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

Frog Pond/WIP Wednesday 10/02/13

October 2, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

If this Le Miz shawl looks smaller than last week, it’s because it is. I found an awful, unfixable, un-live-withable mistake way, way back nearly at the beginning. This shawl is 712 rows long and I was probably on row 400 or so. No way I was going to tink it back. Ever. Timewise, it made more sense to just bite the bullet and start the whole thing over. So I did.

Linking with Tami’s WIP Wednesday and Frontier Dreams today.

If you cannot be silent be brilliant and thoughtful. Byron Pulsifer

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 9/25/13 and Happy Birthday

September 25, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

Happy First Birthday, Sprout!

I’M INTO POTS

Oh my gosh! What a difference seven days makes! First pottery throwing class was last week and I admit it – I wasn’t sure that that whole wheel thing was for me. I did promise myself that I’d give it four weeks and if I still wasn’t feeling it, I’d go back into the morning handbuilding class. Well, yesterday’s attempt at the wheel was totally different, something clicked inside my head (in a good way) and it was so cool! The clay stuck to the wheel, just like it was supposed to, centering the pot on the wheel was a million times easier and by the end of class, my hands were beginning to know what to do to cone the clay up and down on their own. Nothing post-worthy yet, but I may go to the Art Center today to practice more, besides, I have a pot that needs to be glazed and I’m thinking black.

GRINS AND GRANDS

I ran across this photo when I was looking for something else on Flickr. I don’t know how I missed it because I love it! My son, Jordan, and his niece, Susannah. Isn’t it sweet?

ON THE NEEDLES

Les Miserables from Cynthia Parker, Hand Held Knitting in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Using

I’ve also started on some Christmas knitting, which, for obvious reasons, must be kept under wraps until then.

TOPSPIN

My roving FINALLY arrived and this is what it has become –

Mixed undyed black and white roving from Fire and Fluff, this may further morph into socks, but I’ve still not decided for sure.

Linking with Tami Amis and Frontier Dreams.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. Mother Teresa

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 9/11/13

September 11, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Freebie Lacy Rib Cowl, CEY

Mini Mochi, color #113

and

Moonfire Handknits Blue Day Socks

Fiesta Baby Boom Sweet Pea (which I’m a little nervous about because my calcs come out about 20 yards too short); thinking positive thinking positive thinking positive.

BY THE BOOK

I finished Orphan Train yesterday, a little disappointed with the ending, but a great read overall and am planning to start Stephen Gallagher‘s The Bedlam Detective today, with a couple of others that are waiting in the wings, Life of Pi and The Devil in Pew Number Seven. I’m trying to be patient, I’m at my 10 book checkout limit and so must wait until the next two books expire. Yet another instance of Mr. Iknead’s austerity plan, which, I have to admit, is good practice for me. I don’t consider myself really impatient, more, umm, excitable would be a good word.

The Bedlam Detective: A Novel

Linking with Tami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Yarn Along today.

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Joseph Addison

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 9/4/13, Yarn Along and Spinning

September 4, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Today’s entry is the CEY Ruffled Tank, which lacks only the ruffles to be finished. Actually, I’m pretty proud of myself today. I sat down this morning and did the part of completing a project that I HATE – the mattress stitch. This is a real accomplishment for me as I can think of at least a couple of projects that are entirely finished – except for putting them together. I dislike it so much that I’ll put something that I put a lot of time and effort into on the back burner, never to be seen or worked on again. Maybe I should go unearth something and finish it while I’m still congratulating myself, on that cloud of optimism that comes with finishing a dreaded task. Nah. Tomorrow. Maybe.

CEY Ruffled Tank

in Knit One Crochet Too Kettle Dyed, in Seaside

SPIN OUT

I’m getting better at it, I can see it. My long anticipated roving arrived yesterday and after a period of oohs and aahs, I decided on the natural gray and white BFL to start and this is what resulted:

Is this beautiful or what?

Before spinning, mixed BFL

Nutmeg Merino

Copper – Colonial

This lovely fiber came from Fire and Fluff and you can bet I’ll be paying them another virtual visit soon.

BY THE BOOK

Here’s what I’m reading at the moment –

Orphan Train

Linking with Tami’s WIP Wednesday blog, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Yarn Along. Pay them a visit, they’re always a treat!

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. Zig Ziglar

Knitting

August 29, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

LATE FOR WIPW BUT STILL ON THE NEEDLES

This is the front for the ruffled tank that’s still a WIP. I knitted the back and while congratulating myself, noticed that it looked a little “wonky”. It was then that I noticed the huge mistake I made. When a pattern states “work as for front” it means just what it says, start at the top of the pattern, not in the middle. So, I frogged the entire back and started it again, this time paying more attention. Sigh. That’s why it’s recommended that you read a pattern through multiple times BEFORE you start knitting. Another sigh.

Tank sweater back #2

Change in all things is sweet. Aristotle

Knitting

Look What I Got, WIPW 08/21/13 and Snakewoman

August 21, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

I’M SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN’T HIDE IT

OK, so I’ve been lusting after a spinning wheel, putting a little money back every now and then and doing a lot of window shopping online. Then, yesterday, I found out that a lady who worked where I used to work had a spinning wheel and was wanting to sell it. She and I e-mailed back and forth, she sent me some pics and now, as of 5:00 p.m., I have a wheel and not just any wheel, an Ashford Traveller! Here in the south, it’s considered bad manners to talk about money, much less bragging (that’s what I was taught, anyway), but without stating the amount, it was less than half of what I thought I’d have to pay for one. Isn’t she beautiful???

Pay no attention to the fact that I’ve never used a wheel before, hopefully, I’ll catch on pretty quick. Isn’t that what YouTube is for?

ON THE NEEDLES

I’ve been so excited about the new wheel, I almost let this WIP Wednesday get away from me, but here’s my WIPW offering this week –

Ruffle Tank, using the Knit One Crochet Too Kettle Tweed I named My Destin-E.

and last, but not least

BY THE BOOK

My current book in progress is Snakewoman of Little Egypt by Robert Hellenga and I’m loving it! Very quirky, just like I like it.

Snakewoman of Little Egypt

Here’s to learning new skills!

I almost forgot – I’m linking with Tami’s and Frontier Dreams today.

A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again. Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism

Knitting

Up and Running Once More

August 1, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

A BUMP IN MY BLOG

We lost our internet Tuesday evening and all day yesterday. Very frustrating. I’m way more invested in the internet than I thought. No e-mail, no google, no blog, no nothin’. I see if I ever decide to go ‘net free, I’ll need to be weaned off, no way I’m going cold turkey! It comforts me to know, though, that I’m in the same boat with probably a zillion others. 😉 Oh, I almost forget to tell you the reason. Our neighbor was having fax issues, ATT came out, fixed his fax feed and didn’t bother reconnecting what he had to disconnect. Jeez.

SOFT STUFF

The alpaca roving that I ordered from Dyeing for Color finally arrived and has exceeded all my expectations. It’s like spinning a cloud. I’ve knitted with alpaca yarn but have never actually seen and been able to fondle roving. I keep petting it.

These babies are staying in their bags until two seconds before I spin so I can continue to marvel at how soft and clean they are! I’m beginning to feel that their destiny is to be sock yarn.

ON THE NEEDLES

No knitting to post today. Oh yeah, it’s out there, lots of WIPs, very few FOs, just not quite camera ready and besides that, I’d have to go through the house, gathering up each room’s project. Yeah, I work on different projects in different rooms. Don’t judge me 🙂

POT PROJECT

When we had that little snafu with the internet, I was in the middle of posting a pottery WIP so I had to postpone until today. This is a molded bowl and I can’t wait to get it out of the damp box and get it out of the bowl mold.

It still needs some work, as you can tell. That may be a good project for tomorrow.

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 7/17/13, Doing the Herb

July 17, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Mr. Iknead’s socks continue to grow. The first of the pair is finished, and the second maybe 2/3 finished. My goal is to have them done in time for FO Friday. I’ve said that before and been defeated, but hope springs eternal and all that.

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

THE HERB

I noticed yesterday that my basil was beginning to flower and that means it needed to be harvested quickly if I’m to have more basil this summer. I was going to dry it, but learned that because basil has a high water content, it does better when frozen than when dried. Learn something new every day, I do.

That’s plain basil on the left, lime basil on the right

My kitchen smells HEAVENLY!

BY THE BOOK

I’m nearly through with Joyland and have enjoyed it immensely, wishing sometimes that there were just a couple more hours in the day, like 26 or 27 instead of just 24, just so I could squeeze in a little more of my favorite pastimes. (I think I just heard a few moms of toddlers groan.) I also checked out a couple of library books on spinning and knitting; the pictures are lovely, I may never get to the text!