Tag: Stephen King

Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove 10/14/14

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ON THE NEEDLES

 My Simplex Shawl continues to grow.  According to the pattern, it’s more than halfway finished.  More about it here.

BOOKLOVE

Where do I start?  I’m rereading Stephen King’s Dark Tower series and am up to Book Three, The Waste Lands.  I read The Wind Through the Keyhole in Florida, a book that technically falls between Books Four and Five, but was released in February, 2012.  This series continues to be my all time favorite.  Crazy love them all.

THE DOCUMENTED LIFE

I got a little behind in my art journal while on vacation and am just finishing up last week’s prompt, which was Polka Dots.  After a couple of false starts, I got into the groove, using a circle stencil to draw flowers, then handcoloring them and cutting them out to layer with stenciled dots, spray ink and, probably some stamps.  I drew and colored these flowers just for fun today.  I don’t have a current plan for these, but I thought they turned out well.

 I love drawing and coloring flowers – they’re probably my favorite, but I’ve been sort of down on myself because I’m not good at faces and because lettering also isn’t something I feel I do well, especially when I compare my stuff to projects others post, but I’m adjusting my attitude starting now.  New mindset:  So what if all I can draw is flowers – I love doing them.  So what if every face I draw is weird and more than a little wonky – I’ll never be commissioned to do a portrait.  So what if my lettering leaves something to be desired – I can practice and get better at it and if that doesn’t pan out, I’ll use my computer.  So what if my journal pages will never be hung in the Museum of Modern Art or the Louvre – they make me happy and creating them feeds my soul, just like they’re supposed to and because of that, I am an artist!

Linking with Tami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Yarn Along

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.  T.S. Eliot

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 6/11/14, Booklike, Pots

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ON THE NEEDLES

I’m coming right along with the Cable and Pleat Tunic, being really close to finishing the front and side shaping.  For once, the color in the photo is nearly, if not completely, true.  Another awesome thing about the patio – it’s a fantastic place  for taking pictures.

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POTS

Here’s my latest set of pots, which once again exceeded my glazing expectations.

I have one or two left to glaze and plan to go into the studio this weekend to finish them up.  Class has a two week break before the next session and it’s always nice to go into the studio with a clean slate as far as projects go.

BOOKLIKE

This week’s book is a biography of Johnny Cash by Robert Hilburn.  I like it, I don’t love it.  It had parts that are hard to read, it feels like you are in the front row for his self destruction at times.  It also goes into minute detail seemingly sbout everything, which bogs me down sometimes.  This probably won’t be a repeater, it’s a library book, so I don’t feel guilty about just skimming it in parts.  I’m anxiously waiting for my Audible credits to show up so that I can get Stephen King’s newest, Mr. Mercedes.  They should be coming any time now.

AN ASIDE

Mr. iknead figured out how to turn the autocorrect off, but now, I get aggravated at all the typos and have to proofread much more carefully.  I know, gripe, gripe, gripe.  Sheesh!

I’m linking with the Wednesday regulars, Tami, Frontier Dreams and Ginny.

You must train your intuition — you must trust the small voice inside you which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide.  Ingrid Bergman

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 7/17/13, Doing the Herb

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ON THE NEEDLES

Mr. Iknead’s socks continue to grow.  The first of the pair is finished, and the second maybe 2/3 finished.  My goal is to have them done in time for FO Friday.  I’ve said that before and been defeated, but hope springs eternal and all that.

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

THE HERB

I noticed yesterday that my basil was beginning to flower and that means it needed to be harvested quickly if I’m to have more basil this summer.  I was going to dry it, but learned that because basil has a high water content, it does better when frozen than when dried.  Learn something new every day, I do.

That’s plain basil on the left, lime basil on the right

My kitchen smells HEAVENLY!

BY THE BOOK

I’m nearly through with Joyland and have enjoyed it immensely, wishing sometimes that there were just a couple more hours in the day, like 26 or 27 instead of just 24, just so I could squeeze in a little more of my favorite pastimes.  (I think I just heard a few moms of toddlers groan.)  I also checked out a couple of library books on spinning and knitting; the pictures are lovely, I may never get to the text!

I’m linking up today with Tami, Ginny’s Yarn Along and Frontier Dreams KCCO.  Don’t forget to visit these awesome blogs!

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.  John Lennon

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Knitting

FO Friday 07/12/13, Bigmommy’s Birthday

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OFF THE NEEDLES

75% Medano Beach Bag

Besides scaling it down a little, I used an I-cord bind-off, mostly so I could practice it.  I do like the rolled edge it makes, though.

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

Happy birthday, Bigmommy!  I love you and am so proud of the beautiful woman you’ve become.  It’s been a pleasure (mostly).  Much love.

BY THE BOOK

I finally was able to get started in Joyland by Stephen King and it’s fabulous enough that I didn’t pick up my needles once yesterday because I couldn’t stop reading.  Now that’s a good book.  I totally plan on finishing it today and am anxiously awaiting Dr. Sleep.  I think it’s due to come out in September.

Linking up with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO

Anyone who keeps the abilith to see beauty in every age of life really never grows old.  Franz Kafka

Knitting

WIP 7/10/13, First Try at Dye and a New Book

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BUSINESS AS USUAL

Like most other WIP Wednesdays, I’m linking up with a couple of other cool blogs, Tami Ami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Knit Along.  Check them out and prepare to be inspired!

ON THE NEEDLES

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

A few more inches and this one will ride off into the sunset of FOs.

BY THE BOOK

I finally made it to my local BN yesterday and purchased a copy of Stephen King’s newest, Joyland.  I haven’t officially started reading it, except skimming through the pages and reading a sentence or two.  Anxiously waiting for at least a 15 minute lull in the day so I can really get started.

ADVENTURES IN DYEING

Here’s the finished product I promised yesterday; it’s still a tad damp, but I think it turned out pretty well, don’t you?

First Try at Dyeing with Kool-aid – Pink Lemonade.

I found some really unattractive 100% yarn in the stash, it may be Lion Brand 100% Wool, sort of an oatmeal color.  I’ve just now decided to overdye (if that’s the word) another color, possibly purple.  Show and tell tomorrow.

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks/And all the sweet serenity of books.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Knitting

WIPW 04/10/13, Yarn Along and Sock Pattern Lust

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ON THE NEEDLES

I decided to give myself a little break from fiddly stuff for a bit and have been knitting up dish towels instead, finally using some of that Sugar and Cream that’s been in the stash for lo, how many years.  My current favorite is the Yarn Over Cable Cloth from Dishcloth Boutique.  After just a couple of repeats, I’d memorized the four row pattern, a welcome relief from having to look from pattern to knitting and back to pattern.

I’m getting the sock knitting itch again, I just wound some new Shibui Sock from Yarn Mart and am pondering patterns even as I type.  I have a couple of ideas – Spring Forward or Kew, both from Knitty.  Love them both, maybe I’ll flip a coin.  Here’s a look at the new Shibui –

This color is called Poodle Skirt and how cute is that??

MR. CANON AND ME, WE GETTIN’ TIGHT

Beginning to feel much more comfortable with Mr. Canon and today, it took only about 30-45 minutes to remember and do what took hours yesterday.  Josie, Mr. Canon and I just may take a field trip tomorrow morning, especially if the weather stays as beautiful as it has the last two days.

Photobomb by Josie

BY THE BOOK

My Yarn Along contribution today is Stephen King’s Under the Dome, in preparation for the mini-series scheduled for sometime in June.  I’m still technically reading Annie Dillard‘s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, but haven’t picked it back up since Monday afternoon at the library.  I’m planning to get started again this afternoon, the weather is predicted to be stormy and this seems like it would be a good book to cocoon with.

DON’T FORGET TO

Visit Tamis Amis’ WIPW blog for more WIP goodies and Ginny Sheller’s Yarn Along for lots more book and yarn love.  Prepare to be inspired!

The better part of happiness is to wish to be what you are.  Desiderius Erasmus

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Knitting

New Skills, Accomplishments and Food For Thought

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OLD DOG NEW TRICK

I’ve been thinking for a while about working on my photography skills – what skills haha – so this Sunday afternoon, I got the manual to Mr. Iknead’s fancy schmancy camera and did a little reading. Really, cameras nowadays (this one, anyway) have a much higher IQ than I do. What I learned mostly was where all the buttons were and what they did.   OK, so far so good, photos look pretty good and the Mr. Canon and I are getting acquainted.  Next up, transfer pics from Mr. Canon to Ms. Dell, which took me what felt like forever, but really a couple of hours, to figure out, but still, mission accomplished.  Final step:  Upload to Flickr, which, again, has taken me a couple of hours to figure out, with their fancy new uploader, but again, mission accomplished.   Finally, it dawned on me that I needed to update my browser and then, I could drag and drop to my little heart’s content.  Done and done.  Here’s a few of my first attempts –

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I could get into this whole photography thing, like I need another hobby!

BY THE BOOK

My reading/listening is all over the map the past week or so, ranging from Stephen King’s Under the Dome to Annie Dillard‘s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.  I started Pilgrim at Tinker Creek  yesterday, just a few pages in, but am already enjoying it.  She writes about learning to unsee the obvious and find the hidden in nature, which I find compelling, especially when she writes about stillness and the frenetic activity underneath it.  Like I said, compelling.

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

FINALLY, SPRING

The past few days have been absolutely, positively gorgeous – short sleeve and sandal weather.  I’m finally motivated to do something- anything-outside.  The sunshine and breeze during my morning walk today felt like such a gift after so many cold, rainy, windy days when I literally had to force myself to just get out of the house.  Thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow, but I’m living in today and it’s lovely.  I’m letting tomorrow be  tomorrow.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what they had to teach; and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.  Henry David Thoreau, “Walden“

Knitting

Do Over

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WHAT??

You mean to tell me that my blog pictures aren’t there?  Why can I see them when I post but they’re not there for anyone else.  A little slow on the uptake lately, me, especially when I have Flickr on my phone and it’s a million times easier to post from there.  My kids are always saying I’m always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to technology; give me a break, when I learned to type (back in the Dark Ages, 1974 or thereabouts), electric typewriters were on the cutting edge.

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Before and after pics of the French Market Bag

Before Felting

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After Felting

I hope these show!  It took about five trips through the washing machine before I was satisfied with the felting.  This was my first felting project and I was surprised at how much it shrank.  I think I might try a big bowl next.

BY THE BOOK

At the moment, I’m still listening to Part 5 of Stephen King‘s Dark Tower series, Wolves of the Calla.  I’m nearly finished and have a new book waiting in the wings, A Time to Love, by Barbara Cameron.  I think it’s part one of a series, Quilts of Lancaster County.  I should probably mention that this was a Free Friday Nook Book from Barnes and Noble.  Every Friday they offer a different free Nook Book and it has been a great way for me to break out of the “reading rut” I find myself in sometimes.

ON THE STOVE

Thanks to a friend at work, Mr. Iknead and I have enough fresh okra and tomatoes for at least a week.  I think I’m going to freeze the okra and do salsa with the tomatos.  Hurry up work week so I can get started!  Thanks C., Mr. Iknead and I appreciate you and your garden.

The art of a people is a true mirror to their minds.  Jawaharlal Nehru

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday

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ON THE NEEDLES

Wingspan, in Araucania Huasco, Code Color: 7.

Every time I knit with Araucania, I fall a little more in love.  It’s definitely a splurge yarn for me, but sometimes I just can’t resist its charms!

BY THE BOOK

I just finished I Am In Here by Elizabeth M. Bonker, about her autistic daughter and her struggle to communicate.  It’s a book of hope, courage and commitment; I enjoyed it very much.

I’m rereading (for the nth time) Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.  Just started Wolves of the Calla this morning, fourth in the series.  No matter how many times I read or listen to this story, I find something new; it never gets old.

The measure of a man is what he does with power.  Pittacus

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