Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and Babylove

September 10, 2014September 10, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Lark in Twig

So, before Mr. Iknead and I took off to Mt. Magazine last weekend, I did a stash dive and came up with ten (!) skeins of this lovely yarn. I’m a little embarrassed to reveal that I’d completely forgotten about this little bit of stash enhancement. Obviously, I’d bought it with a particular project in mind, what with ten skeins and all, but as for the planned project, no clue. Anyway, I started cruising Ravelry for patterns and settled on a sweet and simple vest from Redheart.

Vested and Stylish

Redheart

Sorry sbout the crazy photos, my phone battery bit the dust and photos taken on my ipad are HUGE. We’re charging, by the way. The pattern and the Lark yarn seem to be a perfect match; I love it when a plan comes together! 😉

WEDNESDAY BOOKLOVE

I just finished Anthony Rapp’s memoir, Without You. This is another happy discovery, Mr. Rapp was one of the lead characters in my all-time favorite play, Rent. FYI, he played Mark, an aspiring filmmaker. A good read, especially since I love Rent so much, of course, it was loaded with Rent references and bits of insider trivia. Next up is Lucky Us, by Amy Bloom, a book I know next to nothing about, other than the synopsis sounded interesting.

GRANDBABY LOVE

New Kid on the Block

Charlee Faith, who is all of one month as of Monday. Beautiful, right??

She’s #4 in the grandbaby line up and I’m here to tell you, the grandparent thing?, it never gets old. Ever.

I’m linking today with Tami, Yarn Along and Frontier Dreams.

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. Michelangelo

Knitting

Infatuated!

September 7, 2014September 7, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

OFF THE NEEDLES AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR FO FRIDAY!!!

I’m calling this bag Infatuated bacause…I’m infatuated! Felting is finished and it’s sunbathing dry.

Infatuation

Noro Kureyon 352 and Cascade 220 #7801

It has a lot of fuzz, but I expect that will diminish with some patient lint brushing.

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Knitting

I Do Redo, WIP Wednesday and Grands

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

I DO REDO

Mr. Iknead and I renewed our wedding vows last Friday for our 35th anniversary. It was surprisingly emotional, both for me and for him. I’m not a crier at all, so to just break down with happy tears was unusual. We had Holy Communion – again, surprisingly emotional and just special. That’s the only word I can find to describe it, special.

Aren’t we beautiful! Seriously!

Trio of Blessings

L to R – The Sprout, Babydiva and The Papoose

After pics, we all went out to dinner and it was just joyous…..until the nasty little incident with Babydiva.

Here’s what happened: we had to wait for a table, not unusual, we were a big group and it was Friday evening. Waiting for a table with three hungry children had ugly potential, so Babydaddy and Bigmommy took the big girls outside to wait. Lots of little girl fun, with hopping, skipping attempts, chattering, laughing, squealing – little girl stuff. During a round of hopping, Babydiva tripped and faceplanted on the sidewalk. Lots of blood and little girl hysterics, both from Babydiva and the Papoose. Luckily, no broken or loose teeth, just a fat lip and we were able to get it iced quickly. I think Babydaddy was more traumatized than Babydiva, luckily for them, I just happened to have a Tide pen in my pocketbook and his bloody shirt was taken care of and Babydiva just happened to have some Barbie stickers and what didn’t come out with the pen, she put stickers over.

Poor Baby

Anyhow, it didn’t affect her appetite and by the end of the meal, all were happy again. Parenting in the Trenches or Never A Dull Moment. : )

ON THE NEEDLES

Slip Stitch Felted Bag

Irina Poludnenko, Designer

Kureyon #352 and Cascade 220 #7801

Linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams.

Imagination rules the world. Napoleon Bonaparte

Family · Knitting

FO Friday, I Do, Wise Words

August 29, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

OFF THE NEEDLES

Honey Nectar Cowl

Tosh Chunky in One of a Kind Nectar

This yarn was much prettier after it was knit up. The colors seemed sort of, I don’t know, blah, I guess. I’m so glad I stayed with it to the finish. I love the soft, subtle colors now!

I DO RENEW

Mr. Iknead and I are renewing our marriage vows this evening, with our sweet son in law officiating. It’s very low key, just family, the kids and their spouses and the grands, in front of the fireplace here at home, with dinner afterward. The past 35(!) years hold so much laughter and love, along with some tears, of course, but the love and laughs far outweigh anything else. So, yeah, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Pictures to follow.

A WORD TO THE WISE

When your paper carrier leaves your paper right on top of your sprinkler system, do not, I repeat, do not attempt to dry it, the paper, not the carrier, in the microwave; or at least, don’t get distracted and walk away.

I didn’t know paper would ignite at around the 20 second mark. Yeah, my attention span is about that short. Burned clean through the first section and about halfway through the second, FYI.

Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. Henry Ford

Knitting

How’d It Get To Be Thursday Already???

August 28, 2014August 28, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

SO YEAH

I truly don’t know what happened to my time this week. I’m just surprised today is Thursday already. We watched the Papoose and the Sprout once this week and had dinner out with friends, last night, I think (Taziki’s, yum) but aside from those things, I’m at a loss. My story is that I was abducted by aliens, everyone knows that when you’re abducted by aliens, you have missing time, right???

ON THE NEEDLES

Apparently, I was able to grab my knitting on the way to the mothership (see above) and started a new project, Honey Cowl. Details here. i had a skein of Mad Tosh in a one of a kind colorway, Nectar, which is working up nicely. If all goes as planned and I don’t have another appointment aboard the mothership (see above), it will be off the needles in time for FO Friday. It’s not the most exciting project, but it works up quickly and easily enough.

Honey Cowl

SOME WOULD DISAGREE

I read somewhere a day or two ago that nothing dates someone more in this day and age than putting a double space between the ending punctuation of one sentence and the first letter of the first word of the following sentence. It just screams “Hey everyone!!!! I learned to type in the 1970s (or earlier)!” Know what? I don’t care – not even a little. Mrs. Frachiseur’s typing method rules and will continue to do so. FYI – Mrs. Frachiseur was the typing teacher back in the day at good old DeQueen High. Hey Mrs. Frachiseur!! I’m so happy to know it’s not the gray hair or the laugh lines giving me away. It’s the dadgum double space!

1/4 GRANDS

The Sprout

First Time Painter

MOMM*

My newest mixed media project, with modeling paste, ink stamps, postage stamps and acrylic paint.

Always be smarter than the people who hire you. Lena Horne

*My Own Mixed Media

Knitting

FO Friday, What To Do Next?, Pretty!

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

OFF THE NEEDLES

My Guernsey Wrap

It’s unblocked and I’m sure the stitches will really pop after blocking, but I’m so excited to have something finished for today that I couldn’t wait. I’ll post another photo, I promise.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

What next? Socks maybe? Another wrap? A sweater? Maybe one of each?

SHINY!

This is my anniversary gift from Mr. Iknead. We’re renewing our vows next week with son in law Clefton officiating. Thirty-five years and he’s still my best friend. (I’m leaving out the lover stuff because it grosses the kids out.) He’s getting better at his gift giving, but he still needs more practice ;). I saw this when we went to get our wedding rings cleaned and resized, and I loved it. I never dreamed I’d have it on my finger! I can’t stop admiring it!

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Though it looks the same as it did last week, I have made progress on My Guernsey Wrap and hopefully will have knitted the last stitch in time to post it as a FO on Friday. If I didn’t jinx it by saying that, that is. You can read more about it here.

BOOKLOVE

Man, I’ve been burning through the downloaded library books this week. So far, I’ve finished Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg, Grey Wolf by Simon Dunstan, Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld and started Delicious, by Ruth Reichl. All great books, but I think my favorite is going to be Delicious, but really, it’s too soon to tell.

FIXED

I had a challenge or two with my last post with a couple of pictures missing. It’s fixed (I hope) and if you’d like to give it another look, it’s here.

I’m linking with Ginny’s Yarn Along, Tami and Frontier Dreams.

Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way. Booker Washington

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday

August 13, 2014August 13, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Guernsey Wrap

I’m just a little over halfway finished on this project and it’s been a surprisingly quick knit and the yarn, which I bought mostly because it was on sale, has been perfect for the pattern, both in texture and color. Even though I don’t care much for shades of orange, I’m looking forward to finishing this and wearing it as the weather cools. I have project details here and pattern details are here.

I’m linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams today.

As we grow as unique persons, we learn to respect the uniqueness of others. Robert Schuller

Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and Waiting

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Guernsey Wrap, designed by Jared Flood

Classic Elite Yarns

Brooklyn Tweed

Color #5012

I’m really enjoying this project. It’s the perfect balance of complicated and simple – complicated enough to keep me engaged, but simple enough that it doesn’t interfere with whatever I’m doing at the same time.

3 7/8 GRANDS

We’re still on baby watch here. Charlee’s due date was Monday, but she doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to vacate the premises. Babymama, on the other hand, was ready for her to vacate a week ago. She has an OB appointment this afternoon and the best case scenario would be for her doctor to exclaim “Oh my goodness! You’re fully dilated and must go right to the hospital!” Then, Babymama pushes once or twice and Charlee is here. That’s how it would play out if I were in charge, anyway.

BOOKLOVE

I’m currently listening to Snowblind, by Christopher Golden, so far, it has a great beginning chapter. I plan on really getting started on it this afternoon, since it’s too hot to do anything but sit around under the air conditioning and wait for Charlee.

Linking with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams KCCO.

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. John Adams

Knitting

Hurray! I Have A FO Today!

August 1, 2014August 1, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

OFF THE NEEDLES

Liesl is a done deal – knitted, ends woven in and blocked. It fits and I’m really, really excited at how it turned out.

My Liesl Sweater

Knitpicks Cotlin in Brown Sugar

Cocoknits

I’m linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO today.

Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. Immanuel Kant

Knitting

Wondrous Box, Ding Dong, 1906

July 25, 2014July 25, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST

I’ve been experimenting a lot with different paints and inks over the past few days, since I had a small cash windfall last week and was able to buy a couple of items that I’d been coveting for a while, buying one thing at a time when I’d saved a little bit of what my mom called “mad money”. Anyway, I bought two bottles of Dylusions ink,one bottle of Fresh Lime and one bottle of London Blue. I’ve enjoyed just playing with the colors trying out different techniques that I see being demoed (is that a word?) on Facebook.

KNOCK KNOCK WHO’S THERE

This guy was on our doorstep yesterday when I went to bring in the newspaper. He looks mad, probably because he couldn’t reach the doorbell – unless it was him I caught doing the big nasty with his girlfriend and took a picture, in which case that’s what he’s mad about.

WONDROUS BOX

Hurray!! My July Yarnbox arrived yesterday, here’s what was inside-

Two skeins of Airy from Unique Chic Studio

1000(!) yd each

80% Tussah Silk/20% Merino

Fresh Colorway

Now, what does this lovely fiber want to be? A scarf? A shawl? Whatever it decides, it’s sure to be delicate,lacy and floaty.

Linking with Frontier Dreams and Tami today. Pay them a visit and prepare to be inspired!

PARTING SHOT

1906 Postcard

The most successful people are those who are good at Plan B. James Yorke

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 7/23/14, How Cool Is This?, Booklove

July 23, 2014July 23, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

The Liesl Sweater is coming along nicely, I love patterns that move along faster and faster the closer to one gets to the finish. When the first line of a pattern directs you to cast on 276 stitches, I know I’m in for a long haul to the finish. I have to REALLY love the finished product for that first line not to faze me. That describes Liesl.

Notice my nest? Everything I need within an easy reach, sketchbook,iPod,iPhone.

Oh, by the way, that odd sort of flappy thing in the middle? It’s a pocket and there’s another one on the other side.

BROWN NO MORE

When I inherited Mr. IKnead’s iPad, I also inherited the case. Absolutely nothing wrong with it – except for the color. Don’t misunderstand me – I love brown, look at Liesl up there. Brown is good, the color of coffee and chocolate, after all, but the brown cover just wasn’t doing it for me. So, I changed it. There’s a little of everything, inks, stamps, stencils and acrylic paint. I love the way it turned out. Take a look for yourself.

The Outside

The Inside

Am I finished? I haven’t decided. I went ahead and sprayed it with Krylon Kamar Fixative since some of the inks I used are waterbased and will run/spread with direct contact with liquid; going ahead with the fixative may have made my decision for me, if it can’t be painted or inked after the Krylon has been applied.

BOOKLOVE

I’m rereading Joe Hill’s NOS4A2 and it’s just as creepy as it was the first time around.