Why So Long Between Posts?

Christmas and New Year's Day have come and gone in our new home. Winter is wearing on, the days have more daylight again and I am as busy as ever.

The work part of the kitchen is in a controlled uproar with painting in progress. The project has been divided into four or five sub projects so I don't get overwhelmed with all of the work to do. I only have so much energy at my disposal.

I have the ceiling almost finished-I thought two coats of white over a darkish yellow would be enough, but no, one more layer is needed. The first section of the cupboard painting has the upper base ready for the doors. The inside of the five doors are finished. Tomorrow I will get two coats of  paint on the outside of the doors, let them dry overnight, then attach the clean hardware and remount the doors to the base cupboards. The idea of doing the kitchen in mini projects is to be encouraged by the finished look of the cupboards in each section that I can quickly go on to the next part of the project. So bit by bit and it will be completed.

Before

A little peak during redo. New paint surrounding window is nice and bright.

Old dark finish. White is primer.

 
Knitting this week...

I finished a sweater cardigan last week in which I used Briggs & Little yarn that I have had in my stash for a few years now. In its previous incarnation, I had been knitting a seamless sweater in a quite tight gauge and had been unsure whether or not I really liked it. Turns out I really didn't, so I frogged it back and decided to adopt a pattern from a Craftsy class to better suit my measurements. I used a rather close fit for the ease allowance. It was not the fit I am comfortable with, so I modified it.

Rather than rip it all out, I used a contrasting colour for the button band and the insert described next. I opened the side seams of the body and also the entire underarm. Eight stitches were made up in a rib strip of fabric, also in the contrasting colour, that went the length of the entire side seam from beginning of rib at the bottom of the sweater to the cuff. Then I sewed it into the sweater. I should also mention the sleeve part of the insert was knit in yarn to match the sleeve colour not the contrast colour.

Better pic coming after buttons are on.

The yarn used for the insert is identical yarn, but I dyed it using a percentage acid dye and it is a deep tone of violet. The colour of the sweater is not one I am particularly fond of either, so it just might change colour at some point with a weak acid dye.

Then I looked at the whole sweater and thought this is such a dull colour that it still needs a little accent so I added an afterthought pocket. I again used the contrasting coloured yarn for pocket trim and pocket lining. At the knitting store I picked up some buttons to match the sweater. Hope I have time tomorrow to sew them on. I need the sweater to be complete.

Sweater is completed

Knitting group at Knits and Notes...

Every Wednesday, weather permitting, I go to the knitting group in Montague at the Knits and Notes Store. The owner, Troy, hosts the group in a room at the store and someone brings goodies and we sit around and gab and drink tea and coffee while we knit on our projects. It was a lively group this morning and lots of fun despite having to frog a few rows of lace work in my new red sweater.

After knitting ended, my friend Linda and I headed over to Belfast Mini Mills and we browsed the store for weaving yarns and roving. The weather was good and the roads were freshly sanded and salted for the drive. We had a little chat with owners Linda and Hazel, then headed home. I love that store!

Water Colour Painting Class...

Tuesday evenings, if the weather is clear, I go to the library in Murray Harbour for a painting class with Mel Giddings. Mel is a local artist, who has kindly consented to share his knowledge of water colour painting to teach a class at our local library.

I have committed to bring painting back into my life and this is a good way to get back into it. For the past few years, with my job taking so much of my energy, I hardly had any time to even think about painting. The class has about ten local people participating, five that I have met before here at my home when I hosted a knit and spin get together around the kitchen table. A really nice evening with another great group of people.

I must organize another knit and spin very soon.

Here is a little portrait of Joey.

And some landscapes.

 That's all for now.