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Maoli Perfumes

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small_maoli-cd_web-bottleMaoli Perfumes, a perfumery based out of Washington, was created when the Hughes family left tropical Hawaii for the rainy Pacific Northwest.  Their two young children, Kai and Kalani, were homesick for the beaches and heat of the islands where they spent their first years and asked their mother if they could make “their own cologne that smells like sunshine.”  Their mother studied natural perfumery with the boys and Colonia Dulce eau du cologne was born.

Colonia Dulce smells intoxicatingly of “sweet wild lime, juicy Ka’u Gold oranges, pink grapefruit, orange blossoms and hand-picked pikake. Balmy notes of  vanilla, nuances of cacao, caramel and coconut milk never overwhelm but rather comfort with their delicate sweetness.”   I first noticed the citrus and pikake scents upon opening the sample and I was delighted, as pikake always reminds me of my grandmother’s home in Hawaii.

Maoli, which means real or true in Hawaiian, is also the philosophy behind their dedication to honoring the art of natural perfumery by making real perfumes.  Created for kids and those who are young at heart, Colonia Dulce is made with pure essential oils, certified organic and made without synthetic ingredients.  It is also vegan and never tested on animals.  Maoli also donates portions of its proceeds to various non-profit organizations.  They are also committed to responsible packaging and the environment.

Maoli is a true family business, with dad doing the graphic design work, mom helping with office management, and Kai and Kalani mixing the cologne, as well as packaging and shipping orders.

Deluxe samples are available for only $5 and a 1 oz bottle is available for only $28, available online only here.

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A Whimsical Sock Pattern to Blow Your Mind

You probably know by now if you’re a regular reader (and if you’re not, welcome!) that I love a knitting pattern that’s a little silly or a little different from the usual. Classic patterns are great, too, but sometimes you just want to make something with a bit of whimsy. And when it’s super functional, too, that’s even better.

That’s the case with the Bananen-Socken pattern from Susanne Shahin. These banana socks are one of those patterns no one seems to be totally sure where it came from, and this free pattern on Ravelry explains how she makes them based on how she learned it.

It’s a sock that’s curved and when not on a foot it looks rather like a banana. There’s no heel, and you can use whatever number of stitches you need to make it fit your foot. If you’ve knit enough socks to know how many stitches you like you can just use that number, or the pattern notes include sizing charts to help. (It needs to be multiples of 2 for the ribbing.)

After working a traditional cuff, the body is made with ribbing on the back and welts (or what the pattern calls horizontal ribbing) on the front, which is what gives it the curved shape. There’s no heel, but there is toe shaping, but for the leg and the foot you just keep working the same pattern as long as you like.

I’m a little skeptical about how these socks will feel with ribbing on the bottom of the foot, but I’m definitely intrigued and will probably give them a try. 

The pattern notes are available on Ravelry in English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. If you head to the pattern page you can see a photo of what it looks like on a foot, and it just looks like a normal sock.

Have you ever knit banana socks or do you want to now? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[Photo: Susanne Shahin]