a simple garter stitch

A doctor once told me that knitting might strengthen my hands, giving me a bit more control over my benign tremor. I enjoy knitting but our warm, humid climate makes sweaters or afghans out of the question. So I’m knitting cotton dishcloths.

Just a simple ink & wash as I enjoy a mug of tea . . .

distractions

Yes, I love to sketch. I love playing with fountain pens, watercolor, gouache, and pencils. But there are many distractions — many are simply the stuff of normal daily life and some are a bit more intense. 

Routine tests last summer in preparation for back surgery showed that my husband had only one kidney . . . and things weren’t working properly. He’s had to be on a catheter since then, through a successful back surgery. There was a surgical fix for his prostrate but, for that, we switched to a different hospital. The surgeon placed him “top priority” on the list due to having only one kidney and being on a catheter. There was still a glitch or two, but thankfully the surgery, performed New Year’s Eve, was a success and the catheter is gone.

I planned on sketching in waiting rooms and his hospital room, carrying tools and sketchbook with me. But somehow, I just couldn’t focus. I _did_ manage to begin knitting a top though. And even sketching the early results, though the body of the top is curling at this stage.

For this sketch, I lightly drew the shapes with colored pencil, then painted with gouache. A thin ball point pen was used for the knitting needle’s cable, and a bit of colored pencil was added on top.

reading in turquoise

Today I began a re-reading of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Peter Wimsey series. I first read them several years ago as ebooks checked out from the library, reading them on my iPad. Now I have the illustrated Folio editions of the actual books. I grabbed the first book and my iPad, which I’m reading “Pen & Ink Techniques” on — and was struck by all the turquoise. So I sketched them.

Later, I saw the yarn I bought to knit a simple tank top, just sitting on the shelf — not turquoise, but it is a muted grayish blue. So I drew it as my daily ink drawing. (A down side of working on lightweight paper is that when I erase pencil lines, I sometimes wrinkle the paper.)

rain or shine

Texas has had a very wet spring this year. My corgi, Butters, and I like taking early morning walks down the lane and I keep walking shoes on this knit mat, ready to slip on. And a pair of rubber boots for rainy weather when our grassy pastures become a soggy swampland. 

The absorbent cotton yarn of this mat has some history to it. Years ago, I knit a small bathmat for a second bathroom but no longer needed it when we downsized to a small cabin. So when I adopted a new kitten, I unraveled the rug and crocheted a round cat cave for him. He loved playing and sleeping in it but eventually outgrew it. So when I needed a small mat to place wet shoes between the cupboard and back door, the cat cave was unraveled so I could knit this small mat. Mighty sturdy yarn!

I used one of my favorite pocket palettes for this sketch, a Drawn to High Places limited edition palette purchased empty several years ago from Art Toolkit. It holds my favorite granulating watercolors. Their earthiness seems to go well with the scene on the front.

a bit more yarn play

Leftover cotton yarn plus time on my hands = crocheted potholders for two of our kids who love to cook.

a bit of knitting

One of our dishcloths has a large hole so I gathered cotton yarn scraps to make a new one . . . . then stopped to draw my progress before finishing it.

taking a break . . .

 

Not much sketching going on here, but I managed to draw the knitting basket on my footstool yesterday, giving my hands a break. Holding a fountain pen (or brush pen for that bit of cotton) is easier on my old hands than knitting needles and crochet hooks.

a finished project

I am notoriously bad about finishing certain projects that I begin with great enthusiasm and later set aside. In late Spring I was in a knitting mood so I ordered the above package of ribbon yarn and planned on making a new bag. The original blog entry can be found HERE.

. . . and here is the finished project! Though it is in fact crocheted, not knitted. I remember the large versatile bags my dear friend Ginger used to carry and made this in a similar pattern, in denim blue to go with everything. I’m a bit surprised that I actually finished it!

NOT knitting . . .

I’ve been in the mood to knit something. Or maybe crochet, though it isn’t as relaxing as knitting. I ordered a bit of yarn __I recently found this fun website, Hobbii, that lets you download free patterns of all kinds__ and have some projects in mind.

But I haven’t been sleeping much lately. So instead of beginning something new requiring a bit of thought, I just drew the yarns. The bit of knitting already done is a tea cozy made from old remnants of wool; it now needs to be felted (shrunk and tightened up) in the washing machine. Later . . . when I’m less tired.

Grandma’s tools

Lately my hands have been itching to do some knitting or crocheting. I found this great online site, Hobbii, that offers free patterns I’ve been browsing through. After selecting a pattern and ordering some yarn, I went to my grandmother’s cedar chest where I store sewing and knitting supplies.

And came across these antique tools that once belonged to Bill’s grandmother. They are old enough, they might have been passed down from her mother or grandmother. Some are carved of bone while others might be ivory; all are very tiny for producing fine doilies and lace.

I used to work this tiny, producing things like beaded necklaces from the Flapper era. My eyes just aren’t happy with such tiny work anymore but I love handling these tools that generations before me have used.

A crocheted beaded necklace, c. 1920

not busy enough . . .

What with packing boxes and moving stuff one load at a time to our new place, maintaining yard and landscaping at both residences, showing cabin to potential buyers, trying to keep up with sketching . . . I decided that I wasn’t busy enough, so I took on a bit of knitting.
Our sweet neighbors’ baby #2 will be arriving any day and I wanted to make something for him. These bibs are knit of the same 100% cotton yarn that washcloths are made of. After use, simply dampen it and use it to wash the baby’s face and hands. And head, if he learns to eat like our son Jason did, who loved rubbing food into his hair while laughing.

a non-sketch bit of knitting

Sometimes I don’t sketch. Sometimes I even knit!

Recently I found this awesome little online company, Darn Good Yarn (find them HERE.) I bought a couple of their silk wrap-around skirts made from old saris and love them! Each one was one of the “$20 mystery SKIRTS” — I let them choose, just giving them an idea of colors I like, and they chose very well. One in golden browns and one in deep burgundies.

Then I started looking at the yarns they sell, also made from sari silk. I had an old Celtic trinity knot scarf pin but don’t wear scarves . . . so I bought some silk “yarn” in green shades and made this purse. The strap is made from an old unused leather belt.

on the shelf . . .

After a busy day with friends stopping by to visit as well as friends helping mow our yard and haul away trash bags, driving into Brenham to  refill one of Bill’s prescriptions, and other regular tasks, all I had the energy for was a quick ink sketch. So I drew some items on our built-in bookshelf. The knitting is up there next to the clock when I’m not working on it to avoid my very active kitten, Scottie, from adding a few stitches of his own.

a bit more crocheting and knitting

After crocheting a 'cat cave' for my new kitten out of repurposed yarn, I gathered bits of leftover yarn and started making cat toys. Some have a large jingle bell, some are stuffed with a bit of catnip. Two of them are hung from door knobs (or from a willing human hand). Just keeping my hands busy while I wait to go get Bardie.

a cat cave

When Bearcat, my 14 1/2 year old Maine Coon died, I threw away everything that belonged to him. Not from sentimentality but to protect any future cat. When I adopted Bear, he was unknowingly exposed to feline herpes, which my other cat, Dali, had but had not presented symptoms of as yet. As soon as we found out about her illness, we started both cats on daily lysine that helps prevent outbreaks (there is no cure); for Dali it was too late -- she had been born to an infected mother. But it kept Bear healthy for many years. He died from kidney failure and cancer. Before bringing home a new cat, we threw all his stuff away and disinfected everything, so the herpes will not be passed on.

I asked our new kitten's breeder if her cats were used to cat beds. They tend to ignore them but love little cubbyholes or cubes they can hide in. Which fits what I've seen of Maru, a Scottish Fold popular on YouTube for diving into boxes and other small spaces. 

Years ago, I made a bulky-knit bathmat out of Sugar and Cream yarn. We had no need for it here in our new home, so I unraveled the mat and am using the yarn to crochet a cat cave. I found the pattern online, made of t-shirt yarn, but holding 3 or 4 strands of cotton yarn together seems to make a firm enough structure. . . . . My hands got tired so I took a break and sketched my work so far.

knitting a cuppa tea

Since our daughter gave me a new glass teapot with it's own infuser, I have doubled my tea consumption in the morning -- usually Earl Grey Green. I used to brew one large mug; now I drink two.

That second mug of tea cools as I enjoy the first so I am now knitting a cozy for the pot from leftover bits of wool. After knitting, it will be felted (shrunk) in the washing machine. I chose a simple half-moon shape without holes for spout and handle -- this way it fits my vintage Staffordshire pot as well.

I had lightly penciled in lines for text. Then forgot to let the ink dry before erasing the pencil. I think smudges must be my trademark, whether they be ink or paint.

Jayna's birthday bear

In a hurry to sketch this before posting it to Texas, I grabbed a pen with red-black ink. I knew it would bleed some . . . but didn't think how it would turn a pale gold bear into a pinkish one. Oops!

Finished just in time to post it UPS to Jayna, along with a birthday gift for her brother Josiah. Their birthdays are this Monday and Tuesday. Hard to believe it's been 3 years since I spent a few months as "granny nanny" to both of them when Josiah was born! That's when I was sewing a bear for their cousin Mikala's 7th birthday. Jayna watched me, wanting one herself, so I promised her a bear when she turned 7.

These fully jointed bears are of imported mohair with antique shoe button eyes, like I used to make and sell in the 1980s. A sketch of this one in-process can be seen in my blog post of 16 January.

back to knitting

It seems as the weather cools off a bit, I tend to pick up where I left off knitting. Last spring, I started this cotton bath mat, then set it aside for the summer. Today I finished it, except for tidying up the stray ends.
Now on to a new knitting project: a beret or two.

knitting bag . . .

. . . full of Someone's Christmas sweater. After finishing up on knitting one evening, I sketched the bag while waiting for a program to end.

Later, I measured how it was coming and ended up starting all over. The pattern I'm using is for a 12 mo. toddler and uses a bulkier yarn. I'm making this to fit a 3 - 6 month old (I hope) and using a lighter yarn. I have a perfectionistic nature and often start all over on projects. Good thing that this is very small --- I've already nearly caught up with where I was before. The shape is much better too.

Speaking of perfectionism, I also added to the above sketch . . . then wish I hadn't added the background color. When will I ever learn to stop with a sketch before I "ruin" it?

a night hat for Quen

Who really knows the mind of a three-year old? Our grandson told his mom he needed one of these. So I knit one.

In fact, I'm glad I had this to work on this weekend, as a sinus headache kept me from doing much else. I had the yarn left over from a purse I had knit for granddaughter Mikala. Both of her parents and Quen's dad are graduates from K-State so the purple and white were good.

Working with double-pointed needles isn't so hard after the four pairs of wool socks I knit a few years ago. But I can't seem to remember how I used to make tassels; I need one for the end of the braided tail. Can't be all that hard.

By the way . . . . Besides his love of wearing hats, Quen also loves button-down shirts and ties. No, his dad doesn't wear them. Just decided on his own that it's the look for him.