Norovember, 25 days Until Christmas!

The latest Totoro is posing with my son's flowers. He ruptured his appendix on Saturday and just came home yesterday. People from work sent him this lovely candy bouquet. I being the mom worried and lost sleep and I'm so grateful he is smiling and joking around again. Totoro is smiling, too...I think he ate all the candy, yummy dark, Nestle's chocolate.



Needless to say, the knitting and blogging took a back seat to the real life drama. I found knitting with Noro in this repeat Diagonal Scarf from Acorn Street pattern, made me happy as the different colors bloomed. These two balls were nothing like each other, and the end result was quite different then the first Diagonal Scarf I made.





I managed a cozy for my humongous mp3 player out of the handspun-hand-dyed mohair from Kai. I started the bottom like a toe up sock and made an attached icord at the top. I tried making a Kumihimo cord but the mohair would not hold up the bobbins and kept breaking, so now I have to decide on a cord. I like the way the oranges turned out.

And here it is, on the verge of December. 25 Days:) Thanks everyone for your well-wishes.

I See Cork People

While traversing the acorn forest with his Chinese cousin, Corky came to realize that only he saw cork people!

Pattern from Manne, translated by SaartjeKnits. Yarn from Kai, obtained during the great Aloha Knitter giveaway, 100% handspund/dyed mohair. I was surprised to find that some "corks" are synthetic now. I erased the markings with sandpaper. And no, I did not drink 5 bottles of wine, knitters honor!

Thank you for all your well wishes. I am now at the stage of this cold where I think I may live and don't feel the need to whine constantly.

Knitting Iris had the most fun post about acorns. I am now obsessing on the Wee Folk.

Stitcher Markers

While stewing in viremia yesterday I watched Battlestar Galactica while working on Rogue sleeves. I had decided nothing fancy, knit 2 at once on straight needles, use the k1p1 rib facing instead of the bias hem, don't knit it up and all would well. Well I did the turning row on the wrong side. I finished the graph and am trying to convince myself that the hem will turn okay. Well I keep thinking of Elizabeth Zimmerman and her saying that if something can be knit in the round it should be. It must be karma, that I messed up the turning row. I am meant to knit the sleeves in the round. But, frogging is so hard to psych up for sometimes, especially since JoSharp Silk Aran Road may shred while frogging.

Just like it is karma I'm sick. I whined so much about work lately I no doubt brought it on myself. I took my flu shot and all, so I don't know what happened.
Must be the negative energy I generated.

I got out the old pliers and made some stitch markers. A girl can't have too many of those, you know, and it they sparkle, all the better! I will channel that positive energy in and hope to be well in time for Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for:)

Trying to Buy Inspiration

My new yarn purchases are all in. Lamb's pride for a hat, probably Knitty's Coronet Hat like Rachel is knitting. The Jo Sharp in black is for Cherry
a project instigated by one of my fellow Aloha Knitters. I plan to make it for my hair stylist who is a very tiny woman. Yay! The Rowanspun wool in DK and 4 ply are just some impulse buys that are destined for some unknown Aran sweater. Hope I bought enough. I scored the handspun mohair in the great color from Kai. I don't know what it's going to be. The Mission Falls wool was from Shteeni's Destash. I suspect it will be fingerless mittens or perhaps a Clapotini. I hope some of my jewelry sold at the craft fair my friend took it to. That will help balance all this mad spending!

I have knit very little since casting on Rogue's two sleeves. Work has been no fun at all, I'm coming down with a cold and I'm still trying to put back all the stuff I got out of the craft room for the bathroom fix. At least I got all the Lego's washed. My sister is going back home tonight. Last night we all had great Pho at the Green Papaya at King and Dillingham in Kalihi. Today she made her famous cheeseball and also raspberry margarita's in the Magic Bullet. We also did some shop therapy at the Aloha Stadium Swap meet. I picked up some Hello Kitty cel phone charms I never seem to have enough of, and a couple of crosses to make rosaries with. It was a beautiful day.






There was some action around the yard. Bird of Paradise was blooming. It has stuggled in this location but blooms anyway. I don't know if it's the runoff from above, too wet or the shade. The seed pods fascinated me as a child. They are such an outrageous shape and color...round black seed with bright orange tuft.



Starfruit, or carambola, is such a beautiful fruit. It's just hard to give away. There are a few people who really like it, but mostly I just like the shape when it is cut up. My neighbors tree is loaded right now.



It's time for the purple orchid to go crazy blooming. The longan tree is fruitless again but has become home to lots of moss and staghorn ferns.


And there it goes, another day closer to Thanksgiving!

Ramblings of Analysis Paralysis

There has been a dearth of knitting and crafting of any sort at my place. Blue Skye bear has been frogged, Noro wristlets have been frogged, and Rogue lays neglected and and sleeveless in his little basket.

My sister flew in today and as my folks are remodeling, she asked to stay with me. Yikes! Cleaning frenzy! I let go of the Nintendo Power magazines, cleaned out the remnants of son number 1 and put on the topper for the hard as a rock bed. I am washing the Legos which have collected dust. I must have a billion or two. I have a whole drawer full to go. Luckily they have a new home.

I'm beginning to eye my bag ladies and wondering if it's time for them to retire from the bag business.



I discovered today that I have been forgetting to pluck my eyebrows. Yish, whoever invented that bit of torture!

I was trying to dazzle blogdom with a sunset in paradise, but by the time I found the camera, the sun was down.



What does it all mean? I can ponder and introspect, or I can just go to bed.

At least I knocked a few thing off the to do list. I filled out the insurance form, bought stamps, called the plumber, and "organized".


And my sister came in and brought be a Bullet ! Can whipped cream, salsa and margaritas be far behind?

Tofu Salad

1 block of tofu, cut into cubes
1 sm. can of red salmon, remove skin and bones if you like, crumbled
1/2 sliced round onion (sweet onions to taste)
2 tomatoes, chopped
chopped watercress
Layer in pan or bowl in order.

Heat dressing to boiling then pour over.
scant 1/2 cup of soy sauce
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon mirin

Garnish with
toasted sesame seeds
green onions (scallions) if you like


My grandma from Maui used to make this. It lends itself to many variations.

More Totoro adventures with Handspinning

Now that Socktober is over, sigh, I am in project limbo. I started the Blue Sky bear, but the yarn from my stash in very uninspiring and I can't seem to pick it up even though it has only one leg to go.
I washed and dried my first spindle full of yarn spun from the blue roving on my Ashford drop spindle from the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. I experimented with some shaping and knit on ears, but I think other ears have been better. The large one really has more cat-like ears. At least Totoros do not make fun of other Totoros, they are just not like that. I toyed with the idea of felting the Totoro...maybe another time.
I received a really nice gift from the world's best hair stylistMisa, at Paul Brown Honolulu. She returned from her trip to Japan with a hand towel, paperclip jar and bag charm. They are just too cute.

Hmmm, what can I make for Norovember with two balls of Silk Garden?

SockFish

SockFish
Pattern: The Giving Flower

This was my first fish. The pattern was very clear and had nice illustrations. I sewed the eyeballs on wrong the first time giving him a very mixed up look. Luckily the stitch witchery came off and I applied stuffed felt eyes with buttons. I haven't decided on the strap yet. I used some black brush denim from my stash. Under the fins are pockets. How very clever:)

In order to get these buttons, I was forced to stop at Ben Franklin, where of course I found the last pair of dp needles in any size, which just happened to be size 10.5, the size I needed. I also purchased Pursenalities and 2 skeins of Cascade 220, all in under 15 minutes. Is that not impulse spending or what?

I came across a Destash. Shteeni is selling her stash so she can take up spinning and walk in the The Avon 2 Day Breast Cancer Walk.

Swimming with the Fishes

Jess Hutchinson Odd Man, swimming with his yellow friend in the STR Sea.

Soggy Wednesday

Today is was one of those days. Maybe it was the fact that I have to back to work tomorrow, or maybe it was the fact that it is humid beyond belief today, I don't know. My refrigerator project has been dragging on. The person installing it measured wrong and had to some dry wall surgery...then there is the priming and the painting, and all that. This is the second day he said he would come (actually a pattern for him) but he didn't show up. I drove over the Pali for my massage which was a little bit of heaven:). On the way back, the traffic was detoured as the mountain on the other side of the Pali tunnel fell down and the whole road was closed. I tried another road but it was closed. I then missed my turn and got on H3 instead of Likelike. The water was coming off the mountains in huge waterfalls, always an awesome sight. There were dozens of them!

My craft room project (was to become a bedroom, now going back to the craft room) is nearly done, but I need a 28.5 inch tall something to hold up the other side of my table (a board with a cut out for my sewing machine. I looked at those nifty folding sewing desks, but at 700-1000 dollars, I decided the ole board would do. But no luck. I set up my sewing machine on a table and made the Amy Butler Swing bag. It is larger then I thought, but a nice size. The strap construction was a bit tricky .





The hat is a mini-hat, probably more likely to be a felted bag then a hat, but I liked the way the left-over Noro Kureyon worked up in the stripes. I also finished the Socks That Rock neck sock. It turned out 60 inches long. None of the photos came out very well as it is so cloudy today.

Now I don't know what to do. I have an email out to Kimberley of the Giving Flower to buy her SockFish pattern. I'm treading water knitting another hat, and have Rogue sleeves to contend with, but nothing is really calling to me yet. I still have disk 6 and 7 of second Season lost to watch and of course there is always house organizing. And oh yikes, time to cook dinner.

It was just one of those days.