MOONSTITCHES

Thank You

Thank you so much for all your concern and support.

We survived the earthquake unharmed but are facing another challenge.

Keep thinking of all of us here.

Take care!

PS: Never thought I would do so, but I just signed up on facebook, for whatever it will be good.

Update, March 17: The situation here keeps getting worse and we made the decision to leave Yokohama for the time being. Had a flight to Germany for today but after one night at the airport we worried that planes would be redirected away from Narita to other airports with increasing radioactivity. So we booked a flight to Okinawa where we are now.

The decision to leave was not easy at all because we consider Japan our home and really love the country and its people. My heart is broken and I feel with everybody here. It is such a tragedy.

I dearly hope for things to get better soon.

 

Earthquake

We are fine. Staying at a friend's house because there is no electricity at our home. 

Hope you are all well, here in Japan!

S., ich ruf' Dich morgen an! Keine Sorge, uns geht es gut.

first stitches

Wristwarmers in garter stitch - one of the first projects I teach in my knitting class for beginners (girls and boys 8-13 years).
Cast on, knit stitch, bind off, a little bit of sewing and then adorning with whatever you fancy. In my case that would be wooden buttons either made of a piece of that Christmas Tree from a few years back, or a branch of cedar found in the park behind our house.

Besides holding yarn and needles properly, the main difficulty appears to be keeping a certain amount of stitches... oh that simple joy when counting the same number row after row!
Mine too, as I watch them.
Because I know this little wristwarmer could be the beginning of a great love.

*Yarns for these wristwarmers are Beaverslide Fisherman Weight and Rowan Felted Tweed.

Hina Matsuri, yesterday

Don't ask... the days just flew by and I just couldn't... when there was time I have been knitting, what else, this addiction is hard to fight, especially because there is so much pretty yarn in the world and playing with wool just makes me feel good.
I don't like to write here before I have been answering some of your comments and dear mails or messages I got on ravelry, or thanking for magazines you have sent me, or get back to those quilt photos, or continue posting those photos I took in the plum orchards... but I need to post some pictures and a quick greeting today.
Because today is the last day I feel mentioning Hina Matsuri is still fine because it was only yesterday.

So, dear girls out there: I hope you had a happy day yesterday!!!
It was Hina Matsuri here in Japan, Girls' Day, and we enjoyed some special sweets and sushi, with our dolls on display and new tenugui in our washitsu (Japanese room).

Same dolls as every year... but we have a new tenugui for this season:

I totally love it. We changed the covers for our zabuton to black this winter, so only those little owls on the floor are adding some colour to the room at the moment. Still, I don't think it doesn't look cold. But what am I talking here about those things when all I wanted to post was a quick hello and wishing you well?!

Something sweet:

Those are sweet, too...

This picture, as well as the first two of this post were taken at the kominka in Seseragi-koen, Nakamachidai. I think I have said it before, it's a truly lovely place - always changing with the seasons and always something new to discover - and so peaceful.
There's a beautiful, little exhibition of hina dolls and those hanging decoration called tsuribina (hanging dolls) at the moment. If you are anywhere in this area, go and see it!

Take care!

This might well have been the first of a series of hurried posts to catch up and show you what I have been seeing and making lately... but who knows. I am not gonna promise to return to more consistent posting, promises almost always work as some kind of curse for me and I am better off without. This way there's still hope ;)