The murmur of a cool stream,
Bird song, ripe fruit in plenty,
Bright multicoloured tulips
and fragrant roses.
Bird song, ripe fruit in plenty,
Bright multicoloured tulips
and fragrant roses.
This poem depicting an ideal garden was written in about 1258 by Sa'adi in his work Gulistan. It sounds like the perfect description of a garden even today. You can almost smell the fragrance of the roses as you walk along the garden path.
We were fortunate enough to live in Kyoto a few years back, and one of our favourite places to visit when we lived there was the Botanical Gardens. No matter what the season, it was always beautiful. We still visit Japan frequently, and always make sure to revisit the gardens when we are nearby.
On our last visit there in the Spring, we were astonished to see a wonderful display of tulips. The gardeners had been busy planting several thousand bulbs, and there was an incredible variety of different flowers on show. Some were modern varieties with multiple petals and almost looked like rose-buds.
We were fortunate enough to live in Kyoto a few years back, and one of our favourite places to visit when we lived there was the Botanical Gardens. No matter what the season, it was always beautiful. We still visit Japan frequently, and always make sure to revisit the gardens when we are nearby.
On our last visit there in the Spring, we were astonished to see a wonderful display of tulips. The gardeners had been busy planting several thousand bulbs, and there was an incredible variety of different flowers on show. Some were modern varieties with multiple petals and almost looked like rose-buds.
However, the ones that impressed me most were the traditional single flowers. They just have such an elegant simplicity. Set out into their rows and grids they had an order and pattern which emphasised their beauty and structure. As I sat looking at them, I thought how lovely they would be if captured in a knitted design.
I went back to the hotel and charted the idea for a new lace pattern, and as I began knitting the tulips started forming row by row, line by line just as I had seen them.
And that was the inspiration for the FFCT Wrap that I wrote about in my last blogpost. It is now one of my favourite patterns... It has just the right degree of warmth when I need it, and when I look at the design, I can see the rows of tulips in front of me in the gardens.
For more details about the FFCT Wrap, please see my blogpost here, and to purchase a copy of the pattern, please click here.
Happy Knitting!
Moira
And that was the inspiration for the FFCT Wrap that I wrote about in my last blogpost. It is now one of my favourite patterns... It has just the right degree of warmth when I need it, and when I look at the design, I can see the rows of tulips in front of me in the gardens.
For more details about the FFCT Wrap, please see my blogpost here, and to purchase a copy of the pattern, please click here.
Happy Knitting!
Moira
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Keywords: Travel Notes,
tulips, Japan, Kyoto, gardens, poetry, FFCT Wrap, shawl, wrap, stole, tulip lace, lace knitting,
tulips, Japan, Kyoto, gardens, poetry, FFCT Wrap, shawl, wrap, stole, tulip lace, lace knitting,
