Tweaking the Remodel!

 I have the shorty sock for Marsel....but the great idea for the heel area needs to go back to the drawing board.  The very reason the slip 1, knit 1 on alternating rows is used on the back of the heel is that it draws in and wears well.

 I forgot about the drawing in part......

also the rows on the stockinette front are longer than the slip stitch bottom areas;  strike two!

 And so because it draws in more and is shorter on the bottom, it affected the usual lengths I make for my daughter's socks.  I could stretch it to make it fit but it was not a great fit for me and so I know it is a reject for hers.

That's alright;  I will slowing increase stitches on the bottom needle so that will cover the drawing in.

I will be knitting with two circular needles so the slip 1, knit 1 area will be knit on number 3 needles and not the number 2 of the top.  

 I will also be knitting it a bit longer than usual before I begin the heel decreases so I know it will work.   I am leaving this sock as is for now and have already cast on and knit half of the foot-I'm that excited to try out my new ideas!

 We made good progress on the kitchen but discovered the water that had ruined the flooring in the first time, still sat under the padding.  The fan wasn't enough help so......

 we had to slice open the padding and pull it out so dry and completely dry the old floor, too.

The cupboards on the back wall were not there when we first laid the flooring so they were added ON TOP of the flooring-the men figured out how to work around that and today-

 the floor is finished, the stove and little cupboard restored and Bill even gave the louvred pantry doors a coat of paint!  

The tall cupboard is back next to the fridge but there is even a bit of surgery to do to that, also but it isn't for today!

You have the Floor....

We messed up our room big time this morning.

We shoved the bed way out of the way and rolled up the rug and padding.

Two years ago, the bathroom shower sprung a leak in the pipe and water seeped under the wall into our closet and even into our bedroom floor.

Our beautiful laminate flooring was rippled to put it mildly. 

The dressers were slid on cardboard into the hall to give us room! 

Then the scary part began!  See, the problem with ripping out only part of the flooring means you have that one final piece that you can't angle and slide into place like all the other pieces.

We had a general plan and right at the end, it all came together! 

We left the moldings and closet door, dressers and finishing touches until morning.... 

...but the flooring is finished!

It is so nice and smooth and covers the closet again.

No more tripping danger from the ripples!

It was a lot of hard work but another great project (almost) done!

Men at Work!

 The guys have planned to paint the metal roof with epoxy since there was so much rust developing on this 35+ year old roof!

 It started out well but like most DIY projects, it took longer than expected and you couldn't stop because once the bucket was opened, you had to finish it or it would harden!

They kept at it though woozy from fumes and the blazing sun but it sure was worth it when they saw how much improved the roof looks now!  They did a great job!

Even the worker bees were busy!   The orange blossoms are incredibly sweet right now!

What were Mom and I doing?   Slicing, sewing and stacking up blocks for a quilt!

Curtains And Panels

 Recipe for some finishing touches:  do a series of measuring and match so you can cut some cool border print fabric into appropriate size chunks, do a bunch of pressing and straight stitching then,

 press it again!  It is beginning to get exciting now.  We made two sections of two panels each for each window-both are very long!  Mom and I work well as a team;  she even learned how to use the serger for the hems!

 Once you hang them onto their spacious rods, you have a very spiffy new valance that fits the wonderful new dining room!  I will give you a picture of the other window and the kitchen window next time!

 The last tile went up on the ceiling Friday morning and now the furniture is back in place.

 Everything is so wonderfully clean and shiny;  it is very inviting.

 Even the little bedroom looks bright and comfy!  It has been a month since they arrived and the house has been in 'remodel' mode the whole time but Mom and Dad are ready for some down time!

 After a nap, I made some lavender and rice hand warmers!  It is just chilly enough in the mornings to appreciate this extra perk!  It is a fun and easy gift, too.

My King Orchid is going to do her thing again!  I am very excited to see the blooms plump more and more every day!

While we were creating curtains, Bill was at work increasing the number of solar panels from 7 to 10.  He has two more to put up at a later time.  We are trying to get the pool temp up for my sister's visit next week!

He is a good Jack-of-all-trades kind of guy!

Cowled and Cornered

 I finished the second cowl for Marsel this time.  It is made with Hobby Lobby's brand of yarn, Yarn Bee in Sandfrost Effervescence .  (2 skeins)  I am able to get out a little bit each day now so I know that I am recovering from the flu.  I do not recommend this to anyone.   I will be getting a flu shot next year-be sure and remind me how awful I have felt next Fall in case I procrastinate!!!!

 Dad and Mom have been finishing their back bedroom project.  Dad is working on the ceiling tiles-he is 3/4 of the way done!

 The boxes come like this and he has only a few left now!  I will be posting a finished project in a few days!  (Just in time for my sister and niece to come and visit!)

Hard and Soft Work

 The winter of remodeling continues in my parent's home.  We are pulling up the carpet in the back bedrooms-one room at a time so we have space to pile everything while we work!

 The floor is in great shape underneath this time, so that is good.

 But we are not going to miss the smelly old carpeting in the least.

 The guys spent an hour pulling old staples and pounding in nails to get it ready for the new flooring.  To be continued!

 I finally finished spinning the four ounces of angora!

 Then I wound it onto my yarn winder-397 yards of utter tactile delight!

 This yarn will be gracing the cuffs of fingerless mitts1

 I wound the skein.

 Can you see how soft it is?

And I labeled it because I am old enough to know how well I remember details like this!

 I snuck a bit of work on the new cowl.......

 when I was supposed to be working on this!  So I guilted myself into another two rows which means 2 hours of knitting!

 But this morning, I finished the cowl instead!

 It is out of the softest yarn called Effervesce by Yarn Bee at Hobby Lobby.

I used 1 1/2 skeins (224 yards per skein)  The pattern is from Drops Design 98-1.  If you find it on Ravelry, you will also find that it has been knit by a Russian woman and while I couldn't follow her pattern, I could pick up enough of her alterations to realize that the worsted yarn is knit two strands on number 15 needles.  The pattern unfolds right under the needles, just in a loftier and bigger pattern than the original.  It is perfect.  This is for my sister-in-law who requested it especially!  It will be in the mail on Monday!

The Big Reveal

 I have been a bit scanty on my blog posts lately but with good reason.  We have had an under the radar project going on every day for the last three weeks.

 Bill and I decided to do some remodeling for my parents, without them knowing, here at their winter home.  It has been very fun to plan this surprise!  First, we installed a new door-they really wanted one with a window so they could lose the storm door.  Done.

When Caleb was here for my birthday, he helped Bill pull up the old carpeting in the living room but first they had to move all the furniture out.

 They rolled up the top layer and found another old carpet underneath.   (You can see the new bedroom in the background-remember we did that in November and they knew about that!)

 Out with the old!

 Bill uses the carpeting to hold sand on the right of way next to our house so that it doesn't get washed out-great way to recycle the 30+ year old carpeting!

 and then they pulled up the bottom layer!

Now we know why there was this funny black stuff that kept trying to come up through the carpeting when you vacuumed!  The trailer is 50 years old and I think this was the original carpeting folks!

The new carpet is in place and wow, what a difference!

 On to the dining room (my camera died for the carpet removal of this room-old green plush and linoleum in the kitchen)  We laid this laminate that looks like tile flooring!  Perfect for a florida home!

We continued to the kitchen.  The blue is the foam barrier that goes under the laminate.

Isn't it striking!?  We are so excited to see their faces when they see this!

Oh, yes, it was every bit as fun as we anticipated!  They just went from one surprise area to the next!   It is so nice to do something for your parents when they have done for you all their lives!  

 My parents arrived on Tuesday with my brother and his wife.  We dropped them off at their house first and they told mom they were getting a new couch, did she want their new/old one?  She was so excited to be able to replace this one.  (My brother didn't know about the remodel at this point so it was so fun to know what was to come!)

 When Bob and Shelly came over on Thursday, the men took out the old couch...

 unloaded the new and....

 muscled it into its new home!

Voila!  What a great addition to the make-over!

 Last night, both of my sons and their families came to see Grandma and Grandpa and the remodel!

The kids had fun see their great-grandparents after a year away!  There was a lot to catch up on!