Tag: Frontier Dreams

Knitting

FO Friday 11/08/13 and Dysmotivation*

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OFF THE NEEDLES

Le Miz is (finally) finished and felted, in spite of a couple of “time-outs” for operator error.  This was the first project that I felted by hand and I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it is.  Lazy me, I’ve always let my washing machine do the work.  I’m apologizing in advance for the cruddy pictures, but it’s cold this morning and I’m still in my jammies, giving our back of the yard neighbors yet another reason to call me Crazy Yarn Lady.

A Better Look at the Stitch Pattern

GO AHEAD, MOTIVATE ME, I DARE YA

Right now, I’m having a really, really hard time getting back into my program of walking and watching my weight.  I’m not going to share my poundage, suffice it to say that it is totally unacceptable to me and should jumpstart my walking and mindful eating program – but it hasn’t (at least so far).  Going to shop treadmills today, I think.  I’m hoping that will help.  What gets you in the exercise zone?

Linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams today.

Trouble is only opportunity in work clothes.  Henry J. Kaiser

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 *Dysmotivation – The attitude of not wantin’ to do nuthin’.

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 11/6/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

Ridged Lace Cowl, created by Elinor Brown

Mochi Plus Cherries Jubilee

Hitchhiker 1

Meadow from The Fibre Company in Aster

Hitchhiker 2

Starry Sock Weight with Sparkle from Dream In Color Yarn

Amethyst Ink

Linking today with Tami and Frontier Dreams.

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.  That doesn’t happen much, though.  J. D. Salinger

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Knitting

Presto Chango, FO Friday and Divaliciousness

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OFF THE NEEDLES

Here’s Babymama modeling the (reversible) Hilton Field Cowl and doesn’t she wear it well?

and flipped

I think it turned out rather well, it being my first colorwork project.

ON THE NEEDLES

My Le Miz wrap is currently in time out, mostly because of unnoticed dropped stitches, leading to an incorrect number of stitches, which were finally noticed by yours truly when she decided, just for giggles, to do a quick stitch count.   FYI, if you’re going to do a project that incorporates purposely dropped stitches into the pattern, you must be extremely vigilant in counting stitches, since a huge mistake has the ability to look like a perfectly knit pattern row.  Dang.  Life goes on.  Sigh.

THE GRANDS

In the solo spotlight today is Babydiva, who is already talking a blue streak at the tender age of 20 months and definitely knows her own mind, thank you very much.

Workin’ those baby blues!

I’m linking today with Tami’s blog and Frontier Dreams.  Check them out for the best inspiration around.

Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.  Thomas Edison

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/09/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

Christmas knitting is going like gangbusters.  One more evening of knitting on this particular project should wrap it up.

Les Miz scarf/shawl is moving right along, although when I took it outdoors for a picture I noticed that somehow one of the needles has pulled out, so that will be today’s Les Miz knitting.

Yesterday was a day of galloping startitis, so I caved and started Hilton Field Cowl, designed by Kate Gagnon Osborn, in a book called November Knits .  I’m using Cascade 220 that I found in the sale bin at Yarn Mart, in the colors I love.  Does it get any better than sale yarn in favorite colors?  I don’t think so.

ON THE BOBBIN

This

is in the process of becoming

this

Merino from Diamond B Sheep in Greenwood, Arkansas

Linking up with Tami’s WIPW blog and Frontier Dreams.  Visit them for inspiration overload.

Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.  Ella Williams

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Knitting

Frog Pond/WIP Wednesday 10/02/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

If this Le Miz shawl looks smaller than last week, it’s because it is.  I found an awful, unfixable, un-live-withable mistake way, way back nearly at the  beginning.  This shawl is 712 rows long and I was probably on row 400 or so.  No way I was going to tink it back.  Ever.  Timewise, it made more sense to just bite the bullet and start the whole thing over.  So I did.

Linking with Tami’s WIP Wednesday and Frontier Dreams today.

If you cannot be silent be brilliant and thoughtful.  Byron Pulsifer

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 9/4/13, Yarn Along and Spinning

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ON THE NEEDLES

Today’s entry is the CEY Ruffled Tank, which lacks only the ruffles to be finished.  Actually, I’m pretty proud of myself today.  I sat down this morning and did the part of completing a project that I HATE – the mattress stitch.  This is a real accomplishment for me as I can think of at least a couple of projects that are entirely finished – except for putting them together.  I dislike it so much that I’ll put something that I put a lot of time and effort into on the back burner, never to be seen or worked on again.  Maybe I should go unearth something and finish it while I’m still congratulating myself, on that cloud of optimism that comes with finishing a dreaded task.  Nah.  Tomorrow.  Maybe.

CEY Ruffled Tank

in Knit One Crochet Too Kettle Dyed, in Seaside

SPIN OUT

I’m getting better at it, I can see it.  My long anticipated roving arrived yesterday and after a period of oohs and aahs, I decided on the natural gray and white BFL to start and this is what resulted:

Is this beautiful or what?

Before spinning, mixed BFL

Nutmeg Merino

Copper – Colonial

This lovely fiber came from Fire and Fluff and you can bet I’ll be paying them another virtual visit soon.

BY THE BOOK

Here’s what I’m reading at the moment –

Orphan Train

Linking with Tami’s WIP Wednesday blog, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Yarn Along.  Pay them  a visit, they’re always a treat!

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.  Zig Ziglar

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Knitting

Look What I Got, WIPW 08/21/13 and Snakewoman

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I’M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN’T HIDE IT

OK, so I’ve been lusting after a spinning wheel, putting a little money back every now and then and doing a lot of window shopping online.   Then, yesterday, I found out that a lady who worked where I used to work had a spinning wheel and was wanting to sell it.  She and I e-mailed back and forth, she sent me some pics and now, as of 5:00 p.m., I have a wheel and not just any wheel, an Ashford Traveller!   Here in the south, it’s considered bad manners to talk about money, much less bragging (that’s what I was taught, anyway), but without stating the amount, it was less than half of what I thought I’d have to pay for one.  Isn’t she beautiful???

Pay no attention to the fact that I’ve never used a wheel before, hopefully, I’ll catch on pretty quick.  Isn’t that what YouTube is for?

ON THE NEEDLES

I’ve been so excited about the new wheel, I almost let this WIP Wednesday get away from me, but here’s my WIPW offering this week –

Ruffle Tank, using the Knit One Crochet Too Kettle Tweed I named My Destin-E.

and last, but not least

BY THE BOOK

My current book in progress is Snakewoman of Little Egypt by Robert Hellenga and I’m loving it!  Very quirky, just like I like it.

Snakewoman of Little Egypt

Here’s to learning new skills!

I almost forgot – I’m linking with Tami’s and Frontier Dreams today.

A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.  Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

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Knitting
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THAT GIANT SUCKING SOUND

is time going down the drain as I’ve been wrestling with widgets.  No joke, I started trying to get some new media buttons up and running on this blog on Saturday, though I really can’t swear to it, since it’s all sort of run together as far as time is concerned.  Since I’m technochallenged, it may take me hours to figure out how do one thing.  When the support tutorials start talking about plugins, downloads and zip files, they lose me because I don’t have any kind of grasp on computerese, I just don’t know what they’re talking about and am totally intimidated.  No matter, today,  I finally got things just the way I want them and  can start obsessing over something else.  I’d love to have some feedback, let me know what you think.

POTTING

Monday is pottery class day, with much anticipation during the week.  I enjoy everyone – including Teach (as Leslie refers to her), we laugh A LOT and talk A LOT, all while working with clay, stretching it, extruding it, rolling it and yes, sometimes beating it into submission.  I’m going to raku the pot below, firebug that I am.  Can’t wait!

Same pot, other side.

WTH?

Me and about a million other people are having Flickr issues.  Can’t upload, queue frozen on iPhone.  See above paragraph.

I’m linking up with Frontier Dreams KCCO today.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.  The important thing is to not stop questioning.  Albert Einstein

Knitting

FO Friday 07/19/13

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OFF THE NEEDLES

I FINALLY finished the Papoose’s Olivia Petit sweater this week.  If you will recall, I had intended to knit three (what was I thinking??) of these sweet sweaters, one for each grand, for Easter.  Clearly, I must have been intoxicated from the heady fumes of possibility that this pattern was emitting at that particular point in time.  Be that as it may, here’s the finished product, blocked, with buttons and ends woven in.

Front

Back

Remember this?  My very first handspun and dyed yarn?

It went from this –

To a Cowl

OFF THE MACHINE

Here’s what I made yesterday – I’m getting more confident all the time on the sewing machine.  I think I might make a trip to Jo-Ann today and brainstorm.

Lining

I have to admit I’m more than a little proud of myself.  On Monday, I couldn’t even thread the machine!  Still on a learning curve, but I can see the possibilities that knowing how to sew will open.

OK, enough already.

I’m linking up again with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO.  Pay a visit, willya?

Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.  Leonardo da Vinci

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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

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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Knitting

WIPW 6/26/13

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ON THE NEEDLES

This is the WIP that I nearly went nuts getting posted to this week’s WIPW yesterday, only to figure out that was NOT Wednesday, it was Tuesday and no, I’m not oriented as to the time, place or person. Hanging out in a hospital room will do that to you.

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Scrappy Yarn Blanket from The Heathen Housewife

http://www.shellykang.com

A Free Ravelry Pattern

APPRECIATION

I just want to give a quick Thank You to all who have encouraged me and prayed for Mom and me these past few days.  I can definitely feel them all.   They’ve really made a difference, helping me maintain a positive attitude and a patient heart.

I’m linking up today with Tami and Frontier Dreams, give them a visit and be prepared to be wowed!

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.  Wayne Dyer

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