What a long, strange trip this has been!

Many years since I've done a post. I've missed this more than I thought I would and I'm going to post what I'm working on now, giving a little update since so much time has passed.

Finally finished these mittens. They've been on the needles for some time and I'm glad to have them ready for the winter.  They are made from Lion Brand Amazing yarn, colorway 218 Violets. I love the red-violet shading and the randomness appeals to my artist.  They should be good for shoveling snow, being a blend of wool and acrylic.  Loved my last pair knit from the same pattern, Classic Mittens 615.

My preference for mittens goes back years. Keeps my hands a lot warmer than gloves, and they are much easier to knit. Might try a pair of gloves someday, but for now, I have my hands winter ready.

Since you've heard from me, I've moved back to the country and I'm loving it!  City life really doesn't suit me, so I was delighted to find a place I could afford out in the country near Marshall, Wisconsin. It is an old farmhouse that sits on an acre of land.

Here is a picture of the massive maple tree that shades the house, this is from the back side so you can see how big that tree really is! I'd be willing to bet that it would take three people to put their arms around the trunk of this monster.  I also have some really big elm trees, so few of them left anywhere anymore. I feel so lucky to have these grand old trees on my place!

Since the house has been added onto so many times it has the feel of the Weasley house on Harry Potter. Many odd little rooms and the layout doesn't make much sense, but I like the quirkiness of an old place like this.  I'm fixing it up a little at a time. 

The first year I was here I replaced some windows and a door. The second year was the heating and air conditioning. Not terribly exciting stuff, but it really helped reduce the energy bills! Now that the mechanicals are taken care of, I'm getting into the fun parts!

Remodeling and redecorating an old place can be an adventure! I hired a designer to do some drawings for me. Then I took over and made my selections. I had a blast doing this! I did some research and interviewed some construction and remodeling outfits to work on the kitchen. Found a father and son operation, toured some of their projects and hired them to do the work on my kitchen. Finished the work over the past winter and it was quite a transformation!

Here is the before picture:

The photobombing dog is Zephyr. She was born on December 19, 2016. From a litter of 17 pups! She's grown into a lovely dog... I'll do a post on her later, but she does feel the need to be involved in everything that happens around here!

Anyway, the kitchen was probably set up like this in the sixties. It had the white formica with gold flecks and the metal front edge. Ick! The cabinets were cheaply made and not very attractive. The paneling.... well, I can't say I miss that at all!  And who puts carpeting in the kitchen?  It all had to go....

So the new design moved the door to the other end of the wall.  Rearranged the appliances and removed the fake beams from the ceiling. I wanted to keep the window over the sink and the two windows on the side walls for ventilation. Kept the sliding glass door too, such wonderful light from the east in the morning.  Changed the color scheme to a nice cool gray with navy on the floor and countertops and white on the walls and ceiling.

So here is the after shot:

Zephyr again.... photobombing pest of a dog!

I'm so pleased with the way it turned out!  Here are some of the specs:
Floor: Indigo Swirl strand bamboo
Appliances: Whirlpool
Countertops: Corian Zodiaq quartz in Crushed Indigo
Faucet: Ikea Aleskar (sadly, no longer available)

I love the track lighting and the ceiling fan. The under cabinet lights are just dreamy - no dark spots or getting in my own light when I'm working in there. But my favorite is probably the crystal chandelier over the sink. It might seem weird, but I just love it!  Eight dimmable LCD lamps and oodles of crystals, it is just beautiful to me!

The cabinetry is Amish, and very nice quality. Many of the lower units have slide out trays, and all of them have soft-close hinges. Such a treat, since I've never had any of that in my kitchen before!