Today's Hari-Kuyo

The days are flying past me here in Chilly Hollow, but Pamela reminded me that today is Hari-Kuyo, the Japanese day to honor our needles.

https://hokkaidokudasai.blogspot.com/2024/02/hari-kuyo.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow

Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com

and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

© Copyright February 8, 2024 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Harikuyo 2016

Sue Dulle reminds us that it is Karikuyo, the Japanese festival that honors needles that bring us so much pleasure in our lives.
https://sudukc.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/harikuyo-broken-needle-festival/

This year I will wrap my used needles in pretty wrapping paper, enclose the gift bundle in aluminum foil for protection and they will go in the trash as that's the safest way to send them to their just reward.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 8, 2016 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Harikuyo 2015 UPDATED AGAIN

Today's the Japanese festival of Harikuyo which honors our needles. Susan has special plans to celebrate. 
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2015/02/two-days-until-harikuyo-2015.html

UPDATE:  Stay tuned for what Susan has planned!  I'll add the link once it goes live.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-gift-of-harikuyo.html

Me, I am too exhausted from celebrating NP Nation's Fourth Birthday to start making a new needle book.  Instead I will do what I always do on February 8th.  I will take all my old needles out of the pill bottle where I keep them, wrap them in aluminum foil, and then use pretty wrapping paper and ribbons to wrap the foil packet. Then I will ceremoniously put them in the trash.

Where would we be without our needles that have served us so well?  Thank you!

UPDATE #2:  Carol-Anne had an amazing needle adventure in Japan.  You will enjoy this.
http://threadsacrosstheweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/a-needle-in-market.html

UPDATE #4:  More about Carol-Anne's purchases.
http://threadsacrosstheweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/needles-and-pins.html

UPDATE #5:  Carol-Anne's sewing kit - I want one!
http://threadsacrosstheweb.blogspot.com/2015/02/travelling-sewing-kit.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright February 6, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Goodbye to Melita's Needles

Melita has a bunch of old bent, broken or tarnished needles to dispose of. 
http://melitastitches4fun.wordpress.com/2014/07/20/disposing-of-needles-a-celebration/

Long ago I read an old article by Amy Bunger in which she said the most common mistake stitchers make is to stitch with a worn out needle.  Ever since I put my old needles in a medicine bottle and collect them to dispose of every February when the Japanese festival of Harikuyo is celebrated.  Of course the fact that I have acid hands and my needle start to tarnish fairly rapidly encourages me to do this.  Recently I have heard several folks say that they treasure their needles (which were so precious to our stitching ancestors) and only discard them when they bend or break.

So there are many schools of thought about how often to dispose of your needles.  Like so much else in needlepoint, there is no right or wrong answer.  But if your hands tarnish your needles, I think it is common sense to get rid of them and start anew with each new project.  Otherwise, how you feel about needles and how often to choose new ones is up to you.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright July 22, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Do You Have Your Needles Ready? UPDATED

Today is Hari Kuyo in Japan, the Festival of Broken Needles and the official end of the New Year's celebrations.   In a little while I will take my little jar of old needles I have collected all year, wrap them in colorful tissue paper, tie them with a bright ribbon, and carefully wrap the package a second time in aluminum foil before putting them in the trash can.  I don't want to put them into tofu and bury them or toss the tofu into the river so the annual trip with the trash man will have to do.  I am very grateful to my needles.  What would we do without them?
http://www.odditycentral.com/events/hari-kuyo-japans-unique-memorial-service-for-broken-needles.html

Now, let's all pick up our needles and head to Susan's for the official ceremony.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2014/02/harikuyo-2014.html

UPDATE:  And don't miss what Vicky has to say about needles....
http://mostlyneedlepoint.com/disposing-of-broken-needles-hari-kuyo-style/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Festival of Broken Needles 2013 UPDATED

This morning we are gathered here to celebrate Hari Kuyo, Japan's Festival of Broken Needles. If we were in Japan, this is what we would be doing.
http://www.designbyaika.com/hari-kuyou-memorial-service-for-needles/

But we are not, so we are going to take our little colorfully wrapped packets of needles to an imaginary Japanese garden.
http://www.flickriver.com/groups/38223935@N00/pool/interesting/

Does everyone have their little packets of needles?  Good.  Go to the link above and pick your favorite image of water, and toss in your packet, thinking grateful thoughts about those tools that have served you so well.  I climbed the stone stairs, stopping occasionally to look at the flowering trees, and put my packet in the Purge Water Dragon pool, where it swirled around a bit, then floated away out of the pool and down the big waterfall to disappear into the stream.

Thank you, needles!

UPDATE:  If you had a ceremony on your site, please let Susan know.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2013/02/happy-harikuyo.html

Here's a second update with food for thought.
http://stitchingfoolishness.blogspot.com/2013/02/hari-kuyo.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Reminder

Just a reminder, the Japanese Festival of Broken Needles (Hari Kyuo) is tomorrow, February 8th.  I do not practice Shinto, but I do believe in honoring the tools that have served me so well, so I when I discard all my needles before starting a new project with brand new needles, the old go into a little box to await the next Hari Kuyo.  Tomorrow I will take them out, wrap them carefully in aluminum foil for safety's sake, then wrap the little packet in fancy wrapping paper with a bow.  Then they will ceremoniously put away in the trash can, for removal.  I certainly am grateful for all the work they have done over the last twelve months and for all the fun they have brought into my life.

Susan is collecting links and comments about how stitchers are marking this day.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2013/02/growing-up-with-tea.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Needlebook Class

Time to make needle books! And what beauties they are! If I were handier with my hand sewing I'd sign up but I guess I will just have to admire them from afar.  Besides, it is impossible to decide which class kit I like better.  Maybe Santa will bring me one of each?
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2012/10/its-needlebook-season.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

The Hari-kuyo Needlebook Class

The needlebook cyberclass that Susan Elliott is teaching is winding down.  If there is more interest, Susan will teach it again late this year or early next year in time to have the needlebook finished before Hari-Kuyo (Festival of Broken Needles).
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2012/03/needlebook-encore.html


Here's the direct link to the Flickr account that has photos of many of the needlebooks that were made in Susan's class.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1944892@N22/pool/with/6855413836/

If you want to know more about the class from a student's perspective, here's what Sudukc has to say about her needlebook, and...
http://sudukc.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/hari-kuyo-one-of-my-many-irons/

...what Ann has to say about hers.
http://stitchingfoolishness.blogspot.com/2012/02/biting-off-more-than-i-can-chew.html

Colorado Stitcher has finished hers, too.
http://acoloradostitcher.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-hari-kuyu-needlebook-is-finished.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Hari-Kyuo: Making A Needlebook with Susan

If you greatly admired Susan's needlebook last year, this year she is offering an online course to teach you how to make your own.  Later on she'll sell the instructions but right now she is doing this as a cyber class.  You can see Susan's needlebook and learn about the course on her website.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/p/hari-kuyo-needlebook-e-course.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Hari-Kuyo, The Festival of Broken Needles

Julie Mar's Jade Pond

Got your old needles ready? I've wrapped mine in pretty paper tied with a beautiful bow. Now let's assemble around the Jade Pond.  One at a time each of us will walk across the bridge, stop in the middle, and toss our little packets of needles into the pond, giving thanks for their faithful service as we stitched and stitched and stitched with them.

Now that all our needles from last year have magically vanished into the pond's blue waters, let's settle down on benches around the other side of the pond and drink our tea and coffee together, planning our stitching with brand new needles and lovely threads next year.  Happy Hari-kuyo!

If you would like to add the lovely little garden above to your stash, here's a link.
http://www.needlepoint.com/all-canvases/landscapes/jade-pond.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Get Those Old Needles Ready

Tomorrow is the Japanese festival of Hari-kuyo, which honors old needles.  I've been collecting used needles in a little royal blue bottle for a year, getting ready to discard my tarnished needles on February 8, which is tomorrow.  Get out your bend, broken, tarnished and rusty needles and tomorrow morning we will ceremoniously discard them together.  Until then, you will enjoy Susan's needle book and her plans for making more.  Here's a hint:  follow all the links!
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2012/01/hari-kuyo-my-book-of-needles-and-next.html

http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2012/02/breeding-needlebooks.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

The Stylish Needle Container

As part of this week's Japan's Hari-kuyo Festival, Susan decided it was time to honor her needles by making herself a needle book with felt pages to keep her needles in.  The last two articles on her blog (dated Feb. 8-9, 2011 if you are late to the party) are all about her new needle book which is fabulous!
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/

Speaking of needles and storage, Ridgewood Needlepoint has a new batch of the fun Zecca needle vials in stock.  Suddenly my old pill bottle full of discarded tarnished or bent or broken needles looks a bit shabby.  Surely my cherished tools need a better place to rest in preparation for the 2012 Hari-Kuyo ceremony!
http://ridgewoodneedlepoint.blogspot.com/2011/02/needle-vials.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Hari-Kuyo Honors Our Needles UPDATED

My Old Needles

Today's February 8 here in Chilly Hollow so my old tarnished needles are now wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a raffia bow, ready to be ceremoniously placed in the garbage can.  The Festival of Needles is described in yesterday's and today's postings from the Japanese Embroidery blog.  That's not how I am celebrating but I am not Japanese and I need to modify their Shinto tradition of honoring old tools in my own way since sticking them into a block of tofu and tossing the tofu into the Shenandoah River doesn't sound like a great idea to me.
http://japanese-embroidery.blogspot.com/2011/02/harikuyo-festival-of-broken-needles.html

Stitching Fingers is celebrating by taking photographs of their pins and needles.  However you celebrate your needles, keep in mind that without their humble service, we could not do any form of stitching.
http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/photo/albums/festival-of-needles

UDPATE:  Carol-Ann's moving tribute to her needles has to be included here today.
http://threadsacrosstheweb.blogspot.com/2011/02/festival-of-needles.html

Susan has a wonderful project to honor her needles.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/festival-of-needles.html

http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-book-of-needles.html

Other folks are participating in their own way, which makes me happy.
http://acoloradostitcher.blogspot.com/2011/02/festival-of-broken-needles.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

The Festival of Broken Needles is Tomorrow

Japan's Festival of Broken Needles (or Festival of Needles, I've heard Hari-Kuyo translated both ways) is tomorrow, February 8.  I save up my tarnished needles all year for this.
http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/forum/topics/festival-of-needles

I'm not Japanese nor am I near a Japanese temple where needles are inserted into tofu and then floated away in a river, so tomorrow I will carefully package up my used needles in the prettiest box I have before I ceremoniously put them in the trash.  I like the idea of honoring the little needles without which I could not needlepoint.

If you are curious about the tradition, read what Susan has to say, then click on the link to the booklet that explains the traditions around this ceremonial Shinto tradition.
http://plays-with-needles.blogspot.com/2011/02/preparing-for-hari-kuyo.html

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

Feb. 8 is Harikuyo

Today is February 8, the day when many shrines in Japan celebrate the Festival of Broken Needles, or Karikuyo.  I am snowbound and not celebrating (although I continue to add old needles to my collection for next year) but I thought you might enjoy reading a bit about this celebration.  I rarely break needles but I did last night as my beading needle eye gave way.  That needle immediately was put away and I remembered Harikuyo.
http://japanese-embroidery.blogspot.com/2010/02/harikuyo-festival-of-broken-needles.html

http://needleprint.blogspot.com/2010/02/hari-kuyou-needles-prayse-festival-of.html

Valentine's Day is drawing closer and Gay Ann Rogers is celebrating by selling some of her heart designs.  Details and photos of these exquisite pieces are on her website.  But act now.  She does not have sales often or for long.
http://www.gayannrogers.com/site_2/Hearts.html

I didn't finish beading the bra last night. I was too tired after shoveling show off the upper deck, clearing a path from the breezeway into the yard and starting to shovel snow off the front porch.  But only a bit of the left strap is done and the tv has come back on now that some of the roof snow has melted and the satellite dish is visible again.  We didn't miss the Superbowl which I fully expected.  So life is good.  I'll get busy and try to finish the beading by tomorrow so I can start the leaping deer background around the beaded tap pants.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
Archived Yahoo 360 postings at http://profiles.yahoo.com/chillyhollow