Knitting

Booklove, WIP Wednesday and Grandbaby Countdown

July 16, 2014July 16, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Blog, meet Liesl; Liesl, meet Blog.

Liesl Tunic

Cocoknits

Knitpicks Cotlin

Brown Sugar Colorway

Started 7-14-14

BOOKLOVE

I have a different sort of booklove today. Here’s the backstory: I lost my calendar a while ago, a calendar I loved – just the right size, illustrated by my favorite artist, everything about it was perfect. It has remained wayward and I decided to finally replace it yesterday. So, Mr. Iknead and I made a trip to our local bookstore to look for one. The new calendar had to meet a few requirements before coming home with me. It needed to be small enough to carry around in my purse, the writing space needed to be fairly large (my eyes aren’t as good as they once were) and it needed to have both traditional calender pages AND weekly planner pages. Oh, and it had to be cute. So, I looked at big ones and small ones, spiral bound and traditionally bound, ones with reminder stickers and pockets, minimalist planners and elaborate ones. After much inner debate (I try really hard to not talk to myself out loud in public places), I chose this cutie-

It has traditional calendar pages, traditional planner pages and then sort of a hybrid of both, and don’t forget the cute factor, gotta have one that makes me smile every time I pick it up and use it. This one fits the bill nicely, I think.

GRAND COUNTDOWN

T minus 19 days and counting. Baby Charlee is due on August 4 and all of us are anxious to meet her, but none more than Babymama and Babydaddy. It’s getting close!

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

The Possible’s slow fuse is lit by the Imagination. Emily Dickinson

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Knitting

A Spinning Sunday, July 4

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

INTO THE DYEPOT

I’ve finally gotten around to dyeing the last bit of roving that’s been hanging around Violet, looking so sad. It’s been so long since I started spinning it that I can’t remember where it came from or even what type fiber it is. I know it’s wool, but what kind, no clue. Maybe when I get in there I’ll get lucky and figure it out. Wish me luck! Found it! It’s superwash merino. Meanwhile, here is a look into the dyepot.

Jacquard Acid Dye

Sky Blue

INDEPENDENCE DAY GRANDS

We had a big cookout for the holiday, unfortunately, I took no pictures because my camera was kind of inaccessible, in the same room that JosiePug is banished to whenever the little ones visit. Unhappily, she’s not good with the kids – not because she doesn’t like them, but because she loves them TOO much, jumping and running and just generally being way too much pug for them. She still outweighs the two littlest grands and 20 pounds of Josie goes a long way. We still hope for the time that we can ALL enjoy each other, but until then, we keep them apart. I do have some photos from the concert and fireworks at the river that night that Bigmommy and Babymama were nice enough to share.

Lots of dancing and flag waving!

PARTING SHOT

Hand Study

Albrecht Durer

If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. Albert Einstein

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

Wednesday! Again??, Booklove and It’s Nice To Be A Diva

June 25, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Wavy Garden Shawl is presently OTN, but not for long. (heavy sigh). I saw that somehow, what I call the backbone, where a pattern calls for a yarnover, knit, YO, is wonky, off a couple of stitches. So I suppose you could say it’s developed scoliosis. I hope I can take it back a few rows and reknit instead of frogging the whole shebang and restarting. Dang.

BOOKLOVE

I finished Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny Monday and am just as enamored as I was when I first read it, lo those 45 or so years ago. So, I’m giving away my age (you do the math), who cares??? In my head I’m 16. When does a person become a grownup anyway? OK, back to booklove. I started an smazing book right on the heels of Mutiny – The Snow Queen. I don’t have the author’s name right at my fingertips, but I’ll get it in here before I post. Take a minute check it out here. Michael Cunningham, that’s the guy’s name.

THE DOCUMENTED LIFE PROJECT

Here are a couple of *MOMMs that I’ve working on:

Curlicue Tree

Because I Like It #5

TDL Week 26 Challenge

Add a Bible verse or a line from your favorite book that inspires you

Mine is Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

ONE OF THE GRANDS

Babydiva

I think it was a reward for behaving in the store. She’s going to be a big sister here in about seven weeks!

Oh my gosh! That skin!!!!

Linking with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams.

*My Own Mixed Media

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. Mother Teresa

Knitting

Buh-bye, Wondrous Box, Booklove

June 18, 2014June 18, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

R.I.P.

It is with ginormous regret that I inform you that the Cable and Pleat Tunic is no more. (Sobsniff). After taking a hard look at it last evening and then sleeping on my decision , I decided to go ahead with my plan to frog, let it rest and then start from scratch in the near (I hope) future. Next time, I’ll go down a couple of needle sizes, it was very loose and I knew I’d never wear it without something underneath and knowing how hot Arkansas summers are, it just wasn’t going to work. Besides, it’s not like I don’t have other WIPs to work on. I can hear The Socks On A Plane Socks whimpering to be picked up even as I type.

BUT THEN, AGAIN

A Wondrous Box arrived in the mail today, and man, is it ever going to be hard to keep my grubby paws off the goods long enough to carry out the abovementioned plan. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean!

Two hanks of incredible merino and as a little extra surprise, a sample of lovely silver silk with sequins and beads, all from Artyarns, thanks to Yarnbox. Could you stay strong in the face of this???

BOOKLOVE

I’m rereading an old, old favorite, The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk. It still lights my dials. I read this book as a kid, maybe junior high or a little younger, probably because my parents owned a copy and I’d most likely finished my library books and then gone hunting for something else to read. This became a favorite immediately. One thing I’ll always be thankful for is that my parents never, ever put any sort of limitations on what I read and I loved to read. My dad was also a Reader with a capital R and it wasn’t unusual for he and I to be reading the same book. He was an omnivorous reader and thanks to him, so am I. Best gift ever, thanks Mom and Dad!!!!

Linking with the usual Wednesday bunch – Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams.

I’m not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today. William White

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 6/11/14, Booklike, Pots

June 11, 2014June 11, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

I’m coming right along with the Cable and Pleat Tunic, being really close to finishing the front and side shaping. For once, the color in the photo is nearly, if not completely, true. Another awesome thing about the patio – it’s a fantastic place for taking pictures.

POTS

Here’s my latest set of pots, which once again exceeded my glazing expectations.

I have one or two left to glaze and plan to go into the studio this weekend to finish them up. Class has a two week break before the next session and it’s always nice to go into the studio with a clean slate as far as projects go.

BOOKLIKE

This week’s book is a biography of Johnny Cash by Robert Hilburn. I like it, I don’t love it. It had parts that are hard to read, it feels like you are in the front row for his self destruction at times. It also goes into minute detail seemingly sbout everything, which bogs me down sometimes. This probably won’t be a repeater, it’s a library book, so I don’t feel guilty about just skimming it in parts. I’m anxiously waiting for my Audible credits to show up so that I can get Stephen King’s newest, Mr. Mercedes. They should be coming any time now.

AN ASIDE

Mr. iknead figured out how to turn the autocorrect off, but now, I get aggravated at all the typos and have to proofread much more carefully. I know, gripe, gripe, gripe. Sheesh!

I’m linking with the Wednesday regulars, Tami, Frontier Dreams and Ginny.

You must train your intuition — you must trust the small voice inside you which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide. Ingrid Bergman

Knitting

Time, Green Growing Things

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

TIME OUT

I feel like I’m falling down on the job – I haven’t posted since Sunday, not for a lack of postable material, but it’s SO hard to pull myself away from the other things that I love and that make me so happy. I feel so blessed to be at this point in my life, the point where if I want to spend the entire day baking or painting or knitting or reading or anything else that catches my rather short attention span I can, and it’s ok.

GREEN LEAFY STUFF

The plants that Mr. Iknead and I managed to put out before the rains hit are thriving like crazy, leafing and budding and flowering. It’s been raining here off and on, mostly on, since last Thursday, with some bad storms with high winds and torrential rain. No tornados and no hail, thank goodness, but things are a muddy mess. I know that we’ll all be crying for rain by the time August rolls around, but today, a little sunshine would be welcomed. I took these today between rain showers-

Basil is growing like a house afire. In the narrow box is more basil that took root after I thinned the ones in the clay pots.

I love my begonias! My mother loved begonias and at first, I got them because they reminded me of her. Now, I’ve fallen in love with them, too.

This is our first time with a butterfly bush, I think it’s doubled in size over the past week. It’s a keeper for sure.

PARTING SHOT

Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools. Albert Einstein

Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and Paisley

June 4, 2014June 4, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

My Cable and Pleat Tunic is once again on the needles, after starting and then frogging three times. I’m hoping that this attempt is THE one and I’ll finally see real progress.

MORE CRAFTINESS

I decided to I needed some kind of jar or pot to store the assorted brushes, pencils and markers that are accumulating quickly on my craft table. I love paisley- bet you didn’t know that about me- and decided to experiment with some paisley shapes and a straight sided glass jar. It’s not finished, I plan to cover the jar completely with paisley and then outline to make them stand out. Here’s what I have so far-

Yeah, I can see that outlining them is going to be a must to delineate the paisley shapes.

BOOKLOVE

I just finished Maeve Binchy’s A Week in Winter yesterday and it was OK. I enjoyed it, but probably won’t pick it up to read again. Admittedly, it was a departure for me, I generally go for nonfiction or horror or crime novels. Still, I liked it enough to finish it.

FIRST TIME

This morning was the first time I’ve been able to enjoy my coffee and newspaper on the patio. Birdsong and cool breezes, coffee and newspaper=perfect place to spend the morning. Crazy good.

Linking with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams today.

Who we are never changes. Who we think we are does. Mary Almanac

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Knitting

Pottery, Sad and a Table

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

MY POTTERY

My least favorite thing about throwing pots is the glazing, mostly, I think, because glazing is something that cannot be rushed if you want a good result. With me, it’s sort of a chicken and egg thing: am I not good at it because I don’t enjoy it or do I not enjoy it because I’m not good at it? Anyway, a few weeks ago I got busy at the glaze table and these pots are the result. For the first time, I’m actually happy with how they turned out. I took my time on this bunch and it paid off, I know I was more thoughtful and patient, thinking out the process with regard to colors and how I wanted each piece to look when finished.

WHA….?

Sadly, the Cable and Pleat Tunic is not going well. I frogged it for about the third time last night when I just couldn’t get the stitch count to jibe. After frogging, I put it away until this morning, when I was much fresher and in a much better mood. Come to find out, I had miscounted way back in the casting on, with 38 extra stitches. No wonder it didn’t work! I’m getting ready to cast on again; wish me luck!

CREATIVE MINDS AND ALL THAT

I thought I’d give you a look where all some of my crafty stuff hangs out. I console myself with the quote, “Creative minds are rarely tidy.” Mr. Iknead avoids this room like the plague, but I like being able to see my stuff. I have a feeling that our housekeeper is going to hyperventilate when she gets a look. A warning sign on the door might be in order.

All serious daring starts from within. Harriet Beecher Stowe

Knitting

With An Umbrella And Everything

June 2, 2014June 2, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

LOVE THIS

It finally stopped raining and we were able to step outside and enjoy our newest patio purchase:

It was a long time coming and I predict many, many happy hours. Next on the purchase list: a glider and a wading pool for the grands. This will be a perfect spot to work on my art journal and my knitting projects. I might even bring Violet, the spinning wheel, out for some fresh air every now and then!

PARTING SHOT

Can I help it if I’m easily entertained??

E=mc2. Albert Einstein

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Knitting

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!

June 1, 2014May 31, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

SHRUG IT OFF!

My Harmonica is finished! I was geared for an all nighter, I was so ready for it to be done, but had it finished and ends woven in by about 10 p.m. Babymama was nice enough to model it so I could get a photo.

The shrug turned out really well, don’t you think? Babymama is a great model – she makes everything she wears special! Her little hitchhiker is Charlotte Faith, due the first week in August.

When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to your youth, think of algebra. Unknown

Knitting

Good to Go, Rain Rain Go Away

May 30, 2014May 30, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

I received the yarn for my My Harmonica Shrug yesterday, but in spite of my best intentions, it didn’t get finished. Today is another day, though, it could transform from WIP into a FO; technically, the day’s not over until midnight, right? I frogged the Cable and Pleat Tunic and restarted this time without the twist. That’s what distracted me from My Harmonica. I promised Harmonica that I absolutely, positively will not work on any other project until it’s finished. Yes, I talk to my knitting all the time, most of the time nicely, but there have been moments….

GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

The good news is that the patio is finished and we’ve purchased a table, an umbrella and four great chairs to go with it. We’ve also gotten most of the plants in the ground and so far, they all seem to be doing well. We have a couple of different begonias, impatiens, lamb’s ear, butterfly bush and coral bells in the flower bed, with just a couple more to plant, a redbud that a friend gave me and an oakleaf hydrangea from another friend. The bad news is that it has rained for the last three days, so all the lovely furniture we’re so anxious to use is sitting in the garage, waiting for the sun to come out. When I checked the forecast this morning, it said rain and thunder showers continuing through Sunday. Crap. I hope it’s wrong. The other bad news is that Mr. Iknead’s back went out yesterday, due, I’m sure, to all the stooping, squatting and lifting he’s done over the past week or so. He had a rough afternoon yesterday, I hope he’s better today. Poor thing.

PARTING SHOT

The newest Yarnbox arrived earlier in the week and here’s what it contained – Two skeins of Fingerpaints Supersock Self Striping from Cherry Tree Hill Yarn, 100% superwash merino, in Java Jive. I have only three words – It. Feels. Amazing.