Knitting

WIPW, Bikes at the Beach

October 22, 2014October 22, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

I continue to plug along on Simplex, which is slowiy but surely growing and hopefully will be finished in the next week or so. At this point in every project, I begin fantasizing about my next project, even if I don’t specifically have one picked out. Too bad I don’t have a time lapse to post, because that’s about the only way to see Simplex’s growth from week to week without actually counting the ridges/pattern repeats. Someday, I’m going to try a time lapse photo, just for fun.

Makes me think of a pizza!

THE GRANDS

A few more beach pictures, if you can stand it. I wish I could take credit for these, but I can’t. Mr. iknead took these beauties.

Sprout and Sand

At the End of the Day

Best idea of the whole week! Babymama and Bigmommy rented bikes with buggies – it was hard to tell who had more fun!

The Sprout had to ride by herself, but with a snack and her paci, all was well. Next year, Charlee will even the count and she’ll have a bike buddy.

Light tomorrow with today! Elizabeth Browning

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Knitting

WIP Wednesday Just Under The Wire

October 1, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Simplex Wrap

A Little Detail

BEACHBOUND

Mr. Iknead and I, the grands and their respective keepers parents (minus the Papoose and Sprout’s daddy) and Mr. Iknead’s brother and his wife are heading to Grayton Beach next week for an end of summer vacation, thanks to Clef and Mary Vaughan, who also happen to be Big Daddy’s mom and dad and the Papoose and Sprout’s other grandparents. Their generosity truly blesses us again and again. Thank you again, Clef and Mary! (Heading off to pack my knitting/yarn suitcase.)

Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be. Henry David Thoreau

Knitting

Vacay and Kindersongs

August 26, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

A LITTLE BUMMED

Today is our last pottery class for this semester, ;(, but I’ve already signed up for the next one. I’m going to learn the wheel next and am excited to learn something new. I think we raku again today. The firebug in me is always excited to raku!

KINDERSONG

The Kindersong concert was totally AWESOME! Silly songs, silly hats, silly dancing – I loved it! Oh yeah, the grands loved it too. The papoose danced the whole time. I’ve already decided to keep an eye out so we can go again. Mr. Iknead took lots of pictures, but since the papoose and babydiva were in constant motion, most of them are just blurs. Oh, well, better pics next time.

LONG AWAITED, MUCH ANTICIPATED

Are you ready?? Cause here are a few of our vacay pics:

The Sprout and the Papoose

Babydiva

All of us!

Sprout

Mr. Iknead, the grands and me, in our dreams.

Mr. Iknead, the grands and me – real life

Corny? Absolutely! Probably my favorite of all!

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. Lao Tzu

Knitting

What I Do Have

August 9, 2013August 9, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

DON’T HAVE

A FO for today. DO HAVE Beach toes! That’s right friends – Mr. Iknead and I are on vacation and are kicking back in a hotel (a Holiday Inn if you’re interested) in Hattiesburg M-eye-ess-ess-eye-ess-ess-eye-pee-pee-eye on our way to Grayton Beach, FL. Beach toes that I can’t show you because Flickr isn’t co-operating.

Maybe later.

Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door. Ralph Emerson

Knitting

Spinning, Birds and Blessings

June 29, 2013June 29, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

OFF THE SPINDLE

Pulled my first ever handspun off my drop spindle yesterday afternoon, gave it a quick bath and laid it out to dry. I can only hope to improve, I suppose. Mr. Iknead’s drop spindle works like a charm and is easy to use. It turns so easily and spins for what seems like a long, long time. I invested in a small niddy-noddy and a yardage counter from Knitpicks today, they were on sale and if I stay as interested in spinning as I think I’m going to, I’ll need them. Here’s a look at my first ever handspun:

Very kinky and I’m sure horrendously overspun but it’s a start.

LET ME DRAW YOU A (BIRD) BATH

Mr. Iknead and I finally got back out to The Good Earth Garden Center today. We went out last Saturday but our shopping trip was cut short when my mother took a turn for the worse and had to be taken to the Emergency Room. More about that a little later. Anyway, we spent a couple of hours or so just wandering around, looking at different plants, coveting the largest and prettiest of whatever we happened to be looking at and browsing containers and pretty pots. We had decided a few weeks ago that we really needed (read wanted) a small birdbath for the front yard, so we spent a little extra time just checking different ones out. They were pretty expensive and we really just didn’t see one that turned over our engines and decided to wait for the perfect one, maybe pay a little more rather than just getting one that we thought was so-so and inexpensive. We had this agreement and were leaving when I saw the Birdbath That Called My Name. We both loved it, the price was right, so our front yard is now graced by the perfect birdbath. I hope the birds love it as much as we do!

I love the leaf shape!

Now, if only the ground cover would hurry up and fill in…..

WHERE WE STAND

Our meetings with hospice went very well, Mom was officially admitted to Arkansas Hospice and they’ll be coming to the nursing home at least five days a week, caring for her and providing support for us. A nice surprise was that Bigmommy’s best friend since babyhood is a social worker with Arkansas Hospice (we knew she worked for a hospice, just not which one) and has known my mom pretty much forever. She and her family are like family to us and that gives us reassurance and comfort during this time, when it feels like we’re always second guessing ourselves and the decisions we’ve had to make. A blessing.

THE GRANDS

The Stuttgart grands are at Grayton Beach, Florida even as I type. They’re enjoying the Vaughan side of the family tree, and I’m sure being totally and deliberately spoiled rotten by their Grandmary and Pops, aunts, uncles and cousins. Another blessing for sure. Waiting on some beach pics, will show off a few when (and if) they arrive.

Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Knitting

The one where the real

August 8, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

world intrudes again and I can’t really say I’m not happy about it. Grayton Beach was a dream – beautiful weather, beautiful water, beautiful grandbaby Papoose. What’s not to like? Want to know just how fabulous this vacay was? I didn’t get in as much knitting as I thought I would. DD gave me a hard time about knitting on the beach, told me that she knows now without a doubt that I am hopelessly addicted, all in fun, of course. Here’s the view we were mercilessly subjected to 24/7.

Tough, right?

Here’s a Papoose aka Susannah vacay pic; she loves the water and the sand, having a hissy fit when she was taken out of the pool. Bet she’ll be swimming by next summer, I hope so.

She looks very pleased with herself, doesn’t she?

So, today was the first day back, I got a ton done at work catching up and immediately fell into my regular routine. As great as it was, I’m glad to be back, I missed my Josie Pug, my favorite coffee cup and my bed. Without a doubt, life is good.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn to do it. Pablo Picasso

Knitting

The one where my baby

July 27, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

boy turns 27. Oh, I know, he’s grown and has been taller than I am for at least 15 years, but he’s still my baby boy, about to become a parent himself next March or so. How about that? We raised two, count ’em, two responsible adults! Life is still good!

Finally! Constanze cowl is blocking. Take a look –

Buttons will finish it up, wooden, I think. Since we’re going to be on vacay in Destin and I know there’s a yarn shop there, I’ll probably splurge a little on them and call them souveniers. Tomorrow is my last day before vacation and I’m getting very, very antsy. Ten more work hours and then our trip.

Happy birthday, baby boy. I love you!

Precision is not reality. Henri Matisse (1869-1954) French painter, sculptor

Knitting

The one where once again

July 24, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

I comfort myself with a trip to Yarn Mart, which is having their once a year sale. Work has slowed on the Constanze cowl, but continues. I started a drop stitch shawl while in DeQueen last week and for right now, it’s getting the majority of my knitting attention. Here’s are a couple of my newest aquisitions.

First up is Trendsetter Yarns Flamenco, colorway 200. Here’s how the directions read: Spread open mesh. Turn mest sideways. Turn end back to hem. Knit through open woven box at edge one hole to one stitch. The sample in the shop was a really loopy and soft scarf. This has potential, I think.

Up close and personal

Next is Sock-a-Licious Kollage, color 7808. I love the soft grays in this

I have great plans for these babies; quite possibly Christmas stuff, but only if I don’t fall in love with the projects before then. Odds are about 50/50 right now. Mr. Iknead and I, along with the little Ikneads are headed for a week at the beach starting on Friday. This means I have to make some decisions on which yarns and projects will be vacationing with us. It’s so hard to choose!

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one. C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer

Knitting

The one where she’s exactly

July 11, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

one half and two rows finished with the Constanze scarf. I’m trying to save posting it until WIP Wednesday. I really like the way it’s turning out. I also got a few rows done today on the feather and fan dishcloth. This one’s not quite as fiddly as the scarf, so it’s a good project to work on at work when I need a little break.

We got beach pictures of the Papoose today. A bathing beauty without a doubt. She and her mom and dad just got back from a week at the beach, DSIL’s family owns a beach house in Grayton Beach, Florida and they have a family reunion there every year the first week in July. He is the youngest of five kids so with parents, siblings, spouses and kids it’s a crowd. I think the Papoose is number 11 in the grandkid line up, so I’m sure she didn’t starve for attention while there.