Press-n-Seal

This is my Press-n-Seal method of keeping quilt pieces organized while cutting a bazillion pieces in a house full of kitties. Each stack of pieces has a number on top of it on a piece of sticky note paper. Works good! Here is a close up of one of the groups.

Trim Painter

Got a couple of great pictures of the painter at work today. He is doing such a nice job!




He has been saving the front porch for last. Maybe tomorrow!

A little more progress

The contractor finally sent his brother-in-law and things are getting better. Still lots to do but he knows his stuff.

More progress

Here are some more progress pics of the house. Went out to have a look today while the trim painters were working. They don't speak much English and the contractor isn't here everyday so when I started seeing some problems it was a little frustrating. Seems the painters didn't really understand what "trim" means when it comes to old Victorian houses. So I got the contractor to come by and get it straightened out. Whew! This is their first Victorian! Maybe I understand a little better why it was so hard to find a painter in the first place.



The board that sticks out between the floor level and the basement (what's that called?) should be painted white. So should the corner boards that cover the ends of the siding. Don't know about more modern houses but on a Victorian anything that isn't siding is trim.



Sun porch is looking better and better. See all the trim that still needs painting?

We also pointed out nails that hadn't been punched and filled, open cracks between the base board and the siding that should have been caulked, places that never got scraped or sanded, etc...

Then the contractor explained that there is a "finishing" crew that takes care of all that stuff. Wish he had mentioned that before! He thinks it should be all done by the end of the week.That will be so exciting! Then Alex can get on with things he has been promising to do, like mending and painting all the screens, mending or replacing old window sashes. Of course I've been hearing these promises for years and years so... Ever hopeful, that's me!

Here in the studio I cast on to knit this.



The free pattern is here http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/60588.html?noImages=0

(Can anyone tell me how to make URLs into live links?)

I'm doing seed stitch instead of ribbing and I'm doing it all in one piece so there aren't any side seams to sew up. I also want to pick up and knit the sleeves from the top down for the same reason. And I want to do a shawl collar instead of the hood. So far I have 2-1/2 inches of seed stitch. That's miles and miles! And kinda of boring too. But the Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky (http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/itemid_5420155/yarn_display.aspx) feels wonderful!

Tomorrow I will set it aside and get back to the last round robin. Honest!!!

So much to share!

So much going on right now! The guys working on the house. Alex's 71st birthday. My slipper pattern for Fiber Trends and on and on.

Nobody responded about pictures of the house in progress so... Here's what has happened so far, starting with some "before" pics.



This is the side of the house with the enclosed sun porch. Pretty sad. You can see the dilapidated side steps that have never been safe to use.



The side of the living room. You see the living room window and most of a dining room window. Part of it is hidden by the enclosed sun porch.



Another view from the side of the living room. You can see the bay window poking out on the left. To help you feel the scale, those are 10 foot high windows and the ceilings are 14 feet. That horizontal line below the window is the floor line, with basement below.

Now for some progress pics.



The side steps are gone...



and new ones being built.



The back porch is gone...



and a new one is begun! The stairs are wider than before and the tiny little landing will be a nice little deck.



And the new decking on the front porch. Alex did that himself! All primed and everything.



And Rufus the overseer.

And now for some knitting!



Alex had been fussing about our beat up, worn out bathroom rugs. Guess what I made for his birthday? This is my version of Absorba from Mason*Dixon Knitting. As a quilter I just couldn't bring myself to do it all in one color. It is so thick and squishy! Alex loves it!



And another rug from the same book. Came out pretty good. I learned so much I want to do another Absorba when I can get some more of that double worsted Peaches and Creme.



And of course Merlin had to approve the new rugs.

And finally...



These are the new sample slippers for my Fiber Trends pattern. We decided to do a double sole so it would be softer. They came out real nice I think.

In the works now are the long suffering Round Robin, casting on for the Lion Brand Danbury Hooded Sweater Jacket (I am using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in what they call Emerald but to me is Forest Green), casting on socks for my doctor and trying to keep my hands off my experiment with the log cabin afghan from The Knitting Experience - Color. Between that and Mason*Dixon I am, for the first time in my life, enjoying garter stitch! Never liked the look of it in garments but now I have a useful place for it.

Well, that it for now my adoring fans. Hope that keeps you busy for a while! :o)