Knitting

The one where one entry may

July 20, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

not be enough to cover what’s been happening in my life over the last several days. To say I’ve been on an emotional rollercoaster would be the understatement of the year. My dad passed away Friday morning after a short but vicious battle with lung cancer. We knew he wasn’t doing well, was less responsive, weaker and more short of breath every day, so when his caregivers called Wednesday evening (a week ago today) telling us that he was very close to the end, we weren’t surprised. We were with him all day and all night Thursday; I told him over and over again how much I loved him and how it was OK for him to go, how we’d miss him terribly but his loving spirit would be with us always. He slipped away from us at 11 o’clock Friday morning and I’m grateful that he at last is at rest. He deserves it. RIP Daddy, I love you.

OK, in a completely different direction, here’s my WIP Wednesday, Drop Stitch Shawl, Version 2, from Ravelry

The reward of a thing well done is to have done it. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Knitting

The one where once again she was ready

July 13, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

for WIP Wednesday a little ahead of time. Here’s the Constanze cowl so far.

It’s a little more than half done, I hope to have it in next Friday’s FO post.

You can never step into the same river twice; for new waters are always flowing on to you. Heraclitus (c.484-c.475 B.C.), Greek philosopher

Knitting

The one where I finally remember

July 12, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

to post a little about a to-die-for recipe I found here on WordPress, Nutella Cheesecake Layer Bars, from the blog of The Moonlight Baker. Forgive me if I’m repeating a post, but they’re totallly worth revisiting. Hard to not love anything made with Nutella and cream cheese. I wish I’d thought of taking a picture, but didn’t, but you don’t have to think too hard to get a mental picture, they’re exactly what the name says, Nutella, cream cheese and a chocolate graham cracker crust. I highly recommend them, you just might want to double up, that’s how fast they disappear.

Dishcloth progress here

Thinking ahead for a second week, amazing, I know. Getting my WIP ready for its photo op for tomorrow.

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty in every age of life really never grows old. Franz Kafka (1883-1924), Bohemian novelist

Knitting

The one where she’s exactly

July 11, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

one half and two rows finished with the Constanze scarf. I’m trying to save posting it until WIP Wednesday. I really like the way it’s turning out. I also got a few rows done today on the feather and fan dishcloth. This one’s not quite as fiddly as the scarf, so it’s a good project to work on at work when I need a little break.

We got beach pictures of the Papoose today. A bathing beauty without a doubt. She and her mom and dad just got back from a week at the beach, DSIL’s family owns a beach house in Grayton Beach, Florida and they have a family reunion there every year the first week in July. He is the youngest of five kids so with parents, siblings, spouses and kids it’s a crowd. I think the Papoose is number 11 in the grandkid line up, so I’m sure she didn’t starve for attention while there.

Here’s all the grandkids

The Ikneads are planning on going there the first week in August for their vacay. If you ask me, it can’t get here fast enough.

Always be a little kinder than necessary. Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937)

Knitting

The one where staying above

July 10, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

the sniping and smart-assedness of others is becoming harder and harder. I have a couple of good friends that just stay crossways (as my mother puts it) with each other, making snarky comments and just plain working to piss each other off at every opportunity. I chaired my regular Sunday evening meeting and I thought I was going to have to put all of them in time out like a bunch of two year olds so the meeting could continue. I’ve decided that I’m going to go to each and every one of them, separately, and tell them that if they can’t say something nice, then shut the hell up and I’m not going to tolerate their bad behavior when I’m in charge. “Principles before personalities” is a big part of meetings, I suppose some need to be reminded more often than others. All right, I’m stepping down from my soapbox now. Carry on.

Here’s a little project I started to keep my hands busy this weekend, a feather and fan patterned dishcloth, from the back of the Sugar ‘n Cream ballband. The colorway is Cool Breeze Ombre and boy, what I wouldn’t give for a cool breeze here in Arkansas right now. Last night at 10:00 pm, the temp was still 100 degrees F. The heat index in south Arkansas was 109. Jeez Louise. Almost forgot the picture, got so involved with talking about the weather –

I just might be catching on to this computer thing, first try, got it posted. Yay!! Here’s to learning a new skill!

Love is a great beautifier. Louisa May Alcott, American novelist (1832-1888)

Knitting

The one where I treat myself

July 8, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

to a trip to my LYS, Yarn Mart, coming home with this

lovely Mini Mochi 80% merino and 20% nylon, color 113 and this

Manos del Uruguay, 60% baby alpaca and 40% pima cotton, color 2318, four skeins. I’ve got big plans for the Manos, a shop sample was a Rav pattern, I think called Drop Stitch Shawl #2.

I’ve had a unspeakably huge challenge with importing the last few pictures. I have to go through some Windows Viewer that I’ve never had to deal with before. I’m sure someone even a tiny bit more computer savvy would have figured it out in the first few minutes 0f trying, but I’m not that person. I am looking on the bright side though, it shouldn’t take more more than four hours next time, instead of today’s six. One thing I am going to do, as soon as I get this posted, I’m downloading these pics into Flickr. That I can do, I think.

On the dad front, I just got my fourth call in 24 hours from the nursing home, he keeps trying to get out of his bed and ends up falling. No injuries yet other than scrapes and and bruises, but his skin is so fragile now that it doesn’t take anything to tear it and since he’s on a bloodthinner, he bleeds and bleeds and bleeds.

I must go console myself with soft yarn and pointy sticks. Tomorrow will be better, I promise.

Never think that you’re not good enough yourself. A man should never think that. People will take you very much at your own reckoning. Anthony Trollope, English novelist (1815-1882)

Knitting

The one where she took

July 6, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

some pics ahead of time so she could post her WIP Wednesday in the morning instead of late evening. The Constanze cowl, Jojoland Melody, I think color #27.

The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell and a hell of Heaven. John Milton (1608-1674)

Knitting

The one where she tempted

July 5, 2011July 5, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

fate gloating over her progress on the Constanze cowl, getting it going on the first cast on, so proud of herself. Well, fate intervened, I got frustrated and ended up frogging the whole thing and starting fresh. I’ll get a pic or two tonight so I’ll be ready for WIP Wednesday tomorrow.

I have to keep reminding myself that today is Tuesday, tomorrow is Wednesday; since Monday was a holiday and I was off work, according to me, myself and I, today is Monday and thus, tomorrow is Tuesday. Don’t even ask me what happens when I’m off work for more than one day. Totally lose track.

Here’s a photo of my dad and me, it looks like I was about 18 months old, we were living in Corpus Christi, Tx. I’ve always thought my daddy was so handsome!

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. Confucius

Knitting

The one where she’s still

July 1, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

undecided on her next project. I have narrowed it down (I think) to some Jojoland Melody Superwash I unearthed a while ago from my stash. Mind you, this is not set in stone, me being the fly by the seat of my pants kind of woman I am.

A few hours later….

OK, I think I’ve decided on the Constanze cowl and I’m going to give it a test drive with Jojoland Melody Superwash. Here’s a little preview

I think it’s a keeper. Also, surprisingly (I’ll probably jinx it, now), I’ve only cast on and started it this one time. Usually, I have a couple of false starts before I settle into a new project. A nice change, I think.

One more thing – here’s my FO Friday project for this week. Announcing the Slippery Socks !!

Here’s a side view –

As usual, Josie has to be up in the middle of everything. She hates to be upstaged!

Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint you can at it. Danny Kaye (1913-1987)

Knitting

The one where we finally get

June 28, 2011June 28, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

some rain. The weather has been so hot and dry, when I have to go outside, it feels like I’m in a giant skillet. I haven’t decided on a new project yet, but one thing I know, wool will not be part of it. Makes me sweat just to think about it. Yuck. Or, it just came to me, I could use wool and just turn the thermostat down to ice age. Now, how’s that for a rationalization? This is a good time to revisit Snowmaggeden….

Remember last February? Snow is so much more photogenic than dry crunchy grass, don’t you think?

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams, American cartoonist and creator of “Dilbert”

Knitting

The one where I’m learning to

June 27, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

set some of my expectations of myself a little lower than I’m used to. I’m beginning to figure out that some of the things I push myself to do, like visit my mom and dad, coordinate their care with various people (for example, Mom has a dental checkup this month), making sure that the nursing home is aware of these things so transportation can be arranged, taking care of their financial things because even though they’re both in a nursing home, their electric and water bill still have to be paid and insurance continues to come due. At the same time, Mr. Iknead and I are cleaning their house, going through things, cleaning out closets, trying to find a suitable facility for them here in Little Rock and driving three hours one way on the weekends to get these things accomplished, all the while, holding down a full time job here in Little Rock. Oh my, seeing it laid out like this, I had no idea just how impossible my self imposed expectations really are! No one can do all this stuff and remain physically and mentally intact and I need to scale back now for everyone’s sake. Knitting continues to be a lifeline.

While cleaning out a closet of theirs yesterday, I found this gorgeous throw. I think it belonged to one of my mom’s sisters (she had five), it’s vaguely familiar, but I hadn’t seen it in I don’t know how long. I’m in love with it. It has a tag reading The Three Weavers, Houston, Texas, Handwoven, 100% virgin wool. I’m not sure if these pics do it justice but you get the idea.

Down to the toes of the Slippery Socks. Finish tonight, for sure!

The man who insists upon seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. Accept life and you must accept regret. Henri Frederic Amiel (1821-1881)

Knitting

The one where she gets a surprise in

June 23, 2011June 23, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

her mailbox. Here’s the story – I’ve been having some personal family challenges in the past couple of months. My mom is in a nursing home, she has dementia, and about eight weeks ago, my father was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer with spread to his bones and liver. I’ve been going down to DeQueen about every other weekend, just to be with him and help him out with stuff. So, to make a long story short, his cancer has spread to his brain and in a week’s time, we’ve had to move him into a nursing home because we just couldn’t provide the care he needed. Basically, over a six week period, he has gone from being completely independent, driving and living in our family home to having to have nursing care around the clock. Because of the brain mets, he’s very confused, gets angry and frustrated very easily and has to be supervised closely. As you might have figured out, all this has been a very trying time for me, and I know I’ve not been my regular self lately.

OK, back to the story about the mail. I love jellybeans, love them awful and a good friend knows how much I love them, so he put a new bag of Starburst jellybeans in my mailbox. How sweet is that? Gave me a big smile and warm fuzzy feeling. I have wonderful friends.

Susannah modeling the Brittany Jumper. Cute as cute can be, right?