love and have a good day everyone!

holidays and laundry

I just realized our seemingly endless summer holidays are in fact more than half over, only 72 days left! Japanese kindergarten ending in March and German school starting late August brought us the impressing amount of 162 free days. Finding a balance between play and what needs to get done to supply everybody here with nutritions and clean underwear is my daily struggle. Guess you know how that is...

Anyway, we are having fun everyday and the laundry is under control, too. Only blogging about all of that and writing mails still doesn't work well.

But I have come to think that it is not a lack of time that is keeping me from it (or the constant doubt if anybody would still be interested to read about what I am doing because after more than three years of blogging I can only repeat myself). The greatest obstacle rather might have been sitting on the floor with crossed legs, bending over to reach the keyboard that's placed on the ground, too. Until yesterday. When I decided to give in and vacate my beloved but unfortunate position, moving the whole thing upwards... No more numb legs, typing so much easier and it's better for my back, too.

Yes, I have reached that age...! But this stool I am now sitting on really does wonders :)
I type!
A picture of my desk is here.
The rest of my room tomorrow, off to bed now.

Take care!

PS: You asked for a recipe for the mochi?
Add water would be my answer.
I am making the no fuss shiratama dango (mochi dumplings), using a little package of shiratamako (a lumpy glutinous rice flour) and water. And as topping either ready made kuro mitsu ("black honey", not really honey but syrup made from unrefined sugar), like in this photo, or a mix of brown and white sugar together with kinako (ground roasted soy beans). Not much to it. As to many things here in Japan.

My room...

must wait.

Hi, I said I'd be back with the photos of my room but I thought it would be a nice exercise to get back to more frequent blogging by showing you more of that everyday not so exciting that's going on in this house instead.
Early afternoon means snack time here in Japan and of course that darling girl of mine expects something sweet to be presented on that occasion... today's oyatsu (snack) was homemade mochi with a blend of kinako and two kinds of sugar, emphasis on the kinako (soybean flour).

And there was some knitting on the table, too. I started making a simple cardigan for me in Beaverslide Fisherman Weight (old 2-ply), Granite, lovelovelove that yarn.
This year's summer is strange. So slowly getting warmer, often still chilly enough to wear cardigans or woolen sweaters, even during the day... a bit odd. Maybe it's only here in my area? I think I have a good chance to wear my new cardigan before next autumn, when I am hurrying a bit with the knitting.
However, now it's time to go to bed.
Bye!

It's raining, we are at home and after reading this I feel totally inspired to tell you about our plums.
For years I have been wanting to make my own ume shu and finally, finally it's happening. It only took me nine years to get to that point... a few more months and we'll be enjoying this delicacy... worth the wait.

I have been making things and taking pictures of my room but there never seems to be time to show you. But I guess it is just as Rebecca said, it's all about making time.
Making time and start working on my to post list, one thing at a time. There are tons of photos waiting to be uploaded onto Flickr. Having them waiting here on the computer has the same effect on me like those 8170 unread postings over on Bloglines (which I just marked as read, to start afresh).
So, I'll be back with the pictures of my craft room later and hope you all find the time to cherish something beautiful today.

Take care!

Of course, despite of all the packing, we do not let Spring happen without us. It's slowly warming up and the cherry blossoms in our park opened perfectly timed for today's sakura matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival). We'll be there later in the afternoon, watching the trees and people and maybe having some mitarashi dango (mochi with syrup made of sugar, soy sauce and starch), too.

Thank you for your congratulations, encouragement and well wishings! So good to read all your kind comments.
I think I will share pictures of our new place/ craft room, preferably after we got some furniture and unpacked a few boxes.
I have a feeling we'll be seeing cushion covers and finished quilts this year here around... :)

Until next week!

Sorry for keeping you waiting so long. I said two weeks until all was official and I could talk about where we're headed... and I hoped the packing would be done by then...!
Well, I am still drowning in stuff that seems to get more and more as soon as it is pulled out of boxes and paper bags that were stored with greatest care in every single nook, closet and corner in our home. But I did make great progress this week and since the movers are coming in three days I can be certain that this misery will come to an end eventually. Must.
I am exhausted and miss crafting. And blogging and communicating.
Today I finally gave in and packed away the half finished cardigan I was working on. And the fabrics for a short sleeved blouse and skirt I wanted to make for Dagny... there will be better times, crafty times, soon.

A week ago we picked up the keys for our new home in Yokohama - we'll be moving only 20 km from our current place, yet it is a huge step for us because we decided to stay here in Japan indefinitely. Settle.
Not an easy thing to think about leaving or staying in Japan... we never intended to emigrate, always thinking of maybe not necessarily to go back to Germany but at least to Europe one day. To be closer to where we come from, have our roots and family.
But Japan it is and we are looking forward having a real home here, including a nice, little craft room with an actual window (nothing like this), a bathroom that comes with a handbook of a hundred pages of instructions and the possibility of having our very first sofa.
A fair prospect, I'd say, like Bingley said before, and he also knew he had to settle somewhere... ;)

As I was packing boxes I took photos, occasionally. To blog about what I was doing when there was no time to do anything actually blog-worthy, but I didn't come around doing so. The photos above show some of my thrifted, curb found or inherited porcelain that is going to stay with us in our new home. More photos on Flickr.

I hope you are all well. My apologies to everyone who is waiting for an answer to a question, a sign of life, a parcel, letter or email. Or phone call. Or quilt photos. I will try to make up when having more time.

Take care!

It's Girls Day here in Japan today. And snowing.
Hope you have a good day!

Today went just the usual not as I planned and I did nothing else but packing. Craft books, knitting magazines. Sewing, too. Oh, those definitely did slow down the process of getting everything into the boxes... but I realized it would be better to hurry up and use the won time for knitting once I'm done. So I kept a few knitting magazines and also yarn which was packed today as well and hope I will find time for a new project in two weeks or so.

When we went to kindergarten this morning (without my camera) I noticed a little, very yellow primrose in a aluminum foil wrapped pot, oddly placed on the stairs in front of a house, looking somehow forlorn and kind of Japanese in its randomness. Loved it. Returned with my camera but by then it was gone.
But many other yellow things were discovered on my quick walk around the neighbourhood.
Since my days here around seem to be counted I feel I should get out more often again and look what's to be seen.
Today was sunny but cold due to strong spring winds which are typical for this time and really quite strong. Something most of the people here might have mentioned at least once today. I did, too, for the third time now.

In a front yard, but I am sure it just is what it is: two cups and a carpet. No one is supposed to sit down and have coffee here. Or tea.

A rabbit with shades?

Take care!

Time for plums

It's raining, we are at home and after reading this I feel totally inspired to tell you about our plums.
For years I have been wanting to make my own ume shu and finally, finally it's happening. It only took me nine years to get to that point... a few more months and we'll be enjoying this delicacy... worth the wait.

I have been making things and taking pictures of my room but there never seems to be time to show you. But I guess it is just as Rebecca said, it's all about making time.
Making time and start working on my to post list, one thing at a time. There are tons of photos waiting to be uploaded onto Flickr. Having them waiting here on the computer has the same effect on me like those 8170 unread postings over on Bloglines (which I just marked as read, to start afresh).
So, I'll be back with the pictures of my craft room later and hope you all find the time to cherish something beautiful today.

Take care!

Spr-ing

Of course, despite of all the packing, we do not let Spring happen without us. It's slowly warming up and the cherry blossoms in our park opened perfectly timed for today's sakura matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival). We'll be there later in the afternoon, watching the trees and people and maybe having some mitarashi dango (mochi with syrup made of sugar, soy sauce and starch), too.

Thank you for your congratulations, encouragement and well wishings! So good to read all your kind comments.
I think I will share pictures of our new place/ craft room, preferably after we got some furniture and unpacked a few boxes.
I have a feeling we'll be seeing cushion covers and finished quilts this year here around... :)

Until next week!

China going to stay in Japan

Sorry for keeping you waiting so long. I said two weeks until all was official and I could talk about where we're headed... and I hoped the packing would be done by then...!
Well, I am still drowning in stuff that seems to get more and more as soon as it is pulled out of boxes and paper bags that were stored with greatest care in every single nook, closet and corner in our home. But I did make great progress this week and since the movers are coming in three days I can be certain that this misery will come to an end eventually. Must.
I am exhausted and miss crafting. And blogging and communicating.
Today I finally gave in and packed away the half finished cardigan I was working on. And the fabrics for a short sleeved blouse and skirt I wanted to make for Dagny... there will be better times, crafty times, soon.

A week ago we picked up the keys for our new home in Yokohama - we'll be moving only 20 km from our current place, yet it is a huge step for us because we decided to stay here in Japan indefinitely. Settle.
Not an easy thing to think about leaving or staying in Japan... we never intended to emigrate, always thinking of maybe not necessarily to go back to Germany but at least to Europe one day. To be closer to where we come from, have our roots and family.
But Japan it is and we are looking forward having a real home here, including a nice, little craft room with an actual window (nothing like this), a bathroom that comes with a handbook of a hundred pages of instructions and the possibility of having our very first sofa.
A fair prospect, I'd say, like Bingley said before, and he also knew he had to settle somewhere... ;)

As I was packing boxes I took photos, occasionally. To blog about what I was doing when there was no time to do anything actually blog-worthy, but I didn't come around doing so. The photos above show some of my thrifted, curb found or inherited porcelain that is going to stay with us in our new home. More photos on Flickr.

I hope you are all well. My apologies to everyone who is waiting for an answer to a question, a sign of life, a parcel, letter or email. Or phone call. Or quilt photos. I will try to make up when having more time.

Take care!

Happy Day, Girls!

It's Girls Day here in Japan today. And snowing.
Hope you have a good day!

Spring Winds

Today went just the usual not as I planned and I did nothing else but packing. Craft books, knitting magazines. Sewing, too. Oh, those definitely did slow down the process of getting everything into the boxes... but I realized it would be better to hurry up and use the won time for knitting once I'm done. So I kept a few knitting magazines and also yarn which was packed today as well and hope I will find time for a new project in two weeks or so.

When we went to kindergarten this morning (without my camera) I noticed a little, very yellow primrose in a aluminum foil wrapped pot, oddly placed on the stairs in front of a house, looking somehow forlorn and kind of Japanese in its randomness. Loved it. Returned with my camera but by then it was gone.
But many other yellow things were discovered on my quick walk around the neighbourhood.
Since my days here around seem to be counted I feel I should get out more often again and look what's to be seen.
Today was sunny but cold due to strong spring winds which are typical for this time and really quite strong. Something most of the people here might have mentioned at least once today. I did, too, for the third time now.

In a front yard, but I am sure it just is what it is: two cups and a carpet. No one is supposed to sit down and have coffee here. Or tea.

A rabbit with shades?

Take care!