Blue Like the Sky

Exactly like the sky. It's gorgeous here today! Hip hip hooray!

Whew, you take a long weekend off and your body starts to sink into whatever quilt-covered seating it can find and suddenly . . . you're sitting in a chair with your feet on an ottoman for four days. It was great. I think the most strenuous thing I did was bake more shortcakes and knit lace. And sell approximately 3.25 huge boxes of books back to Powell's, thus clearing our bookshelves quite wonderfully (for more, probably). I'm sorry it's taken me so long to finish the booklist I promised to finish a million years ago. I've been lazy, but it's the chair's fault. The chair has a hold on me and she's not giving up without a fight! And we can't seem to get Wi-Fi outside anymore. . . .

I did go to IKEA for breakfast with Andy on Friday. We decided that it was finally time to rip out the carpet in the studio and put in some sweepable flooring. Having carpet (here when we moved in) in a sewing studio is bad news. Pins fall on the floor and can't be swept up. They're like tics. They work themselves into the carpet so thoroughly you can hardly believe it (this is that very short, looped kind of carpet — whatever it's called). But getting new flooring requires moving everything out of the studio, and currently there are so many crazy shelves/cabinets/storage thingies it looks like some rickety, ramshackle corner of Sweethaven (remember this, from the movie?) than anywhere else. That means — opening up vats of elbow grease (I am so horrendous at moving, and if memory serves I think I usually always start crying about 3/4 of the way through, so that'll be fun) and: No sewing for a bit. . . . Hrmmm. But with all the imminent construction around here this summer, it seems there is no time like the present, and it just has to be done.

In knitting news, I frogged the sea green lace, which I was finally able to "get" after numerous contortions (both brain and body), and decided to go with a yarn that has more "tooth" it. Not sure if this was the best idea, but we now have about five or so inches on the needles so there won't be any more starting over with this one. It's finished-sweater or bust.

Comments

[greenrabbitdesigns]

That is such a pretty colour of blue! The knitting looks great. :)
Vivienne x

[katilady]

the knitting looks gorgeous!

[shabby girl]

Such a beautiful piece! Love, love, love the color! I'm sure Clover was so pleased that you were stuck to the chair all weekend!

[Amanda]

I know what you mean about moving. We (3 children 2 adults) are moving just down the street in August and I am not looking forward to the moving part. Can't wait to see updates of your gorgeous studio with the new flooring.

[renee ~ heirloom seasons]

I think you might want to set up your sewing machine in a new temporary spot, not sure how the "not sewing" would work out for you... I guess there is always knitting though...

[Tiffany Harvey]

I used to sew full-time from home & totally understand what you mean about carpet not being the ideal flooring for the workroom! I never really had problems with pins getting buried in the carpet, but I would have loved to be able to sweep up the piles of lint that all of that sewing & cutting & serging produces!

And when I'm not using the workroom for sewing, carpet it not that great for painting or screen printing or whatever else I'm working on either! Or scooting your rolling chair from one table to another. ;)

(BTW, the room is now half-workroom, half-nursery, with the little one on his way this week)

[girlysmack]

This is very random, but I was just rereading one of my favorite books yesterday and I thought of you.

The book was my mother's when she was a teenager. It's called "The Sea Gulls Woke Me" and it's about a girl, Jean, who is an outcast but who spends a summer on an island in Maine with her aunt and uncle and is transformed into a tanned, confident, happy girl. Anyway, I love it, and I think you really would like it, too! :)

[Everton Terrace]

Love that shade of blue. Does it have a specific name? I'm usually not drawn to blues but that is beautiful.

[Elaine]

It is blue like the sky and a pretty pattern also. You say it's a sweater? Can't wait to see it .

[Peggy]

You are so talented. Love your blog.

[Sonja]

Beautiful blue like my brilliant daughter's eyes. I sew in a corner of my bedroom and everyone walks in an arc around the area for fear of pins!Hope you'll love the new floor. P.S.- I'm hopping up and down excited about your new book!

[Janine]

I feel your pain. About a year ago my husband gave me the gift of customizing my sewing room. He built me an awsome cutting table (4.5'x6.8')with storage underneath it. New shelves to display the fun things I love, cabinets,a new floor and also a new coat of paint. Yes it all had to come out of the room for the work to be done. But well worth the effort. Seriously, it did take awhile to put everything back, but the clean organized feeling when I go in there is like a breath of fresh air. I just love it. Don't cry! Remember no pain, no gain. You will be so happy you did! ;-)

[cindy]

i love the blue and you can do it. we just lived through an entire bathroom reno of our only bathroom in one week with a little help from a hotel, but i think everything in our apartment had to be cleaned. it was worth it. i can't wait to see what type of flooring you put down.

[claudia horner]

I love the blue yarn and am so glad you've found your yarn for that gorgeous lace pattern. I have reached a stage in life when I can admit that a creative project simply is not working for me -- I think it is healthy to let go of the learning experiments along the way to the truly yummy "better" projects! I did like the sea green color so perhaps there some other project out there for it!

[Shelley in SC]

Ooh, love the gorgeous blue! Well done.

[Angela]

"It's the chair's fault." I love it. We moved here several years ago, and I am still recovering, reshuffling, and reorganizing.
I love the blue yarn and the fabric underneath it!

[Heather]

Love (!) his blue! My Mom usually calls this 'Nova Scotia' blue, which is where she grew up. And, in where we all still dream of living!
You cracked me up with the chair blaming part-lol. When I was once in desperate need at work, I saw the much 'needed' person literally melt into the chair just when I called his name. "Noo", I said emphatically
"Don't listen to the chair!". I am still reminded of how hearty his laugh was! A fun memory, indeed :)

[Emily G]

It looks gorgeous! Can't wait to see it finished!

I'm very new to knitting and going to start learning fair isle. I think I spelled that right. LOL!

Ikea is in my plans this week. Oh, how I love Ikea.

[Amanda]

In the meantime while waiting for new flooring, try a magnet. I have this awesome high powered magnetic strip that is meant to hang tools on that I just drag along the floor and watch the pins fly up. It's entertaining, probably very dangerous, and awesome!

[Brookiellen]

I just redid my studio too, I hate the pins in the carpet!! especially bad for my 19 month old :) LOVE the knitting. you make me want to pick up my needles right now...

[leslie Van Every]

The blue is perfection--but the reference to Popeye was genius and had me laughing to the point of tears, because I loved that movie when I was a kid. So much so that when I finally ran into Robin Williams (a thing that happens to most people in San Francisco) I couldn't help but blurt out, "you were great in Popeye!" He did a double take when I mentioned it and laughed. How perfect is IKEA for breakfast? Sounds divine!

[Jude]

Go you! Lace is my Mt. Everest. I just frog more than I knit. I'm addicted to the top down raglan though. Just finished one last night and went fishing through my stash to do another straight away.

[Ellen]

Beautiful color blue!

[Ashly]

That is just BEAUTIFUL! Here's to more 3 day weekends! Thank you for sharing.

[Machine A Sous]

Blue is not my favorite color but I really like that shade of blue
And the knitting looks nice: i can't wait to see it finished ;)