I am going to Japan! Paul is going to Japan for work again, however, this time I will be going with him. I am very excited and want to see everything. The only little bump in the yellow brick road is that I will have to do much of everything by myself. He will be in meetings and work dinners most of the time we are there. This leaves me with a lot of touring time by myself. I will be fine but I am a little concerned about the language issue. I have gotten a Japanese Phrase book with CD and downloaded it to my iPod. I have been listening all day. I have learned to say hello, where is the restroom, help, and most important how much does this cost!
I will be in Shin Yokohama which is about a 10 minute train ride from Yokohama and about a 40 minute train ride from Tokyo. I have been on the internet and found some great places to visit and I went to “Knitters in Japan” thread on Ravelry. Several places had great suggestions of where to shop for yarn. I even offered to trade sock yarn, which I am told is hard to find, for a knitter to show me around or have lunch. I will see if anyone bites on that offer.
In thinking about going I wanted to take a couple of projects with me to knit. The plane ride to Tokyo will be 14 hours. I figure I could get on with yarn and off with a sweater if I play my cards right. Soooooo I thought what would be any better than to make the lace project I have wanted to try. It is called “Voyager Lace Stole in Pakucho Organic Cotton” It is a free pattern from Vogue Knitting designed by Shui Kuen Kozinski and Benne Ferrell. The pattern was designed by them with thoughts of the women who came to the Canadian wilderness more than a century ago. On the voyage over other women would show them how to knit and this was the pattern they would teach for a beautiful but warm shawl. The pattern says that these young women emigrants would step on a ship and began their voyage to a new home in Canada. They brought with them their skills as knitters and spinners and the willingness to use those skills to clothe their families. Despite the need for utility items of clothing, they incorporated creativity, skill and beauty into garments needed for warmth in the cold Canadian winter. Well, I am all about creativity and in fourteen hours I will either love the stole or throw it overboard when I land.
If you would like to make the stole along with me I will be posting my progress as I go along. I will also post some of the pictures I take as I journey around Japan. The only tip I have is a trick I learned for Sticks and String Podcast. He suggested that when knitting a complicated pattern for lace to use a life line. A life line is a string or dental floss carried through the last row of the pattern that is repeated throughout the lace. So if it is necessary to rip out any rows you only go as far as the life line. It is best to make the life line a different color so it is easy to see and pull out when you are done knitting.
I look forward to keeping all of you up to date on my adventures.
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