Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Fingerless Mitts

We're taking a trip to soon where the temperatures dip below the 70s. I decide to make Susie's Reading Mitts to keep my hands warm.

I'm using the Malabrigo that I picked up in Seattle (it's in the top right corner). Dropped down a needle size and cast on 36 instead of 42 that the pattern calls for. They were a quick knit - you should make some...

Washcloths...

I've been making washcloths to give away with my soap. A thank you for testing the results of my new hobby. These are made with 100% cotton that I have in my stash.

I'm always on the lookout for some simple patterns for these. Do you any favorite patterns?

A hat for the Mr.

I posted about this yarn that the Mr. picked for his hat. Here is the almost finished product. Two of them, actually. See all the ends that still need to be weaved in? My thumb is healing and I have been doing a bit of knitting, but I am having a hard time threading the needle to weave in the ends.

Isn't it a great pattern? And it's free! It is designed by Suzy Crancer. You can find it on Ravelry, here. The main color is Cascade 220 in Jet and the design is in Snowbird by Nashua Handknits. Snowbird is an aran weight yarn that I picked up on clearance a couple of months ago.

Blog list

I am always looking for craft blogs to visit for ideas and inspiration. Here's a great site that lists the blogs of 123 stitchers. Stop by and see what everyone is up to!

Thanks Rita for putting the information together in one place!

Back on track, slowly...

I've been knitting some Christmas gifts. My thumb is not completely healed yet, so it has been slow going. But the real reason I'm posting today is the Mr. asked for a hat.

I always give him first choice before I send the hats to hospice. Once he picked out a yellow one, only to add it back to the pile for the next shipment. This weekend he asked for one and even picked out the blue yarn from my last yarn buying binge. The yardage in the skein is a bit short (66 yards) and I couldn't quite complete it. So instead, I'll try this with this Cascade 220 in Jet.  

December 7, 1941

Every year on December 7th, we remember the attack on our islands. If you get a chance to visit the islands, please make some time to see the Arizona Memorial. You will sometimes find a veteran there willing to speak about his experiences. There are also civilians there who are willing to share their stories about "the day that will live in imfamy". Today, in addition to the rememberance ceremonies, they are dedicating the newly renovated visitor center.

Take A Moment To Thank A VeteranBy Joanna Fuchs

When you see someone in a uniform,
Someone who serves us all,
Doing military duty,
Answering their country’s call,

Take a moment to thank them
For protecting what you hold dear;
Tell them you are proud of them;
Make it very clear.

Just tap them on the shoulder,
Give a smile, and say,
"Thanks for what you’re doing
To keep us safe in the USA!"

 

Ouch!

I had a whole list of things planned out for the holiday weekend... and things came to a grinding halt! Let's just say be careful around sharp objects...

So, I will be stepping away from the blog for a bit until my thumb gets better...see you in a bit...

Snow!

Snow? Not here in Honolulu, but up in the Pacific Northwest. Mom was very excited with the first snowfall this week and I got many updates, so I'm sharing them with you.
The first is after one hour, the second was taken on the next day.

Stay warm everyone. Or hop on a plane and come visit me!

don't forget behind the ears....

So... I couldn't resist and decided to take the advance soap making class to learn about color and additives. My first bars were the plain with fragance. This batch has fragrance, color AND oatmeal! I just cut it, so I have to wait a few weeks before I can try it out...

I didn't peek this time, so no photos of the gel stage. This is just before I unmolded it. I chose a orange/almond scent and a bit of oatmeal for texture.

Hmmm... didn't do a great job on the plastic wrap this time. Note to self: pay attention when wrapping the mold. What if I call it a "design element"?

We were going for a burgandy accents with the natural color of the soap. The color needed to be mixed (red and black). The results are more plum-ish with swirls of the natural... Not what what I expected, but a lovely surprise.

I decided to cut half of the batch into a smaller size. Handier to pass out and ask people to test it for me. It's laid out next to my first batch...

So what's next you ask? Well... I'm gathering the supplies to try it out on my own, without supervision.... wish me luck!

Wash Clean...

I love home made soaps. I have been buying them when we travel, online and from etsy. It gets a little pricey...

Last month I took a class at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. It was a class on making cold process soaps. It started off with a short lecture on the ingredients and process of making soap. Then a demo on mixing the lye solution and mixing a batch.

Then we all got to mix our own batch of soap. The ingredients were all measured out for a basic recipe and heated to the right temperatures. We just needed to pick our scent for the soap. This is what it looks liked shortly after I got home.

It needs to sit for at least 24 hours, wrapped up to keep the heat in, while the chemical reactions take place. I peeked to see what was happening. This is the gel stage.

And after a little more than 24 hours (because I forgot), I released the soap from the mold. The mold is wrapped in plastic to keep it from sticking. There were some small holes in my plastic where the soap leaked out and stuck to the mold.  

After it is cut into bars, the soap needs to be cured for about three weeks. If you look closely you can see that the bars are a bit shiny and not completely dry. These bars are scented with the Love Spell scent from the Soap Box (who conducted the class) and do not have any coloring added... that's for the next class...

Making soap in class was simple, everything was prepared in advance for us. I just used the first bar of soap and it is lovely... next class - adding color and additives...

Giraffe is DONE!

"Assembly required" is the cause for projects sitting in my "to-do" stack. This guy had all, but his mane and spots done. This weekend I sat myself down, determined to put him together... So may I present Mr. Giraffe...

some rain, so more rainbows...

365 days of rainbows is moving along slowly... I have 15 days so far.

TTL 2010 socks - DONE!

It's seems like it's been ages since I've posted a finish... I am happy to report the Through the Loops Socktober mystery socks are done! Perfect for the "cool" weather headed our way.


In Knit Picks Stoll - Duchess Heather on size 2.0mm dpns. I had two skeins and started each sock with a new skein, so now I'm left with two partial ones... Maybe enough for some short wristlets...

20 flowers needlecase

Are you here for the cross stitch? I started the next accessory in the 20 Flowers design. It is a needlecase to match the scissors case and fob. Just started it, so there's not much to see...

Lots of rain recently... And that means rainbows! Slowly, but surely making my way to 365 days of rainbows.

Enjoy your weekend!

The last stop...

One last post of the trip...
The day before we left, we made a trip to the Issaquah Farmers Market at Pickering Barn. Don't you just love the colors of the market? I'll let the photos speak for themselves...

more tourist-y things

We did some hit up some the visitor attractions in Seattle. This time it was the Seattle Aquarium, The Museum of Flight and our usual stop to the Salmon Hatchery. Not all on the same day, of course...

The aquarium is nicely done. They even had a section on marine life found in Hawaii. The otters were having a blast swimming around in their space. Lots of room in the touch pool too!

I must say that I didn't really know what to expect when we visited the Musuem of Flight. I really enjoyed it. A little too much, I think, as we spent half a day there. We took the short walk across the street to walk through Air Force One. I spent a lot of time in the WWI and WWII exhibits. We even got to see a 787 take off for a test flight.

And lastly, we're here during the salmon run, so a stop at the Issaquah Hatchery is in order.

The root beer place...

We always pass it on the way to Boehms candy, but this is the first time we stopped to eat at Triple XXX Rootbeer. How can you resist a place that actually tells you:

 You know it's gotta be good!

It is a little overwhelming when your first walk in, every inch of the walls and ceiling is covered with stuff... Cool stuff...

The menu is just as overwhelming... lots of choices and they all sound good! Dessert first - a Root Beer Float!

The Rocket Super 88 (the Classic Cheeseburger with Chili Fries)

 

The Chevelle SS 396 (Mushroom and Swiss Burger with Curly Fries and 2 Onion Rings

And the Bumper (fried prawns)...

Time out - one sock done!

A break from the trip pics... I am happy to report that as of October 31st, I have completed one (yes, ONE) side of the TTL Mystery sock. It is no longer a mystery me. I am happy to report that I am half way down the leg of the second sock, so hopefully I will have a pair of purple socks in the near future. It really is purple, click here for a better pic of the color.

Another recommendation found us walking to The Sticky Wicket Pub and Restaurant at the Strathcona Hotel for lunch.

 The sandwich of the day was a Grilled Prime Rib Steak Sandwich. Perfectly cooked open-faced sandwich.

This is a Stickey Wicket Burger (bacon and cheddar) with a cup of Salmon Chowder. The best burger on the trip! Definitely not counting calories or cholesterol on this trip!

And you gotta love the sign - " No rotten looking jeans"!

On to the gardens!

You know that you are going to see the sunken garden, when you plan a trip to Butchart Gardens. You've seen pictures of it, but when you get there and see it in person it is very impressive. You could hear it from everyone around you... "WOW", "Oh my, how beautiful"... all the ooohs and aaahs are well deserved.



We visted in mid-September, luckily the late summer flowers were all in bloom. Only a few places were being changed out for the fall. The weather cooperated and we enjoyed a beautiful day at the garden..
As I mentioned before, we took the express shuttle, so we were able to walk around at our leisure. If you decide to take the shuttle, be sure to get your hand stamped before you leave the garden. If the bus is full, you will be asked to wait for the next one.

See the butterflies...

When you go to Butchart Gardens, don't forget to make a stop at the Butterfly Gardens. We took the Grayline West Express Shuttle to the Gardens and they make a stop at the Butterfly Gardens on the way to Butchart. You can stay as long as you like and catch the next shuttle to get to Butchart. It was a great tip that we learned on TripAdvisor.

Once inside, we stepped into a tropical garden. Quite different from the cool weather outside. But you soon forgot about the humidity as the butterflies flitted around you. Lots of photo opportunities... Just watch where you step!

The best way to start the day

We stayed at the Chateau Victoria, which boasts a rooftop restaurant, Vista 18, with a 360 degree view...

I'm sure it is a spectacular view when there is no fog! When we first stepped in the restaurant, it felt as if we were up in the clouds. You couldn't even see the buildings next door. This photo was taken after 30 minutes, a little better.

Breakfast, however, was a much better view. If you are hungry, then Mount Baker is for you... Eggs, ham, bacon AND pancakes with a berry compote. Delicious!

 

 Made to order Omlette with Breakfast Potatoes. Chips for breakfast - I love it! And they had homemade blueberry jam, yummy.

Vista Scramble - Chorizo, Tomato, Cheddar and Mozzarella on Sourdough toast.  Perfect way to start the day!