Just the Pomaire Tile Stole WIP

This week I covered a very busy 40 hour week and I tell you it pooped me out. I had some small triumphant moments, some sadness,lots of frustration with the electronic medical record, and met a lot of new people, mostly Navy this week. Such is my life as primary care physician. As a "prn" (fill-in) provider I can look forward to some time off.

The etsy store has suffered for it as there is only one lonely bag in there. I hope to recoup the energy this weekend and make a few more. I'm also trying to visualize a bigger bag. The current style was designed around the recycled cd base. I don't have anything larger to recycle for a bigger base. I don't think I'm ready to give up my 45s or my ancient 78 hula records from the 49th state record company.

Got any ideas out there?

Pomaire Tile Stole WIP is about 50% done. I love the soft 100% cotton.


I noticed the last skein I added left a definite line (not very obvious in the picture but more obvious up close. Now I have to obsess a bit on this and decide what to do. No doubt I'll be lazy and just let it be.

It's a cloudy day, but the trades are back. It seems like typical Halloween weather. Last year it was terrible and I got no trick or treaters. It's usually a very small number any way, but I wonder if there will be more since it's a Saturday. Always difficult to calculate how much candy to get. I've already consumed 3 fun size butterfingers, and that's the problem, heh.

Happy Halloween!

Chu Totoro

Pattern: brella's Chu Totoro, free on Ravelry
Yarn: Pingouin Fleur De laine, blue, gifted to me by Paula. White Cascade 220
Needles: size 5 dpns

Mods: I was too lazy to do a continental CO and paid for it in the end. The stitches were tough to pick up and knit. The pattern has some cool shaping for the face and tail.

I'm still contemplating facial reconstruction for chu Totoro. His new bud, Knitting Totoro, feels he's handsome enough so I'll take his opinion into consideration.

I used corn stuffing for the first time. It is rather odd stuff. It packs up densely making it more difficult to sew through with a darning needle. I'm not sure about the carbon footprint of this stuff either. It is manufactured from corn so to me not technically "natural", but perhaps those that have allergies to polyester or wool, it may be a good compromise.

Ramblin' Along

Here it is Friday with nothing finished to show. It was a working day...a follow-up visit for "limfnotes" and a "slinter" amongst a bunch of work physicals and colds. I think the appointment center needs some spelling lessons.
I joined my old colleagues at a retirement party for the department secretary. Lucille always had a sunny disposition, worked hard and generously shared her mom's lumpia and cascaron. She will be off to Vegas, playing golf and will keep her weekend job working in a bar. I was nice catching up on the madness I have left behind.


After the glorious iris bloom the other day, I checked out my garden and found I had Desmodium sandwicense going to seed. Yikes! These things stick to ones clothing and were choking out that salmon colored thing my mom likes so much. I exceeded my daily quota of one bucket of weeds (but of course I'm still behind in the big scheme of things)
I have finally admitted to myself that those azalea plants in my front yard are never going to bloom again, because they are dead...just dry sticks with colonies of lichen. It will take more then water to bring them back...like maybe a miracle.


Wednesday, after dropping off Opal's birthday gift and cupcake, I took a leisurely drive along the blue wonder of Makapuu, Waimanalo and Kailua beaches, and ended up at Aloha Yarn to pick up another skein of Pomaire. Nanea was in and blogless Sandy was there knitting...or I should say sewing and stuffing, her Christmas gnome. So of course I was forced to chat a while and squish some yarn. I'm so happy I brought my knitting project along! As Sandy and left, I noticed a great view of the cloud covered Koolau's from the stairwell. It's been cloudy and drizzly everyday on the Windward side.

The spinning book has arrived. I will have to break into that beautiful braid of hand painted BFL once of these days.

Happy Weekend!

Etsy acquisitions and one for the bucket list.

I acquired these two skeins of handspun, indigo Romney wool from SheepAndThreads She grows the sheep and the indigo and spins and dyes the yarn. How cool is that!



I've also acquired two roving braids from MoonlightBaker. She's a master when it comes to colors! Yes, it's roving. And no, I don't really spin. I've just dabbled a bit with the drop spindle.

So, I've ordered this book from Amazon which I hope answers all the questions.


The plan is to spin enough yarn on the drop spindle to ply and actually make a small wearable garment. I have let go the idea that I will be growing my own sheep as I don't think they will thrive here in Nuuanu and the neighbors would complain.

Sea Silk Damson, FO

Pattern: Damson, by Ysolda Teague.
Yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk. One skein. I knit on the tight side and had a comfortable amount left over. I don't know what colorway this is as I purchased it without a ball band. It has teal and dark grey in it with a nice sheen. It held up well being frogged repeatedly. It was once Icarus, a scarf and Damson somehow got off to a bad start with me. It bled a little in the soak, and blocked nicely.
Needles: size 6. I started off with bamboo and finished up with Knit Picks options.
Mods: none

The pattern is well written and once I found my rhythm (I kept putting in extra YOs in the beginning) it went quickly. The yarn is very nice to work with and very soft and silky.

I finished it on a Friday!





I've cast on the lovely Araucania Pomaire, blues colorway #10. I'm just winging it using the tile pattern from Rhoda Goldberg's Knitting Dictionary so it's not exactly the same as Namea's Stolen Moments Wrap in the same colorway.

After many starts and restarts, I think Damson is finally found it's rhythm. The true test will be when I get to the scallop. Two others on Ravelry used the sea silk. One was two rows short and the other had just a smidgen left. I'm hoping that my tight knitting will allow me to finish this project. Keep your fingers crossed!

I finished 5 bags for my Etsy store, but then my mom came by and snagged 4 of them. She is planning to give them to her golf friends to use as snack bags.

Last week I started yoga. It's seems to be the in thing. There is no music or bouncing around like my previous exercise classes. Alas, I think someone has stolen my triceps and replaced them with wings. The instructor keeps encouraging my arms to lace behind my back...to boldly go where they have never been before. Sometimes I think they are attached in a unique way. The Knitted Brow said yoga will make me taller...so that is my goal. I'm going to be taller when I grow up.



Kiko has grown so much. She is sleek and shiny. She is eating all the houseplants and scratching up the screens and furniture. She is an ankle biter. She has also brought my parents great joy. She has endeared herself to my dad (who just turned 90 10/4/09) by sleeping at night and in there bed like she belongs there.

The End of a Neverending Story

Pattern: February Lady by Pamela Wynne. I am one of 6998 Ravelrers who have done or are doing this pattern.
Yarn: Bernat Organic Cotton, now discontinued, colorway Muslin
Needles: size 8. Below is a comparison of the EZ baby sweater on two needles, knit with the same yarn in size 6.
Mods: none



I'm not sure why I struggled so much with this project but it seemed to go on and on and on. Part of it was that I suspected the round collar and the the straight across the back yoke on my apple shape was breaking tons of fashion laws and there are outstanding warrants on me already. But, can 6998 Ravelry sistahs be wrong? The color, or lack of color in the yarn contributed as well. My current penchant for white or black or other dark colors no doubt reflects on my current situation regarding work...but then I digress.

The gull lace pattern is very easy to memorize. It is top down so I was able to try it on before committing to bind off. I'm so glad Namea of Aloha Yarns talked me in to a couple of extra inches as the yarn shrunk a bit with washing. I tossed the finished sweater in the washing machine and dryer with wild abandon. Cotton is good that way. I sewed on the lovely wood buttons gifted to me by my blogless big sister. It fits in the bed jacket style. The yarn is very soft. Will it ever get dyed? (That was the plan). Time will tell. I'm stuck on using an organic dye for the organic yarn. I'm just happy to be done with this and get into something else. I have 6 skeins left to make wash cloths.

Damson, a pattern by Ysolda, the 3rd encarnation of the Seasilk of nameless colorway, is underway. Alas it is dark and lacey. I'm itching to get my hands on some real wool...perhaps some iPhone Mitts by Julie Ridl in STR, or Stolen Moments Wrap by Amy Swenson, in the lovely blue Araucania Pomaire.

BTW, Feb Lady was started in July, 2009 and finished on Friday, October 2.