I kept seeing so many adorable variations of this little crown all over the Rae Dunn Facebook group pages and I decided to try making my own! Then, you know, one version is never enough. Besides, every princess came from a queen :)

Aloha Friends Around the World,

I saw a bunch of pics online of other people’s Marshmallow Mugs wearing these cute little beanie hats that were actually ornaments & knew that I HAD TO HAVE THEM! I scoured the stores all through November and December but managed to find only one…two days after Christmas.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE super long scarves and everything in Granny Square!!! Honestly, this one came out a bit longer than I intended…and it’s absolutely PERFECT. It totally makes me feel like a rock star. Not feeling the rock star vibe? No worries! I’ve also included instructions to make this scarf as long or as short as you want! Rock on...

The idea for this shawl had been creeping around in my skull for a while and mostly coming to me just before I fell asleep. So, I obviously had to name it for the goddess Nyx. She is goddess of the primordial night whose beauty and power sparked fear even in the heart of her nephew, Zeus! And I can totally relate to her because I am also a beau...

When I had the flu this year, I designed the Everyday Crown in sparkly pink yarn and shared on my Facebook Page that I would be wearing it every day until I felt better. My hubby was out of town for work & Facetimed me to see how I was feeling.

Got my 1st flu shot since high school and still caught it anyway! I was sick for almost 2 weeks, with no end in sight. Too weak to do anything but cruise Pinterest, I came across an inspirational meme:

1 cone of cotton yarn + a 9-hour road trip + inspiration from Bob Wilson = The Granny Rocco Bag! Then of course, one size couldn’t possibly be enough…so I came up with five! XS-XL

Got the new Knit Picks Catalog on a Wednesday and had 4 balls of their new Dapple yarn by the following Wednesday (a rare Snow Day in NC). It was the softest yarn EVER, so I had to play with it right away!I

While I was visiting my Daughter & Granddaughter in Hawai’i, we lost at least a half dozen Binky’s, and those things are not cheap!

So, I’ve joined forces with Silvana Tabacchi of “CAL : Crochet-A-Long” for my first ever CAL…THE MAKARA SHAWL

A couple of years ago, after way too much traveling in December, we decided to celebrate New Year’s Eve on our couch, in our PJ’s, binge watching Netflix! Throw in a bunch of inspirational Herringbone Knits all over Pinterest and you’ve got one squishy & fun NYE Cowl!

Kapo is the Hawai’ian goddess of fertility & sorcery! Thus, the center shell magically multiplies into waves of triangles and bubbles that make a perfect canvas to show off all that gorgeous speckled yarn you’ve been hoarding.

THIS IS AN INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED PATTERN

I designed this heart just after my daughter got married in 2015. She moved away to Hess, Germany with her new Soldier Hubby and gave me my 1st granddaughter just over a year later.

I resisted for as long as I could, but my daughter begged on behalf of her BFF! Turns out they’re super fun to make and whip up in no time flat. Yeah, I had a giant stack before I even knew it happened! LOL.

THIS IS AN INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED PATTERN

THIS IS AN INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED PATTERN

So the first time I ever made this hat it was with a ginormous bag of scrap yan that I couldn’t bear to part with and a challenge to use up ALL of my yarn before I bought any more! If necessity is the mother of invention, then desperation is the mother of creativity! LOL.

As I was working on the Go Team! Beanie, I became totally obsessed with this stitch all over again! I just love the way it mimics a knit mistake rib (my fave knit ribbing!!!). So I grabbed my hook and some pretty yarn and this is what it wanted to be…my new Obsession…

THIS IS AN INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED PATTERN

It all started with 2 beautiful balls of NORO Kibou that my mother bought for me on my last trip to Myrtle Beach. Combine that with my recent infatuation for all things seed stitch, and Presto! Meet the Myrtle Beach Shawl :)

So this pattern came to me in the shower, like all the best ideas do! I usally name my projects after their initial inspiration, but “Shower Necklace Bag” was kinda boring and misleading. Obviously, I had to hold a naming contest! The winner, Kidogo, means “little” in Swahili. How perfect is that? :)

So, I’m gonna be a first time grandmother this fall! I found the pattern in my stash that I’d made for my daughter when she was born and decided to make it again. It’s been 20+ years since I made that blanket and I now realize why it didn’t turn out right. That was a horribly written pattern! LOL. After several attempts to rewrite it and make i...

THIS IS AN INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED PATTERN

I originally designed this cute little bag as a last minute accessory for my Aloha Steampunk Costume (that’s just a steampunk costume made with Hawai’ian fabric!). Luckily it also works for my Aloha Downton Abbey Costume! You get the idea. So, since it was Lesli’s awesome Steampunk Birthday Party that inspired me, I absolutely had to name the b...

Kapakahi is Hawai’ian for lopsided. Its the perfect description for this lovely & versatile stitch pattern. Kapakahi Shells are an excellent canvas for showcasing those gorgeous variegated yarns and can even manage to make them look more interesting! Plus, this stitch pattern will add fabulous texture to your solid color projects, especiall...

This year we spent our entire Valentine’s Day in our snuggiest PJ’s watching Bandits, Time Bandits & Banditas on Netflix. The hubby napped on and off while I went crazy with my new ball of Malabrigo Mecha, which, apparently, wanted to be a Bandana Scarf! I’m totally sure our choice of movies had no influence…whatsoever :)

I went shopping in my stash the other day and found a lovely ball of green cotton, picked out a hook, then just let my imagination go! Of course, the fact that I had just spent the entire day before cruising the Pike Place Market may have (ever so slightly!) influenced my creative direction ^_^

My third butterfly design is named for my youngest niece…so far. In Hawai’ian, Noelani means “Gift from Heaven”. She’s fearless, fun and fancier than a Grand Duchess…but still working on her halo :)

My second butterfly design is named for my middle niece. She likes everything to be smooth and unfussy with just a hint lace!

My first of three butterfly designs is named for my oldest niece, Sophia. She’s pretty as a princess and makes mixing it up look easy!

So I needed a pair of gloves to keep my hands warm while I played games on my laptop during those long cold winter nights in Fort Drum, NY! At the time, all the patterns I found were just basic rectangles that involved a bunch of sewing & measuring. Bleh. Not a fan of sewing OR measuring. So yeah, I came up with my own. Not too short & ...

I love all things Granny! Since I’ve already designed 2 different Granny Hearts AND a Granny Star, it was obviously time for a Granny Tree. Obviously. This very versatile motif makes an adorable adornment or a fabulously fun set of coasters. Plus, with a slight adjustment, it makes a rather brilliant bunting ^_^

After being in Germany for only 17 months, the Army shipped us off to the other side of the world…again! This time we’ve landed in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been to Seattle once before and fell hard! The music scene, the art scene and Pike Place Market…what’s not to love? And have I mentioned the 12th Man? Apparently, everyone in the Emerald ...

I found a similar Windowpane pattern online when we were moving from Tropical Hawai’i to Wintery Germany in early 2014. It was pretty, but had way too many rows for one repeat! And let’s face it, I’m pretty lazy. So, naturally, I had to come up with my own super simplified version! You’re Welcome =^.^=

I’m totally enamored with all things Granny! Since I’ve already designed two different Granny Hearts, I thought it was time to try a new shape! This very versatile motif makes a beautiful bunting, an adorable adornment, or a pretty perfect & fun set of coasters ^_^

I originally designed this as a water bottle sling to carry my Hawaiian Springs water on hikes in Hawai’i. It was shaped just like a wine bottle, so, obviously, it was my favorite! Well, now that we’re living in Germany, it just seemed like a natural evolution to Wine Bottle Cozy & Gift Bag.

So I walked into the family room one day and my daughter was holding her ice cream with a pot holder. I gave her “the look”, to which she replied, “What?!?! It’s too cold and it hurts my hands!” Thus the I Scream Cozy was born…LOL.

The Hale’iwa Gift Bag’s Mini-Me!

For this year’s Valentine Heart I wanted to make a flatter, more solid and multi-purpose Granny Heart coaster that could be used all year long. Success! Plus, this Granny Heart is also the perfect applique for decorating a variety of projects like gift bags, totes, baby clothes, and banners. The opportunities are endless!

Hale’iwa was always one of my fave towns on Oahu, and I was always seeing woven bags shaped like this in all the little gift shops and I really liked them. Sadly, I don’t weave, so I had to create my own crocheted versions!

Several years ago, my family & I discovered Gifts-in-a-Jar and LOVE them! What a great gift idea that’s so fun to make with my hubby & kids. But we can’t just tie them off with some raffia and a tag. They need a Sun Bonnet, of course! Now they’re perfect for gifting all year long ^_^

I kept trying to make a snowflake, but to no avail. I just kept making flowers. I had no choice but to give in. It must be the island girl in me! Little bit snowflake, mostly flower…it’s the Snowflower ^_^

My friend Joe makes these most excellent and beautiful wooden swords and I asked him how much he’d charge to make one for my son. He said it would cost me a pair of striped hats. I agreed…obviously! However, he only likes skull caps. Hmmmmm. Good thing I design my own hat patterns ^_^

I keep seeing all these super cute Turkish girls in downtown Wiesbaden wearing light fabric cowls with fun little bobbles going all around the edges. However, they were not nearly warm enough for this island girl! So, naturally, I came up with my own crocheted version. The best part? You make the bobbled edge as you go, so when you’re done… you...

4 April 16 : I’ve added modified directions for DK yarn (my new love)

My “Hippie” mother quite often wore an amazingly beautiful macramé shawl when I was just a keiki (child) in Hawai’i. My daughter later found said shawl while rummaging through my mother’s closet & incorporated it into her very “Hipster” wardrobe as a scarf! I then stole it from my daughter, but not before creating a replacement…that I also ...

So, I bought this totally awesome pack of Neon Sharpie Markers and wanted to keep them with me absolutely all the time! However, they kept getting lost in the bottom of my purse. Daht-dah-daaaah…Scrap yarn to the rescue!!! ^_^

My Dad, a retired Air Force Master Sargent, just loves camo hats! All the other patterns I tried were just a bit too tight for his biggish noggin…so I had to create a custom design just for him!

This is the most spacious of the three Jemma’s Market Bags! I designed it roomy enough and deep enough for my daughter and her friends to use as beach bags. That way, they leave most of the sand at the beach!

Slightly larger than the original bag, it’s terrific for carrying a great many things other than fresh produce. My Sis-in-Law uses one for each of my nephews’ dirty sports gear. I use them for toting yarn and sorting all my UFO’s!

Granny Heart Superstar is like getting three patterns in one!

This is a quick project to make for every sports fan on your list! You can make it in football brown or get creative and make them in your favorite team colors.

I originally designed this pattern for a Welcome Luncheon. We were using large Mason Jars to hold flowers at the table centers, but they looked too plain for my liking. I made a total of 10 and only 2 found their way back home with me! I was happy to hear that the Guest of Honor managed to snag a pair for herself, as well!

Both the Coffee Cozy and the Heart are a most excellent way to use up all of that leftover yarn. The possible color combinations are absolutely infinite! Perfect for whipping up at the last minute for gifts, I’ve been pairing mine with a gift card inside one of those $1 reusable cups from Starbucks. Totally easy to make and completely impressiv...

Aloha!

My neighbor’s daughter, Mallory, had a version of this made of cotton that she had bought from a thrift shop for ten cents. It was pretty grubby…especially after having been left out in the rain!

My friend Jemma and I are referred to as the “Bag Ladies”. We love BAGS! But we couldn’t seem to find just the right market bag. So naturally I made one…and then about a million more for all my friends & family!

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. The wheel moved us more swiftly between point A and point B. The electric light allowed us to read long into the night. But most importantly, cotton coasters keep those nasty rings off our perfectly polished surfaces!