Blame it on the Luau

Hello:

I was all settled down to some good crafting yesterday, in fact, I was downstairs, just getting started on my spinning wheel, when the phone rang, and I had a Substitute job.  I had to call to reschedule a tutoring job for the morning, and off I went.  I didn't finish until 5:30 pm, then tutored until 8.  Wow,  working stinks.

So this morning, I finished my spinning (I'm trying to spin every morning), and came upstairs to work on an afghan square.  I was on the last round when... you guessed it... the phone rang, and I had a substitute job.

The funny thing is that both jobs were sort of the same thing.  After school day care.  Well, the one yesterday also included recess monitor (my Masters in Mathematics Education is being well used), then I helped monitor the 4 year olds' after school program.  Actually it was really fun, and the little kids were amazing.

Today it was a middle school "study hall."  That is a euphemism for extended day care.  Again, though, the kids were great.  They were supposed to study quietly for about 45 min, then go outside to play on the ball court (soccer nets, basketball hoop, 4 square, etc.) then come back in for 45 min of study, then outside, etc. until their parents picked them up.  No kidding.  The kids all came in, took out notebook computers, and played games pretty much the whole time.  I think one kid did actual homework.  It gave me 4 hours of knitting, though, while I chatted with them, and occasionally asked them to bring the noise level down.

I have a finished hat (except for weaving in) that I worked on yesterday, and have started another washcloth for the SavvyGirls' Swapetition.  But what I want to show you tonight is the fingerless mitts I started in Maui.

You might remember a quick photo of them from the beach.

I'm still knitting from stash, so they are some rust colored Wool-Ease that I bought about 4 years ago,   for??? I don't remember, maybe I was going to make a sweater?  because I have a lot of it.  The pretty gray stripes are from the Holiday Yarn skein in the Embers colorway I also bought at least a year ago.  This is really pretty yarn, but I don't have enough of it to make something so I am using it for accents in a bunch of hats, mitts, etc.

Since I have only the one skein, and I was too lazy to wind it into two cakes, I am using it rather creatively when I am knitting 2-at-a-time, which is how I made these mitts.  Someone at the beach in Maui looked at the mitts and asked if they were for different pairs.  Ha ha ha.  I explained that it was fashionable to have the stripes in different places on a pair of mitts (not that I was too lazy...).  So the plan was to stripe the wrist of one mitt and the hand of the other.

I brought the mitts to the Luau, and actually worked on them a bit during the show.  It was a bit dark, but It is a super easy K2P1 rib, so I felt that I could probably get something done anyway.  I knit away, adding the Embers yarn for the stripes, and so on.  When I got up the next morning, I realized that I had striped the hand of the mitt that already had stripes on the wrist.

Oh, well, I decided to just go with it.  I alternated stripes for a bit, but since it was really adding to the ends to weave in, I just gave up and ended with 2 stripes on one hand and 3 on the other.

I still haven't woven in all those ends!

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with design features.

Fiber Friday (posted on Sunday!)

Hello!  Definitely back in Washington.  Such a pretty sky this weekend.  This is the sunrise from Saturday, November 9.

I need to get this Fiber Friday post up tonight before I go to bed, or it will NEVER be posted.  I have had such a crazy busy fun weekend.  We went to see two movies (Ender's Game, and Thor The Dark World- OMBOB go see Thor!), I worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday, tutoring different people, I went to the Tolt Yarn Shop Grand opening, out to dinner twice, and knit knit knit when I could in between all the madness.

We got back from Maui late Thursday night, but I did get up Friday morning in time to make it to Crossroads for Fiber Friday.

CodyJunk was working on a pair of mittens.

JulieMustKnit has made HUGE progress on her beautiful Antarktis.

Zillalatte was making hexipuffs,

then turning them into snowflake ornaments:

I think Wireknitter was working on her Windward scarf, but she brought something else for show and tell, and that is what I photographed.

Wireknitter took a class at KnitFit last weekend by Mary Scott Huff on color.  She was making the project from that class, a color wheel bag.

It is really interesting how the different squares for this bag can be used to test color combinations that might be used in other projects.

Whew!  ok, I think that was it.  It was wonderful to sit at a table in Crossroads, and talk knitting.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet after a terrific weekend.

Last Post from Maui...

Boo Hoo!  We are leaving Maui today.

On Tuesday, we went to a Luau, the Old Lahaina Luau.  It's supposed to be the "best luau in Maui."  Not having anything to compare it with, I can only  say it was tons of fun.

Here's were we sat, but we got our reservations about 7 months ago,.

You arrive about 5:30 pm, they give you leis,

and then you spend the time before the sun sets drinking! and walking around the beautiful ocean front place watching demonstrations, etc. 

Doc learned the hula.

When the sun sets, the show (and the fabulous buffet dinner) begins.  The dancing was wonderful.  They dancers looked like they were having so much fun.

We had fun, too.

Yesterday, for our final day, we went to the Maui Aquarium.  It wasn't very crowded, but the other guests were all families with young children.  Ha ha ha, but Doc and I love Aquariums and Zoos.  It was a lot of fun.  I didn't bring my camera, and you all should be thankful because it would have been photo after photo of really cool fish.  We spent our last afternoon sitting on the beach, occasionally swimming in the bay, and watching the sunset.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet from paradise.

The Bird and More Hawaii

Hello:

I'm going to start out with a bit about Hawaii, and then show the progress on my colorwork socks, The Bird, so just a warning that the photo of those socks will be R-rated.  Scroll down at your own discretion.

Hawaii

On our second day in Maui, Doc and I had a ride in an outrigger canoe.  We scheduled this with Maui Paddle Sports.  It was soooooooo much fun.  When we made the plan, I thought we would just sit in the canoes, and the guys would paddle us around.  NO!  We had a guide in front and in back, and then there was one other tourist, Doc, and me.  We had to help paddle.  At first, I thought, I was going to be great at it, and they would say, "wow, f1bercat, you should do this professionally." Then as we actually started paddling, I could only hope that I wasn't going to get in the way of everyone else.

The guides were awesome.  They kept up the chat the whole time, telling us all kinds of things about growing up on the islands, racing canoes, etc.  It was so interesting, and kept my mind off how awkward I was.  We saw lots of turtles.  I wish I had brought my camera in the boat, though I'm sure it would have gotten wet.

I totally recommend this company to everyone.  It is really a great experience, and a unique way to see Maui.

The next day, we took a hiking tour of the highest volcano on Maui (Maui has 2 volcanoes), Haleakala.  We went with a company called, Hike Maui.  Our guide was Marco, and he was great.  He knew so much about the endangered plants and birds that can be found on the volcano (which is a national park). 

We drove up and took two hikes.  That high, above the clouds, mostly, it is really cold.

The first hike was about 2 miles down to the edge of the "crater." 

My legs were jelly by the time we got back up to where the van was parked.  Then we drove up almost to the peak, and took another, steeper trail down into the crater.

It was like being on the moon.  We ate lunch down in the volcano,

then hiked (very slowly with lots of stops to rest)  back up.  We drove the last bit up to the top where the observatories are.

It was clear enough to see the big Island, Hawaii.

It was like being on top of the world.

Knitting
Warning, this part has some R-rated photos.

While I was driving in the van (or the rental car to our excursions), and also on the beach, I have been knitting some wash cloths for the SavvyGirls Swapetition, and a pair of fingerless mitts for one of my nephews.

At night, when we are in the condo, I have been working on the colorwork socks for Moogie, The Bird.  I am almost finished with the legs.

I love how they look.  The pattern calls for a short row heel.  I will probably make an Afterthought/Peasant heel instead. I am not sure if I will continue the pattern on the foot as it is very slow going.  I might either stripe them, or do the pattern only on the instep and checkerboard the soles.  Something that will look good, but be quicker.  It is a good night's knitting if I finish 5 rows.  But, I do love them.

It's late, so bed time.  Tomorrow we are going to a Luau.  After that, one more day here.  Wow, it has gone by so quickly!

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the world with a bird.

Aloha!

Hello!

Why is the internet always so slow when I am away from home?  Can't post many photos but...

Anyway, had a fabulous first day in Maui, walked all over the town of Lahaina and had lunch at Cheeseburger In Paradise.  Then spent the afternoon in the ocean, or sitting nearby knitting.

Tomorrow we are going for a ride in an outrigger canoe!

Good night from Paradise.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet in the sand.

Eastside Stitchers... It's Up!

Hello:
So... I can explain...
See, I had laundry to fold, and I hadn't packed yet, and I had to finish that last hat and post it to HPKCHC because Oct was ending, and so on, and then it was midnight and I needed to get to bed because we were flying out in the morning, and then yesterday we spent on an airplane etc. etc. but here it is finally, Eastside Stitchers, Oct 30, 2013.

Warning, it will be a miracle if I get everyone's projects straight after two days.  We all fit on one table, but just barely.

BlueBerryMary is hooking a Fans and Pansies Shawl.

CathieC is soooooooooooooooo close to the end of her Racing Raindrops.  She will finish it while I am gone, and will need to bring it for a show and tell for me!

WireKnitter is working on a pair off Vanilla Socks in Trekking.

Wajio has reached the Fish Lips Kiss Heels on her anything but Vanilla Socks in her Hand Dyed Sock Yarn.

Skeinherder is frantically finishing up entries for Malabrigo Stockpile.  Some lucky person will be getting Strep as a gift.

JulieMustKnit brought her gorgeous Antarktis by Kallio Knits.  I believe this project has enabled a few Eastside Stitchers to download this pattern.

I want to direct you to JulieMustKnit's Project pages.  She has posted another of her beautiful weavings.  She didn't bring them to Stitch Night, so I have no photos, but they are lovely and unique.

Pam2 came back for another dose of Eastside Stitchers and brought a hat project.  Sorry I didn't grab the pattern name.  Um, we spent a bit of time discussing the model on the pattern page... and not just the cable pattern itself.

CrunchyNumbers brought her Hermione's Everyday Socks.  She has finished the first heel flap, and I just had to take a photo of that beautiful Eye of Partridge Heel.

I did finish the Penta hat I was knitting for my daughter's (Allifer) bf.

edited quickly to add: Have fun at Vogue Knitting, MsWiz!  Can't wait to hear about it.
Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with stripes and sunsets.