Where to even begin?  When I last posted it was about a month ago and we were about to get the finishing stages done on our basement floor remodel.  It has been quite a month.  I don't want to jinx the rest of the project or go into all the details because you would probably not believe it if I told you!  Long story short it was a catastrophe of a mess and a new crew was brought in.  The floor needed to be completely reground and remove all of the previous work (mess) that was created.  I have been digging deep to have patience.  I have an immense place of gratitude to the people working hard to fix this for us.

One place for my own sense of sanity and peace during the holiday was balance.  I let go trying to get out all of the decorations for Christmas not totally abandon the holiday spirit either.  We got our tree but not from a farm, instead a Christmas Tree lot.  We did not put up too many ornaments since it our first Christmas with Noodle the cat and she believes it is her giant toy!  We got out the wooden spiral to count down to Christmas Eve but I was not able to get the King Laurin (St. Nicholas) shoes filled early in the month so they will be an added treat on Christmas Eve.  I let go that my handmade cloth gift bags are in a box in the back of the storage container and we got some wrapping paper yesterday to start wrapping up presents.

I let go trying to make either with wood or wool this year for gifts and instead am opting to make little sets of gingerbread house shape cookies this year.  I am sure our family will understand that our house remodel was a dominating figure this year!

So as I sit this morning in front of our simple tree, simple decorations, I am very excited because this weekend we have been witnessing our new crew work their magic on our floor.  For the past couple of days he stops by and works in more layers of color with different acids and methods to achieve a really unique look.  Imagine old worn leather, like a saddle.  All of this on a floor that was really nicely prepped.  If all looks good we should be seeing the final layer of color and sealing happening today and tomorrow.  That means painting hopefully midweek, trim work, and unpacking in the weekend and then the final work after Christmas of installing the new oak treads on the stairs.  The excitement is building!

The lessons of our story so far is knowing when to trust your gut when it tells you something does not seem right from the beginning, dig deep for patience when it goes wrong, let go of your own expectations for holiday traditions and shoot for balance, and finally expressing gratitude for those working hard for us on this journey and those listening to our story along the way!  I look forward to sharing more pictures soon and about my new discovery and love of IKEA!  From my home to yours- happy holidays my friends!

We are getting closer!  We are right on the edge of some big changes in the basement remodel this upcoming week.  Tomorrow final crack patching, floor grinding, and staining is set to happen.  This is going to be dusty yet so exciting!  Once this step is complete then everything else starts to fall in place.



We get to finalize our decision on wall color and hopefully start painting and finishing the trim work next weekend and the first part of the following week.  Please ignore the moss green paint color that I was so in love with a few years back- now I can hardly stand it!  Today it will be filling in nail holes or other wall prep before our flooring people come tomorrow.  Once they are finished staining and sealing we need to give it a couple days to cure.  That's right fellas- get that laundry done today!  Don't worry, my lonely plant hanging downstairs will join us today upstairs as well!


A late game change that we decided to do was re-tread the stairs.  They had carpet on them like the rest of the basement and originally we thought we would replace it with fresh carpet for softness but then we reconsidered.  We thought it might be odd to only have carpet in that one place in the whole house.  Other considerations were cost of replacement carpet and more importantly, after pulling the old carpet up and seeing how dirty it was underneath as well so we decided to go another route.

When we pulled up the carpet, the previous owners put down 2x12 pine boards for a wider tread under the carpet.  Husband and I hammered these out last night and found some very vintage faux brick linoleum on the original stair treads. Thankfully they are not asbestos tile so we are going to let these stay under the new treads.  Like a little time capsule!  We have opted to clean and sand up the existing risers and give them a fresh coat of white paint and will be adding fresh oak risers at the very end.

I am getting really excited for this week.  I am going to finish my morning cup of tea and slip on the work clothes to start sanding.  I am been able to sneak in some holiday shopping/planning and knitting this weekend as well.  In between Jan's Poncho that I have been working on, the other knitting project that did not get packed away was the Eclipse Hat I started in August.  A few inches grow at a time with this sock weight yarn and tiny needles!  But isn't it lovely!



I had a morning outing with Silas yesterday to Target where I went and checked out the Magnolia Market line of products.  Super cute stuff but I tried to be modest since I have spent a good amount of time purging the past few weeks.  Just a couple items hopped in my basket.  My theme for holiday making and giving seems to be developing, "home".  I am sure it is completely influenced by this remodel!  I won't have as much time to make for Christmas this year since the studio most likely won't be unpacked till very end of Nov or beginning of Dec but this gets me excited!

Well- the sander and trim paint is calling my name!  Cheers!

I am trying to practice deep breaths and patience as we wait for the next phase of the remodel to happen.  A week ago a successful abatement happened of the asbestos tile in the studio room in the basement.  We spent the weekend putting on Kilz paint primer to this room to help cover the once red, then bright yellow walls with some traces of abatement aftermath on the lower portion.  Hubby and I started listening to a podcast and set to work painting.


As my impatience grew over the weekend I worked in some knitting time on the poncho while I took in the amazing color show outside.  This view from my upper and lower decks is part of the major reason we stay in this house and are putting the work into the house currently.  We live just off the downtown area and yet we have this behind and next to our house.  The woods was really showing off this weekend!  This poncho that I am working on is what I call Jan's Poncho.  It is from an estate sale that you may remember me talking about from earlier this year.  It was an unfinished object that I got with all of this luscious alpaca yarn.  She had passed away from cancer and from what I can tell was quite the prolific knitter.  I took her work in progress back to the seed stitch edge and am using this pattern from Churchmouse Yarns and Tea.  I am not doing the cowl neck option and adding the seed stitch border on beginning and end and one edge to prevent curling of the stockinette.  It is a slow knitting project that I am picking up in between projects.  All the other yarn for this is packed up so I am hoping this little ball I am on right now makes it till I am painting and moving furniture back into my basement!





The last of the nasty carpet was ripped off the stairs so we could make our final decision on if we wanted to lay fresh carpet on the stairs or possibly paint or lay new treads.  We decided to go for new oak treads which have priced out to be less than carpet and I think will look much more modern, updated, and will be easier to keep clean.  We plan on installing these ourselves with some help from my folks at the very end of the basement remodel.



We are waiting to finalize the wall color until the floors are stained but seriously- a color called "yarn" just try to convince me that this should not be the one!  I never thought I would bypass color for a neutral color on the walls but I am thinking of going more neutral and doing lots of pop of color in the new area rug, pillow and some knitted wall hangings.

Crossing my patient fingers that the flooring gets done soon!

I wanted to update on our remodel dealing with the asbestos floor tile that we found in one room in our basement as we ripped up the carpet and were preparing to have the concrete stained.  So in my own curiosity I visited with our neighbor who was familiar with our house prior to us.  I was trying to understand what this room was in the basement considered we had the impression it was not finished till the couple who flipped the house and sold it to us.

She shared some ugly stuff with the original builder/owner of the house and that he was abusive to his wife and three daughters.  Apparently this was the daughters room- one room in an otherwise unfinished basement.  I feel like we have opened and uncovered this flooring and parts of a story that we don't completely know or understand.

Interestingly that room is physically and professionally being abated and cleaned tomorrow on Halloween.  We had done a thorough smudging when we moved in but I feel spiritually it needs it again.  It will be time to cleanse this energy out of the house surrounding Halloween/Samhain/Dia de los Muertos when that veil is thin- timing I did not see coming!

I had the day off with my boys and we found our selves taking a load to Goodwill from the remodeling purge and we decided to pop in for a look around.  On the shelf just waiting for me to find it was a beautiful glass ball; often known as a witch ball that can be hung to trap negative energy- a talisman to be hung in your home.



I have had a smaller ball hanging in my front window upstairs but I think this beautiful yellow one will be perfect to hang downstairs in this room or near it.  I also gathered some herbs from my yard and garden to make a smudge to burn after the abatement.

I am on a bit of time crunch so I wrapped it and it is now drying in the oven so it smells like cedar, rosemary, sage, and lavender in my kitchen right now!

Wish us luck as we continue to trudge forth making our little abode updated, cozy, and home!

What was meant to be my summer shirt exploring knitting with linen has finally come off the needles and is going to first be a fall, winter and spring shirt before it is my summer shirt!  A certain welcome blanket knitting project hijacked my knitting this summer so I just finished this bad boy.




For this shirt I chose the shirt pattern by Kat Coyle who also did the Pussyhat pattern.  I used Euroflax and did my shirt a bit longer than the pattern called for.  At first I thought the linen was a beast to wind and a little strange to knit with.  It was very stiff.  But it continued to soften over time and in the end I am in love.





I just did a quick wet block before I seamed it all together and I look forward to the washings and drying as I heard it only gets softer over time.  I am looking forward to taking on more linen knitting in my life!

I shut down my Etsy shop for the month of October for a reason that has been a long time coming with lots of work involved.  I have been wanting to rip the carpet out of my basement for at least 8 years now.  The previous owners had finished the basement and put off-white carpet in the basement and after a non-disclosed on again off again moisture issue, 2 boys, 2 cats, and a dog the carpet is more off than white!



So we did some planning and work and are incorporating some new flooring as part of some other remodeling that we are doing.  Yay for old yucky carpeting being pulled out!  We are have the concrete stained and just getting one nice area rug.

We have been working hard sorting, purging, packing for the past couple weeks since our basement, camping storage and my studio are all in the carpeted areas.  On the weekend it was time to demo the old carpet and get our first look at the concrete flooring.  All was going pretty well till we got to the back room where my studio room was and discovered another flooring under the carpet.

At first I was like "cool vintage floor" when all of a sudden it started to dawn on us; house was built in the late 50's, 9 inch single speckled tile; bloody hell I bet they are asbestos tile that was so wildly popular from the 1920's- 1960's!  I love vintage- but not this kind of vintage!

So we stopped in our tracks and left the carpet tack in that room and decided to call in our contractor. After some closer examination and phone calls we are about 90% sure they are asbestos and since we noticed a couple cracks and some damage on the edge we will need to have it abated professionally.

Fingers crossed that it does not set up back and arm and a leg.  We will get the estimate this week and hopefully it will be out by next week and we only lose a couple weeks of the schedule.

I guess the biggest issue we have, this is just one more thing that did not disclosed to us when we bought the house.  One of the sellers have even just graduated from law school- karma you better take care of this one!



With all of my yarn packed up I left myself 3 potential projects; I am almost finished with the linen shirt, my eclipse hat, and my very slow knitting project of the poncho.  I remembered at the last minute to grab some white cotton to make more ghosts this year for the trick or treaters!  Hopefully that all keeps my sticks clicking with this slight delay in the remodel!

A fun part of fiber share is also putting together a package of wooly goodness for your partner.  As you can tell I am little bit smitten with the enamel camp cup trend.  I am sure it is strongly influenced by my dear Scamp Coleen!  I dabbled in some design making once more on Canva and came up with this sweet little design.  What do you think?  A local Etsy artist made it from my design and she had the sweetest packaging to boot!


So if you are going to include a "got wool?" custom cup you better include some wool right?  Of course!  So for my partner's wool I included the following curated yarns:

• Qing Fibre Merino Single
• BumbleBirch Merino
• Malabrigo Silky Merino
• Madelinetosh
• Local Fav Alpacas d'Auxvasse

Do you know about FiberShare?  I just finished up my second time doing FiberShare- it is an international yarn and fiber swap- in a nutshell.  The folks that organize it do a great job matching you up with 2 partners- one that you will send to, and one that sends you a box o' goodies.  They do a wonderful job of matching you up in your medium and interests.  The only requirement is that you send at a minimum 200 grams of fiber or yarn.  There is no spending limits high or low.  You can pull from your stash, shop, make- it is up to you.  Of course a few fun goodies is up to the sender!

And did I mention the trolling?  You get to troll (in a good way) your partner's social media spots; Instagram, Revelry, etc. . . to get a feel of what they like in fiber and colors.

So this was my second round and so far both of my partners that mailed to me spoiled me rotten!  In fact the yarn that I just dyed with came from my first partner swap.



I thought I would share a glimpse of what I received in this round.  Some tantalizing Rowan warm, cozy, natural British wool- be still my "I want to go to the UK" heart!  She also included some lovely Valley Yarn and a Madelintosh I adore.  Sprinkled with some sweet little mini Yarn-Rehab skeins that I think will back some awesome weavings or accent pieces to the Valley Yarn.  To top it all off there were some sweet buttons, tea, and dark chocolate in just the right dark chocolate percentage for me to enjoy all neatly tucked in a canvas bag that just so happens to match my bike.  How sweet!



Thank you to my partner and to the fantastic gals making all the match making magic happen behind the scenes!

I will share my Fiber Share Anatomy Part 2 next time after I am sure my partner has received her box- no spoilers here!

Well maybe not "dyeing" to try but natural dyeing has definitely been in my interest box.  In a previous Fiber Share swap my partner got me some un-dyed natural fiber yarns.  I had this in my stash and I combined that with that plethora of walnuts from our tree that pounds our house and deck and I decided to give some natural dyeing a shot this weekend.


I referred to this book and also I found this website helpful.  The first thing I decided to do was spread it out among both days of the weekend.  I have a tendency to rush projects like this so I tried to take my time.  I stopped by the local thrift store for an enamel ware pot I could dedicate to dye.  I found the perfect pot and some vintage cloth napkins while I was at it (score)!



Yesterday I gathered about a dozen of fallen walnuts and broke them up with a rock and placed the husks and nuts in some cheesecloth.  I covered this in water and cooked this down for about an hour.  I then turned off the flame and let it cool down and sit for another hour.



I then pulled the bundle out strained the dye bath through a coffee filter to remove any other particles.  I saved this till today.  I brought it up to just below simmering and soaked the two skeins of yarn that I had in some warm water.  I added this to the dye bath and kept it just below simmer for an hour then turned it off the heat and let it sit for an additional hour.





After lots of soaking in a similar water temp till it ran clear I set it out to dry in the sun and breeze.  I did not mordant the yarn prior to the dye bath since most of what I read is that when using fresh walnuts,  mordant is not necessary.  I think it is gorgeous!  Such a lovely brown.  I just may have caught a little bit of a dye bug as I definitely lean heavily towards these colors and naturally dyed natural fiber yarns are not always readily available in the local yarn shops.





Bonus is that I get to utilize this nut that drops all over my deck each fall!  Wouldn't this be fun to do to some muslin cotton also?  My mind is spinning with ideas!
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"I can't, I am going to Winfield"  was a common saying the third weekend of September for a nice little chunk of time when the boys were younger.  This meant we were packing up and heading to Winfield, Kansas for the Walnut Valley Music Fest with local friends.  It is a a really unique music fest worth the 5 hour drive mostly because of the music that is in the campgrounds more so than the main stage music.  It has been harder as the boys got older to take them out of school so until the time when my DH, myself and Scamp Coleen make our way back sans boys we have been hosting a little gathering at our house we call "Little Walnut Valley".





DH sets up a stage on the lower deck, we make a pot of soup, gather the friends and create a knit pickers paradise.  Choose your passion- a little knitting, maybe some picking, or just hanging out with a beer and some friends.




The weather cooperated nicely, the tunes were flowing, and I was able to get in a few rows on the linen shirt.  Our own walnut trees seemed to know that they were being honored as they kept dropping walnuts on the upper deck as part of the ambiance!

I really should try and figure out how to do some natural dyeing with all those dang walnuts!  I enjoyed being surrounded by my community, especially as my eldest ventured out on his own in my car for the first time!  You can bet I needed a beer after watching him drive down the road!

Cheers to knitting, picking, and journeying forth with my fellas!