Knitting

13, A Bump in the Olivia Petit Road and Library Whimsies

March 13, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

I have a couple of things, as usual, in the process of knitting up, frogging or time out. The first one up today went through all three stages yesterday, the Lolita vest. Here’s what went down – Rewind to Monday evening. Happily knitting, patting myself on the back for doing such a good job of staying on Task Lolita, even when the new yarn on the block, Knitpicks Comfy Sport in Honeydew, was calling me out to get acquainted and get started on the sweater(s) I had planned for it. Final pat on the back and then to bed. On inspection of my progress yesterday morning, I noticed that somehow I’d gotten a few, surely not more than three or so, stitches off in the pattern and now part of the openwork was wonky and didn’t match up with the previous openwork. Tinked back to correct, fixed – still not right, tinked back and tried again – still didn’t suit me, tinked back one more time, reknit and finally produced something I can live with. Since it’s knitted side to side, at the moment it’s just a wad of knitted fabric, but the spring sunshine was too great to pass up this morning and I took a pic anyway.

I’ve hit a pothole in the road on the sweet Olivia Petit sweater and haven’t been able to figure out what’s going on. I cast on, did the set up row for the neck and raglan increase, so far so good, worked the next increase row and that’s where the wheels came off. Too many stitches when I went to count. OK, operator error, frogged and started again. Same thing, too many stitches. Must have misread pattern. Frogged and started again after going over the pattern with a fine toothed comb, counting and recounting, reading and rereading. Still screwed, went to bed. I’m knitting the smallest size, so I’m thinking maybe going up one pattern size will work. Please. Will frog one last time and start again. If no go this time, I’m swallowing my pride, taking it to Yarn Mart and letting them figure it out. Frustration overload.

BY THE BOOK

I finished an absolutely, positively wonderful book yesterday, I started it Monday and couldn’t stop listening until it was finished, An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11 Year Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny, by Laura Schroff. Goosebumps though the whole thing! Incredible heartache, incredible joy, incredible book!

AT THE LIBRARY

I’m a huge library fan and not just for the books; it’s a favorite place for me to sit, knit and people watch for an hour or so whenever I can and I’m always excited to check out the collections on display. This week was a particular treat, with a collection of pottery. Surprisingly, my iPhone pictures through the glass turned out really well. I’m disappointed that there was no artist or artists mentioned but that didn’t cut the cool.

Love the paper pumps but Birthday Cake Grandma is my all time favorite. I’m crazy for her skull purse!

Don’t forget to head to Tami Amis for more WIPW stuff!

To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous. Confucius

Knitting

A Good Report, It’s Here and I Can’t Wait to Get Started

March 11, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

I’M FREE I’M FREE

I had my first postop visit this morning with McDreamy (Bigmommy’s word, not mine) and he released me to my normal life. Like, I can drive and everything! Who would have thought that I’d have fantasies of grocery shopping?? Who would have thought that Mr. Iknead would have fantasies of me grocery shopping – alone??? The things we take for granted, right? I’m doing really, really well according to McDreamy, which I knew already, and after one more follow up next month, this whole hitch in my get along will be officially over. Yay!!

LOOK WHAT CAME TODAY!!

My new Knitpicks yarn!! I love it, I can’t wait to get started, so sorry Lolita and former Spring Pools socks, this baby is moving to the head of the line! Oh my gosh, it’s so springy and green and pretty and is crying out to be on the needles as I blog this. See for yourself –

Olivia Petit Will Not Wait!

Am I right or what?

THE GRANDS

In keeping with the new beginning, first green of spring theme that seems to have developed today, I present the Sprout’s first ponytail:

The Sprout’s First Sprout!

I know I’ve played fast and loose with exclamation points today, please forgive me, I think Spring is springing!! (sorry)

One today is worth two tomorrows. Benjamin Franklin

Knitting

Tiny Dancer, Pacy Covet and New Project Excitement

March 5, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

IF YOU’VE MISSED OUT

on seeing a naked two and a half year old ballerina stopping mid pirouette to potty, you’ve truly missed out on the highest form of funny cuteness. That’s right friends, the Papoose is in the midst of potty training and I think it might have clicked yesterday. Then, just when our giggles were starting to slow, she ran into the bathroom to flush – her potty chair is in the den, getting us going all over again. Thanks to the wonders of the digital age, it’s all on video. If you’re wondering why her potty’s in the den, you need to know that potty training at this stage is more about timing and convenience and less about location. What’s true in real estate, location, location, location ain’t necessarily so in potty training.

BY THE BOOK

Way way invested in Robert Massie‘s biography, Catherine the Great. I’m just right at her arranged marriage to 17 year old Peter of Holstein. I’ve mentioned my fascination with the Russian imperial family before and finished Nicholas and Alexandra a little bit ago. Loved it and am loving CTG just as much.

BUSTING TO BE

on the needles is Olivia Petit, a sweater I blogged about in How Come. I got the yarn ordered this morning (13 skeins) and am anxious to see it in person and start gauging. After a little more thought over the past few days, I think I’m going to scale back my grand plans just a little and just go for a Easter sweater for the Sprout, I’ve not knitted anything for this poor babe. I guess that comes from being #3 in the grandbaby line up, so I’m giving her first dibs. Check my blog post How Come? to see the project picture. It’s the cutest thing!

KEEP YOUR EYE ON

the much coveted monkey pacifier that the Sprout got as a baby gift. It is really, really cute, a pacifier with a soft, floppy monkey (think Beanie Baby) attached, making it easy for little hands to hang on to. Well, let me tell you, this monkey pacy is much admired and coveted within the Coleman/Vaughan circle of grands and is fair game if it gets dropped or somehow laid aside and forgotten. See what I mean?

From the Sprout

To Babydiva

and finally

Back to the Sprout via Babydaddy

A word to the wise – if you come across one of these pacies, buy multiples!

You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith. Mary Morrissey

Knitting

Blue Monday?

January 21, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

IS IT REALLY?

I read a Facebook post this morning naming today as “Blue Monday“. Since I’d never heard of this before today, a quick Wiki search yielded this, “Blue Monday is a name given to a date in mid-to-late January stated, as part of a publicity campaign by Sky Travel, to be the most depressing day of the year. However, the whole concept is considered pseudoscience, with its formula derided by scientists as nonsense.” Thanks Wiki, I owe you one.

BY THE BOOK

I’ve several “balls in the air” as far as reading goes. I’m listening to two very different books, one of which is Shirley Jackson‘s Haunting of Hill House, an old school horror story and Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist, by Paul Linde. I call the Shirley Jackson book old school because, at least so far, it relies on the setting, the reactions of the characters and creepy foreshadowing to send chills up the spine, instead of blood, guts and over-the-top violence found in a lot of current horror stories. I suppose what I’m really trying to say is that the creepiness of Hill House is psychological, with ideas that hook themselves in your head, that can’t be shaken, becoming more and more poisonous, malignant and frightening as time goes by. I’m telling you, it’s creepy.

I FIXED IT!

So, I had this crocheted, summery sweater that I loved and the last time I wanted to wear it, I noticed that it had a huge ladder across the back, where apparently a stitch had come undone or dropped or some such thing. I temporarily arrested it with a safety pin and put it aside with the promise to myself that I’d give it a good look, figure out where the problem arose and fix it. Today I gave it the look I’d promised, decided it was similar enough to a dropped stitch when knitting to try the crochet hook method, and IT WORKED. It really, really WORKED! It’s not perfect but it’s so much better than it was, I’m really rather proud of myself. Take a look and tell me what you think.

Before

After

Yep, more than a little proud of myself.

One joy dispels a hundred cares. Confucious

Knitting

The one where she begins

March 24, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

the heel turn on the Catnip Socks. Seriously, this is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me all day. I do have big plans for tomorrow though, a trip to Yarn Mart to spend the birthday money that’s burning a hole in my pocket. I’m thinking some nice Shibui. If I have any money left (I won’t) maybe shoe shopping (I will).

I do have an update on my En Pointe sweater, the front is about half done –

This is what 53 rows of En Pointe looks like; only 53 more to go on the front.

People will buy anything that is one to a customer. Sinclair Lewis 1885-1951)

Knitting

The one where the work

March 17, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

week is finally over and I’m psyching myself up to go down to visit my parents tomorrow. I’m ready to get it over with. I feel really horrible about that, how I feel, but it is what it is. Since my mom has been in a nursing home for the past year of so, Daddy has done such a good job of shutting everyone out (including me) that could be of help and support, it’s very difficult emotionally for me to see how he’s deteriorating physically and mentally. He’s in his 80s for heaven’s sake and spends about 18 hours a day at the NH, just sitting there, trying to take care of her. He’s quit buying food because “he eats all his meals at the NH”. He’s skin and bones and can hardly get around. The last time I (we – meaning me and Mr. Iknead) tried to talk to him about possibly looking into them relocating closer to Little Rock, he and I got into a screaming match and I promised myself that I was done with trying to help; I have to keep reminding myself that he is choosing to live this way, I hate it but have to live with it. Did I mention that I’m an only child? I am.

Enough already. I’m going to work on En Pointe. This is what I have so far:

Setting a good example for children takes all the fun out of middle age. William Feather (1908-1976)

Knitting

The one where she’s seriously in lust with

February 25, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

this sweater, En Pointe Pullover, Interweave Knits Spring 2011. It’s got a moebius thing going on and I love it. I’m going to look for the perfect yarn tomorrow, it’s done up in Louet Kidlin, which may or may not work for me since I’m not familiar with that particular fiber and it has to pass the “fondle test”, of course. Here’s a pic –

Nothing like a new project to get the juices flowing!

I think I’ll bake another batch of Hello Dollies tomorrow, but tweak the recipe a bit with toffee bits instead of chocolate chips. If it passes Mr. Iknead’s taste test, I’ll post the recipe. Yes, I’m aware that I have seven boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the pantry and the last thing we need is more sweets, but when has that ever had any bearing on anything?

I was going to have cosmetic surgery until I noticed that the doctor’s office was full of portraits by Picasso. Rita Rudner