Dreams of Spring

Well, it's finally Spring Vacation for the Family Von Huff. We're heading to the coast for a little break, during which I want to be knitting something new. After all this winter with literally miles of yarn in my lap, I'm ready for something a little lighter. Something with maybe a little lace in it...

I've been hoarding these beauties since a dear friend bought them for me for my birthday. No, I will not tell you which birthday, because you're far to polite to ask. Isn't it gorgeous? Dream in Color Smooshy, in "Plum Paisley".  I have about 900 yds, so whatever I come up with, it won't be very big, no matter what.

I'm leaning toward something camisole-y. Some sort of pretty, vest/tank-like item that looks and feels feminine and hints of warmer days.

What are your favorite sleeveless patterns? Happy Solstice!

FLAK Finale!

Another non-digital thing I did last week was actually knitting: I finished my FLAK!  I still cannot get over how much yarn is in cables. 23 skeins is just ridiculous. And look how huge it was before the side seams:

I had to stand on the bed to get far enough away from it to take the photo. It's actually too big to fit on my blocking board (4' square!). So you know what? I didn't block it! Craziest thing in the world: I just couldn't find a reason to do anything to it, other than sew it up. The knitted fabric is exactly how I want it. I guess all that swatching at the beginning paid off.

Heart-shaped cables, baby. Oh, yeah.

Ta-Daa! Not that this photo shows it, but it fits me perfectly. Our friend Ms. Szabo knows her way around a cabled sweater; that's for sure. Her instructions for measuring are spot-on. Writing directions for other knitters to make their sweaters actually fit is just about the hardest thing in knitting, and Janet really gets it right.

One of these days I'll grab a kid and make them photograph the sweater actually on me. Or I'll snap a shot of it on Lindsay, who keeps swiping it when I'm not looking. Not that I blame her; I wish I could describe how cuddly and soft and altogether smooshy it is.

So now I need your input, Gentle Readers. Several of you have asked me to sell the cable charts that I designed for this, which I'm only too happy to do. But I don't think I should write a traditional knitting pattern for it, since the construction and math are really Janet Szabo's and can be had so easily by purchasing her workbook. What do you think; Can I sell just the charts, or might it be confusing if somebody thought they were getting the actual pattern for my sweater? Kindly drop a comment on what you think I should do.

Hall of Mirrors

Last week I had to completely reformat my hard drive. Thanks, Windows 8.1! While I messed around with tech support looking for a way to back up my data before wiping the drive, There was no way to blog, or surf, or anything. I missed you, Gentle Readers! I'll spare you the gory details, but in the end, I prevailed, and all my work is safe once again. Between attempts at data retrieval, I did non-digital things, in an effort not to lose the remainder of my mind.

Ever notice how one project begets another? One part of the Great Laundry Room Adventure I didn't tell you about was Lindsay's book case. Perched in the corner return of our staircase, it had to be completely emptied and moved in order to get washers and dryers in and out. And of course, the only place to stack her book collection was my bedroom floor. Don't ask. 

Once I was done with the laundry room, it was time to reclaim my bedroom floor. Lindsay and her dad bravely sorted and purged her collection; a job which had not been done since around 2006. I think going through the books made Lindsay realize that she's not a little girl anymore. She told me she'd outgrown the old book case, with its white paint (now dented and peeling) and scalloped trim.  For the girl who has trouble parting with so much as a gum wrapper, the idea of jettisoning the old thing was pretty radical. I went along with her, mostly because I agreed that the case, itself, was no longer working. Together we chose and installed some nice new wall-mounted shelving, which fits the space much better, and holds even more books:

I showed Lindsay how to choose straight boards, cut them to size, sand and varnish them. Then we learned all about stud-finding, how much books weigh per linear foot, wall anchors, and how to use a power drill. And then rehearsals for the Spring play kicked into high gear, and I was on my own to shelve the collection. After which, I realized we were going to need book ends. Five of them. With the budget well and truly blown between the laundry room and the new shelves, I had to think fast. Here's what I came up with:

Our very own hall of mirrors! Plain picture frames and metal brackets I found at the craft store (regular metal bookends would work fine too - I just couldn't find any) totaled $15. I took the frames apart and removed the back easels. Then retrieved the leftover mirror paint from the vintage window project. Man, this stuff is awesome.

First I sprayed vinegar on the glass panes, then three coats of mirror paint.

Then I sprayed black over the mirror paint.

Once everything was dry, I reassembled the frames and glued the metal brackets to the backs of the frames.

Poof! $3 bookends. I like the way they add a little sparkle to the ends of the shelves.

And with that project out of the way (and my bedroom floor finally cleared of books), I pronounced the Laundry Room Adventure officially concluded. 

What are your favorite bookend ideas?