How Crafting Leads to Shopping

I simply adore this Amy Butler Correopsis fabric. It is home dec weight. I found it on Etsy.





Perhaps the sewing mojo is returning. 5 bags are in the works. I experimented with some fake fur and the cheetah bag came out very cute. The sewing is not up to my standards so it will be mine unless my blogless sky goddess sister nabs it.

I hope the charms I ordered and my eyelash yarn for the gnomes come soon so these can finish up some projects.

The tablecloth project is still in the research stage as is the request for bigger bags. I can't seem to remember what stitch and thread to use in my serger and I'm not sure wooly nylon will look good as it's not shiny. But I have some, so that's a plus and so I don't have a reason to shop.

The bigger bags are more of a challenge. Increasing the diameter of the base means I can't recylce junk cds, and it changes the balance a of the bag. My first prototype of a squarish base, came out too large. It may be a nice gift bag if I can find the right size container. (oh my, that's sounds like another reason to shop)

Off to make more stitch markers. I may need more headpins. Oh my! Not another reason to shop!

Have a great week!

Plum Moon Mitts, FO

Pattern: free on Ravelry, New Moon inspired Alice Cullen finger less Mitts, by Nancy Fry.
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Royal Llama Silk
Needles: size 8 and 7 dpns
Mods: I was one inch short for the bind out so did 11 rows for the cuff rib instead of 12. If I had be less generous with my tails, one ball would have been enough. As it turns out, the 11 rows was perfect for my smallish hands.
I had a little hole at the beginning of the cuff where it rejoins after the thumb bindoffs. I purled the first bind off with the active stitch on the first row of the cuff rib and that closed it up. If I make these again I will use a stretchy cast-on.

I love the way these fit.

Gnomes waiting for their Beards

Blogless Sandy knit a gnome and it was so cute I had to try it. They are addicting and now I have to rest my hands. I got a callous on my baby finger from holding the dpns.


Pattern: Jultomtar & Teeny Tomte by Alan Dart.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Needles: size 5 DPs
I knit these in the round. The large one I just winged and the smaller one I followed JoyKnitCrochet's instructions for the boots. The eyelash yarn Alan Dart used is Sirdar Foxy, now discontinued. I made these white ones from a generic "long" eyelash from China and I liked them a lot better then I thought I would. They are temporary as I envision the large one to have grey/brown beard and the little one to be a redhead. I still have to curl the tails on the hats.

I have all the necessary supplies to spin some yarn. There is the wonderful roving from Moonlight Baker...the book with all the answers (I hope)and the new spindle from the Isle of Wight . I hate to break into the beautiful braids as they are works of art by themselves! I have not tried the spindle yet. It has a very slender shaft, and 4 notches.


The fabric is also in the queue. It's to be my holiday table cloth. If I can only get my sewing mojo back before Thanksgiving passes me by. In fact, I seem to be suffering from some sort of malaise in general and there is so much on the to do list! Perhaps a day of decluttering is what I need.


Everyday, though, I am grateful for the beauty that surrounds me. The garden surprises, the turquoise ocean, the misty Koolaus, and those sudden sunsets that are gone in a flash.

Bangles and Gnomes

These bangles made in the Bead Gallery's Beautiful Bangle class are difficult to photograph. One is sterling silver and the other copper. The instructor, Iris Sandkuhler is very knowledgeable about the scary soldering process. I learned about some new tools, bangle sizing and shaping, and that koolaid has another use besides dyeing yarn. It is acid enough to "pickle". In soldering that means to clean up the metal after melting the solder in. As an interesting digression Iris shared her adventure to one of the three borax mines. It brought back memories of the old ranger on Death Valley Days and the 20 mule team borax teams. (The back ground is the moss now starting to cover my patio since the wet season has begun.) The borax is used as flux. It helps the solder flow where it's supposed to go. It was a large class and I'm so happy I did not set anything on fire.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gnome is waiting for his beard yarn to fly in from UK. Yes, I could use Lion fun fur or something else, but that paypal button is just too easy.


I used left over silk garden and the beige just makes me feel he is naked. I'll see how the beard works, but maybe he needs a shirt.

Look how big Kiko is.

It is impossible to get her to sit still. She is not a lap cat (not yet anyway) and attacks anything that moves...like feet and the camera cord. She would love some real mousies, and is addicted to her laser pointer.

Turchin, FO

Pattern: Urchin, by Ysolda Teague, published in Knitty
Yarn: Opal's Handspun, "Chinese Turquoise", Merino silk
Needles: size 11

I held the yarn double and it knit up tight and small. After a soak the yarn softened up. It is a little large for my head. I may leave it as is or add some elastic around the rim. It's a very fast, clever project. I wish I had Kitchenered on the wrong side, as I have a larger knit looking row at the join. It's not really a very big deal, though. The yarn was lovely to work with.

It was tough to get the colors to show up nicely while taking a photo of myself so I took one at Aloha Yarns today. It is always sunny and happy there and fun to knit with Totoro, Nanea, Sandy and others who come to visit.

I blocked it over a salad plate.

Silver Cuff

I woke up early this am and felt the need to pound some silver. Luckily the Bead Gallery had a opening in the Cuffcake Bracelet class. Shaping a bracelet was a skill I've been wanting to try. Jason and Amanda are great teachers! The bracelet starts with a flat piece of 20 g sterling. The designs could be card stock cut with a die cutter, or a metal stencil. I chose the cute rabbit as I was born in the year of the Rabbit. After gluing them down, the piece of silver is rolled through a press not unlike a pasta machine. After rounding the corners and sanding them smooth, I got to pound the silver into shape with a ball peen hammer on a piece of hollowed out wood. I love this part! The finally shaping was done over an oval bracelet mandrel. I tried antiquing it a bit with a hard boiled egg. It has a natural matte finish. It fits! And it doesn't roll around.

On the knitting scene, I took a short break from Tile Stole to knit Ysolda's Urchin from Knitty using hand spun silk/merino from the Opalescence. It's blocking now so pictures will have to wait. It was a fun, fast knit.

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.

Red Scarf project

I'm mailing my donations to the Red Scarf Project. Besides scarves, monetary donations can be made through paypal. There is a link on the site.

I enjoyed making all these scarves! Instant gratification:)

Today a ended with a wonderful cloud show right before sunset.

I'm plodding along on February Lady. I got one sleeve done and put the other one on the needles. There may be an end in sight. After all, I started this way back in July!

Hello Kitty has her day!

My oldest sister is a Hello Kitty junkie so I have a hard time passing by anything Hello Kitty or Sanrio. I was going for a large project bag with the Halloween Hello Kitty fabric. It came out very large. I adore the fabric.

The little zipper bags are a bit of a pain to make as they zipper is sewn in by hand. I found some great little charms at the not so-99 cents store and the recent trade show.



brella has some free Totoro patterns on Ravelry and this is her little chibi Totoro. I love his bobble tail. Normally I avoid bobbles as they just seem redundant, but this is a giant bobble and is really quite cute. He is Beaverslide natural, knit with size 4 needles.

February Lady has not budged for awhile. Montego seasilk scarf has been frogged and is trying to become Ysolda's Damson, but definitely not on size 5 needles.



The final day of Shibori was really fun. I got to talk to blogless Doris who has taken the class many times and had some great samples. She disappeared before I whipped my camera out, but I hope to see her again. This time I got the long kim chee making gloves from Palama Market and my fingers were in pretty good shape, but my feet are still blue.

A Different Kind of Blues

I took a Shibori Class on the spur of the moment. I stopped by Kuni's Island Fabric for some interfacing and saw the class sample. It must have been fate as there was room in the class! The class is taught by a fiber artist and teacher, Darius Homay. I arrived Sunday with my prewashed fabric and came away with 6 different techniques! Also, blue fingers.

I lucked out as all the other ladies were repeaters, so I had private lessons! Mr. Homay was very personable, knowlegeable and I had a grand time! I have another class next Sunday. Maybe by that time all the blue will be gone from my fingers and they can get blue again.

Finished near Friday

Pattern: Children's Neck Down Bolero by Dianne Soucy
Yarn: Cascade Cotton Rich, 5 skeins
Needles: size 8 and 7

I knit the size 2. I'm still not sure about the button placement. The yardage of the yarn is small and there were knots, so there were quite a few ends to weave in. I was afraid the yarn would be too bulky to weave in well, but this turned out know to be a problem. The pattern is very quick to knit and well-written. It would be lovely in Jo Sharp's Silkroad Aran Tweed, but I wanted something a bit more rugged and easy to wash.




Pattern: I used a combination of Wendy's Toe Up Sock and Mim's Toe Up Heel Flap.
Yarn: Kool Aid dyed at the Anacortes Arts Festival this year by mwah:)at Ana-Cross Stitch needle works shop.
Needles: size 1

This was a very fun project for me. I am very cheered by the bright colors and the sweet kool aid smell.

Odds and Ends

On the knitting scene, I am flitting from project to project. I guess I'm not the serial knitter I thought I was. I also have regret about my stash of sock yarn that is loved but has gone untouched. I envision starting a new project, perhaps toe-up with the kool aid dyed yarn and have wound it in to a ball. Of my other wips, February Lady seems to be taking forever to grow. At least I have measured my length and have the target set, and then the sleeves. Top Down Bolero seems to be the favored one, and after the collar, I'll be ready for the sleeves. Montego Seasilk scarf is hibernating and I even thought of frogging it for another project.

So on to more travelogue.

At the Anacortes Craft Festival, while I was dyeing my yarn, several of my party were getting their Fair T-shirts signed by the artist, Jack Gunther. We took up his invitation to visit his gallery. I think it's fair to say, he was an odd and interesting character. At first I thought he might be schizophrenic. His explanation of how civilization began around Mt. Vernon, complete with artifacts, such as a computer on pottery gave us all cause to smile. I especially liked his paintings with removable magnetic parts, like this one revealing the secret submarine base under Camano Island
He also has a book, A Pictorial History of the Pacific Northwest Including the Future, told from the viewpoint of a pig. We shared our lunch with him and blogless Kathy O. got some awesome homemade salsa from the small store next door. It was a fun outing of a different kind, and I can say we were all surprised but happy!

When I look at all the picture I took, one of the biggest folders is of the Seattle Gasworks Park. This is a 19 acre park across Lake Union from downtown Seattle and features great views of Seattle including the space needle and a rusting hulk, which was once a working Gaswork. It was built in 1906 to manufacture gas from coal - later converted to crude oil. Import of natural gas in the 1950's made the plant obsolete.
Somehow this hulking mass appeals to me...



It reminds me of Myst and Howl's Moving Castle.

Changing the subject abruptly...here is a picture of Lenin in Fremont. A Washingtonian rescued it from a scrapyard in Poprad, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) and had it shipped home and erected in Fremont (as a work of art, not a political statement). Accorded to Wikipedia it's for sale.


And last but not least a mosaic of the log cabin blogless Melody and her husband are building with the help of their son. Her husband took a two day course. He cleared the land and many of the logs went into making the house. We were there for chinking. In the mosaic are the shower, the bathroom, the kitchen and the well house where they are living until the main house gets closed up, as well as Melody's garden, Some of the objects of art from the garden came from a garage sale. She were following Melody on one of our daily adventures, and before we knew it we had followed her into a garage sale! It was one of those impromptu Melody moments that will stick in my mind as a very happy event.

The pond on the property has a beaver dam. Every once in a while her husband has to cut into it to drain the duckweed out of it and he says at 10 pm sharp, the beavers come out and fix the breach. Otherwise, they never see them.

Kiko

New Cat
Originally uploaded by acornbud

Kiko is my parents new kitten. She is very tiny. They got her from the human society yesterday and already she has explored the whole house, tested out the kitty litter and charmed everyone. I just wish I wasn't allergic.