My prayer for this evening (April 16, 2011)

God, please give me a spirit of mildness, a spirit of patience, a spirit of understanding.

We all need to truly analyze why we do and say the things that we do and say.

What is the agenda? If there is an agenda, why the need for an agenda?

What is the motivation? What truly is the point?

When it is my time to complete my Life Circle, I do not want to be remembered for my career or accolades achieved in that career. When people mention my name, I do not want it mentioned in the same breath as any negative words.

I want to be remembered for the type of person that I truly am. I want to be remembered for my good deeds and my strong attachment to family and friends.

When it is my time to complete my Life Circle, I want to be correct with God.

Vogue Knitting Live!!! January 21st-23rd 2011 The Hilton Hotel NYC

Vogue Knitting Live!!!!

What a truly awesome event! This was the 1st ever event of this kind that Vogue Knitting has put together and it was awesome!

I have always gone to the STITCHES events around the country, as well as The Knit and Crochet shows, but these are always in other states.

I am so happy that Vogue Knitting held this event in NYC! They truly did it New York Style at the lovely Hilton Hotel and this gave people from the tri-state area a chance to experience this event that was so close to home.

Master hand Knitwear and Crochet Designers were on hand: Shirley Paden, Doris Chan and Lily Chin just to name a few.

Vendors and Yarn companies from around the world were there. People came from as far away as Australia to take classes with these Master Jedi's of Knitting and Crocheting. Friends were reunited. New friendships were formed. Truly a great time indeed :-)

New video from Shirley Paden :-)

Here is the latest video from my friend and knitwear design mentor, Shirley Paden :-)



YouTube - Shirley Paden

Craig's Scarf

I made this for my amazing husband Craig a couple of years back.

I made it in chocolate brown because I thought it would be a great match for his chocolate brown coat. Actually, the colors were a great match for MY chocolate brown coat too!

LOL!!!!

The scarf can be made all solid or however many colors you want. If you decide to do stripes on the ends, just make sure that the color sequence and the rows match up. Or they don't have to if you don't want them to! LOL!!!!

Bollicine Dolly Yarn (Distributed by Cascade Yarns-100% Extrafine Merino)

2 skeins-Chocolate

US size 6 24 inch circular needle. You can use straight needles-I just knit EVERYTHING on Circulars-personal preference ya know ;-)

A multiple of 6 stitches+3. I cast on 39.

Cast on 39 Stitches (Or any number of stitches that is a multiple of 6+3. Depends on how wide you want the scarf to be.)

Row 1: *K3,P3-repeat from * to last 3 stitches, K3

Row 2: *K1,P1-repeat from * to last stitch, K1

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until the scarf is as long as you want it to be.

Bind off using row 1 pattern sequence.

Block lightly and weave in the ends :-)

What I am Thankful For.

I am thankful to GOD for my amazing husband Craig Rivers. Not only is he an amazing professor of classical music as well as all other genres, he is a champion of love and commitment. He shows his love and support in huge ways and small ways all of the time. I am thankful for our two amazing teenagers, who excel not only academically, but also as wonderful young people :-). Thankful for equally amazing family and friends. I am thankful to and for my parents Tarraquah and Shanna Maniluwhua for raising all 7 of us to be all that we can be. My parents made sure that all 7 of us went to various Universities so that we each could get a stellar education and excel in whatever would be our fields of choice.

I am thankful that I have been able to make a smooth transition from one amazing career-retiring from the dance world with grace, to another equally fulfilling career.

Thankful for my best friends Dawn, Mia, Sharon and Nhojj.

Thankful to GOD for seeing the 'proverbial straw' and knowing before even I knew that amazing blessings were in store. Thankful to Smithsonian NMAI for seeking me out and giving me this amazing opportunity and career advancement. In the words of my friend James: "You're a teacher. Not a shop gal." LOL!!!

Thankful to Suzanne I. (Smithsonian NMAI team Research, Restoration and Duplication) for being my 'right hand' and keeping the stress level down-despite the huge undertaking, long days and details. I could not ask for a better Co-Partner! Thankful to team RRD at NMAI for the genuine welcome and for the hours of wholesomeness and fun (amidst all of the technical stuff and crazy details.) Even after all the long hours we still find time to have fun! Thankful to the amazing ladies of the "Little House" (Hours of knitting/crocheting, tea, advice, and comfort ;-) That hard apple cider thing was ridiculous! LOL!!!!!

Thankful that my work is tried and true and that it speaks for itself. Thankful for Dance Mentors Alvin Ailey, (Ms J) Judith Jamison and Arthur Mitchell. Thankful for Knitting/Crochet Mentors Shirley Paden, Arnetta Kenney and Marybeth Temple (who has officially been renamed Marybeth 'trouble maker' Temple) LOL!!!! (You know I am going to get blamed for your antics-but so what. LOL!!!!!

These people have not only been my mentors, they are family and true friends. So many people have said recently that I look stronger, even younger and healthier. Quoting one of my very best friends: 'When you are happy in all aspects of life, it totally shows."

I am thankful to all of my former Dance students-It's heartwarming to see you all go forward. I am thankful to all of my former Knitting/Crochet students (LBYS, FIT, Parsons, Cooper Union) who kept my teaching skills sharp as I repeated the same things over and over to you. Thankful to LBYS, FIT, Parsons, Cooper Union-for letting me teach at these establishments and introducing me to all of these wonderful students. Thankful that my family and true real friends know me, and despite what a small few may think they know about me, life is grand. Thankful for all of my current students. Thankful to the young lady that has commissioned me to knit/crochet her wedding dress. I have done 2 wedding dresses previously, but this one is a huge challenge! Thankful that my hands hold up to the work. Thankful that I have met (with days to spare) all work deadlines.

Thankful to a very special student (Judy G.) for letting me use the catch phrase: "Don't worry about where you have been. Just worry about where you are going." We were talking about a crochet technique and she rephrased my words. These words hold true for life and experiences also.

Thankful that I acted in good faith and fulfilled what I felt was my personal commitment to a past assignment. Even though so many people advised me against it, I felt that I had to continue with students who were expecting me to do so-even though the other teachers were absolutely perfectly capable of doing so to a high degree.

I am thankful for experiences, both pleasant and not so pleasant. There are lessons in everything

Easy Like Sunday Morning Knitted Hat

I woke up on a beautiful Sunday morning and decided to knit a hat!
LOL!!!
Here’s the recipe :-)

Materials:
Berroco Pure Merino 3 skeins
US size 7 16 inch circular knitting needle (for ribbing)
US size 9 16 inch circular knitting needle
US size 9 double pointed knitting needles (for crown shaping when there are so few stitches that the circular doesn’t work anymore :-)

PATTERN STITCH:

K2, p2, Rib worked in the rnd (multiple of 4 sts)

Rnd 1: *K2, p2; rep from * around.

Rep Rnd 1 for K2, p2 Rib worked in the rnd.

HAT

With US size 7 16 inch circular needle cast on 93 sts.
Place marker for beg of rnd. Join by slipping the first st on right hand needle to the left hand needle and knit 2 stitches together. You will have 92 stitches.
Be careful not to twist sts.

Work in K2, p2 Rib worked in the round until piece measures 6 inches from the beginning.

Next (Decrease) Rnd: Change to US size 9 16 inch circular needle

(K29, k2tog) twice, knit to end of rnd - 90 sts rem at the end of this rnd.

Work in St st worked in the rnd (k every rnd) until piece measures 9 inches from beginning.

Crown Shaping

Note: You will need to change to US size 9 double pointed needles (dpn’s) when stitches have been sufficiently decreased.

Rnd 1:(Decrease Rnd): *K8, place marker, k2tog; rep from * to end of rnd - 81 sts.

Rnd 2: Knit.

Rnd 3: (Decrease Rnd): *K to marker, slip marker, k2tog; rep from * to end of rnd - 72 sts.

Rnd 4: Knit.

Rep last 2 rnds (rounds 3 and 4) 6 more times (7 times total)- 18 sts rem after all decreases have been completed.

Remove markers while working this next row:

Next (Decrease) Rnd: *K2tog; rep from * to end of rnd - 9 sts.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread tail through rem sts and pull to gather to make a tight circumference. Knot securely and weave in ends :-)