Month: June 2013

Knitting

WIPW 6/12/13, Eek!

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ON THE NEEDLES

Granny’s Grab Bag is still growing, slowly for sure, but growing all the same and since it’s done with leftover sock yarn, who knows how big it will end up?  (I have a seemingly bottomless leftover sock yarn stash).

Then, Mr. Iknead’s socks, using Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Sock, with wool free yarn that I can’t remember the name of right now.

Last up is Heidi Kirrmaier’s Medano Beach bag, if you look closely, you can see where I’ve finished the body and made a teeny tiny amount of progress on one of the straps.

LOOK WHO’S HERE!

Our new, beautified beyond belief front flower bed has a new resident named David (of course), standing guard over some important plumbing feature, keeping it safe during my occasional uncontrollable bouts with rakes and shovels.

BY THE BOOK

I’ve finished The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, not the most uplifting book ever, but it had an interesting backstory and kept me engaged and started Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian, which I’m loving.  In accordance with Mr. Iknead’s austerity plan, these are library books and I have to admit, because of this, if I don’t like a book, I can put it aside and start another without feeling guilty.  I’m liking that.

EEK!!!

There’s A Mouse In The Pool, EEEKKKKKK!

Great swim up until then!

I’m linking up today with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams KCCO, don’t forget to pay them a visit!

All books are divisible into two classes; the books of the hour and the books of all time.  John Ruskin, Sesame and Lilies

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Knitting

Botany, Zoology and Grandology

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HAS IT REALLY

Only been a few days since my last post?  The calendar says it was last Friday, the 7th, but my brain feels like it’s been a lot longer than that.  Mr. Iknead and I did have a busy weekend, spending most of the day Saturday browsing our local nursery and Home Depot for new flowers, bigger pots and such.  After (OMG) 34 years of marriage, we’ve discovered a mutual love of gardening (neither one of us has ever even tried) and have been so enjoying being together and learning new things.  Does that sound as sappy as I think it does?  We put out some begonias and coral bells, which I think are so beautiful even without blooms and put a large pot on each side of our front door with cuphea.  Of course I love that especially – it has purple flowers.

Coral Bells

Begonia

Cuphea

IT WAS A ZOO

I had my last pottery class for the spring session yesterday, so Mr. Iknead, Bigmommy, Babymama and the grands all went to the zoo.  Word on the street was that it was a blast and thankfully, Mr. Iknead took pictures.

The Papoose’s Favorite Was The Penguins

Babydiva Liked the Pink Bench

The Sprout Loved It All

Mr. Iknead’s Favorite Was Being With His Girls and Grands

You-all means a race or section/Family, party, tribe or clan/You-all means the whole connection of the individual man.  Anonymous

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Knitting

FO Friday 06/07/13, Yarn, The Sprout

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First things first –

OFF THE NEEDLES AND INTO THE SOCK DRAWER

Sunday Swing Socks

Shubui Sock

Poodle Skirt Colorway

Finally got colorway and pattern to play nice in the sandbox and I’m loving the almost candy cane color changes!

ALMOST ON THE NEEDLES

A little while back, Mr. Iknead requested a pair of blue striped socks, so off and on I’ve been scoping out different yarns and patterns, thinking maybe something with little or no wool (way too hot for our Arkansas summers) and chanced upon this yarn yesterday at Hobby Lobby.  Blue – check, no wool – check, sock weight – check, price – $4.99.  All systems go.  Label says 93% acrylic, 7% PBT (whatever that is).

These are destined to be plain vanilla, quick knit, ribbed socks.  All that pretty lacy stuff is lost on Mr. Iknead. 🙂

THE BIEBERSPROUT

Cutest Sprout Ever!

Annabelle at 8 months

Linking up with Tami’s FO Friday blog and Frontier Dreams KCCO blog.  Pay them a visit, OK?   They’re always brimming over with FO goodness!

When the voices of children are heard on the green

And laughing is heard on the hill

My heart is at rest within my breast

And everything else is still

                                                    William Blake

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Knitting

WIPW 06/05/13 and A Makeover

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ON THE NEEDLES

For your viewing pleasure, I present Heidi Kirrmaier’s Mendano Beach bag, in Sugar and Cream 100% cotton, Country Red and Ecru, started last evening.  I love everything about this bag, especially the tie shoulder strap.  Being vertically, ahem, challenged, bag straps are usually too long, so a adjustable strap is always a good thing.  The price is right also, a free Rav pattern.

MOVING ALONG

The Sunday Swing socks are finished, cast off, ends woven and photos taken but you’ll have to wait until FO Friday for the unveiling.  There will be no FOs posted until it’s time. ; )  Remember those old commercials, for Bartles and Jaymes, I think.  A blast from the past as they say.

LANDSCAPED AND LOVELY

For another type of finished project, look at our new front yard!  We’ve gone from the ugliest yard on the block to the most beautiful, IMO.  We finally were able to have a sprinkler system installed and had real, live landscapers come in and transform it for us.  Here’s a really embarrassing before photo-

and a couple of afters, as of yesterday morning

Love my Hydrangeas!

I’m linking up with Tami’s WIPW blog and Frontier Dreams Keep Calm Craft On blog on this Wednesday.  Don’t forget to pay them a visit!

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.  Aristotle

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Knitting

Raku

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POTTERING AROUND

Today was the next to last pottery class for the Spring quarter and we tried our hand at raku for the first time, a really neat technique that uses special glazes, a special kiln and the coolest thing of all, putting the pot into a container right out of the kiln lined with newpaper or sawdust so that it flames up and completes the firing.   You have to wear special gear, gloves and something like a welder’s mask to protect yourself from the kiln’s heat, about 1800 degrees F.  You have to use long tongs to handle the pots after firing.  Can you tell I have a little firebug in me?  Here’s my first raku pot –

First Raku, 06/03/13

I’m retaking the Basic Handbuilding class this summer, just to have a good handle on the basics, hopefully to try the pottery wheel in the fall.  So loving this!

It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance, for our consideration and application of these things, and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.  Henry James

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