Socktober Adventure

Sigh. Anyone who has knit Go With the Flow can see, that I did not pay attention to the chart and have knit all the stitches between the pukas (holes) instead of having ribbing between them. I discovered this after I had knit the whole leg and had to frog part of the turn. I contemplated what to do. Frog the whole thing and start over? Pretend I liked it that way. Make jokes about how I'll just go with the flow?

I remember when my son was young he would often wear his T shirt inside out. Now I know it wasn't because the right side was dirty. I had only sisters growing up so having boys was quite an adventure. Someone pointed out to me that some men go around with their T shirts inside out, too. Well I decided to ask my son why? He said very emphatically, "I like it that way."

I suspect the real reason he wore it inside out was that he either didn't notice it and was miffed that I would mention it, or that he was too lazy to turn it inside out. I hope he didn't really like it that way.

One of the great things about crafting is that mistakes sometimes turn out okay. I think the sock looks okay the way it is :) The yarn makes the sock fun. I only hope it fits.

I have lost the label for this yarn. I can't even remember if it had one when I got it. It was sheer impulse buying! Like that swift I just bought.

I blame work for making me read the pattern incorrectly. It couldn't be my vision, heh.

Socktober

Lolly is celebrating sock knitting this month and I decided to join in on the fun. I started sock number 1 last night, and although I pledged to knit a gauge swatch , I didn't. I couldn't wait to see what the pattern would look like. Not much sock yet to tell, but the colors are outrageous!

Happiness is Totoro

Two more Totoros done, except for noses and mouths. I think Totoro #1 is still my favorite. The large acorns are a gift from my traveling sister. The tops are real acorn caps and the body is covered with acorn leaves...Gotcha! If mangos grow on mango trees, and guava's grow on guava trees, why to acorns grow on oaks?

I tried two different ways of knitting in the bib front. The first with 3 separate balls, the next carrying the grey behind. Unfortunately the second method caused the body to shrink and the turn edge was difficult to tighten up and left lines. Oh well.

I used CascadeYarns Pastaza to knit Totoro and will make some blue ones, too! It is a wonderful blend of wool and llama I purchased at Yarn and Friends here in Honolulu.


After reading my little mochi and following her link to these, darn if I didn't order them. They are so cute. Hmmm, now who do I know that needs cupcakes?

Lush Cardigan

The great thing about flying is that it is a great time to knit. The flight to Maui is only 30 minutes so I couldn't knit much in the air, but since I'm always paranoid about the overbooking thing, I usually check in way early. I never flew Island Air before and I didn't check on what kind of plane I was going in, but it is a jet prop and quite small. That equalled small number of passengers, smaller terminal, and plenty of time to knit :) The plane flies lower and slower, so I had a lot more time to enjoy the scenery. The weather was glorious on both Maui and Oahu, so there was lots to see.

I wound one ball of Lush before leaving, by hand, 'cuz it's so "relaxing" and it is a very easy lace pattern.
I knit a couple of Totoro's, experimenting with knitting in his white chest, but will have to post photo's later when they get their eyes. Right now they are blind :( Knitting in Totoro's white front proved challenging, as the changes showed up as lines on the front. I would like to knit him in the round but, duh, how can that be done without adding new balls every row.

The south side of Maui is a different world. There are huge million dollar houses, lots of condos and many transplanted, part time residents. The traffic has quintipled and although there are lots of new roads, the traffic gnarls up in places. Oprah Winfrey has bought a ton of land in Pukalani and Hana. Sitting on the beach and watching sunsets though, I can see why so many people want to live there.

Waaah, vacation is over, and I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Ramblings

Any other crafters with birds? keohinani pointed out that many knitters have cats while she has a yarn eating Rottweiler. I have one peach faced cockatiel and a green canary. Mr. Canary declined to be photographed as he was having a bad feather day. He is old and moulting, which always makes him self conscious. Since he got older, white feathers and all, he doesn't sing like he did, but still likes lettuce and celery.

The cockatiel loves to sit on my shoulder but also has a bad habit of chewing on anything shiny, like my necklaces. She destroyed two chains already. She likes walking around in the craft room finding pins and yarn scraps.

And of course I got fishies! Actually my son caught some tide pool fishes when he was five-ish (he's 21 now) and they are now sashimi size and living in a tank on my patio. I wonder what the lifespan of aholehole and manini is?

I'm off to Maui for a meeting tomorrow. It's been awhile. I loved going to Maui to visit my grandma when I was young. She was able to live at home alone until she was 96 and I miss her so. She made the worlds best Shoyu Chicken! From her I learned that a musubi should never be round (round ones are for funerals!) She also I had an interesting random way of cutting up her vegetables for nishime. I never asked her why. I read some where about it being a Zen thing, but maybe that's just the way her mom did it. She took me to the samurai movies when there were Japanese theaters in downtown Honolulu. Her favorite was Chushingura, a tale of loyalty and obligation that is a Japanese classic. I didn't really understand it as a child, but it has been remade many times and I finally got it.

Best Bead Show

The plan to purge stash and not acquire stash fell my the wayside, but the damage was not too bad, heh. Luckily for me, my partner in crime was on a time table so I only had a 1 1/2 hours.

The red "dice" beads I got from Silk Winds, and I quickly made the bracelet with charms I had, just to see how they would look. I'll wear it for awile since I miss the Peace I had to remove from my Mantra Bracelet. The beads are vintage trade beads, which I so dearly love.

I got the big honking shells because they were so pretty and I have a whole spool of brown leather cord they will hang well on.

I grabbed the turquoise nuggets because the color variations were so cool. I hung one on the Kumahimo leather cord I made at the Bead Gallery class I had. It is a rather short piece. Hmmm, I think I'll make some more of those cords.

The rest of the purchases were findings...ear wires, toggles.

There were some very yummy lampwork beads. I've considered learning to make them, but it requires fire. Ever since I set my hair on fire with that candle at the midnight Christmas candle service I've avoided fire, unless it's in the hibachi or Weber. Luckily the incident did not go as far as the Michael Jackson incident, but it was scary enough!

Totoro, First Attempt

This is my first attempt at knitting Totoro. I'll make his arms are little shorter next time, and will have to work out a good foot pattern. His eyes are a challenge because they are white with black pupils. I used ultrasuede and embroidery floss for this first go around. Ultrasuede is a not that easy to sew on, and I have a thing about glue, so I will either have to find sew on eyes or so other technique. Embroidery is not one of my skills! I will try felt for his white tummy, but I think I'll knit it in next time.

All and all for first attempt, I think he's pretty cute!

Innspiration from past issue of Piecework

I keep the May/June 1998 issue of Piecework because of this jaw dropping masterpiece of lace knitting. A woman named Bridget Rorem knit this wedding veil for her daughter. It is a great labor of love. It is knit of fine Merino wool spun in Italy, weights 8 ounces, and was knit on a size 000 circular needle. It took about a year. She knit in design patterns and words personal to herself and daughter. On the fourth side she knit in the last two lines of a poem by William Yates
"I lift the glass to my mouth, I look at you, and I sigh".

I dug that UFO black lace shawl out, Hmmmm. Where did that pattern go?

What's wrong with this picture?

Looks like a sock. Smells like a sock. Should be a sock, or anklet, I should say. Paton's Denim Kroy. Destined to be an only sock. I ventured into the sock world after seeing the wonderful and amazing self striping yarn. Well no, I didn't make a gauge square. Now I have pretty small feet, but this sock wouldn't fit an oompaloompa.

Knitting Noro Silk Garden spoiled me. The number 2 needles are so tiny.

But hey, that's a d*mn fine fish!

Hello little fishies

I couldn't talk myself out of this book with the little goldfish

Clapotis of a jewel tone sort

Clapotis is done and it was actually cool enough to try her on! It was cloudy and overcast though, so I couldn't get a very good picture. Sigh. Well as it was adored in public at Stitch in Bitch last night, I won't worry about it. The colors make wonderful background, though.

I swapped some pastel blues for a skein of hot pink Blue Sky Cotton. Thanks keohinani!

Thanks to candsmon's suggestion I hope my comments won't get spammed by bots anymore.

Just after I had talked my self out of getting a swift, Mizuna threw gasoline on the fire. Since my morning took me to Kailua, and since I knew there was no point in calling Isle Knits, since mizuna got the last one, AND, my net searching did not produce one that I couldn't live without, I decided to check out Strictly Christmas.

Sylvia Kruse has the perfect job. She is able to get whatever books and magazines she wants, any yarn she wants, and it's always Christmas. Well, and Halloween, too, as the little figurine shows. I had to have him because he is standing on a candy corn. I walked in the door and muttered "swift", and as if by magic, she just happened to be winding some yarn on a swift. Is that karma, or what?

She offered to let me try hers any time, so I might cart my Lush off to wind into balls one of these days. She also has an electric ball winder attached to it. Her yarn is mostly geared toward lei making, eyelash stuff and Canadiana, but there were some interesting "feels" there.

I love this little corner of Kailua. The bakery next door makes great oatmeal raisin cookies, and Ace Hardware is just 1/2 block away.

Noro Silk Garden Diagonal Scarf Done!

The Noro Silk Garden is all knit up. Here is diagonal scarf adorning my hypo-allergenic cat. The pattern had a "turn" on the second ball that I left out. I wish I had spent more time examining the sample at the shop, but big sister was ready to move on. I decided it looked just fine continuing on with random stripes, so here is is.

Clapotis is nearly done, just needs blocking. The ends are tucked in. Hope to get the photos up tomorrow.

Waiting for Silk Garden, Contemplations of a Serial Knitter

While I'm waiting for my Silk Garden to come so I can complete Clapotis, I contemplate my next project. Do I wind those Lush skeins into balls in preparation for the Lace Cardigan? Which yarn should I use for my first sock...the Patons Denim or the Mango Unknown? What sock pattern should I use? Do I dig out the ancient but no forgotten UFO, lace shawl and start the dread edge?

Or should I work on something else. Tatting? The photo is some hankies I got while traveling. I simply adore tatting. It's really miniature macrame. After hours of knotting and in my case unknotting, the product is dainty and very tiny.

Or should I work on reducing my bead stash.

Or heaven forbid, should I clean my house!

Big Bangle Workshop

I took Big Bangle Workshop and thought I was going to make the bracelet in the picture. I signed up for this class on the spur of the moment and was surprised to find that it was going to be more of a create your own design deal. For the left brain person that I am, the news caused a bit of anxiety, especially when it was recommended that I choose and uneven number of beads and have an asymmetric design. Yikes!

Well the new me is flexible (hah, trying at least). As the picture shows, I did fall back to the usual blue, but my creation is certainly asymmetric.

I thank My Little Mochi for photo tips and links. I will read the manual for my camera, use natural light, and take many views. The back ground is a hint of Clapotis.

Diagonal Scarf

Noro Silk Garden is just so fun to knit. I love the way the colors and the thickness of the yarn varies. I get to use an end stitch, too! My Clapotis is on hold while more skeins of Noro Silk Garden 8 are being mailed. Ho hum, maybe I'll have to sew in some ends, ugh, in the meantime.

I got the yarn at
Fibers, Etc.
11922 A Street South
Tacoma, WA 98444, 253.531.3257

They had many colors and the pattern came free with purchase:)

Another Beading Day

Whew it was another hot day and was I happy to get invited back for another beading day in my friends wonderful, air conditioned home. I was thinking I would have to go see a movie or sit in Mocha Java (which is always so cold!) and knit. I made a bunch of earrings and a few bracelets, too. I'm trying to reduce my stash and get ready for a small sale. I like to use natural materials, but the lower priced items seem to sell better so it's a good way to purge those glass beads. I finally was able to use up some of those gold beads which were such a good deal at Shipwreck Beads in Olympia.

I was going to make some fruit bracelets, but alas, forgot the seed beads for the base, and really, the thought of threading those tiny needles did not thrill me. They will keep for another day.

I also knit a few rows on Diagonal Scarf. It's Noro Silk Garden, color 34.

Lakeside Fibers

My sister took me to Lakeside Fibers again and I enjoyed this spacious, abundant yarn and weaving shop. My Tacoma sister is very into this apple green color and it really works for her. She had fallen in love with a wonderful sweater/coat at the Puyallup Fair, made of hand spun Alpaca. The finished sweater was out of my price range $700 and I caressed the yarn with lust, but didn't get it (phew I'm not obsessing over that one). Well it must be karma, but I saw this Lush sweater in this lovely green angora/wool in Lakeside Fibers and have this project on the to do list. It is fulled slightly. I will have fun finding the perfect button.

The yarn is so soft and cuddly. Sometimes when the weather is "Kona", (kona means leeward or South) and the trade winds stop bringing stormy or hot sticky weather like now, I wish I lived in the cool Pacific Northwest and could make use of such a sweater.

More pictures of Lakeside Fibers

Port Townsend, Washington

Port Townsend is a neat little town on the north end of of the Olympic Peninsula. It is home to The Wooden Boat Festival

The boats are nice, yes, but what about yarn? I stopped by The Twisted Ewe, a shop for spinners and knitters. I bought some short dp needles for socks. I asked about the circular type, but the they had only one set, and the proprietor was not that keen on using them, preferring the "old" way. She showed me the yarn and without batting an eye, I bought it. Well somewhere along the way, the label got lost. I believe it is wool/nylon. I haven't given up on finding the label. The skein also has come apart a little, and may be a challenge to wind. It is a pretty outrageous color. It may be related to Kiri

Where do I get Beads in Hawaii?

I get beads lots of places. I buy old jewelry at the swap meet to recycle and my sisters also find stuff for me. I also buy beads from Ben Franklin and the Honolulu Craft Supply. I love Fusion Beads in Seattle and my friends and family indulge me when I travel. I got hooked on Isis lampworked beads at the Pike's Street Market years ago, too.

My favoritie places in Honolulu to buy beads, in no particular order are:
Bead It. The trunk shows and half off pearls, and also their half off crystals at the Best Bead show are really great for the basics such as findings and fillers.

Dac's Beads. Alethia Donathan makes very beautiful lampworked beads.

The Bead Gallery. Jamie and Jason are great teachers and have a wonderful, colorful, inspirational shop. I love their silver workshops.

Bella Beads. Karen and Brad are both great people and have wonderful classes like the flower wire bracelets. They have the best selection of angel parts and fruit beads. Their friends make wonderful finished jewery for purchase and for ogling.

The Best Bead Show. This show is coming up and is very dangerous for me to attend as I too often find semiprecious stones that I can't resist.

Global Village. This little shop in Kailua also attends the Best Bead Show and I've purchased nice findings from them as well as some cute beads.

The bottom line about beads is that no one place will have everything everytime and well that's just another excuse to shop often!

Addendum:
Creations By You
and Crystal A1.
These are two other places to go for beads.

I've been tagged by Keohinani (Incomplete)

I got tagged...by Keohinani
i don't actually know what the questions are, so I'll just guess from the answers.

-----------------------------------------------
ten years ago: i was 44. let's see...I had just moved to of all places, Kaohinani Drive! I was till working at my job as Family Practioner, but I was at the Mililani clinic. I was doing a lot more quilting and sewing back then. I made a lot of book covers, then a family of rabbits and finished a picture quilt and my Totoro Quilt. The Totoro quilt was a group effort. 8 of us met every 6 weeks and made squares for each other's quilts. We made a ninth block for our own quilt and finished it. It was a good introduction to applique and hand quilting.

five years ago: i was 49. i was now working in Kaneohe, just a twelve minute drive from my home. What a difference that made. I started back knitting again and bought an Incredible Sweater machine. I used it mostly for making Christmas stockings.

five snacks:
-----------------------------------
-chocolate
-dried fruits, especially cherries and blueberries. These are a no-no on the Weight Watchers diet, though :(
-popcorn
-frozen yogurt, okay,well really ice cream, but I'm trying to be good!
-nuts, especially cashews

five songs I know all the words to (boy that really dates me)
------------------------------------------------
-Happy Birthday
-Star Spangled Banner
-Hawaii Ponoii (sp?)
-She Loves You
-She was Just 17

five things I would do with $100 million:
-------------------------------------------
-buy yarn, and with that kind of money, I can buy yarn for everyone!
-sell my house buy 2-3 condos around the states and/or the world so i could live part time here and there
-retire
-help friends, family and worthy causes
-it was either Booze,Bags and Bread or Beads, Espresso and Yarn.

five places to run away to:
-----------------------------------
-Kauai
-New Zealand
-Whidbey Island
-Japan
-The Mainland-there are so many places I haven't been-New York, Niagra Falls, Boston, North Carolina, Black Hills, Canada(okay I know it's not a state)

five things I would never wear:
----------------------------------
-a thong, Hah!
-pointed high heels...who ever invented them should be shot!
-bikini-too many battle scars
-anything fitted.
-fur-I would die of the heat!

five favorite tv shows:
----------------------------
-24
-Boston Legal
-Monk
-Yoshitsune
-Medium

five biggest joys:
----------------------------------------
-visiting my sisters and old friends
-my sons
-crafting, and seeing one of my creations actually being used!
-shopping. I'll be doing web searches on Shopoholics Anonymous soon
-good food
-nature

favorite toys:
-----------------------------------------
-my yarn winder
-Totoro and acorns
-my computer
-I love my poor neglected Bernina.
-


five people to pass this on to:
-----------------------------------------------------
wow this is a tough one I can't do Chris or Keohinani.
I will update this soon

Projects from the Past

I have refrained from starting any new projects since I'm leaving on a trip 9/8, so here is a project I enjoyed making in the past. During my sister's mad beanie baby addiction period, I acquired a few myself, and this squirrel was one. The sweater is New Zealand wool, knit from the top down, and while visiting my other sister in Wisconsin, I acquired the cheesehead.

He is posing on my Homespun poncho. Hmm, I have one skein left! I wonder if I can make the minisweater with it?

I have acquired a few acorns as in the picture. Acorns fascinate me to no end. They star in My Neighbor Totoro, one of my favorite movies ever, and they don't grow in Hawaii. I like to visit the Mainland in the fall when there are lots of acorns in all shapes and sizes.

An Earring Kind of Day

I escaped the heat and made earrings at a friends. She as AC!!! We ate homemade wonton for lunch and dipped mine in homemade koochijang (I'm not sure how to spell that)

The weird green things on the left are supposed to be crystal frogs. I really have to use my imagine to tell they are frogs. Hello Kitty will be a cel phone charm on just something to hang all sparkly on a bag. I have to redo it, as there is an error on the back side. I've used up all my metal wings.

And now it's a little bag

I turned the gauge swatch into a little bag. It is very heavy yarn and if I make it into a shrug, I would die of the heat! Hats and maybe a pillow might be a better use for the yarn. At least I got to use one ribbon flower and leaf from my stash from the ribbon flower period, hah!

I have become obsessed with the little fish from World of Knitted Toys but have not found the book in my usual places. I saw the fish on craftser. Could someone out there connected with Force whisper, "Knit the socks, Barb, knit the socks" please?

Yup, it's pink

Hurray, I'm on vacation now!

I managed to get the ole ISM waxed up and ready to knit. I've never used keyplate 4 before and the pink stuff actually knit up quite nicely. I measured my wingspan and it's only 36 for a 3/4 length sleeve. Hmmm, the pattern is long sleeve and 60 inches! Time to get out the ole calculator!

The swatch looks like pink camouflage. I'll be able to hide out in the Hello Kitty store and check out the cute containers and things.

What's Next?

Here is the Shoulder Warming Shrug from KangaMooKnits.com, in the varigated pink yarn. I can see my yarn is more white then pink. I am not sure I will have time to start this one before my trip and I don't plan on taking my Incredible Sweater Machine with me! I may start the Cascade Leaves Socks first in the Paton's denim sock yarn. I have yet to make a pair of socks that I wear as they always fall down, and it is way hot here! I am thinking the secret is in the yarn! I couldn't find any Opal or Regis here, which are so popular with the sock-knitting crowd. Or, I may just sit in the closet and read my knitting magazines and books or blog surf. And there those Hello Kitty toys I wanted to make...

Blog Surfing

Here's the final bag, stuffed. It doesn't look anything like the original, but boy does it stretch. I had about 1 inch of yarn as a final tail, and I really thought the handle was going to be too short. Anyway, it's a strange beast, no doubt matching my strange mood.

I went a-blog surfing yesterday and found some incredible stuff out there. There are so many creative and productive crafters out there, I am both humbled and inspired.

Time for a Break

The Turkish String Bag is putting up a fight. I've had to frog it a couple of times. I'm using double yarn and every once and while I catch only one yarn. I have found it impossible to pick up any dropped stitches. I don't think I have enough yarn, either.

I picked up some cheap acrylic yarn that is varigated pink. I keep asking my self why. I found a machine knit shrug that is made with vaigated pink yarn, and when I saw it at Savers, I thought, what the heck. Well, I really can't see myself or anyone else for that matter wearing this yarn. It looks like candy.

I am distracted by my upcoming long vacation and trip to the Mainland. I have to tie up all the loose ends at work and clean house a bit before I go.

I am comfort buying. It's a disease. Somebody shoot me please ;)

Stitch Markers

Stitch markers are a fun way to use up a few of my beads. I got carried away with the angel ones since they are so easy to make. I have a some other types of rings/wires to try out so the can be removed without having to slide off the needle. I also will work on a few larger ones for the larger knitting needles.

I am still experimenting on ways to make a colored back ground in my scanner. I haven't had much time to play with the new Paint Shop Pro. Perhaps I better go hang out in that group for a while.


Turkish String Bag is coming along.


I will also have to read up on how to make links in my text boxes linkable.

From the Vintage File

I was fortunate to have a long time crafter gift me with a few of her vintage magazines. This particular one is missing the first 2 pages and the cover, so I don't know what year it is, but I suspect from the hairstyles, late 1940s. I will do an little research.

I wonder if these were made and actually worn? I had to chuckle.

Soleil Finished

Soleil
The peach demon is done. I was hoping to use up all the peach yarn I found lurking in my stash, but I still have a bunch left. Perhaps I should make the Chicken Viking Hat

Cherry Earrings

I got the idea for these earrings from Craftsters. I couldn't tell how the leaves went on and may experiment a bit more, but they do look a bit cherry like and were quick and easy to make.

I also experimented with a other then grey back ground in my scanner. There was a bit of cloud in the middle portion of the scan, that I have to figure out how to get rid of. Thank goodness there is a nice crop tool in PaintShop Pro!

Bloomin' Haiku

Let go blooms of youth
Many new ones thrive out there
Go out and smell them.

http://www.hm-ad.com/mt/archives/columbine.jpg

The Watch

"Rolex", heh, watch head, and with tourmaline beads and pink CZ. It's about 1/4 inch longer then I wanted it. Finding a gold filled clasps that was easy to open was a challenge. I may be remaking this one.

Barb's Fingerless Gloves

I wish I remembered the name of this wool yarn I got in Alaska. Its a worsted weight yarn. I used what I had left from the one skein I made the hat with.

Needles: 4 double pointed Size 4











Cast on 40 st
Rib, K2P2 for as long as you want. I did 15 rows round and round.
Increase 4 st evenly spaced on the last row.
Knit in stockinette stitch up to the base of thumb. I did 6 rows. I have small hands.
Start the base of the thumb:
K2, inc 1, K1, inc 1, Knit around
K 2 rows
K2, inc 1, K3, inc 1, Knit around
K2 rows
K2, inc 1, K5, inc 1, Knit around
K2 rows
K2, inc 1, K7, inc 1, Knit around
K2 rows
K2, inc 1, K9, inc 1, Knit around
K2-4 rows
K1, slip next 13 st to holder
Knit around until you want the ribbing to start. I did 7 rows.
Decrease on the last row so you have a multiple of 4. I dec to 40 stitches.
Rib, K2P2 until you are at the crease where your fingers leave the palm. I did 6 rows.
Bind off in ribbing.

The thumb
Put the 13 st on needles. Join yarn 2 rows above the thumb and pick up 2 st along that edge. Knit the next 13 st and pick up two more st above the thumb. Knit around until you come to the top of the thumb. Knit the first and the last picked up stitches together. Knit around until you have the thumb as long as you like, I did 6 rows, then bind off.

Weave in the ends. Use the yarn joined to make the thumb to close any visible holes as you go.

Knitting the Womb

I met the creator of the Knitted Womb at Stitch and Bitch. I had finished the fingerless mits and was wondering, "What next?", when I found out the OB-GYN NP I work with is moving back to the Mainland. It seemed like the perfect gift. So far I have all the parts made and the thing stuffed, but have to find some pipe cleaners to stiffen the Fallopian tubes. I am going to attach some earrings to it. I was thinking of stuffing it with candy, but it does look very cute stuffed. Someone even suggested candy babies! What a hoot that would be.

I realizd after reading the pattern that Kai used bulky yarn! How did I miss that? Oh well, I made another one but have to get more pipe cleaners before I can finish it. It does look much better. It didn't scan so well.

The pattern is available in the archives of knitty.com along with some other fun and good looking projects.

I may need to knit a couple more, cuz as the saying goes "One can't have too many wombs!"

Totoro Poses with Womb

I read the directions more carefully this time, and the womb came out much better. Totoro agreed to be photographed with Womb2

UFO Finished

Every crafter know UFO=Unfinished objects. These tend to multiply around the house. A first I made attempts to hide these so that comments such as "What is that?", "Aren't you done with that?" didn't make me feel shame. It all started when I was 6 and started a sweater for my grandmother. I even had my picture in the newspaper knitting that sweater. To make a long story short it was never done. The pattern was more intricate then I was capable of and I discoveded I did not like the purl side of stockinette stitch.

For a time I could no longer hide them as there were just too gall darned many of them! Now that I'm in the cleaning phase, I just throw some of them out.

And every once in a while I actually finish one.

This pink and blue necklace was one of them. It's for someone with a very dainty, thin neck, maybe a child.

Music to Match my Mood

Alison Krauss is a very accomplished woman with the voice of an angel. I don't profess to know how angels sound, and it may well be I'll never hear one, but if angels sing they must sound like her. According to a short biography I read on her, she started off with classical violin and by six had jumped to bluegrass fiddle. It wasn't until later that her voice became as popular as her fiddle playing. She was part of the group of people that made the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou? such a big hit.

I would love to hear her live, and I hope she comes to Hawaii one of these days.

She gets 5 really spendid acorns! (Not that there are any other kind)

Lost in the Creative Wasteland

Creating anything these days is a real challenge for me. I'm looking at nature, websites, magazine ads, stores, and everywhere for inspirations, but my energies seem to be directed elsewhere.

I've even tried reading that book, "The book who's name is never mentioned" apparently, cuz the title escapes my mind.

I know there is someone out there who will find this necklace creative, so my lack of creativity is just a symptom of my current situation. So I'm just throwing it out there for all the world to see anyway.

Sunrise Haiku

Grey dawn on the sky.
Silver streak on the shoreline
portends a great day.

Crafting on the Road

Darn, I really was resolved to not craft on the road, so I didn't bring any needles. It only took me 4 days to lust after a project to have in hand. I found this store"
Black Sheep Yarn & Knitting Machines
222 N. Binkley St.
Soldotna, AK 99669
And, a cute little store it was. I could tell just by peering in the window. I went back and admired the other crafts such as stained glass and FO (finished objects). I got some real wool yarn, which is scarce in Honolulu and some double pointed needles and cast on 99 stitches with size 7 needles, knit for 7 inches then started decreasing. K7 K2tog around, K next row, K6 K2tog around and so fourth until I couldn't knit any more on the double pointed needles. Then I had to get home before finishing the hat with the roll brim and knot on top. Mindless! I may have enough yarn to knit the matching gauntlets :)

BTW, to finish, I kept decreasing around until I had 8 stitches left and kept knitting around until it was long enough to tie in a knot, aboug 4 inches. It can also be finished using the I-cord technique.

Working On

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/khs-prettyPoncho.html-This is what I am knitting now. I know I wasn't supposed to add yarn to the stash, but, oh well :) I wanted this rose color but Ben Franklin was out. I had to settle for the blues. Sigh, my "rut" color. It's half way done.