outdoor monday

I am enjoying this warm winter day while weeding.

crocuses blooming

yellow dreams of sunny times

spring will soon be here

purple bamboo blend

I cast on another purple bamboo blend hat that I hope to finish this weekend.

1000 paper cranes

Cranes pair for life and represent faithfulness, longevity, prosperity, wisdom, loyalty, vigilance and peace. In legend it is said that they carry the prayers for those lost in war and take the souls of the deceased on their backs to the Western Paradise.

In the 11th century Kamakura period of Japan, during the celebration of a Buddhist festival, the people tied prayers to the legs of cranes for those who were lost in battle. Then set them free to carry their prayers of peace off to the world.

This reminds me of a quote by a 12 year old girl.

“I will write peace on your wings

And you will fly all over the world.”

Sadako Sasaki was born in Hiroshima, Japan. She was two years old when the United States dropped an atom bomb on the city. When she was 12 years old and sick in the hospital with leukemia her friend Chizuko brought some paper and reminded her friend the story of the old crane that lived 1000 years. And if someone folded 1000 paper cranes, the gods would grant that person a wish.

Sadako started to fold paper cranes and was able to fold 644 before she died. Her class mates folded the remaining 356 and all the cranes were buried with her.

There is a statue in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park at the Children’s Peace Monument of Sadako holding a paper crane. Every year on August 6th thousands of paper cranes are placed at the memorial.

I am working of folding 1000 paper cranes to add my voice to the plea at the base of Sadako’s statue.

“This is our cry,

This is our prayer,

Peace in the world.”

fibers on friday on monday

I finished the set and found my pashmina shawl. 

I'm definitely going to use bamboo blended yarn again.  In fact I've already started another hat with the same yarn and color.  Senior Chief asked me to make one for his Mom when I showed him the set; purple is her favorite color.

salmon, egg & tuna nigiri

echinacea

I found a beautiful bamboo, wool, and angora blended yarn in echinacea.  So, my sushi is now on hold while I knit up a hat and fingerless mitt set.  The hat is done and I'm almost finished with the first fingerless mitt.  I think it's time for me to take a break from knitting and dig through my closet in search of a lost pashmina shawl that might match the set.

wordless wednesday

sushi ~ tuna nigiri

I found this book and had to get it and get started right away.  See, I have a few sushi lovers in my family.  And one of them won't be able to get a hold of sushi anytime soon.  So I am going to crochet him up some and mail it to him.  Of course I will have to make a second batch of sushi for my girlies; along with some cakes, fruit salad, and veggies...

The patterns are written for worst weight yarn, but I like my crochet foods in miniature (see here and here.) So this will be itty bitty tiny sushi made with number 10 crochet thread and a size 7 (1.65mm) hook.

My tiny Tuna Nigiri, Yummi' Gurumi is finished.

 Now to make some Salmon Nigiri, yum!