As a Mother’s Day gift, I made Mom a Sidewalk Shawl with a free pattern from Stitch Nation. I used a 5mm yarn but 8mm crochet hook so that the pattern would be more visible. I skipped the third and fourth repetition of the pattern but it still resulted in a large shawl!
Art
Kariya Park
The weather was gorgeous so we headed to Kariya Park to see if we could catch the cherry blossom trees in bloom. It’s a lovely little spot in the core honouring the twin city relationship with Kariya, Japan. We were probably a week early because not all the trees bloomed yet but still managed to snap some colourful photos.
Photos: Teddy Enjoying the Sun
This weekend the weather was beautiful, so I let Teddy out in the yard and snapped some photos.
Crochet Dog Bone
My practise ball of white yarn never seems to disappear so I made Teddy this crochet bone with a pattern I found on Pinterest. I didn’t make it quite as long because of my dog’s small size.
I added a ribbon made out of an old T-shirt to hide the seams.
I think he approves.
Crochet Short Sweater
For my first major crochet project, I made this short crop sweater sweater. The pattern came from The Happy Hooker book I mentioned earlier.
Understanding how to read the pattern was a confusing at first, so the sweater is a tiny bit disfigured, but still wearable.
It pairs well with a bright coloured tank top underneath.
It was a little thicker than I wanted. I used black wool I had but I threw out the label was unsure about the needle gauge. However, I’m proud that it actually looks like a sweater (and not a blob of yarn).
Klout Perk: The Red Bull Editions
Klout sent me an e-mail a few days ago saying my Red Bull Editions perk was finally on its way. I didn’t expect it to show up expedited at my door yesterday. Who knew free samples would be so damn efficient. They even came in a cute little box with a tag.
I have too much expendable energy to drink them right now but I thought they came in nice bright colours. I like this design much better than the regular Red Bull. It’s streamlined and simple. I played around with some manual focus photography with my f1.8 lens.
Maybe I’ll save these for when music festival season comes along.
Crochet Ball
I learnt how to crochet a ball for Teddy from this Youtube Video via Crochet Geek. It wasn’t too round because I didn’t have stuffing so I used a plastic bag. It added a little extra noise for Teddy to enjoy.
Balls are the basis for a lot of Amigurumi projects so I hope to make him so cuter toys in the future.
Someone’s Spying On Me
I was trying to read over the weekend. However every time I retreat to the couch in the other room this happens:
Learning to Crochet
I decided to teach myself how to crochet (again). I had started last year but then I became busy and forgot all about it.
I purchased a set of crochet needles from Ebay, where you the entire collection cost $5 with shipping included! It’s ridiculous how cheap you can get supplies like yarn as well.
I inherited Debbie Stoller’s The Happy Hooker from my best friend when she moved out of Toronto. It’s been sitting on my shelf for quite some time. 
This is a test ball of white yarn I bought at the dollar store ages ago. Half of it I used to learn how to knit.
I made these square coasters with the yarn as I learnt how to do some of the basic stitches; double crochet, half double crochet, and single crochet. I’m hoping to eventually learn how to make some adorable Amigurumi animals!
How to Photograph a Funeral
While photographing a funeral may seem morbid to some, it is normal in some cultures to want to capture the moment. Funerals tend to be one of the very few times where entire families and friends gather in a room, even those who haven’t seen each other for 10 years. Asian funerals tend to have a lot of tradition and are quite interesting to document.
To be honest when grandma asked me to photograph grandpa’s funeral, I thought it was weird. I thought I would be shy, break down (well I did occasionally), or that it would be awkward. However, I learned a lot from this experience and think I became a much better photographer because of it.
Here are a few tips:
1. No Flash
Having a photographer at a funeral can be awkward enough for some visitors, don’t be intrusive with a giant flash. I used my 50mm 1.8 lens for the majority of the shots so that I could absorb the most light as well as purposely blur backgrounds.
2. Be Considerate
Funerals can be a great opportunity to be photojournalistic, but at the same time you have to still be sensitive. Don’t stick cameras in people’s faces and be as invisible as possible. In my case, it was a little bit more difficult because I was part of the immediate family.
3. Edit Photos to Fit The Mood
Photos shouldn’t really be high of contrast and colour, that doesn’t really fit the mood of a funeral (or at least not the ceremony/wake). Don’t “bloom” your photos, apply appropriate filters that aren’t too bright and cheery. A mix of black and white and colour is okay too.
4. Watch People Interact With Each Other
Chances are if you’ve been asked to photograph a funeral, the person doesn’t just want to remember the deceased, but also all those who came out.
5. Be Confident
If you act like you are unsure you are supposed to be there, than it makes it awkward for everyone else too. If you’re confident than people will know you are doing your job.
If you ever get asked to photograph a funeral, treat it as a honour to help someone keep their last memories of a loved one. For now, most of the photos are for my family’s eyes only but they are some of the most intimate and emotionally beautiful photographs that I have ever taken.
Tiana Feng 