Knitting

13, A Stash Tour

March 1, 2013March 4, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

OFF THE NEEDLES

It’s finished and is all I’d hoped for and more! Introducing –

I love it – it’s the perfect weight (not too hot, not too cool), the perfect color (love caramel), it stays put (not falling off one of my narrow to the point of almost nonexistent shoulders or the other) and the drape (OMG). After some initial misbehavior on the yarn’s part, we came to an understanding and this project truly became a labor of love.

STEP UP, STEP RIGHT UP

After reading a post on uknit2, I decided to document my stash status and share a little of it here. At the moment, it’s relatively neat and more or less organized, sock yarn, sport weight, lace weight, bulky, you get it, you’re a knitter but the more I looked the more odd I thought part of my stash was. Here, you be the judge.

Sock Yarn

Sport Weight

Odds and Ends

Here’s what I think is sort of odd

A Ziploc/Shopping Bag Stash

Actually, come to think of it, it’s not odd at all that I hoard ziplocs and shopping bags. After all, fiberphiles use more ziplocs than anyone else on the planet and for your safety, don’t get between me and a nice, heavy, handled shopping bag. I won’t pretend to speak for other crafty types, I’m trying to stick with what I know – but no, it’s not odd at all, it’s more than a little smart, green and best of all, frees up more bucks for my fiber fixation. So, strike the odd. Smarter than the average bear, us fiberphiles. I rest my totally turned around case.

IN THE OVEN

Not yet, kneading takes more than a little energy and I’m still promising Mr. Iknead to take it easy, but soon, very soon there will be fresh bread. I knead it (get it?)! I know, I love a corny play on words.

Fly by Tami Amis for more FO Friday treats – you’ll be glad you did!

Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. Will Rogers

FLASH – Bigmommy and the babies are in town and are headed over!! Pics and report tomorrow! Yay, getting a little lonesome!

Knitting

WIPW 2/13/13, Whew, Slight Case of Nerves

February 13, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

BYE-BYE

I think I mentioned last week that we finally made the decision and had our landline removed. Mr. Iknead and I finally had enough of those super annoying robocalls, telemarketers, wrong numbers (a misprint on some kind of card gave the whole world our phone number, area code and all) instead of the correct number for Holy Redeemer Credit Union in Costa Rica. I swear, I’m not making this up. People would call our number (the misprint) over and over, getting angrier and angrier when they were informed that “No, this wasn’t Holy Redeemer Credit Union” and “No, I don’t know the correct number for Holy Redeemer Credit Union” and eventually, “Don’t call this number again, I will have you reported to the police and charge you with telephone harassment”. Been cussed out in Spanish more times than I can remember. So, as of Monday evening, we no longer have a landline phone and are basking in the peace and quiet of home. Still, when Mr. Iknead called to set up whatever had to be set up to remove it, the guy told him that we’d had the number since 1977, 36 YEARS! You can understand why I have a little nostalgia mixed with my relief, can’t you? I get emotionally invested, what can I say?

ON THE NEEDLES

Etched Rio Wrap

Fifteen of the required 28 repeats of the pattern are finished, over half the way through, the end is barely in sight and I’m still loving this. I’m happy to say that there have been no yarn barf crises since Sunday and I’m watching the yarn like a hawk, knowing now that it likes to misbehave. If you missed the pics of its previous misbehavior, take a look at last Friday’s blog entry, titled %#$%^&*(, for the full effect.

WHAT’S COMING UP

I’ve really not blogged about it too much, other than just a mention now and then, but I’ve had ischemic colitis for years and coped with it pretty well. Now, though, the attacks are becoming more and more frequent and more and more severe, putting me in the hospital twice for a week each time, in the past nine months. My GI doctor defines it as “pretty much a heart attack” in the colon, with damage and scarring, which sets me up even more for another bout and on and on. After much, much thought and just as much research (doncha just love Wikipedia?), I’m scheduled to have my colon removed this coming Tuesday, February 19. My surgeon has promised that I’ll have enough colon left to hook everything back up, but if I have to have an ostomy, I’ll just count that as part of the cost of no more midnight ambulance rides, all night visits to the ER and hospital admissions. I’m a little nervous, after it’s done, there’s no going back, but now the pros outweigh the cons and I’m ready to get it over with. I told Mr. Iknead that he’d have to step into my blogging shoes for a couple of days (he thought I was kidding) but hope to be feeling well enough to take over again before too long.

BY THE BOOK

I finished the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society yesterday and it was wonderful. I couldn’t listen fast enough, it was an audiobook and I kept up the pretense of “As soon as this chapter closes, I’m going to get up and do XYZ,” knowing full well that I had no intention of doing that and just kept listening. Loved this book! I don’t have any definite idea of what next to read. Any ideas?

Don’t forget to check out Tami Ami’s and Ginny’s Yarn Along blog.

Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts and never hope more than you work. Rita Mae Brown

Knitting

From WIP to 02/08/13 FO Friday Ready in Just One Hour

February 8, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON AND OFF THE NEEDLES

Still working hard at the Etched Rio Wrap, I’ve done ten repeats of the 28 repeats the pattern calls for and I’m still loving both yarn and pattern. The knitted yarn has amazing drape and softness, the only thing I can think of in the con category is that it’s very “grabby” and requires care not to become entangled with itself. This happened with the first skein, it got very tangled and by the time I got it sorted out, the yarn had lost some of its sheen and was a little what I call pilly. I’m trying to decide whether to bite the bullet and buy another skein (if I can find a matching dye lot) or go ahead and use the previously tangled yarn, probably at the very end where hopefully it won’t be too noticeable. Here’s what I mean:

Looks even worse than I thought. What’s your opinion? Use or not?

Now, on a happier note. In my efforts to find the misplaced yarn, I ran across a couple of WIPs that just needed to be cast off with the ends woven in. That’s how a project goes from WIP to FO in an hour; why did I procrastinate on this, that’s not usually how I am, did I get distracted by a newer, sexier yarn or pattern, did I put it down and lose it in the mess of the stash (this seems much more likely) or was it abducted by aliens and returned last week?

A good sized wrap/shawl/blanket I’m calling Rib and Ruffle because, well, it’s ribbed and has a ruffle. Why was it unfinished?

THE GRANDS

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted pics of the grands and boy do I have some cuteness today. First up, Babydiva

The Sprout during tummy time –

The Papoose in action –

Blessed, Mr. Iknead and I. A million times over and then some.

Don’t forget to visit Tami Amis for lot more FO Friday awesome!

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

Knitting

Yippee, WIPW 02/06/13 and a Stash Dive

February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

YIPPEE!

Thanks Mollie aka deepbluerenegade for making me the winner of your 100 Blog Posts contest. I opted for a $10.00 gift card from Mr. Yarn and plan to use this to feed my Shibui Sock addiction. I’ll make my final decision sometime today and get it posted to share the yarny love. I love me some contests!

THE GRANDS

I found this cute pic when I ~~hacked into~~ visited Mr. Iknead’s Shutterfly stuff. I’m a Flickr-phile myself so every so often I check out his Shutterfly to see if I’ve missed something. Here’s this week’s fave –

I love the way the Papoose has her chin in her hand, it seems to be such a “big girl” attitude and the way Babydiva is looking at her, little girl learning from big girl. So cute!

WARNING! STASH DIVING CAN BE HAZARDOUS!

Earlier this week, I got it into my head that I’d misplaced a skein of really expensive (for me) sock yarn and since I didn’t have any socks on the needles, decided I couldn’t go one more minute without getting a pair started and absolutely, positively couldn’t use anything but the misplaced yarn. Naturally, this meant turning my yarn stash upside down, digging feverishly, just knowing it had to be in the next box or bin or bag. Didn’t find it. Looked under furniture. Didn’t find it. Looked in the stash overflow area. Didn’t find it. Instead, this is what I did find – balls and skeins and hanks of yarn that I, either intentionally or unintentionally, had forgotten and this is why organizing/reorganizing your stash can be hazardous – you get caught up in one of two reactions or at least, I did. The “what was I thinking??” reaction or the “OMG, I love this stuff! How could it have been languishing all this time??” When this happens, all work comes to a screeching halt and for the next little while, I’m looking, remembering, fondling and running to Mr. Iknead repeatedly showing him the treasures I’ve found. Mr. Iknead’s enthusiasm for this is so low as to be nonexistent, by the way.

OK, back on track. Anyhow, last night I figured out why, after multiple searches, this yarn is still MIA. It’s because it’s been wound already and I’ve been looking for a hank. I even remember winding it. Today I’m going to search again, but for the correct shape and I bet I find it right away. This yarn has nearly reached “Holy Grail” status in my single minded obsession to find it. Is that odd?

ON THE NEEDLES

Here’s what I’ve accomplished on the Etched Rio Wrap so far, when I wasn’t turning my stash upside down (see above).

I love the color of this Metalico yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas, a pinky-gold.

BY THE BOOK

I’m currenting listening to A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Strangely enough, I learned about this book while watching one of those sort of embarrassing shows on the I.D. channel. You know the ones, with bad reenactments and strange voice overs. The author committed suicide back in the early 1970s and after his death, his family found this unpublished novel hidden away, sent it to a publisher and, bang, a bestseller. Interesting book, interesting back story.

Don’t forget to visit Tami Amis blog and Small Things Yarn Along for more WIPW goodness!

Man’s mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes

Knitting

Hit and Run, FOF 02/01/13

February 1, 2013February 1, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

OFF THE NEEDLES

They’re finished! The Phloem Socks are finished, with ends woven in, tried on, pictures taken and finally, shown off for this week’s FO Friday.

This one shows a little more detail. Turned out well, I think.

ALMOST ON THE NEEDLES

OK, let’s see –

Towels in dryer – check

Beds made – check

Banana bread in oven – check

Fire started – check

Fancy coffee in cup – check

Dishwasher loaded and running – check

I swatched my newest project last night, Etched Rio Wrap in Metalico Gold Dust, got close enough to gauge, wound the six skeins and I’m good to go. I love the excitement of a new project, this must be what opening night on Broadway feels like! Oooh, there’s my cue!

Sorry about the hit and run blog style this week, I know you understand, it being a new project and all.

What lights a fire under you? Shopping for yarn? Looking at patterns? Winding? Admiring someone else’s project? I’d love to know!

Head on over to Tamis Amis for lots more FOF love.

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. Demosthenes