Nya nya, I swooped in and scooped up all keikigifts' fairy tiara stash last week! Okay, I shouldn't gloat. Sorry. But I so happy I now have some more wondeful, original, handmade gifts. Yippee! Now if I could just get organized so I don't panic at last minute because I forgot I already have the presents.

We celebrated July 4th by dying yarn using Kool Aid. I turned one skein of Cascade 220 into six and the girls had three chances each to hand-dye, single color in the microwave, and single color on the stove. Boy, that was easy AND fun! We need to find more colors of Kool Aid. Only three available in Times Supermarket in packets. I wonder if other brand drink mixes work. I would like to dry a green and a blue. I'd also like to try REAL yarn dyes like those offered by Knit Picks.

Just finished photographin the keiki kane lei and new Ringos. I had especially good time taking the lei pictures. See!!!

Looking at it now, the picture seems a little dark to me. Maybe I'll make a light box like Kai's.
And most exciting: I met up with the Aloha Knitters last night! Whooooeeeeeee! That was FUN! I got to meet real people whose blogs I read and who are also a little loony about the yarn. We looked at each others' knitting magazines, yarn, projects, stitch markers, and dog! Everybody was really nice and I was just so happy to be there. So many came out to knit! That was awesome!

I just posted a review for this book:

You think I was too harsh?

I forgot to mention: I made my first two online sales!!!! Whoopeee! Two hairpins sets sold.


And all the kindergarten graduation leis have been bowed or rosed and handed out. Whooo. I tired. Took way long to make those bows, and attach the roses. The normal way to finish a lei is to attach a ribbon bow. But with more than 20 to do, I attached a bunch of fake roses instead to some of the lei. Only trouble was, I thought I would be "assisting" in the leing process so that they wouldn't get tangled up, dropped, faster dispersion. WRONG. Kid insisted on doing it all herself, so I don't know who got what and I know roses were popping off their stems right and left. boohoo. Didn't get chance to take pics after bows and roses attached. They looked way good! The bow really is the finishing touch! Felt like completing works of art as I selected bow and rose colors to go just right with the lei.

And last thing is the Kikaida hairpin for my littlest one. Made matching barrette sets for oldest ones fellow muskateers as their kinder grad. gift.

Have about two weeks to finish the kindergarten lei for frenz. Red, white, and blue ones are Kikaida themed. I love using cotton yarn for lei because it is not scratchy against the neck, even in our hot, humid weather. And it is completely machine washable!!! Always a plus with kids.

Pink and white is the one I am working on now. That and more stuff for my shop.

Kid birthday party also successfully completed this past weekend. Had planny food, typical of local style get-togethers. Hubbo grilled hotdogs, chicken, and made poke. Yum! I was surprised everybody ate up the cucumbers and carrots I put out too. Usually my vegees go neglected. I know why, only had grapes out besides that, i forgot to slice the oranges and put them out too. At least the kids had fun and the breeze kept things cool out back.

I think if I quite moaning and groaning about party planning it would go easier. This wasn't that stressful. However, in the subsequent unwrapping of presents later, a card got separated from the gift and I'm not sure what was given. Kid liked all the gifts though! Especially the clothes and girly stuffs. Surprisingly, she readily shared a few gifts with her sister. I have a feeling SIX will be a lot easier to bear than FIVE (in age not number of kids).

Party activities included a modified cake walk, build a bad guy (out of stuffs found around the house that would otherwise be thrown away), coloring pages of Kikaida, Kamen Rider, and bad guys, playdoughing, and sidewalk chalking. The kids here are working on their totally open-ended craft activity of building a bad guy using all found stuffs, some scissors, tape, acrylic yarn, and a hole puncher. I am soooo glad they got into it after a while.

Clay mostly kept my little ones busy the day before while I finished last minute preparations.