We are lucky this time of year to be able to participate in Hatsugama, the first kettle of the year. It is one of the biggest events of the year, and I have been preparing for this since early November. I have developed over the years a countdown checklist that starts about 2 months out …
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Every year, the Emperor of Japan chooses a theme, or Chokudai for the year. Many artists create works of art, tea utensils commemorating the theme for the year. For 2014, the theme is shizuka. It will be interesting to see what artists come up with for shizuka. My dictionary defines the word as calm, quiet, …
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Today I had the lucky opportunity of hosting a chakai for people that I had never met. However these two people had traveled many thousands of miles from North and East of here to be my guests. They were graduates of the Midorikai program in Kyoto and attended about 5 years before I had gone …
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Since the kumihimo workshop in November, I have become obsessed with braid and braiding. Using the kumiloom disk I started and braided several key chains. Then my good friend Barbara loaned me her Marudai and I began my first project on in. She also gave me enough silk to complete a flat braid obijime …
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