Food Highlights

(Warning: Long post, no knitting. Run-on sentences and poor grammar abound)

I really enjoyed staying in downtown Seattle for a few days. I was able to walk to Pike's Market several times and lust after the sweet smells coming from Pirosky's. On the last day I watched a tiny women roll out a counter-top full of dough, use a paint scraper to spread out a paste of cinnamon on it and twist the strips into twists. I finally succumbed to the green apple roll on my final day and brought it home to Hawaii. Of course the fresh fruits and vegetables were there to pick and choose. The peaches were just coming on and were sweet and juicy. These odd flat peaches seem all the rage now, and I know they are tasty, but hey, call me sentimental, but I like 'em round...less fuzz and seed and more peach!

My friends rotated staying at the hotel with me so one could watch the aging but still personable Ms. Ebony. As Margaret is a late riser, I usually walked across the street to Ralph's for coffee and yogurt and knit on Gaia while watching the interesting characters walking up and down the street. Seattle dress is very casual. Many people rushing to work had back packs, jeans and hoodies, with only an occasional suit. There were also the street people...some reminding me of the drug dealers from the Wire, and some just plain down and out and a bit crazy and scary.

Tom Douglas has 5 Restaurants in downtown Seattle all walking distance from my hotel. I ate 3 times at Lola's, once a the Palace Kitchen and once at the Dahlia Lounge. I didn't do Etta's or the Serious Pie this time around. I was hoping for mushrooms as the last time I ate at the Palace, the morel mushrooms abounded. Alas only chanterelles were in season, but not on the menu. I really enjoyed the beet Skordalia at Lola's and the scallops and corn hash at the Dahlia Lounge. My friend Margaret got hummus fries with her lamb burger. She also raved about the bran muffin from Lola's. I wan't that corn hash recipe. It looked pretty simple to make and was sooo good.

Near Fremont, I got hooked on the most wonderful coffee at Cafe Ladro. Medici...a mocha with orange zest. So yummy! Can't find it here, so I'm experimenting with my own. Would help if I had some chocolate syrup.Their pastries are little works of art and taste good to boot.

Tilth was a cute little restaurant with wonderful place settings. The cutest potato chips came with my burger and I conjured little people with a little mandolin slicing away. I can't remember the name of the
Italian Restaurant but it was a very tasty and generous pasta dish. (update, the restaurant was named Rialto. Margaret loved her lamb shank meal!) I ate twice at Anita's. She has crepe dishes that were very yummy and great salads. Like many of the restaurants I went to, she also had very nice wine.

I had lovely fried oysters at Cutter's in Pike's Market and also at Anthony's in Point Defiance. I always go to Chinook's at least once while I'm in Seattle. I had the crab Loui and it was perfect! The boat from Deadliest Catch was in the Salmon Bay, looking out from our table, along with these Canadian geese.










The best of all was all the fresh fruit and vegies. The black berries in the yard were so sweet and I loved picking a basket and eating them with just a bit of whipped cream (I now call this Chantilly a new word I learned at Anita's). The Sakuma Farm blue berries and strawberries I picked were so plump and fresh, the huckleberries so pretty and tart...they made lovely crisp and so yummy with ice cream. I also ate tay berries and boysenberries for the first time, and of course couldn't resist a piece of that marionberry pie. Margaret's back yard in Seattle was full of plums just getting ripe. I picked bunch and tried making sugar free jam for the first time. Only two of the four bottles sealed, but the jam was a success.




My host on Camano Island introduced me to a Danish treat...Æbleskiver.
Her pan is handed down in her family and made of cast iron. The one at Williams Sonoma is teflon....hmmm. Wonder if it will work on my glass cook top?





Another new and dangerous (to the waistline and arteries) is D'Affinois. This is a creamy, delicious brie-like cheese The Bay Leaf in Coupeville always stocks. I better pray I can't find it here in Honolulu;)









At the Sakuma Farm, I was treated to a great feast! The fruit dip was one of the highlights and one of the guests was caught spreading it on her bread...hah! It turned out to be a very sinful mix of marshmallow creme (yes that Kraft stuff made of who knows what), cream cheese and orange zest. I cannot tell a lie...it was yummers!




OMG, and how could I forget the wonderful smoked salmon from Pure Food Fish Market in Pike's Market?

Where to begin...

With the FO of course.


Pattern: Gaia Shoulder Hug by Ann Carroll Gilmour.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden sock, Colorway S252, 1.78 balls.
Needles: Size *, Knit Picks Options

Comments: I did the picot bind off. This was the perfect project for my trip. The pattern is very easy to follow and the knitting was conducive to car knitting, and conversation.

In addition, since I was forced to look for a second ball of yarn, it enabled me to search out yarn shops on my trip. I found it at The Acorn Street Shop in Seattle. This was quite a cute little shop and well supplied. I was tempted by the Zephyr...but resisted!

Which leads me to the shops. My non-knitting friends lovingly enabled me to enhance my stash.

In Anacortes, I stumbled across Ana Cross Stitch as mentioned in a previous post. The ladies in the shop were all so nice and friendly. I got a cute cardigan pattern for a toddler. I'm thinking pink for Chris's Think Pink KAL.

While staying in downtown Seattle at the very convenient (to Pike's Market) Warwick Hotel, I was able to walk to So Much Yarn.. This was a small shop with a very welcoming classroom and staff, and a nice button stash. I found a couple more Toddler pattern booklets in the 50% off bin. I also enjoyed the view going up and down the stairs.

I wanted to visit Little Knits, but will have to save this for the next trip. I definitely wanted to go to Weaving Works again.
I love their sock yarn selection and came away with some Lorna's Laces.

I wish I had taken a picture of the coat I saw at Coupeville Yarns. It was knit of Samoyed dog hair. No doubt she saw me smell it, heh, no dog smell. It was a full 3/4 length entrelac or perhaps modular coat for a statuesque women who assured me that it did not shed. Someone else had spun and died all the hair. It was quite an inspiring piece of work. She also had the cutes gnomes around the shop which she said her knitting group had shared.

There was cute little shop in LaConner, that I was pressed for time to see. I did manage to pick up some cutest sheep and strawberry buttons.

I am so lucky to have friends who enabled me to see so many lovely yarn shops. Each of the ones I visited was a little unique and the people I met were so friendly and helpful...such pleasant memories!

Flowers in Seattle

(click to make the mosaic larger)

I was just flabbergasted by all the beautiful flowers on my trip. They were everywhere! Giant dahlias in peoples yards, colorful weeds along the way, lovely bouquets in restaurants and hotel lobbies. Both Pike's Market and University District Farmer's Market had incredible, large baskets of flowers I don't know the names of. Simply amazing!

Home from the Pacific Northwest

Chibi Totoro traveled with me to Seattle and places around. One of the things I did was the Anacortes Arts Festival. I only found the town's yarn store after bumping into a dye your own sock yarn exhibit put on by Ana-Cross Stitch.



I always wanted to try this and I got to do it without the potential mess at home. It was a lovely festival with lots of yummy food, music and craftspeople.

It was a wonderful two weeks of visiting friends, tasting and picking the incredible fresh fruit, enjoying the fun and color of Pikes Market and University District Farmer's Market, checking out new yarn stores and shopping. And yes, there was stash enhancement and shopping!

I am grateful to be sleeping in my own bed. I am even more grateful to find that the Lancaster had taken it upon himself to rid the house of roaches by plugging up the holes in the kitchen left by the druggie cabinetmaker. It's gross, I know, but anyone who lives in Hawaii knows it is a constant war and summer is the worse time. I was pleasantly surprised to find some major housecleaning had taken place while I was gone!

Once I get the pictures organized, I will not doubt saturate the blog with the travelogue 'til the cease and desist order come down.

Getting Ready for a Trip

I'm leaving for Seattle Wednesday night for a retreat with my Saturday walking group, and visit to my blogless friends, Margaret, Betty and Ebony, and I'm starting to get excited! I signed up to work a 10 hour day tomorrow in some fit of notbeingabletosayno-ness. At least I have today and Wednesday off. Today is for a massage, stocking the 'fridge for the Landcaster, and tidying up the bed and craft rooms. Tomorrow is work, wrestling with the archaic electronic medical record and trying to deduce processes in a cryptic work environment. Good thing medicine is still challenging and interesting! I'm also looking forward to a nice sit down dinner with some high school classmates. Yup, we make 40 years this year! Dang I'm old! Wednesday is for packing.

The most important thing, is what to bring to knit. Must be portable, something small, something needles won't drop off to easily...sounds like a sock or two.
Montego Bay definitely gets to come. Seasilk is very squishy and it's on circs.



So that leaves several likely suspects.I'm leaning toward the Gaia Shoulder Hug, by Anne Caroll Gilmour in Noro silk Garden sock, Col No. S252. While socks are the sensible choice for travel, my sock mojo has been missing for quite some time now.

I decided not to bring February Lady as it has >200 stitches and is starting to weigh a ton.
The plan is to dye this cotton in a natural dye of some sort, as it is organic cotton. Some possibilities are indigo or kakishibu as I understand that can both dye cotton without mordants. I like the idea of a little indigo dye pot. The easy way out is to use that cherry Dylon I have had in my cupboard forever and it would allow me to destash that.

I'm happy to hear the Knitted Brow has been reunited with Mr. Pat and the Fabulous Ella and Rascal Cricket. I miss her already, sigh.

Happy Knitting! A hui ho!

Just a bunch of hats and scarves

I took a little spur of the moment trip to the Big Island to visit blogless Keoki in Hilo. She took me on a little scenic trip along the Hamakua Coast. It was typical Hilo...humid, overcast and misty. We stopped to overlook Onomea. At one time there was a natural arch but this has fallen into the sea.



The road went down to Hakalau, where a sugar mill once stood. A group of picnicers showed us much aloha, sharing poke, water and we talked story for awhile. While talking one of them pulled up an ulua and it was soon turned into more poke, seasoned with limu kohu. Talk about fresh fish! This group of people belong to Basic Image. Their mission statement: " Basic Image, Inc. is an organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of natural and cultural education and recreational resources for the benefit and inspiration of present and future generations".

I was too chicken to try the top shell, but if you want to make these, microwave 7 minutes and poke out with a nail. Actually, I don't eat fish raw either. I do like it fried, though:)

The Hilo Farmer's Market was full of food, flowers and color. We had the best green papaya salad!
















Kim is moving back to the Mainland soon. She has packed her house and shipped the poodles so it's for real. While I understand the move is a good one for her, I will miss the knit nights, the phone calls, the cupcakes, samurai werewolf flicks.... At least there is Facebook. I hope to hear continued stories of life in the fifth grade. I will also be losing one my my hat models:(




The knitting has been a series of hats and scarves. I'm a little tired of them. My nephew wanted a beanie the colors of the Jamaican flag. Plymouth Encore was not available in the brighter green and there is so much yardage, I can make a whole lot more hats. Perhaps I'll make some for donation. The scarf is a pattern I got in a Tacoma store and is called Julie's Fantastic Scarf. It is one row lace and very fast to knit. I used two skeins of Royal Llama Silk, a very nice yarn to work with.








On the work scene, I'm working a lot more due to a provider leaving and one being on vacation. I put in 24 hours this past week, will put in 40 hours next week, and 10 hours the following week before flying off to Camano Island and Seattle. All these hours have seriously impacted the "retired" feel. Oh well, the paycheck will be nice as I'm sure I'll find many treasures in the great state of Washington. I'm looking forward to Deception Pass, the strawberry farm, the lavender farm, and hanging with girls, and my favorite doggy, Ms. Ebony.

Yarn Acquisitions and the WIP, Baby February

I received a very nice package in the mail thanks to Claudia's MS ride. The package included some very squishy sock yarn from Lavendersheep, the cutest darn card with miniature knitting, sock needles and cable needle, and a sock pattern. As one who rarely win anything, I am elated! Maybe I'm ready for Vegas...there may be 1.3 million out there for me:)

I've gone on pink roll, and these are my latest splurges at Little Knits.

Cashwool is merino wool, no cashmere, and the laceweight gauge is quite scary looking . What was I thinking? The pink has a slight lavender tinge, and was difficult to photograph.



This cottonfine is more of a rose with s slight orange tinge. I wanted to try out this yarn that is 20% wool.


I'm encouraged by the progress of February Baby. I had such a block doing February Lady, but I may try again. After all, it's just a big February Baby.

Icarus is bound for the frog pond...maybe tomorrow.

PS: or maybe today for


Ball of seasilk formerly known as Icarus.

Projects and Pictures

Happy birthday, America! Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend.

The Landcaster (number 2 son) tried out his camera on the fireworks over Pearl Harbor. They came out very nice. It was a nice dark night for fireworks.
Two days ago, the moon was red ~3-4am.



On the knitting front, I'm going to try my hand at E. Zimmerman's Baby Sweater on Two Needles. I won an ebay auction and will use some of the Bernat Organic Cotton in muslin. I plan to dye it after it's knitted. The yarn is not as soft as Pakucho. I started with a size 6 needle, but I'm going to go down to a 5 to make a firmer fabric.

Alas, poor Icarus. I did not have enough Sea Silk. I don't know how to get more as I don't know what colorway this is and the monitor colors are difficult to compare. I did only two repeats of chart two instead of the 4 and had 65% of the yarn left by weight, but that was not enough. This project will hibernate until it's fate is decided.


Thanks to a visiting number 4, blogless sister, my bag stash was completely depleted. I have two new ones in the store (see side bar) As I just got called to work tomorrow more will have to wait. I may have to work Tuesday, too.

O Totoro for May, FO

Pattern: see side bar for Totoro. Soot Sprite by Tessa Briley. Veined Safed Leaf from Tikkum Tree Project.
Yarn: Fisherman's Weight Beaverslide Wool. I hope the new crop is in soon and this great yarn is available again. Safed leaf is Koigu. Soot sprite is Pua Funcraft acrylic eyelash yarn.

Totoro Makes My Day!

I gave this hand knit, Beaverslide Totoro to a Miyazaki-impaired friend and she send me this picture from her iphone. Those in Hawaii who used to have no problems growing the local chili pepper (used to make Chili Pepper Water) now have limited harvests due to the Red Vented Bulbul. These birds eat only the red ones. They also eat cherry tomatoes which previously seemed to be immune to predators.

Since Totoro has gone on guard, blogless Karen has happily been able to harvest a whole bag full!

Day at the Beach

Today started with rain and clouds, but by 10 am it was a beautiful day at the Ala Moana Beach.

(sorry for the crappy cell phone picture) The surf was great and there were a ton of kids from their schools, senior citizen outings, and surfers. I met Chris with her 3 children and her friends and their kids, and they were all having a ball.

I found some treasures.

Newborn chibi Totoro is posing with a Milo pod. This may be the closest thing to an acorn he comes in contact with unless he gets to travel.












I found a couple heart shaped coral pieces and a few bits and pieces of beach glass. Pickings were slim today.
Also finished is KU Beanie
















Pattern: Turn a Square, by Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn: Cascade Superwash
Needles: size 7

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!


Have a Great Weekend.

Summertime Summertime

The last couple of weeks has been a time of knitting gatherings where more talk and eating then actual knitting has been going on. Okay, there was some beer and a cosmopolitan involved, also. My alcohol tolerance is very low and it took Chris (past blogger extraordinaire, now in retirement) reminding me that I had $4.50 left in my glass to finish that cosmopolitan. Luckily the homemade potato chips tempered the effects and I was not driving. The Knitted Brow took time out from her packing to be the designated driver.

Terri, Kim and I drove out to the Windward Meeting of the Aloha Knitters last night. They meet at the lovely Morning Brew . We were treated to Patrice's incredible sampler afghan. She knit this up in purples and yellow. I hope she posts a picture of it soon.

My Kelpie, sculpted by talented May has come home to Nuuanu and is getting to know the resident Totoros. I love my little Kelpie from his wry smile to his horsehair tail and "mane". I can't look at Kelpie without smiling. Thank you May!



TP Totoro is felted and is drying here with his temporary eyes and smile. He will be off to visit May's water closet as soon as he gets stuffed and sewn together.



My pineapple harvest this year promises to be tiny...I mean literally. The first pineapple to ripen is the largest and smaller then my coffee cup. I may try and make some pineapple vodka. But of course if it's sweet I'll just eat it fresh:)


The tassel stitch scarf is blocking. The tassel stitch portion curls under despite added a row of single crochet. I like the look of this very easy stitch, modified from The New Knitting Dictionary by Rhoda Ochser Goldberg. I love this shade of red Cascade 220 Superwash. I'm not sure if I'll send this one to the Red Scarf Project of blocking does not improve the curling issue.

The stitch worked much better for this hat and is reversible. (although different on the backside)

3x3 Slip Stitch Scarf

(I'm moving the pattern from my last post to this entry)




Yarn: 200-300 yards, Cascade Superwash 220, Colorway 893, a fantastic, dark red color. I used about 1.3 balls and ended up with a scarf 3 inches wide with the rib collapsed and the 7.5 inches spread out. It was a bit over 60 inches long.
Needles: single point size 9
Pattern:
Pattern for 3x3 Slip Stitch Scarf (A multiple of 6 + 2 for the selvage)

End stitch:
Very first row only: K1, pattern to one remaining stitch, bring yarn forward and slip stitch as if to purl
Row 2 and on: Knit first stitch through the back, pattern until one remaining stitch, bring yarn forward and slip stitch as if to purl.

Yarn: worsted weight
Needles: size 9

CO 38 stitches using long tail cast on.
Last and first stitches are for the selvage.
One row pattern: *P3, K1, slip 1, K1*, Repeat ** between end stitches.
Keep on keeping on until the scarf is as long as you like.
Bind off. Sew in ends.

Project Spectrum Yellow, Free Red Scarf Pattern, 3x3 slip stitch rib

Project Spectrum yellow is flying by. The yarn stashed has not been wound into balls and I suspect will not become a project in time. Nature came through with a spectacular array of Gold Trees this year. The trees were covered with the bright yellow blossoms not unlike the cherry blossom trees I saw in Tokyo. Click the link to see a beautiful example. I was never able to capture one to my liking but the second photo in the mosaic shows a closeup of a baby one near my house.




The yellow plumeria that overhangs my driveway is in full bloom. This is a great lei flower. I tried to capture the great hedge of yellow popcorn orchids around the corner on my walk. It's so much better in person. I transplanted mine this year and they have just sat there doing nothing. (I'm just happy they didn't die, a real possibility for any plant in my patio)


My only partially yellow project is Leafling, in Koigu. I have only one sock. It's a little large, and would have been better off CO 60 instead of 66 stitches. I wonder if it will be a single sock?

While pondering what to do with over 1000yards of russet red Anne, having frogged and attempted a spiral shawl numerous times, I read Now Norma Knits post and got inspired by the Red Scarf Project.




I doubled the Anne and used a size 10 needle to knit the Yarn Harlot's One Row Handspun Scarf. The yarn was much or orange-y then the online photo appeared and had very little variation in color. However, doubling the yarn really made the color richer. It was a miracle. Unfortunately on reading the fine print on the project page I found the "no mohair" clause. Schaefer Anne is 25% mohair. It's a nice little scarf and is slightly longer the 60 inches. I used up all but a few inches of one skein. Perhaps someone will buy it and I can donate the money to the red scarf project.

So red scarf number 2 is on it's way. This one is Cascade 220 Superwash in a nice deep red. It's my own version of a one row knit scarf. I have not seen this used as a pattern but my resources are limited. It makes a nice fat 3x3 ribbing that does pull in some like all good ribbing.


*pattern moved to another post

Felicity, FO

Pattern: Felicity by Wanett Clyde
Yarn: Fleece Artist Scotian Silk, re-purposed from Lu. I love the feel of this yarn and it was very fun to knit with. (Lu is a cool pattern, but it didn't fit me)
Needles: I changed to size 7 and 9 as this is a bulky yarn, and I only got 14 inches in diameter instead of the 16 inches the author got for her "22-inch head".
Mods: none
Comments: The shape of the hat intrigues me. I saw some of this shape hat in Japan on some men during my trip. They were cream colored and some had stripes. Like the Guinan Hat (free Ravelry download) which has two different looks, Felicity can also look like a chef's hat.

This and That

It's a hot summer so far. The vog has lifted some, but the trades are lagging. I started working in April as a call in, and after a one week stint, I caught a bug that dragged on for two whole weeks.

My blogless Wisconsin sister came for a visit and I hosted her friend and I'm happy to say (unless they are too polite to mention it) none of them got sick! Iver (the guest) spent a couple of hours getting a large stump out of a cement pot. Thanks, Iver! My plan of having it dry out and shrink away, had failed. They did a lot of sight seeing, climbing Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Waimea Bay, Chinaman's Hat and snorkled at Lanikai. They ate shave ice from Shimizu's near Frog Lane. I managed hikes to the light house at Makapuu and Hoomaluhia and of course we ate a lot...love that chow fun and minute chicken cake noodle from Pauoa Chop Suey and the the dimsum at Legends in Chinatown.

The funny noise my car had been making was getting worse. I had it down to the right front part of the car, a rotatory metallic sound, that happened between 20-45mph, and stopped with braking. I decided to walk-in one day to have it checked out and 6 hours later, I had a complete new set of brakes, front and back, a coupon for a free car wash and a big credit card balance :(.

I also had some great pictures of the lovely yellow hibiscus bushes outside and a FO!


(ps...forgot to mention this picture of for Project Spectrum!)



Pattern: Ishbel, by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Fractal Green Handpaint from Hungry for Handspun
Mods: none.
I made the small size and plan to gift this to the host of the Camano Island retreat she is planning this fall. She will love this fantastic color handpainted by the moonlight baker.
It was a fun, easy fast little knit.

I stopped by Aloha Knitter's Thursday night at Mocha Java and the ladies were such good sports about trying on my snail hats in this hot, hot weather. Although I managed a self portrait of the scarf (attempting to edit out neck of Iquana), self portrait of hat was a failure.


























I also received a belated birthday gift from Dayna and Mom Barbara ( both blogless). I love my Totoro book (how will I bring myself to write in it!) and the handy dandy purse hanger. Thank you! I love them both.

The fabric are some pieces from the Knitted Brow. She is moving to Atlanta and starting the process of destashing and getting ready to put the house on the market. Now if I can only get the sewing mojo going! We had wonderful udon at Jimbo's with second son, the Landcaster himself.

Leafling has stalled as I contemplate whether to frog or not as I did not have the correct number of stitches going into the gusset and now the foot. I CO the Spiral Shawl by Meg Swanson, my first project from A Gathering of Lace in russet Schaefer's Anne. This is going to be my knit while I watch The Wire series from Neflix.