It's a honeymoon...

A couple of swatches for consideration...

My ebay purchase of Portofino Soufle in a lilac color. This is a 40/40/20 blend of cotton, acrylic, and polyamide.

The top swatch is for the
Honeymoon Cami featured in the current Knitty. It's in a stockinette stitch using bamboo circulars in size 6. The second swatch is for the Chevron Rib Tank from Interweave Knits. For this I knit a garter rib stitch using straight bamboo needles in size 8.

The Portofino is a boucle-type yarn. It knits up really pretty and it's very soft. I did not like the way the swatch for the Chevron tank came out. Besides not making gauge, I felt that the garter rib design did not "pop" the way it should with this yarn.

So...I have decided on the Honeymoon cami. I really like the design and although the pattern is going to be the most difficult I've knit so far, I think I am up for the challenge. Last night, I cast on the 171 stitches for my size. I am now a few rows into the eyelet border...not quite enough for photos yet.

I will be busy the next couple of days with work, but here's hoping I'll have some exciting photos by Friday...

Silly online quiz...minimal knitting...

You are "Bowl of Oranges". You see life
to more than what most people do and you
genuinely care about people. You feel art and
music is the sure way of lifting your spirits.
You wish others could have appreciation like
you do, but, unfortunately, you are probably
the only one.


Which BRIGHT EYES song are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmmm???

I love Bright Eyes'...I love oranges...I like to eat oranges out of bowls. What does it all mean?

Swatches to come...

Knittin' under the sun...

Last day of my vacation before I have to return to work. Sis-in-law, Wendy and I took the kiddos to the beautiful Ihilani Resort. There are four lagoons to choose from and each have limited parking as to keep the crowds to a minimum(a very nice plus). We stayed a few hours before the sun got too hot. Then we were off to enjoy some ice cream from Bubbies. They have the yummiest mochi ice cream...


I did manage to get in a few rows of knitting before heading into the water.


I'm about 5 inches into this tank top for my daughter. I like that it is so colorful. I need to order some yellow and some sort of deep red to add to the mix. The original pattern calls for 5 different colored yarns and I think these colors could use something else also. I really like the moss stitch at the bottom, although the K1 P1 stitch pattern is very meditative. I fell asleep twice before I was able to finish that section.

Yippee...I received one of my ebay orders. Five skeins of Portofino Soufle in a lilac color and five skeins of Patons Fun in a grey/white color. Both are cotton/acrylic blends. Time to swatch for some tanks for myself. Not a great photo...but here they are...



I have been wondering what to do with my swatches. What do you do? Do you put them in a journal for each project? Or are your swatches just laying about?

Hoping I'll have some swatches done by next post...

Swatch it, baby...

I swatched for what is going to be the Tank of Many Colours, a design by Chris Behme, featured on Magknits. A cute little tank top for my daughter.

The pattern calls for Mission Falls 1824 Cotton. I wanted to use something I already had in my stash. So I decided on using Cotton Classic II from Tahki. I have a lime green, a bright pink, and some yummy orange. I think the yarn was originally destined to become a cell phone cozy from "Stitch 'N Bitch".

The swatch shows both the St st and moss stitch required in the pattern. I am using bamboo circulars in 5.5mm. And although I've found cotton to be slightly difficult to work with because of its "stiffness", I love the stitch definition. The colors are really fun together. Perfect for an eight-year-old.

I'm ready to cast-on for my first garment...

Sophie done...

Here she is...pre-felting...



Tomorrow, a trip through the washer?



After much thought, it has been decided that I will leave Sophie in its original state. The Noro Kureyon looks so wonderful as is. All it needs is some blocking, a lining, and a nice button closure.

Tonight's S'n'B was great. We had a couple of new members. And I think more time was spent chatting then knitting. It's always wonderful to hear how everyone began knitting. Our group has multi-talented members. Some also spin and weave. Carol raises her own angora rabbits(sorry, we missed you tonight). And Opal was so nice to gift my daughter with a spindle, some roving and a lesson. Sharon arrived with a couple of vintage knitting needle sets from her mother and some great vintage patterns. It was so much fun to look through them. Opal also had some great yarn from Uruguay...beautiful.

I forgot to take pictures during, but was able to take a couple before I left. Here they are...

From left to right: Opal, my daughter, and Geri, who not only knits but also weaves.


This is another of myself with daughter and Geri.

I also picked up some needle felting kits that Opal had ordered from The Bellwether. They are the Pin Pal kits.

I am looking forward to learning how to needle felt. I think these would look very cute on a small tote bag or felted cellphone covers.

Now that I am done with Sophie, I must decide what project to start next. I feel like doing something bright and colorful...

Aloha...

Since it's the time of Summer Solstice thought I would share some photos of things that make me happy I'm in Hawaii...


Plumerias from a tree in my front yard.




This photo was taken during my last trip to the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu. The museum is located in a gorgeous home in residential Makiki Heights. These trees are part of the landscaping and are large enough to walk through. When we arrived, the volunteer at the front was actually knitting her first project. I took this as a good omen. And it was. The house was beautiful and the art inspiring. I find that art in any medium influences me to view my knitting from a different slant.

Tomorrow I am going to learn to do toe-up socks from Opal. I will be taking my daughter to the meeting. She has been practicing her knitting and I will post a photo of her "project" as soon as she allows me to take a picture. She is so excited and feeling all grown up that she will be attending.

Thanks to Becky and Patti for the encouragement. I am truly appreciating all the support from everyone.

Hope to have some photos from the Honolulu Stitch'n'Bitch after tomorrow.

Enjoy the summer sun...

Hot head...

Alex Zorn's design featured in Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'N Bitch using Lamb's Pride Bulky. This was a very quick knit. So quick, I did one for her doll, Rachel. Yea, something that can actually be worn...okay, maybe not here in Hawaii, unless we decide to do some ice skating(yes, we have a rink here!).

Another photo of hot head...


I have also been working on a basic K2P2 beanie in a maroon yarn with white speckles(misplaced the band, but it's a cotton/acrylic blend). It's my own creation and I am trying to figure out how to start decreasing. I'm pretty sure on how to proceed, it's just taking the plunge...start decreasing those stitches. I don't know what I'm afraid of.

And this is Sophie...


I should be done with it tonight. And hopefully have it felted in time for the Honolulu SnB meeting on Wednesday. My pictures are still yucky. I went shopping for digital cameras today. I'm at a lost. Any suggestions? I really do not need anything super fancy. Photos that aren't dark and blurry would be nice. And easy to upload.

I've gotten rid of the comments section, but have added a tagboard. I think it would be an easier means for communicating...

So, don't be shy, say "hi"...

Busy, busy, busy...

Just a quick post...not much knitting happening. On row 26 of my Sophie bag. I received the summer update for the Patternworks catalog. So I will have to take a look to see what is new.

Very warm here in Hawaii. We had some shave ice treats to cool us off. This is our new machine. We just plug it in, pop in the ice and taa-daa...treats for everyone.


And, yes...that is a Hello Kitty toaster in the background. I am off to a Father's Day dinner. Will post more tomorrow and hopefully, have better photos of Sophie then...

Sophie in process...

This is my Sophie bag done in Noro Kureyon#55. The photo came out too dark(okay, it looks like a big, dark blob), but hopefully it at least shows I've made some progress in the last few days. Having my daughter here is very exciting...and tiring. I haven't had much time to knit. She has fallen asleep early this evening. I will take advantage of this and do some knitting. Or sleeping...

The following is the Chinese Charm Bag from Debbie Stoller's "Stitch 'N Bitch" which I finished back in April. I used the Noro Gemstone in #8 and although I was only able to find faux bamboo handles, I am pretty happy with the results. The yarn was an ebay acquisition. I would like to try this bag again in another type of yarn.


I am patiently waiting for my ebay purchases. As soon as those come in, I can cast on for the Honeymoon tank. My last purchase arrived very quickly, within a week of winning my bid. I spoke to Opal and she is still waiting for a purchase she made at the beginning of the month. I hope I won't have to wait that long.

Hoping the postman will have goodies for me tomorrow...

And...there shall be PICTURES....

Mini Skull&Crossbones Tote design by Hello Yarn Using Brown Sheep Worsted & Noro Kureyon 

I finished this about 2 weeks ago. Since I did not have a color contrasting enough to do the crossbones design, I used Noro Kureyon in #115 to add a stripe to the bag. Apologies for the photo quality. I haven't had a chance to pick up a digital camera and had to use my camera phone instead.

Besides photos, check out my links. Finally figured out how to manipulate html a bit. Hopefully soon, I can add a photo album of WIP's and other things going on with knitting and the Honolulu Stitch & Bitch.

'Til then...

Oh, E-Bay...How I love thee...

I have won three bids on E-bay. That is 20 skeins of yarn for under 60 bucks. I have found it next to impossible to find any yarn that I like here in Honolulu. Maybe I am being too picky. Maybe I just need to organize my thoughts more before I enter a room full of yarn. Maybe I should be more open to opportunity when yarn shopping. I bit of mindfulness I think would be helpful the next time I step into a yarn shop.

Three bids...10 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 cotton in Indigo, 5 skeins of Patons in grey/white cotton, and 5 skeins of Portofino Souffle in a lavender color. I plan on using the Mission Falls for a skirt. The Portofino is going to be used for the honeymoon tank. And I may use the Patons for another tank or maybe a summer cardigan.

I am a few rows shy of finishing up the bottom to the Sophie bag. Then I will be ready to pick up stitches to work up the sides. I am using Noro Kureyon #55. It is a grey, rusty brown, green colorway. Very earthy.

I am still working on learning how to blog. I can't wait to post photos. And am trying to figure out how to add links. I picked up a book by Biz Stone on blogging. It is pretty comprehensive. And I am hoping it will help to make things a bit more interesting.

I now have to run to the store and pick up some leis and a balloon to welcome my daughter at the airport. Yippeee.....I am very excited. Until later...

A little bit of knitting...

I have been practicing the stitch patterns for the honeymoon tank and hopefully soon will be confident enough to cast on for this project. This will definitely be the most difficult knitting I have done so far. I know I will have tons of help though. The Honolulu S 'n' B is a great group to be a part of. Already I have been motivated by everyone's enthusiasm. Being pretty competitive, I like to keep up and dislike feeling as if I'm lagging in skills. I feel like such a newbie when I'm with these ladies. Being a part of a group definitely keeps me on my toes.

On a personal note, I started my vacation today. No real plans, not even leaving the islands. Just to either finish some WIP's(socks & Sophie bag) and to find some new yarn to add to my stash. My daughter will also be here to visit for the summer and I'm looking forward to teaching her to knit. I have purchased a kit from Peace Fleece with cute, child-sized knitting needles, two mini-skeins, and a handmade button of a cat's face included. It is going to be a little coin purse. She is 8 years old, hopefully not too young to learn.

As soon as I figure out how to post photos, I will do so. I plan on heading to the bookstore today to pick up some books on blogging. I am hoping to have things a bit more interesting in a few weeks. I definitely would like to change the template and colors. Until next time...

So...this is where it all begins...

I do not know much about building a blog. But I am hoping to learn as I go along.

I am putting this together in hopes of sharing my knitting adventures with others. And in exchange, I know I will learn from my fellow knitters and crafters.

First, a bit about myself. I have been knitting for a little over 7 months. I have been trying to learn for most of my life, but finally got really tired of being envious of other knitters. So I sat myself down with a little pamphlet from Wal-Mart and forced my hands to knit. And as corny as this may sound, my life has not been the same ever since.

I hope you will enjoy my ramblings...