First grape

 We moved here 2017 and found a grape tree in the garden. It was a tree planted by a person who lived in the past. There was no shelf, so the leaves mixed with weeds. After years of effort, we got a decent grape this year !

May

　越した時に葡萄の木を見つけました。以前住んでいた人が植えていたようです。ずっと雑草と化していたんですが、棚を作ったり介抱したりと、今年になって初めて、まともな実がなりました。８月に収穫したんですが、透明感があって宝石のような綺麗な色をしています。

Aug

I don't know what kind. Small and transparent, look like jewels.

Squeezed the grapes into juice, added sugar and boiled, I make syrup. The color is brown. The taste is honey, not grapes, strangely..!!

葡萄を絞ってジュースにしてお砂糖と煮詰めてシロップにしました。色は茶色、味はなんと蜂蜜味。美味しい！来年はワインにしたい、けど、日本の法律で簡単に試せないのが残念。

I want to make wine next year, but Japan has a strict low about alcohol and can't make easy. It's very disappointing. 

Lace socks

 I hope that you are having wonderful summer days !

I like this beautiful lace socks. I knitted from the book of "52 weeks of socks". ( No 16 TOIVOHARJU. The yarn, "The Uncommon thread" , color Smog. ) It's a good book, I'll knit something lovely one again :)

 暑い日が続きますがコロナも大変なことになっているし、大丈夫ですか？

オリンピックがこんな年で本当に残念でしたね。選手全員に金メダルをあげたくなります。

　で、２ケ月かけて靴下を１足編みました。とてもいい感じのができました。ついでにいくつか最近の写真を載せますね。

And Here are some recent pictures.

My dog and cat can now sleep together.

But it took 3 years a cat accepts to a dog...

　最近、犬と猫がやっと一緒に寝れるようになりましたが、実に３年もかかりました。犬は本当に心が広い生き物で、猫が決めたルールも人間の決まりも、すんなり覚えてくれました。

My goats .

I make ice cream from time to time. 

Homemade is the best ：）

It's hot here at "36 degrees "96.8 F ". Just watering the garden makes me tried... I miss winter already !

アイスクリームを作ったり、時々ミシンもやっています。暑くて庭がカラッカラなので水やりに時間がかかって、顔が真っ黒！冬が早くも恋しいです。。

Count correctly

 When we want to count Row a little, I don't know how to writ it in your country. Of course, there is a convenient thing a "row counter" for knitter. In Japan, we sometimes use one of this Kanji 　正　The meaning of this letter is "Correct, Right ". 5 for one, 10 for 2 . Click to see the correct stroke order in the big picture. 

 

　たぶん若さの問題ではなくって、柔軟な思考をお持ちの方は段数カウンターなど上手に活用されてると思います。私はそうゆうのが苦手で（押し忘れ、回し忘れ、何がどこまでだったか忘れる、など）何段か数えたい時は「正」の字でカウントする方が楽です。若い方は知らないかもしれないと思って書きますが、漢字ひとつで「５」ですヨ。

And this is an exercise with an answer.

Because I found an old count memo in the knitting book. I think it takes time to count the sticks. 

My count memo. You will soon find that it is 15 rows :) 

Make chamomile tea お茶作り

 Sowed chamomile seeds in March. and The flowers are in full bloom right now. I didn't know it smelled like an apple.

カモミールの種を３月にまいていて、今ちょうど花が満開です。本当にりんごの香りがするんですね。開花後３～４日後の花を摘み、風通しの良い日陰で乾燥させ、冷暗所で保管。干している時に花が風で飛ばされてダメになったことがあったので、重しがちょっとあるといいですね。

Pick flowers 3~4 days after flowering and dry in the shade, store out of the sun. Need little weight to prevent flowers from being blown by the wind. 

5~6 fresh flowers or dried flower 1 teaspoon, put it in a pot, pour boiling water, steam for 5 minutes, and then drink. >> Delicious add same amount of honey.

　生花だと５～６、乾燥させた場合は小さじ１　をポットに入れ、熱湯を注ぎ、４～５分蒸らしてから飲む。＞同量の蜂蜜を入れると美味しいですヨ

Efficacy of Chamomile tea.... Good sleep, Warming the body, Analgesic effect(headache, menstrual plain etc.)

効能．．．安眠、体を温める、頭痛、生理痛などの鎮痛作用

Wool panties 毛糸のパンツ

29, March 2021

Wool panties are very warmer than you think. I actually wear it over my pantie and tights.

It is a vintage pattern on 1930s from my book, so post it here free. 

毛糸のパンツは思ったより暖かいです。実際はパンティーとタイツの上に履きます。ヴィンテージのため、ここに載せられるのでぜひ編んでみてください。

Materials

3 oz 3-ply wool like a socks yarn

OLD UK no.10 and no.12 knitting needle (US 3, and US 2 now)

A fine crochet hook.

1 yd. bais binding or some fine round elastic.

2 or 3 small buttons

Measurements

Length at side edge, 15 ins. Waist,24 ins. to 27 ins.

Tension. 7 1/2 sts to 1 in.

The Front. The Right Leg.

With No,12 needles cast on 68 sts. And work 1 in. in K 1, P 1, rib. Leave these sts. On a spare needle.

The Left Leg.

Work as for right leg, then join legs and work for gusset as fallows:

Chang to No.10 needles.

1st row.  K 68 sts, of left leg. Cast on 26 sts, for gusset, K 68 sts, of right leg ( 162 sts )

2nd row. P.

3rd row. K 68, k 2 tog , K to last 70 sts, K, 2tog, K 68.

4th row. P.

Rep. the last 2 rows until the gusset sts. are reduced to 4.

25th row. k 68, (k,2tog) twice. k68.

26th row. p

27th row. k67 (k, 2tog) twice, k67

28th row. p

29th row. k

30th row. p

31st row. k65, k. 2tog k2 k. 2tog , k65

works 3rows st. st.

Next row. k, dec, on either side of the 2 centre sts, as in 31 st row.

Rep. last 4 rows 3 times , and after that work 5 plain rows instead of 3 between dec. rows until 104 sts. remain.

Continue in st.st. without further shaping until work measures 13 1/2 ins. from cast-on lef edge. Change to No 12 needles and continue in k1, p1,rib until work measures 15 ins. Cast off in rib.

The back. work exactly as for front until work measures 13 1/2 ins. ending with a row on wrong side.

shape back thus: Next 2 rows work to last 11 sts, turn.

next 2 rows. work to last 21 sts, turn.

next 2 rows. work to last 31 sts, turn.

next 2 rows. work to last 41 sts, turn.

next 2 rows. work right across. Change to No,12 needles and work 1 1/2ins in k1,p1, rib.

Make-up. Press work lightly on wrong side with hot iron and damp cloth, avoiding the ribbing. Join leg and gusset seams. Join side seams leaving an opening at the top of left side seam . Face the waist and opening with bias binding and fasten opening with press fasteners, or neaten the edges of the opening with a row of d,c, make 2 or 3 small button loops and sew on buttons to correspond. The waist may have fine elastic threaded through the top edge of the ribbing instead of the bias binding. 

I sewed the loops for the buttons. and what I felt after wearing it for a day was that I didn't need buttons on my pantie. If the Back and Front are exactly the same and there is no problem.

実際に一日中履いてみて思ったのは、ボタンは必要なかったってことです。前と後ろは全く同じように編んでも問題ない。

April 2021

I actually knit it the front and back in the same way...

そう思ってもう１枚編みました。

あえて言うなら　ボタンがあった方が可愛いかな、という感じ。

 The one with the buttons is cute .. !!

24, May 2021

I knit it again, so it will be warm outside work in the coming winter !

結局３枚も編みました。これで冬の庭仕事も温かいかな

May work

 １年で唯一やる気満々の５月になりました。比較的ここは涼しくて蚊もいないのです。せっせと土を耕し、手作り肥料を混ぜ込み、種をまき、野菜を育てています。

In May, I have a lot of energy for the garden work. This is a cool and mosquito-free season here.  Mix handmade fertilizer, plow the soil and sow. 

サニーレタス Lettuce 

我が家のキッチンガーデン。ちなみに真ん中あたりにあるのは枯れた井戸です、使えなくて残念。今植えてあるのはサニーレタス、絹さや、人参、枝豆、小松菜、チンゲン菜、トマト、ナス、カリフラワー、鷹の爪など

There is an old well in the center of the kitchen garden, but unfortunately it was withered.  

　Lettuce, eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, some kinds of beans. 

and There are apples, grapes, and kiwis in the garden. I'm really looking forward to it. 

他にもリンゴやブドウ、キウイも今のところ順調に育っているので今からとても楽しみです。もちろん編んだり縫ったりもしています

Of course I sometimes do knitting and sewing. 

The difficult days are still going on. I hope everyone can walk with their masks off next year. 

まだ難しい日々が続いていますが、来年にはきっと皆がマスクを外して歩けますように！