Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and TDLP Obsessed

April 23, 2014April 22, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Newest WIP is another Hitchhiker, in Sachet Patons Lace that I picked up I don’t know when on a Hobby Lobby run.

I’m really liking the way this is knitting up.

Socks on a Plane are still on the needles, but have grown not a bit in the last week. Tomorrow, I keep telling them, just hang on. So, yes, the crazy yarn lady is talking to her unfinished socks now…..

BOOKLOVE

102 pages in and it has me walking extra miles on the treadmill. That’s how fantastic this book is, a repeater, for sure. I’m so glad I bought this instead of checking it out at the library, it’s a book to be savored.

WORD DOC

I got my first challenge for The Documented Life project completed and posted; the challenge was to use a cardboard food box in an unexpected manner; this is what I came up with –

The new challenge for Week 17 is on the drawing board. I’ll be sharing it soon, meanwhile, check out it out, don’t be surprised if you find yourself drawn in and then obsessed. Everyperson Art. Love. It.

Linking with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams.

All great art is the work of the whole living creature, body and soul, and chiefly of the soul. John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/16/14 and Booklove

April 16, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Since the first version of Socks on a Plane was way too small, I frogged and started over, this time with a total of 64 stitches instead of 56 (as best I can remember, I seem to have blocked it from my memory) and this time around the fit is much better. I’m glad because it just about kills me to frog something that is so close to being finished. Close as in one inch of cuff and I’m finished and moving on. I did it and I’m glad I did, but still…

Second Go Round

BOOKLOVE

I’m still reading God’s Hotel, which is taking longer than usual to finish since I seem to only read it when I’m on the treadmill. This is a good thing most of the time because if I have a “special treadmill book”, climbing on and walking for 45 minutes or an hour doesn’t seem to be as much of a chore. I downloaded a new book, Frog Music, that I’m looking forward to reading; I suppose you could call it my carrot and stick, since I’ve resolved to finish Hotel before I start anything new.

I’m linking up today, as usual with Ginny, Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO. Inspiration Central, like always.

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Joseph Clinton Pearce

Knitting

Spinning Sunday

April 13, 2014April 12, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

YUCK

I decided to try space dyeing on the new roving I got from UpTownDesign and since I didn’t really know how to go about it, I hopped over to YouTube and check out a couple of how tos by ChemKnits. Here’s an in progress look at my first try at it.

It turned out to be the ugliest yarn ever so I overdyed it with some sky blue Jacquard acid fast dye I had on hand. Much, much better.

Rinsed, dry and ready to spin:

Still has some ugly spots, but socks can be mostly hidden 🙂

Live out of your imagination, not your history. Stephen Covey

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/2/14, Booklove, Leak Be Gone

April 2, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

PLUMBING UPDATE

Our plumber rocks! The leak I mentioned in my last post is history! As it turned out, he found the leak, fixed it and only charged us $145.50. If you’ve had to call a plumber in the last ten years, you’ll know we got off easy, fix-wise and money-wise, with no fuss and very little muss. What a relief!

BOOKLOVE

I’ve finished one book, Benediction, by Kent Haruf and started two others, an ebook, God’s Hotel by Victoria Sweet and an audiobook, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen. I wasn’t too sure about Benediction, it took me a bit to see where the author was going with the story, but I got involved before too long and ended up enjoying it very much. I like it when at the end of the book, there are still some loose ends, not everything is tied up nice, tight and neat. Real life seems to always have loose ends!

ON THE NEEDLES

Woodlands Scarf in the found merino, Papercut, both of which I’m liking a lot. I tentatively started a new pair of socks using my first Yarnbox yarn, in a new pattern, Leaf on the Wind, but ended up frogging after deciding that my choice of both pattern did not do the yarn justice and vice versa.

Yes, the photo is upside down but it just took me an hour to figure out how to insert a picture in a post on the iPad. I’m not up for another hour of frustration today.

I’m linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO, please pay them a visit. Oops, I almost forgot Ginny’s Yarn Along!

Skill to do comes of doing. Ralph Emerson

Knitting

FO Friday 3/28/14 or No K1P1 Rib for a While

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

OFF THE NEEDLES

My Seafoam Shrug

in Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton, Arctic Ice

There are no words for how over the moon I am with this shrug! The fit is perfect, I took my photos after I washed it on my washer’s handwash cycle, then dried it low and slow in my dryer and hung it on a hanger. I’m wearing this baby until it falls apart, and maybe then some.

I’m linking with Tami and KCCO, go take a look at more masterpieces!

It’s good to be just plain happy; it’s a little better to know that you’re happy; but to understand that you’re happy and to know why and how….and still be happy, be happy in the being and the knowing, well that is beyond happiness, that is bliss. Henry Miller

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 3/26/14, Booklove

March 26, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

1. My Seafoam Shrug is now in the home stretch, down to the last bit of ruffle in ( you guessed it) k1p1 ribbing. At least it calls for only 2 1/2 inches this time. I’ll tell you, those two 60 row k1p1 sleeves just about did me in. Hopefully, this project will be off the needles, washed and blocking by bedtime tonight.

So sorry, the Seafoam link eludes me at the moment. I’ll keep looking and update when I find it.

2. I’ve just barely started a Woodland Shawl from The Thrifty Knitter. I stash dove last weekend and got reacquainted with some yarn that I’ve had for so long I haven’t a clue what it is. All I can remember is that the color is called Papercut. I’m going to do a bit of research, checking Ravelry to see if by some miracle I added it to my notebook. Keep your fingers crossed. OK, uncross your fingers. No luck with Rav. I do, however, remember it was a Etsy purchase, so that’s my next hope. SCORE!!!! I bought this yarn May 15, 2008 from knitfrontandback, out of Calgary, Canada and it’s laceweight merino.

WANNABE

I have the perfect yarn to knit the Maeva Socks from Knitty Winter 2011 with one big inconvenience. The charts are so teeny tiny as to be useless for these old eyes. This means a trip to the copy store to have them enlarged. I tried printing them at 125% but that still isn’t really big enough. >squint<

BOOKLOVE

This week I finished The Troop by Nick Cutter, a horror story. Stephen King said it was one book that scared him, I see a lot of his influence in this particular book. I won’t share any more as not to spoil it. Check your local library. Now, I’m listening to The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider; I love this book! I came clean awhile back regarding my love for what they call Young Adult Fiction and this book hasn’t’ disappointed. If you enjoy YAF, give it a read.

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

It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see. Henry David Thoreau

Knitting

Spinning Sunday #1 3/23/14

March 23, 2014March 19, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

I’ve decided to devote one blog post a week to another aspect
of fiberlove – spinning. Six months ago I became a spinner almost by accident when on a whim i made a drop spindle out of a dowel and a small wooden wheel like what would be on a small pull wagon or push toy.

My first attempts were …. interesting. I kept practicing and got a little better but my slow pace using the drop spindle was frustrating. It was easy to see that creating a pair of socks from roving to actual wearing was going to take months, if not years. This dampened my enthusiasm a bit and planted the idea of someday owning a spinning wheel. I did some window shopping on the Internet, feeding my imagination a little more.

Then, remarkably, I heard through the grapevine that someone who worked for the same facility I’d retired from had an Ashford Traveller wheel for sale, and get this: in my price range! This clearly was meant to be, no doubt about it. So, almost before I knew it, I was sitting at my own wheel, surfing YouTube for spinning demos, trying to get a handle on basic spinning techniques. Did I mention that before this I’d never even SEEN a spinning wheel? Gotta love YouTube. The rest, as they say, is history. By the way, my wheel’s name is Violet and yeah, I’m one of those weird (I say eccentric) people that name things. Meet Violet.

Always do more than is required of you. George S. Patton

Family · Knitting

Morning at the Zoo, Wondrous Yarnbox, Meet Forrester Gump

March 20, 2014March 21, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ZOO FUN

Big and busy day today. Mr. Iknead and I spent the morning with all three grands and their moms at the zoo. I don’t know about the others but I’m totally beat. I bet we walked three miles today, easy! We had a blast and except for one tiny episode of COTTON CANDY COTTON CANDY IWANTCOTTONCANDY!!!! everyone’s sunny disposition stayed put. The four newest tiger cubs were a particular favorite. Babydiva developed a short term obsession with mole rats but was eventually distracted and we were able to carry on with our visit.

Babydiva and the Papoose – Cousins and BFFs

Patient Tiger Mommy

The Sprout’s Pushing ME Next Time!

Just Us Girls

Mr. Iknead and Babydaddy don’t have a chance.

And you know what? They love it! Mr. Iknead melts completely when he around the grands, it’s the sweetest thing – no request refused, no job too large or too small. Pawpaw’s got this and is loving every blessed minute. I married a marshmallow and it’s grand!

Babydivalicious

That Smile!!

YARNLOVE

Another wondrous box arrived while we were visiting the zoo and (be still my heart) this was inside:

SIIDEGARTE

Silky Swiss Gorgeousness

“Siide-Flauschig”

50% Silk/50% Merino

Aichblatt

250m/273 yds

There were two, count ’em, two hanks of this in the wondrous Yarnbox; the sheen on this stuff is phenomenal, as you can see from the photo. Now the hard part – picking a project because, as we all know, fabulous yarn calls for a fabulous pattern. Shawl? Shrug? Sweater? Who knows? Most of the time, in my plane of existence, the yarn decides what it wants to be, then it’s my job to figure out what that is. I’m thinking some type of wrap, maybe something with a hood?

RUN FORRESTER RUN!

Meet Forrester Gump, the newest member of the Iknead family.

Mr. Iknead has been so patient, waiting until he found just want he wanted, from the sort of silvery green paint job, to the moonroof, to the automatic back hatch – just touch a button and it opens and closes *snap fingers* just like that. I’m happy to see him so happy and excited. He deserves this new ride, he’s been driving my dad’s car for the past couple of years, a good car, a Buick LaCrosse, nice, not too fancy, but really, not his style. He’s more of an SUV kind of guy. I don’t mind telling that I’m a million times blessed to have him as the love of my life.

It is better to travel, than to arrive. Buddha

Knitting

WARNING!!! Phat Fiber Spoiler Alert!

March 20, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

WONDROUS BOX!!!

My Phat Fiber box arrived today full of amazing roving samples mixed with sweet sock yarn samples and a couple of the prettiest stitch markers I’ve ever seen.

That little pouch on top? This is what it
held:

A handmade soap and those stitch markers I told you about. I love these!

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. Aristotle

Knitting

WIP Wednesday and Booklove 3/19/14

March 19, 2014March 19, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Seafoam shrug. At first I couldn’t quite figure out how this would work, thinking those 60 rows of K1P1 ribbing were way little for a neckline. Silly me. I went back and studied the pattern and realized it was knit cuff to cuff. Duh. Yeah, it is a perfect sleeve. Makes perfect sense.

BOOKLOVE

Two thumbs up for Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler, a story with two voices, one elderly, one not so elderly, one white, one black and their unexpected friendship to kinship over the years. It’s been a long time since a story brought me to tears. I love this book.

Linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO.

Linking with Ginny’s Yarn Along.

Every choice you make has an end result. Zig Ziglar

Knitting

Purple Surprise, FO Friday 3/14/14

March 14, 2014March 14, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

SURPRISE

Look what I found while taking sock pics!

Crocus!

About 18 (I kid you not) years ago I planted some bulbs that never bloomed or even came up, casualties of squirrels and a weimaraner puppy. They obviously missed one. This surprise surely means winter is exiting stage left to make room for spring. Just seeing this purple makes me happy!

NEW SKILLS

For the past couple of posts I’ve been trying out blogging from my fancy new phone, which is doable but time consuming because of the teeny tiny screen, and Mr. Iknead’s iPad, which is much better as far as screen size. I am, however, having to relearn how to do things that have become almost second nature, like inserting pictures, adding links, etc. As I have a very low frustration threshold, I have to work on the iPad, then change to the computer every so often to keep from pitching the whole thing out the window. I plan to keep practicing.

OFF THE NEEDLES

Kew, from Knitty Fall 2006

Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Flame

Please disregard the ugly muddy background. This is what you get when you start redoing your patio and get interrupted by about 4 inches of sleet.

ON THE NEEDLES

After finishing the Kew socks yesterday, I stalked some patterns on Ravelry and decided on a shrug with 3/4 sleeves, the purpose of the sleeves being to hide what I call toothbrush arms. As in, when you stop brushing your teeth, but your upper arm doesn’t…. OK, back on track. So, I found a pattern with all the required features and then found out I didn’t have enough yarn to start. Oh, lots and lots of yarn, just not enough of any one for my new project. A trip to Hobby Lobby fixed that and I cast on and got started this afternoon. The yarn is I Love This Cotton in Arctic Blue. The shrug pattern is here.

A word to the wise: Never underestimate the tedium of 60 rounds of K1P1 ribbing. I’m just sayin’…..

Linking with Tami’s FO Friday blog.

Take it easy — but take it. Woody Guthrie

Knitting

WIP 3/12/14, Booklove

March 11, 2014March 12, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

The Kew socks are so close to being finished I can taste it. For once, I’ve held my raging startitis in check and will start a new project without feeling guilty about the number of projects relegated to the “back burner” or in my case, “the bag pitched into the deepest, darkest recesses of my yarn room”.

BOOKLOVE

I finished A Land Kinder Than Home by Wiley Cash and am set to start Paris in Love, by Eloisa James. Enjoyed the Wiley Cash, but didn’t love it. It’s a fictional account of snake handling, murder, religion and what happens when they collide. Entertaining, but probably not a repeater.

GRANDS

This photo says everything you need to know about the Sprout; her cute factor is always first and foremost. I’ve gotten good at changing diapers on the fly!