Archive for the ‘Aloha Knitters’ Category
Aloha Knitters Merchandise
Sunday, August 15th, 2010
So a funny thing happened at knit night…
Thursday, July 30th, 2009Because there was a photographer coming, I made a special attempt to get to Thursday Night Knit Club at Mocha Java – changed my work schedule, put on my favorite new shirt, swiped on some lipstick. We’d been told that the editor for the story wanted us to do what we normally do, so I did what I normally do – I ate dinner and chatted, and then at the end of it, the photographer pushed the model release form going around the table away from me, saying that oh no, she hadn’t taken any photos of me, because…
I wasn’t knitting.
Well. When’s the last time someone just cut you dead out of a photo because you weren’t knitting? Hah! Oh, and like Patrice pointed out – you know, some of us also crochet.
But my story doesn’t end there – I took the bus home and took out my current project, a Top-Down Ribbed Beanie worked with 5 dpns…and the fifth dpn wasn’t in the bag. So: I rushed to knit night, then rushed out so that I could get the bus home, and then I didn’t get to knit even one stitch! Glad I went, though – got to chat with May and Opal, and admire the earrings Opal made for May, give K-Brow a hug before she leaves for Georgia, and sip a chocolate chai.
Oh, and have you checked out the new Aloha Knitters website?
Yarn: Tasted!
Monday, June 29th, 2009So the yarn-tasting at the Hawai’i State Library downtown this past Saturday went well – but I didn’t take any pictures, and when I realized that, immediately thought “great, now nobody is going to believe me.” I had capped attendance at 25, figured we’d be lucky to get 20, and then 30 people signed up (and I think a couple more showed up).
Fortunately for me, Nadine Kam from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin was there, took photos, and blogged about it (thanks Nadine!)
Yarn ‘Tasting’ at the library (Fashion Tribe)
There were a couple of things I wish I’d managed to do differently – I’d wanted to talk more about knitting/crocheting for charity, and I also wanted to chat more with the attendees! I did get to talk briefly with a few people, but I wanted to hang out with *everyone* who attended – I hope I’ll get to see some of them at an Aloha Knitters meeting, ’cause like I said at the tasting, you people are the ones I need to talk to – you don’t need to be listening to me. Seriously, you should have seen some of the gorgeousness being kipped/cipped in that crowd! Thanks to all who attended, and for reals, I want to hang out with you all.
Most of the yarns in the tasting came from Isle Knit. The Maui Yarns came direct from Sara, and the Peaches & Creme came from Wal-Mart (and as I mentioned at the event, Wal-Marts nationwide are closing their craft departments – Ben Franklin has Sugar ‘n Cream; if they don’t have Peaches & Creme you might want to ask them about carrying it).
Oh, and someone had asked about a knit clothes hanger cover pattern in a book – I knew I’d seen at least one.
Twinkle’s Weekend Knits by Twinkle Chia, and Glamour Knits at Home by Erika Knight both have a pattern. However, the library doesn’t have those books at this time. There’s a free online pattern by Sara Golder (Easy Coat Hanger Covers), though!
WWKIP Honolulu
Saturday, June 13th, 2009A bit last minute, but just in case anyone has been wondering and didn’t get the updates on Ravelry, Twitter, and the Aloha Knitters Yahoo! Group:
Worldwide Knit In Public Day: June 13 2009 (today!)
Aloha Knitters will be meeting in the center courtyard of the Aloha Tower Marketplace from 2 – 5 pm. I’ve added the marketplace to the map below in case anyone needs directions (the red marker sitting in Honolulu Harbor). If you plan to drive, I recommend finding street parking downtown and walking over – the Aloha Tower Marketplace does have a pay parking lot, and it gets very full rather quickly. Also, the Kamehameha Day Parade is today – it starts in downtown and goes to Waikiki; by 2 pm I’m thinking downtown will have cleared up but just in case, you may want to allow a little extra time for traffic.
Yarn Tasting at the Hawaii State Library
Friday, June 5th, 2009
My current plan is to have a short talk on the library collection of knit/crochet books and specific books particularly applicable for our climate, and then a quick review of the yarns. I haven’t chosen and acquired all the yarns yet; Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton and Skinny Cotton, Cascade Eco Wool, Lana Knits Hemp for Knitting, and a seacell/silk blend are on the for-sure list, though.
Quick update:
“Come to the library for quick reviews of knitting and crocheting books in the library collection and a yarn-tasting! Sample bags will include mini-skeins of yarns good for tropical-weather garments as well as yarns good for use in felting and making warm garments and accessories for cold-climate friends, relatives, and charitable organizations. Feel free to bring a project to work on during the presentation, or to show off afterwards if you like. There will be a brief Q&A session if you have any questions about knitting/crocheting in Hawai’i. No how-to knit/crochet/spin lessons will be given at this event; reviews of instructional books, videos, and DVDs will be included in the presentation, though, and a handout of yarn shops and where you can take lessons will also be available.”
Star Jasmine (Crochet Headband Pattern)
Sunday, April 26th, 2009
$5.50 USD
A quick pattern for a simple floral lace headband, with options for ties or a covered elastic strap to secure, as well as an elasticized version that goes all the way around the head. As of July 2010, there are two versions, one with North American (Canada/US) terminology, and a version using AUS/NZ/UK terminology. Both versions give measurements in both inches and centimeters. Both versions are included in the Ravelry purchase.
Pattern includes full written instructions and crochet symbol charts.
Individuals and small groups may make and sell up to 12 headbands per pattern purchase; please contact me if you have any questions.
for styles 1 and 2 (partial headband with ties or covered strap):
YARN: Sport/5-ply/12 wpi yarn, such as Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton, 100% organic cotton, 150 yds/137 m per skein, or Southwest Trading Company a-MAIZing, 100% corn fiber, 50g/130m per ball. Pattern uses about 25 yards/23
meters. Cream-colored version in photo is Skinny Cotton Organic, color Birch 30, and turquoise-blue version is a-MAIZing, color Little Boy Blue.
HOOK: E/4/3.50mm crochet hook
NOTIONS: for style 2 (covered elastic band): sewing or beading elastic, 2 pieces, each about 7”/18cm long (for covered elastic band version). If you can find clear beading elastic, it will show through the least.
for style 3 (full band):
YARN: Cascade Fixation, 98.3% cotton/1.7% elastic, 50 g/100 yds/91 m per ball, or Elann Esprit, 98.3% cotton/1.7% elastic, 50 g/100 yds/91 m per ball. Pattern uses about 25 g/50 yds/46 m.
HOOK: G/6/4.5 mm crochet hook
Sizes: S, M, L
S: 12”/30.5cm long, 2”/5cm wide
M: 14” /35.5cm long, 2”/5cm wide
L: 16” /40.5cm long, 2” /5cm wide
Gauge: 2dc-cluster measures 1″/25mm wide
style 1: ties 11”/28 cms long
style 2: covered elastic 5.5”/14cm long
Abbreviations used (US/Canada):
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
dc = double crochet
… = repeats skipped in chart due to space issues
Abbreviations used (AUS/NZ/UK):
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
sl st = slip stitch
tr= treble crochet
… = repeats skipped in chart due to
space issues
Toasty!
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009"…like fresh-baked bread for your feet" (moth heaven) It's true. I know that may sound really strange (bread? for feet?) but it's such a treat. Until I slipped on a pair of socks made just for me, I didn't really realize just how poorly the machine-made standardized size socks I buy at the store fit.
Opal (the Akamai Knitter) knit me these socks as a "because you’re my friend and you don’t have enough handknit socks and I need to not knit anymore socks for me" present. I've knit socks for other people, and I did have one pair of handknit socks that I got as part of a sock swap a few years back, but they were knit from worsted weight and very thick and heavy, so I rarely used them, and then I lost one of them.
The timing was perfect – it's been getting down into the 50's at night here, and I know many of you are not impressed by that, but wait! When it's 54F outside, it's 54F in my bedroom. The one with the 'industrial-chic' bare concrete floor. A sweatshirt has been added to my usual pj's and I keep slippers by my bed, but what I really wanted was a pair of warm wooly socks. I have lots of cotton socks. They don't keep my feet warm, and they also tend to slip off while I'm sleeping.
And now I have them!
These even match the colors of my patchwork blanket – I'll try to get a better photo later on today. I took these photos while I was still in bed this morning (that's my ceiling you see in the top photo).
Thank you Opal! They fit perfectly!
Knitting on O’ahu (Honolulu Advertiser article)
Friday, December 5th, 2008If you are here because you read Karen Iwamoto’s article in the Dec. 05 2008 Island Life section of the Honolulu Advertiser, um, hi! Karen did a great job interviewing me (she’s very easy to spill your guts to – good thing I’m not in politics), and Rebecca Breyer, the photographer, did a great job too (and we even small-worlded it and figured out that she used to live in the same town in Wisconsin that one of my friends grew up in, and where I saw snow up close for the first time).
Links!
O’ahu has several yarn shops, and I know that there are shops on the island of Hawai’i (the “Big Island”) and Maui. I’ve been maintaining a list of yarn shops and a list of craft stores that carry yarn; if I’m missing any, please let me know. The list of yarn shops in Hawai’i is also available as a Aloha Knitters (and crocheters and spinners) on Thursday nights at Mocha Java (Ward Shopping Center, 7 – 9pm) Please join the Aloha Knitters Yahoo! Group for the most up-to-date information including when/where for Windward and Leeward meetings. It’s free, open to all ages and skill levels, and it’s fun!
Etsy is a fantastic online marketplace for handcrafts and handcrafters. I have a storefront there where I sell patterns in PDF format (you can also buy them as instant downloads if you use the links on the left sidebar of this page). Occasionally I sell finished items as well; if you really really really want a hat or scarf from one of my patterns but do not knit or crochet, you can check my Etsy Favorites for Etsy sellers who have finished items from my patterns, or use the Alchemy feature to find a crafter for hire. Etsy also has a Shop Local feature (Honolulu!) so you can find items from local crafters, like The Opalescence (handspun yarn and stitch markers) and Acornbud (project bags, stitch markers, and adorable stuffies like Snowball the Cat With a Christmas Hat).
Knitty is a free online magazine, edited by Amy Singer, with patterns, articles, and a forum. The Womb pattern was published in the Winter 2004 issue because Amy has got a sense of humor like mine; if you have any questions please check out the Womb FAQ first.
The Alt Fiber show (curated by the super-talented and always on-the-go Shannon Okey) took place at the Assemble gallery in Cleveland, Ohio, in January 2006.
The hats shown in the article were all knit using the Top-Down Ribbed Beanie Recipe, which you can download for free. It’s easy to customize, and a great way to show off unusual yarns like the handspuns used for two of the hats in the photos.
Mobile Monster Piggy is in the Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation book, edited by Debbie Stoller. You can find it in the craft section of most major bookstores, along with the original Stitch ‘N Bitch, Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker, and Son of Stitch ‘N Bitch (featuring knit and crochet patterns for men).
The crochet Sushi Pillow pattern is in the book Get Hooked!, edited by Kim Werker. It is also available through many major bookstores.
The Rosetta flower hairclip is a crochet pattern in progress, as are the scarves seen in the photos (yep, there’s a lot of crochet going on in the photos – it’s okay, the yarn muggles generally can’t tell the difference between knit and crochet and ultimately I don’t think it matters. I love both.). Feel free to nudge me into getting those patterns formatted, photographed, and published…but know that I am really, really good at procrastinating.
Interested in learning to knit, crochet, and/or spin? Check out this post for Honolulu.
…and if you still need a reason, please read Page 197, or 10 Reasons To Knit a Sweater in Hawai’i.
Yarn Shop Map!
Thursday, May 15th, 2008I’m going to tinker with this a bit before I insert it into the longer blog post reviewing the shops. If I missed a shop, please let me know!
Edited: I removed the embedded map and replaced it with a link; the embedded map is problematic for some web browsers. The map includes craft shops that carry yarn and shops of potential interest (needlepoint, fabric, quilting, beads and a Japanese bookstore that carries knitting/crocheting books).
The list of yarn shops is still available as a free PDF download too.
Hawai’i Stitchers in the Yarn Market News
Friday, January 18th, 2008The January 2008 issue of Yarn Market News includes a half-page on stitching in Hawai’i! The content has been edited; what got cut is nothing I haven’t written about before on this blog – if you think an important point was missed, please add it in the comments to this post.
This blog has been a little thin on new knitting, crocheting, and Hawai’i-focused content; you can get more of that over at The Akamai Knitter (she started the Honolulu SNB, which has since become Aloha Knitters), Acornbud’s Yarns, and other members of the Hawaii Knitters and Crocheters Web Ring.
Quick list of links for those visiting because of the article:
Aloha Knitters
Yarn Shops in Hawai’i
Yarn-Carrying Craft Shops in Hawai’i
Hawaii Knitters and Crocheters Web Ring
10 Reasons to Knit a Sweater in Hawai’i
Get Around
