Thoughts on Tokyo on a Rainy Day

Konichiwah.

According to my passport, I've been eight times in Japan (which basically means Tokyo) in the last five years. I've done the sigh seeing stuff, so today, the only day I'm off on this trip, I decided to do some shopping. And, shopping I did *grin*

But first a picture (which, really, is a sight seeing shot after all)


The emperor's palace (the reason I got there actually was that close to the palace is one of the few ATM's in Tokyo where I know I can get money from my charge card)

Maybe not so visible in the pic is the fact that is was raining - ney, pouring - for most of the day. I don't think I've ever seen so many umbrellas in one place.
Speaking of umbrellas, in Tokyo, whenever you end up inside a shop or a department store somebody will press a plastic sleeve on you to pack your umbrella in, so you won't be dropping water on their floors. Maybe a sensible precaution, but not exactly environmently friendly.
Actually, plastic bags are all over the place here. In the grocery store, in the department stores, whenever you buy anything (be it a bottle of water or a rice ball)
Not really happy about all that plastic trash.
Only time I got a paper bag today was when I bought a new zoom lens in Yodobashi (electronics store) and even then they pulled some plastic cover over it - it might get wet after all ....
Yodobashi got quite a bit of my money, as I not only got the lens, but also, finally, I've joined the world of the iPod users. I nice, nifty, iPod classic with 80GB. I, naturally, wanted to hook it up to iTunes, I only got the Japanese instructions - and even with my many visits here, I've never managed to master that language.

Before going to Yodobashi, I've been in Ginza. Not very likely I buy much there, as Ginza is known mostly for beautiful and *very* expensive things. Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, you name it. Definitely outside of my normal price range. A hand bag for a measely 1000 Euro, yeah, right, sure.

One thing, though that's affordable in Ginza is the food. Think of it sort of a cross of any food court you've ever been and the one in Harrods in London. Good, sometime sheer unbelievable food, all to take out.


Yakitori ... hmmmmm.
(only one example ...)
So, usually, when I end up in Ginza, I grap a few different things, and eat it in the roof garden basically all deparment stores have. Only, I think I mentioned it before, it was raining, and the roof garden had no dry spot. So I found a barely used staircase and ate my fried dumplings there.

There was one stop I had to make in Tokyo, though, and that was the yarn store I've discovered the last time I was here: Okadaya. I love that place, so much really nice yarn and the prices are reasonable. I've got more of the same 2ply yarn I've grabbed up last time (and made into the Branching Out Scarve and the Snowdrop Shawl) I've got the perfect pattern for it in Victorian Lace Today and it should be plenty enough for it.
I also got some bright yellow yarn on sale (half price) and also some green yarn for a shawl I've had in my mind for quite some time. Or maybe for the Juno Regina Stole from last year's Knitty ( I wanted to make it for the knitting olympics this year, using Wollmeise lace yarn, but there's none to be had at the moment and it might be a few months, before she dyes new one *sob*)

Well, after a lot of shopping and getting wet, I've got my bags (not everything fitted into the backpack as I've hoped it would) and headed back to the hotel.
Two more days and then home on Wednesday.

Taking a break

I'm going to take a break from the afghan. I finished two projects this weekend. One, I can't talk about here, the other I need to wait for it to dry before I can take a picture (I just finished blocking it, those pics just didn't came out nicely)

This second project is the kid silk haze scarf I've started last time I was in Japan (remember this phote here?) Of course, I've ribbed it up once (or basically restarted it as the Rowan is very rib resistant ...), so the look has changed a bit in the mean time.

As I'm going to Japan on tomorrow, I've decided to take something more light weight than the afghan, though this doesn't mean I didn't knit on it last week. I finished three squares.

• Block 11: GAA no. 19 Barbara Venishnick - the entrelac part was fun, but the two bits left and right just didn’t work out the way I wanted. I thought it’s a smart move to, instead of knitting them up and then sewing them to the main body, I would attach them to the center bit as I was working my way up. I ribbed both sides up at least one and still not happy with the left hand side.

• Block 12: GAAA no. 6 Barbara Selesnick - easy and fast square. I managed it in one evening

• Block 13: GAA no. 10 Wendy sacks - Another pretty easy one. Not exactly in love with the tuck stitch (it’s not a difficult stitch, but I’m not crazy about the final look of it)

Eight to Ten

More squares and a new start.

• Block 8 (080610): GAAA no. 5 Kathleen T. Carty - unusual construction. A bit fiddly in places, but a lot of fun

• Block 9 (080612): GAA no. 9 Lily Chin - biased square with bobbles. Also a rather unusual construction on a square, but way easier than block 9. This gives me the idea for trying a biased square with cable. I have to think about the idea a little bit longer …

• Block 10 (080614): GAAA no. 2 Julie H. Levy - not a very exiting square, but not boring either.

Monday in a week, I'm going to Japan once again. For the knitting on the plane I've picked another pattern from Knitty (Spring 2008). It's the Lace Ribbon Scarve.



I did two repeats so far, and I'm confident that it will keep me busy for a while. The yarn is one I've picked up last December in Japan (so I'm taking it home, really). Very fine yarn, very soft, no idea what it's made of. 15 gramms run for 148m - that's quire a bit. I've got five balls, which should be plenty (the pattern asks for around 600m, though I'm making one more repeat of the pattern, as I'm knitting it on smaller needles). The pattern is easy to memorize, but does require some attention, so you don't drop stitches.

Squares 3 to 7

I'm on a roll - means I'm going to show of nothing but afghan squares for a while.
I apologize for that in advance ...

• Block 3: GAAA no.3 (Marian Tabler) - more tricky than the first two, but I love that tippsy cable
  

• Block 4 : GAA no. 25 (Nancy Bush) - easy one, though I think it’s a bit on the short side. Will maybe rework

• Block 5 : GAAA no. 7 (Ginette Belanger) - fairly easy once I worked out the correct way to make the bobbly bit

• Block 6: GAAA no. 4 (Meredith K. Morinka) - this was originally my test swatch to decide which yarn to use. It is too long, so I took out one repeat.

Block 7: GAA no. 13 Nicky Epstein - the trees were fun to knit. The sewing took almost as long as the knitting

I'm on a roll - means I'm going to show of nothing but afghans squares for a while.
I apologize for that in advance ...

Ready, Steady, Go!!!

From this


with these


I plan on making the Great American (Aran) Afghan.
I've got 36 skeins of the yarn, I have to see how far I get.
As I plan this as a bed spread, I will certainly need more than the material for the 'normal' afghan. I also will use pattern from both books (Great American Afghan and Great American Aran Afghan), whatever I'm in the mood for.

I already finished square 1 (from the GAAA, no1.):


and square 2 (from GAA, no.2)


So far, so good ;)


Just one quick finish from last weekend to add.


Sneaker socks - started them a long time ago (I finished the first one last August *uups*)
Finally got around finishing them. No idea what took so long.
Pattern is my own, toe up with magic loop, short row heel and some funky bind off.

Yarn Toss

In the stitching world, a floss toss is used to decide what fabric to use for a given project. Normally you take the required floss and place ('toss') them on several possible fabrics and the one combination you like most, is usually the one you use for stitching.
With the Great American Aran Afghan, which I plan for my next knitting project, I decide on something similar. I did spent some time last Friday in my LYS looking at options.
I knew several requirements and wishes.
A) the yarn shouldn't be too expensive. I'm going to need (if I make the afghan exactly as described by the booklet) at least 3600m of yarn. At 100 ~ 120m per 50gr ball, I'll end up buying at least 30 balls. As I plan on doing a somewhat bigger version, I will end up with even more then this.
B) the yarn should be maschine washable. As I will make the afghan in off-white, stains will be very visible.
C) I'd like to have some natural fibre in it. Wool, cotton, bamboo, whatever.
D) the gauge, needle size and yardage should be something at least close to the one given in the pattern - 19 stitches to 10cm (4inches) with 4.5mm (US7) needles, yardage 90m per 50gr

I ended up with a small basket of maybe six or seven yarns (don't you just love a yarn store that even gives you a selection like this) and ended up with three to take home with me to do some swatching.

The ones I've picked are
- Lana Grossa - Millefine: 50% Merino / 50% Acrylic, gauge is 17M x 24R, 4.5 ~ 5.5 needles size and 100m per 50gr
- Lana Grossa - Basic quick: 50% Virgin Wool / 50% Acrylic, gauge 19M x 25R, 4 ~ 4.5 needle size and 125m per 50gr
- Lana Grossa - Basic Mixer: 60% Cotton / 40% Acrylic, gauge 18m x 24R, 4,5 ~ 5 needle size and 120m per 50gr

Of the first and the last I've made a swatch (with one of the patterns from the booklet) and then washed it.



And the winner is .....

Lana Grossa Basic Mixer!!!

I seriously do love the cotton feeling of the second swatch, and it suffered not at all from washing (which I see the biggest problem with knitting with cotton), I guess due to the acrylic content. The pattern just pops better with the cotton mix and the color and feel looks to be closer to the one on the photo of the cover of the booklet.
Guess I'm going to order 30 balls tomorrow (or maybe 40 .... I do want to make a big afghan after all ....)

Two Finishes

It's done. The Lizard Ridge Afghan is finished and I'm in love.

What's not to love? Even though there was no way of knowing it, the colors work great together. Even the occational really odd color just fits in somehow. And there are plenty of odd colors in there.

For the edging I followed the instructions, and I love it as well. Aren't those little waves super cute? The wool is even the recommended one. I picked it up in San Francisco a couple of weeks back.
The afghan is also warm and cuddly and not too scratchy (I did wash and block the whole thing when it was still two half Lizards and a bit easier to handle)

It looks good on my deck chair



As I said, I'm in love.

And, I discovered that I really like knitting afghans and so I actually plan on the next one, the American Aran Afghan. In contrast, all in off white. I've got the pattern and already started working on one of the squares to see how I like it. Well, I do like it a lot and I will see about the wool next weekend. I've only have some 100% wool in the right weight and color at home, but in no way enough, and without a chance to get more as I picked it up on a whim a couple of years ago in Scottland. Besides, with the afghan in white, I want something a bit easier to wash.

Second finish is a short top named Bombshell from the book 'Big Girl Knits'.

I realize that the picture is a bit ugh.
I sort of like it (though not really super happy) and it wears like a dream (the material is a ribbon yarn bamboo cotton mix). I had to go down with the needle size by quite a bit to get the correct cauge even though the yarn should have been okay, and then I guess it all got a bit on the short side length wise. The ribbing looks much shorter than in the picture of the model and I had to extend the lower part by quite bit to have it cover my navel.

Half a Lizard

Well, that's as far as I got with the afghan so far.



I did finish knitting all the squares, weaved in all the ends (and what a pain that was) and managed to asamble half of the squares. Now to sew the rest together and do the edging. The sewing I'm not looking forward to - not at all.

It's going to be pretty though *grin*

We Will Rock You

Yesterday I finally made it to Köln (Cologne) for the German version of "We Will Rock You", the Queen Musical


Last year we already plans to go there, but I had to eventually cancel because of work. Luckily this time it worked out.

First of, the show was really, really good. I've seen it in London a few years ago, and the German production doesn't need to hide itself behind the 'original'. Not at all. Very solid performance, good singing, acting and dancing. Loads of fun. At the last number nobody remained on his or her seat. I'd go again in a heart beat.
I'm pretty sure we didn't get to see the main cast, but this was no problems. Actually, I liked one of the guys a lot: J.B. in the German production, I believe his role is called Brit in London. Don't know if I'd have liked the main singer as much.

I'm making no progress whatsoever on the stitching front, but move ahead quite nicely with my knitting projects. Not much longer and I can start assembling the Lizard Ridge Afghan.

No news from my neighbors - haven't seen them in the last two weekends at all. I hope they are still there, but I'm a bit afraid they've abondoned the nest in the meantime. I stay on the lookout.

There and There and Back Again

I was there

and there

and now I'm back again.
(I would guess that everybody will recognize the bridge. The light house is the Pigeon Point Lighthouse a couple of miles North of San Fransisco)

Mostly work, but as you can see I did get off a little bit for sight seeing and shopping (not to forget the shopping, shall we :)) The weather was great, even if it was a bit on the chilly side (and windy)
The flights were long (over 10 hours each) and full and next to me two guys sat with bladders of steel (if any .. I don't know), at least they barely moved from their seats trapping me in my little corner at the window (on the other hand, I like my window seats, so I can't really complain)

Snowdrop

And a new edition of the SKK today ;)

I finished the snowdrop shawl in nine days including blocking the whole thing (on my guest bed - I was quite surprised how well it worked). I have to say it was great fun and even though I have no clear idea what I ever gonna do with those kind of shawls I know I'm going to make more. It's quite addictive.

And it turned out pretty pretty too (even though the photos didn't so much as I had to make them in the hotel room in Dresden)

(urgh, sorry about that carpet ...)
It ended up to be 2 m wide (6ft 8, if I'm not mistaken) and 1.2 m (4ft) from tip to neck line.


I did follow the pattern for most parts, but I did add little golden beads on the tip of each point (which are not really visible in the photo)

Hmmm, if I don't wear it, I still can use it as home decoration ...

One extra picture from my neighbors. After some intense study (looking it up in wikipedia) I'm convinced now that it's a pair of kestrels (Turmfalken in German)


(my parents thought it's an eagle-owl (Uhu), but look at that face. It's not even close)


I'll packed my bags and after a fairly short night I'll be off for a week of San Fransisco tomorrow morning - for work, but still, hey, it's SF!!!

New Neighbors

Look who moved in into the next house over:

I saw them the other day and again today, so I decided to see if I can get a shot.

I was laying in wait for over an hour when she finally came out (it was raining like crazy at that moment - after the rain she hid again)


He only showed up once and was not very willing to pose for me, so that's the best shot I've got (so far at least)

As there's obviously a nest over there, I will keep my eyes open and maybe I'll get some more pictures. Of course, I have the feeling now that my human neighbors in the appartment underneath the nest think I might be a peeping pervert as I pointed with a pretty big tele lens on the general direction of their bed room window for over an hour ...

Practically Nothing

I think I need to rename the 'Sapphire's Stitching Stanza' into 'Sapphire's Knitting Klub' at least for the moment (and, yes, I know club is written with a 'c' in English, but then I'm German and I like the allitaration ....)

Last time I was in Japan I picked up some 2 plyed yarn (the yellowish yarn in the middle of this post --> There's wool in Japan)
After knitting the cardigan and some squares of the Lizzard Ridge Afghan, I wanted to do something different. I did start on a pair of socks, but wasn't happy with it, so I ribbed it back up. I was looking at various shawl pattern, an finally decided to try my hands on this pattern here.
It's the snowdrop shawl by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee aka the Yarn Harlot of blog and book fame.
The pattern asks for 1200m of lace weight yarn - I've got about 1100m.
Still I decided to give it a try.


After a quick start, the rows got longer and longer and eventually I've had about 240 stitches to a row. Still, it's loads of fun, so much fun in fact, that I couldn't wait to get home after work (or rather the hotel I was staying in) just so I could knit a bit more on it.

Looks a bit bumpy at the moment, but after blocking it should look much better.


I finished the main body so far and working on the edging.

And ... I'm close to the end of the third skein (out of the five I have) and I guess that I'll end up with using roughly 800m.
At 25gr per skein, the whole thing will weight less than 100gr - practically nothing.

Seventeen Down, Seven To Go

I finished the seventeenth square for the Lizard Ridge afghan.


Sideway's view as I've stacked them on the table
Pretty colors :)
I still enjoy to knit those squares, and the fact that I'm only 7 squares away from the end does feel good. At the moment I've got only two complete skeins of Noro left and a couple of ends from other skeins.

I believe those are good for another two to three squares. So I'll need to buy two, maybe three more skeins and than that's it.
I'll got to San Francisco in two weeks and already checked out possible yarn stores, so I will buy what I need there. The current dollar to euro exchange rate is really looking good for us, and I guess there will be some more yarn to end up with me.

After the cardigan was done, I finally got around to work a bit more on the Castle Sampler, so a progress picture here:

Proudly Presenting: Oblique

Drum roll:



I finish the cardigan on Thursday. Surprisingly, it does fit pretty perfect. The arms are slighly too long, but not so much that I want to go back and change anything. The pattern asked for roughly 1120m of yarn - I ended up using closer to 1400m (I saw at several places that the yardage was off by quite a bit) It was 13 balls of Shetland De Luxe by Cedifra (50% New wool, 25% Baby Alpaka and 25% Mohair) in the color 9202. I might have been able to finish it with just 12 balls, but I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't have to join any yarn while knitting the collar, so I used an extra ball for this.

It wears nicely, but is nothing for a windy day.

There are many, many holes ....

Some details on the buttons:



I did make some progress on the Castle Sampler, but was too lazy to take a picture today.

Instead, some flowers:



On Friday, I visited the botanical garden in Frankfurt, and as there was little to take pictures of on the outside (still too early in the year) I went to the orchids. Lovely flowers.

Dreaming Of A White ... Easter?

Happy Easter to everybody. Hope you had fun and found all the hidden goodies (and not that you find them by the bad smell that comes from that one corner in a few weeks time)


On Easter Sunday I had the family over (my parents, my sister plus hubby and two of my nephews) and I made lamb and nobody went home hungry.

Though we had a bit of a warmish winter this year with very little snow, Easter sure made up for that.


Snow on my balcony this morning. It's pretty much gone by now, but, really, snow at Easter? Somebody up there must be laughing his head off.
Good thing I'm off this week, so I don't need to go outside, unless I really want (or need)
This gives me a chance too to hopefully finish the cardigan in a couple of days. On the picture above is the last arm I'm knitting on. I only had to redo half of it once so far - considering how much I reworked other parts, not too bad - though, there's always the chance I'll manage to screw something else up.
But ripping parts of it, really makes a difference.

The upper error is were the arm decrease started before I took out 4 inches. The lower arrow where it is now. It's still, somehow, about an inch longer than in the pattern, but, to be honest, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!!!
(phew, sorry, had to get that off my chest)

No stitching done. Nothing at all.