travelogue - Suzhou Silk Museum

Internet access has so far been quite limited on this trip but I still wanted to post while things are fresh in my mind.

Crafty highlight of our three days in Shanghai, China, was our visit to the Suzhou Silk Museum.

The peaceful mulberry garden demonstrates the various types of mulberry bushs that serve as the silk worms' diet.

In the sericultural room, two old ladies sat crouched on the floor watching over the silkworms busy at their job of eating mulberry leaves.

Cocoons in the sericultural room.

Each variety of silorm produces a noticeably different cocoon.

Part of an old loom on the weaving room, where their use is demonstrated by highly skilled technicians.

One of the amazing double-sided silk embroideries produced and sold locally.

Directions
Catch a train from Shanghai Railway Station to Suzhou. The trip should take anywhere from 40 minutes to 2hours,depending on whether you get the express. I recommend that you book your return ticket in Shanghai too to avoid a potentially long wait.
Upon arriving in Suzhou, catch a bus, taxi or trishaw or walk (it's not far) going left from the station then right over the bridge. Cross the first set of lights and the museum is halfway down the first main block on the right side (across the street from the start of the temple complex).

There are lots of other interesting things to fill your day in Suzhou, including the silk embroidery research institute.

beautiful buildings - cathedral arcade

I had a spare few minutes in the city this morning. I had my camera with me and the crowds hadn't arrived yet. How could I resist?

there's an elephant in my suitcase

Our trip to Europe is less tan two weeks away (yippee!) and I have been trying to think of ways to keep Olive entertained on the very long flights. So of course, I turned to my trusty sewing machine for help.

And made a drawstring bag using an old pillowcase. The idea is that she can put her toys in and out and in, etc.

It will hold some tiny board books, a squeaky bath toy, a ball, her favourite teddy (cookie monster) and a pencil. Got any other suggestions about how to keep a one-year-old occupied for many, many hours?

this is ... what makes me happy

Warming up in front of the heater.

Collecting freshly laid eggs in the morning. I especially enjoy it when all of the chickens come out of their yard and follow me in a line.

Cooking with ingredients grown in our own back yard. And making a healthy meal for the people I love.


Being there when Olive does something for the first time.

Lining up books in height order.

A warm shower - my best thinking time.

A little bit of time to create.

I look for my happiness in the simple pleasures of everday life. As much as I can, I want to live in the moment and appreciate what I have. There is no point in always looking forward in anticipation of some imagined future happiness, or defining hapiness as something that only happens on special occassions. There is so much to appreciate every day.

Special thanks to Jacinta from One Little Acorn for her great topic this week.

this is ... what scrambles my brain

Crochet patterns. For the life of me, I simply cannot read them.

Which is funny (strange, not ha ha) because I have no trouble with freehanding crochet and frequently turn to it when I can't find a pattern to follow. Like these:

A toilet doll roll made as a housewaming gift for my sister. I was aiming for super-tacky but I still think I've seen worse.

Owl rattle.

The inaccesibility of crochet patterns has become doubly frustrating since I joined Ravelry because there are so many cute amigurumi creatures I'd love to be making. Like these little guys:
striped turtle
snail
duckling
gnome

So, if you know of a good online crochet tutrial or can recommend a book, please let me know. Cheers!

my first tapestry

It's taken me a little while to work up the courage for the show-and-tell but here it is at last, my first woven tapestry.


It was based on this photograph that I took of Olive and her dad at the Osaka Aquarium. Can you see the whale shark in the background?


The beads are intended to serve as braille dots and give a description of the image so that it can be accessed by the sighted and vision impaired alike.


While there are lots of really obvious errors, I learnt a lot too and am keen to do better next time!

this is ... my treasured childhood possession

I'm only five days late with my meme post this week. Still not great but getting better ...

I'd like to introduce you to Seranja. I'm not quite sure of the spelling of her name because I invented it before I learnt my ABCs.

Admittedly, Seranja is quite a scary looking girl. I think it's the teeth that does it. In fact, my partner insists that I ensure she is hidden in a fully closed drawer each night for fear that she will come to life and strangle us in our sleep.

I wouldn't exactly say that Seranja was well-loved but I did treasure her as a child because she was handmade by an aunt, and again as a teenager because I realised that she had provided me with much of my sense of style. (Thank goodness that Barbie was banned in our house!) Note in particular Seranja's black boots (I was a doc Martens devotee), stripey tights, petticoat and dress.


As a child, I as always fascinated by Seranja's knickerbockers too. Luckily, I never took my mimicry of her that far.

And now that I have a child of my own, I find myself wearing ric-rac-embellished aprons.

Thanks to Angela of Three Buttons for the "this is" meme and Danielle of teacups on treetops for this week's topic.