The KAS membership is made up of people with varying levels of skills, but by contributing together we are team-working to provide much needed warmth and comfort to the deprived, vulnerable and orphaned children of Africa. The monthly challenges are only meant to be a piece of fun and a method of adding a slightly more exotic square to each blanket. EVERY SINGLE SQUARE whether it is plain, striped or elaborate is just as valuable, and, no-one should feel that their efforts are not worthy of adding to the photograph tab - ever.
The heart of KAS only beats effectively because 'we' have become one heart, and,
the children are our focus!
xxxxxxx
Following Gitta's very thought provoking and stimulating "It's a Beautiful World Challenge", a slight change of pace. However, I very much hope you will find inspiration from the wide range of themes on offer to run up squares that will prove to be both fascinating and interesting for the KAS children.
I personally have focused on Japan simply because I've spent on-and-off approximately two years living close to Enoshima Island near Yokohama. However, please feel free to share aspects from China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and the countries that make up the Orient and Pacific Rim, that you may have visited.
I have to confess that I do not knit or crochet very well, and, therefore my personal examples will be cross-stitched. The squares I'm using are ones that have arrived with joins in the middle, so the cross-stitched items will be covering up a multitude of sins! Cross-stitching is very time-consuming, so I'm going to have a 'cheat' a bit and use photographs to provide inspiration and samples. Still working full-time and other KAS commitments is my excuse, and I'm sticking to that!
Some of the contributions received so far this month :
There is so much material to choose from, so I plan to share different aspects each day during the first week or so, and hopefully, you will discover something amongst the array of photographs that will get your creative juices flowing!
Other aspects covered will include Japanese flowers & bonsai trees, paper fans & parasols, kimono & yukata material designs etc., Don't forget to post photos of your squares, both in the Photo section and here in this discussion, to inspire us all !
Mary has generously added yet another Challenge to her Flickr account on behalf of KAS - thanks Mary for hosting the Japan & Orient Gallery and also for the time involved in frequently uploading the squares! To see our collection grow the link is : http://www.flickr.com/photos/58924216@N00/sets/72157630366985458/wi...
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Thank you everyone, for producing such a wide variety of squares for the July Challenge. I've been amazed at the interpretations that members have created on various aspects, designs and colours of the Orient, in particular Japan - where I was fortunate enough to spend almost two years in the early 90's. To close the challenge, I'd like to share a poem I help translate by a Priest named Tamo-san. Although she was a Buddhist, the Temple she founded was Inter-Faith. She was a woman who truly gave everyone she met unconditional love, and, had been helping to save the environment since the 1920's - a woman truly ahead of her time.
YOU....
Meet yourself in perfection.
The air is filled with many flowers,
and you exist as a bouquet of flowers.
This is the perfect you.
You are one of the sounds
of a soundless symphony.
Meet yourself as absolutely perfect sound.
- Tamo-san
Before this challenge, I didn't know about Japanese Bobtail cats. My daughter Maddie adopted a rescue cat last November that looks so much like these cats, except for her tail. We wonder if her daddy was a Japanese Bobtail that got out one night and had a love affair with a homeless, long-tailed beauty ...
I believe this Snow Monkey wore herself out knitting squares and is soaking her arthritic bones in the hot springs.
As this little geisha-ish is my last contribution for July I want to thank Pam for this challenge which has been a wonderful trip down memory lane alongside all you wonderful KAS ladies and your inspirational works. :) xxx
While I was sorting a yarn donation, our cat came to investigate. Lexus was intrigued by a pink ball, then gathered in a fluffy red ball (which she found quite tasty) and finally a purple skein. She wrapped her paws around the 3 colours and wouldn’t give them up !
I commented on the Canadian Corner and 2 friends recommended that I use her colours in a square. Here’s the result. Thanks Valerie and Jeanne.
Since Lexus is part Siamese, I thought her square would qualify for the July challenge :-)
I made a friend so Draco would not feel lonely :) My daughter modeled for me in front of the mirror to get the back view and I superimposed the puppet function of the scarf.
Professional bird catchers ply the tourist trade outside various eastern temples claiming that in Buddhism a soul gains merit by releasing birds. It is the spirit of the freer of birds I attempted to convey. I have encountered it in numerous little girls and places
Water
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