More Cats

It might seem to the uninformed that Tokyo for me is just one cat cafe after another. In fact I only go to cat cafes on Fridays. Having been quite stressed by my second visit to the Ikebukero one I decided to try the Calico Cat Cafe in Shinjuku. I had initially decided against it on the basis of it being too touristy - look at me giving myself airs. Plus I was so wrong. I don't really know where to start. I guess with the entrance...

From the moment you arrive you are basically stepping over cats - a lot of whom are asleep. 

Asleep in bowls, boxes, on toys, on cushions, on climbing frames, on purpose built shelves high up, on the stairs, on the bookcase...you get the idea. These are chilled out cats. 

You come in on the 6th floor and are surrounded by cats and then there are stairs heading down to the 5th and you and the cats can quite easily move between as much as you want, avoiding the tiny trip hazards that await you on the stairs. 

This is the 5th floor. 

You can order drinks and food. But what the cats really want is for you to order a little pot of chicken (real chicken too, not just treats). This is what happens when you do. 

I felt this was cheating so I contented myself with less company but more freedom to roam. 

When I did finally flop down on a sofa, a miracle occurred. A cat came and sat on me. 

I guess I wasn't too comfy because that became this...

Which quickly became this...

So sweet! You can imagine how chuffed I was. The cat seemed pretty happy too. I had been just about to leave but the cat kept me there another half hour which made them a wodge more money - clever shop keepers those cats. 

Pooch and I get the keys to our permanent flat tomorrow which has meant a lot of shopping and repacking. It has brought back the stress of the packing to come over here so I will be extremely happy when it is all done and we are moved in. The Ikea bits are delivered on Tuesday so hopefully from next weekend we will be in a proper looking home which I will then be decorating for christmas. It will also give me a chance to do some crafting beyond just making curtains!

Cute As A Button

My 7 month old niece has taken to Skype like a duckling to water and thinks it is quite funny when Auntie Alex waves at her from the screen. I sent off her final christmas present this week which was actually finished about 2 months ago but had been waiting this long for buttons.

The design is a combination of two free fairisle patterns on Ravelry plus my handwriting and done using intarsia. The buttons were worth the wait.

There is so much cute stuff for children here - especially girls. I have bought a dress pattern on etsy and will be knocking up a few dresses for her from the most irresistible fabrics. I've almost finished a pair of socks since I arrived - or finished the second one at least. The first and a cuff I found while packing, along with rather a lot of UFOs. I did some more at my second Tokyo SnB meeting.

Isn't that tea cosy adorable? We met at the Kimono Bar and Grill which is owned by a knitter and she served us all delicious food as well as using her vintage lustreware for hot drinks. Highly appreciated! Especially as this was rather a nippy day. In case anyone is in the area I recommend the restaurant and the SnB meetings are on Meet-Up.

Pooch is out this evening being wined and dined by the international director of something important so I sat down with my babette-ish blanket in progress and a few episodes of Ellery Queen - an american series from the seventies based on the books. I was fairly amazed by this lady.

Vintage updo, dramatic expressions, all fine. Pockets on your shoulders - fair enough. Then she stood up.

Seven pockets? Including knees and, ahem, muff area? I like a good pocket as much as the next person but I think it's best to avoid central ones unless you are under 12 and wearing dungarees with a pocket on your chest flap. And even then only if it's got a rabbit embroidered on it.

Strange Shop Names

There is really no end of these so just a few of my favourites so far:

For when you urgently need a suitcase

Sadly the cafe was decorated in neutrals

For clothing that makes you feel snug and protected

Something I have yet to understand is why the Japanese associate everything french with the ultimate in refinement and chic. I can only assume it is because France is quite a way away from here and so they haven't been. The number of shops with french names - restaurants, cafes, book sellers, clothes stalls, chemists - is quite astounding. But then I asked someone if the Tokyo Tower was supposed to be a replica of the Eiffel Tower and she seemed quite confused.

More than a passing resemblance though, right?

Daiso on Takeshita Street

Now that we have a move in date for our new flat I am becoming quite single-minded about furnishings. We're trying to do it all on a budget and so I headed for Daiso on Takeshita Street, which is one of the huge 100 Yen shops. These are like the UK's pound shops but everything is about 80p.

The street it's on is like Camden Market - lots of small shops with their wares spilling onto the pavement selling things aimed at the youth market. You can get your psychedelic sweatshirt...

...next to a store selling gothic vampire lolita outfits.

Among many other shops there is even one packed with everything you never knew you wanted to do with Tamagochi. Remember those little keyrings with digital creatures in them that ate and poo'd then died? Yes those, except they evolved.

I happilly admit to not knowing what was going on in that shop except that there were some 10 year old girls who were really excited by it all.

Back to Daiso - 4 floors of poundshop goodness.

I shopped until my basket overflowed and I started wondering about how to get it all home but will need to go back for the cleaning things. As well as my own needs I was shopping for presents for my sister, sister-in-law and I Love Lucy Bee recipient. And in that order left to right here's what they are going to get.

Remember all of this was 80p per item. On top of all that and the boring stuff like plain mixing bowls, measuring jugs, teaspoons etc I got kitchen things:

Bins and clothes hangers:

It is going to be a colourful flat!

Daiso also does all sorts of things to do with pets, stationary, gardening, food and crafts - the latter being of most interest to me! Here is the yarn aisle (yes, a whole aisle! And not bad quality either.)

Plus all hooks, needles etc. Then opposite that are the sewing things.

I'm not saying this is the same quality as an actual craft shop, but it's above what we get in the UK from what I've seen so far.

Among the other tourists inside were quite a few russian women - when you think about it it's not that far to travel for a holiday if you live in the east of Russia - and when I finally went back outside there was a group of beefy Russian men scowling up at the shop and clearly waiting for them to come out. I could easily see Pooch standing among them were I so unwise as to take a trip here with him with me. It must be part of me turning into the perfect housewife that I would never think of doing such a thing and am making sure he's unbothered by the domestic shopping - leaving him to concentrate on earning the money I'm spending. I must make sure I do not get used to this...

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Pooch and I spent Sunday afternoon strolling around an idyllic part of Tokyo.

This park originally started in 1590 and belonged to one of the Shoguns during the Edo Period. Some of the trees were clearly hundreds of years old but it has been extensively landscaped since the original and is now a kind of cross between Regents and Hyde Parks in London. There were lots of family groups picnicking as well as pensioners painting the views (very well too) and young couples and groups of friends walking around. It is 200 Yen to get in so about £1.30. Definitely worth it!

With autumn, the leaves were changing and you got the most amazing colours and effects with the sunlight.

Lots of people were as fascinated by the sunlight's effects as I was so you got little groups of photographers all in the same places - as in to the left of the photo below.

The variety of plants was amazing. Apparently there are 64 varieties of cherry tree alone so the blossom in the spring will mean this is somewhere I will definitely be coming back to.

And yes, the weather does continue to be rather splendid! About 16 degrees and clear blue skies yesterday.

Cats and Magazines

Friday was a pretty good day for me. It all started with my first ever visit to a cat cafe.

I arrived about 10 minutes after opening and it was still breakfast time.

When I go again (when, not if) I will make it a little later as anyone who knows cats knows that they do not want to be stroked while eating and that after eating they just want to have a wash. The one little guy I'd spotted online and particularly wanted to look at was this one.

He hasn't got his ears down in anger - he's one of those cornish type cats who have folded down ears which I've never seen in real life before. So cute! But he was clearly not in the best of moods and took himself up to the highest possible perch and this is all I saw of him after that.

The place was very clean but with lots of toys and sleeping places for the cats. This is where folded-ears was - right at the top.

I positioned myself on the heated carpet (like an electric blanket but a carpet which are apparently quite coming in homes where carpeting is really unusual) and these two settled near me.

I mainly stroked the brown one who got more and more elongated as she got more and more relaxed.

Her buddy wasn't terribly friendly until the owner (who all the cats adored and who clearly adored all of them) came over to brush her. She rolled on her back and...

...then she just stayed like that! So adorable! She was quite happy for any of us to come and stroke her incredibly soft tummy and as for her pinkest nose and paws...squee!

Initially being there was quite bizarre and freaky but as my hour came to an end (I could have stayed longer but thought that was enough for a first trip) I felt much more comfortable.

After such excitement I thought I'd spend the afternoon curled up with a craft magazine and found a place nearby called Libro. Ladies with a penchant for japanese craft books and magazines may want to sit down.
Knitting and Crochet:

Sewing and Patchwork:

"Japanese Crafts":

That wasn't the whole selection either. There were so many more on every topic you can imagine. I went home with just one which I thought was amazingly strong willed of me.

Black Tie Boogie - More of a Wiggle

Hello! Thank you for visiting today as part of the hop or welcome back for regular visitors. Today is the last day of the Black Tie Boogie so thanks to XX for organising everything. You can see the full schedule here.

For those not familiar with my back story, suffice to say I move to Japan 10 days ago for my husband's work and am currently a first time housewife living in a tiny temporary flat near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. I've yet to visit the fabric district here but have been to a couple of craft shops and am looking forward to developing a more in depth knowledge of others in the near future!

My offering for the hop is only part complete. I am currently without a sewing machine so while I've used fusible webbing to layout my appliqué on some linen, apologies that I haven't yet had a chance to add the machine embroidered embellishment I plan on.

Cluck! I used these free templates as a basis and added two cats.

These are going to be coasters in our new home so I need to make sure they are finished by the 14th which is (fingers crossed) when we move in.

As I've only just arrived here I can't really offer a giveaway but I hope you'll visit the others taking part today:

November 29
Sew Incredibly Crazy

The Quilted Cat

Sew We Quilt