Knitting

Wondrous Box, Ding Dong, 1906

July 25, 2014July 25, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST

I’ve been experimenting a lot with different paints and inks over the past few days, since I had a small cash windfall last week and was able to buy a couple of items that I’d been coveting for a while, buying one thing at a time when I’d saved a little bit of what my mom called “mad money”. Anyway, I bought two bottles of Dylusions ink,one bottle of Fresh Lime and one bottle of London Blue. I’ve enjoyed just playing with the colors trying out different techniques that I see being demoed (is that a word?) on Facebook.

KNOCK KNOCK WHO’S THERE

This guy was on our doorstep yesterday when I went to bring in the newspaper. He looks mad, probably because he couldn’t reach the doorbell – unless it was him I caught doing the big nasty with his girlfriend and took a picture, in which case that’s what he’s mad about.

WONDROUS BOX

Hurray!! My July Yarnbox arrived yesterday, here’s what was inside-

Two skeins of Airy from Unique Chic Studio

1000(!) yd each

80% Tussah Silk/20% Merino

Fresh Colorway

Now, what does this lovely fiber want to be? A scarf? A shawl? Whatever it decides, it’s sure to be delicate,lacy and floaty.

Linking with Frontier Dreams and Tami today. Pay them a visit and prepare to be inspired!

PARTING SHOT

1906 Postcard

The most successful people are those who are good at Plan B. James Yorke

Knitting

Abundance

July 3, 2014July 3, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

SOUL FOOD

I’ve been sort of hit or miss with blogging these past few weeks, and I’ve missed sitting down and putting my thoughts in order and then onto paper or into my iPad. I’ve been too busy painting or drawing (these are new things for me) or reading or knitting or baking or gardening or art journaling or throwing pots or grandmothering or any of the other things that grab my interest. Here’s the perfect description for what I’m blessed with – an embarrassment of riches. According to (all-knowing) Wiki, an embarrassment of riches is an idiom that means an overabundance of something, or too much of a good thing. All these things do more than keep me occupied – they feed my soul, I guess you could say I have an embarrassment of blessings. With all the above said, I think what I really mean is “Thanks, God, for everything”.

Now, moving along…

ON THE NEEDLES

A pair of Los Manos Locos or Crazy Monkey Socks, a twist on Cookie A’s awesome Monkey Socks, toe up and purl-less.

This colorway is called Java Jive and I’m loving how it’s knitting up. You can find out more about this yarn here.

The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it. Carl Jung

Knitting

Good to Go, Rain Rain Go Away

May 30, 2014May 30, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ON THE NEEDLES

I received the yarn for my My Harmonica Shrug yesterday, but in spite of my best intentions, it didn’t get finished. Today is another day, though, it could transform from WIP into a FO; technically, the day’s not over until midnight, right? I frogged the Cable and Pleat Tunic and restarted this time without the twist. That’s what distracted me from My Harmonica. I promised Harmonica that I absolutely, positively will not work on any other project until it’s finished. Yes, I talk to my knitting all the time, most of the time nicely, but there have been moments….

GOOD NEWS BAD NEWS

The good news is that the patio is finished and we’ve purchased a table, an umbrella and four great chairs to go with it. We’ve also gotten most of the plants in the ground and so far, they all seem to be doing well. We have a couple of different begonias, impatiens, lamb’s ear, butterfly bush and coral bells in the flower bed, with just a couple more to plant, a redbud that a friend gave me and an oakleaf hydrangea from another friend. The bad news is that it has rained for the last three days, so all the lovely furniture we’re so anxious to use is sitting in the garage, waiting for the sun to come out. When I checked the forecast this morning, it said rain and thunder showers continuing through Sunday. Crap. I hope it’s wrong. The other bad news is that Mr. Iknead’s back went out yesterday, due, I’m sure, to all the stooping, squatting and lifting he’s done over the past week or so. He had a rough afternoon yesterday, I hope he’s better today. Poor thing.

PARTING SHOT

The newest Yarnbox arrived earlier in the week and here’s what it contained – Two skeins of Fingerpaints Supersock Self Striping from Cherry Tree Hill Yarn, 100% superwash merino, in Java Jive. I have only three words – It. Feels. Amazing.

Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. Chinese Proverb

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Knitting

Busy, But With What?

May 6, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

DISTRACTED

Suddenly this evening I realized that I hadn’t posted since Saturday. I know it’s only Monday, but I’ve really worked at getting into the at least three posts a week habit and truly, I enjoy posting, putting my thoughts in order and then onto the page; I mean, the “virtual” page. I don’t remember the last time I hunted up a workable pen and a sheet of paper to write. Nowadays, handwriting, for me, is limited to list making and reminders, and even those are slowly being edged out by my iPad.

TDLP

My art journal has been kept me especially occupied the last few days. Here are a couple of my entries over the past few days.

This Week’s Challenge

Document a Random Act of Kindness

The two coffee cups represent the RAK I received in the drive-thru at Starbucks when the person ahead of me paid for my latte, which I then passed on to the car behind me.

Last Week’s Challenge

Document an Inspirational Quote

I loved the imagination/kite analogy. I’m not sure who to credit for this, maybe Lauren Bacall?

ON/OFF THE NEEDLES

Hitchhiker is finished! Official FO pics on Friday. Very pleased with how it turned out. Stay tuned….

Knitting has commenced in earnest on Vivacious Chocolate Shrug with the first three inches of the first cuff completed. The Fyberspates yarn is a joy to knit, with just the right amount of squishy; I see more of this yarn in my future.

If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. Thomas Edison

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

Spinning Sunday

April 13, 2014April 12, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

YUCK

I decided to try space dyeing on the new roving I got from UpTownDesign and since I didn’t really know how to go about it, I hopped over to YouTube and check out a couple of how tos by ChemKnits. Here’s an in progress look at my first try at it.

It turned out to be the ugliest yarn ever so I overdyed it with some sky blue Jacquard acid fast dye I had on hand. Much, much better.

Rinsed, dry and ready to spin:

Still has some ugly spots, but socks can be mostly hidden 🙂

Live out of your imagination, not your history. Stephen Covey

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

Spinning Sunday #1 3/23/14

March 23, 2014March 19, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

I’ve decided to devote one blog post a week to another aspect
of fiberlove – spinning. Six months ago I became a spinner almost by accident when on a whim i made a drop spindle out of a dowel and a small wooden wheel like what would be on a small pull wagon or push toy.

My first attempts were …. interesting. I kept practicing and got a little better but my slow pace using the drop spindle was frustrating. It was easy to see that creating a pair of socks from roving to actual wearing was going to take months, if not years. This dampened my enthusiasm a bit and planted the idea of someday owning a spinning wheel. I did some window shopping on the Internet, feeding my imagination a little more.

Then, remarkably, I heard through the grapevine that someone who worked for the same facility I’d retired from had an Ashford Traveller wheel for sale, and get this: in my price range! This clearly was meant to be, no doubt about it. So, almost before I knew it, I was sitting at my own wheel, surfing YouTube for spinning demos, trying to get a handle on basic spinning techniques. Did I mention that before this I’d never even SEEN a spinning wheel? Gotta love YouTube. The rest, as they say, is history. By the way, my wheel’s name is Violet and yeah, I’m one of those weird (I say eccentric) people that name things. Meet Violet.

Always do more than is required of you. George S. Patton

Family · Knitting

Morning at the Zoo, Wondrous Yarnbox, Meet Forrester Gump

March 20, 2014March 21, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

ZOO FUN

Big and busy day today. Mr. Iknead and I spent the morning with all three grands and their moms at the zoo. I don’t know about the others but I’m totally beat. I bet we walked three miles today, easy! We had a blast and except for one tiny episode of COTTON CANDY COTTON CANDY IWANTCOTTONCANDY!!!! everyone’s sunny disposition stayed put. The four newest tiger cubs were a particular favorite. Babydiva developed a short term obsession with mole rats but was eventually distracted and we were able to carry on with our visit.

Babydiva and the Papoose – Cousins and BFFs

Patient Tiger Mommy

The Sprout’s Pushing ME Next Time!

Just Us Girls

Mr. Iknead and Babydaddy don’t have a chance.

And you know what? They love it! Mr. Iknead melts completely when he around the grands, it’s the sweetest thing – no request refused, no job too large or too small. Pawpaw’s got this and is loving every blessed minute. I married a marshmallow and it’s grand!

Babydivalicious

That Smile!!

YARNLOVE

Another wondrous box arrived while we were visiting the zoo and (be still my heart) this was inside:

SIIDEGARTE

Silky Swiss Gorgeousness

“Siide-Flauschig”

50% Silk/50% Merino

Aichblatt

250m/273 yds

There were two, count ’em, two hanks of this in the wondrous Yarnbox; the sheen on this stuff is phenomenal, as you can see from the photo. Now the hard part – picking a project because, as we all know, fabulous yarn calls for a fabulous pattern. Shawl? Shrug? Sweater? Who knows? Most of the time, in my plane of existence, the yarn decides what it wants to be, then it’s my job to figure out what that is. I’m thinking some type of wrap, maybe something with a hood?

RUN FORRESTER RUN!

Meet Forrester Gump, the newest member of the Iknead family.

Mr. Iknead has been so patient, waiting until he found just want he wanted, from the sort of silvery green paint job, to the moonroof, to the automatic back hatch – just touch a button and it opens and closes *snap fingers* just like that. I’m happy to see him so happy and excited. He deserves this new ride, he’s been driving my dad’s car for the past couple of years, a good car, a Buick LaCrosse, nice, not too fancy, but really, not his style. He’s more of an SUV kind of guy. I don’t mind telling that I’m a million times blessed to have him as the love of my life.

It is better to travel, than to arrive. Buddha

Knitting

WARNING!!! Phat Fiber Spoiler Alert!

March 20, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

WONDROUS BOX!!!

My Phat Fiber box arrived today full of amazing roving samples mixed with sweet sock yarn samples and a couple of the prettiest stitch markers I’ve ever seen.

That little pouch on top? This is what it
held:

A handmade soap and those stitch markers I told you about. I love these!

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. Aristotle

Knitting

Already? Terrarium Imaginarium

March 14, 2014March 15, 2014 mud&stringLeave a comment

WHAT GOES AROUND

The Phat Fiber sale has rolled around again; luckily, I checked my e-mail on an account I seldom use and saw the heads up e-mail they send a few days beforehand. I’m excited to have scored a wondrous box again this month and so will be obsessed with checking and rechecking my mailbox looking for said wondrous box. The theme this month is Inspiring Women, I wonder what this month’s goodies will be…..

A NEW ~~FIXATION~~ HOBBY

Terrariums! I’ve fallen in love with them since seeing some at a garden show a few weeks ago. I saw some lovely containers at Hobby Lobby yesterday that were perfect and the tiny plants! OMG, the tiny plants are so cute! I put a couple together today –

Darn glass glare!

I love the different shapes of both the containers and the plants, it’s easy for my imagination to run away with me! I want at least one of every shape and size – containers and plants. Save those pickle jars! : )

Growth itself contains the germ of happiness. Pearl Buck