Knitting

WIPW 7/24/13

July 24, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

A couple of things at the moment. First up is Hermione’s Everyday Socks for me. Still really liking the Premier Yarns Wool Free yarn. This colorway is called Vegas Lights. Just a few more rows and it will be heel turn time.

Next, the promised entrelac has been started. This yarn is Lion Brand Fisherman Wool, the original color was sort an oatmeal heather. It’s been dyed with Kool-aid, a combination of Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Cherry.

The color did something interesting. The oatmeal/beigey color is a grayish, light taupe now. Much, much better. Really, it reminds me of the Shibui Poodle Skirt yarn I used for a pair of socks a couple of months ago.

IHEARTPOTTERY

After a few hiccups with glazing, this plate finally came out of the kiln and was better than I had hoped. The glaze is Rhodes Turquoise for the bottom 2/3 and Green Gloss for the top 1/3. I’m really happy with the combination of glazes in the middle. I’ve had a hard time with the glazing, it’s really not my favorite thing and I tend to rush through without much thought and consequently, the glaze really isn’t as uniform as I’d like it to be. There are missed spots and drips. A little more attention to detail would go a long way in the difference between a good glaze and a great one. My mantra from here on out is, “take your time, where’s the fire?”

Windchime experiment also went well, aside from glazing hiccups. They chime better than I thought they would but it’s definitely different from a glass, metal or wood chime. The spur of the moment ivy stamp makes me very happy. I love the rustic look of this!

Linking up with the usual bunch for WIPW – Tami, Frontier Dreams KCCO and Ginny’s Yarn Along. Inspiration central!

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. Thomas A. Edison

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 07/03/13

July 3, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Socks for Mr. Iknead

75% Medano Bag

I reduced the this pattern by 25% and went down a needle size. The full sized bag was just too big for me to comfortably carry.

Yarn Along

I’m linking up today, as usual, with Tami Ami’s, Frontier Dreams and Ginny’s Yarn Along. Pay them a visit, willya?

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not. Walter Bagehot

Knitting

WIPW 5/29/13 w/ Yarn Along

May 29, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

After the needle crisis last week, complete frogging and after starting the Crocus Vernus socks one more time, all was peachy keen. I was loving my new metal needles, how smooth they were and the way the socks nearly FLEW off them – until it all came to a screeching halt Monday evening. Actually, the screeching was me after finding the cable on my new needles had apparently gotten mixed up with something sharp resulting in microdamage to the cable. Nothing slid any more. Can’t see it, can barely feel it, but it’s there. There to the point of not being able to move the sock past that point in the cable. Frustratus maximus*. I tried to smooth it with an emery board, tried to paint over it with clear nail polish, nothing worked. So, see ya later nice metal circs that I’d been so excited about. Changed needles out, back on the old, reliable Knitpicks Harmonies. At least, no frogging was involved. I think that might have completely driven me ’round the knitting bend – which may be closer than I ever thought, according to my daughter, a really, really dedicated non-knitter person who has never turned down a knitted gift. (I’m just sayin’…….)

Yarn Along/WIPW with Crocus Vernus

I’m linking up today with Tami’s WIPW blog and Ginny’s Yarn Along, pay them a visit, will you? They’re always a midweek treat!

The secret of success is constancy to purpose. Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield

*Frustratus maximus – a term I just made up to describe the feeling I get when I want to chuck the whole knitting project and move on to something else.

Knitting

WIPW 05/22/13, Yarn Along

May 22, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

No, this isn’t the second Crocus Vernus sock. 😦 In the hustle and bustle of the Papoose’s birthday Saturday afternoon, when it came time to go home, the Crocus project bag was left behind. No problem. Texted Bigmommy, she’d found it and since she was coming to Little Rock Monday, she’d bring it. Still no problem. Got project back. Tiny issue. Looking to make sure that the sock in progress was in the bag, she accidently pulled one of the needles out. Wahhhhh. So, nearly finished Crocus Vernus sock totally frogged and restarted. You can bet I’ll be a lot more careful about getting all my projects in the knitting bag before I leave next time. It’s OK Bigmommy, I know it was an accident.

Still loving the Grrlfriend Market Bag so much I started another.

Still rolling on Granny’s Grab Bag Blanket using my left over sock yarn.

THE GRANDS

Happy birthday, Papoose. You’re three!

Papoose Playhouse

I’m linking up with Tami’s WIPW blog and Ginny’s Yarn Along, so head on over there for more WIPW and book love.

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. Mother Teresa

Knitting

WIP Wednesday 05/08/13 Short n Sweet

May 8, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

I think I have more WIPs than I ever have, due to a terminal case of startitis over the past month or so. I’ve been working steadily on each of them and so far project boredom hasn’t set in, which is a good thing, because that’s how my startitis starts. So, here they are, in no particular order:

Crocus Vernus Socks from Knitter’s Curiosity Cabinet

The yarn is a mystery Shibui Sock that I discovered in the sale bin at Yarn Mart. I think it’s perfect, don’t you?

Sunday Swing Socks

These are also knitted using Shibui Sock, colorway Poodle Skirt and are sharing the stage with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee‘s newest book. I’m linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along this week, so don’t forget to drop by and check out more projects and current reads.

Last, but certainly not least, is a simple, top down sweater I’m calling Karma as it started out as the Imagine Sweater, morphed into the Yarn Formerly Known As Sweater and is now born again. Instant Karma, anyone??

100% cotton Yarn Formerly Known As Sweater in Periwinkle

Don’t forget to check out Ginny’s Yarn Along and Tami Ami’s WIP Wednesday blog.

Well we all shine on

Like the moon and the stars and the sun

Well we all shine on

Everyone, come on

John Lennon

Knitting

Yippee, WIPW 02/06/13 and a Stash Dive

February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

YIPPEE!

Thanks Mollie aka deepbluerenegade for making me the winner of your 100 Blog Posts contest. I opted for a $10.00 gift card from Mr. Yarn and plan to use this to feed my Shibui Sock addiction. I’ll make my final decision sometime today and get it posted to share the yarny love. I love me some contests!

THE GRANDS

I found this cute pic when I ~~hacked into~~ visited Mr. Iknead’s Shutterfly stuff. I’m a Flickr-phile myself so every so often I check out his Shutterfly to see if I’ve missed something. Here’s this week’s fave –

I love the way the Papoose has her chin in her hand, it seems to be such a “big girl” attitude and the way Babydiva is looking at her, little girl learning from big girl. So cute!

WARNING! STASH DIVING CAN BE HAZARDOUS!

Earlier this week, I got it into my head that I’d misplaced a skein of really expensive (for me) sock yarn and since I didn’t have any socks on the needles, decided I couldn’t go one more minute without getting a pair started and absolutely, positively couldn’t use anything but the misplaced yarn. Naturally, this meant turning my yarn stash upside down, digging feverishly, just knowing it had to be in the next box or bin or bag. Didn’t find it. Looked under furniture. Didn’t find it. Looked in the stash overflow area. Didn’t find it. Instead, this is what I did find – balls and skeins and hanks of yarn that I, either intentionally or unintentionally, had forgotten and this is why organizing/reorganizing your stash can be hazardous – you get caught up in one of two reactions or at least, I did. The “what was I thinking??” reaction or the “OMG, I love this stuff! How could it have been languishing all this time??” When this happens, all work comes to a screeching halt and for the next little while, I’m looking, remembering, fondling and running to Mr. Iknead repeatedly showing him the treasures I’ve found. Mr. Iknead’s enthusiasm for this is so low as to be nonexistent, by the way.

OK, back on track. Anyhow, last night I figured out why, after multiple searches, this yarn is still MIA. It’s because it’s been wound already and I’ve been looking for a hank. I even remember winding it. Today I’m going to search again, but for the correct shape and I bet I find it right away. This yarn has nearly reached “Holy Grail” status in my single minded obsession to find it. Is that odd?

ON THE NEEDLES

Here’s what I’ve accomplished on the Etched Rio Wrap so far, when I wasn’t turning my stash upside down (see above).

I love the color of this Metalico yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas, a pinky-gold.

BY THE BOOK

I’m currenting listening to A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Strangely enough, I learned about this book while watching one of those sort of embarrassing shows on the I.D. channel. You know the ones, with bad reenactments and strange voice overs. The author committed suicide back in the early 1970s and after his death, his family found this unpublished novel hidden away, sent it to a publisher and, bang, a bestseller. Interesting book, interesting back story.

Don’t forget to visit Tami Amis blog and Small Things Yarn Along for more WIPW goodness!

Man’s mind, stretched by a new idea, never goes back to its original dimensions. Oliver Wendell Holmes

Knitting

Mission Accomplished, After a Fashion

January 28, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

WHAT’S UP

I just spent at least an hour trying to get a new widget on my Iknead2knit blog, but it was like pulling teeth. For all intents and purposes, I’m computer illiterate. I can follow directions, but I have no idea why or what makes everything work. Consequently, it takes forever for me to finally put the right stuff, in the right place and in the right order to make things happen, but this is totally by trial and error, with me trying out different combinations of what, where and why before I hit the jackpot. I do have An Idiot’s Guide To WordPress which is of some help, but is somewhat outdated. Anyway, I finally got it and for my trouble, I have a pretty little periwinkle Yarn-Along widget residing in the Iknead2knit sidebar now. Nice, don’t you think?

BY THE BOOK

I finally finished Michael Hyatt‘s book, Platform – Get Noticed in a Noisy World and it was fabulous. It’s mostly geared to building an Internet platform to promote a product or service, but he has a lot of practical advice for bloggers who want to promote their blog and increase readership. I got a lot of practical information and even better, it’s an easy, interesting read in a format that didn’t get so technical as to being off-putting. Great book!

Next up will be Pam Belluck’s Island Practice. I can’t wait to get started!

Island Practice: Cobblestone Rash, Underground Tom, and Other Adventures of a Nantucket Doctor

THE GRANDS

Bigdaddy and Bigmommy came to visit over the weekend with the Papoose and the Sprout and did we ever have fun. That is, until the middle of the night, when the Sprout decided after her 3 a.m feeding that no, she absolutely, positively DID NOT want to go back to bed and made her statement in screams so high pitched that only dogs could hear. Poor Bigdaddy and Mommy were a little frayed at the edges as she has been doing this for the past month or so (she’s only four months old) and, of course, all the commotion wakes up the Papoose. Then, they have two unhappy babies going at the same time and then stuff just sort of snowballs. Mr Iknead and I were able to lend a hand so Bigmommy could catch up a little bit on the sleep she’s been missing, but, being a mommy also means that you’re never really “off duty”, and sleep with at least one eye and one ear open all the time. They know perfectly well that this won’t last forever but at 3 a.m., it’s hard to remember this and not get discouraged and frustrated. Ah yes, the joys of young parenthood…. FLASH FLASH FLASH I just received a message from Bigmommy practically shouting “She slept from 10:30 p.m. last night to 8 a.m. this morning!” They tried a different swaddle and it worked! Bigmommy says she feels like a different woman today! Hurray!!!