Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Raging Booklove and This Always Cracks Me Up

May 14, 2014May 13, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

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:

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

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/7/14

May 7, 2014May 7, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Vivacious Chocolate Shrug

Fyberspates Mixed Magenta

So far, this is not going well, due completely to in attention on my part. Frogged twice in the last two days. It can only get better, right?

Linking with Tami today.

Going back to zero can help creative juices no matter the art form you are attempting to create. Byron Pulsifer

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/30/14, Booklove

April 30, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

1) Hitchhiker

2) Socks on a Plane, #2

3) Vivacious Chocolate Shrug

BOOKLOVE

I’m still loving Frog Music as much as I did when I started it; since the story is told backward, end to beginning, the suspense is building and I’m less sure of “who did what, when and why”. I love that in a book – do you? And since I’m very seldom book monogamous, I started Anya. You can read about it here.

I’m linking with my usual Wednesday blogs, Tami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Yarn Along. Do you have others you’d like to share?

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt

Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and TDLP Obsessed

April 23, 2014April 22, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

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

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/16/14 and Booklove

April 16, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

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…

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.

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

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 4/9/14, Booklove

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

ON THE NEEDLES

Pleiades Shawlette

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.