Knitting

WIP Wednesday 11/14/12

November 14, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

First up, the Adamas shawl, about 2/3 finished –

Pattern close up –

Number 2 WIP, scrap yarn granny squares, probably ending up as a scarf –

As an aside, I haven’t crocheted in years, but I was happy that it came back to me pretty quickly. A nice change from my bigger knitting projects every now and then.

Check out Tami Amis for more cool WIPs.

I promise to keep on living as though I expected to live forever. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up wrinkles the soul. Douglas MacArthur

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 11/07/12

November 7, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Adamas Shawl

Not so much knitting time these past few days, I seem more even more distractable that usual. This usually requires a little bit more alone time, something that’s been in short supply lately. But, as always, it’s all good.

Check out Tami Amis blog for more cool WIPs.

Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. Gloria Steinem

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/31/12

October 31, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

New shawl started, the pattern is Adamas, using Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk in a soft gray. Very pretty. Pretty Maids is officially finished, blocked and waiting for a nice day for a picture. I’m very pleased with it, especially since it’s really my first all lace project. It blocked really well and turned out way better than I expected. My patience with blocking anything is pretty limited anyway and with the Papoose helping me, I wasn’t sure what the result was going to be. I’ll have it up for FO Friday for sure. In the meantime, here’s Adamas –

BY THE BOOK

Still working on the Six Wives of Henry the Eighth, up to Catherine Parr. It amazes me how the monarchy works. I know it’s different now, I mean, what’s it been 500 or so years since Henry the Eighth, but even now, what would it be like to have the power and responsibility of a royal? Would having your every wish fulfilled get tiresome after a while? Probably so, but I’d love to try and see what it’s like!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

The Cancer Registry’s newest employee:

For more WIP Wednesday projects, head on over to Tami Ami’s WIPW blog. Enjoy!

When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they may seem invincible, but in the end they always fall, always. Gandhi

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/24/12

October 24, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

I’m on the downhill side of Pretty Maids, I think I have about ten rows left to complete, bearing in mind, though, that these are long, long rows, approximately 350 stitches and increasing by two stitches each row. I’m enjoying this second go round so much more than the first, I’m sure it’s because I’m not having to constantly check the pattern and the symbol guide. It’s not flying off the needles by any stretch of the imagination, but it is moving faster this time.

BY THE BOOK

I finished Opium Fiend yesterday during my daily treadmill and have moved on to The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth by Alison Weir. Very interesting, up to Anne Boleyn at the moment. I’m finishing my books much slower than I’m adding them and they’re beginning to pile up, but I can’t resist a new book. I keep telling myself that I’ll get caught up in December and January, when I’ve retired and the weather is too cold and nasty to be anywhere but inside by the fire.

VIOLET

Lately I’ve become obsessed with everything violet and I’m blaming it all on getting my tat, which is a violet ball of yarn and knitting needles. So last weekend, when I was prowling Goodwill, looking for odd and ends to craft with, I saw these and pounced –

They don’t match anything in my house – yet. Is it over the top to paint a room around the color of a couple of candlesticks from Goodwill instead of the other way around? It could totally happen. My research tells me that people who are drawn to the color violet are usually nuclear physicists or performance artists. That’s me in a nutshell. OK, maybe not the physicist part, but performance artist? Absolutely and I have embarrassing pictures to prove it.

THE GRANDS

The Papoose wants Babysis to sleep in her bed with her. Bigmommy sent me this yesterday.

Is this not the sweetest thing?

No man is rich enough to buy back his past. Oscar Wilde (see above paragraph)

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/17/12

October 17, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Plugging along on the Pretty Maids shawl and am so happy I decided to frog the first attempt, the second try is 100% better. I’m able to “read” my knitting better and as a result, if I make a mistake, I notice it quicker and can fix it more easily. A much happier project! Here’s a photo –

Stitch close up

The Big Picture

THE GRANDS

I have a new picture of Babysis Annabelle and can’t resist blogging it. Talk about a lucky shot!

Isn’t she precious???

IN THE OVEN

I have big plans for baking this coming weekend. I’m going to bake bread and attempt to get a sourdough starter going. The weather should help out quite a bit, low humidity, warm but not hot temperatures. I’ve missed baking these past few months, first it was way to hot to use the oven, then I was too busy, what with the grands, work, Mom and the zillion other tiny things that seem to be of no consequence, but turn into a mountain with attempts to accomplish them.

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

Knitting

Crisis averted/WIP Wednesday 10/10/12

October 10, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Ouch! When I went to take a photo of the ongoing Pretty Maids shawl project to post to WIP Wednesday, I ACCIDENTLY PULLED THE NEEDLES OUT OF THE KNITTING! My heart just sank. Seriously, I thought I would throw up when I saw it. I was three rows from finishing it. Jeez. Luckily, I was able to put it back on the needles and am now in the process of tinking it back to a recognizable row to get moving forward on it again. Even though I know “it’s just knitting”, it’s my knitting and my time invested in it and I love it. Hopefully, this evening I’ll see forward progress again.

It’s really hard to make out what it looks like when it’s unblocked lace. Patience, patience and hopefully, it will be finished, washed and blocked by this time next week.

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. Albert Pike

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 10/03/12

October 3, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Pretty Maids shawl, from Knitty Deep Fall 2010, done in Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk Paint, 85% Merino Superwash Wool/15% Mulberry Silk, color number 9801, which I call Bonfire because everything should have a name.

A HAPPY

When I visited my mother this morning, she knew me and told me she loved me. This can make the worst day one of the best. I miss the mom I had before dementia, but am coming to love the person she is now.

It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after a committee of sleep has worked on it. John Steinbeck

Knitting

ACK!!!

September 19, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

NEED SPRAY AND WASH STAT!

Somehow this morning my skirt (which happens to be my current favorite) got hung up in one of the wheels on my chair. I had to just yank it out, but fortunately, it didn’t rip. What did happen is that it has grease or something on it. Pray that it will come out with a little elbow grease and stain remover this evening as soon as I get home. Arghhhhhhh!

BY THE BOOK

I finally finished my treadmill book, The Last Romanov, yesterday. Enjoyed it for what it was – fiction not even trying to pass for nonfiction. Now I’m shopping for another treadmill book, maybe Nicholas and Alexandra, in keeping with my current Russia/Romanov obsession. I read this a long, long time ago, when books were always made of paper and if not bought, were checked out of the library, with a signature and stamped date so you’d know when it return it. The olden days I suppose. Nicholas and Alexandra it is.

ON THE NEEDLES (STILL)

The Dropsy scarf has undergone a few changes, I added a few more stitches to widen it and am much happier with the way it looks. I took this pic this a.m. in natural light and the color is much truer than last weeks photo.

THE GRANDS

Still on babywatch at the Papoose’s house. Unless Bigmama goes into labor before hand, this time next Wednesday, we should have a brand new grand to show off. Bigmama’s WIP will become a FO! (sorry, a little knitting humor there).

Knowledge can be conveyed, but not wisdom. It can be found, it can be lived, it is possible to be carried by it, miracles can be performed with it, but it cannot be expressed in words and taught. Herman Hesse

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 09/12/12

September 12, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

A dropped stitch scarf that I’ve christened Dropsy.

Strangely, it’s not bluish, it’s pink. Just use your imagination, please.

THE GRANDS

Bigmama still gestating, the Papoose is still two and the cutest thing on the planet and Babydiva is still growing like a weed. Can’t wait to meet the newest grand!

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. Mother Teresa

Knitting

WIP Wednesday, 09/05/12

September 5, 2012 mud&stringLeave a comment

THE GRANDS

The Papoose and fam got back from the beach Sunday, where they had a nearly front row seat to hurricane Isaac. Luckily, he took a more westward course and they only had one day of rain and wind. Glad to have them back in their nest, now awaiting the new baby on September 26. Can’t wait, we don’t know the gender, Bigmama and Bigdaddy prefer to find out the old fashioned way, at birth. I admit, though, while I really don’t have a preference, I do have a baby boy outfit stashed in my closet, just in case. : ) Here’s Bigmama gestating away –

ON THE NEEDLES

It’s WIP Wednesday and here’s the beginning of the Bauble shawl I’ve been going on about, with only one false start. Oh gosh, hope I didn’t jinx it. It’s going to be lovely, I can tell already.

The yarn (if I hadn’t already mentioned it) is Cascade Yarns Heritage Silk Paint, 85% Merino Superwash Wool and 15% Mulberry Silk, color number 9801. Since it has only a number, not a color name, I think I’ll call it Bonfire. That’s what the colors make me think of. I think everything should have an actual name and Bonfire fits.

BY THE BOOK

My treadmill book is The Last Romanov by Dora LevyMossanen, which is awesome even if you’re not obsessed with the whole Romanov/is Anastasia still alive mystery. This book grabbed me and pulled me into it, to the point that I’m actually walking longer than usual, just because I have to know what happens next. Love it.

IN THE OVEN

Last weekend we had a couple of days of cooler (relatively speaking) weather and so I satisfied my need to bake with a carrot cake for Mr. Iknead, which technically was an anniversary gift since last Friday, 09/01/12, marked our 33rd wedding anniversary. Long time and we still like each other. A funny about the cake – now, Mr. Iknead doesn’t have a real discerning palate when it comes to certain things; so, I’m grating carrots, mixing and sifting for the cake and he says to me, “Could you put the good kind of cream cheese icing on it, you know, the kind that comes in a can?” Cracked me up. We call that keepin’ it real.

To be positive: To be mistaken at the top of one’s voice. Ambrose Bierce