Tag: Papoose

Knitting

The one where I reached grandma

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nirvana these past few days.  Mr. Iknead and I had both our grandbabies over the weekend.  The Papoose is fascinated with Baby Harper; she was very nurturing (for an almost two year old), wanted to hold her and help change her, it was really sweet.  Now, how it’s going to be when her new brother or sister comes along in October we don’t know, hopefully she’ll be at least a little accustomed to having a baby around.

Do I have the most precious babies on the planet?

We are truly blessed!

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.  Paul McCartney

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Knitting

The one where I’m becoming infatuated

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with Pinterest.  I finally got my invite last Friday, so I spent time over the weekend just getting familiar with the site, learning how to navigate around and looking at different projects and ideas.  I see a lot of Pinterest in my future.

Here’s one of my WIPs for today – the Debbie Bliss Bunny Booties.  This time around it’s been a lot easier, there’s something to be said for practice.  All told, I’ve probably knitted six booties all together, two practice, two finished but permanently maimed in a nasty scissor encounter and finally, the new, nearly completed pair.  Hopefully by tomorrow evening they’ll have their ears, faces and pompom tails.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Here’s a peek –

Cutest things I’ve seen in a while, without a doubt.  I’m sure they’ll be a hit at the baby shower Saturday.  Can’t wait to see them on baby Harper’s feet!

The Papoose and family will be here tomorrow evening.  One more thing to look forward to.  It seems like a long time between visits, about a month, I need some Susannah love.

Life is good.

There are flowers everywhere, for those who bother to look.  Henry Matisse

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Knitting

The one where it’s Sunday

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evening and I’m trying to get into the work week groove, getting my clothes for tomorrow ready along with my lunch, getting as much taken care of tonight as I can so that I have the minimum amount of stress and disorganization in the morning.  This plan works for me more times than not, but it does require some preplanning and sometimes, I just don’t want to acknowledge that tomorrow and work are going to happen, I don’t know, something about wanting the weekend to last forever.  Tonight, though, I’ve gotten my T’s crossed and my I’s dotted and there’ll be smooth sailing tomorrow morning.

I finished the socks in progress this afternoon.  Don’t know if I’ve mentioned them or not and am too lazy to go back and check, but the pattern is Cable Twist, a Ravelry freebie and I love them.  They worked up really quickly and easily, which in my case means little or no math involved and straightforward instructions.  Here’s a pic, oops, not so fast.  Mr Iknead informs me that yes indeed, he did take a photo but hasn’t downloaded it as of yet.  Next time.  To tide you over, here’s a current pic of the Papoose, modeling the latest in hair fashions.

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I’m apparently a tad rusty on the inserting pictures routine.  I’ll get better, I promise and as quick as I can, get the Cable Twist socks on board.

Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts.  Charles Dickens

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Knitting

The one where I’m reminded

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for about the billionth (give or take a few million) time that most of the time, more is not better.  As in:  see how busy I am?  See how efficiently I keep everything going smoothly (uh-huh, right) and just how well I manage to be all things to all people?  See?  All this is leading up to my feelings of frustration of not getting everything on my to do list accomplished last weekend.  Never mind that I started said list about three months ago and for every cross off, another three things are added.  All I can say about this impossible list is that everything on it seemed like such a good idea at the time.

As for knitting projects, all is finished on the Drop Stitch Shawl, except for blocking, which is (0f course) at or near the top of The List.  Mirrorsocks are presently in time out.  I’m stuck somehow on the gusset, it’s obvious that I’m screwing it up somehow but heck if I know how.  It’s just wonky looking and I’m torn between forging ahead with the pattern, no matter what or frogging and giving it another go.  Maybe I’ll flip a coin.

Here’s a new pic of the Papoose, we had a wonderful visit over the weekend, just can’t get enough Susannah love!  She’s so proud of those new teeth!

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Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps.  The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples.  I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests.  And so are you.  Elie Wiesel

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Knitting

The one where 32 years

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doesn’t seem like such a long time after all.  Today, Mr. Iknead and I will have been married 32 whole years!  A lot has happened in those years, babies, kitties, puppies, illness, parties, anger, tears, joy and grief.  I’m blessed to have been able to share these with Mr. Iknead; he truly is my soft place to fall, as Dr. Phil puts it.  I think I’m ready for the next 32.

Look pretty good for 32 years dontcha think?
Playing mini-golf in Destin, it’s only 120 degrees outside with not a breath of fresh air.
Love is friendship set on fire.  French proverb
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Knitting

The one where I’m looking

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way forward to the weekend, even more than usual.  Two excellent things are going to happen, 1)  Mr. Iknead and I are going to have our 32nd anniversary and 2) we’re going to spend it in Fayetteville with the Papoose.  Thirty two years, more than half my life (I’m 54) and we still like each other.  A rarity now, I think.  Dang, I thought I had a picture of Mr. Iknead and me right after we got married.  DD has it on her facebook, I’ll get her to send it to me in the next day or so.

OK, I’m loaded and ready for WIP Wednesday tomorrow.  No tonight, one first thing in the a.m.

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Knitting

The one where I remember that

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life is a series of adjustments.  I got my mom moved up here to Little Rock from the wilds of southwest Arkansas yesterday.  It went well, better, in fact, than I expected.  It was hard last night leaving her, knowing that she literally had no clue about where she was and why.  That’s the heartache of all caretakers of someone with dementia.  My mom is a grown woman, but has the mental capacity of a small child, maybe 5-6 years old.  There are still brief flashes of the person who is my mom, but most of the time, she’s a child in an adult body.  It felt like the first day of first grade when my kids were little; having to entrust her care to someone besides me or Mr. Iknead.  I cried then too.  I cried for Mom, I cried for myself and I cried for my dad.  He passed away a month ago yesterday and I keep running into the fact of his death like something I’d stumble against navigating a dark room.  When does it get better?

Knitting.  I’ve done a ton in the past couple of weeks, partly because of the car time I’ve had (Mr. Iknead prefers to drive, I prefer to ride.  One more example of our fitting together, I suppose).  Now I’m getting anxious about running out of Manos for the Drop Stitch Shawl.  This happens every time I get close to the end of a project, you’d think I’d catch on that, but still I think I’ll give Yarnmart a call in the morning, just in case.

Here’s a picture I love – Mr. Iknead and the apple of his eye, the Papoose

He’s not crazy about her or anything!

People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.  Saint Augustine (354 A.D. to 430 A.D.) Early Christian theologian and bishop

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Knitting

The one where I’m still looking

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through and uploading vacation pictures.  This is not a hard thing to do, it just takes time and focus, something that I’m not overloaded with right now.  I did find a couple of the Papoose that are so precious I almost can’t take it.  Here’s one

How’s that for precious??  Tomorrow she’ll be 15 months old, time seems to speed up the older I get and I’m finally learning to cherish the moment I’m living.  I heard someone say once “yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a mystery”.  True.

OK, I’m off to get a photo of my WIP for tomorrow.

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.  Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626),

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Knitting

The one where the real

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world intrudes again and I can’t really say I’m not happy about it.  Grayton Beach was a dream – beautiful weather, beautiful water, beautiful grandbaby Papoose.  What’s not to like?  Want to know just how fabulous this vacay was?  I didn’t get in as much knitting as I thought I would.  DD gave me a hard time about knitting on the beach, told me that she knows now without a doubt that I am hopelessly addicted, all in fun, of course.    Here’s the view we were mercilessly subjected to 24/7.

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Tough, right?

Here’s a Papoose aka Susannah vacay pic; she loves the water and the sand, having a hissy fit when she was taken out of the pool. Bet she’ll be swimming by next summer, I hope so.IMG_1131

She looks very pleased with herself, doesn’t she?

So, today was the first day back, I got a ton done at work catching up and immediately fell into my regular routine.  As great as it was, I’m glad to be back, I missed my Josie Pug, my favorite coffee cup and my bed.  Without a doubt, life is good.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn to do it.  Pablo Picasso

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Knitting

The one where she’s exactly

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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)
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Knitting

The one where she gets a surprise in

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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?

Is she precious or what???
Never chase a lie.  Let it alone and it will run itself to death.  Lyman Beecher (1775-1863)
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Knitting

The one where the heel

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is ready to be turned on the remaining Slippery Sock.  Woo Hoo!  Takes so little to excite me nowdays.  So.  The sock is going swimmingly, and I’m already thinking ahead to my next project.  Should I start a new new project or finish my current pet FO, the En Pointe Pullover.  Which one?  Decision making hasn’t been my strong suit the last few weeks.  I’ve been channeling Scarlett O’Hara a lot lately, the whole “I’ll think about that tomorrow” thing.  Totally out of character for me, the Queen of Quick Decisions.  When I get overwhelmed about things, that’s the first thing to go and right at this moment, I can’t be bothered with what I call mosquito decisions, like what time I want to have dinner, where and exactly what or should I call (insert name here) now or wait until later or even, should I wear navy or black pants to work today?  The millions of choices I make every day that normally are just under my radar become impossible when I’m overwhelmed.

I do, however, have a new photo of the Papoose, sitting (kiddy) pool side, in her ruffly swimsuit and cool hat –  

Minnowknits Brittany Jumper modeled as usual, by Susannah aka Papoose.  Not a great pic. but you get the idea.  A little big but she’ll be wearing it before too long!
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
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