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Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!


Can it really be, the end of 2012?  It went by way to fast! I woke up this morning thinking to myself, how will I spend this very last day of the year?  I decided, it was time to organize my yarns;

review my UFO pile;

 seek out new inspiration;

and pause to reflect...
I learned a few new knit and crochet skills this year and I worked on many fun projects that brought me much joy and happiness. But most of all, I had the pleasure of sharing all of this with you, my followers.  I am so very grateful to each and every one of you for stopping by. I look forward to the year ahead and making plans for new projects. Cheers and a Happy New Years!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

a celebration and much needed r and r...


Woo Hoo...Hubby and I celebrated 25 years of marriage this December and spent a wonderful week on what we consider the most beautiful of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui. In the middle of our crazy work schedules and all the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the Christmas season, we put our everyday lives on hold and headed off for a great adventure, and it turned out to be just that.  This was our first trip, less children, in way too long and it was exciting to think about how we wanted to spend our days while there. It turned out that our mornings were for snorkeling and our afternoons for exploring and hiking.  A week is certainly not enough time to see everything that Maui has to offer, so we concentrated on three areas that we chose to explore.  First was Honokowai, on the west side where we rented a condo that had a beautiful view looking out at the islands of Molokai and Lanai.  
View to the island of Molokai
We saw the best sunsets while there, the most rainbows and had fun looking thru our binoculars for whales spouting, breeching and tail slapping (all while hanging out on our lanai sipping cold ones).  The time we spent reconnecting with each other was exactly what we needed.  Why is it that our everyday lives give us so little time to do exactly that?  (Note to self; need to work on this).
Resting after a long hike
Our next destination; Hana.  Now we’ve been to Maui several times but have never made the trek over to the east side to see the waterfalls that everyone raves about.
Baldwin Park near Paia, stopped along the way to Hana
So off we went driving on what seemed to be the never-ending road up the mountain and over to the wettest side of the island. We spent a couple days exploring this lush paradise.  The flowers were amazing and the local papaya, bananas and cocoanuts were delicious. We’re glad we got to experience a bit of Hana, but the high winds, huge surf, intermittent rains and the sense of remoteness were not our idea of a restful vacation.
Hamoa Beach - Hana
Been there, done that… and off we went to our third stop, Kihei.  Unexpectedly, it turns out that this part of the island is our favorite.  Gentle breezes, great snorkeling and beautiful sandy beaches welcomed us and stole our hearts.
Kihei...we love you...
What an amazing week of focusing on the Us that have been partners for the past 25 years. It seems like yesterday that we said our I-Do’s. We’ve known the joy of raising a family and have also known the heartbreak of difficult challenges over the course of this journey called marriage.  I’m happy to report that we return refreshed, full of gratitude and ready to face the challenges that lay ahead, because as we all know, life just keeps on coming at us…P.S.  made time for a bit of hexipuffing too!

Friday, December 7, 2012

Amazing Sunset

Just had to share this. The view from the lanai. Hubby and I got to watch this sunset unfold while we were having our dinner this evening. So beautiful!

Saturday, December 1, 2012

a wonderful story...


Have you seen this?  Alana Dakos and her 6 year old daughter wrote this adorable little book ‘Annie and the Swiss cheese scarf’.  When I saw this on Alana’s blog, Never not knitting, I knew I had to get a copy for my grand niece, Madeline.  It arrived, and I couldn’t wait to sit down and read it.  It is a well-written children’s book and the illustrations by Neesha Hudson are perfectly matched to the story.
I just love it!  I decided to knit the scarf; pattern is available on ravelry, so my niece could wear it while she was reading the adventures of Annie as she takes up knitting. Madeline is 5, a great age to be introduced to the art and should the spark ignite, enjoy a life long love of knitting.  I’m excited to spend some time with her and this wonderful little book over the holiday season. I’m hoping the accompanying skein of yarn and knitting needles will encourage her to knit her very first Swiss cheese scarf… 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

vite cowl


Lovely model, daughter Kristi

My vite cowl is fresh off the needles.  Blocking really helped even out the bumps and uneven areas.  The pattern is super easy to follow and lightning fast to whip up. Last minute gifts anyone? I am very happy with the results.  Now I understand why all the buzz over on ravelry. May just have to make up another…
Love the big stitch definition- Soft, cushy and warm

Sunday, November 11, 2012

❤ finally it's fall ❤


Finally, it feels like the season has changed from summer to fall here in Sunny So Cal.  When I woke up to rain on Friday, and gusty winds on Saturday, I knew it was ok to bring out the cozy warm garments from storage and I couldn’t be happier.  I love the beautiful fall colors, the smell of clean crisp air and the sound of crunchy leaves as I take my daily walk.

In celebration I decided I needed to make a new hat and chose to make a beret. I found this cute, easy to follow crochet pattern; Dynamite Beret by Jaime Eads Maraia from her e-book; Fancy-Schmancy (available on Amazon) or her website.
Dynamite Beret
Made with Madelinetosh DK (My favorite yarn) in the color Wicked (hehe).
                                       
                                                            ❤ Enjoy your weekend 

Saturday, November 3, 2012

in the works


After knitting with size 1 and 2 double points for the past few projects, I felt the need to bring out the jumbo size 15 needles to mix it up a bit.
I’ve had the Vite Cowl pattern by designer Kristi Johnson in my revelry que (free download) for awhile and brought it out to play.  I just love bulky yarn and the instant gratification it gives to the knitter. I’m using Ella Rae Mega in a lovely lavender shade #304 for this project.
Off I go to make some more progress on this one.
the beginning...