Category: Knitting

Works in progress, finished objects, yarn, patterns

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 7/17/13, Doing the Herb

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ON THE NEEDLES

Mr. Iknead’s socks continue to grow.  The first of the pair is finished, and the second maybe 2/3 finished.  My goal is to have them done in time for FO Friday.  I’ve said that before and been defeated, but hope springs eternal and all that.

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

THE HERB

I noticed yesterday that my basil was beginning to flower and that means it needed to be harvested quickly if I’m to have more basil this summer.  I was going to dry it, but learned that because basil has a high water content, it does better when frozen than when dried.  Learn something new every day, I do.

That’s plain basil on the left, lime basil on the right

My kitchen smells HEAVENLY!

BY THE BOOK

I’m nearly through with Joyland and have enjoyed it immensely, wishing sometimes that there were just a couple more hours in the day, like 26 or 27 instead of just 24, just so I could squeeze in a little more of my favorite pastimes.  (I think I just heard a few moms of toddlers groan.)  I also checked out a couple of library books on spinning and knitting; the pictures are lovely, I may never get to the text!

I’m linking up today with Tami, Ginny’s Yarn Along and Frontier Dreams KCCO.  Don’t forget to visit these awesome blogs!

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.  John Lennon

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Knitting

A Jump, Rule Change, Sad Plate

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GETTING A JUMP

I’ve decided to try to get a jump on Mondays by getting a few things accomplished on Sunday night.   Mondays have metamorphosed into a way crazy day – class from 9 to 12 in the mornings (which you can bet on winding up around 1 instead), laundry, errands that should have been taken care of over the weekend but didn’t and then the miscellaneous stuff that catches you by surprise – like trips to the vet, Hobby Lobby (which technically is a fun trip), phone calls, service calls, etc.  Then you count the time that I spend totally obsessed with whatever I’m obsessing about on that particular day.  Yesterday was the sewing machine.  Got my little pocketbook made, all it needs is a shoulder strap and lining; will post when totally complete.  As an aside – I think I’m going to really like this sewing thing.  I plan to check out some patterns for crafty things on my next HL run.

MEANWHILE

I’m a little embarrassed that it has taken me three days to complete this post.  I’ve made a decision to totally consign Mondays as Get Absolutely, Positively, Nothing Done Day.  With pottery class really from 8:30 to 1:00, there’s just not a whole lot of day left to tackle anything larger than maybe loading and/or unloading the dishwasher or doing a load or two of laundry.  This means I’m letting myself off the hook for things that can wait until another day or maybe even be scrubbed from the to-do list that I always have going.  I think I’m going to reinstitute a rule I had when my kids were growing up, the rule that says unless there’s blood or vomit involved, I don’t want to know about it.  Yes, there are exceptions, but that’s pretty much how it always went down.  And ya know what?  My kids survived and even thrived.

GOING POTTY

I’m calling this poor, sad, not round and not even oval, plate “The Plate Only A Mother Could Love”.

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion.  These three are your greatest treasures.  Lao Tzu

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Knitting

Impulse Buy, Just Grands

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REPURPOSE

I bought this table runner a few days ago at Hobby Lobby for 66% off, mostly because when I saw it, I didn’t see a table runner, I saw a purse.  I love its colors and at $5.00 (give or take a quarter or two), I couldn’t pass it up.  In my head, a seam up each side would make a really cool pocketbook and the flap can be trimmed with the already existing fringe, with enough fabric left over to make a strap.  Super cool, super easy, right?  Pay no attention to the fact that I don’t know how to sew, it’s two seams, how hard could it be?  Right?  Bigmommy is bringing a portable sewing machine when she comes to visit tonight and knowing me, I’ll be up all night, trying to make a purse from a table runner, using up all my best swear words in the process.  Oooh, another trip to HL for purple thread, which I’ll need for the side seams that may be my Waterloo.

THE GRANDS

Mr. Iknead and I had some oh so precious one on one time with the Stuttgart grands last night, when they stayed with us overnight so Bigmommy and Bigdaddy could also have some precious one on one time with each other.  These babies are pure gold, went down for the night without a whimper, slept through and I woke up to sweet snuggles this morning.

Pensive Papoose

Sprout and Pawpaw

Then, when I thought it couldn’t be any sweeter, I had some serious one on one time with the Sprout, while everyone else went to lunch.  These special times seem few and far between, so we made the most of them.  I fed her lunch – bananas and oatmeal if you’re interested – gave her a dry diaper, followed closely with a bottle and then put her down for a nap.  So precious!

Copeland, if this dish looks familiar, it is, I have Aunt Veda’s dishes and use them every day.  We’ve eaten a lot of beans and cornbread off these, haven’t we?

The Sprout

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.  Carl Jung

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Knitting

FO Friday 07/12/13, Bigmommy’s Birthday

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OFF THE NEEDLES

75% Medano Beach Bag

Besides scaling it down a little, I used an I-cord bind-off, mostly so I could practice it.  I do like the rolled edge it makes, though.

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

Happy birthday, Bigmommy!  I love you and am so proud of the beautiful woman you’ve become.  It’s been a pleasure (mostly).  Much love.

BY THE BOOK

I finally was able to get started in Joyland by Stephen King and it’s fabulous enough that I didn’t pick up my needles once yesterday because I couldn’t stop reading.  Now that’s a good book.  I totally plan on finishing it today and am anxiously awaiting Dr. Sleep.  I think it’s due to come out in September.

Linking up with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO

Anyone who keeps the abilith to see beauty in every age of life really never grows old.  Franz Kafka

Knitting

10 reasons why many knitters also love ceramics

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Very interesting!!!

An Decock's avatarFebruary Twelve

Do you see knitting and ceramics as two totally different universes? Obviously they are! But how come, so many knitters also like ceramics and vice versa? I happen to be one of them.

Personally, I’m not surprised at all, at the end I think it all comes down to the same thing. Knitting and ceramics have more in common than they differ :

1) It’s all about manual work – either very refined or very chunky;

2) It’s all about technique – no matter how basic it may seem at first, it will probably take years of experience before having learned all there is to know and most likely this will only happen to some lucky few. But that’s part of the passion too, isn’t it ?

3) It’s all about the right material for the right object;

4) It’s all about physically feeling and touching;

5) It’s all about…

View original post 103 more words

Knitting

10 reasons why many knitters also love ceramics

mud&stringLeave a comment

Very interesting!!!

An Decock's avatarFebruary Twelve

Do you see knitting and ceramics as two totally different universes? Obviously they are! But how come, so many knitters also like ceramics and vice versa? I happen to be one of them.

Personally, I’m not surprised at all, at the end I think it all comes down to the same thing. Knitting and ceramics have more in common than they differ :

1) It’s all about manual work – either very refined or very chunky;

2) It’s all about technique – no matter how basic it may seem at first, it will probably take years of experience before having learned all there is to know and most likely this will only happen to some lucky few. But that’s part of the passion too, isn’t it ?

3) It’s all about the right material for the right object;

4) It’s all about physically feeling and touching;

5) It’s all about…

View original post 103 more words

Knitting

Adventures in Dyeing, Part 2

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Another experiment, this time using Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Cherry flavors.  The jury’s still out on this one.

After drying last night, the jury is in.  I like it.

And wound

The Yarn Formerly Known As Oatmeal

An hour of play discovers more than a year of conversation does.  Portuguese proverb

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Knitting

WIP 7/10/13, First Try at Dye and a New Book

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BUSINESS AS USUAL

Like most other WIP Wednesdays, I’m linking up with a couple of other cool blogs, Tami Ami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Knit Along.  Check them out and prepare to be inspired!

ON THE NEEDLES

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

A few more inches and this one will ride off into the sunset of FOs.

BY THE BOOK

I finally made it to my local BN yesterday and purchased a copy of Stephen King’s newest, Joyland.  I haven’t officially started reading it, except skimming through the pages and reading a sentence or two.  Anxiously waiting for at least a 15 minute lull in the day so I can really get started.

ADVENTURES IN DYEING

Here’s the finished product I promised yesterday; it’s still a tad damp, but I think it turned out pretty well, don’t you?

First Try at Dyeing with Kool-aid – Pink Lemonade.

I found some really unattractive 100% yarn in the stash, it may be Lion Brand 100% Wool, sort of an oatmeal color.  I’ve just now decided to overdye (if that’s the word) another color, possibly purple.  Show and tell tomorrow.

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks/And all the sweet serenity of books.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Knitting

DIY FYI DYE

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IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN

Yep, that’s right.  Arkansas’s summer has finally come and it looks like it’s planning to unpack its bags and stay awhile.  This makes for a sweaty whatever you happen to be engaged in, whether it’s baking, knitting, walking or any other of the billions of things that make up a day.  Thankful for my AC and fans and thank you, Mr. Iknead, for giving me the treat of sitting in one spot, never having to leave the comfort of my cool house, except for essential tasks.  Essential = groceries and/or gasoline.

FIRST TRY AT DYE

I’ve been eyeballing DIY dyeing articles and blogs, so, equipped with Kool-Aid, trash bags and part of my recent experiment in handspinning, I gave Pink Lemonade a go.

Step One

Step Two (don’t forget the gloves)

Step Three (heat to set the dye)

Sorry, no pic.  Microwaving yarn not photogenic.

Step Four

Let Cool and Rinse

Will show off the finished product tomorrow, after final rinse and drying.  I hope it doesn’t resemble a wad of pink worms so much.

For more detailed instructions, check out Knitty.com.

DIVALICIOUS

Babysitting Photo-Op

Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience.  George-Louis de Buffon

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Knitting

When Pots Speak

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LEARNING

I’ve been heavily involved these past few days, checking out Google +, playing around with it and generally trying to get a feel for the site.  I really like the idea, sort of a Pinterest/Facebook hybrid, I really don’t facebook much, would I use Google + more and is it easier to navigate?  That remains to be seen, admittedly I’m more than a little technophobic and slow on the uptake when it comes to computer stuff.  I prefer things to stay pretty much the same, I tend to melt down when something computeresque changes, even small things like layout and upgrades and it takes me forever to finally get comfortable with whatever changes happen.  Slow, slow, slow in the computer literacy department.

GOING POTTY

Awesome pottery class this morning.  I started a coiled pot Saturday afternoon, had to put it aside when the studio closed and then my mom had a small issue Sunday, she’s OK, but I wasn’t able to get back to work on it until class this morning.  I’ve fallen completely in love with this pot; my instructor says I may have found my pottery “calling”, coils.  I don’t know about that, there a lot of things/techniques I’ve never tried, but I am loving this pot.

I put the water bottle next to it so you could get an idea of its size, it’s not huge, but it’s the biggest thing I’ve done so far.

The soft square shape just sort of happened.

You can get a better idea of its shape here.

It’s finished and is in the damp box awaiting bisquing next week.  This pot just happened, I had no plan or even any idea in my head,  then, today, I knew when it was finished, don’t ask me how I knew, but I did.  And no, I’m not hearing voices – yet.  🙂

ON THE NEEDLES

Mr. Iknead’s socks are still a WIP, but the heel turn is finished and gusset started on one and the 75% Medano Bag was finished this afternoon.  I’ll show and tell it for sure on Friday.  In the meantime, I’m trying as hard as I not to be seduced by the patterns in the newest Vogue Knitting, don’t know if I can resist…..

OOPS

Almost forgot, I’m linking up with Frontier Dreams Keep Calm and Craft On today.  Check out the Flickr KCCO group.  Very cool!

Learn to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.  Jim Rohn

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Knitting

Fee, Fie, FO No

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NOT OFF THE NEEDLES

OK, so I didn’t pull an all-nighter to finish Mr. Iknead’s socks, though as slow a knitter as I am, it would have been impossible anyway.  I remember now why Mr. Iknead only gets a new pair of hand knit socks every other year or so – it takes so long and as man feet go, Mr. Ikneads aren’t what would be considered large.  It feels like I’ve been working on them since, oh, I don’t know, the last ice age, maybe.  The heel turn is tantalizingly close; I think that’s what has kept me going the last day or so.  I’m committed to finishing them, so I’ll keep plodding onward.

Mr. Iknead’s Wise Hildas

PRETTY PLEASE

The colors of these hydrangeas blew me away – of everything we had put in, I think they’re my favorite, I never get tired of looking at them.

Even though I don’t have a FO today, I’m linking up with Tami Ami’s and Frontier Dreams.

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.  Aristotle, On the Parts of Animals

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 07/03/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

75% Medano Bag

I reduced the this pattern by 25% and went down a needle size.  The full sized bag was just too big for me to comfortably carry.

Yarn Along

I’m linking up today, as usual, with Tami Ami’s, Frontier Dreams and Ginny’s Yarn Along.  Pay them a visit, willya?

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.  Walter Bagehot

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