I’ve heard so many nice things about Noro Yarn that I finally got my hand on them. It’s very pretty yarn made of 70% wool and 25% silk.

Here’s a little bit of history about Noro Yarn:

Noro Yarn was founded 30 years ago in Japan by an artist name Eisaku Noro. Noro is a gifted painter that decided to become an artist in yarns instead. His yarn color composition reflects his artistic talent.

Many knitwear designer like using Noro Yarn for their pieces. One of my favorite is French designer Danièle Dietrich of Elle Tricote. There is a warm Bohemian feel to this look. Photo from Elle Tricote.

On an ecological factor, Noro’s usage of chemicals is reduced to the absolutely necessary minimum.

Despite their warehouse being located near the March 11 Tsunami, Noro states their yarn was not effected by the radiation and has inspected the yarn for safety.

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Just when I thought autumn was coming around, the sun is still shining brightly in California. And that means more chances for me to wear my favorite summer hat (by OLD NAVY).

At first it looks like another straw hat. But the paper yarn is actually soft, flexible, comfy, light and sturdy. Therefore a perfect material to knit hats or even bags. The material can also be used to make fabrics.

So what exactly is paper yarn? Paper yarn is made of a natural product called “abaca” or Manila hemp. This is also the same product used to make Manila rope found at your local hardware store.

This material comes from the banana family which is native to the Philippines. It is also grown in Ecuador and Costa Rica. A majority of it still comes from the Philippines.

The abaca plant takes about three years to mature. When the flower stalk emerges from the top center it’s time to cut it down at the roots. The leaves are removed and only the stem part (leaf sheath) is collected for the fiber.

OJI FIBER a Japanese company has found a way to process it efficiently. As mentioned from their company info, “It’s not only stronger, lighter and less fuzzier but also has better touch than conventional hemp.”

Here are some of the benefits of the yarn as noted by OJI Fibers.

Abaca Grows quickly

Abaca plant absorbs lots of carbon dioxide.

Biodegradable

Doesn’t emit poisonous gas when incinerated.

Check out how it’s made with this great flow chart illustrated by OJI FIBERS.

Pierrot Yarns has a great selection of  yarns, from wool to silk. The company is from Japan and have been around since 1965.

I would love to get my hands on silk yarn someday. At the moment, their 100% silk yarn sells for $25 per cone. To make a silk vest would take 5 cones. So that’s $125 vest! In that case, a silk scarf would still be a splurge.

Silk fiber absorbs UV. No need for sunscreen! Silk 100 Sport Yarn. Photo from Pierrot Yarns.

Or maybe use a silk blend like the Yuttari Silky?  It’s made of  60% Ramie , 25% Silk, 15% Rayon and sells for $5 a skein.  Even a silk blend scarf sounds wonderful to me.

Another nice thing I like about Pierrot Yarns is the free patterns.  The “French Sleeve” cardigan looks really cute.  I want to try knitting a similar cardigan.

Because it’s cotton and short sleeve it would be good for California weather.  And when it gets colder I can still layer it with another long sleeve blouse.

This pattern calls for 9 skeins of Neat Cotton at about $3 per skein, so it’s much more affordable. A cardigan that is well made would last a while.  Knitting something that isn’t too trendy such as t his little cardigan means it would stay in fashion longer.  But of course if you don’t like it, you can always unravel it and recycle the yarn for another project.

I got a free PDF reader app from Google Play market on my Nook Android.  This way I don’t have to print anything out and I am never far from my pattern.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a heart warming movie based on the true story of a faithful Japanese Akita dog and his owner. The Hollywood version stars Richard Gere, but the best acting of all would be for the Akita dog Hachi!

I like the feel of the movie, with it’s quaint town and friendly characters. There were a few scenes that could have been omitted, but overall a nice movie that will have you feeling sentimental for this loyal dog soon enough.

Although this American movie came out in 2009, the original Japanese version was made in 1987 titled ““.

A little history:

“In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, took in Hachikō as a pet. During his owner’s life, Hachikō greeted him at the end of each day at the nearby Shibuya Station.

The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return. The professor died, never returning to the train station where Hachikō was waiting. Every day for the next nine years the golden brown Akita waited at Shibuya station.” - source from Wiki.

To this day, there is even a to honor Hachiko at the train station.

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Due to the fear of radiation traveling to the coast of the U.S., some Americans have been buying potassium iodide, considered a defense against radiation poisoning. I am not one of them, instead I am eating more miso soup. I also sprinkle 1 tbs of kelp powder into my meal and it’s especially tasty in spicy noodles.

This small and nice steaming bowl of miso soup is very nutritious, but also high in sodium. So limit your soup to 1 per day. Photo from Virgin Media.

Miso is made by adding a yeast mold (known as “koji”) to soybeans and other ingredients. They are then allowed to ferment from weeks to years. Different types of miso are produced based on how long they are fermented. Once the miso has fermented, the ingredients are ground into a paste similar in texture to butter. If sealed well in a glass jar, miso can also last up to a year in the refrigerator.

According to Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki, director at St. Francis Hospital, Nagasaki (circa 1945), “Miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage.”

Anna Bond, author of The Miracle of Miso wrote: “Over a 25-year period, the Japanese Cancer Institute tested and tracked 260,000 subjects, dividing them into three groups. Group one ate miso soup daily, group two consumed miso two or three times a week, while group three ate no miso at all. The results were stark: those who had not eaten any miso showed a 50% higher incidence of cancer than those who had eaten miso.”

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It’s been 2 weeks since Japan was struck with 9.0 earthquake and tsunami. But the real danger is that of radiation leaks from the damage done at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Friday (3/25/11) that the situation at a quake-damaged nuclear plant remained very precarious.

So far vegetables being grown in the area and milk has been contaminated. Drinking water as far as Tokyo have been contaminated as well. And now there are trances of radiation being found as far away as Iceland. Some of this radiation is also blowing to our California coastline and into the U.S. So the danger is not just isolated in Japan as radiation can spread to the rest of the world.

In a perfect world where the energy plant isn’t toxic surfers or even a lady walking her dog will be able to observe the disaster without worry.

As for California, we also have 2 ocean side nuclear reactors sitting near seismic faults. And tsunamis are a risk. Should anything happen, how will all the people be evacuated? And this is a state of 37 million people!

I was also wondering how many nuclear plants are there around the world. Luckily I found this map from the Guardian (UK) that gives a great picture of nuclear plants and some that are built around earthquake zones. Larger image here.

Notice how most of Europe and the eastern part of U.S. is dotted with nuclear plants. And I am surprised to find France having the most nuclear reactors. Especially for a country that despise McDonald’s and is proud of their farm fresh outdoor market.

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When I think of art, I usually think of museums with art you can’t touch. Or art that is otherwise hidden in someone’s private collection.

But not this artwork, it’s functional art that serves as a journal too. This journal is also neat that it has a magnetic clasp that keeps it close.

It’s made with beautiful Japanese kimono print. I love the color and the gold accents.  This pattern would also make for a nice blouse.

Here’s more info from Paper Blanks, the makers of these notebooks:

Block Print Reproductions Of Kimono Patterns.

Ukiyo-e (pronounced uu-kee-yo-eh) or “pictures of the floating world” is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings.

The kimono prints for this series were originally woodblock prints created by art publishers who meticulously reproduced enlargements of small details taken from the artwork of the greatest artists of the Edo period (c. 1600-1867), inspiring contemporary garment design trends.”

Note: Thank you R.E. for the gift!

M coaches kid’s soccer and one of his students gave us these treats from Japan. I just had to take a photo of them because the packaging is too cute.

The wrapper is very artistic.  It reminds me of pretty gift wrapping paper.  So it definitely feels like a treat to eat them.  

These little green tea candies also came in a cute package. There’s even a green ribbon to match the green candies.  They are hard candies that taste like green tea butterscotch.

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This is one of the first few bounty harvested from my mom’s garden.

We’ve always refer to them as Japanese pumpkins. The correct name is Kabocha squash, and it’s a type of winter squash.

The Kabocha squash took only four months to start producing. The seeds came from the squash she purchased at the market. I am always surprised to find that seeds from market produce can grow just as nicely in the garden.

My mom thinks they are one of the most easy to grow pumpkins. She just loves growing pumpkins and has three varieties in her garden.

One of which is almost white in color and grew by accident. But then it became a favorite for it’s taste. Her pumpkin varieties are known to be very creamy, nutty, and sweet. And the Kabocha fits right into the list.

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If there was a way to farm or garden without having to weed, prune, water, use fertilizer or pestides would we do it? The answer would seem to be 100% YES! But unfortunately it’s not something we are used to hearing or think is remotely possible.

Welcome to the world of permaculture. It is defined as “permanent agriculture”- where the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. Or simply stated as farming along with Mother Nature alone.

Masanobu Fukuoka (February 2, 1913 – August 16, 2008) is a pioneer in the world of permaculture. He has written numerous books on the subject, starting with The One-Straw Revolution.

Abundant Rice field growing in Japan. Photo by Kjeld Duits. Duits has written a great article about Fukuoka: Farmer- Philosopher.

Here is a little more info about Fukuoka:

“At age 25, he began to doubt the wisdom of modern agricultural science. He eventually quit his job as a research scientist, and returned to his family’s farm on the island of Shikoku in Southern Japan to grow organic mikans. From that point on he devoted his life to developing a unique small scale organic farming system that does not require weeding, pesticide or fertilizer applications, or tilling.”

He is also considered to be a philosopher as well. Definitely someone I wished I had heard about sooner.

Bill Mollison is another pioneer of permaculture. Declared as “Ecologist of the Century” in Australia. Here is some info I’ve found about him from an interview with Seeds of Change.

“Permaculture is nothing less than a “sustainable earth-care system” capable of providing our food, energy, shelter, and other needs while conserving the world’s resources.”

He advocates local food production and regional self reliance.

Another amazing farmer to note in the world of permaculture is Sepp Holzer of Austria. Holzer’s farm high up in the Austrian mountains is a very unlikely place to be farming. But he’s been doing it successfully for the past few decades.

His farm includes forest gardens, terraces, and ponds. There are fruit orchards, including fruits you can’t imagine would grow in such high altitudes. There are also many garden variety vegetables that could feed a whole village. Holzer’s method of gardening is to throw seeds everywhere and just let them grow. Holzer believes the plants are beneficial to each other as well as the soil. It’s a really interesting concept that still amazes me.

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