On My Needles


I have many projects to share with you today. First off are my simple socks on the left.  They are for my husband and I'm on the second one.  I knit these socks while watching programs that require little attention to the pattern.  The bright pink project is my Heart Beets Shawl, I cannot knit and watch anything, you see, I had to UNKNIT two rows and that just about did me in.  Learned my lesson, I have the pattern memorized but I have to watch what I'm doing :)  Lastly is the Kelp Cardigan, I could knit on this all day long!  Love the crisp stitches and the easy raglan shaping.  I inserted a simple lace design at each end of the front edges.  Last week I finished the Tea and Jam Shawl.

I continue to read Helen Keller's book The Story of my Life.  I am amazed at her challenges and her triumphs that she faced.  Her story can be interpreted in a series of what she is "missing" but then the way she describes her excursions I wonder if she has experienced life on a deeper level and do we take for granted so many wonderful ordinary events?

What are you knitting and reading?

Joining Ginny and Frontier Dreams

Comments

  1. Tracey ~ CloverJanuary 22, 2014 at 8:12 AM

    I am not a fan of ripping back, I am always worried I will Really mess something up.
    Your Kelp sounds like a joy to knit and I can't wait to see it.
    Hey, are you getting snow? I'm not, but at least we're cold.

    ReplyDelete
  2. DiannaJanuary 22, 2014 at 8:12 AM

    I like all of the colors...the deep rich blue of the socks for your husband, that luscious pink of the beet red and the muted tone of the kelp cardigan! You are a knitting machine, Karen! I am guessing you probably had some snow. I think ours has finally stopped...now the sub zero temperatures have begun. It was -7 F when I got up at 5:30 this morning! I am enjoying the beauty of the snow...especially on the pines. Have a wonderful day, Karen.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnkeJanuary 22, 2014 at 8:36 AM

    Knitting back is the worst! I can feel your pain, as I had to do the same on the shawl I'm knitting. Most of my knitting takes place in the evening, and since I have to look at the chart ALL THE TIME, my shawl is slow going. I just keep telling myself that the end result will be very worth it. :-) Love the beautiful colors of your projects!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. debby emadianJanuary 22, 2014 at 8:59 AM

    Oh how perfect to have so many projects on the go. They all look gorgeous...Love the colourful needles. I'm still working on socks too. I finished a pair and sent them off with a gift for one of my sisters' birthday. I'm making ones now just using up odds and ends of yarn. I was inspired by a blanket that I saw a picture of Amanda Soule making just using up all her odds and ends.Apparently it's a project that she's had on the go for ages and just picks up and puts down when she has time. Especially on cold days when she snuggle under it while knitting to keep warm. My kind of project. I think I'm going to have some funky socks!
    debx

    ReplyDelete
  5. CathieJJanuary 22, 2014 at 9:32 AM

    I really have to knit some socks. I love the blue/beige yarn. It is fun to work on complicated projects but they do need your attention. I'm looking forward to seeing that shawl and the sweater.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2014 at 9:45 AM

    I love the yarn for your cardigan, of course. It's not *quite* the same color as my shawl but isn't Tern such a lovely yarn to work with?

    I'm sorry you had to unknit some of your shawl. That would make me cry. (Maybe this is why I don't do many shawls. The stakes get so much higher the farther you get into it, and one mistake really can do you in, can't it?) xo

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2014 at 9:48 AM

    I love all those colors, especially the pop of pink! I have been wanting to work with Quince yarn so I can't wait to see your finished cardigan.

    ReplyDelete
  8. DonnaJanuary 22, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    Your heart beets shawl is perfect for Valentines Day! I made a mistake like that on my Cedar Leaf Shawlette. It was so frustrating because if I had paid attention to the pattern.... oh well. I can already tell your sweater is going to be super soft with that yarn.

    ReplyDelete
  9. ZauberflinkJanuary 22, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    All your colours are lovely and I really like your pink needles :-) How good to have different projects for different situations!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2014 at 9:58 AM

    I am not in favor of ripping back either. But at least I've finally aceepted that sometimes it is necessary. I hope you have smooth knitting from here! It's kinda nice to have different projects for different situations.

    ReplyDelete
  11. kathy bJanuary 22, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    I love your projects. I need a harder project to focus on…I don't usually have two things going at once, but I'm ready

    ReplyDelete
  12. Shirley-AnnJanuary 22, 2014 at 11:29 AM

    All those colours together just look delish! It's great to have a couple of projects on the go - especially such different ones. Something for all moods :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lady CordeliaJanuary 22, 2014 at 11:46 AM

    Helen Keller was such an amazing woman. I have a kids level book about her and have read it to the girls many times. Happy Knitting!

    ReplyDelete
  14. SarahJanuary 22, 2014 at 12:29 PM

    Your Heart Beets shawl is a gorgeous color, as are your other projects! I love all your knitting, it's always an inspiration to me.
    Helen Keller's life is always really incredible and interesting to me, I should read the book. I appreciate your thoughts on her deeper experience of life and think that is likely.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Deborah HamiltonJanuary 22, 2014 at 12:38 PM

    I have never seen pink sock needles. What brand are they?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. karenJanuary 22, 2014 at 12:42 PM

      They are knitters pride 5 inch double pointed needles.

      Delete
  16. Reinventing MotherJanuary 22, 2014 at 1:34 PM

    Love them all! What a wonderful pink!

    ReplyDelete
  17. elizabethJanuary 22, 2014 at 3:12 PM

    lovely! I am hoping to learn to do socks soon on DPNs! I also have a hard time with listening to things while doing a more complicated pattern ... love your colour choices!

    ReplyDelete
  18. UnknownJanuary 22, 2014 at 3:23 PM

    Lovely projects, the pink is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  19. SueJanuary 22, 2014 at 3:36 PM

    You've got three terrific projects going--I love how the colors are all very different. I bet that keeps things interesting.

    I like your observation about Helen Keller possibly experiencing life on a deeper level. Raymond Carver wrote a short story about a blind man (it's called Cathedrals, I think) which makes just that point.

    ReplyDelete
  20. JanetJanuary 22, 2014 at 3:42 PM

    Great projects in the works. I'm curious to see the lace design you've added to the cardigan. I love the yarn color.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Darcel {MahoganyWayMama}January 22, 2014 at 3:44 PM

    That heart beets shawl is gorgeous! Can't wait to see it all finished. I cannot imagine having to unknit two rows with yarn that small. I'm lazy so I would just keep going!

    ReplyDelete
  22. stephJanuary 22, 2014 at 3:54 PM

    i do love those sock needles!!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. UnknownJanuary 22, 2014 at 4:59 PM

    I've just finished Dicken's 'Hard Times'. He's wonderful for winter - so resonant of rain and cold. I'm now moving onto Corvus by Esther Woolfson which is a true story of a woman who adopts a magpie and various other birds and lets them live in her house! Also on the go is The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult and I'm re-reading my all time non Austen book - Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. If you haven't read, you must, you must, you must. This is my fourth copy because I keep thrusting it into other people's hands! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  24. UnknownJanuary 22, 2014 at 5:02 PM

    PS. I can only knit squares (runs and hides) but I do love words!

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2014 at 6:10 PM

    Looks like you've got yourself a nice little pile of WIPs. Can't wait to see how they turn out.

    ReplyDelete
  26. azwoolgirlJanuary 22, 2014 at 8:08 PM

    Lovely knitting going on! I'm reading The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory and working on three pairs of socks.

    ReplyDelete
  27. flyingjenJanuary 22, 2014 at 8:29 PM

    My, you have a lot of projects going right now!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Kim January 22, 2014 at 8:56 PM

    Lovely projects!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Judy S.January 22, 2014 at 10:00 PM

    Ripping on a shawl is painful, so many stitches! That sure is a pretty color. I just finished reading Clara and Mr. Tiffany, very good.

    ReplyDelete
  30. sustainablemumJanuary 23, 2014 at 4:51 AM

    What a wonderful tableau of colours.

    How painful to have to rip back rows but at least you realised early on rather than having to rip back more rows :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Mama Gone GreenJanuary 23, 2014 at 9:18 AM

    I brought my Northern Loop cowl to knit at pub knitting last week and ended up having to un-knit as well. There are certain patterns that I can't hold a conversation while working on!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. LisaJanuary 23, 2014 at 10:38 AM

    Hi Karen! That pink just pops of the page...cannot wait to see your shawl once it's finished. I'm working on baby socks and other ufo's that I'm keeping in my big, new project bag. Thanks for the link to the blogger swap -- sounds like fun. :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. LauraLillyLauraJanuary 23, 2014 at 8:09 PM

    Your Heart Beets Shawl is just gorgeous, I love the color, and Helen Keller sounds like a great read. I will have to try it!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment


Your comments are welcome as long as they are relevant to the post and spread joy, thank you for visiting and sharing your ideas.

Popular posts from this blog

Weekends

Image
My weekend happily contained: -wearing the above woolens all at the same time without being hot -so many walks and taking in the changing leaves. -a leaf shower on Saturday-the wind swirled the leaves off the trees up in the air to float down -changing screen savers to autumn themes! -a craft fair where my husband and I say "we could make that", but we don't. -french fries at the craft fair -scrambled eggs and toast for dinner because we were lazy. -football season has descended in my house. he was in the front room watching whatever is on today -I sat in the family room and watched A Tree Grows in Brooklyn .   Now I want to read it again. -Oh! I finished the socks!! So I wound up about six skeins of yarn and have three projects ready -started a cowl for me in fall colors (I hope to finish before fall ends) -enjoying Spirits of Joy .  Hannah graciously had a one day free sign up for her birthday at the end of September which I luckily saw on Twitter.  Than
Read more

Happy List

Image
  - neighborhood pumpkins - my oak trees showing off - new friends at 'school' - Tai Chi hour - lunch out with my husband - cold morning walks - an unexpected warm up - all the fall knitting (imagined and real) - wearing wool - browsing knitting patterns - sister outings - dark chocolate - blue skies - neighborhood dogs - the kids coming to visit next weekend - the to-do lists that I am creating - afternoon reading (possible snooze) - apples! - soups! - hearing the breeze whisper through the trees - setting intentions - giving myself grace when I need it the most - solitude - grandchildren laughing - Holly being Holly - Blue skies - phone calls from family and friends - the kindness of others - assuming everyone is doing their best - drinking water and staying hydrated - hot decaf green tea in a BIG mug - first sip of coffee - geese flying in V formation and honking all the way (delightful!!) - Focusing on gratitude - focusing on joy  What would make your happy list?
Read more

Knitting News

Image
  Good morning to you! How are you? I'm excited about my hat that I've been knitting enjoying the sea of stockinette stitches. When I first started the hat I thought it would be too small, now I wonder if it will be too big. Gah. I will find out soon I guess. I wish the photo about showed how beautiful the colors are in real life, you'll have to trust me on this! Below is my next knitting project, the habitation throw . I will definitely use the pink and gray, I'm still not sure about that purple, I might have a look-see in my stash and do another ponder about that color. I chose this pattern because I can use up some of my stash and I adore Helen Stewart's patterns. What are you working on this week? Also: I will probably not be posting this Friday and the following Monday because of my family visiting. I hope to be back next Wednesday (unless I change my mind).
Read more