I can immerse myself in Japanese pop culture all day long. I’ve long been a bit of a fan of anime, Hello Kitty, Pokemon and kawaii style aesthetics, Japanese lanterns and windsocks (I have an orange koi windsock flying in my back yard right now), folklore and mystical protectors, and the Daruma doll.
It is definitely in my blood. My mother was Japanese and my brother and I grew up with the spooky mystical protectors hanging on the walls to ward off evil, a Daruma doll with both eyes filled in, Japanese prints on the walls, and so many glorious eats. Mom could definitely rock an authentic Japanese meal.
When I was in my 20s, I gave up meat for good for my health. At first, it was a test to see if not eating meat would affect the way I felt. After a few months, I made the test permanent … except for fish. Because I enjoy sushi so much that I couldn’t imagine life without having an occasional spicy tuna roll (with wasabi and ginger, and a big bowl of seaweed salad on the side … drool).
When I first discovered the perfect Lucky Cat or “Maneki-neko” by rabbizdesign (Etsy), I bought it and chomped at the bit to find time to make it. It’s a fun and whimsical lucky cat to make, and what better way to display it than surrounded by crocheted sushi! Let the nigiri and maki come to life! I added a face to the rice on the nigiri but I left the sushi rolls alone. I purchased a lucky cat print and put it in a thrift store frame and voila!
I hope you enjoy the lucky cat sushi vignette as much as I enjoyed creating it!
The lucky cat is available to purchase on etsy. Sushi will be available soon so keep checking at https://www.etsy.com/shop/hookedonwhimsy.
Thanks for reading!
-kim
Hooked on Whimsy 