Knitting

The Finger, Spin

June 10, 2018 mud&stringLeave a comment

is improving. The original postop dressing worked its way off (thank goodness – it was so big and bulky!) so Mr. iknead wrapped it again for me. This time it was just right – not too big and not too tight or too loose.

A masterpiece of finger bandaging.

I crocheted few rows of the Windowpane Scarf last evening,it was slow going and a little awkward, but definitely doable. Maybe I’ll give knitting a try later on today, I’m really close to finishing Clapotis and would really like to get some knitting done on the lonely WIPs that are languishing in the bottoms of assorted bags I have laying around. 🙂

SPINNING

It’s been much easier to spin than knit or crochet with my gimped up finger, so Violet the Spinning Wheel has been put to heavy use this week. This particular roving came from Three Waters Farm and is 100% Falkland Top. The colorway is Red Hot and Blue.

I’ll be finishing up this particular spinning project today with this lovely stuff waiting in the wings –

This is also from Three Waters Farm, 100% Finn Top. After spinning brights all spring and summer, this muted purple colorway will be a welcome change. To be fair though, what you see isn’t always what you get when working with wool. You just never know for sure what the completed project is going to look like. It’s like it’s biding its time, getting ready to yell SURPRISE! when it’s all said and done. 😄🤭🎁

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. Steve Jobs

Knitting

Knit All The Things, Finish None of Them (A Temporary Situation, I Hope)

May 7, 2018 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON MY NEEDLES

Due to an overwhelming case of wanting to cast on all the things, my WIP to FO ratio has fallen so far as to be nonexistent. Every time I pick up whatever catches my eye in the WIP pile, I swear to myself that THIS IS THE ONE, the one that will spark my stick-to-a-tive-ness and soon it will move from the Land of WIPS into the Paradise of FOs. Yeah, still working on that.

Work continues on the Simple Skype Socks. Link to my project page here.

This project probably would have been finished if I hadn’t noticed a few rows that were cataclysmically screwed up. I finally ended up frogging them completely, after trying for at least an hour to tink them back. Lesson learned, don’t try to tink on the last leg of a 20+ hour trip. It’s much more efficient to rip and start over.

Don’t even ask me what this hot mess is. I think it’s a bit of handspun that I decided keep as a single. This obviously was a mistake on my part. I got busy and plied it into a double and we’re all a lot happier with the result. See?

Found my notes on this hot mess! Yay! Organic Polwarth from Three Waters Farm Top of the Month Club in Maple and Hickory.

ON MY WHEEL

This is slowly becoming this –

I’m working on spinning this lovely roving close to laceweight, hoping to end up with a nice sock yarn after plying – a challenge. This roving is from, you guessed it, Three Waters Farm Top of the Month Club. It’s a Blueface Leicester wool and called Living Color.

Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it. Oscar Wilde

Knitting

Oops, It’s Been Awhile, Hasn’t It?, Lots of Excitement at Casa Coleman and Happy Easter!

April 2, 2018April 2, 2018 mud&stringLeave a comment

It seems that the harder I try to plan and always, always intend to sit down and blog at least a few lines about whatever is catching my attention, somehow, it never happens. I also know that one of the keys to blogging regularly is planning, which I’ve thrown aside for the last little while – stream of consciousness anyone??

Like I said in the title, lots of excitement here at Casa Coleman these past few weeks, here are a couple of the high points….

After a run of five little grandgirls in a row, Babymama, Babydaddy, Baby Diva and the Elf are set to welcome a new BABY BOY this summer! We’re all very very excited — think hitting the lottery or winning the Superbowl! At their last ultrasound, Baby Boy cooperated beautifully, allowing a good shot of (ahem) what little boys are made of. 🤗

Next, our Bangkok trip is pretty much upon us; we leave Wednesday – DAY AFTER TOMORROW!!! This is about the time that my anticipation usually gets the best of me and I become very scattered, trying to do too many things at once without really accomplishing anything. I’ve been mentally packing for days and tried on last summer’s shorts just to be sure they still fit (they do! Yay!), next to try – swimsuit – which isn’t something I ever look forward to. ☹️

As usual, I have several things on my needles, but only one WIP that I’ve made real progress on.

Julie’s Sweater

All this baby is lacking is the cowl neck and the second sleeve. I’m debating whether or not to carry it to Bangkok, 25-30 hours of flight (knitting) time would just about do it. It’s just a lot of sweater in what I’m afraid will be a small space. Maybe Mr. iknead and I will get lucky and the third seat will be unoccupied, providing me with more elbow room and a place to put all my knitting essentials. It’s happened before. 🤞🤞🤞

Spinning continues on the Summer Palette roving, but should be finished before we leave.

Summer Palette

Roving from Three Waters Farm

The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it. Norman Schwarzkopf

Knitting

Spinning Sunday #3, Snickerdoodle!!

March 12, 2018 mud&stringLeave a comment

I’m still giving Violet a good workout, but she never complains and is always ready to work….Thank you Violet!

I finished Satisfied With Summer and did a test ply with Poppies but it didn’t suit my taste and so will remain a single for now.

Satisfied with Summer

Finn Top

Three Waters Farm

I got started on this lovely Rambouillet also from Three Waters Farm……

Summer Palette

Moving on, I totally forgot that I committed to bring something sweet to pottery class this morning and so was up and baking snickerdoodle bread early. It smells so good! I think I’ll keep one back for Mr. iknead, sweets for the sweet and all that. 😊💓

Oh, for heaven’s sake, how could I have forgotten to finish this post and publish? Must have been the fumes from the baking Snickerdoodle bread……

He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened. © Lao Tzu 

Knitting

Spinning Sunday #1

February 25, 2018 mud&string1 Comment

Just a little housekeeping…..I have a new website, iknead2knit.net. Starting this week, that’s where you’ll find me and my blog. Thanks!

SPUN AND PLIED

This lovely fiber is from Three Waters Farm and was the November 2016 Top of the Month selection, Fall Folderol. It’s 100% wool, organic Polworth Top and spun up like a dream!

Spun and plied –

“I feel pretty! Oh so pretty!” 🙂

WAITING IN THE WINGS

Merry Poppies Colorway

100% Organic Polwarth Top

4 oz.

Three Waters Farm

I plan to get started on this beauty sometime this afternoon….after I finish my treadmill time. OK, it is what it is and what it is is a bribe. 😉 Whatever works, right?

Don’t forget my new website, iknead2knit.net! I’ll be looking for you!

Knitting

Sundays Are For Spinning, In The Throes of Startitis

February 19, 2018 mud&string2 Comments

ON THE WHEEL

This lovely is the October Top of the Month Club offering from Three Waters Farm. If I remember correctly, this is Polworth roving, in the Hickory and Maple colorway.

I think I’m going to leave it as a single instead of plying since I’ve fallen head over heels for this

pattern –

Autumn Leaves

Svetlana Gordon, designer

I think the singles will do this pattern proud, don’t you?

I plan to get right on it as soon as 1) I finish My Julie’s Sweater, which, by the way, suffered a HUGE setback when I noticed that I had completely screwed up one of the cables. 🤬😱🤭 So, after much soul searching, I frogged it and started over.

The sweater deets can be found here.

and 2) I finish the Simple Skype socks my son requested –

So, it might be a while. ⏳⏰

Knitting

Sort of Bluesy

July 22, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

BLUE ROVING, BLUE ROVING

I know it’s red rover, but I have blue roving and am excited to share it. It’s from Three Waters Farm, who I found on Etsy. The colorway is Rainy Day and it’s 100% Blueface Leicester, a joy just to touch and even more to spin. I see now what all the excitement is about. I’m afraid that after this, anything less than BFL is going to be totally unacceptable. Look how beautiful it is –

I’ve been dropping broad hints for a couple of weeks that my life would be perfect (not that it’s not pretty darn close already) if I just had a spinning wheel. I’m not sure if Mr. Iknead has picked up on them or not, knitting, spinning and their accessories are not exactly what floats his boat, but since most of what makes me happy makes him happy, getting one is not completely out of the question. Anyone have one they’d like to donate??? Here’s a little bit on the niddy-noddy – I’m getting better with the spindle, the thickness is getting more consistent, but I have no idea about plying-can that even be done on a drop spindle? I’m calling what I spin artisanal yarn, which makes all its flaws sound really expensive and something I worked on for hours getting just right. 😉

MORE BLUE

Mr. Iknead found this little guy yesterday while he was working in the yard. I’ve never seen a blue tailed skink this small, I think it looks like a piece of jewelry and I’d wear it for sure!