The way I think right

I bought this bag at H.E.B. grocery store by the Market Street in The Woodlands, TX. It's made by the women in developing countries and sold at "fair price" to support them. I just liked the color, fabric, and the size (though now I feel it's a bit too small) of the bag, and felt the happiness that I can buy it. I used and used and used the bag so the shoulder strap finally started to break apart.

Now, if buying these bags really help the fellow women, I should just throw it away and buy a new one so I can do my share of helping more, shouldn't I?

But, the body of the bag is still good enough for everyday use. I don't want to trash it.

The torn fabric of the shoulder strap reminded me of a small tip about productivity.

When you find a small paper clip on the floor of your office, don't pick it up - your wage during doing so is higher than the cost of one small paper clip.

I don't want to live like that. I would rather pick up all the paper clips on the entire floor and make a funny hedgehog out of them.

I patched the strap. Doing so doesn't pay to the women who makes bags, but I feel more connected to them.

So, this is my "paper-clip picking" project. I have a couple more.

My husband wore this cotton shirts out. He gave it to me "to use whatever way you like" - cut into wipe cloth, clean the bathroom, whatever.

So, I patched it.

Now I got a soft, nice spring coat / work shirt.

Next? I'm going to frog my daughter's fit-perfectly-last-year-but-now-it-is-way-too-small socks and reknit pairs for her again. One frogged, two more to go.

Best part is, that my daughter wanted me to do so.

2010

My resolution for 2009 wasn't so ambitious, but a little too much for me. This year, I will concentrate only on ... losing weight.

No, it's not a joke.

As the first step, I signed up for an online (on-cell-phone, more precisely) fitness program. It costs me only 210 yen per month, but it's not free. I think paying money (how little it is) gives me a good motivation not to drop out. I can do yoga or Pilates right here in my living room, right at the moment I got 5 minutes before picking up my daughter. I got no excuse not to do any workout.

For knitting, I decided to make NO plan this year. I'll knit anything I want, at any pace I'm comfortable with. I'll make no promise to anyone, including myself, to make something.

Only exception is to plan and attend once-a-month meeting with Kansai Knitters Meetup Group in Kyoto.

In short, "think small" is my motto for this year. Yes, I want smaller me.

Santa, santa

I have found a good Santa Clause ornament.

It was on a pretty expensive side for its size, but we think it will make us remember that it was the year my daughter played "Little Star" for the kindergarten Nativity Play.

And, as a knitter, I couldn't resist to make this;

He kind of looks like my ob/gyn doctor in the US. I thinks it's because he is wearing a mustache, not a beard.

First thing I made for my tree this year, though, was a pretty pom-pom Santa on an amigurumi book. I changed it to simplify the pattern a little so I can make it only the yarns I had in hand, and ended up...

on a creature like this. I don't think he looks like Santa, but really really like him.

I used a pom-pom maker from Clover (the 65mm & 85mm combo one). I wasn't a pom-pom supporter until I tried it. Now? I can't wait to make a new pom-pom (or two) for my daughter's pink hat which lost one because it was made too sloppy.

I profess my belief in Santa. Really. I believe that he exists and is giving away toys to children all over the world.

Or, why we adults keep on buying toys for children at this time of the year?

This year, my husband and I are getting a bicycle (blue, with Hello Kitty on it) for my daughter. We are having so much fun playing the roles of Santa's agent.

Merry Christmas, to y'all!

Finding Santa

I made it a promise to buy one Santa Clause ornament every year when we got our first Christmas tree (imitation) in the US. When we don't buy a tree, that is.

So far, I got

2004; a tree (~7 ft. tall, from Garden Ridge, which we said "good bye" to before moving back to Japan - it's not practical to have anything taller than my husband inside)

2005; a Santa (with cute eyes)

2006; a Santa (carrying winter sports gears)

2007; a Santa (standing in front of his house, from Santa's Workshop at Colorado)

2008; a tree (~5 ft. tall, from nearby home center)

This year is a Santa year. I visited some stores where they have Christmas trees, "box-full at 1,000 yen" kind of ornaments, colorful lights.... but found no singleton Santa. Not yet.

I will try a little harder, but, if I can't find any lone Santa in anytime soon, I'll make one. Why not? I am a knitter/crocheter.

impulse and planning

Recently, I finished two garments for my daughter.

Pattern based on; DROPS 112-38 Jacket in "Alpaca" and Kid-Silk" with long sleeves

Yarn; Omega Sinfonia, in various colors... please see my Ravelry project page

Needles; JP 5 bamboo circular, US 3 Knitpicks Harmony circular and 2 1/2 Knitpicks Harmony DPNs

Pattern; my own, just plain knit-in-round vest.

Yarn; SKI yarn fingering, colorway 1786 - one of my mom's stash yarns, used only 75g for the vest, 20g for swach, which means I still have four balls (200g) of it

Needles; US 2 1/2 (for rib) and 3 (for body) KnitPicks Nickel-Plated circulars

Note; about the yarn... My husband cannot wipe off the image of "Chinese stir-fry veggie mix with Jew's ear mushroom" when he sees this color mix. I'd go with "trail mix with lots of dried fruits".

Each started with my sudden realization of the temperature outside. My daughter was going to feel cold if I didn't make these.

Today, the low dropped down to low-40F from mid-50F of last week's. The school vest had been finished in a week and blocked yesterday. Phew.

Yesterday, I went sit'n'knit to a nearby café with my daughter. My knitting friend on Ravelry was coming, too, but she had to cancel. So the "meeting" ended up in mother and daughter time, with cappuccino (for me) and iced cocoa (for my daughter), We had a lovely time, though. I worked on my husband's socks (almost black but so comfortable to work with) and my daughter's socks (another colorful project). My daughter drew some pictures (and gave one of those to the model - squishy bear in café), knit 10 stitches, and took a nap.

It was just me and my daughter this time, but I and Betsy of Kansai Knitters Meetup Group hope this grows as the "Kyoto branch" of our meetup group. The main meetups at Sept Mignon in Osaka on Saturdays doesn't always work for me, as my daughter's swimming class happens on Saturdays.

I could be an assistant organizer in Kyoto. It's a very small step, but my first one to follow the great people who works to spread the yarn/fiber love, like all the podcasters and event organizers.

Spread the love. I feel I'm on a mission.

eyeless fish

My Halloween post for 2009.

This semi-dry fish is popularly served for breakfast, or as salty treat in Japanese cuisine. We eat this as it is, head and bones and all, after lightly roasting it.

It's called mezashi (speared at eyes, literally) or maruboshi (dried whole, literally).

It is "dried sardine, held together by a bamboo skewer or string piercing the eye sockets" (by tangorin.com).

It's just.. yummy.

Happy Halloween!

Mission; kotatsu

kotatsu completed
Originally uploaded by O'Chica

About 3 weeks ago, my daughter, born and spent her first 4 years of life in Texas, was watching TV and asked me, "Mom, what is this stuff?" On the screen was a kotatsu. We have one, but have not been using it as its original form - I mean, it was just a square coffee table for us these years.

I had thrown away both of kotatsu futons (shiki-futon and kake-futon, mattress and blanket, that is) before we move to Japan (yes, I took them to Texas). My daughter and I picked up a set (happened to be the most inexpensive one in the shopping catalogue - good eye, girl!) and it was delivered yesterday.
It's not really cold enough for a kotatsu yet, but we just HAVE to get it ready NOW.

This morning, I cleaned up the living room floor and got it. A basket of Unshu (Satsuma) oranges is essential. Lots of coloring and drawing, snacking, TV-watching, knitting, reading, card games and not-so-intended naps are going to happen here this winter.