capital fashion

have a great weekend!



neki desu

not without my shuttles

forget everything else; no books, no shoes, no jewels. i want to be buried with them. 

an awe inspiring simple and elegant mechanism that works so very well. no tightening screws, wrenches or assorted whatevers. these are end feed shuttles with handweavers in mind not adapted ones from the industry. the yarn goes through a wire hoop that gives enough pull to create a good selvedge. that in combination with the eyelets on the side each one presumably according to the yarn in use. 

i used this shuttle with  an overtwist wool and  one of the regular wooden bobbins. the bobbin was not unwinding well creating excessive pull.

 i changed it  for one of the silk  bobbins and it worked heavenly. of note is that the shuttle is presumably for fine silk because the ends are slightly curved.

only a weaver can appreciate these.  the x ray machines at the istanbul airport  didn't like what they saw and as a result my bag was withheld there until i claimed from barcelona. when i explained to the man at the counter what they looked like he looked up from the computer and said : say no more.  ^_^

the second shuttle with the silk bobbin, or mini pirn if you like, with the same mechanism but slightly heavies as it is meant for fly shuttles is also heavenly. my selvedges  have always been  good, but can't believe how much they  have improved. how could i function without these babies?

there's also the poetry of having been handmade by a man who's third generation into the craft.
still making them for handweavers in japan.

neki desu
 

this blog needs some food

i am thrilled to have discovered a chinese  grocery in the neighborhood. that helps me save trips downtown, which have become sparser and sparser, in order to buy oriental vegs.

one of my all time faves is pak choi so very versatile  it should be always included in a bag of cooking recipe tricks.

i have come up with a simple quick way to eat it as either a starter or to accompany the main dish.

 so without greater ado :

 1 baby pack choy per person

wash thoroughly in running water and quarter it.
stir fry for 1 minute in very hot oil about 1 tablespoon per  pak choi
add 1 1/2 or 2  cups pre cooked garbanzo beans ( chick peas) and continue stirring
for 2-3 more minutes the leaves should be wilted, but  the stems translucent and crunchy

combine  in a cup
1 tablespoon white miso
3  tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water -you can add more if you wish to tame the soy sauce
a pinch or two of chili pepper flakes.
(you can adjust the quantities in  the sauce  to taste)
whisk all and pour over the vegs; stir on the fire to blend flavors. serve

you can add tofu cubes  for extra protein to make it a wholesome starter.
itadakimasu!!


neki desu