Author / princesshotflash

by princesshotflash

The Nakamura Sisters

Top row left to right: Auntie Judy, Auntie Jinx, Auntie Maxine, Auntie Sue (sister-in-law); Bottom row left to right: Auntie Joan, Mom+me and Auntie Sharon+Corinne

There were six girls among the ten Nakamura siblings. This past month we lost my Auntie Sharon. She was the baby of the family. The one that left Hawaii to call California home.

I have memories of her as playful auntie, running around at Grandma’s house just like one of the kids. She put me in a headlock on one of those occasions, just for fun. She also told me the beauty spots are where flies pooped on you. And yes, I became obsessed about them on me. I wanted them off of me.

She trained as a hair dresser. When she went to beauty school, I was her personal model. Can you imagine getting your hair cut in front all of those people. I loved it. I guess I was a big ham.

Uncle Mel and my cousins asked if the family to find old pictures with her with the family. They wanted to show her pictures to make happy. My mom started looking throught old albums for pictures and this was the inspiration for this post.

  • Auntie Sharon in diapers
  • Mom and Auntie Sharon

I love old pictures and I can spend hours just looking at them. These are few of what my mom found. She was the oldest girl in the family so she spent a lot of time with Auntie Sharon when she was a baby. The duty of the being the oldest. Here’s two of Auntie Sharon in diapers.

I had hope to get her famous apricot jam recipe. Her apricot jam was the best because the apricots came from her tree–homegrown and organic. What could be better. And I wish should could have tasted my jam to tell me what she thought. Guess that the job of my Uncle Mel and the kids to tell how it compares.

A lot of memories have filled me as a wrote this post. It’s so sad that they come back to you when you love one is gone. But I’m hope she’s in a better place without pain, doing all of her rascal things to someone. Maybe she’s hanging out with Oat laughing about that Pennsylvania shopping trip and what made us all scatter (family joke). Auntie Sharon you are missed by all.

by princesshotflash

Thrift store projects: 70s table cloth

Posting this to set my intentions with my purchase and not become a hoarder. Love the crazy goldenrod and brown print. This small table cloth was handmade with a light handprinted backing was speaking to me as I was working this Saturday at the shop. One the hazards of volunteering at a thrift store. Thinking of turning it into a tote with some hand quilting on it. Keep you post on the progress.

by princesshotflash

Many Views of Aiea Loop Trail

I’ve hiked Aiea Loop Trail 4 times since the beginning of June. It’s become my training hike for my to Japan. It’s a beautiful hike with gradual ups and downs under the cover of the forest from the morning sun. It’s well traveled trail with trail runners, solo, pairs, groups, familes and very well behaved dogs. There’s strawberry guava and lilikoi to be found (not really hiding). I think a couple more times and then I’ll up my distance on a longer hillier hike. Anyone want to come?

Hike with T

With E uphill

On my own

With the Waipahu Crew

by princesshotflash

I’ve been away so long

I didn’t realize that it was April 25 when I last wrote. Well, I started a draft and kept adding and editing it. Today I decided to dump it and start all over. Like in knitting, I frogged it. haha.

I decided this would be a crocheting, knitting, and quilting update. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Project 1

A secret gift.

The beginning

I found this pattern, Windowpane scarf by Adrienne Lash. I liked how the pattern looked on people in the finished projects section of the pattern on Ravelry. It has a great structure to it and very easy pattern to follow that you can pick and put it down and still know where you left off.

I’m trying to let go my love of wool and thought buying a bunch of cotton/linen blends would do the trick. I bought this variegated Bella Lino from Classic Elite. It’s a linen/viscose/cotton blend of blue/green/stone. It’s discontinued and I got it on sale at WEBS.

Almost done, less than a quarter skein left.
Trying to weave in my ends. Guess who thought it would be nice place to nap.

Project 2

I got me 6 skiens Zooey from Juniper Moon Farms in 2 colorways: taro and artic blue–3 each. I wasn’t totally sure what I was going to do it them.

My first thought was market bags but how many market bags can I knit or crochet before I get bored? I did find a few that had an interesting bottom or interesting netting pattern for the main area. Here are two links to market bags that I’d like to try:

https://www.twoofwands.com/blog/french-market-bag
I like this because of the handle on it. More elegant than the pattern I previously used.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hiroba
Found this on Ravelry. It has an interesting closed pattern on the body of the bag.

Several people from my knitting group were knitting an interesting scarf pattern that they said wasn’t too hard. I resisted for a while. I don’t like making scarves. so repetitive. But I got sucked into it and I gave it a try. Kureopatora’s Snake Scarf and this is how far as I got. Love this colorway.

Looking sad from neglect

Project 3

My knitting group decided to do a toe-up, two at time, Judy’s magic cast-on as knit-a-long. I had just got a great Saver’s run with tons of wool. Yes, wool. The fiber I’m trying not to buy. haha. I’m hopeless

Saver’s stash! Nice!

I decided to use the gray and pink super wash from my Saver’s run to make a pair hiking socks for my trip at the end of September. I found a simple sock pattern I wouldn’t give up in the middle of the sock, Trusty toe up sock by Tanis Lavellee.

The beginning

After three attempt and one adjustment–picked a too big size, cast on the wrong number of stitches twice, and too out increases to get the right ease (tightness) on my socks.

Added a lifeline to rip out some rows for my ease adjustment
Left the lifeline in after I adjustment was made to remember what I did.

Project 4

My Hawaiian quilt project with instruction from quilting master Kay from my knitting group. It’s sadly sitting in my quilting back waiting to be picked up again. Weather has turned hot and I haven’t been to the monthly quilting bee (no ac). I have a couple of other projects in my queue that have higher priority so I’ll wait till the weather turns a little cooler or finish the higher queued projects to pick these up again.

Pineapples positive pattern, all stitch down
Pineapple negative pattern: about half stitched down

I did find a partially finish Hawaiian quilt project I started many moons ago I guess that get put in the queue after the pineapples. I can’t even remember when I started it.

found project: anthurium quilting stage

Not too bad but not as good as the ones done under the supervision from Quilt Master Kay.

I have more to post about the going-ons of my life. I need to stop talking so much. haha.

by princesshotflash

2 years

img_5519
@ Hawaii Loa Photo by Jodie Roeca

2 years since Oat passed. 2 years being on my own since I met him 33 years ago. 2 years since the saddest day of my life. 2 of the hardest years of my 58 years.

I’m trying my best to carry on, working through things slow.

I’m keeping busy learning new things, quilting, stamping, preserving and spinning.

And making new friends and connecting with my old crew. Laughing, talking and just being silly as we enjoy each others company.

Oat would have enjoyed moving back to Hawaii with me. Maybe too much to do for him but so many opportunities for him to create a new costume photo shoot or a shelter we could use to go camping in. Who knows what he would have came up with all the stuff my dad has. He would have loved all of the tarps. Miss you.