Knitting

The hurrier I go

November 2, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

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

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/24/12

October 24, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

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.

Is this not the sweetest thing?

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

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/17/12

October 17, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Plugging along on the Pretty Maids shawl and am so happy I decided to frog the first attempt, the second try is 100% better. I’m able to “read” my knitting better and as a result, if I make a mistake, I notice it quicker and can fix it more easily. A much happier project! Here’s a photo –

Stitch close up

The Big Picture

THE GRANDS

I have a new picture of Babysis Annabelle and can’t resist blogging it. Talk about a lucky shot!

Isn’t she precious???

IN THE OVEN

I have big plans for baking this coming weekend. I’m going to bake bread and attempt to get a sourdough starter going. The weather should help out quite a bit, low humidity, warm but not hot temperatures. I’ve missed baking these past few months, first it was way to hot to use the oven, then I was too busy, what with the grands, work, Mom and the zillion other tiny things that seem to be of no consequence, but turn into a mountain with attempts to accomplish them.

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. A.A. Milne

Knitting

Babies and baptisms

October 14, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

WHAT WENT DOWN

Mr. Iknead and I had 2/3 of the grands in house this weekend, along with Bigdaddy and Bigmommy, and it was a million things all at once – exhausting (we’re not youngsters anymore no matter what we try to make you believe), exhilirating (try not to be excited by the prospect of a walk with a two year old or snuggles with a three week old), humbling (in the face of two year old wisdom, “because I don’t want to”) and joyful (just because). Babydiva’s baptism was last evening and she handled it with her usual diva cool, not batting an eye when Monsignor poured the water over her head. Mr. Iknead took pictures but hasn’t uploaded them yet. I’m moving that to the top of his to do list and hopefully, I’ll have some to show in the next day or so. Meanwhile, here’s the Papoose and Babysis –

The Papoose

Babysis

ON THE NEEDLES

After the drama with the Pretty Maids shawl last week, I ended up completely frogging it and starting over. I realized the first go round was a trainwreck, bit the bullet and frogged. This time, we’re getting along much, much better. Will get a picture tomorrow in the sunshine.

RECAP

Babies

Baptism

Knit

Frog

Knit

Blog

A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him, I may think aloud. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Knitting

Crisis averted/WIP Wednesday 10/10/12

October 10, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Ouch! When I went to take a photo of the ongoing Pretty Maids shawl project to post to WIP Wednesday, I ACCIDENTLY PULLED THE NEEDLES OUT OF THE KNITTING! My heart just sank. Seriously, I thought I would throw up when I saw it. I was three rows from finishing it. Jeez. Luckily, I was able to put it back on the needles and am now in the process of tinking it back to a recognizable row to get moving forward on it again. Even though I know “it’s just knitting”, it’s my knitting and my time invested in it and I love it. Hopefully, this evening I’ll see forward progress again.

It’s really hard to make out what it looks like when it’s unblocked lace. Patience, patience and hopefully, it will be finished, washed and blocked by this time next week.

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. Albert Pike

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/03/12

October 3, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Pretty Maids shawl, from Knitty Deep Fall 2010, done in Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk Paint, 85% Merino Superwash Wool/15% Mulberry Silk, color number 9801, which I call Bonfire because everything should have a name.

A HAPPY

When I visited my mother this morning, she knew me and told me she loved me. This can make the worst day one of the best. I miss the mom I had before dementia, but am coming to love the person she is now.

It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after a committee of sleep has worked on it. John Steinbeck