2014 The Christmas Present, Handmade

Lisa had been receiving knitted dish cloths from Dave Grand-ma every Christmas until a couple of years ago.  She loved them and said it was very useful dish cloth.

Hiroko has always been thinking about making this dish cloth.  Can you see half of the dish cloth at the back of the photo?  Hiroko made it as a sample and has been using it since last Christmas.  Two clothes in front of the photo were made recently as a sample.  Hiroko couldn’t find the suitable thread for this cloth. The cotton thread Hiroko used for making samples are not real thread.  Hiroko searched at the Amazon market, and found them.  It was called “Kitchen Cotton.”

Hiroko ordered them, and it came.  It was very tightly twisted, thin thread.  The pictures of the dish cloth, wash cloth, animals, and bags are on the wrapping paper.  It means this thread is good for making these things, Hiroko thought.

There are so many different stitches for the knitted dish clothes in the internet.  Hiroko looked at the images of the Japanese internet for the dish clothes, because no dish cloth was used when Hiroko was in Japan.  Hiroko didn’t know how to say “dish cloth” in Japanese. 

There are so many dish clothes - knitted ones, sponge ones, even gloves dish cloths.

Hiroko realized that American and Japanese wash cloths are different.

Two Japanese wash clothes (left) and one American wash cloth; about 6 inch square

Japanese wash cloths are very long; the photo one was hold in half.  Many Americans who went to Japan said this long wash cloth is useful to wash the back.  Dan-san loves to use the extra long wash cloth made with nylon.

About this wash cloth, Dan-san and Hiroko had problem in Paris.

Any hotels in the United State, there are always bath towel, hand towel, and wash cloth, but not at the hotel in Paris.  There weren’t any wash cloth.  So Dan-san and Hiroko went to a market and tried to tell them we needed the wash cloth.  The store clerk showed them a small towel bag, half the size of an American wash cloth.  They hesitated to buy the bag, and then the clerk put his hand in the bag and showed them how to wash.  Hiroko remembered she couldn’t use it very well. 

Blue towel bag is the similar to Paris’ wash cloth.

From this sample, Hiroko made wash cloth glove.  This orange/light blue glove is sample wash cloth.

There is an opening for the thumb in this glove wash cloth.  It will be very easy to use.  Hiroko will make it for herself to try, because this will be one of Hiroko’s Christmas Presents.  As for the present, it has to have two different color gloves for the right and left hand.

2013 Handmade Christmas Presents

Hiroko received so many Christmas and Birthday Presents, but she forgot to take any photos.  Give thanks to all the friends and relatives who gave the presents to Hiroko.

Here are Hiroko’s handmade Christmas presents.

For this recorded cold weather these socks Hiroko made hopefully be useful for everyone who received.  7 or 8 socks were made for all men who came to the Christmas party to the home of Lisa/Dave.  A pair of socks was also given to Jesse, Dan-san’s niece’s husband.

Photo is not very good to take, so it is very hard to understand what they are.

They are scarves, and hiding fingers gloves.  Niece’s daughters were very happy to receive this scarf, and said “Thanks for this ‘eternal scarf’.”  Hiroko learned the name of scarf from them.

More eternal scarves for everyone, total 12 scarves were made.

It will be sub-zero weather from tomorrow (Jan. 22), so hopefully all these handmade knitting socks and eternal scarves are helping them to keep warm.

In this cold weather, Hiroko with her friend went to see the third opera, “Madam Butterfly” in this season.  

This is the hallway in Lyric Opera House in Chicago.  Everyone was wearing boots, and heavy over coat and hat.

Some ladies said with red eyes that this opera made her cry all the time.  Many are very happy to come to see this opera even though in this cold weather.  This opera made Hiroko exhausted.  Her friend told Hiroko you wouldn’t sleep tonight for haunted by Cio-Cio san.  It happen.  Hiroko closed her eyes to sleep, Cio-Cio-san’s singing and acting came to her.

These things haunted Hiroko’s heart that night:  Cio-Cio-san said she has to change her religion to her husband’s, Lt. Pinkerton and pledged her love to Pinkerton’s God at their wedding day; and no communication from Pinkerton for three years, Cio-Cio-san thought Pinkerton’s God would not answer to Cio-Cio-san’s prayer because she was far away from America, and Cio-Cio-san lost Pinkerton’s love and her baby boy, and only thing she can do is to kill herself, the Soprano, Patricia Racette sung and acted very well in the scene; reminded Hiroko’s heart over and over again.

Hand-Made Presents, Handmade

Baby is coming.  Boy Baby!  Due date of the baby is at the end of May.  There is blue and white cotton yarn which is little bit thick, but this will be good for May baby in Chicago.

Cap, gloves, and socks

May is cool in Chicago, and A/C makes it cold even though summer time, so sweater was made.

Hopefully the new born baby boy would be pleased with these hand-made presents.

Presents to Saeru

6 pieces of place mates with French embroidery

Saeru gave them to her daughter, Leslie.  Hiroko received Thank You Email from Leslie, and said she will surely use those place mats.  Hiroko is glad to know someone appreciates her hand-made stuffs.

This place matt was given to Hiroko by Miki-chan as Omiyage (present) from Japan last summer.  Miki-chan’s Grand-mother made it.  It is very good workmanship.  Hiroko is wondering it is hand-made or machine.  If it is hand-made, Hiroko takes cap off for her workmanship.

This is crochet yarn flower pins. 

Pastor’s wife wants to have 10 of these flower pins.  She decorated with these flower her handbags, dress, etc.  Her friends said it is very beautiful.

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Hiroko’s thought of doing good-works or giving presents

In the “Sermon of the Mountain” Jesus talked about ultimate good actions human being should do.   For example; it is said in the law “Do not kill,” but it is not only murder shooting by pistol or gun or knife, but also calling a person “fool” or “stupid,” or getting “angry” is a murder to that person..  Jesus said that those who call a person “fool” or “stupid,” or “get angry” have to be judged and imprisoned.

In the same way, Jesus talked about giving a present or doing good works in Matthew 6:1-4,

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  ²“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  ³But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Giving a present it shouldn’t be expected any form of returning.  It is much better to give a present to those who can’t return.

2012 Christmas Hand-Made Presents

These are Hiroko’s hand-made presents to her family and extended family members.

 Three blankets

Kitted blanket for Dave’s father – He had a bad cold on Christmas dinner night, and rested next day using this blanket.  Hiroko was very happy to hear that.

Kitted and crocheted blankets for Dave’s cousin and her friend

Christmas stockings for Steven and Amanda.  Amanda was also sick that night, so Hiroko doesn’t know this presents made her happy or not

Three Christmas tree’s skirts

For Steven and Amanda

For Dave’s brother’s family

The photo on the right is close to the actual color.

For Lisa and Dave, they like to have Charlie Brown Christmas picture on the skirt

Hiroko planned to make the Charlie Brown Christmas, but in the beginning of December Hiroko had to make a Christmas scenery for the Puppet show stage, so changed to this snowman with Christmas tree.  Now, Hiroko has to make Charlie Brown Christmas for Lisa and Dave.

This is third cardigan with same pattern and same style

For Dave’s mother.  She loves it.  Hiroko is happy, too.

This photo is close to the actual color.

Why can’t Hiroko take the actual color of photos?  If possible please teach me how to take the actual color photo?

Gave some other people, cash, cake, cookies, Japanese rice cracker, Japanese foods, and others.

Do you want to know what kind of presents Hiroko received for Christmas?

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Well, it is good to have cash, and many different shops’ gift cards, chocolate, cookies, nuts, kitchen utensils, green tea (matcha is the favorable tea in America right now), massage machine, and electric fry-pan from Dan-san, and so on.

Give thanks to the Lord God for we could exchange all these presents on His birthday.

Tablecloth - Handmade

Hiroko had been recuperating from Directing of Devon Church Vacation Bible School held August 10-14, and entertaining Kibochan for two weeks. The day, September 7th (1st Wednesday every month) is the 15% of Sr. discount day at Hancock Fabric store, so Hiroko went to the store and bought the yarns for the baby boy blanket and the fabric for tablecloth. Hiroko gained her energy back to do and to think many things with these crafts goods.



This is the tablecloth, Hiroko made.
It seems the fashion to place the runners sideway on the table right now. Hiroko spent many hours for embroidery of the maple leaves and other leaves. This tablecloth would be used on Dave’s B-Day dinner day. The color combinations of the maple leaves were not done well.

Now, she remembered the watering for the house plants.

One of the house plants called the mother-in-law’s tongue placed on the Hiroko’s bedroom window bloomed flowers. It is said that this plants produce lots of oxygen, so it is better to keep this plants in the bedroom.

Can you see the flowers? Hiroko heard it is very rare to bloom flowers on this plants
“Thanks!” for blooming the flowers without water.
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“Thanks!” – Hiroko heard the word “Thanks” is very important in our daily life, especially for the Christian at the last Sunday sermon. God would not be good to those who didn’t have the appreciating heart.

Have you ever seen the movie called “The Ten Commandments”? God showed and did the miracles and signs to the Egyptians to save the Israel (Jewish) Nation from the status of slaves at Egypt, and to make them free. Instead of saying “Thanks!” after they were free, they complained and grumbled to the Lord God at the time of hardships; such as seeing Egyptian Amy, and no path to escape, Israel said, “Did you bring us here to die? It is better to go back to Egypt.” Israel grumbled for the bread, so God provided the Manna (bread), and now, Israel complained that there is no meat. The result of all these complains and grudges, the Lord God let them to wander around the wildness for 40 years, instead of 11 days to reach the destination.

Hiroko’s complains and murmurs were much less after reading the Exodus, and learned from Israel Nation, how much they were complaining and murmuring.

It leads us no appreciation of heart to be proud of what we have (wealth, things, beauty, status, etc.). It takes further more to complain and to bear grudge to the Lord God what we don’t have.

Hiroko prayed that may the word of “Thanks!” to the Lord God and others always be on her lips

2010 Handmade Presents

2010 Handmade Presents
Time came to think about the presents. This year around 40” square blankets for covering the knee are made for presents.


These are the blankets. All 6 of them have different stitches. Some are made by knitting and others are crocheted. Chicago is very cold in winter, so hopefully everyone enjoys these blankets.
Hiroko appreciates her mother so much. She had very good hands for craft. She remade her children’s sweater and Japanese Kimono all year around. She asked Hiroko to make socks to match with the sweater which was made by her for a field trip day. Hiroko remembered with happy feeling to wear the almost brand new sweater and matched socks.
Hiroko had to move to Grand-ma’s house in Hokkaido during the war time. There were no socks, gloves and many other things because of the war, so we had to make the thing what we need. Hiroko and her cousins made the gloves and socks with the fabric strips which was made from the old kimono. Those socks and gloves kept our hands and feet warm in Hokkaido.
Hiroko believes God gave her the ability for crafts hands as her spiritual gift. She committed to use the gift next year to teach children making things at Saturday Night events: cushion, origami mobile and aquarium for Father’s day present, pin-cushion for Mother’s day present, the angels, tree ornaments or trees at Christmas. Hopefully children will enjoy making these things. And there will be cooking lessons, too: cookies and pizza.
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Here are another presents:
Hiroko’s hands are very cold; especially the first joint of her index finger there is the arthritis lump.
The lump becomes so much pain, that Hioko made no finger tip gloves.


These gloves kept Hiroko’s fingers and hands very warm. So Hiroko made couple more for the people who are saying their hands are cold in this Chicago’s cold weather.

Baby Blankets, Craftsman - Spiritual Gift

WOW! It is problem! Babies are coming!
Hiroko knows one baby in Japan will be coming in November and other one in Chicago will be here in October
The news came to Hiroko in early spring. Since the news Hiroko was thinking to make something (maybe a blanket) for those newborn babies.
However, this year’s summer in Chicago was unbearably hot, so making the blanket could not be thinkable. Hiroko was thinking that with what color, how to make the blankets all the time.
Suddenly, phone call from Japan and said that the baby is ready to be born any time. Baby Shower for the baby in Chicago will be held in early October.
Wow! It is problem.
Hiroko was so glad that the weather in Chicago was getting very cool. Thanks!
Two blankets were finished. Here they are.
One is a dark blue-light blue-white color cotton thread crochet blanket

Other one is an applicate blanket


Hiroko is so thankful for her gift of Spirit from God.
Becoming a Christian the gift of Spirit will be given to each one of them. Over the dozen gifts, such as pastor, teacher, prophet, healer, etc. are mentioned in the New Testament. Music or craft skill are not included in the list. Hiroko thinks Music or craft skill are mentioned in Old Testament as gift of Spirit.

Exodus 28:3
3Tell all the skilled men to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.
Exodus 31:3
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts
Exodus 35:31
31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-
Exodus 36:1
1 So Bezalel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded."

If you are interested to know how those craftsmen worked hard to sew the garments for priests and built the tent to worship the Lord God please read Exodus Chapter 28 and from 31 to 36:1

Hiroko is so thankful using my gift to help the people who need help. One person needed to finish her dress to wear at her niece's wedding, and other asked to finish up her project.