Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

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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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.