Cable Bag

Check out the cabled bag vs this!

Sunday Lobster Bake

School starts tomorrow :( Did manage to make some progress on putting the house back together, but today we are having a lobster bake. Lousy day for a picnic with the rain, though. So we'll just move it inside: The salad: (Cute pic Sue? Try not to spit your coffee!)

SP Surprise

Arrived home yesterday to find this in the mail from SP - Thank You! Phil arrived home early yesterday. The sewing machine got moved upstairs and the bed came out of the package. I painted an end table for the guest/V room, and got some more things put away. We did a bit of shopping; picked up sheets and mattress pads for the daybed, a curtain rod, and curtains for Phil’s office before we grabbed a bite to eat. Today the desk will get put back up in my room and the bed put up. I need to get a few more things rearranged. I signed up for a felted vase and a Teddy Bear sweater class @ Creative Fibers- I can use some fun after all this house stuff!

Freedom - for a bit

Today is my first day of freedom from contractors/painter since we got back from vacation! Of course instead of sitting here on my a** I should be putting things back in order upstairs. But since school starts Monday (the kids don't come in until Thursday) I'm torn between enjoying doing nothing and cleaning and reorganizing. Tough decision ;) I'm just loving the quiet...

Monday 8/23 - one week and counting

Long day. The painter was here at 7. Hopefully things will be done tomorrow and I can spend some time putting things together this week. Looking forward to having lunch with my Aunt, and seeing my Uncle tomorrow. Besides going out to lunch today, I put together a Salvation Army pile: 7 sets of sheets, mostly double bed size from the kids rooms, as well as a couple of comforters, dust ruffles and table skirts. I added 8 blankets and at least a half dozen towels to that pile. If I don't need it now - it's going! Ordered a down comfortor for the guest/V room. Got down to needing only about another inch before the toe decrease on my second sock, though. Anxious for the painter to be out of here, so I can set up my room and get some sewing done. Phil did a major clean out of his closet (no, he will probably never be a 34 or 36 inch waist again!) and those got donated. He still refuses to part with his tux from our wedding – even though it would take a huge shoe horn to get him back into it!

Snails pace and maybe some knitting

The painter is here - yeah, I know it's Sunday. The yellow room needed 3 coats and the 2nd coat of green went on today. The 3rd bedroom, hall and foyer will get done today also. The trim will get done tomorrow, and then he may need Tuesday to touch up all the closets. I'm not happy with the flat paint in there, so it is going to be redone in semi-gloss. Was productive yesterday though. I decided to make the window scarves, duvet cover, dust ruffle, shams, lamp shades etc. I picked up 20 yards of fabric so far. I need to find one more coordinating solid stripe fabric and the rope trim for the duvet. The floral ones looks truer to color than the stripe on my monitor. The duvet cover will be made out of this one: I have l larger floral for the windows, and one with more rose color for the accents. And I'm thinking of running this lengthwise for the dust ruffle: I WILL get some knitting done today! Looks like I might not be wearing those socks on the first day of school ;(

Bump in the plans

OK, called me ticked off... The painter just called and canceled for today. Alright, I know its Saturday and he worked a full 2 days already but I am really getting anxious to get everything put back together. This is why I dislike working with contractors so much – they are just such damn prima donnas. Arggggggggggg.......... He said he is coming tomorrow, that means he'll probably be here Monday too. OK, switching modes and out to breakfast and shopping with hubby. The entertainment unit got picked up from the basement yesterday to go to a new home. Hoping I can get Justin to help Phil today with empty electronic boxes in the attic and get Vanessa's 10 boxes up there.

Down to the finish line

Woo Hoo! The painter called yesterday and came to look at the job for the supplies he needed. He was able to start @ 7 AM this morning. So far the ceilings in 3 bedrooms, the hall, stairs and foyer as well as 6 closets are painted. All the caulking is done and the walls prepped for tomorrow. Of course having loaded up everything into boxes and closets, everything had to come out so the closets could be painted. That was my fun for this morning. Stumbled upon this Calculator - Pick Up Stitches on For Button Band.

Just Links: Sock Lessons, Felted Vases & Bucket Hat Pattern Generator

Sock Lessons 1-5 Felted Vases knit bucket hat

Breathing Again

Things are starting to settle down. The house still stinks and the odor is giving me massive headaches and stomaches but it is getting better. The daybed was delivered this morning. The window guy came and fixed the window slider thingy that broke when it was being cleaned. Another just needed a little tightening with a screw driver. I have someone coming for another dump run tomorrow morning; the house cleaners come in tomorrow afternoon and the painter will start on Saturday. He claims that he can get all 3 rooms done in a day - ceilings, closets, walls and trim. Then he'll come back and do the hall, stairway and front foyer - maybe Sunday. I'll get him to come back and do the dining room and living room in the fall - might as well keep going! The floor guys gave me an estimate for the master bed room. Plan is to have that room repainted, new floors and a new bed once we settle into the other 3 bedrooms. I picked up all the paint (light yellow, hancock green, atrium white, ceiling white, super white for trim) yesterday as well as an American Accents Distressed Ivory kit to refinish the sewing cabinet, a mirror frame and for an unfinished bedside table for V's/guest room. This will be a new look - sort of Provincial. Project Notebook. So all I have left to do is box up the rest of the stuff in the closets so it will be easier to paint and reorganize, remove and spackle any remaining picture hangers and take down the rods and curtains that are up. Not too bad! I may even get some knitting done today... knitty archives Picking up stitches along a curved edge Knitting Patterns

Vacation Collage

Home, House, Memories and Socks

OK, so life is not perfect. Well maybe it was for one week. Reminder to self: always choose an all-inclusive adult only (read - NO Children!) couples resort. What heaven. Then a cold reminder of real life on the transfer back to the airport when we stopped at 1 other resort. A few couples and a family got on. We had traveled 2 minutes - 2 lousy minutes when we heard "I want my Game Boy!” And another minute later "I want my Game Boy NOW!” My blood boiled and one look at Phil and the other couples from Secrets said it all. In all fairness, there is a time for everything... The thing that was most impressive all week was the shrieking QUIET. (Notice how few people there are - that was how it was). The only thing that awakened me all week was the 3 AM rain. In the pool, at the beach, in the dining rooms and all the common areas all you saw were couples, quietly interacting or silently sharing together time; floating together in the pool, holding hands walking on the beach, toasting each other at dinner. Occasionally 2 couples together or the family that accompanied the wedding couple who got married last week – and there were many weddings. “Honeymooners” banners were on many of the doors to the suites. Just couples, whether for their honeymoon, anniversary or just to enjoy and renew. Purely selfish on my part as I know there was a time that this sight would have wrenched at my heart, but I could do this again. The food, services, rooms and amenities were great. Expedia pics, candid pics. NB: Rasta Hubby, x-rated Hubby, our hideaway, the loving couple, the floating princess, Asian Dinner, our AM hangout, the strolling musicians. OK, so I only finished Ten Big Ones, and Angels & Demons - it was a slow reading week ;) Arriving late last night was a reality check. The floor guys had not finished saying that the heat and humidity had put a damper on the pace of the work. OK, so it was 100 or so degrees with high humidity so I have to cut them some slack. They left us a little welcome home message. AND they had piled boxes, the remaining pieces of furniture and all the doors and bottom shelves from the closets into our bedroom. We couldn't get to our bathroom or the one in the hall. But the new floors are down in the hallway, Phil’s office, Vanessa’s/ guest room, and my new office/craft room. They will repair the wall damage; patch and clean and then the walls will be repainted. All the carpet is gone – YES! The stairs are sanded and all the surfaces need 1 more coat of poly. The guys are here now, putting back the doors, shelves, moldings and doing any patching that needs done. They’ll be back tomorrow to replace the furniture. PROGRESS! Did I really just start this 3 weeks ago? I need to slow down, but I only have 2 weeks left to get this place back together... It helps to go back and see what this place looked like before. Oh yeah, I did manage to get down the ball of my foot on one of the socks… Good thing the pedicure matches!

Daybed & Off for Vacation!!!

Bought the daybed with pop-up trundle and mattresses yesterday. Holding off delivery until floors are done and rooms are painted. Have someone picking up a couple of bedside tables and lamps this morning. Just need to pack a few things, get a manicure and pedicure and we're good to go - YES! Double checked TSA and needles. Vacation reading: A Confederacy of Dunces, Ten Big Ones, A Virtuous Woman, Angels & Demons, Digital Fortress, Isle of Palms, and My East End.

Stitch 'N Pitch

The Seattle Times: Living: Here's a good yarn: Knitting fans keep eye on the ball

Knitting & Technology

CNN.com - Needles pick up stitches to help knitters - Aug 3, 2005

New Project and more cleaning

Tomorrow is Joe's Birthday. He would have been 57. Yesterday I finished shredding the last of the paperwork. What a great surprise when I came across school day folders for J and V. V is so organized that she already has most of her stuff in albums and scrapbooks (gee, where does she get this from? At work they tease me about this, but I have to admit that the last year both work and house stuff have been let go). It was fun to see J's stuff all the way back to nursery school and up to college. I left it with the med-lift chair that he is picking up tonight. I think he will be surprised that I still had all this. Did manage to get some stuff out of the basement and into the garage. That pile is really growing, but when I get in one of these modes, watch out, EVERYTHING is going! I also scheduled a couple of window repairs and pickup of area rugs for when we get back. Anyone look at the time of these posts? You would think that I would be able to sleep during the summer, but no, I have to create projects for myself. Speaking of which, I went to Creative Fibers yesterday, now isn't that a surprise. Laura mentioned that she had been talking about me to someone "this lady who knits so incredibly tight" - now what does that say???? The spa is looking better and better for next week. Of course I just had to get a new project for the plane ride: Phil has a couple of sayings, well, more than a couple. One is "how come J and I don't get nothin'" and the other is "I can't even afford a pair of damn socks". So now he's getting a pair of freakin' socks! Plymouth Encore Worsted Color Spun, color7022, (75% Acrylic; 25% Wool, Gauge: 5 stitches = 1" on #8 needles, Yardage: 100 gms/220 yds, Care: Machine Washable, Machine Dry). I LOVE that the color is tutti fruitti - fitting, no? I thing he will look adorable in them. (I know I said I'd never work with acrylic again, but the darn things need to be washable and I couldn't find a superwash wool that I liked for this project. She is supposed to be getting 80% wool, 20% nylon in but I needed it NOW!).

The pattern is "Country Classic Yarn for Sox" Pattern 150 from Accessories Unlimited, PO Box 894 in Glastonbury, CT 06033 (Can't find any reference to this pattern). At least this pattern calls for #8 dps! And even with all the house chaos I did manage to finish two of the triangular bases of the Entrelac bag:

Monday, counting down to vacation, TKGA, Anniversary

Happy 2nd Anniversary Justin & Tara! Yes, hired someone to remove all the carpet and debris from the garage next week. Message left for the painter. Found a fabric for the color scheme. This florally thing is not me at all, but... Turned my heel. This pair of socks already cost me about $60 not including all the blood, sweat and tears. Yes, Phil I have been known to wear socks, well maybe a couple of times. And V - I just might frame the damn things! Laura from Creative Fibers opened the latest issue of Cast On to the list of Master Knitter Program Graduates during class and there was my name and hers! I hadn't even looked at the list when I was looking through the mag. I was just eyeballing the pattern on page 70. Haven't decided if I want to tackle the next level - an argyle sock for goodness sake. Going to spend a couple of hours with my new best friend Aurora while making sausage, peppers, onions and mushrooms for Phil (using his latest aquisition of course), then off to lunch while the house gets cleaned. Going to try and get a few things out of the basement to add to the junk pile in the garage. I think I'll be able to handle this: "All suites provide guests with a luxurious four post canopy bed, Jacuzzi for two, bathrobes, separate shower, air conditioning, satellite TV including HBO, Cinemax and other channels, mini-bar restocked daily with soft drinks, beer, and water, telephone, safe deposit box, hair dryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board and 24-hour room service." Pumpkin Treat Bag, Halloween Motifs