Wabi Sabi
By Megan Goodacre
We're moving to Ottawa, and while change can be hard it can also be wonderful. Wabi sabi.
Wabi sabi is a Japanese concept of embracing transience and imperfection. It is often also thought of as being open to happy accidents or of finding the beauty in things as they naturally occur. A drop of paint dripped accidentally on a canvas could lead a painter to redefine her work. A stitch out of place could lead to a new design.
So it was a very happy accident that we embraced when we found a fantastic, funky knitting store right in the middle of the area of Ottawa where we were looking to buy our new home. It seemed even more fitting that the shop is named Wabi Sabi.
If you're in Ottawa and want a yarn shop full of people who love fibre, that's the place to go. Very fun and cozy and inviting, plus they have lots of places to sit and chat while you knit.
So, by now you may have noticed the tone of this blog post is different from the rest. This is Charles writing (sometimes referred to as Big C since somehow, by happy accident, we managed to name both our boys with my initial). We are in the midst of some upheaval in our lives. I applied for my dream job at the Ottawa Citizen and got it but had to start right away. Meanwhile, Megan and the boys are back west after a short visit here, sorting out school, career and moving.
While Megan was here we dropped into Wabi Sabi and met Tonia who works there. She loved Megan's notebooks and needle gauges and offered to sell some on consignment. So if you're in Ottawa and want one of her notebooks but don't want to pay for shipping, that's the place to get one.
Megan and Tonia talked for about an hour while Middle C (is that what he's being called in this blog? I think so) poked around the shop and imagined all the nice things Megan could knit for us with their yarn.
A few days later, after Megan had gone back west unfortunately, I finally found time to drop off Megan's notebooks (and rulers) at Wabi Sabi. I met Carol, the owner, who is wonderful and so friendly, and she has since put them out on the first table inside the front door.
So we're embracing our transience and looking for happy accidents. So far, we're off to a good start.
Wabi sabi is a Japanese concept of embracing transience and imperfection. It is often also thought of as being open to happy accidents or of finding the beauty in things as they naturally occur. A drop of paint dripped accidentally on a canvas could lead a painter to redefine her work. A stitch out of place could lead to a new design.
So it was a very happy accident that we embraced when we found a fantastic, funky knitting store right in the middle of the area of Ottawa where we were looking to buy our new home. It seemed even more fitting that the shop is named Wabi Sabi.
If you're in Ottawa and want a yarn shop full of people who love fibre, that's the place to go. Very fun and cozy and inviting, plus they have lots of places to sit and chat while you knit.
So, by now you may have noticed the tone of this blog post is different from the rest. This is Charles writing (sometimes referred to as Big C since somehow, by happy accident, we managed to name both our boys with my initial). We are in the midst of some upheaval in our lives. I applied for my dream job at the Ottawa Citizen and got it but had to start right away. Meanwhile, Megan and the boys are back west after a short visit here, sorting out school, career and moving.
While Megan was here we dropped into Wabi Sabi and met Tonia who works there. She loved Megan's notebooks and needle gauges and offered to sell some on consignment. So if you're in Ottawa and want one of her notebooks but don't want to pay for shipping, that's the place to get one.
Megan and Tonia talked for about an hour while Middle C (is that what he's being called in this blog? I think so) poked around the shop and imagined all the nice things Megan could knit for us with their yarn.
A few days later, after Megan had gone back west unfortunately, I finally found time to drop off Megan's notebooks (and rulers) at Wabi Sabi. I met Carol, the owner, who is wonderful and so friendly, and she has since put them out on the first table inside the front door.
So we're embracing our transience and looking for happy accidents. So far, we're off to a good start.