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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

I’m a knitter now

January 31, 2025

I've wanted to be a legit knitter for decades. I'd dive in with great enthusiasm, clacking away with bamboo needles to create a lap blanket or scarf or -- misguidedly -- a sweater, only to realize that I am unable to keep track of stitches for some mysterious reason. I would watch in horror as my project morphed into something entirely different from what I'd planned, would get super confused when consulting books and videos and then...I'd give up. Inevitably, autumn would roll around again, and ... Read more

Filed in: knitting • by sanae • 2 Comments

Crazy + Cozy

January 31, 2024

Hello there! 2024 has started out rather crazily for me: injuries, financial upheavals, accidents (vehicular and otherwise), spectacular emotional blow-ups, resurgence of long forgotten ailments, and just general weirdness -- I’ve contended with them all in the last month. And of course, there are the global/national events. It definitely has NOT been boring. When I was getting my teeth cleaned last week, the hygienist was experiencing a bout of craziness as well, and we joked that maybe Saturn ... Read more

Filed in: crafts, knitting, sewing • by sanae • Leave a Comment

Just a Scarf

February 8, 2016

Superman got nothing on meeee...I intoned as I worked on binding off this scarf. It's a tune that's part of K's repertoire and I have no idea what the song actually sounds like since I've only heard her softly murmuring that line periodically. I guess it's by someone named Charlie Puth? I don't feel compelled to look it up, but I like the words. Anyway, I knitted a scarf. It's not, as I had hoped, the longest neck warmer in the universe. It's long enough to loop around my neck twice. I ... Read more

Filed in: knitting • by sanae • 12 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

December 4, 2015

Happy Friday! The knitting is still going on, can you believe it? I try to knit a few rows every day, and I sometimes wonder if I'll just keep at it until it's the longest scarf ever. K would love to be able to say, "My mom knitted the longest scarf in the universe." An inadvertent ombre effect is happening since I don't have enough of any one color. That raised row was a mistake, but I like it. It's quite possible that I've finally caught the knitting ... Read more

Filed in: knitting • by sanae • 6 Comments

Ba-chan Withdrawals

January 7, 2014

My mom left yesterday and we are downcast. Depressed, really. It was the longest visit at six weeks, and by the end of it, I couldn't remember what it was like not having my mom around. As always, she left in her wake three heartily-fed and slightly thicker-waisted folks, a smattering of flower-adorned purses, and several hand-knitted and upcycled sweaters. I've shown you the brown cardigan and hot pink top already, and today, I have a purple number she created in what seemed like minutes. And ... Read more

Filed in: knitting, life • by sanae • 20 Comments

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The holidays are upon us!! 🎄🎁 I’ve posted The holidays are upon us!! 🎄🎁 I’ve posted this year’s free printable holiday tags on my blog - link in bio! Can you believe I’ve been creating these printable tags for over 10 years?? This year I included outtake illustrations from my book SHIBUI so these tags and bookmarks could be used for gifts all year round. I also painted a few holiday-ish ones too! Enjoy, and have a lovely and celebratory season! I’m taking my usual winter social media break, and I’ll see you back here in 2026 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
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