The Grand Reveal

Before I get carried away with all the stitching and knitting planned for this year, I thought I would get caught up with some of the changes from 2009.  This was the year we finally took down that wall I wanted gone when we bought the house in 1999.  Have a peek:
           This is the wall I wanted gone, from both the living room and the kitchen views.

    and here is that back wall you see in the first pic – it separated the dining room from the back door. 

Here is the view after that first weekend of construction in August:

   we took out the wall between the kitchen and dining room, and about 1/2 of the back wall.  

In the front entryway, I took off the door to the small coat closet, and we opened that area up as well:

      There was no change in the actual dimensions of the closet, but we removed the framing for the door, and that made it appear larger.  Look at that lovely lino, and how small that patch of lino is.

There was rewiring, as we moved electrical outlets, phone outlets, light switches, and we removed both a cupboard and the fan hood above the stove:

 

After many rounds of drywall mud, much sanding, painting, repairing the holes in the ceiling where the walls came down, having the ceiling painted, having the laminate installed, and cutting and laying tile for the entryways, this is how things ended up!  Feel free to imagine some fresh flowers, candlelight, and reveal-type music here.

  I found this pot rack on ebay, and it fits perfectly!

      

   I love the tile we chose for the front entry and  back doorway.   Did you notice that we extended the tile in the front entryway? Now 4 people can get in and out!

And Here Comes 2010

 We ended the old year with a fabulous morning of hoar frost – amazing how the end result of high humidity and low temp can create such beautiful lace!

Our Christmas visit with Grandma and assorted family members went well.  My DD was thrilled, as always, when Santa’s reindeer came to visit at Grandma’s house.  There was a herd of about 8 mule deer hanging about.  This fine fellow took a long rest in the sun on the hillside

December of 2009 was busy with finishing work and doing my own knitting for Christmas gifts – here are a few of the projects that were completed

 Lynn’s gorgeous American eagle

 Jodi’s modified Just Nan Christmas Eve quilted wallhanging

 Elf sock slippers and  socks with bells that I knit for Cindy

  the One Row Rib stole for my sil

  

 and these scarves were finished between Christmas and New Years.

I did not make any New Year’s resolutions this year, other than to stitch and knit a little every day, and to take care of myself and my family in this new decade.  That will keep me busy enough!

Merry Christmas to All

Presents are wrapped, cookies made, the house decorated.  All we need now is to go over the river and thru the woods to Grandma’s house for the year to be complete!

I will leave you with just a few pics:

    The year’s worth of cross-stitch ornaments.  I have stitched at least one ornament a month for the past 8 years!

 This year’s painted ornaments for the special kids in our life.

 The cabinet with all the hand-painted santas and angels from years ago, and finally, our norfolk pine tree, with the kids ornament trees waiting to be decorated.  The pink Barbie tree is my daughters!

 

All the best of the New Year to you and yours.

Sometimes, a Still Moment

There are sometimes, if you are able to sense them, very still moments.  This morning, I was out shovelling the snow off the deck, and I paused for while the light grew around me, and there was not a breath of air moving……

after a week of -40 weather, it is above freezing, and is soooo warm….

and after a crazy time with the flu, and then a crazier time rushing to clean the house, catch up on laundry, and prepare for the coming holiday madness….

there was perfect stillness.

I hope to carry that moment of perfect calm til year’s end.

Felting and More Felting

The knitting on big needles continues, and now DS has a new pair of felted clogs to keep his toes warm.  Can you stand to see more pics?   

I used up some of the wool leftovers making him a cozy for his ipod,       and then a small felted bag….. not sure yet who will receive this one.     I inserted a can of beans while the felt was still wet to give it this round shape.  I have plans for a few larger bags and totes in the new year.

Cheryl’s Lovely Garden Chair

is all finished – and here is proof!

      If I had thought of it, I would have opened the little drawer in the seat of the chair.  This clever design is by Cat’s Whiskers, and it is one in the series of furniture Janie has dreamed up!  I much prefer how the feet are attached on this chair, as compared to the Peacock chair, and I think the little parasol is simply too cute!  Great stitching Cheryl!

 These are Cheryl’s Shepherd Bush ornaments too – all finished as flange pillows:

 

and while I was busy finishing, I finally put together a little pumpkin needlebook/scissor fob kit that Cheryl sent a while back.  The kit was from Stitches ‘N Things

 

and then I simply had to  make some little pumpkins to go along with it   .

These are fun and quick to make, and are lovely scissor fobs or ornaments.

So Much for Fall

 we are having winter today – snow and ice and cloudy skies abound.  Seems like just two weeks ago we were having 34 degree C days and sunshine!  All of this gloomy cold weather has helped out with the handiwork, as being outside is not a pleasure at all! 

  This is the last little bit of autumn left in the house – loads of cherry tomatoes of the sunsugar variety – tasty little bits of tomato candy! 

and of course, there is the pumpkin my DD picked out after completing  the Run For the Pumpkins run last weekend:

    It was cold then too!

All this cold weather made DH’s wish for felted slippers a priority – so here they are:

     It always amuses me no end that those big boats felt down to normal feet size in the washer!  I did add a leather sole, so I am hoping these slippers will last the winter.  For those who need details – the yarn is Lion Brand Fisherman Wool, and the pattern is  Felted Clogs by Bev Galeskas

 Next on the needles is a pair for DS, and then a pair for DD as well.  Stay safe and warm everyone!

Treasure Chest Pics to Share

It has been such a long while since I have posted!  We have been busy since early August with some home reno’s, and our main floor is not quite finished yet.  Just some tile in the entry ways and the last bit of baseboard to go.

We have been hauling furniture back out of the other levels of the house tho, and we decided to move the cedar chest down into the living room to serve as a viewing seat for the cats.  Lucky cats!  Kelsey likes the new perch, and Charming likes having the loveseat to himself! 

  

We bought this cedar chest when we lived in Ontario, stripped it down to the original walnut exterior, and then wax finished it.  What do you think – pretty nice for $100! 

 

Most of my little cross stitch ornaments, smalls, and the lovely gifts I have received from other stitchers are stored inside. 

   It has become my cross stitch treasure chest

In Lieu of…

stitching – since there is very little

and knitting – since there is not much more

may I present my front lawn wildflower meadow, and flower beds,  for 2009

                 

Don’t let all that lush looking growth fool you – it was a long cold winter, and a cold dry sping here.  The garden is only just catching up. 

And now, for a little mystery, does anyone want to hazard a guess as to what color this clematis will be?  This is the first year it will bloom, and altho I think I remember the color, I am not totally sure!

 

What a month it has been!

since last I posted.  I had the pleasure of going on an overnight field trip to Drumheller -  a dinosaur lover’s paradise – with my daughter’s grade 4 class.  Check it out here:

http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/  We slept under the big t-rex skeleton …. which was guaranteed to keep a few 10 year olds up past bedtime!  Upon our return, we attended my MIL’s funeral.  Even tho her death was expected, it was still a sad occasion.  Polly made us very welcome when we moved here to Lethbridge, and her garden lives on in my garden.  Finally, our old Taurus station wagon has become undriveable – we have another broken motor mount – and so this week was spent researching and purchasing a ‘new to us’ car from a friend and neighbor.  I think we have had enough for a while now!

Let me show you the wonderful things that Gaby sent for my birthday!  I absolutely love the gorgeous biscornu and scissors fob that she made – and she remembered that my favorite color is blue!!  And do you see that lovely Opal sock yarn??  That is destined to become a pair of Viper Pilot socks  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/viper-pilotshanks   – Ravelry store link.

    

Gaby crocheted catnip mice too : 

  and you can see how happy the hooligans were to be remembered!

Thanks so much Gaby for the stitching, and all the gorgeous goodies you sent along.

I finally finished my Ackworth Quaker Friendship Book – many thanks to all the ladies involved in this RR!  The linen is 28 ct Snowdrop by DMC, and the floss is Purple Haze by WDW.

     

And finally, a knitting finish too!  This is a Leaf Lace Shawl – the pattern is in Evelyn Clark’s Knitting Lace Triangles.  I used 4 skeins of Wildfoote Luxury sock yarn, and added beads to the edge to give it a bit of weight.  I love how this one turned out, and am very happy that Cheryl loved it too!  She sent me a bundle of stitching things in a trade, and agreed to have a surpise knitted item in return!

      That teeny ball of yarn is all that is left!