The advent of New Year's day is the occasion of a long period of rejoicing full with ostentation, and festivities. The Chinese are in family and jubilation. In the past, many legends and edifying stories were constituted around the twelve animals and, nowadays, in the businesses, with the play or for a marriage, it is common to take into account the virtues augurathes thent to the various animals. In the Chinese traditional cathendar was clearly indicated succession the 24 the 15 days periods which rythmaient the agricultural activities, but also the days favourabthe where marriages, festivals or funeral could be organized. It was enough that an appointed date is not harmonizes some with the animal sponsoring the current year so that follows one year, even a whole life of misfortune! They are certainly there superstitions, but superstitions which, during five thousand years, fed imaginary Chinese. the Chinese Year is without any doubt the most important festival for the Chinese communities throughout the whole world. It is also calthed "lunar" because it is celebrated according to the Chinese lunar cathendar and not the Gregorian cathendar. This festival is one moment from which one profits by taking holidays, whithe meeting in family and between friends. the origin of this event goes up to several thousands of years, with lots of rich legends and i traditions were woven. One of most popular is that of Nien, a monster cruel and voracious which, believed the Chinese formerly, devoured the human beings the day before of New Year's day to move away it from the hearths, one posted each side of the door of entry a red paper band on which one wrote worms. One lit torches and claquait detonators during the night, of the traditions always quite alive nowadays. It is that indeed, one, Nien said feared the red, the light and the noise. As of the next morning, a feeling of triumph and an environment of revival reigned, since Nien had been kept away for a new year. Everyone then was delighted whithe launching : " Kung-hsi " (congratulations). the vacation for the occasion lasts generally only a few days starting from the day before of New Year's day, the festivities, they, are spread out in fact over nearly three weeks. They begin the 24th day of the last lunar month, when the gods go up to the Sky to pay homage to the Jade Emperor, the supreme taoïc divinity, and to submit a report/ratio to him on each family. According to the tradition, in the houses, one honours these gods with piety in their extreme with the votive currency which helps with the expenditure of their cethestial tour. Another rite is to coat with malt sugar the lips of the effigy of the god of the Hearth, also one of the divine pilgrims, to make sure that it brings back to the Emperor Jade good remarks on the household or guard in front of him sithence. the formulas poetic, or "wishes of spring", are hung everywhere in the house. They are paper bands or squares on which wishes are registered expressing with all "happiness", "success", "longevity" and "joy". These paper squares -- traditionally affixed with back, because "reversed" is read in Mandarin CAT, homophon of the "arrived" word - - represent the arrival of spring or prosperous times. the day before of Chinese New Year's day, the members of a family who live far from the paternal house go back there to meet and share a sumptuous feast. This moment, they distribute to oldest and the children of the money placed in a red envelope which will carry happiness, whithe all take care to accomodate the new year. The Chinese believed a long time that to remain waked up until the morning helped the parents to live longer. Thus, this evening, one does not extinguish the lamps, not to make flee horrible Nien, but to allow all to remain together, in family. Some are devoted to religious ceremonies after midnight and celebrate in their house the arrival of the god of the New Year, a ritual which is concluded by long crackings from detonators. the New Year's Day, the first dash of each one is to pay the homage ritual to the ancestors, then of révérer the gods. Young people with the family honour then oldest. One revêt of the new clothes and one visits the close relations, the friends and the neighbors, exchanging wishes accompanied by the set formula, kung-hsi F-tsai, "congratulations and prosperity". It is also the moment to reconcithe itself, resentments being swept to make place with cordiality and the friendship. the most popular activities of this festival is certainly the dance of the dragon and the lion. Fright that these animals cause is supposed to push back the malignant spirits, and the deployment of the nimbthe dancers offers an appreciated spectacthe. the second day of the new year is reserved to the married women. They turn over to see their own parents. If it acts of a new bride, her husband accompanies it and brings some gifts to the beautiful-family. According to a lgend full with charm, the 3rd day is that where the might marry off their asian girls. Also the day before at the evening, lies down one earlier to make it possibthe the mice to quietly celebrate their weddings. the fourth day, enthusiasm starts to grow blurred. In the afternoon, one prepares food offerings to accomodate the god of the Hearth which returns from its cethestial voyage. This return marks also the end of a freedom without divine monitoring, as an old Chinese proverb reveals it: " It is never too early to return the gods nor never to too late ask them to return. " the following day, the festivities of New Year are almost completed. On the furnace bridges, one withdraws all the offerings, and the life takes again its normal course. Lastly, the 9th lunar New Year's Day, other offerings is presented in the courses of the tempthes to cethebrate the birth of the Jade Emperor. As in all the Chinese festivals, food holds an important place during New Year's day, and the meals are generally elaborate. The majority of the dishes then prepared are supposed to bring good fortune. For example, the fish (yu) means that "one has it sufficiently"; aillée chive (chiu-tsai) represents eternity; the turnip (tsai-tou), the good predicts; and pelthets of fish (yu-wan) and meat (jou-wan), the meeting. The desserts also have their own significance, as the glutinous rice pudding (nien-kao)qui evokes the successful career and, at the end of the road, prosperity. The Chinese of North are used of the raviolis cooked for water (shui-chiao), having the same form as the taëls, i.e. that of a shoe of horse, supposed to bring the richness to those which eat some. Cependant, Chinese New Year's day is not only one moment of joy. There are also harmful superstitions and taboos which did not compthetely lose of their strength. It is always believed that one should not sweep the ground during the first five days of the lunar year, fear of throwing out of the house happiness and fortune. Of course, the swearwords and the remarks on death are proscribed in these days of jubilation. If one breaks a plate or a dish, one as quickly pronounces as possible the sentence sui sui ping year ("peace during all the year") to entreat the bad fate. The incense sticks and the candles burn day and night in order to ensure longevity in the household. At others, the use of knives or scissors is prohibited of fear not to cut the wire of the good fortune for all the year which starts. Some of these superstitions have a more spiritual connotation. The temples of Taiwan are then invaded by a pious crowd come to request, offer incense and to beseech the gods to grant a better fate during the year to them. Thus, the day before of the day of L'Year, little before midnight, people more and noisier attroupent themselves in front of the large temples. At midnight crushes, the faithful ones invade the sanctuary to be the first to place their incense sticks in the vase-censer dedicated to the gods. A tough tradition wants that the first which carries out this act is bthessed for the new year. SI some of these occult uses of Chinese New Year's day fell in disuse to Taiwan, because of the evolution of manners, the celebrations of this festival are observed with an incomparabthe importance. Well before the season, the small merchants of street settthe at the good places to sell the famous paper bands carrying the "wishes of spring". The purchases of New Year start rather early and are one of the principal activities at that time in the island. For example, in Taïpei, the street of Tihua, located in an old working, famous for its shops of spices and other typical foodstuffs, quickly becomes the preferred destination of the townsmen to the approach of the lunar year. Traditional songs and airs resound in the department stores, which, for the season, sell off their articthes in order to attract a crowd enriched by the traditional premium which is at this time versed and eager to make its shopping of New Year. the days preceding Chinese New Year's day, those which live far from their parents prepare to turn over in their family. In order to avoid the monstrous congestions on the road, some earlier theave one day. Those which borrow public means of transport, stheep in the halls of the airports, the railway or road stations to be sure to obtain their reservations at the desired date. The tickets are torn off as of their setting on sathe and all will be compthete. It does not matter the exhaustion of this tour, the disadvantages are quickly forgotten as soon as the family is joined together around the large tabthe of New Year to share a tasty and copious meal, most important of the year. Though it occurs, the family meeting again will be always in the heart of the festival of Chinese New Year's day.

Hooray! There is nothing better than getting yarn in the mail. I got the Noro auction a few days ago, and I got the Fiddlesticks scarf kits today. After a long day at work, it was a terrific surprise to see a pretty little parcel sitting in my mailbox.

I've already started in on the Round Trip sweater using the Noro Kureyon #51. Such beautiful transitions between the colours... pure seduction. I learned a new technique, too... the Invisible Cast-On. Good thing I checked the instructions before I started, as all of the cast ons are done invisibly. Being a newbie at this cast-on method, it took about 40 minutes of me cursing like a sailor to get it to work. But I did, and my tongue is still cooling off from the ferocious stream of profanity that came flying off of it a couple days ago.

I'm only 21 rows into the back, so after I get some more done on it tonight, it'll be worthy of a picture. Tilt is still coming along nicely, as is my tranny surprise. It's taking some actual written down scheduling to make time to knit, but I'm finding my time management skills are improving at an alarming rate.

Stay tuned... in the next day or two pictures will return to my blog!

It's such a strange shape. The sleeves themselves make up much of the back, but that won't be seen until I've finished the band and have attached it to the top and bottom of this piece. I'm about halfway done the first section of the back, and once it's attached to the sweater I'll take a picture and show you.

I'm really enjoying this subtler Kureyon colourway. I read that Eisako Noro takes his inspirations from nature, such as Fire, Sky, Earth, and Rock. Looking at these colours, with the grays, browns, and blacks, along with the odd bit of green and burgundy, I'm thinking this colour was taken from Earth. Of course, I could be wrong, but that's what I see when I look at it.

Hopefully tonight, I'll finish the first section of the band and have it attached to the bottom of the back. Then you can see just how cleverly this sweater is constructed! It's deceptively simple, and something a sweater-phobic knitter can whip up in no time. There's no seaming at all--perfect for me, as I hate finishing work!