キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
Captain's Log, Stardate 02.24.2009
I am extraordinarily proud of this. For Christmas, I wanted to knit something for my parents that would be really cool and personal, and sort of an heirloom. So I took the five family crests I had for my family (in Japanese, a family crest is called a “mon”) and graphed the designs on knitting graph paper so that I could knit intarsia panels of the mons.
I knit 5 intarsia panels and 4 plain panels and then sewed them together to make an afghan.
In Japan, family crests are carried by both male and female, so I used mons from both my parents' sides. Traditionally, mons are passed down from mother to daughter and from father to son, but there are sometimes cases of a son taking a mother’s mon or a husband taking his wife’s family’s mon and things like that.
I know we have more than 5 family crests, but we’ve lost some of them. My mom tried to find them all several years ago, but could only find these five. The fans mon was actually found on an extended family member’s gravestone somewhere. Neat, huh?
Anyway, Mom and Dad were very pleased to receive this, although it ended up being a reeeeeeeally late Christmas present. Originally, I’d thought to do a purl-knit stitch pattern, but I changed to intarsia (more difficult, but more easy to see the mon) and while I tried to get it done by Christmas, there was just no way.
I’m really happy with how it turned out. I hadn’t done intarsia on a completed project before—I’d only done practice swatches. And I’d certainly never graphed my own pattern. It ended up not being as bad as I expected. A more advanced knitter can see my mistakes if they get up close, but in general, I think the afghan looks pretty good.
If you’re on Ravelry, click here for the project info.
I am extraordinarily proud of this. For Christmas, I wanted to knit something for my parents that would be really cool and personal, and sort of an heirloom. So I took the five family crests I had for my family (in Japanese, a family crest is called a “mon”) and graphed the designs on knitting graph paper so that I could knit intarsia panels of the mons.
I knit 5 intarsia panels and 4 plain panels and then sewed them together to make an afghan.
In Japan, family crests are carried by both male and female, so I used mons from both my parents' sides. Traditionally, mons are passed down from mother to daughter and from father to son, but there are sometimes cases of a son taking a mother’s mon or a husband taking his wife’s family’s mon and things like that.
I know we have more than 5 family crests, but we’ve lost some of them. My mom tried to find them all several years ago, but could only find these five. The fans mon was actually found on an extended family member’s gravestone somewhere. Neat, huh?
Anyway, Mom and Dad were very pleased to receive this, although it ended up being a reeeeeeeally late Christmas present. Originally, I’d thought to do a purl-knit stitch pattern, but I changed to intarsia (more difficult, but more easy to see the mon) and while I tried to get it done by Christmas, there was just no way.
I’m really happy with how it turned out. I hadn’t done intarsia on a completed project before—I’d only done practice swatches. And I’d certainly never graphed my own pattern. It ended up not being as bad as I expected. A more advanced knitter can see my mistakes if they get up close, but in general, I think the afghan looks pretty good.
If you’re on Ravelry, click here for the project info.
Comments
Camy
Camy
Camy, this is so wonderful, I can't even tell you how impressed I am with this. It's so meaningful and beautiful, artistic. It is inspiring to me.
It has me thinking about my own family and things like this.
Thank you for sharing that.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Blessings to you!!
Nora :D
such marvelous works of art! Your
parents just have to so pleased and
proud of this gift and your talents!
Pat Cochran
Blessings from Costa Rica,
Kathie