Knitting

Sort of Bluesy

July 22, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

BLUE ROVING, BLUE ROVING

I know it’s red rover, but I have blue roving and am excited to share it. It’s from Three Waters Farm, who I found on Etsy. The colorway is Rainy Day and it’s 100% Blueface Leicester, a joy just to touch and even more to spin. I see now what all the excitement is about. I’m afraid that after this, anything less than BFL is going to be totally unacceptable. Look how beautiful it is –

I’ve been dropping broad hints for a couple of weeks that my life would be perfect (not that it’s not pretty darn close already) if I just had a spinning wheel. I’m not sure if Mr. Iknead has picked up on them or not, knitting, spinning and their accessories are not exactly what floats his boat, but since most of what makes me happy makes him happy, getting one is not completely out of the question. Anyone have one they’d like to donate??? Here’s a little bit on the niddy-noddy – I’m getting better with the spindle, the thickness is getting more consistent, but I have no idea about plying-can that even be done on a drop spindle? I’m calling what I spin artisanal yarn, which makes all its flaws sound really expensive and something I worked on for hours getting just right. 😉

MORE BLUE

Mr. Iknead found this little guy yesterday while he was working in the yard. I’ve never seen a blue tailed skink this small, I think it looks like a piece of jewelry and I’d wear it for sure!

Growth itself contains the germ of happiness. Pearl Buck

WIP Wednesday 7/17/13, Doing the Herb

July 17, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Mr. Iknead’s socks continue to grow. The first of the pair is finished, and the second maybe 2/3 finished. My goal is to have them done in time for FO Friday. I’ve said that before and been defeated, but hope springs eternal and all that.

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

THE HERB

I noticed yesterday that my basil was beginning to flower and that means it needed to be harvested quickly if I’m to have more basil this summer. I was going to dry it, but learned that because basil has a high water content, it does better when frozen than when dried. Learn something new every day, I do.

That’s plain basil on the left, lime basil on the right

My kitchen smells HEAVENLY!

BY THE BOOK

I’m nearly through with Joyland and have enjoyed it immensely, wishing sometimes that there were just a couple more hours in the day, like 26 or 27 instead of just 24, just so I could squeeze in a little more of my favorite pastimes. (I think I just heard a few moms of toddlers groan.) I also checked out a couple of library books on spinning and knitting; the pictures are lovely, I may never get to the text!

I’m linking up today with Tami, Ginny’s Yarn Along and Frontier Dreams KCCO. Don’t forget to visit these awesome blogs!

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. John Lennon

Knitting

WIP 7/10/13, First Try at Dye and a New Book

July 10, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Like most other WIP Wednesdays, I’m linking up with a couple of other cool blogs, Tami Ami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Knit Along. Check them out and prepare to be inspired!

ON THE NEEDLES

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

A few more inches and this one will ride off into the sunset of FOs.

BY THE BOOK

I finally made it to my local BN yesterday and purchased a copy of Stephen King’s newest, Joyland. I haven’t officially started reading it, except skimming through the pages and reading a sentence or two. Anxiously waiting for at least a 15 minute lull in the day so I can really get started.

ADVENTURES IN DYEING

Here’s the finished product I promised yesterday; it’s still a tad damp, but I think it turned out pretty well, don’t you?

First Try at Dyeing with Kool-aid – Pink Lemonade.

I found some really unattractive 100% yarn in the stash, it may be Lion Brand 100% Wool, sort of an oatmeal color. I’ve just now decided to overdye (if that’s the word) another color, possibly purple. Show and tell tomorrow.

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks/And all the sweet serenity of books. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 07/03/13

July 3, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

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

Knitting

Home Again, I Hate Dementia, What’s Next

June 28, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

OFF THE NEEDLES

Nothing, absolutely nothing. This is not to say I don’t have projects in varying stages of completion, I have tons of them, just none even close enough to pull an all nighter to have something to post. But, hey, the day has just begun and I do have 24 hours to finish something. Totally within the realm of possibility.

MOM

Thankfully, my mom was discharged from the hospital early yesterday afternoon to go back to her nursing home. Her doctor has recommended that she be placed on hospice so Mr. Iknead and I have meetings today with both companies that work within her nursing home. I’m not ready to lose my Mom, though her dementia has erased my “real” Mom and I’ve been grieving that for a long time. Dementia kills the person within long before it kills the body without and I hate it, but it is what it is. To be continued……..

YARN

Newest yarn acquisition in my favorite teapot

Another two skeins of Premier Yarns Wool Free Sock. Mr. Iknead’s socks using this yarn in a blue colorway are still on the needles, but I’m totally loving the way it feels and how it knits up. As soon as I get something, anything, off the needles, I’m starting myself some socks using this.

Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. Napoleon Hill

Knitting

WIPW 6/26/13

June 26, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

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.

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

Knitting

I’m Not Believin’ This ****, Trying Something New and A New Bowl

June 21, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

FROM THE I’M NOT BELIEVING THIS FILE

You know the feeling you get when you’re working on a project and honestly, the instructions just don’t seem to make any sense, the shape of the project is odd and the whole thing is just …..you know, wrong? You know how it feels to just continue knitting according to the pattern, because sometimes you just have to trust that it’s going to be OK and everyone will live happily ever after? Well, yesterday, I’m flying high with the Quick Shawl Collared Shrug, bulldozing on because, like I just said, sometimes you have to trust the designer, no matter how wonky it seems. My inner knitter kept repeating, “this just doesn’t seem right and this doesn’t make any sense” until I finally (for the umpteenth time) read back over the pattern, somehow noticing, this time, the page order. Yep, you guessed it. I knit the entire thing without noticing the pages were out of order. Page 3 was entirely missed, never noticed it, except that, again, I thought the whole thing was just odd. Nope, operator error. So, I sucked it up, frogged the entire thing and restarted, with the pages in the correct order. Dang, the whole thing makes sense now! Did I mention that I’m now so paranoid that I’m now obsessively checking page numbers? Live and learn and remember to check page numbers.

No photos of this debacle, it’s too fresh. 😦

SPIN

Over the last few months, I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about spinning and drooling over the beautiful yarn that’s produced. I watched a few YouTube videos and decided to give it a try. I went to Hobby Lobby and found a nice sized round wood thingy, a dowel and some cup hooks, brought it all home, had Mr. Iknead drill a hole in the wood thingy for the dowel and BAM, I have a drop spindle! I’d bought some roving a while ago with really no plans for it, I thought maybe about doing some felting, but nothing concrete. This was a good thing because I’m heavily into instant gratifications and always want to do things RIGHT NOW, if not sooner. Being the proud owner of a drop spindle AND roving, here is a photo of my very first attempt, I’m sure horrendously overspun and whatever else beginners tend to do, but I’m proud just the same.

First Ever Handspun!

I haven’t mentioned to Mr. Iknead (yet) that this is only the beginning of a new obsession, although I suspect he suspects and that my next acquisition may be a sheep, you know, for the wool and all. Besides, we love animals and it will keep the grass clipped, right? Oh, and the fertilizer! I almost forgot about the fertilizer!

LOOKY, LOOKY

I Made This, See My Initials??

Class starts again Monday morning and I’ll be so happy; I’ve really missed the studio and the friends made over the Spring Session. My head is full of ideas, can’t wait to get back into class and try them out! I love this stuff!

Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. Mother Teresa

Knitting

Passing It On

June 20, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

AS PROMISED

Like I posted yesterday, I spent pretty much the entire day with the Papoose and the Sprout. The Papoose is always fascinated by my knitting, she will pick up a piece of yarn and run it through her fingers, saying “I’m knitting”. She also has a toy that is big wooden beads on a string that can be strung and unstrung and she’ll put them on and take them off, all the while saying, “Look! I’m knitting!” In keeping with my belief that you’re never too young or too old to learn something new, I fixed her up a real, live knitting bag with some old, wooden, blunt size 13 needles and three balls of some scrap yarn – pink, green and blue. She was so proud! Like I said, never too young. I cast on a few stitches for her and she played around with “knitting” most of the day. Here’s my favorite photo from yesterday –

Proud Papoose

Sweet Hands!

and while we weren’t looking –

Another Knitter Is Born

Seriously, I get a warm, fuzzy, lump in the throat feeling looking at these, thinking about sharing my love for knitting and fiber with the grands and then their sharing it and hopefully, loving it as much as I do. The more (ehem) mature I become, the more I crave continuity and this makes my heart and soul sing.

JUST A COUPLE MORE

Angel

Babydiva And Babydaddy At The Lake

I love that she loves the water, I see a lot more pool/lake time in the future!

I can be changed by what happens to me but I refuse to be reduced by it. Maya Angelou

Knitting

Drive-by WIP Wednesday 6/19/13

June 19, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

This post is later than usual for a very good reason – I was with the Papoose and the Sprout pretty much all day today and as much as I love to blog, share and probably, at times, overshare, if given the choice, the grands are going to win out every time. We all had a blast and laughed and chased and hid and laughed some more. What a blessing of a day! Really, it just doesn’t get better than today. No way, no how. I’ve some awesome photos to share tomorrow – I took about a bazillion – so get ready for some grand goodness then.

ON THE NEEDLES

A little backstory: I bought this yarn about a month ago from Jimmy Beans Wool, mostly because it was on sale and sometimes, the Mad Tosh yells “buy me, buy me” louder than the little voice I carry around in my head that says, “you know, you have plenty of yarn just back in the room and besides, remember Mr. Iknead’s austerity plan? Really, even without the plan, do you NEED this yarn?” YES YES YES, SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP LITTLE VOICE, MAD TOSH IS IN TOWN AND IS TAKING NO PRISONERS!

Before Winding

After Winding

Mad Tosh Chunky

Nectar

See why I folded under pressure? Could anyone have resisted?

Then, on Monday, I found the cutest shrug on Sweaterbabe.com and bam, I knew without a hint of doubt that the Tosh was meant for the shrug and the shrug was meant for the Tosh. The stars aligned, the angels sang, the whole nine yards. So, here’s todays WIP Wednesday offering –

#101 Quick Shawl Collared Shrug

Look at the difference in the colors. It’s more of a coppery color than purple, the unwound pic is truer to life.

What do you think? Are they soul mates or what???

Linking up with Tami’s WIP Wednesday blog today. Go on over and enjoy.

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. Thomas Jefferson

Knitting

FO Friday 06/14/13, Best SIL Ever, Too Hot To Bake?

June 14, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

Linking up with Tami’s FO Friday blog today.

OFF THE NEEDLES

Medano Beach Bag

Sugar’n Cream 100% cotton

Ecru and Country Red

This bag is proof that stockinette in the round with two colors CAN be messed up. I was nearly to the bind off when I noticed that I’d missed a stripe, wrestled momentarily with wanting to frog the whole thing and decided to leave it be. So, the bag has a unique pattern, designed for easy recognition in case it’s ever in a pile with 20 other red and white Medano bags. :p My only complaint was that this bag grew so slowly, due to my decision to use number 4 needles instead of the number 7 or 8 recommended. I do like the density of stitches that the small needles gave me, I’ll just scale the whole bag down a little next time.

YOU SHOULD BE SO BLESSED

Happy birthday to my best son in law ever! I truly believe he was sent to us (not just to Bigmommy, thank you very much) straight from above. His gifts of love, faith, positivity, strength, generosity, ideas of fun, common sense, intelligence, loyalty and sense of humor have elevated us all. (He has a ton more assets but I ran out of fingers.) Great father, great husband, great friend, great preacher, great man of God – Clefton, you’ve covered all the bases! We love you!

Clefton and Annabelle

IN THE OVEN

Yeah, it’s pretty hot but I’m baking today anyway. I think I’ll start with Sundried Tomato Basil Bread using my own fresh basil and maybe move on to something sweet, Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread, maybe.

Six essential qualities that are the key to success: Sincerity, personal integrity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, charity. William Menninger

Knitting

FO Friday 06/07/13, Yarn, The Sprout

June 7, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

First things first –

OFF THE NEEDLES AND INTO THE SOCK DRAWER

Sunday Swing Socks

Shubui Sock

Poodle Skirt Colorway

Finally got colorway and pattern to play nice in the sandbox and I’m loving the almost candy cane color changes!

ALMOST ON THE NEEDLES

A little while back, Mr. Iknead requested a pair of blue striped socks, so off and on I’ve been scoping out different yarns and patterns, thinking maybe something with little or no wool (way too hot for our Arkansas summers) and chanced upon this yarn yesterday at Hobby Lobby. Blue – check, no wool – check, sock weight – check, price – $4.99. All systems go. Label says 93% acrylic, 7% PBT (whatever that is).

These are destined to be plain vanilla, quick knit, ribbed socks. All that pretty lacy stuff is lost on Mr. Iknead. 🙂

THE BIEBERSPROUT

Cutest Sprout Ever!

Annabelle at 8 months

Linking up with Tami’s FO Friday blog and Frontier Dreams KCCO blog. Pay them a visit, OK? They’re always brimming over with FO goodness!

When the voices of children are heard on the green

And laughing is heard on the hill

My heart is at rest within my breast

And everything else is still

William Blake

Knitting

WIPW 06/05/13 and A Makeover

June 5, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

For your viewing pleasure, I present Heidi Kirrmaier’s Mendano Beach bag, in Sugar and Cream 100% cotton, Country Red and Ecru, started last evening. I love everything about this bag, especially the tie shoulder strap. Being vertically, ahem, challenged, bag straps are usually too long, so a adjustable strap is always a good thing. The price is right also, a free Rav pattern.

MOVING ALONG

The Sunday Swing socks are finished, cast off, ends woven and photos taken but you’ll have to wait until FO Friday for the unveiling. There will be no FOs posted until it’s time. ; ) Remember those old commercials, for Bartles and Jaymes, I think. A blast from the past as they say.

LANDSCAPED AND LOVELY

For another type of finished project, look at our new front yard! We’ve gone from the ugliest yard on the block to the most beautiful, IMO. We finally were able to have a sprinkler system installed and had real, live landscapers come in and transform it for us. Here’s a really embarrassing before photo-