Knitting

14, Booklove

April 9, 2014April 8, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Stash Yarn – Cascade 220, Savona Rose

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

Knitting

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

April 2, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

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.

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

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 3/26/14, Booklove

March 26, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

1. My Seafoam Shrug is now in the home stretch, down to the last bit of ruffle in ( you guessed it) k1p1 ribbing. At least it calls for only 2 1/2 inches this time. I’ll tell you, those two 60 row k1p1 sleeves just about did me in. Hopefully, this project will be off the needles, washed and blocking by bedtime tonight.

So sorry, the Seafoam link eludes me at the moment. I’ll keep looking and update when I find it.

2. I’ve just barely started a Woodland Shawl from The Thrifty Knitter. I stash dove last weekend and got reacquainted with some yarn that I’ve had for so long I haven’t a clue what it is. All I can remember is that the color is called Papercut. I’m going to do a bit of research, checking Ravelry to see if by some miracle I added it to my notebook. Keep your fingers crossed. OK, uncross your fingers. No luck with Rav. I do, however, remember it was a Etsy purchase, so that’s my next hope. SCORE!!!! I bought this yarn May 15, 2008 from knitfrontandback, out of Calgary, Canada and it’s laceweight merino.

WANNABE

I have the perfect yarn to knit the Maeva Socks from Knitty Winter 2011 with one big inconvenience. The charts are so teeny tiny as to be useless for these old eyes. This means a trip to the copy store to have them enlarged. I tried printing them at 125% but that still isn’t really big enough. >squint<

BOOKLOVE

This week I finished The Troop by Nick Cutter, a horror story. Stephen King said it was one book that scared him, I see a lot of his influence in this particular book. I won’t share any more as not to spoil it. Check your local library. Now, I’m listening to The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider; I love this book! I came clean awhile back regarding my love for what they call Young Adult Fiction and this book hasn’t’ disappointed. If you enjoy YAF, give it a read.

I’m linking with Tami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Yarn Along.

It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see. Henry David Thoreau

Knitting

WIP 3/12/14, Booklove

March 11, 2014March 12, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

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

Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and One More Year

March 5, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

HOW OLD???
Yesterday I turned 57. Birthdays just don’t feel like a big deal anymore – but not in a bad way. It really is just a number. My calendar tells me I’m 57, but my internal calendar says something way different. Something more like 35 or so. Sure there are things I don’t do as well as I did; I can’t hear as well thanks to a few too many Aerosmith and ZZ Top concerts and my arms seem to be getting shorter; I’m not as limber as
I once was, but besides those minor annoyances – and that’s just what they are – annoyances, life is better than good….it’s freaking awesome.

ON THE NEEDLES
Kew socks from Knitty Fall 2006 using Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Flame.

BOOKLOVE
I just finished The Chaparone by Laura Moriarty. Great book that I’m already planning to read again. I started Death of a President by William Montgomery last evening, a very intense moment by moment account of the Kennedy assassination. Very intense but very interesting.

When you have eliminated the impossible, that which remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 2/19/14, SCORE!, Ancient Kitty

February 19, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

A couple of socks, as usual. I didn’t notice that I was using Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock for both, it must be love!

Grace, from Knitty, Winter 2011

LLSS Flame

Wendy Johnson’s Catnip Socks

LLSS Wonderstone

WELL WHADDAYANO!

Remember when I mentioned Phat Fiber and their sample box sale that I was going to try to get, along with most of the other fiber fiends on the planet, having come up short the last time I tried? I blogged it here. They open the sale twice on sale day – at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and are usually sold out within (no kidding) a couple of minutes. I struck out at the 10 a.m. sale, but scored at the one at 5 p.m. I was so surprised when the site sent me to paypal after I scored a box, it took me a minute to realize what had happened. Now, I’m anxiously awaiting the mailman/Fedex/UPS person to see what’s in this wondrous box. Check back for updates!

BOAT

This is the Iknead kitty, *Boat. She is ancient as far as cats go, 19 to 20 years old, as close as we can figure. She been a family member since 1995 and was about a year old when she joined us. She’s arthritic, with high blood pressure and an enlarged heart but keeps on keeping on. Anyway, I noticed her sleeping in one of her preferred spots yesterday and was struck by the sun shining pink through her ear. She was beautiful.

*As a kitten, she was found living on a friend’s boat which was in drydock and covered for the winter. She started out as Boat Cat, which was quickly shortened to Boat. We get a lot of funny looks when we tell people her name.

Hooking up this week with Tami and KCCO.

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. Confucius

Knitting

Looky!, WIP Wednesday 1/21/14

January 22, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

CHECK IT OUT!

Look at our new sink and faucet! They’re so shiny and silver! What you can’t see from the pic is the new disposal to go with the new sink. Mr. Iknead and I finally got around to replacing the old, gross, avocado green sink that was here when we moved in with the new, stainless one. Next up on the home improvement list: new countertops and backsplash.

ON THE NEEDLES

I finally finished the sleeves on the Mariella sweater and would probably be at least entering the home stretch except for the fact that on my first attempt at joining the sleeves to the body of the cardi I put them on upside down. Frustration overload, to say the last. I’ll have another go at it tomorrow.

Linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams KCCO.

Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do. Benjamin Spock

Knitting

WIP Wednesday and Yarn Along 01/08/14

January 8, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

A couple of things:

The first sleeve on the Quince & Co. Mariella Cardi –

and

some random sock, done in some stash mystery yarn (maybe Seasilk???). I started this one toe up because I haven’t decided whether to do a real pattern or just a nice, comfy, go-to kind of sock. As you can see, the jury is still out….

OUT OF THE OVEN

Yesterday, while sort of browsing through some older posts, it dawned on me that I haven’t posted any baking projects lately. I sort of think I need to do that every once in a while, I mean, the blog is called iknead2knit and all. So, with that in mind, I grabbed the camera and snapped a few pics of yesterdays project – homemade granola.

The base recipe is one I got from my pottery instructor (thanks, Jean, the Pottery Queen), with 1 egg white, 1/2 cup agave nectar instead of sugar, 1/4 cup olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and 3 cups old fashioned oatmeal. I tweak it with stuff we like (and what’s in the pantry), cinnamon, raisins, almond slivers, unsweetened coconut and sometimes pumpkin seeds or shelled pistachios. I bake it at 300 degrees, stirring every ten minutes or so until it’s brown and dry. Then, it’s hard to keep from munching on it every time I pass it in the kitchen. Putting a little bit in vanilla yogurt is my favorite, with just enough crunch and sweet/salty to satisfy. Yum!

BY THE BOOK

I’m starting The Book Thief this afternoon. I can’t wait!! Pretty much cleared my calendar for it. I hope it lives up to its rep.

The Book Thief

Linking with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams today, as always, inspiration central!

Winners make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the event. Brian Tracy

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 12/11/13, Bee Stamp, Booklove

December 11, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

NOT OBSESSED, JUST REALLY, REALLY FOCUSED

As so often happens with me, I got a really good idea along with my coffee and newspaper this morning and as usual, I had to pull out all my other crafting stuff and sort through everything to find what I was ~~obsessed~~ ~~with~~ focused on right then. The stamp I use to identify my pottery projects bit the dust last week and my big idea was to change from an initial stamp (my initials, bc) to a honeybee mark. So, back to the idea, I found some Sculpey clay, found a honeybee charm in the craft stash and pressed it in. Then, I remembered I had some honeybee earrings, so I got one of those and did the same thing. The next step is deciding which one to use. I’m sort of leaning toward the charm, I don’t want a cutesy bee, more like a zoological print look. Which do you prefer?

Just realized there is no contest. The bigger one is better on all counts. And they say size doesn’t matter :p. Here is a better detailed photo:

Upside down. Oops.

ON THE NEEDLES

Tina Martinez’s Fascine Socks, using Fiesta Baby Boom yarn in Sweet Pea. My only regret is that I didn’t by more of this yarn when I had a chance. I’m not running short or anything like that, I just love it.

A little detail

BY THE BOOK

Driftless, by David Rhodes

Linking today with Tami, Frontier Dreams Keep Calm and Craft On and Ginny’s Knit A Long.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world. Albert Einstein

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 11/13/13

November 13, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

From Quince & Company, this scarf:

Scapula, done in Lark yarn, color Bird’s Egg, 100% American wool

This has to be in my top ten fave projects, both the pattern and the yarn. Though I prefer to “buy local” to support my LYS, I have to admit that Quince & Co. has turned my head a time or two.

Another couple of projects, both Hitchhiker shawls, are still on the needles also, but progress is slow and nearly imperceptible. I’ll spare you the nearly identical pics. Hopefully, they’ll join the ranks of FOs in the next week or so.

Linking with Tami and Frontier Dreams.

Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler. Albert Einstein

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 11/6/13

November 6, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Ridged Lace Cowl, created by Elinor Brown

Mochi Plus Cherries Jubilee

Hitchhiker 1

Meadow from The Fibre Company in Aster

Hitchhiker 2

Starry Sock Weight with Sparkle from Dream In Color Yarn

Amethyst Ink

Linking today with Tami and Frontier Dreams.

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though. J. D. Salinger

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/09/13

October 9, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Christmas knitting is going like gangbusters. One more evening of knitting on this particular project should wrap it up.

Les Miz scarf/shawl is moving right along, although when I took it outdoors for a picture I noticed that somehow one of the needles has pulled out, so that will be today’s Les Miz knitting.

Yesterday was a day of galloping startitis, so I caved and started Hilton Field Cowl, designed by Kate Gagnon Osborn, in a book called November Knits . I’m using Cascade 220 that I found in the sale bin at Yarn Mart, in the colors I love. Does it get any better than sale yarn in favorite colors? I don’t think so.