Here’s the deal: Aloha Knitters collects no dues, you are not required to show up at meetings, there is no leader/owner/boss, and the age range of members goes from "still in high school" to "has grandchildren". You do have to join the Yahoo! group in order to read and post, but it’s so that we don’t get inundated with spam. We don’t require a novel for the "why do you want to join" – that’s to screen the spambots as well as to get an idea of where people are coming from and how they are finding the group (it’s nice to know if you will just be visiting, for example). There is a good mix of experience levels going on, and everyone has been very open and welcoming to new members and visitors of all stripes. If you are worried about being weird or shocking, don’t be. Honey, have you seen what I design and knit? The Mocha Java meetings can have anywhere from 5 to 10 in attendance, usually. If you want to have dinner, Mocha Java has a full menu that includes vegetarian options, Shintani diet options, and breakfast all day. They do ask that we not bring in outside food or drinks. If you don’t know if we are the sort of people you would like to hang out with, you can always show up one day, get a drink, and casually sit at a table or at the counter with a magazine, observing the group in action. Huge sunglasses optional. If you are very new and would like some pointers, please post to the group and let us know when you will be coming, if you have your own supplies, and if you’ve been trying to learn from a specific book or leaflet.
We’ve also got a MySpace Profile (www.myspace.com/alohaknitters) and a MySpace Group (http://groups.myspace.com/alohaknitters). You don’t need to be an Aloha Knitters member to be added to the friends list or to the group.
Aloha Knitters Yahoo! Group
Frappr! Map
Honolulu meetings are every Thursday at Mocha Java, Ward Center, inside. This may change, so check the Yahoo! group before making plans!
There’s also a Hawai’i Knitters Webring, so you can even sort of meet us before you meet us!
Currently, there are no regularly scheduled meetings outside of Honolulu, but members will post to see if anyone wants to meet up at a particular location/time/date. All ages, backgrounds, and skill levels are welcome! You don’t even need to knit, crochet, or spin! If you’d like to learn, just post to the list and let us know.
For those of you coming over from Crafting Japanese, I’m reposting my info about Japanese craft books from my old blog here, with a few edits.
edited June 06 to add:
**additional post: More Japanese Craft Book Fun
edited Feb/July 06 to add:
**Check out Crafting Japanese for more on Japanese craft books, including bookstores, language tools, and loads of photos and links. Crafting Japanese’s Help Page includes links to Japanese knitting chart symbols translated into English, a link to a crochet symbols chart (European, in my experience this has been accurate), and a Japanese-English knitting dictionary. My Little Mochi has made a list of commonly found words on pattern pieces (stuffies) available as a free download. Make Write has a list of craft terms and a fun blog post about Googling them. For additional translation help, I recommend finding someone literate in Japanese through a nearby university or a forum like Craftster or Craigslist. If you are one of the hundreds who have come through here via a search for “free amigurumi patterns”, I have a short list of patterns, most of which are free.**
Amigurumi means “knit and wrap” in Japanese. Nuigurumi means “stuffed animal” but the more literal translation is “sew and wrap” (but it would not be used for, say, making a pillow – it’s assumed that you are talking about a toy). “Ami” = knit, “Nui” = sew, “gurumi” = to wrap. “Kagi” is crochet. “Bari” is added on to mean “needle” as in “ami-bari” = knitting needles and “kagi-bari” = crochet hook.
bendi de kyuuto na komonotachi (many useful and cute things)
Ondori
ISBN 4-277-17164-8
Barcode 4943309171643
www.diakeito.co.jp
I don’t know how useful many of the projects in this book are, besides being cute. As usual, though, the projects are so clearly diagrammed that being completely illiterate in Japanese isn’t a problem.
cheesai nuigurumi (small stuffies)
“Petit boutique series”
ISBN 4-8347-6348-X
Two barcodes given:
9784834763485
1929476004000
scottie dog
lion and hippo
elephant and giraffe
babies!
My Lovable Dogs (The Dogs Which I Love)
ISBN: 4-89396-792-4
barcode: 9784893967923
barcode: 1929476009333
This is intended for those with experience making stuffies. The patterns are for realistic dog stuffies, so there are more pattern pieces, more sewing, and some internal structure features that allow the head to turn. Patterns are also included for a t-shirt and raincoat to fit the stuffies. The instructions are step-by-step photographs, and diagrams for how to lay the pattern pieces out on the fabric are included. The patterns are printed at actual size in a pullout.
First-Time Stuffed Animals (rabbit, cat, dog, and bear)
ISBN 529-03901-3
barcode:9784529039017
barcode:1929477006904
This is a beginners book for stuffies, with a minimum of pattern pieces and instructions that are written (in Japanese), illustrated, and photographed every step of the way. Even if you can’t read Japanese, that’s fine – I can’t, and these patterns are easy to follow. The materials needed are photographed too, so you can just take the book to the store with you when you purchase your supplies. All patterns are included at actual size in the book; you can either trace or photocopy them to transfer them to fabric.
Felt Mascots by Keiko Matsuda
ISBN: 4-8347-5476-6
barcode: 9784834754766
barcode: 1929476008008
All the projects are made of felt, and are a great introduction to handsewing. The patterns are easy to follow, and ideas for how to use them (decorations for handbags, mobile phones, etc.) are included in the photos. All patterns are included at actual size; you can either trace or photocopy them.
Babies Soft Cloth Toys and Cloth Books, 0-3 years old
ISBN: 4-8347-2097-7
barcode: 9784834720976
barcode: 1929476009005
This book makes my ovaries and back teeth ache. Just adorable. Most of the projects are for portable items, great for travel or going to the park. The patterns are printed at actual size in a pullout. Too sweet.
Stuffed Amigurumi Animals
ISBN 4-529-03140-3
barcode: 9784529031400
barcode: 1925077007907
barcode: 4955275157781
Takamori Tomoko 1998
66 pages
printed in Japan
A rough translation of the title is “Stuffed Amigurumi Animal: from mini mascot to huggable unique bear, true size big picture presentation.” All the patterns in this book are crochet. “True size big picture presentation” = the photos in the book show the finished stuffies at actual size, ranging from weeny palm of the hand to about 2 apples high.
I bought all of these at Hakubundo by Ala Moana. The webpage has a typo in the address; it is the Pan Am building, as in the defunct airline.
Hakubundo
Pan Am Building
1600 Kapiolani Blvd. Suite 121
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
Phone: (808) 947-5503 / Fax: (808) 947-5602
The staff is Japanese/English bilingual, and most of the staff I’ve dealt with speak English as a first language. I usually walk over, so I don’t know how parking is – there’s a paid parking lot in the building and some metered street parking in the area. It’s on some of the bus lines that go to/from Waikiki and Ala Moana Center. The stock changes frequently, which is great if you are always on the lookout for something new, not so great if you saw something there a month ago and want to buy it now.
I’ve been cleaning up my fiber stash, sorting it out and offloading a lot of unused yarn. It’s all nice and neat in storage tubs (okay, I still have one in the kitchen), sorted into animal fiber, plant fiber, fabric, odds and ends, and unfinished objects. People, the UFO box is the most full. I need to get on it, and taking items to the SNB meeting for finishing work is helping, ’cause I get to talk more and still get things done. On the oddball front, I’ve given most of it away but still have a few that I am Going To Use, I Promise.
Oddball:
Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed. A wool/silk/cashmere blend, color 118 “dusk”, 95m/50g. It has a matted, lumpy texture and is not as soft as you might expect from the fiber content at first, but after a washing it blooms a bit and gets very lovely and soft. I bought a single ball of this when I purchased two balls of “jewel” to make a baby kitty ear hat with. “Jewel” is a lovely deep berry color with little flecks of blue and other colors. “Dusk” is a med-dark gray with flecks of blue, white, rust, and lighter gray. Viv and I have been arguing about it – I say it looks like dryer lint. She had to get a detailed explanation of what dryer lint is (I should not have been surprised that she’s never cleaned out a lint trap), and while she is willing to agree that it has a resemblance, she thinks it’s cool and now wants to make things out of dryer lint.
Oddball Stashbuster: the doll hat
Say hello to our new Pullip! She’s a Rovam, yet to be named.
I’m working on a set of doll hat patterns for sale, possibly in human sizes as well*. This is the prototype for the first, a button cloche. The crown and brim are worked separately and the brim overlaps on the side, where the completely decorative and non-functional button is.
This used up maybe a third of the ball. Very quick, crown done on dpns and brim worked flat using two dpns. I like the tweedy look of the yarn, and the texture camouflages the seam nicely. Pattern in the works!
*If you know what the head measurements for a Blythe doll are, please let me know. I can’t seem to find exact measurements, and I am not going to buy one just so I can find out.
Update: thanks Keohinani!
“the regular blythe doll head is 10.5″ in circumference. from the chin to the top of the head measures about 4″. from the top of the ear to the top of the head is about 2″. laying the measuring tape flat against the forehead, the distance from ear to ear on the face is 5″. going over the top of the head, the distance from ear to ear is 6.5″. need anything else?”
