musindigo

I know it probably seems remarkable.  I probably have more projects on the needles than most folks.

I am a fickle knitter.  I know it, and I probably should feel guilty but I don’t.  About once per year I do a wander through the UFOs and decide if any of them still have a future or not.  The ones I decide not to frog are still waiting for me, someday, sometime.  Each one of them fulfilled some idea of something at one time or another and will possibly do so again.

I think part of the reason I am so whimful when it comes to beginning new projects is the time and energy invested in clearing through designs leaves me wanting a fresh something (anything!) after working through the technicalities of designing (and sometimes as a break during).  No matter how much hope and inspiration I have for a new design, a lot of putting it all together is not terribly fun (even though I do quite enjoy the visuals of building lace charts and having the numbers come together makes me want to dance, sometimes).  So, even though I am ‘work’ knitting, I still like to have ‘fun’ knitting going on on the side.  It does become a little strange sometimes, having work and relaxation based on the same activity.

Anyhow, without digressing too far into the emotional yin-yang of why I knit what I knit, I am happy to share an FO with you.  :)

It’s mostly stockinette, which is probably why it made it to the finish line a little more quickly than some things do.  It’s actually been complete since late April but I am not always quick on the ball to get proper photos together.

This is the ‘basic fitted cardigan’ by Jane Ellison, from Knitting Noro, in Noro Silk Garden. Sometimes a little stockinette takes the edge off.  And at the end of it all, you have a sweater (which is much better than a project on the needles that is still a twinkle in your eye - I have many of those lol).

It was great hockey knitting, I must say.

As for future FOs?  These are the current darlings:

Sylvi, from Twist Collective.

And these very cool wristlets, by Katherine Matthews.  I have plans for more of these (beads are a’waiting already!).

Who knows, they might actually make it to the finish line.  Or perhaps I will digress and delve into the UFO piles instead and surprise us all.  ;)

Tags: finished, knits, knitting, life, projects, sweater

So, shortly after I last blogged, I took a detour from the office chair here. I didn’t go too far, but I wound up a little deeper into renovations than I first anticipated (isn’t that usually the way it goes?).

I’ve had the paint for nearly 3 years.  I was just waiting for the moment when it was painting time.  Late in May, it occurred to me I was ‘in the mood’. When it hits, the household generally scrambles out of the way because I am a power painter. I set aside x number of days to complete the project based on my schedule and what I can eke out of it without throwing things too far off-balance. And, I check the weather forecast frequently to be sure I am not going to be in the middle of something while it is pouring outside. I don’t want to wait too long between coats and I usually take advantage of our back deck and front porch for storage of certain items while this is all happening.

Check, check, check.

So, first up: laundry room (AKA dyeroom around here). It was time.

I am very accommodating.  We live in a house built in 1872.  There are bound to be a few quirks.  It is really quite a nifty old girl, with lovely old high baseboards, sloped ceilings and some great original features.  But, there were a few things which finally got to me and I could accommodate no more.

The grey-blue of the walls was just a little old (and overbearingly dull) after a while.

And, the floor:

Well, it had seen better days.  I debated about putting a new sub-floor and flooring over, but there is something charming about old wood floors.  And, I do tend to [ahem] drip a little bit while I work in this room so the thoughts of dripping all over a new floor just didn’t jive.  So paint it was going to be.

Results (I should get some pics with furniture replaced - it really is nicely sunny and cheerful now):

The colour is a little off in both photos - and I do intend to do the window trim sometime.  Think lemon-ish yellow walls with a taupe floor.  Works for me.

So this was enough to make me dance to have it finally finished.

Next up:  the kitchen floor, another part of this house which had seen better days.  I was on a roll.  It was also due (to say the least) for an update.  This one took a little longer for me to wrap my brain around (what I wanted to put in there, for one thing and just the sheer elbow grease required and the preparation and organization - the stove and fridge resided the livingroom for a few days, for example, and eating became a little complicated).

I’d painted the walls a nice sort of lemon-green and the cabinets a watery blue in anticipation of mingling in a black countertop .  In my mind, I knew what I wanted - fun, a little old-fashioned, but not overly country and not too bright and silly.  The old floor didn’t work (and it had definitely seen better days).

Now:

Sort of stately but not too formal.  I didn’t agonize too long at all about what to put in once I’d come across this Northwest Slate laminate.  Covers a lot of bases - adaptable to different colour schemes, durable, reasonably priced and something we could install ourselves.  Definitely does it for me.  Installation (DIY) was about 10 hours.  Not bad, really.

And the next day we received word the counter-top (if I was doing the floor, might as well get this overwith, as well) was on the way (the old one was a sort of muddyish boring white with greenish taupe marble):

There was the one mishap with the Mr’s pinkie (he is mending) but all in all it was pretty organized and proceeded very well.

The next project (sometime soon when I am in the mood) will be a tiled backsplash.

However, this is good for the moment.  :)

I do have lots of fibre-y stuff on the go behind the scenes (some of which I just can’t share yet).  And one of these days I will post some personal knitting/spinning progress (lots of that, actually, I just don’t have photos available at the moment).

I’ve also brought in some lovely new shawl pins by Pollika -

They are available at Oceanwind Knits.  New laceweight yarns coming soon!

And there we have it.  Summer (around here, anyways) has begun.

Tags: life, oceanwind knits