Japan Day 8

Yesterday we bussed to Nara, a very ancient capital of Japan, about 8th century AD. We saw two spectacular Buddhist temples where, for a change we were allowed to take photos. Not that it was any good as it was very dark inside. I think I can process them when I get home.

However there were a lot of Zen and other gardens.

One thing I got very excited about was a set of 12 statues from 734 AD which were painted and quite clearly were silk brocade patterns. So I have bought a book in Japanese but full of photos. It all looks like donsu with pickup.

We were taken to a very posh hotel in Nara for a Japanese which was much the best meal we have had. All the temples were in Nara Park and, since it was a sunny Sunday afternoon, all Japan was in the park. Food stalls, knock knack stalls all very busy and tame deer wandering about, stealing sandwiches.

Japan Day 6 and 7

Yesterday was spent getting from Tokyo to Kyoto by bullet train. In the afternoon we visited two temples then went to the hotel. Most people were shocked to find the hotel was several miles out of town and up a steep hill. I was looking forward to wandering around the city after we returned from the day's outing. That is just not possible. It means organising a taxi instead.

This morning we visited a museum where most of the exhibition were about a man of no interest to a Brit. Fortunately there other galleries which held displays of ceramics and archeology exhibits. A lunch in the sunshine and a seat by the fountain made for a restful day. The afternoon saw a Buddhist temple with 1001 statues of Buddha which were not beautiful. Oh well. Every day cannot be perfect. We are about to go to a lecture on Buddhist art.then a Japanese evening meal.

What we have done is a mass of Christmas shopping in the museum shops and a ceramics shop we happened across.

I had an email from a friend commenting on the autumn tints so I will not bore you with more but instead attach some zen gardens which are supposed to represent a tiger and her three cubs crossing a river. I do not see it myself. But I do like the proportions.

Japan Day 5

We went to the Nezu museum yesterday. No photos allowed which was a pity. Wonderful 17th century screens and equally interesting (to me) were the utensils for the tea ceremony. Some were wrapped up in 17th century kinran which is donsu with pick up. I did buy a book and a load of postcards. The garden was lovely and rather large given that Prada, Gucci etc were two minutes walk.

We walked the Main Street, just like every city's Main Street. The side streets were more interesting and the street furniture was appalling. Even if they do have earthquakes, you would have thought the Japanese could do better.

Off to Kyoto this morning. Not enough time to explore by oneself. And lastly a manhole cover.

Japan Day 3 and 4.

Yesterday we went to the Tokyo National Museum and viewed the Treasures of Japan. Not allowed to take photos. I will just say it was good.

Today we were bussed north for several hours to see Nikko and its shrines. And as a wonderful bonus, the autumn colours were  fabulous. I had not realised that the forests were a mix of conifers and the maples showed up against a background of dark green.

The shrines were very bling, pile on the gold leaf. But there were some lovely carved wooden panels.

In amongst the shrines, there was a coffee shop in a courtyard and the courtyard was occupies by a show of chrysanthemums. The big ones. I have never seen any as big as these. But no I am not going to start growing them. They look difficult, not least because the heads were so heavy that each flower had its own support.

Back at 1900 hours and we all slept on the bus back.

Japan Day 2

Day 1 was spent getting to Heathrow 5, sitting around around waiting, then doing more sitting on the plane for 12 hours. Lunch at the hotel , nothing exciting, just a Hilton. Then bussed to an ancient garden nearby which was designed and built about 1650. It is the most ancient garden in Japan. And very beautiful.

And a manhole cover!

Now off to dinner. We seem to be doing six museums tomorrow.

Three blue scarves

I finished the third scarf on Monday, mended the odd end and washed them. I like the simplest one best. I practised taking photos in the garden and remembered to cover the table but not yet satisfactory so I shall try another table next time.

And a bit bright. However I have finished winding the white wool warp to tie onto the Megado. Pure 100% fine merino from Uppinghams (2/30 Nm). I am tying this warp an to the white cotton warp used for the last Convergence yardage. This uses the same threading but a quite different treadling. The idea is to felt it a teeny bit and make a jacket.

Today we walked by the Kennet canal as we did two days ago. The trees have turned colour in those two days. Not quite at their height of colour yet but on their way. Gold and scarlet everywhere.

A day spent printing

Today was spent in the garage (rather cold) printing in various ways and on various surfaces. So block printing, stamping with foam letters, stencilling, thermofaxinb on fabric and three sorts of paper.

Everything was successful though not at first. I need to stencil on a big area so I need to repeat the printing as the stencils I have are much less than A4 never mind A3. And if I tried to position them I ended up with smudges. So I printed on a sheet of paper wide apart, used a hair drier to dry the printing (2 minutes), printed and dried again, changed the colour of ink and repeated twice more. Very effective.

The lettering on book fronts was very effective. I have a number of blank textblocks which I have covered rather nicely with my cloth and wanted to print the word NOTEBOOK on the front. I had a Thermofax mask made for this job and it all worked.

I tried block printing on paper - that worked. And I tried wood block printing on handwoven fabrics and that worked.

And I have discovered a solution to my photography problem. In Malvern, I used the walls, pillars and railings just outside the front door to put the object to be photographed on. I like to do the photography outside with an overcast sky. There are no shadows and no pools of light. I have been wondering what to do ever since we arrived in our new house. Today I realised I now have a table in the new patio which is perfect. That explains the mosaic background to the above photograph. Next time I will drape a length of black velvet over the tabletop.

I retook the photo of the Makars book as it was so bad taken indoors.