Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Patio, Hello Beautiful


ON THE NEEDLES

See that little ball in the photo?  That’s all the yarn I have left and the Harmonia Shrug just isn’t. quite. finished.  All that’s left is adding ribbing to the other sleeve, binding off and finishing with a tiny ruffle.  Luckily, for once I saw this coming and was able to order one more skein from a yarn shop in the UK.   I’ll have nearly an entire skein left over, but I can definitely see the rest transformed into gift(s) this fall.  That’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, as they say.

OUTSIDE

Our patio upgrade/redo is FINALLY finished and are we enjoying it!  We’ve had our coffee outside on it for the last few days and have relaxed in the late afternoons with our respective cold drinks and iPads.  Totally worth the $ and frustration.  We have plans tomorrow to start shopping for an umbrella table and a swing. 

HELLO BEAUTIFUL

Here’s my most recent picture of Babydiva, who grows more gorgeous all the time.

Babydiva and doggy sister, Bela

This may be my all-time favorite photo of my son and his daughter, sharing homework time.  I have a phenomenal son, who is also a phenomenal husband and father and this sweet photo proves it over and over.  

PARTING SHOT

Our only chick in the nest now, Josie, who is always right in the thick of things.  She was very put out that her daddy went inside for two seconds and shut the door before she could follow.

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

I admit to having an imagination feverish enough to melt good judgment.  Dean R. Koontz

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday, “This Is Gray”, Booklove


“THIS IS…….”

When I went to the salon this morning, I showed the pictures I posted yesterday to my stylist.  If you missed yesterday’s post, you can read it here.  My stylist, who was my friend before she was my hairdresser, looked at the pictures, looked at me like I was crazy and said, “This is gray, your hair will not look like this.”  “How come?”   “You’re not gray enough” she says.  Oh.  OK.  She could make it more ashy and less gold, she said.  Again, “OK”.  So she did and I love it.  Love. It.

The Big Reveal

FYI – Back in the day (up until 2006), I pretty much kept my hair ultra short – think crew cut.  My daughter asked me to grow my hair out for her wedding.  I did and have loved my long hair much more than I ever expected.

ON THE NEEDLES

Still working on My Harmonia, but am in the last stages.  A few more 12 row repeats and I should be home free.

Last but not in any way, least

BOOKLOVE

In the throes of insane Booklove, and yes, I know I say that every week, with Far From The Tree, Parents, Children, and The  Search For Identity, written by Andrew Solomon.  This book was one of the 2012 Ten Best Books according to the New York Times Book Review.  Incredible book.  Don’t be put off by its size, it’s a great read and the pages fly.

 

Linking with Tami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny.

 

I have done my plowing: I have sown my seed.  Again I have time to sit and read my books.  T’ao Chien

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Raging Booklove and This Always Cracks Me Up


ON THE NEEDLES

Vivacious Chocolate Shrug is still on the needles, but just barely.  The bottom line on this particular project is that I don’t have enough yarn to finish it.  No matter how many times I do the math, I’m still about a skein short of a project (that sounds like a joke) and decided to find one that fit both my yarn yardage and needle size.  I stalked Ravelry patterns for hours until I decided on Rita Taylor’s Harmonia Shrug, here’s my progress so far:

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BOOKLOVE

At the moment, I’m in the throes of infatuation for two books.  First up is The Other Family, by Joanna Trollope and the second is a memoir, New Life, No Instructions by Gail Caldwell.  Both are awesome in their own way.  I (finally) finished Frogmusic  and have queued it up to read again after the current two.  Book crazy, always have been, always will be.

STILL LAUGHING

Seriously, who can read that and NOT laugh?

I’m linking with the usual suspects, Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams KCCO.

If Borg’s parents hadn’t liked the name, he might never have been Bjorn.  Marty Indik

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Knitting

Finally FO Friday


OFF THE NEEDLES

Hitchhiker

Patons Lace

Sachet

ON THE NEEDLES

For the third time, I frogged my Vivacious Chocolate Shrug and started from scratch.  I hope this time’s a charm.  I’m getting burned out on the first three rows.  Thinking positive thoughts.

THE GRANDS

Mr. Iknead and I are in Stuttgart, riding herd on the Papoose and Sprout while their mom and dad fly off to somewhere in Texas for a wedding that their dad is officiating.  A short working vacation I suppose you’d call it.  So far, so good.  The girls went to bed with no fuss, no muss.  Here’s hoping that tomorrow is pretty for a visit to the park.

I’m linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams.

Indulge your imagination in every possible flight.  Jane Austen

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and TDLP Obsessed


ON THE NEEDLES

Newest WIP is another Hitchhiker, in Sachet Patons Lace that I picked up I don’t know when on a Hobby Lobby run.

I’m really liking the way this is knitting up.

Socks on a Plane are still on the needles, but have grown not a bit in the last week.  Tomorrow, I keep telling them, just hang on.  So, yes, the crazy yarn lady is talking to her unfinished socks now…..

BOOKLOVE

102 pages in and it has me walking extra miles on the treadmill.  That’s how fantastic this book is, a repeater, for sure.  I’m so glad I bought this instead of checking it out at the library, it’s a book to be savored.

WORD DOC

I got my first challenge for The Documented Life project completed and posted; the challenge was to use a cardboard food box in an unexpected manner; this is what I came up with –

The new challenge for Week 17 is on the drawing board.  I’ll be sharing it soon, meanwhile, check out it out, don’t be surprised if you find yourself drawn in and then obsessed.  Everyperson Art.  Love. It.

Linking with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams.

All great art is the work of the whole living creature, body and soul, and chiefly of the soul.  John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/16/14 and Booklove


ON THE NEEDLES

Since the first version of Socks on a Plane was way too small, I frogged and started over, this time with a total of 64 stitches instead of 56 (as best I can remember, I seem to have blocked it from my memory) and this time around the fit is much better.  I’m glad because it just about kills me to frog something that is so close to being finished.  Close as in one inch of cuff and I’m finished and moving on.  I did it and I’m glad I did, but still…

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Second Go Round

BOOKLOVE

I’m still reading God’s Hotel, which is taking longer than usual to finish since I seem to only read it when I’m on the treadmill.  This is a good thing most of the time because if I have a “special treadmill book”, climbing on and walking for 45 minutes or an hour doesn’t seem to be as much of a chore.  I downloaded a new book, Frog Music, that I’m looking forward to reading; I suppose you could call it my carrot and stick, since I’ve resolved to finish Hotel before I start anything new.

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I’m linking up today, as usual with Ginny, Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO.  Inspiration Central, like always.

To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.  Joseph Clinton Pearce

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/9/14, Booklove


ON THE NEEDLES

Pleiades Shawlette

Stash Yarn – Cascade 220, Savona Rose

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Socks on a Plane are sort of hibernating at the moment as the first one is way too small.  I’ve been trying to delude myself that they’re just “snug”.  They’re past snug, they’re too small, even too small for Bigmommy, who has teeny feet.  Dang.

BOOKLOVE 4/9/14

I’m still reading Victoria Sweet’s God’s Hotel.  Very interesting, premodern medicine, I’d never thought too much  about it.  Learning something new every time I pick it up.

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

It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis.  Margaret Bonnano

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/2/14, Booklove, Leak Be Gone


PLUMBING UPDATE

Our plumber rocks!  The leak I mentioned in my last post is history!  As it turned out, he found the leak, fixed it and only charged us $145.50.  If you’ve had to call a plumber in the last ten years, you’ll know we got off easy, fix-wise and money-wise, with no fuss and very little muss.  What a relief!

BOOKLOVE

I’ve finished one book, Benediction, by Kent Haruf and started two others, an ebook, God’s  Hotel by Victoria Sweet and an audiobook, Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen.  I wasn’t too sure about  Benediction, it took me a bit to see where the author was going with the story, but I got involved before too long and ended up enjoying it very much.  I like it when at the end of the book, there are still some loose ends, not everything is tied up nice, tight and neat.  Real life seems to always have loose ends!

ON THE NEEDLES

Woodlands Scarf in the found merino, Papercut, both of which I’m liking a lot.  I tentatively started a new pair of socks using my first Yarnbox yarn,  in a new pattern, Leaf on the Wind, but ended up frogging after deciding that my choice of both pattern did not do the yarn justice and vice versa.

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Yes, the photo is upside down but it just took me an hour to figure out how to insert a picture in a post on the iPad.  I’m not up for another hour of frustration today.

I’m linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO, please pay them a visit.  Oops, I almost forgot Ginny’s Yarn Along!

Skill to do comes of doing.  Ralph Emerson

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Knitting

FO Friday 3/28/14 or No K1P1 Rib for a While


OFF THE NEEDLES

My Seafoam Shrug

in Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton, Arctic Ice

There are no words for how over the moon I am with this shrug!  The fit is perfect, I took my photos after I washed it on my washer’s handwash cycle, then dried it low and slow in my dryer and hung it on a hanger.  I’m wearing this baby until it falls apart, and maybe then some.

I’m linking with Tami and KCCO, go take a look at more masterpieces!

It’s good to be just plain happy; it’s a little better to know that you’re happy; but to understand that you’re happy and to know why and how….and still be happy, be happy in the being and the knowing, well that is beyond happiness, that is bliss.  Henry Miller

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Knitting

WIP 3/12/14, Booklove


ON THE NEEDLES

The Kew socks are so close to being finished I can taste it. For once, I’ve held my raging startitis in check and will start a new project without feeling guilty about the number of projects relegated to the “back burner” or in my case, “the bag pitched into the deepest, darkest recesses of my yarn room”.

BOOKLOVE

I finished A Land Kinder Than Home by Wiley Cash and am set to start Paris in Love, by Eloisa James.  Enjoyed the Wiley Cash, but didn’t love it.  It’s a fictional account of snake handling, murder, religion and what happens when they collide.  Entertaining, but probably not a repeater.

GRANDS

This photo says everything you need to know about the Sprout; her cute factor is always first and foremost.  I’ve gotten good at changing diapers on the fly!

Linking with Tami and KCCO today.

Indulge your imagination in every possible flight.  Jane Austen

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Knitting

FO Friday 02/28/14


OFF THE NEEDLES

Catnip socks!  Hurray!!

Wendy Johnson’s Catnip Socks

Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, in Wonderstone

Now, I’m off to stalk Rav in an effort to decide which project(s) to knit next, maybe a shawl or more socks.  You can never have too many of either, you know.

CLOCK WATCHING

The  Papoose, who claims, as always, “No nap for me, I’m not even tired” as she keeps an eye on the clock for the end of her rest time.

Linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO.

Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.  Ray Bradbury

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Knitting

FO Friday 02/07/14


OFF THE NEEDLES (AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON)

Mariella Cardigan

A little more detail

I’m loving this sweater now, having gotten over my over the top irritation last week at miscounting and having to basically reknit from the armpits up.  I put it on for a while last evening and it’s nice and warm and comfortable.  I think it’s a keeper!

Linking up as usual:  Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO.

Trifles make perfections, but perfection is itself no trifle.  Shaker proverb

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