No ugly things today, only pretty. The bathroom is nearly ready for it’s big debut. I need to find just the right mirror to hang over my little dresser, and a small hamper or basket for dirty clothes. I may also add a shelf, and I do need to finish caulking the baseboards. Oh, and I’d love to find some small, simple artwork. I think I may head to one of my favorite antique shops this weekend for the mirror and whatever other goodies I can find.  Decorating is really never ending, isn’t it? But it’s actually a wonderful space, just as it is right now. I think I’ve had a least one, if not two bubble baths every weekend for the past month. Here’s a pretty bit:

I think I may paint this little dresser. I’m just not sure what color yet. I love love love what Victoria did with hers. I could do the same color as my tray, which is really similar to that succulent green she used. I’ll just be thinking about that for awhile, it’s not going to be done anytime soon, I have too many other things to do. Like embroider pillowcases (click for a bigger view):

I think I’ll be doing a lot more of these. For those who were asking last time I posted about this little project, I washed it, and I don’t see any of the markings at all, they seemed to have come out quite nicely.

The transfer was dark grey, and you could definitely still see it through the pale pink flowers before washing, but not now! Two thumbs up for Patternbee! Floresita has a great site for free vintage embroidery patterns, including these little birds (thanks to the commentors for that info!), as well, but you have to print them out and trace them onto your fabric. I’m too impatient to do that for something this detailed, so I really like the iron-on versions, but I may print up some simpler designs and try it out.

And lastly, I’m doing a little selfish knitting:

I actually have no time for this at all, I have some Christmas gifts to work on, but still, I’m sneaking a few minutes here and there to work a couple of rows. This is the Hanami Stole, from Pink Lemon Twist. I love the beaded cast-on, even though it takes ages longer than any regular cast on. The yarn is from yarnchef, who I cannot recommend highly enough. This colorway is called flourite, and it’s really beautiful. Katy even included the prettiest little stitch marker that matches the yarn. Sadly, my camera didn’t want to take any good macros this morning, so you’ll just have to believe me. It puts my green plastic Clover markers to shame. 

This is my first real lace project, not including the embossed leaves socks or the Misty Garden scarf I’ve made. Those were just small potatoes compared to this. It’s taken me awhile to figure it out, and there may have been a little spat when I was trying to carefully keep count of my stitches, and somebody, who shall remain nameless, walked into the room and started talking to me. The nerve! He completely threw me off and I gave up and started over. I had to unpicked a few rows again a little later (I only had myself to blame that time), and there’s still a little mistake, but I can live with it. Now that I’m a few rows in, I’m getting how the lace pattern works, and there shouldn’t be anymore problems. I hope not, because this stuff is not fun to un-knit!

Books. We have a lot of them. I’ve really thinned out my library as much as I possibly can but there are still so many. I got these two book cases for the guest room, but they’ve been kind of a mess since I put them in there. I love books arranged by color, but that wouldn’t have looked right in this little room, so I went the opposite way, and just put pale cream, white, grey and antique-y books in here. It makes for quite an interesting library.

Ahh! So much better than the jumble it used to be.

So that’s the pretty part for today. Now for the ugly.

I have a pair of mitts at work for days when the air conditioning is out of control, but I still have to type. I thought a new pair might be a thoughtful gift for a co-worker for Christmas this year, and half of Ravelry seems to have used the pattern for Fetching from Knitty. Cute and fast, that’s perfect! Right? Hmm, fast, yes, cute? I need to do a little work to get them to cute.

I know it doesn’t help that there are  bits of yarn hanging off everywhere. I guess I just have long monkey hands, because even with a few extra rows, these are nowhere near long enough. Of course the friend I am making them for has smaller hands, but I still think they should be a bit longer. I really like the idea of the picot bind-off, but it’s all loose and flared here. I think a regular bind off would work better. When I was looking at my mitt this morning, I thought, "oh, I messed up, I didn’t do a second cable at the end," but then I re-read the pattern, and nope, there isn’t a second cable. I think that would help it not roll back so much at the fingers too. So, I’ll give it another shot, with a few alterations longer body, two cables at both ends, and either a regular bind off or a picot bind off with the ‘picots’ closer together. I still think the pattern is really cute, but as written I think it only works for stubby hands. No offense to stubby handed people intended :o)

Have you joined Ravelry yet? If you knit, I would highly suggest joining. They’re still beta-testing, so you may actually have to just get in line and wait for your invitation. I think it took a few weeks before I got mine. If you do join, or are already there, I’d love it if you add me to your friends, and I’ll add you back. I’m just getting started, but boy oh boy, this is one handy website. You can enter all the projects you’re working on, keep track of patterns you’d like to make, your yarn stash and needles, join groups and knit-alongs, and all sorts of handy things. The only downside? This could be dangerous for my yarn budget. I’ve already added a pretty stole pattern to my queue, and I’m not even done adding all the projects I’ve actually finished or already have in progress.

A lot of my enthusiasm for Ravelry right now also has a lot to do with the change of seasons. I just knit a lot more when it gets cold out, so I’ll have lots of pictures of knitted things for the next few months.

Blog business: I’ve been slowly cleaning things up around here. I decided to move all my links, except for family members, to their own page. You can click over there on the right if you’d like to have a look at some other excellent blogs. I’m nowhere near finished, I think it’s going to be a pretty darn long list, eventually. I’m also still fiddling around with colors, so my apologies for the clashing colors at the moment. I’m just doing a little here and there, as I have time.

This is quite a boring blog post, so I’ll end by sharing some CJ3 videos from recent shows. Go buy a CD if you like what you hear :o)

The bathroom is nearly complete. I’m sure everyone around me will be pleased when it’s over, so they don’t have to hear any more about it. This week I managed to install the light fixture, which replaces a Home Depot $6 fixture put there by the previous owners. If you’re wondering how good a $6 fixture could possibly look, I would have to answer, "not very good." I had a before picture on my camera, but I guess the fixture was so bad that the camera decided the memory card should be re-formatted so no one would have to see it. The new one, from Schoolhouse Electric, is much, much better.

I can’t recommend them enough. They were great to do business with, and I love that they let you pick out the fixture and then pick the shade. That way you end up with a really custom, one-of-a-kind light. I thought the prices were really reasonable too, considering the care that goes into all their products. I think they have an interesting story.

Our bathroom isn’t a super fancy master suite spa sort of thing, but it feels so luxurious now. I may still look for a shower door, but I hung a tension rod and curtain, and it’s actually working out okay. There’s so much room now when I shower. Before, there was alway a shower curtain touching something or other, an elbow or a shoulder, but now I can practically put my arms all the way out before I hit a wall or curtain. And no more doing the limbo to wash my hair. The shower head is way, way above my head. Then, of course, there is the hot, bubbly baths I’ve been taking! Heaven!

I’ve still got baseboards to install, a couple towel bars to hang, and paint to touch-up, but when it’s done you better believe I’ll be showing the whole thing off right here!

Another little luxury item I’m working on:

Embroidered 100% Linen pillowcases. I think these little bluebirds are so sweet. These little iron-on transfers are from Patternbee, another business I highly recommend. This pattern is from the Dream Home set.

Some other luxuries for which I am currently grateful: my trusty iPod that holds all my music, so I can take it with me everywhere; fresh eggs whenever I want them; really good cheese.

What are some of your favorite little luxuries?

I still have lots of great links to add, so check back regularly!   

3 green dots
allsorts
anknel and burblets
angry chicken
cara lou
disdressed
dottie angel
erica mulherin
feeling stitchy
freshmd
janet clare
lindamade
little doll face
molly chicken
moonstitches
needle book
nonnie (linen & roses)
on your bike sunshine
peapods
posy
tollipop
willowhouse
wise craft
yellow owl
yvestown

ravelry
fluffbuff
getting stitched on the farm
helloyarn
kittens knit
notes from norah
rohanknitter

day at a glance
decor8
design happens
design*sponge
making it lovely
SFGirlbyBay
The Cottage Nest

orangette

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman|
Rohanknitter (Weathertop Farm)

Visor från vinden
posidriv
blomsterverkstad
white country
pretty gingham

We’re still a couple weeks away from a completed bathroom, but the most important things are finally done!

The cats have been supervising the progress quite closely. Lucy says, "The toilet is solidly in place. I approve." We’ve taken a few baths now (ahh! to be able to get clean in my own home, rather than using the showers at work), but I think I’m going to have to put a door on there for the shower. My big showerhead sprays kind of wide, and I don’t think a curtain will work.

I haven’t taken pictures of the chickens for awhile, and I know you are all missing them, so here are a couple from this morning:

 
Unlike Edwin, who has become increasingly cranky with the wind, the chickens are just as sweet-natured as ever. They’ve been hunkered down under the porch and in the coop, but come running every time I come outside, hoping for something good to eat. I’ve made sure they had some good treats this week, lots of apples and a bit of brown rice, which are some of their favorites. The General is looking particularly regal these days, don’t you think? He struts around like the supreme leader, but he’s really such a sweetheart. When he is the first one there when I come out with a treat, he makes a particular clucking sound, as if to say, "Ladies, there is something fine for you to feast on, come at once!" And he waits until the majority of the hens are there before he takes any for himself. What a smart man!

And because stress levels are still quite high around here, I started another mini quilt:

I’m almost done quilting. I love making these little guys. They’re just as satisfying as completing a big quilt, but so much quicker.

It’s kind of crazy here, with all the fires, so I just wanted to post this link to a map that shows pretty much what’s going on. As you can see, Pine Valley is still in the clear. It shows that the highway is closed, but it’s not any more, so I drove into work today. We’re safe, the chickens are safe, the geese are cranky. Edwin tried to attack me this morning, the little punk, but I’m going to give him a break this time, because the wind is making me a little crazy too. Also, Bear was sitting next to me when the near-attack happened, and he barked at Edwin, and put him in his place.

The winds are starting to die down, but a couple of our trees were damaged, and the port-a-potty was blown over about 6 feet, but luckily didn’t tip over. I know you all were worried about that :o) Spanky’s came this morning and picked it up, and man was I happy to see the last of that thing.

Please say a little prayer for those that have been evacuated, and the more than 1,200 families that have lost their homes so far. I’m so grateful that we haven’t had to evacuate this time, but my heart goes out to those that have had to leave their homes, I know how they are feeling right now, and I wouldn’t wish that kind of horror and stress on anyone.