Pretty Maids – mud&string

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)

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