Taking a deep breath

It's more than three month since I posted here last time. This is the place I correspond to my friend, on a not-so-regular basis, so followings are (pretty random) messages to y'all, guys.

1. My mother is doing OK. Considering her kidney condition and age, it's more like "well" than "OK", but, well, whatever. I had a text message this morning from her and I almost prepared myself to rush to her neighborhood hospital (where she stayed for two months this spring), but she was at home and it was just a thank-you mail for some local pickles I brought her from our vacation. She sends me (and to my sister and brother) every morning a text from her cell phone, just to prove that "she's alive", and we all return to her, just to prove that "we are doing OK". One of my friends says it's super cool of my mom (again, considering her age) to use text message like that. I am not sure about that, but, I know enough that if my friends say so, she really is cool.

2. My daughter is doing much more than just OK. She loves her school. I guess that's more than enough reason for me to be happy.

3. Right now Pokémon is the main thing my daughter has on her mind. We don't possess any Nintendo DS in our household, so it's just TV anime (every Sunday) and card game. She is having a very good time playing the game with her Dad, like, three times a week. Thank goodness the man I have married and had a child with is a right guy.

And I ended up making this;

4. I didn't have much time to knit, but not that I had no time.

Pattern; Sailing by Teresa Boyer, in Nursery Rhyme Knits: Hats, Mittens & Scarves with Kids' Favorite Verses (linked to the Ravelry page)

Pattern; Rattlesnake Creek Socks by Anne Poddlesak, made only the cuff part

Both are knit with the yarns that used to be my mom's stash, now mine. These are "good" yarns, you know, fingering, 100% wool, and need to be hand-washed (ugh).

There were tons of acrylics, too, and I made a decision this summer. NO FINGERING ACRYLICS IN MY STASH. I don't like them. And we don't have extra rooms for anything I don't like to use in our tiny apartment. They had to GO. AWAY.

.... And then, I found out this pattern.

Maybe, would it be nice to have a new rug or two on the bathroom floor?

Yes, it is.

And the crochet version is nice and fun to make, too. Actually, I like crochet version better.

5. Major house re-organization is under the way. Due to the limited man-power (only me, basically) and operation time (half of my week is consumed to teach and prepare for the class), it's a slow process, but our house is looking better and regaining its original relaxing atmosphere.

These are my own summer project. For Home.

And this throw/afghan/whatever has been finished and found its place.

6. I have four weeks before my fall term class opens.

7. So today, I finally found time to take care of my "nuka-doko", fermented pickles "bed" made with rice bran and salt (and some more, naturally). My mother's side is from northern Kyushu (Kokura area, to be exact), where fermented pickles is one of the staple food. Mine is a descendant of the one my great-grand mother brought from her mother's kitchen when she gets married. It would be more than a shame if I kill something which has at least 100 years history. (note; edited to fix grammar. If not fixed, please send me a comment. ) Like a good sourdough starter (well, I have never kept a sourdough starter myself so it's just a guessing), you don't need rocket science to keep good pickles bed go on, but you have to love it. My daughter doesn't fancy its smell. Yet. We'll see.

8. We had an awesome summer vacation this year. That'll need another post.

Just for fun or practical use

We had a good time at my in-law's this "Golden Week" (end of April - first week of May holidays). My mother's kidneys had changed their minds and start working again (rather slowly though), the medicines began to kick in, so we had not so much worry to leave behind.

My husband's stay was only for 3 days because his company moved some non-working days in this month to lengthen summer "Obon" holidays in August, to save energy in hot days this year (some of its factories are in TEPCO area). My daughter and I stayed with them 7 days.

We travel light. No need to bring around heavy coats, but my clothes choice included these wool;

Yeah, socks. My hand-knit.

My sock knitting started in 2007. Soon I found out that;

1. I love wearing wool socks even during in summer (I mean, in Texas and in Kyoto).

2. I'm one of those few happy people who don't get Second Sock Syndrome.

3. I prefer knitting toe-up socks.

4. But prefer wearing cuff-down, heel-flapped socks.

5. I love DPNs. Not that I don't see the beauty of magic loop, though.

6. I don't like knitting two socks at once, but if I need to, I can.

7. Or, I'd rather re-wind yarn in two balls with the help of my trusty digital kitchen scale.

8. Socks are my comfort, not my field of challenges. That means, I love knitting simple ones.

9. Not that I refuse Cookie A. I adore her designs.

10. I like knitting stranded colorwork socks, but not so wearing them.

My socks drawer is getting less full. I have been knitting socks, but not so much of mine these couple of years. I decided this year is going to be my-sock knitting year like 2007-2008, but things are not going as I planned. I got distracted by those leftover fingering yarns, my used-to-be-my-moms' stash (means classic, not-so-soft, non-superwash yarns). My bath tab reading with my daughter ended up casting on this scarf for her;

pattern; from Sailing by Teresa Boyer, in Nursery Rhyme Knits: Hats, Mittens & Scarves with Kids' Favorite Verses

yarns; classic fingerings from my stash

needles; US #1 (2.25 mm) metal circular

My first time try for stranded colorwork in straights (using circulars but like straights. NOT in rounds.) I was afraid of tangling and puckering, but not really different from knitting in rounds.

Actually, I brought this project to my in-laws and made a good progress on it.

This summer, we're visiting in-laws again, hopefully longer. Which project would I choose to bring with me? Biological Clock by Janel Laidman (in The Eclectic Sole)? Herringbone Rib by Kristi Schueler? Celtic Triad by Kathleen Sperling? Sandalwood by Caitlin Stevens?

Or all of the above?

round and round

To all who kindly asked about my mother this week.... She's doing OK. Her kidneys are giving up doing their jobs, but she found a new friend named dialysis. My sister, aunt (my mom's youngest sister) and me, and sometimes my brother (he is living a bit farther from the hospital than me and sis) , my sister's grown-up son and daughter are visiting her, doing errands for her.

Thank you, my friends, and I'm so sorry I don't send y'all e-mails personally.

Instead, here's a picture of my on-the-go project.

It's another use-up-leftovers project. I haven't decided yet it's going to be sleeveless or short-sleeved, how its neckline would be shaped (other than it will be steeked), nor how long it would be (tunic or vest?). I'm just knitting round and round, and round.

Week comes, week goes. Mom's doctor looks a leeeettle bit more relaxed.

Oh, and Mom likes this light blue (at the top). GOOD.

Everywhere I go

What a hectic week.

Monday, my mother was hospitalized. She had been having "a prolonged session of coughs after a cold or pollen allergy or whatever" for a couple of weeks or so. She knew her already weakened kidneys decided "to cut another level of their works" over last weekend, went to see her doctor first thing in the Monday morning, and he didn't let her go home. Her heart isn't working so good, neither.

She had one pair of pajamas in her bag "just in case". What a woman.

Tuesday, my first day at work. My husband got a day off for my daughter coming home (after her first school lunch!) and for himself recovering from nasty cold (bronchitis, I suspect) he had last week. I could have time to visit Mom straight from my work, thanks to him.

Wednesday, my last meeting at kindergarten PTA in the morning. After that, to the public library to return books, and my daughter's swimming class.

Thursday, after my no-worry-I'm-in-my-school-for-one-full-week daughter went to school, I hurried to a mass-selling appliance store to buy a small radio for Mom. She has an old AM radio in her hospital package (she had made beforehand and my niece picked it up at her house and delivered to her on Monday), but it doesn't work somehow. Now, after one month after the massive earthquake, almost all portable radio which works with AA battery is sold off. No date for re-supply. D and C battery is pretty thin on the market right now, so it's no use buying bigger plays-everything type boom box. I found one of just three of those pocket palm-sized AM/FM radio (in 980 yen. Score.), got extra batteries (AAA) for it and brought them for Mom.

Found out that either radios can't get AM wave because of noise from hyper-tech hospital machines or whatever, but FM broadcast sounds clear like in the middle of a park. The old one, which my father was using at his hospital even during his last stay, is now in my possession.

I hurried back again, but at almost home, got a message from Mom's hospital. Her doctor needs a form signed by family member to give her some farther treatment. After a couple of calls, I reached my big sister she said OK to go to hospital after her work.

Today, my big bro is visiting Mom. Thank goodness it happened to be his day off. My daughter comes home at 13:30, and after that, her gymnastic class. It's once-a-week chance to see her old kindergarten friends and release their tensions at new schools.

All through this week, I am rubbing and squeezing this.

It's my cell phone cozy. Has ravens.

Pattern; Annemor #5 by Terri Shea, in Selbuvotter

Yarn; Diana Collection Fiore, colorway 01 and 02 (white and black)

Needles; US 1 (2.25 mm)

Finished; January 2010

On the back side are pigeons (just an exchange of colors).

Before I made this, I was using small fabric bags. My last knit one;

which I was using in US was too small for my Japanese cell phone, and happily adopted by my mother-in-law.

Pattern; from Hiking Socks by Nadia Severns, in Vogue Knitting On the Go: Socks

Yarn; Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock, colorway SY-32 (little lirac) and SY-17(purple splendor)

Needles; US 1 (2.25 mm)

My mother's condition needs very close watch. Yet she is still cheerful and can't stop talking. It's our family joke that she can't breeze without talking, like sharks can't breeze without swimming.

Talk, Mom. We'll hear. From time to time (: P)

Done before starting

It's not my old unblogged project. A new one.

Pattern; Siren Sleeves by Kelly McClure (free download from Ravelry)

Yarn; Nikke Victor Solfa, colorway; 401, 2 balls = 1 for each sleeve

Needles; KnitPicks Harmony socks DPN #US 2 1/2

Note; I wanted to use up whole ball to knit one sleeve. So, I made a short one (from garter band to knuckle), picked up at CO edge, knit in stockinette stitch for 40 rounds, and switched to k2p2 rib until the yarn run out. ... Actually, I miscounted and make one sleeve with 40 rounds of stockinette and another with 45. I can live with that.

It knit up too fast. I mean, I was going to make this project as my "commuter project", a small mindless project to carry around. It just finished itself (sort of) before my commute starts.

My job to teach Microsoft Office ® (am I using this symbol correctly?) to freshmen at a local college is starting on coming Tuesday. It gives me a 20 x 2 min. train ride and a 10 x 2 min. bus ride. About 60 min. of promised knitting (& hopefully audiobook) time.

I'm excited to have a job (it's not just some knitting time. Paycheck!), and at the same time, I'm feeling nervous, naturally.

It's about 7 years since my last working days.

My daughter is a new 1st grader (Japanese school year has just begun, you know.) I need my mother's help so someone is at home when my little school-goer comes home, until her school time extends into afternoon (in a couple of weeks). Thank goodness my mother is keeping herself healthy enough.

I'm TEACHing. More than 100 youngsters.

For my peace of mind, I'd take this is a good omen. I mean, my (hand)work, materialized more easily than I expected.

And I'll start something mindless for my train time.

40+

I started this blog to talk about my finished knitting project, basically. "Basically" because I was going to talk about not-yet-projects, mere thoughts and anything gives me inspirations & motivations to my knitting.

On the other hand, I'm keeping track of my knitting on Ravelry. The record there is more precise and whole, naturally. Ravelry is a database (and some more, of course). This is a blog. There's no rule that I have to post on every project I finished. I can just pick up some favorites and write whatever innocent, and let it flow away into the cyberspace.

The other day, the "collector in me" has made a list. According to it, there are still more than 40 projects (that I know of) yet un-blogged.

Sigh.

I'll start crossing one project by one off the list.

One post (at least) every week, I'll promise. Starting.... next week. Maybe assigning a day of the week for this blog helps me to get the peace of mind, and rhythm of life.

One more, before going back to "usual".

Thank you for the supportive messages to my last post.

What happened nor what's going on do not allow us to be optimistic. But reconstructions are beginning. Nuclear reactors are getting cooled down. I'm not panicked.

Thank you for your kind heart and rational mind, fellow knitters.

Please, read this.

And send money to MSF and Red Cross / Red Crescent of your country.

They know who needs help the most. I want to thank them to remind me that earthquake victims are not the only one who needs to be helped. It's another shocking truth.

I'll send my money to our fellow Japanese through Japanese Red Cross Society, because it's where my heart goes the first. And I'll keep on doing my annual donations to MSF and UNICEF this year, too. I believe they know better than me in deciding how much to go whom.