Knitting

Snakebit?


AM I?

Last weekend, I was shopping my favorite part of my LYS – the bargain bin – and picked up seven balls of some great CEY Portland Tweed.  I blogged about it here.  I decided to try to reproduce a favorite sweater and started calcs last night.  Once again, not enough yarn and I’d bought up all Cindy had.  Again, no prob, there’s always the internet, right?  Again, wrong wrong wrong.  None, zilch, nada available anywhere, great yarn, just discontinued and now extinct.  That’s twice in a week that I’ve come up short on yarn for projects.  Sounds snakebit to me.  Dang.

Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.  Lily Tomlin

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Knitting

Is It Fall Yet?


TAKING A SPIN

My first attempt at plying – I think I need to watch some more YouTube tutorials

Nutmeg and Copper

STASH ADDITION

I’m condition SABLE (stash acquisition beyond life expectancy) and I know it, but I just couldn’t pass up this Portland Tweed that was on sale at Yarn Mart Saturday.  i’m thinking funnel neck sweater – if 870 yards would do it and it might, it just might.  If not a sweater, then maybe a shawl.

I just noticed that perhaps I’m thinking in fall mode now, with my newest stuff definitely being autumney, making me think of pumpkins and falling leaves.

Classic Elite Yarn Portland Tweed, color number 5012, 50 g/approx 120 yds, x7, 50% virgin wool, 25% alpaca and 25% viscose

SOMETHING NEW FOR JOSIE

I made Josie a new bed yesterday afternoon, I decided the old, zipper broke sleeping bag was just too ratty and found this pattern in a library book called One Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins.  Turned out well and she seems to like it.

True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in the worth and choice.  Ben Jonson, Cynthia’s Revels

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Knitting

Finally FO Friday


OFF THE NEEDLES

If you read my Saturday post, you know my Yahoo e-mail account was hacked, I was locked out of my account and then things snowballed when anything that remotely connected with my Yahoo was locked and by the time I finally was able to get things up and going again, I was pretty close to crazy.  No matter, it was fixed and I’m up and rolling again.  So, it’s a couple of days late but the Karma sweater is finished and turned out like this:

Karma

Neckline Detail

This sweater was truly a joy to knit, with no seaming (which I hate to do) and super clear instructions.  I’m so happy that the yarn is now a sweater that I really love and will probably wear until it falls apart instead of having to avert my eyes every time I open my closet door.

KCCO

I’m linking up with Frontier Dreams’ Keep Calm Craft On today, so along with Karma, I’m showing and telling this sweet wooden ladder that I found at a garage sale for about 5 bucks, brought home, sponge painted and upcycled into a plant stand.

My morning glories are a little peaked this morning.  They look thirsty.

It feels wonderful to post again!

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life:  it goes on.  Robert Frost

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday and HBD To You


WHO’S ON FIRST

Leading off is the Karma sweater, which I’ve made progress on even since taking this photo.  One sleeve is finished, left to do is the other sleeve and a bit of stockinette around the neckline to make is roll even more –

This sweater has been a joy to knit!

Next up – A huge granny square using leftover sock yarn, with no particular effort to match yarn color or even coordination.  I’m calling it Granny’s Grab Bag Blanket.

On third base – Crocus Vernus Socks, with heel flap begun, from The Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet:

You’ll just have to trust me regarding the heel flap.

Last up is another granny square, trying to coordinate colors this time, that may end up as a scarf.  Who knows?

THE GRANDS

Tell me this is not the cutest baby ever!  The Sprout being her lovely self –

Today is a special day in Pawpaw and BeBe World – The Papoose turns three today!  Look how much she’s grown!

Hot off the presses!

Three years later….

Happy Birthday, Papoose!

I’m linking up, as usual, with Tami Ami’s WIP Wednesday blog.  Come check it out!

Problems are only opportunities with thorns on them.  Hugh Miller

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Knitting

Harlot, Grannies and Sweater Karma


OMG!  IT’S HER!

Yesterday was the long awaited Stephanie Pearl-McPhee aka Yarn Harlot visit and talk at Mt. Magazine Lodge here in Arkansas and it was crazy good!  The subject was “This Is Your Brain On Knitting” and covered the how and why knitters/fiber artists are (usually) so calm, cool and collected.  Hint:  Theta waves.  Knitters and other fiber artists have known about the benefits of playing with fiber for probably centuries, but it was really neat and affirming to have actual scientific studies proving what we’ve known all along.  Besides being the consummate knitter and knitterly author, she’s a very engaging and likable speaker – someone you’d LOVE to be sitting next to at the next knit night.  Thanks, Stephanie, for visiting and sharing with us your humor and wisdom.  It was a blast!!!   By the way, she’s from Toronto, Canada and arrived with the first ever May snowfall in Arkansas; she joked that she was the first person to visit Arkansas in May and wish she were back home in Toronto warming up!  It was COLD – snowing and sleeting hard when we left the Lodge for the drive home to Little Rock.  More about the knitting fun in the next post – so onward and upward.

NEW SKILL

I’ve lately been sort of obsessed with crochet, more specifically, granny squares.  I know the basics of crochet, it’s just not been my craft of choice.  I can do it well enough to finish a knitting project, like joining pieces together or making a neat, sort of lacy edge, but that’s about it.  It’s not that I don’t like to crochet, it’s OK, I’d probably like it a whole lot better if I practiced and got better, I just haven’t – up until now.  I saw the prettiest crocheted scarf at my LYS last week, very light, very airy and very soft and, well, that lit my fire.  I don’t know about you, but crochet always brings to mind stiff, scratchy, thick and heavy (think out-dated and ugly acrylic).  Light, soft and airy were words I just didn’t associate with crochet but I’ll admit it, I was wrong.  So, I found a book that had nothing but granny squares, grabbed some leftover sock yarn and a hook that I didn’t know I had and gave it a try.  It will probably never replace knitting as my #1 obsession, but, there’s still something nice, rhythmic and satisfying about watching string reinvent itself into something more interesting,  all the time getting more comfortable with the whole hook thing and the way it all comes together to make a square.  Here’s a look at my first efforts:

I know the colors are funky – it’s leftover sock yarn!

SPEAKING OF REINVENTION

In The Knitter’s Life List, a book I’m currently hooked on, one of the things listed is to unravel and recycle yarn from another, not so cherished, project.  That idea has been hanging out at the back of my mind for a week or so, especially when I found a sweater I knitted lord knows how long ago that was so poorly knitted and put together that it immediately was relegated to a shelf at the back of my closet, never to see the light of day.  So, a sweater so ugly I never let a camera even share its space has been reinvented and has become this:

I call it The Yarn Formerly Known as Sweater

All I can remember about it is that it’s 100% cotton.  I’ve got my eye on a nice, simple top down sweater for its reincarnation.  Something with just a little shaping and minimal seaming that will be as happily worn as it was knitted.  Do sweaters have karma?

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.  Mahatma Gandhi

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Knitting

WIPW 04/17/12


ON THE NEEDLES

I’ve been able to rein in my knitting ADD, at least for the moment, trying really hard not to veer off into the ozone with knitting projects.  I’m working on Knitty‘s Interlocking Leaves socks in the oh so pretty Shibui Poodleskirt color and I also started another Olivia Petit sweater, this one in a larger size.  Oh yeah, I’ve been knitting up dishcloths at Bigmama’s request and they’re a nice break from those long rows of Olivia.

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Interlocking Leaves

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Olivia Petit 2.0

In case you’re wondering, that’s a set of frosted glass windchimes that I was too lazy to put away this morning, thus their debut on WIPW 04/17/13

FIELD TRIP

Babymama and I, along with Babydiva, Bela the standard poodle and Josie Pug have plans to visit the dog park this afternoon.  I’m expecting it to be loads of fun, and am right now charging Mr. Canon’s battery (sounds kind of nasty, doesn’t it?) to document all the fun.  Look for pictures to be posted later this week.

Don’t forget to visit Tami Ami’s WIPW blog and check out all the neat WIPs!

Develop a passion for learning.  If you do, you will never cease to grow.  Anthony J. D’Angelo

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Knitting

FO Friday 04/12/13


    DATELINE THURSDAY, 1400 HOURS
    I’ve been plagued this week with startitis and have had a hard time settling down to any one project long enough to complete it. So far this week I’ve started another, larger Olivia sweater, a pair of socks for me and a knitted market bag and with two more days left to go this week I can’t guarentee I won’t start something else. All this and the Sprout’s new Olivia sweater lacks only buttons.
                                                                                                                                                                                                         OFF THE  NEEDLES
      Olivia is finally, actually, happily done!  I found some cute buttons this week while cruising

Hobby Lobby

     and I think they’re perfect.   I’ve always loved purples and greens together and these buttons allowed me to indulge in my favorite color combo.  I’m so excited to be unveiling this sweet sweater!  Now all I have to do is get a photo of the Sprout modeling it.

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Olivia Petite Sweater

Pattern from Quince&Co.

Don’t forget to visit Tami Ami’s FO Friday blog for today for more FO Friday treats!  I’m always impressed and inspired and I bet you will be too!

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

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Knitting

FO Friday, Blogs and Monkey Pool


OFF THE NEEDLES OR TGIFOF

The Monkey Pool socks are finished as of yesterday.  The Parakeet yarn was amazing to work with, unfortunately, the pattern I started out with, Spring Pools, not so much. This was totally my fault. The pretty pattern was lost in the busy colors on the yarn. Of course, I decided this AFTER the first sock was finished. So, I changed canoes so to speak in the middle of the stream and the second sock is a Crazy Monkey, making these a pair of Monkey Pool socks.

FYI – I tried to post a link for the Parakeet yarn but can’t read the name of the web address on the label.  Sorry about that.  It’s from The Great Adirondack Yarn Company.

                    

L – Spring Pools     R- Crazy Monkey

I’m still on the lookout for the perfect buttons for Olivia.  I’m going to Goodwill today to search for some I can repurpose and if not, then I’ll continue my stalking.  This search has motivated me to start stockpiling buttons that catch my interest and since I’m a diehard collector, the house will be awash in buttons in no time.  Besides, I think buttons are cool.  Speaking of Olivia, she’s blocked and ready to receive the final touches, an applied I-cord (which I’m going to need help with) and, of course, the buttons.  I’ll show her off as soon as she’s officially totally completed, FO Friday or not!

SHAMELESS PLUG

While you’re blog surfing, please check out these two, which are near and dear to my heart, wife.mother.disciple at susiemom.wordpress.com and The Mommy Life 101 at kcoleman1009.wordpress.com.  As mentioned in another post, these blogs are Bigmommy and Babymama’s first blogs ever and we all know, especially with blogging, a little encouragement goes a long way!  Thanks in advance!

Another blog you don’t want to miss is Tamis Ami’s and since it’s FO Friday, it’s full of FO goodness.  You’ll be blown away by the creativity of us fiber freaks, I always am!

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.  Erich Fromm

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Knitting

Goal Met, Sweet Sprout, On to the Next


ON THE NEEDLES

Yesterday’s goal met, with pictures to prove it!  You can see that Olivia lacks a sleeve and some I-cord to be finished. Like I mentioned in yesterday’s post, this sweet sweater has been totally worth the hair tearing and project slinging but I’m ready to move on. It sort of seems like a waste to not go ahead and knit another since I seem to have gotten it down but honestly, I need a break. I’m thinking a simple pair of summer socks for Mr. Iknead. He suffered through my Olivia learning curve too!

Front, without buttons.  Anyone have button suggestions?

Back

Love that the color photographed pretty much true on this gray, rainy day!

THE GRANDS

Today, I’m putting the Sprout in the limelight, I think she may have been given short shrift with the recent birthday and Easter.  Her onesie says it all!

Don’t forget to check out Tami’s Amis WIPW blog for more WIP love!

I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.  Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

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Knitting

Divadom, Birthdays and (dare I say it?), Triumph!


GRAND DIVADOM

Babydiva’s first birthday was a complete success, judging by the fun that was had by all, even though it was originally planned to be an Easter egg hunt and having to move the venue inside due to rainy weather. She was (as always) gorgeous and carried her divadom like she was born into it, which she was. Great presents, great cupcakes, great company and great fun!

FIRST BIRTHDAY CUPCAKE

Photo

I’m positive I’ll have at least a gazillion more pictures, both of Babydiva and the Papoose and Sprout, just as soon as their mommies are able to slow down long enough to get them posted.

Party On, Papoose

GONE TO POT

Yeah, it’s corny but  I couldn’t resist.  Yesterday was my first pottery class and I have to admit, it was the coolest thing.  The class, Beginning Handbuilding, is combined with another, way advanced class, Independent Study and it’s really neat to check out what the more advanced students are working on.  The basic class is very small, four people and a teacher, two ladies about my age, me and a young guy (they’re all young guys now), a 25 year old self employed furniture restorer.  I’m beginning to believe that creativity is a thread between some people, maybe like calling to like, because one of the first things we did after meeting each other was show off and admire tats.  Three of the four students had them, probably not that unusual, it just struck me as interesting.  Then, later in the class, the instructor saw my tat and asked me if I was a knitter, especially since it happens to be a ball of yarn with knitting needles.  I told her yep and here’s the coolest thing – she said “me too”, another of the students said, “me too”, and two of the advanced students said, “me too”.  Now, tell me that’s not awesome.  Out of eight people total in the room, five of us were knitters, mostly hardcore too.  It’s a thread, I tell you.  Oops, sidetracked, we learned to make pinch pots, took a tour of the pottery department and learned a little about the different clays and different glazing techniques.  I made a couple of butt-ugly pots, but hey, it was my first time.  Next week, we learn more about glazing and how to use the slab technique to make a coffee cup.  I can’t wait!  Sorry no pics, too busy and distracted by all the stuff going on.  Next week, promise.

ON THE NEEDLES

I’m aware that tomorrow is WIPW and not today, but I finally got a handle on the Olivia sweater, and lack only the sleeves in finishing it.  I’m not ashamed to say that this pattern totally had its way with me, slapping and kicking me around (see Yarn Harlot‘s blog post for today, I totally get it), but finally I gained the upper hand and like a bully, once I showed no fear, it slunk off to sulk and get over itself.  And, OMG, it was totally worth it, every second of every frog, tink and the blood, sweat and tears it generated.  Here’s a peek at the back –

                                                          

What did I say?  Totally worth it, right??  Even so, the next time I get a hare-brained idea like, “of course, it’s just a month before Easter but three sweaters for the grands is totally doable”, I’d appreciate a good smack to the back of the head, just to snap me out of it.  Unfortunately, most of us knitters are also enablers and I can already hear a chorus of sures, absolutelys and totally doables going on in background.  Meanwhile, today’s only goal is a sleeve.

There are some things only intellectuals are crazy enough to believe.  George Orwell (1903-1950)

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Knitting

Just Call Me Tinkerbell


BY THE BOOK

Not reading/listening much at the moment.  There are a couple of books that have piqued my interest, Mary Coin by Marisa Silver and Fever by Mary Beth Keane.  As far as I can tell, neither one is in my local library’s collection yet, frustrating for me due to our (Mr. Iknead’s) austerity plan.  I’ve requested them, but this takes time, which I have a lot of, but unfortunately I’m continually short on patience.  Could this be a sign that I need to finish the books I’ve started to make room for those I want to start?  Possibly.

JUST WHEN

I think winter is really over and begin to anticipate spring with warmer temps and greener everything, Mother Nature brings another surprise.  After a couple of days of short sleeves and sunshine, the weather turned cold again with snow in the northern part of the state and rain and sleet for the rest.  I’m tired of sweaters and long sleeves and am finding myself thinking more and more about swimsuits, sandals and the beach. Our August vacation seems soooo far away!

ON/OFF THE NEEDLES

I cast off Lolita last night, all she lacks is a light blocking and then sewing the shoulder seams.  I’ll get a picture when she’s officially finished.  Still working on the first Olivia Petit sweater.  I ended up tinking back even more when I noticed a dropped stitch about ten or 12 rows back.  I tried to convince myself that I could totally live with it, that with a little blocking it would be next to unnoticeable.  You know how far that got me.  Bit the bullet, tinked back and redid and am much happier.  Two more buttonholes, then separating for the sleeves and I’ll be ready to start knitting the peplum.  Suddenly, knitting two more of these doesn’t seem like such a great idea.  Hmmm, wonder why?  Here it is so far:

Sorry the pic sucks.

Off to start blocking Lolita!

Love life and life will love you back.  Love people and they will love you back.  Arthur Rubinstein

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Knitting

How Cool Is That?, Free at Last and Olivia Petit


HOW COOL IS THAT?

A couple of years ago, 3/23/11 to be exact ’cause I went back and checked, I decided that I wanted – no, make that needed, to learn how to make pottery. Like a lot of things I get obsessed with, this idea eventually seemed to fade and then take its place in what I call the idea cabinet part of my head. It never fully got relegated to the back side of the cabinet.  It just hung around, surfacing every now and then in the foreground of whatever I was mentally working on. Long story short I signed up for a basic handbuilding pottery class at the art center here in Little Rock yesterday after seeing a random class schedule online.  The first class is April 1 and to say I’m excited is like saying Albert Einstein is a math whiz.  Personally, I think looking at the collection of pottery at the library Monday shook something loose.

IN THE OVEN

It’s been a while since I’ve done any what I call real baking, meaning from scratch, not a box.   Not knocking the box thing, Lord knows it’s saved my fanny more times than I like to count, it’s just not as satisfying to me as measuring out ingredients and watching my big Kitchenaid do its thing.  So, this afternoon, I pulled out the fresh blueberries I found Tuesday, the pecans I got cheap at Christmas and froze and the little bit of sour cream I had left over from some other cooking project and made a (surprise) blueberry-pecan-sour cream coffee cake that smells heavenly.  I’m having cake for supper.  Oh, you haven’t heard??  They’ve made coffee cake a food group!

SEE YA NEXT YEAR, BUH-BYE

I had my last visit (hurray hurray) with my hematologist today and he released me, to come back in a year.  His release was the final step in getting back to normal after my surgery.  For the first time in a long, long time, my blood counts are normal and I don’t have to be followed every week or so with blood draws and lab tests.  To give you an idea, about a week before my surgery, my hematocrit was 9.5-ish and today, it was 12; translated into realspeak, my doctor said it pretty much means that I have 2 1/2 more pints of blood today than I had a month ago.  No wonder I feel more energized.  Please excuse me, I’m going now to leap a tall building in a single bound.  While I’m leaping, you can admire the flowers I saw outside the clinic this morning ; )

Little Rock Hematology Oncology Clinic

REDEMPTION

The Olivia Petit sweater and I have come to an agreement.  I’ll do a better job of reading the pattern and making sure I understand directions and she’ll be a good sport and knit up all pretty and sweet like she promised.  Really, it was operator error with the difficulties earlier this week.  After I put her aside, slept and reread her pattern more slowly and closely, my mistake was obvious and best of all, fixable.  It did entail several, like ten, rows of tinking, but I’m finally back on track with most of my sanity intact.  This is what she looks like so far –

If you look closely, you can see the first two buttonholes; we won’t

discuss last night’s buttonhole frustration.

Don’t forget to check Tami Ami’s FO Friday blog – it’s always a treat!

What’s your latest dream come true?

Be sure that, as you scramble up the ladder of success, it is leaning against the right building.  Stephen Covey

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