Mint, finally!

My mint finally sprouted!! There is just one spot in the living room where the sun shines during the day, and this pot was in that spot. I guess other pots have to wait a bit. When it is warmer, I will take them out in the porch and maybe they will sprout too.

Spring!

My coriander seeds just sprouted. They are the first sprouts of the season. (I am not counting the unknown sprouts that appeared next to my ginko tree in January). I have prepared mint seeds, coriander, and fenugreek. According to my seeding plans and the instructions I found online, I expected mints to sprout first. But then, mints and I don't quite agree so well, so they probably need more time.

Just in time for the Girls' Day

March 3rd is Girls' Day in Japan. A complete set would include dancers and musician, but I just made the two most important characters for this day.

Last crochet class

This was my course plan:

Class 1: beginning knot, chain, single crochet

Class 2: slip stitch, crocheting in rounds, increase

Class 3: crocheting in rounds 2, rounds with finger-wrapping beginning, doubles, decrease, pattern reading

I don't know how obvious it looks to you, but I had way to much to teach in my last class. I was hoping that a lot of the things we had covered in the first two classes would come together in the last class and it all would make sense, but well, in the end, the class felt rather rushed. Somehow, it felt important to me to cover all that topics so that my students would be able to go on their own and follow patterns and make what they wish, but maybe it would have been better if I covered less topic and focused on really understanding these techniques. Doubles and pattern reading might have been unnecessary.

I asked my students to send me a picture when they have completed a project themselves, so I am going to wait and see.

Note to self: Flexibility is important in teaching.

crocheting class again

This week was part 2 of the 3 class-course. My students have practiced single stitches across, turning chains and came back to the class with nice rectangular patch of crocheted fabric. It was time to show them crocheting in rounds. It went smoother than the last class. Their stitches have become more stable and they are able to count their stitches. We started with 4-chains, then tried slip stitch, and crocheted eight stitches into the round. We did three more rounds and practiced increases for the rounds. It was wonderful. My students can now make circles!!! Circles are great because with that, you can just modify teeny bit to make hats. So they are ready to make things! I am going to teach decrease and long stitches (doubles, trebles) next. I hope the next class is going to be as fun as this one.

Crocheting class

I taught my first crocheting class yesterday. It made me realize how much of the motions I perform automatically - like holding the hook, holding the yarn, hooking and pulling the yarn through the loops. Explaining these steps in words was a challenge.

I am going to create a how-to-crochet memo and post it here once it is ready.

Window treatment for a restaurant

I am more comfortable with my crocheting and knitting skills than with my sewing skills. Fate has it, however, that my most "public" project was going to involve sewing.

It all happened like this: I met Altaf in a French class. He was going to open a restaurant just over a block from where I lived. After his restaurant opened, he realized that its windows looked bare. He asked me to make some curtains. I searched online, went to the library to get inspirations and instructions on how to make such things. At that time, I didn't even own a sewing machine, so I borrowed one from my friend to do this project. I couple of hard weeks later, I hung the curtains in his restaurant.

It was one of the best things I have done with my skills. There is a restaurant in Point St. Charles where I can get a great lamb Madras and look at my creation. It makes me rather proud.

Star of India Express

1170 rue Ropery

Montreal

514-315-7006