Lowering My Standards or Giving Myself A Break

February 28, 2021March 1, 2021 mud&string1 Comment

I’ll take the latter, thank you very much. 🙂

When I was a worker bee, I published a post three times a week on average, usually Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Since retirement, I MIGHT get a blog post in once a week or so, all the while making promises to myself that “next week I’m getting back to three times a week”. Now, if you are a regular reader, you know that three posts a week has yet to happen.

Why was I a more productive blogger back then when I worked 40 hours a week than I currently am as a happy retiree? Seems counterintuitive (am I using that word correctly?) doesn’t it?

I think I know the answer. I’m still working, but at knitting, working with clay, throwing pots, doing a bit of sewing, painting a bit and having a go at whatever catches my curiosity at any particular time.

All this leads to full happy days and these full happy days tend to squeeze out my blogging time.

So, I’m cutting myself some slack and instead of beating myself up for what I haven’t done, from now on my goal is one post a week and actually enjoying sharing thoughts and projects.

This is what I’ve been working on this past week –

I started these yesterday. Sadly, this photo doesn’t do this yarn justice and doesn’t show off its sparkle.

I rediscovered my love for counted cross stitch, which has been back burnered for about 20 years and went all in with this gargantuan project.

I can tell how long I’ve been away from cross stitch by just how much my close vision has gone downhill. My new bifocals are supposed to arrive today and none too soon. I expect they’ll make a HUGE difference! 🤓

Cookie A’s Pomatomus Socks are off my needles!

These make me particularly proud since this pattern has defeated me at least three times in the past. Yay me!!!!

Details on all these projects can be found here, and here.

For success, attitude is equally as important as ability. Harry F. Banks.

Random

WIPs As Far As The Eye Can See

September 30, 2020October 1, 2020 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON MY NEEDLES

I’m going to dive right in……..

New Gray Day Sweater

Knitpicks Wool of the Andes

Sprinkle Heather

Five Roses Shawl

Knitologie by Knitcrate Sparkling Sock in Turquoise (speckled)

Emma’s Yarn in Turquoise

Twisted Flower

Yarn Bee

Rainbow Wrapsody

Kew Socks

URU.YARN by Knitcrate Sugared Sock

Hidden Pool

Dissent Cowl

Faithful Beauty by The Verdant Gryphon

Arco Iris by Malabrigo

Shell Cottage from The Handmade Sock Society

Knitpicks Stroll Fingering in Seashell Tonal

Helen Stewart, Designer

So, lots of knitting happening here at Casa Coleman, just not a lot of finishing. 🙂 I’m trying to be more diligent about recordkeeping and such, so you can find pattern details and progress in my project pages.

Silence is a fence around wisdom. German Proverb

Knitting

Abundance

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

SOUL FOOD

I’ve been sort of hit or miss with blogging these past few weeks, and I’ve missed sitting down and putting my thoughts in order and then onto paper or into my iPad. I’ve been too busy painting or drawing (these are new things for me) or reading or knitting or baking or gardening or art journaling or throwing pots or grandmothering or any of the other things that grab my interest. Here’s the perfect description for what I’m blessed with – an embarrassment of riches. According to (all-knowing) Wiki, an embarrassment of riches is an idiom that means an overabundance of something, or too much of a good thing. All these things do more than keep me occupied – they feed my soul, I guess you could say I have an embarrassment of blessings. With all the above said, I think what I really mean is “Thanks, God, for everything”.

Now, moving along…

ON THE NEEDLES

A pair of Los Manos Locos or Crazy Monkey Socks, a twist on Cookie A’s awesome Monkey Socks, toe up and purl-less.

This colorway is called Java Jive and I’m loving how it’s knitting up. You can find out more about this yarn here.

The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it. Carl Jung

Knitting

FO Friday 1/11/13 and the Great Washing Machine Crisis

January 11, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON AND OFF THE NEEDLES

I finished the Sideways Grande Hat last night, just in time for today and earned the Mr. Iknead Seal of Approval.

Don’t know the reason for the odd look, there’s no telling. At least my mouth is closed. It seems like every photo has me with my mouth open, either talking or eating and sometimes (I’m not proud of this) both at the same time. Anyway, I think the hat is way cute and it was a quick, easy knit.

I’m nearly finished with Meg White’s Cabled Hat, ready to start the crown decreases and am now browsing through Cookie A.’s Knit.Sock.Love. On an expedition into the stash the other day, I ran across some awesome Shibui sock yarn that just begged to be transformed into a pair of socks and, well, I aim to please.

NOW WHAT?

We finally finished all the electrical work this week, which turned out even better than I had hoped, just to have the washing machine bite the dust. I’m waiting on the repairman now. There’s something busted about the spin cycle, when it hits that part, it starts making an awful banging noise and shuts itself off. I’m not talking about the I’m unbalanced thump, this is the I’m getting ready explode and scatter shrapnel banging. Here’s hoping that it’s an easy fix and not the arm and a leg and my firstborn child sort of fix. Anything under $250.00 would be good. Here’s hoping!

Check out Tami Amis blog for more awe inspiring FOs. You’ll be glad you did.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast. Alexander Pope