Knitting

If I Were a Size Six Knitting Needle/WIP Wednesday 01/09/13

January 9, 2013 mud&stringLeave a comment

where would I be? I’ve been asking myself this question over and over since this time yesterday. I started a new project day before yesterday that called for four different needle sizes; for the first time ever I think, I actually had the needles I needed, sizes 8, 7, 6, and 5. All hunky dory, right? Yeah, right up until the time I dropped the whole handful and one of the size 6 needles apparently was sucked into a black hole. I’ve looked everywhere I could think of and even some places that I knew absolutely that it couldn’t possibly be, stripped the sheets off the bed, rolled up a rug, moved furniture and it still hasn’t shown itself. I went to the Yarn Mart and just bought another set, knowing that in Bethworld, as soon as something is replaced, the original reappears in the most obvious place possible. Hasn’t happened yet but it will, it will.

ON THE NEEDLES

I’ve a couple of things in progress, small, quick gratification projects for this week’s WIP Wednesday, first up is the Sideways Grande Hat from Boutique Knits, knitted flat and then seamed.

A free Ravelry pattern, Meg White’s Cabled Hat, to match the cabled scarf I finished last week is the other.

A posting for FO Friday this week doesn’t seem too far fetched, but you never know. I learned a long time ago not to count my chickens before they hatch and never, ever turn your back on a nearly finished project. It has the ability to unknit and then lose itself in the stash pile, making you doubt your sanity because you know, positively know that you laid it down RIGHT HERE and now it’s missing in action. I’m just sayin’….

AROUND MY HOUSE

Yay! We have electricians today and they say they’ll be finished early this afternoon. I got a preview of the undercabinet lighting and it is beyond awesome! Here’s a peek –

I feel a heavy baking episode coming on – especially since I cleaned the oven yesterday and the bottom is a clean slate, ready, willing and able to take another pie bubble-over or cake batter mishap. What did we do before self cleaning ovens? Did our ovens get smaller and smaller due to the build up of crud on the bottom and the fact that cleaning involved protective clothing and dangerous chemicals? I know mine without a doubt would have. Gotta love progress.

Check out Tami Amis for more WIP Wednesday project love.

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

Knitting

The one where I break

October 12, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

down and pony up $64.00 for an extended support package for my iPod. This is after I totally spent nearly the whole weekend trying to reinstall my music and audiobook libraries to my iTunes. Long story short, we had computer issues several weeks ago which necessitated backing everything up onto an external drive and then wiping the hard drive clean and reinstalling. My problem is that I can sync either my books or my music, but not both. This has nearly driven me stark. raving.mad. Someone from Apple is to call me tonight and hopefully, I’ll get it all resolved. Crossing my fingers.

24 hours later…..

The back up files are on the external drive but I can’t find them, that is, I can’t find the folder that contains them. So, I’ll keep looking and in the meantime download my music from my CDs. Luckily, all my audiobooks are in my Audible library and I can redownload them without too much fuss. Aggravating, yes, but totally survivable.

Saturday, I made a pilgrimage to my LYS here in Little Rock, Yarn Mart, and splurged on a beautiful skein of Madelinetosh Pashmina, in Cove. This is definitely a luxury yarn and feels like I’m knitting a cloud. As usual, I’ve become nervous about having enough yarn to finish my project (Candle Flame Shawl from Ravelry) and so will call today and secure another skein. I was in such a rush to start this newest project that I didn’t think to take a pic until I’d already wound it so the colors aren’t showing as well, but am posting one

anyway. I’ll try to remember to photograph the new skein before winding.

Here’s some stitch detail. I love the robin egg blue with the mossy green.

Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Susan Ertz

Knitting

The one where I remember that

August 16, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

life is a series of adjustments. I got my mom moved up here to Little Rock from the wilds of southwest Arkansas yesterday. It went well, better, in fact, than I expected. It was hard last night leaving her, knowing that she literally had no clue about where she was and why. That’s the heartache of all caretakers of someone with dementia. My mom is a grown woman, but has the mental capacity of a small child, maybe 5-6 years old. There are still brief flashes of the person who is my mom, but most of the time, she’s a child in an adult body. It felt like the first day of first grade when my kids were little; having to entrust her care to someone besides me or Mr. Iknead. I cried then too. I cried for Mom, I cried for myself and I cried for my dad. He passed away a month ago yesterday and I keep running into the fact of his death like something I’d stumble against navigating a dark room. When does it get better?

Knitting. I’ve done a ton in the past couple of weeks, partly because of the car time I’ve had (Mr. Iknead prefers to drive, I prefer to ride. One more example of our fitting together, I suppose). Now I’m getting anxious about running out of Manos for the Drop Stitch Shawl. This happens every time I get close to the end of a project, you’d think I’d catch on that, but still I think I’ll give Yarnmart a call in the morning, just in case.

Here’s a picture I love – Mr. Iknead and the apple of his eye, the Papoose

He’s not crazy about her or anything!

People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering. Saint Augustine (354 A.D. to 430 A.D.) Early Christian theologian and bishop

Knitting

The one where once again

July 24, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

I comfort myself with a trip to Yarn Mart, which is having their once a year sale. Work has slowed on the Constanze cowl, but continues. I started a drop stitch shawl while in DeQueen last week and for right now, it’s getting the majority of my knitting attention. Here’s are a couple of my newest aquisitions.

First up is Trendsetter Yarns Flamenco, colorway 200. Here’s how the directions read: Spread open mesh. Turn mest sideways. Turn end back to hem. Knit through open woven box at edge one hole to one stitch. The sample in the shop was a really loopy and soft scarf. This has potential, I think.

Up close and personal

Next is Sock-a-Licious Kollage, color 7808. I love the soft grays in this

I have great plans for these babies; quite possibly Christmas stuff, but only if I don’t fall in love with the projects before then. Odds are about 50/50 right now. Mr. Iknead and I, along with the little Ikneads are headed for a week at the beach starting on Friday. This means I have to make some decisions on which yarns and projects will be vacationing with us. It’s so hard to choose!

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one. C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), British writer

Knitting

The one where I treat myself

July 8, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

to a trip to my LYS, Yarn Mart, coming home with this

lovely Mini Mochi 80% merino and 20% nylon, color 113 and this

Manos del Uruguay, 60% baby alpaca and 40% pima cotton, color 2318, four skeins. I’ve got big plans for the Manos, a shop sample was a Rav pattern, I think called Drop Stitch Shawl #2.

I’ve had a unspeakably huge challenge with importing the last few pictures. I have to go through some Windows Viewer that I’ve never had to deal with before. I’m sure someone even a tiny bit more computer savvy would have figured it out in the first few minutes 0f trying, but I’m not that person. I am looking on the bright side though, it shouldn’t take more more than four hours next time, instead of today’s six. One thing I am going to do, as soon as I get this posted, I’m downloading these pics into Flickr. That I can do, I think.

On the dad front, I just got my fourth call in 24 hours from the nursing home, he keeps trying to get out of his bed and ends up falling. No injuries yet other than scrapes and and bruises, but his skin is so fragile now that it doesn’t take anything to tear it and since he’s on a bloodthinner, he bleeds and bleeds and bleeds.

I must go console myself with soft yarn and pointy sticks. Tomorrow will be better, I promise.

Never think that you’re not good enough yourself. A man should never think that. People will take you very much at your own reckoning. Anthony Trollope, English novelist (1815-1882)

Knitting

The one where the day gets

March 25, 2011March 25, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

away from her. I’ve been fooling around getting pictures loaded onto Flickr, culling out, deciding what needs to go where and all that stuff, but what I really want to do tonight is show and tell my newest yarn acquisitions. Look! This is Colinette Jitterbug, colorway Ruby Saffron, #92, 400 yd., 150 g.

Next up is Colinette Jitterbug, colorway paintbox, #152, 400 yd., 150 g.

When I went into Yarn Mart today, Cindy was sweet enough to give me a preview of the new Jitterbug and of course, since self control is not part of my personality, these two came home with me. They’re having an anniversary sale tomorrow and I have my eye on some Shibui. Gotta love Cindy and YM, they rock!

I have more goodies to share, but they’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’m up past my bedtime. Yawn.

May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility. Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

Knitting

The one where she begins

March 24, 2011 mud&stringLeave a comment

the heel turn on the Catnip Socks. Seriously, this is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me all day. I do have big plans for tomorrow though, a trip to Yarn Mart to spend the birthday money that’s burning a hole in my pocket. I’m thinking some nice Shibui. If I have any money left (I won’t) maybe shoe shopping (I will).

I do have an update on my En Pointe sweater, the front is about half done –