I have been knitting

It may seem like the construction and kids took over this blog and it did briefly but I have been knitting between loads of laundry. I have finished the clapotis. Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in the Safari colorway. I used 3 skeins by eliminating one increase and one decrease section of the pattern. I love how it turned out with an animal print color mix. I can tell this is going to be one of my new favorites.

Made M a pr. of purple socks out of Jitterbug yarn.

Started and finished (but not blocked) my sister-in-laws Christmas present. It is made from Handmaiden Sea Silk in the rose garden colorway. Beautiful yarn and pattern but will be better when blocked. The weather has been so gloomy lately so the color quality of the picture is poor, sorry.

I can post a picture because I know she doesn't read here.

I am still working on the MS3 and hoping to get it done for a Christmas present. No pictures because this person does read the blog. I have two socks on progress, one for Z and one for A. I am motivated to get them done so I can make another pair for myself. I love knitting for the kids but I also love putting on the socks when completed and their feet are too small for me to do try-ons.

I started a dark red sweater for myself for Christmas but I am not sure I am going to keep going with it. I am right on for gauge, making the size my bust calls for but I have this haunting feeling that it is going to be too tight and not look good one me. Part of this may be the pattern I have chosen. I love the look but will it look as good on a size 14 waist as it does on the model? I have not had good much with making sweaters for myself. I usually look like a balloon in them...making a big body look even bigger. I admit that I have only made 3 sweaters so far but I have been less than pleased with all of them. I want to keep trying though. I know the style that would look good on me but can't find a pattern for it. I guess I need to design it myself....

So there has been a lot of knitting going on in this house.

Mondays and Thursdays are laundry days.

I ask the kids to bring down the laundry from their rooms. K, my oldest, comes up laughing to herself..."Mom, Your laundry room exploded." The pile is 1/2 way up my washer and to the door.

I had all the laundry caught up on Monday.

Construction is complete

Well almost. We have a few (two notebook pages) of minor things to touch up or finish. Here are some pictures:

First a "before" picture. This was my little kitchen and behind me was my small dining room. We couldn't all sit down at once to eat. So aside from summer when we ate outside on the picnic tables each night, the last 18 months we have eaten in shifts. We fed the kids first and then Vince and I would sit down when there was room for us at the table.

This is my new Large kitchen. It has chip board counter tops and bar right now. The granite will be installed next week. Purple you say? Yes! Purple. Love, love, love it.

My new dining room table that my dad made for us. It was hard to get it all in the picture. It is 4 ft. x 12 ft. long. We can seat 16 around it and he built it in two pieces so we can separate it in the middle and seat 4 more for a total of 20 people. There is a bench he also made in the back to seat the "little butts". Yup, more purple in the curtains on a dark yellow wall.

My new pantries and desk area. See the gas fireplace in the kitchen? I am always cold so it feels cozy to turn it on in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast and getting ready for school. There are 8 bar stools that will allow seating at the bar (when it is installed next week.) Spiced pumpkin color on the wall.

New family room downstairs. Vince and I have a running joke. I got bright colors upstairs for my kitchen and he chose brown tan and tan for his room. He still says his room is better because what you can't see in this picture is the new flat screen hanging on the wall.

We love our new space.