Tag: knitting

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 11/14/12

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ON THE NEEDLES

First up, the Adamas shawl, about 2/3 finished –

Pattern close up –

Number 2 WIP, scrap yarn granny squares, probably ending up as a scarf –

 As an aside, I haven’t crocheted in years, but I was happy that it came back to me pretty quickly.  A nice change from my bigger knitting projects every now and then.

Check out Tami Amis for more cool WIPs.

I promise to keep on living as though I expected to live forever.  Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years.  People grow old by deserting their ideals.  Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up wrinkles the soul.  Douglas MacArthur

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Knitting

Through the phone

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WHAT I SEE

I’ve gotten into the habit on the weekends to take my iPhone instead of my iPod on my walks and have been taking pictures of things that grab my attention. I’ve learned that what catches my attention are more patterns and colors and not entire images.  Example:  On my Saturday walk, this pine cone caught my eye, but not the whole thing, just the sort of spiral pattern on one end –

The colors of this plant, maybe some sort of ornamental cabbage?, was what first caught my eye, this was my first impression photo, one where I didn’t know that the zoom was activated; so, the pic was a total surprise when I got home and looked at it.

I went back to get another look and got the whole plant this time.  Somehow, it’s not nearly as interesting or intense as a whole.  The zoomed photo makes me think of pictures of giant clams in the ocean I’d see in National Geographic when I was a kid, with a row of eyes along the edge of their shells. Can you see them?

   

 I see a mosaic in this tree’s leaves.

BABY GRAND

Here’s the latest installment in Babysis, seven weeks and sooooooooo cute!  Is there anything sweeter than a new smile?

 

A laugh is a smile that bursts.  Mary H. Waldrip

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 11/07/12

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ON THE NEEDLES

 

Adamas Shawl

Not so much knitting time these past few days, I seem more even more distractable that usual.  This usually requires a little bit more alone time, something that’s been in short supply lately.  But, as always, it’s all good.

Check out Tami Amis blog for more cool WIPs.

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.  Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.  Gloria Steinem

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Knitting

Vote

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MY TWO CENTS

If you haven’t already, get out and vote today!  Yeah, it’s that important. 

We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.  Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America

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Knitting

Busy, busy, busy

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STICK A FORK IN ME

because I’m done.  Very busy Sunday and accomplished much.  First of all, I took advantage of the cooler weather (low 60s) to clean my oven, which was not a moment to soon.  It’s a self cleaner but it gets so hot and heats the house up so much that I let it slide until cool weather.  Like I said, not a moment too soon.  I’d fixed au gratin potatoes on Saturday night, which were excellent by the way, but it cooked over in the oven and coated the bottom with cheese sauce.  Needless to say, smoke billowed out when it got good and into its cleaning cycle.   Made me a little nervous, even though I knew it would happen.  Now, though, I have a nice, clean oven to start getting messy again.

Then, using the domino theory, I decided to bake some bread to take advantage of the warmer than usual kitchen.  Then, instead of  plain old white/wheat bread, since I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to tart it up and ended up making three loaves of whole wheat raisin and oat bread (it made a huge amount).  Naturally, I had to record it for posterity –

Ready for first rising

Ready for second rise –

 Ready for the oven

 

 Finally, out of the oven and cooling

Turned out nicely and it seemed to be a hit at the Sunday night meeting.  I even remembered to take butter to put on the still warm bread.  I think they liked it.  Now, what next…

I made Babydiva a bracelet out of some spare beads I had –

 Harper's bracelet

Turned out to be really sweet.  I hope she’ll wear it and not decide it’s something good to eat.  Can’t take a chance on that.  I think, though, she’s enough of a girly girl to wear it.  She’s so cute I can’t stand it!

 Lastly, I decided to get the jump on Monday morning and laid out my clothes and got my lunch together.  The best time to prepare for Monday morning is Sunday evening in our household, I always say.  Hardly ever happens, but still…………..

Formula for success:  Underpromise and overdeliver.  Thomas Peters

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Knitting

The hurrier I go

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BACK IN THE DARK AGES

When I was a kid, an aunt that I was close to and visited often had a little sign in her kitchen that read, “The Hurrier I Go, The Behinder I Get”.  It always made me giggle because I thought it was so silly.  How can you get more behind when you hurry?  Now, though, since I’m living proof that you can, in fact, get further behind when in a hurry, it’s perfectly logical and I try to remember its corrollary (I think that’s what it’s called), “Slow Down, It’ll Happen”.  All this is leading up to is the confession that I didn’t get anything that was on my list done, but, I got to feed Babydiva her noon bottle (getting lots of kisses at the same time), spent time with my sweet DIL who graciously modeled Pretty Maids for me to photograph and fixed a mistake on my just started Adamas shawl, getting it back on track and ready to work on again.   A good day all around.

Pretty Maids Shawl

THE GRANDS

Babydiva supervised the photo shoot –

She says, “That’s a wrap!”

Check out Tami Ami’s blog for more FO Friday goodies.

Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.  Michelangelo

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/31/12

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ON THE NEEDLES

New shawl started, the pattern is Adamas, using Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk in a soft gray.  Very pretty.  Pretty Maids is officially finished, blocked and waiting for a nice day for a picture.  I’m very pleased with it, especially since it’s really my first all lace project.  It blocked really well and turned out way better than I expected.  My patience with blocking anything is pretty limited anyway and with the Papoose helping me, I wasn’t sure what the result was going to be.  I’ll have it up for FO Friday for sure.  In the meantime, here’s Adamas –

BY THE BOOK

Still working on the Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, up to Catherine Parr.  It amazes me how the monarchy works.  I know it’s different now, I mean, what’s it been 500 or so years since Henry the Eighth, but even now, what would it be like to have the power and responsibility of a royal?  Would having your every wish fulfilled get tiresome after a while?  Probably so, but I’d love to try and see what it’s like!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The Cancer Registry’s newest employee:

 

For more WIP Wednesday projects, head on over to Tami Ami’s WIPW blog.  Enjoy!

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won.  There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they may seem invincible, but in the end they always fall, always.  Gandhi

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Knitting

It’s so quiet!

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THE GRANDS

We had the Papoose from Friday morning until Sunday evening this past weekend and now that it’s just us again, it’s so quiet, it’s “I can hear Josie snoring two rooms away” quiet.  As always, Susannah was a joy, happy, a great napper/sleeper, a good eater and ready for anything.  She kept us on our toes sure enough and I laughed myself into a set of sore ribs.  What’s better than that?  She got a mani-pedi –

Susie with her mani-pedi

and Papa brushed up on his coloring skills –

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What’s not to like?  Right?  Papa does have an odd fixation about staying inside the lines, but Susie and I are working on that and he’s coming along nicely.

IN THE OVEN

Cooler temps over the weekend meant doing some real cooking – I made a beef stew on Friday and Crockpot Burritos on Saturday.  The burritos especially were a winner.  Babydiva, Babydaddy and Babymama came over Sunday after church and helped us eat the leftovers.  Even better then second day!  I’d hoped to bake bread over the weekend but that clearly was a little overly optimistic timewise.  Maybe next weekend.  It’s on the list.

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble.  Helen Keller

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Knitting

What’s up

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COMING UP

Three months ago or so I had to have a tooth pulled and tomorrow morning I’m scheduled to have the first stage of a dental implant to take its place. I’ll be glad to get the ball rolling on this, even though where my tooth was isn’t noticeable, I hate having that empty space. It hurts when I forget not to chew on that side (how does anyone who is toothless and without dentures eat anything??) and just feels odd.

THE GRANDS

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Babydiva

The Papoose

Babysis

Our precious babies! The Papoose is coming for an overnight tomorrow and Saturday and I have a Susannah grocery list going, with her fave foods. I am trying to keep the junk food to a minimum but I confess, I love it as much as she does, so along with stuff like yogurt, Cheerios and fruit, there’s instant mac and cheese, Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream and chocolate milk. Can’t wait!

BY THE BOOK

I’m very much immersed in

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/24/12

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ON THE NEEDLES

I’m on the downhill side of Pretty Maids, I think I have about ten rows left to complete, bearing in mind, though, that these are long, long rows, approximately 350 stitches and increasing by two stitches each row.  I’m enjoying this second go round so much more than the first, I’m sure it’s because I’m not having to constantly check the pattern and the symbol guide.  It’s not flying off the needles by any stretch of the imagination, but it is moving faster this time.

BY THE BOOK

I finished Opium Fiend yesterday during my daily treadmill and have moved on to The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth by Alison Weir.  Very interesting, up to Anne Boleyn at the moment.  I’m finishing my books much slower than I’m adding them and they’re beginning to pile up, but I can’t resist a new book.  I keep telling myself that I’ll get caught up in December and January, when I’ve retired and the weather is too cold and nasty to be anywhere but inside by the fire. 

VIOLET

Lately I’ve become obsessed with everything violet and I’m blaming it all on getting my tat, which is a violet ball of yarn and knitting needles.  So last weekend, when I was prowling Goodwill, looking for odd and ends to craft with, I saw these and pounced –

They don’t match anything in my house – yet.  Is it over the top to paint a room around the color of a couple of candlesticks from Goodwill instead of the other way around?  It could totally happen.  My research tells me that people who are drawn to the color violet are usually nuclear physicists or performance artists.  That’s me in a nutshell.  OK, maybe not the physicist part, but performance artist?  Absolutely and I have embarrassing pictures to prove it.

THE GRANDS

The Papoose wants Babysis to sleep in her bed with her.  Bigmommy sent me this yesterday.

Susannah and Annabelle

Is this not the sweetest thing?

 No man is rich enough to buy back his past.  Oscar Wilde (see above paragraph)

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Knitting

As promised

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THE GRANDS

As promised, here are some pics of Babydiva’s baptism.

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Babydiva with her fav cousin, the Papoose.

 IN THE OVEN

I finally was able to do a little baking yesterday, something new I lifted from Pinterest – a cream cheese  pound cake that was out of this world, really.  Although, with three sticks of butter, cream cheese and six eggs, it would be hard for it to be anything but delicious.  I took the time to cut a slice to bring to work this morning as a treat with my coffee.  Yum.

Sour Cream Pound Case

Amazing cake!

Here’s the original Pinterest post:  

 

Technically this is not baking, but I got a sourdough starter going this weekend and I was right about the weather being good starter weather.  I think this one is the fastest I’ve had one develop ever.  Friday I started with the usual half cup flour and half cup warm water and by yesterday afternoon (Sunday) it was bubbly and had the typical sour smell.  It should move into its beery, yeasty smell in the next day or so.  Much as I love sourdough, this is my least liked stage.  Until it matures, it smells like feet.  I have to keep reminding myself that this part doesn’t last long. : )

48 hours old

See  how nice and bubbly it is?

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.  Benjamin Franklin

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Knitting

Still on Pretty Maids

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ON THE NEEDLES

I’m going great guns on my Pretty Maids shawl from Knitty and this time around it’s going very well. Here’s Josie graciously modeling it for a picture or two.

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Can’t tell much about it as it’s a WIP and I’m anxious to have it finished and blocked so I can get the full effect.

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION

I took my phone with me on my walk this morning and took some pics. I’m trying to get better at it. Here’s a couple –

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I think the lichens found on trees are beautiful with their silver/brown/ gray color palette. There could totally be a knitting project with these colors. But not before Pretty Maids is done! Promise!

He who does nothing makes no mistakes.

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