Yoga Mat Bag, FO

Yoga Mat Bag from Last Minute Knitted Gifts is done. It's just about dry. It came out way too long for the yoga mat which is hiding inside and only come up to the top end of the Kureyon. It will work well for a very tall yoga practitioner. The areas that I stranded pulled in a bit and the Kureyon did not felt as much as the Cascade giving it a bit of the "boa constrictor that swallowed a meal" look. The top bells out a bit. This happened to the one other bag I felted in the machine. Anyone know why that happens and how to prevent it?
I made this for someone who actually does yoga, but don't know if I will actually gift it since it seems too big. Maybe with a bit of surgery...? My yoga practice so far has only progressed to watching one video, but hey, I have the mat so who knows? I guess I could use it to store my yardsticks or if I ever take up golf....

The bottom of the bag is very clever. The extra rows give it a nice edge and alternating K2tog and SSK decreases pretty much hide shaping after the felting is done.
A new technique for me was knitting the icord edging along the strap. It was very easy and well explained in the pattern and gives the edge of the strap a nice smooth, firm edge.




I found some cute Maneki Neko ceramic beads at Creations by You. They were a bit big, so I made them into stitch markers for larger size needles.

Sometimes I just want to knit stockinette

I find myself reminiscing about old Honolulu at times. It's all relative about what is old. This view of downtown Honolulu illustrates my point. The building boom has created many new skyscrapers in downtown. They are mostly expensive, but no doubt have fabulous views. None of it looks "Hawaiian" to me. Sigh.

I started Minimalist Cardigan from the new Interweave Knits. I tried to talk myself into believing I had enough yarn, but no amount of positive thinking can change 8 balls into 12 balls no matter how much I want it to be, so I better stop now. The Cascade Key Largo I got from Opal is very nice to knit and in my favorite color, indigo blue. I wonder what else it wants to be? I hope it's stockinette!


Yoga Mat Bag from Last Minute Knitted gifts is miles and miles of mindless stockinette. It was something I needed. The Kureyon left over from Kim's Rosedale is very festive. The rule was not to buy more yarn so I mixed it with some Cascade 220, but alas, I've run out of orange for the strap. I hope the two yarns felt at the same rate, or it will be a very interesting bag! I've avoiding going to Ben Franklin to see if there is more orange. I had good intentions of not buying more yarn. I toyed with the idea of using a rope strap with grommets, but I'm not sure. I will let it marinate a bit.

My local Goodwill produced a great stand (?candle holder) for the latest needle felted Totoro pincushion. I'm stuck on the idea of gluing it in. As a rule I don't like to glue anything no matter how fun a hot glue gun is. I'm also trying to decide if I should put some silk ribbon leaves around it.

Monkey Socks, FO

My Summer of Socks lone pair is finally done!

Pattern: Moneky Socks by Cookie A
Yarn: Trekking XXL, color 77, a present(yay!)
Needles: Knitpicks, size 1

Trekking is finer and not sproingy like Koigu. It seemed a bit splitty, so the very sharp knitpicks came in handy. I loved the color shading and the final product. The pattern is very easy to follow and thankfully easy on the lace-phobic I've become.

The grey Totoro's really wanted to be in the picture, as they feel entitled to equal time to the blues.

Now, what for Project Spectrum orange, brown, purple? Do I cheat like last color and post flowers? Hmmm.

Totoro gets Needle Felted

Well here it is, my first needle felting project after Howard the Hedgehog's eyes...Totoro pincushion.
A while back I was obsessed with pincushions. In Hawaii, the humidity causes pins to rust so what to stuff them with was an issue. I heard of using human hair and actually got one in pincushion exchange. I ended up using a lot of fiberfill which actually works okay. I read it dulled the pins, though. Then my sister sent me a bunch of cleaned, carded wool and that was my favorite. She also sent me a kit where the roving is lumped into balls and tied in a pantyhose, then felted in the machine. I made a bunch of these balls and used one of them for the base of my pincushion.
I covered the ball with some lovely wool/silk roving that Opal gave me, then used bits of yarn and roving to make the rest. I haven't found a piece of foam to try my hand at freeform, 3-D needel felting, but hope to work up to some like sildeth's little gems.
The little lacquer box held a pincushion that I sacrificed as it was not stuffed enough.

Maui No Ka Oi

My trip to Maui was a business trip and I really meant to leave my knitting at home, but at the last minute Mr. Sockfish decided to stowaway. The Trekking Monkey sock posed in front of one of the Wailea Shops, where Paris Hilton is alleged to shop. From a crafter's POV, this shop is full of great projects. Who doesn't need a dial phone that looks like a pink dog, or a dress so stiff with beads it's impossible to sit in? I suppose if I was 20, a size o and rich I would ...errr, well maybe not. But I certainly wouldn't mind making some of this stuff for fun!




I managed to finish one sock. I made it a little shorter for our tropical weather. I also stopped at Sew Special - Maui at the Kaahumau Shopping Center in Kahului. No yarn, but lots of great buttons and I picked up the Clover felting needles. No, I don't have any plans, for needle felting, I just "collected" the kit, heh.


Both of my parents are from Maui. After my grandma died, I lost my desire to go to Maui for awhile. My last trip there was 3 years ago and I was amazed and dismayed at all the progress.

Downtown Lahaina, is lot of little shops and restaurants and a lot of traffic.

Kula still has a breathtaking view but there are so many new houses up there. This picture looks down on the "neck" of Maui, which is said to look like a kneeling woman. The West Maui mountains, viewed from the south, make up her head.

I ate pineapple every day. It was so sweet. This is a great pineapple year, hot! Woohoo!!

DP Knitting Needle Case, A Tutorial

1. Cut one each 9.5 x 29.5 inches outside fabric, inside fabric and fleece. Pin together like a sandwich, right sides out.



2. Cut one pocket 6 x 29.5 inches. Make a 1/2 inch narrow hem by pressing 1 inch on a long side, then folding raw edge to pressed line. Sew down. Use a decorative stitch if you wish.



3. Pin flap on inside, matching raw edge of pocket to bottom of sandwich.



Mark you sewing lines from top to bottom. I put two 3.5 inch pocket on each edge to fit my needle gauge, and added other pockets from 1 to 1 3/4 inch wide. Sew these down through all thicknesses. Use a quilting foot if you have one.

4. The top flap is 29 x 5 1/4 inch. Either use one piece twice as tall and fold it in half or two separate fabrics. Round the corners with the handy cd template, trim and clip the curve. Sew 1/4 inch seam along raw edges. Turn right side out and Press. Decorate flap now if you wish.



5. Pin flap opposite pocket. I should be 5/8 inch or so from the raw edges.



6. Center a 36 inch piece of ribbon on the left edge of the outside.



7. Bind the edge. I used self made binding, 2 1/4 inch wide. It does not have to be bias. I like to use a serpentine stitch or serge the edges before turning the binding to compress the edges.



PS: found this great Continuous Quilt-Binding Instruction by Heather Bailey.

Howard the Hedgehog, FO

Pattern: Fiber Trends Huggable Hedgehogs
Yarn: Ella rae Classic, Fuzzy eyelash
Thanks to the talented Kai for lending me her needle felting kit for the eyes and nose. No blood was drawn during the process! I wonder if he needs a mouth?

I named him Howard after the Bee Man. Bev suggested he needed a name and after my bee adventure, Howard just seemed to fit.

I'm not sure whether my last pineapple to grow (there is one other) is just starved for nutrients or a different variety. It is smaller, has a different shaped crown, and purple striped leaves. Time will tell.

Happy 4th of JulY!

Happy 4th of July!

Pineapple 3 picked itself, by falling over. I think it is the sweetest one so far. Pineapple 4 is ready already, but I'll pick it tomorrow and share it at work.

The Bee Man came yesterday to study my bees. Unfortunately for them they took up in the wall by the front door and could not be removed intact without major carpentry required. While listening to the bees, he heard a larger critter, darn, probably a rat. Sigh. The trials and tribulations of home ownership. At least it's outside, but I know they get up the double walls into the attic and was starting to get suspicious some had found their way in. Every 10 years or so, those crafty critters find their way in.

I finished knitting and felting Mr. Hedgehog. I want to needle felt his eyes and nose but for the life of me haven't located needle felting needles anywhere on this rock. I bet Isle Knits has them, but Sue is not open today as far as I can tell. Maybe I'll end up with plastic eyes. I didn't have enough brown yarn so made two white feet. It took 10 minutes to felt in the washer. The short row shaping of the back was very cleverly designed IMO.

What ho! The King of Fruit

This is pineapple two on the eve of harvest. Pineapple number one is just a sweet, golden memory. Both were very sweet and even won rave reviews from the discerning people next door (my folks, heh)

The knitting has been very slow as my arm is still not well. My doc offered to give me a shot, but then I would have to rest it. I guess I'm not ready to do that, rest it I mean. So I got a slightly different brace and a massage today. I have x-ray and labs to do, and darn if he didn't order the routine stuff, colon cancer screening and all, sigh.

The politics at work have been a real drain but I'll not bore the readers here.

So the works in progress, Ariann...

I'm up to the part where I start the sleeves. After making parts of two sleeves everything gets joined together and knit to complete. I can't decide whether to do 3/4 sleeps or long. Since the intended recipient lives in Tacoma, perhas 3/4 sleeves will be better.

I'm jumping on the Monkey wagon for Zaruzela's SOS in Trekking XL.
While indulging in some shop therapy over at Isle Knits and I purchased the fixings to knit the Hedgehog. (scroll down to see LilikoiKnits hedgehog) and also picked up some gold Bonsai for Coachella I'm now thinking about all the joins and the warnings about joins in the pattern, so who knows if Coachella it will be?

Yes indeedy...a FO!

Pattern: Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Koigu
Needles: Knitpicks size 1

This pattern looks similar to Cookie's Pomatomus, or as is said in Hawaii "same, but different". Chris, enabler that she is, roused some of the Aloha Knitters to knit this very attractive sock. They're mine!!! The only mod I made was to stop the instep at row 5 of the pattern so they would fit my "round" feet.

At the rate I'm knitting these days, it may be my first and last entry for Summer of Socks 2007 (and it may be disqualified as SOS hasn't really started yet)


I stepped outside this am to photograph the pineapple WIP and found the white orchid in full bloom. It is a wild orchid that has started to establish itself around the yard. With that many blooms I noticed the fragrance is incredibly strong. Maybe too strong! It is a delicate transient bloom. The purple wisteria and the ornamental bleeding heart was also in bloom. I'm not sure if they are the true wisteria and bleeding heart, but that's what I call them.

The decluttering efforts have resumed. I have one garbage bag full of trash and moved the rubber stamp table to the sewing room to use as a cutting table. I faced up to the fact that stamping and fimo are two crafts that are best left to others. True to form though, the stamps are not in the Goodwill bag yet. I have a collection of screws and computer cables that I just can't seem to get rid of and also lots of little knick knacks, like macaroni angels, bobby pin flowers, and such. Since they were gifts, it's hard to let them go. And of course, there is always the risk I'll buy them back at the thrift store.

Thanks for all the kind words about my Tweedy. I miss his cheerful green little presence.

Dreams of Flowers and Morels and The Cat that Ate the Sock

Seattle was just beautiful last week. In fact it was downright hot on the last day. It must have something to do with the fact that I was there on business, packed an umbrella, and did not bring the swimsuit or shorts. The flowers growing out of the sidewalks, plantings, and bundles of flowers at Pike Market, the University and Ballard Farmer's markets were beyond wonderful. The poppies and peonies were so glorious as were the fascinating array of colors and shadings of flowers I couldn't identify. The conference was right on the wharf and I got the view of the Cascades and the Olympic Mountains.

On new sight for me was Gas Works Park

(picture from http://www.seattle.gov/tour/union_photos.htm-wouldn't you know I forgot my camera?)



I would love to go back there and spend some time with the funky old gas works. There is a moon dial at the top of a hill with a panoramic Seattle City view, Space Needle and all as well as Lake Union with it's boats and birds.

I ate at some great restaurants. Icon Grill, Lola's, and The Palace Kitchen" Tom Douglas, the owner of Lola's and The Palace Kitchen was at both places. I resisted running up and getting his autograph. The Palace Kitchen had wonderful food and salads and accommodated me with a side of sauteed fresh morels! Most yummy! The use of all the local fresh produce really made these places unique experiences.





I knit a little on one sock. I was good on the yarn diet, but got some Koigu, 'cuz sock yarn doesn't count. My other purchases included couple books and the smaller size pompom maker.

When I got home, the body of the sock had arrived. Buddy the cat ate a few pieces out of it. I will have to figure out how to fix the holes. The real challenge seems to be the part of the ribbing he ate. I'll have to see if I have any yarn left.


I'm afraid he will just eat the repaired sock. I hope he doesn't have a bezoar

It was great visiting my old friends. We contemplated the aches and pains of getting older, plotted ways to retire, and other jobs we could do, and reminisced a bit. Ebony has grey hair now but seems just as frisky.

Stop here if you don't want to read something sad.




While I was away I lost my canary, Tweedy. I know I didn't write about losing my Cockatiel a couple months ago as it was sudden and I still have mixed emotions about losing her to egg binding. They were both senior citizens in bird years and brought me much joy in their lives. Tweedy with his lovely singing-how can such a little green body generate so much sound?, and his agile flying about the cage. Cockatiel with her curiosity and kisses. I have a guilty feeling sometimes about birds in cages, but it was the only life they every knew.

Very little crafting is going on here. My most recent impulse buy is a fax machine. How wrong is that?



I am enjoying Ariann in the green Karaoke. It is going slowly. I like that the fronts and backs are knit together. The shaping goes along the side seam. I really like the slight variation in the yarn color.

Here are a couple blues. On the left real NZ merino from the blogless one. Thank you! In the middle is Cascade Key Largo. Opal wants to swap these 8 skeins for the almost 4 oz ball of Zephyr on the right. Hmmmm. Seeing how lace and me just can't get along, it is probably the right thing to do. A part of me still wants that Stevie Nicks black shawl. Decisions, decisions.


Bouquets are popping up all over. My modest Koigu stash includes the newest gift from my Wisconsin sisterup front. I love all of them. Thank you!
I've been trying to figure out how to wrap beach glass. Here a few test ones. It's challenging for me.

I'll be out of town for a week on business. I'm just so happy to be away from the office!!!! Have a wonderful week everyone!

7 Random Facts and a bit of this and that.

Thanks for all the nice comments on Ganomy Hat. I really enjoyed making it. I cast on for Ariann in SWTC Karaoke in Forest. It's a almost felted wool/soy silk yarn which will be very warm. My blue Koigu Child's first sock #2 is inching along. The knitting progress has been pretty pathetic. It's suddenly turned quite hot here. It was very muggy day. Excuses, excuses.

The weather did not stop my mom from winning first place in the Jenny K in her flight. Here she is with her medal and leis in front of the prolific gardenia bush.

My sister and BIL have returned to Wisconsin. The last day we walked up Nuuanu Pali drive, where portions of Lost are filmed.

We walked by one of the Morgan's Corners. The owners of the waterfall have gone on a cleaning frenzy and it looks so idyllic now.

Opal has tagged me with a meme.

The rules:
1. Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 7 random things and post these rules
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 7 people and post their names
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are 7 random things about me.
1. I have a cupboard full of Totoros. I'm sure that comes as no surprise. I once saw a show on TV about how to sell a house. A buyer commented on the owner's juvenile collection. Apparently prospective buyers want to buy from grownups. Since I'm not selling my house any time soon, I guess it's okay to obsess and collect them a while longer. I will have to find them a good home eventually as I suspect my boys will just sell them at a garage sale or give them to Goodwill. Sigh. Poor babies.

2. I call my system of organization the organized pile method. Don't mess with the piles! A neat desk is the sign of a sick mind is it not? I secretly long for the simplicity and an "empty bowl" ala Every Day Sacred. I read about clutter and periodically cull the mess. But alas, then I have to shop to fill the void. It's a vicious cycle.

3. My best friend until sixth grade was a boy down the street. We spent many happy hours catching bass with earthworms we dug up, flying to Uranus in the litchi tree, and hiding in our rock fortress in the "Subdivision". Those rocks are mighty small now...must be erosion.

4. I never spoke more then two words to the first boy I had a crush on.

5. I loved organic chemistry in college. It was a lot like cooking. I even repeated the five hour lab just for fun. I don't remember too much of it now. Analytic chemistry was another story.

6. My kids taught me a lot of things and helped me undo some irrational ideas I got from my parents. Like, just because a person does not like tofu, it does not make them a bad person. And I cannot make someone like peas no matter how much I smile while I'm trying to feed it to them.

7. I'm a process person and not much of a risk taker. Yes I suffer from analysis paralysis. I'm trying to get well. It may take me years to ever own a dog. I have taken tests to see what kind of dog is for me (a Portuguese water dog). I have studied the Dog Whisperer and watched Oprah with her dog trainer. I have taken Ebony, the wonder dog for walks and held the undaunted Cricket on his leash. I have ogled Kai's puppies. But I don't yet have a dog. Like I said, it may be years. Do I need to go to veterinary school before I own a dog? See? It's a disease. I'm starting with houseplants.

Kim. Blogless Michelle-you can email me and I'll post your answers. Debbie, Vron, Angie, Bev, Kai. You are all tagged!

Malabrigo Ganomy Hat

I know I'm not the only knitter out there who obsesses on things. This hat pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Almanac appealed to me because it just seemed sensible to have a a hat that covers the ears, yet needs no seaming. I know there are those who would agree with me. Nevermind that I live in Hawaii where cold is 50'sF.

I was not too clear about how to finish the top and because of my yarn I cast on more stitches then the pattern called for. The crazy thing about this pattern is that it is lumpy on top and EZ says to tie a ping pong ball in the front so if it falls in the water it will float. This is very sensible for someone who lives in the most isolated spot in the world, surrounded by water!

The Malabrigo was oh so soft. It grew a little after it's bath. I was surprised at how little color came out in the wash.

My Wisconsin sister, who is modelling the hat, has taken the sensible hat with her back to Wisconsin. The Malabrigo was gifted to my by her, purchased from The Knitting Tree right there in Madison. I think she will be able to use this hat even when it "warms up to 20". She may have to add the ping pong ball if she bikes around Lake Mendota or Monona, or goes ice fishing.



I noticed the flowers on my pineapple yesterday. The top of the plant looks like a flower when it first get started, but it's the "eyes" of the pineapple that produce the true flowers.

"The fruitlets of a pineapple are arranged in two interlocking spirals, eight spirals in one direction, thirteen in the other; each being a Fibonacci number. This is one of many examples of Fibonacci numbers appearing in nature." (Wikipedia) Fibonacci...new learning for the day!

If you can't walk and chew gum at the same time do not drink beer and knit!

...or take photos

These photos show what happen when I have a beer and try to take photos after. These are actually the best of them, cropped and edited a bit as well. The others were so out of focus! I got those Asian genes...after a couple of ounces of beer I am quite witty and funny (heh, or so *I* think!) and then if I go on I fall asleep. When I wake up I have an odd feeling in my head. At least I don't break out in hives like two of my sisters.

These 3 fellow Aloha Knitters are my enablers. Blogless Michelle, Kim and Chris. Michelle is modeling my Dolce Skinny Scarf as a belt. She just returned from New Zealand, home of many sheep and hobbits. I admired her new earrings, which are nice coils that just pop into her ears. I love pounding silver wire:) Kim and Chris are studying our collective Eleanors. Kim's is just getting started on top, and mine is greedily covering up most of Michelle's wonderfully grand Lady. Her Noro silk garden has a great red in it and she used bits of the Noro with the angora in it here and there for random squares of fluff. She made tassels instead of the fringe. It is wonderfully warm and luxurious!

On the personal creation scene, I find that between family visiting, Mother's Day, a very challenging stretch at work, my bowl is too full for successful creating. This is where sock knitting is all I can muster. It is finite, small, portable, and most likely going to fit. And it ain't progressing quickly! I reap the benefits of the creativity of others!

For all you mothers out there and all of you celebrating your mothers, have a Happy Mother's Day!

It's starting to feel a lot like summer

So many of the blogs are featuring the most amazing flowers. The colors and shapes are so beautiful. I love the roses and pansy's especially. It seems very green here. I have seen some lovely orchids in stores preparing for mother's day. Our orange tree is producing the most fragrant blossoms.

A straggler pineapple is producing a fruit in my patio.

The others are quite large now. I never moved them back after the fence was done. I was afraid they would fall over as they are top heavy. (Well that's my excuse anyway, heh). I hope they get ripe soon.
Of note, the last pineapple canning company folded in Hawaii. A sign of the times. Too expensive to operate a plant here. Growers will be focusing on the fresh fruit industry.

My Knitter's Almanac came and I started the Ganomy Hat in worsted weight Malabrigo.

My sister and BIL are visiting and we did the Hoomaluhi Walk today. It was muggy and warm so we dropped by School Street to get a shaved ice. Then I dropped them off at Ala Moana Beach park while I went to retrieve my Visa card from Sam Choy's BLC restaurant. I was so happy it was found! For a moment thoughts of identity theft and large unknown charges showing up on bill flashed by. There was a Kaiwi channel race at Ala Moana Beach Park and I don't recall when the park has been busier. There were NO spaces, and no one leaving.

Yesterday I stopped by Bella Beads. I just became aware that Brad, co owner or the store recently died in an accident and stopped by give Karen a hug.

While I was there, I met Stacey of Simple Joys. She has been helping out in the store. It was nice to meet a fellow blogger. I'm hoping she'll post pictures of her creations soon.

Waah! It's Monday tomorrow. Back to the grind.