Knitting

The one where she feels

June 6, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

better, more at home in her skin. Today just started out as an uphill climb, not wanting to go to work, not wanting to stay in bed, not wanting to care and caring anyway. Then, like always, by the time I’ve had my coffee, read the paper and gotten ready for work, my attitude had adjusted for the better and I was OK. Amazing.

Here’s a preview of my Ipod sock. The yarn is left over from a pair of socks and I love the color. The blue makes me think of well broken in, well loved blue jeans. Here’s what I have so far –

Just barely got a photo, my camera has gotten way to0 bossy, it doesn’t say “please change battery”, it tells me “change the battery”, no please, no thank you, no nuthin’. Bossy-ass camera.

In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

Knitting

The one where she’s had a

June 5, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

lazy day. That is, her body has been lazy, but her brain’s still running full speed ahead. This is nothing new for me, I’m always (pretty much) in this mode, but lately, I’m feeling a little burned out. This whole thing with my parents, along with a close friend who is making really, really bad choices is about to take its toll on me. I hope that we find a place for Mom and Dad here in the next week or ten days, but things like this take time and we’re definitely feeling the crunch.

I got just a tad distracted from the Slippery Sock today, working on my Ipod sock, but they’re both coming along pretty well. Could part of my problem be caused by having too many WIPs and not enough FOs? Hummmm……. nope, don’t think so, not me, not the Nothing In Moderation Chick. Uh-uh. No, I didn’t think so. ; p New word coined today – under overachiever; how’s that for an oxymoron?

The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work. Emile Zola (1840-1902)

Knitting

The one where the first

June 4, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

Slippery Sock is complete and I’ve started on the second. I love the cables and the way the colors really pop.

Mr. Iknead got me a new Ipod for Mother’s Day, the newest model with 160 gigs. I decided yesterday to knit a cozy for it, I’d like to keep it looking shiny and new as long as I can. I decided on Doggerell Designs Dragonskin Itouch Cover, which is a free Ravelry download. I’m not clear on the ins and outs of copyright infringement so I won’t post a photo, but it’s easy enough to check it out on Rav. Speaking of Ipods, this is my third one and am still convinced that it’s the best investment electronics-wise (is that even a word?) I’ve ever made. I keep mine going on the average of seven hours a day during the week, usually listening to audiobooks and music when I work out. I’m reading/listening to an intriguing book at the moment, The Boy With the Cuckoo Clock Heart, by Mathias Malzieu. It’s quirky and offbeat, two things I look for in books and now that I think about it, pretty much everything else. The more oddball and eccentric, the better I like it.

I’ve been playing around with the idea of another blog and have just about decided to go for it, posting on Saturdays about things that interest me and grab my attention, freestyling I suppose you’d call it. This idea is sounding better and better. What am I waiting for?

The best and most beautiful things in life cannot be seen, not touched, but are felt in the heart. Helen Keller (1880-1968)

Knitting

The one where her WIP Wednesday

June 1, 2011June 2, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

project just makes it under the wire. Nearly finished first Slippery Sock. Here it is

Apparently my WIPW post last night went wonky and most of it vanished off the cyberface of the world, so this is a repost. Just when I was starting to get comfortable with the whole posting picture/editing thing. Dang.

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)

Knitting

The one where her search

May 31, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

for a place for Mom and Dad has commenced. I’m going to try as hard as I can to get them into a place in west Little Rock. I suppose I’ll start with the closest facilities to my home and widen the circle as I go. This seems to be the most efficient way to go about it. I’ve gotten some information from friends that are pretty much in the same boat as we are. I pray this part will be accomplished quickly and that Mr. Iknead and I will make the right decision.

A little progress on the Slippery Sock. See? Will I get to the toe tonight? Stay tuned to As the Heel Turns. (giggles at her own witticism) Knitting humor never gets old.

Finally got a couple of decent close up pics of the cables. Very cool, I think.

The two most power warriors are patience and time. Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

Knitting

The one where Memorial

May 30, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

Day is almost over. I think I may actually be ready to go back to work. I’ve missed so many days lately, I can’t remember the last time I worked a full week. Never realized how much working kept me centered, mostly from just the routine. We’ll start tomorrow looking for a place for my mom and dad to move into here in Little Rock. If I think about the details too much, I start feeling overwhelmed and anxious, two emotions I’m not very familiar with. One thing at a time, something I’ve had to practice a lot lately.

Knitting and baking today, still on first Slippery Sock but coming along, Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies with cream cheese filling came along for the ride. Mr. Iknead gave them two thumbs up so I guess they’ll do. : ) I’m still waiting on DD for a pic of Susannah in the Brittany Jumper. I guess I’m going to have to call and jog her memory.

It is extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is. George F. Will

Knitting

The one where I decided

May 29, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

to sort of catch up on my picture taking, I especially wanted to show off the yarn bowl from Susan Zenger’s Etsy Shop. I love it! 75% of the first Slippery Sock is done, counting down rows getting to the toe. They’re awesome!

Here’s the yarn bowl

Here’s another

It’s beautiful and I love it. I’m happy I found your Etsy store!

Live a life as a monument to your soul. Ayn Rand

Knitting

The one where a day

May 28, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

of rest has been greatly appreciated. It has been really nice today, not having anything that absolutely, positive had to be done. I went to the noon meeting at Recovery Central, came home, took a nap and then Mr. Iknead and I had dinner with friends. Lots of QT on the Slippery Sock, so far pretty much on schedule, heel turned, gusset done and in the home stretch working toward the toe.

For the obligatory blog picture, it’s the Papoose in her Easter finery. Not as good as in real life but, good anyway.

The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)

Knitting

The one where the Slippery

May 27, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

socks are at least half finished. Had a small setback and had to do some serious tinking, so that’s all right. My new yarn bowl is “da bomb” in the words of a good friend of mine, Ron S. It’s even prettier in person. I love it!

This has been a really long day and so I’m going to wrap this up and go to bed. Tomorrows post will probably be pretty long.

A liar should have a good memory. Quintilian

Knitting

The one where the WIP Wednesday

May 25, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

is the Slippery Sock. One more row and I’ll start the gusset and heel flap. It’s not as slow going as I thought and I’m hoping to be ready to start the second sock sometime this weekend. It helps that it’s Memorial Day, that means an extra knitting day. Yay for holidays! The cables haven’t photographed well unfortunately but you can make them out.

Here it is

There are two cable patterns, so I got the bright idea to photograph and post both. Yeah, that kind of thinking is what gets me the big bucks. : 0) Here’s the other

As an aside, today was a much better day. We’ve all (Mr. Iknead, me and my dad) had some time to think about our situation and make some decisions about the future. I think all of us feel a little better about it now. It’s been a very difficult past few weeks, we’ve had a lot to figure out, but things are looking up. .

I passionately hate the idea of being with it, I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time. Orson Welles (1915-1985)

Knitting

The one where the results

May 24, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

Dad’s PET scan were not good. His cancer has pretty much replaced his left lung, very little airspace left, he has bone and liver metastasis. Radiation is out of the question, way too much lung involvement, too big and the type of cancer he has, squamous cell, doesn’t respond well to chemo. I don’t know what’s coming next, Dad’s a real fighter, a never say die kind of guy, but right now, the ball’s in his court, so to speak and we’re all very tired and overwhelmed.

My knitting has saved me the last few days; all I’ve wanted to do is hide out and work on my socks and play in my stash. Tomorrow is WIP Wednesday, will have to scare something up to share, but right now, I can’t think of a thing.

No picture tonight, just don’t have the heart.

Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935)

Knitting

The one where her knitting

May 23, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

is all she can think about right now, even though I’m still at work and will be for another hour or so. I’m totally into the Slippery Socks and will be ready for the heel flap in the next day or so, dependent as always on how much knitting time I have. I hate it when my work life crowds my knitting life. Cramps my style a bit.

I’m proud of my progress, take a look – This one shows the cables a little better. Look good don’t they?