Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Garage Studio

Woo Hoo!!!  I finally have my own garage Studio.  It seems odd because this is my house and I should have done this a long time ago.  I don't have a husband (bless his heart in heaven) to compete for with space.
I have had 2 son's dominate my garage for a long time with building a motorcycle from the frame up. The project is in Idaho now.  It took a long time to get all of their stuff out of my garage.  It also took a lot of motivation on my part to tackle this job.  Let me show you....
Fixing the Garage to my Art Studio
Fixing the Garage to my Art Studio
Peanut the little artist.  But look beyond her and all that clutter.
Fixing the Garage to my Art Studio
And clutter here....my garage is shaped like the letter "d" if it were squared off. Yes a small "d".  So this part in the photo is a storage area with my late husbands roll-top desk. Great place for Peanut to do her homework when I am crafting. Notice all the file cabinets.  They are the best for storing things and keeping dust out. Two are dedicated just to art supplies. One is for the garden and automotive. One is for camping and sport stuff like bowling balls, mitts & balls.  The last one has photo albums with photos all the way back to 1973 when I first got married. Also in that cabinet is a lot of sheets of glass for stain glass making.

Fixing the Garage to my Art Studio
I started by turning the workbench sideways.  I need to feel air and the breeze from the doors.  My son made this work table. He welded it and sprayed it silver, then put wood on top.  I really love it.
Fixing the Garage to my Art Studio
I bought a really nice Kennedy 7 drawer roller Cabinet .  I am putting on the wheels in this photo.  It was so hot in the garage but I wanted to get the work done.
Fixing the Garage to my Art Studio
Peanut got a smile out of me. How could you not smile at that little girl?  Can you see the boxes behind me?  They have to go.
Fixing up garage Art studio
So the boxes and stuff is moved and the old old oak table is moved there.  Also I did some decorating by putting my old horse collar on the wall. Also a branding iron and some other cowboy stuff and indian stuff.  I put a clock there so I will not be late to pick up Peanut from school....mercy me.
Fixing up garage Art studio
See my tool chest?  I LOVEEEEEEEE it.  Today I put in it a lot of my tools for stain glass, dental tech tools and some painting materials. On the corner of the table is bolted down a heavy duty vise and near the wall is my grinder.  You never know when you will need it. Yeah?  Do you see under the table I have my compressor and my shop-vac.  I want to do all kinds of crafts and jewelry.
Your get a better look at my homemade work table too.
Fixing up garage Art studio
If you look at the very top of this photo you can see a very old saw that I got from Walter, my step dad. He also made the arrowheads and put them on the arrows with feathers. He was very crafty too. He built fireplaces for a living. On the wall is an oil painting of a deer  getting a drink in a stream after dark.  It was my very first college painting class painting.
And do you see my hay hooks hanging from my garage door opening thing on the ceiling?
Fixing up garage Art studio
Here is the view I will get when I am sitting at my table. If it wasn't so bright you would see the neighbors houses across the street. Ugh. I wish it were the mountains.  Anyway, see the side door?  Well when you open that you get a very nice cross breeze.  Now the question to be asked is, why didn't the builders put one, at least one window on that side of my house?  I would not have to use the AC on warm days.  But builders don't care about where breezes come from do they? I was wishing I had a window on that wall too. Well the circuit box is on the other side so maybe it can't happen?
Fixing up garage Art studio
Remember this side?  It was where Peanut was painting.  I tried to elimate most of the boxes but I just don't have a place to put them.  I did put a lot of boxes in the area where the roll-top desk is, up on top of the file cabinets.  I made it look neat.
My thinking is,  I will not ever, never get a storage unit.  I think that if I need one then I just have too much junk.  It's time to purge and give to someone who needs it. I don't need that much junk.  Now if you are moving and don't have your new place yet, I understand having to use a storage facility.  But I am in my house and what I did was take about 11 boxes of dishes, books, toys, shoes, clothing and junk to charity.  It felt good because I know that there was some good junk in those boxes.  There were shoes I had never used, there was a whole set of Wilton cake decorating tips and bags. There were never used candle holders.  So it felt good.
Fixing up garage Art studio
One last look of my work space.  I want to get a nice chair that is high since my table is high. The stool gets tiresome.
I went to Jo-Anne's and got a nice desk light that lets you see the colors true to life. Also a package arrived today...my steamer.  I love using a steamer. We had one in the dental Lab and I use to clean my jewelry or anything that was gunked up.  The steamer in the lab was like a $1,500 one and my budget now I could only afford a $40 one but it is cool. I can use it to clean windows too.
I was also able to unpack my handheld grinder. It is a handpiece like the drill that the dentist uses but somewhat bigger. It's for technicians.  I bought it about 2 years ago but didn't have a place to use it.  You have to be outside or have a vaccume suction to take away the dust from it.  Always wear a mask when you grind.  I do. And I have my bi-focal safety glasses that I wear too.
I am going to practice my dental lab techniques and then go ask my friend who has a lab if he has cases for me to do at my home.  In the past he has needed me to wax up and carve teeth for patients who want a new grill. Then after I carve the teeth I take the plaster model with wax teeth back to my friend's lab and he casts it in porcelain.  I could work from home and be here for Peanut.  We will see if I can get up to speed.  Right now I want to make some jewelry and paint in watercolors.  Oh who am I kidding?  I want to do it all.

Coraline sleeping
While I was outside Peanut asked if she could photograph the kitties.  Sure I said.  So here  is what she took. (edited down to 4 because she took 13).
This is Coraline. She is having a good nap. Look at those curled up paws. Ahhhh how sweet.
Coraline sleeping
Look at that little face.  (everyone together) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Coraline sleeping
Shhhhhh Peanut, don't wake her. She is tired.
Coraline & Oliver
OLIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't a girl get a catnap around here?

I'll update ya'll when I get more of my garage studio finished.

Happy Knitting, painting and cuddling your kitties!!!!

P.S. Oliver's boo boo is still red. It is not oozing like before but he won't stop licking. I covered the neck area so he started to lick like an inch below that where there was no problem. Now he is making the hair come out there. My son was telling me not to use the neosporin because it has triple anti bacteria stuff in it and can cause a rash. So I am using something milder.  I think it is getting better. Maybe I need a lampshade around his waist? He feels good enough to bug Coraline. Yeah?

Friday, September 10, 2010

Bugga Sweater, a Scarf and Whatnot

Hahahaha  Whatnot.  That is a funny word. Well I have been busy knitting lately. I had finished up some projects which means I cast on for a couple new projects. Gotta keep that balance going.
Here is my favorite right now. It is a sweater called Sprössling . I am knitting it with Bugga yarn in the color Northern Purple Gold Beetle.
Bugga Sweater 01

I put a lot of stitch markers for every lace repeat. It works for me.

The other project that I am doing is a Farrow Rib Scarf. It is really a common pattern.
Here's Farrow Rib:
Multiple of 3 sts +1.
Row 1: *k2, p1* repeat across ending k1
Row 2: p1 *k2, p1* repeat across
I put it here because it has been put out there by many people even my local yarn store.
My scarf is being done in Malabrigo Silky Merino which is 51% Silk and 49% Merino wool. The color is natural.
Farrow Rib scarf 03

The cute knitting bag in both photos above was from my sister Susan. I hope that she doesn't regret giving it to me because it makes a great project bag.

Here is a finished project.  This is yarn from my own handspun fiber. The fiber is Targhee and the color is called Lord of the Mountains.  It is from the Fiber Club at Crown Mountain .  I think that the club is closed for this year but the Exotic Club is still open for some of the months.  The fiber is excellent. We get TOP which is very soft and well prepared.
Homespun Hat 12
The hat is my own pattern.  I did a large cable around and then I picked up stitches at the top and knit till it closed up.  The hat was too small for me so Peanut will have it.
Homespun Hat 11

It's hard to see the cable because my flash was too bright I guess.
Homespun Hat 02

So now the WHATNOT.  I wanted to share some photos of my garden.  This was taken about a month ago.  After that bounty the garden took a nap.
IMG_3861
IMG_3863

I think the weather affected my garden. We had very very hot temps and then the weather went to foggy and cool.  So I may be ripping out the garden and planning a winter garden.
I have to wait because we always get an Indian summer where it will be very hot in Oct.

Here I made some chicken pita's with my homegrown tomatoes.  Oh how I LOVE homegrown tomatoes.
IMG_3864

Here are my lettuce Taco Boats.  The white stuff is sour cream. There is chicken, cilantro, tomatoes and the lettuce. YUM
Lettuce Taco boats

I've lost some weight with my healthier eating.  I will make a separate post on that subject.

Right now I am worried about Oli.  Aka Oliver Cat.  He went outside last week. I don't know if a bug bit him or if he is just allergic to a plant outside. He had a little spot under his chin where it looked like a scab. But lately he has been scratching it. Now it is a big boo boo. I cut his back feet toe nails.  I can't put a lampshade on him because it would ride on the boo boo.  I put neosproin on it too.  Poor baby.  No more outside for Oli.
Oliver 03

So that is all I have for now.  Have a great weekend and HAPPY KNITTING & GARDENING.
LUV YA

Friday, September 3, 2010

Stranded Colorwork Socks & a Simple Scarf

I'm never sure if a knitter should say, "Stranded socks" or "Colorwork socks" or both. It may be redundant.  Oh well, Here is what I am talking about.......
Chuncho 03

I finally finished them.  It took a good 6 weeks to knit.  It was for the July Sockdown in SKA over at Ravelry .  I really like how they turned out.
Chuncho 05

The second sock was knit a tab bit bigger. I guess I just loosened up on my tension.
I really disliked doing garter stitch up at the cuff.  When you are knitting stranded, with 2 yarns in your left hand, it is so fiddly to purl.  I hate it.  So when the pattern asked for garter stitch checkerboard for the heel, well I went for stripes.  LOL.  
Chuncho 09

Do you see the wide white stripe on the heel?  That is a mistake.  I was outside watching Peanut swimming and I accidently knit an extra row of white.  I left it to be a reminder that watching a child in the pool is more important than knitting perfectly in colorwork.
You can see the wide white stripe on the top sock.

Chuncho 06 WOW

Our county fair, L.A. County Fair begins this weekend.  I can't put these sock in for competition because they had to be entered back in June.  Grrrrrrrr  I might not wear them for a whole year so that I can enter them next year.  Actually Los Angeles County is not my county, but it is the largest fair in my area.  I am living in San Bernardino County, yeah San Berdo, go San Berdo........ But they have their fair in the summer up in the desert.   I think I will be knitting and saving things for the next LA Fair.

I also was working on a Simple Things scarf.  I made it with Bugga yarn.  So soft and luscious. The color is the most beautiful blue.
Bugga Shawl 04
 This scarf is small enough that it isn't a shawl, although it is a triangle.  It will keep my neck warm this winter.
Bugga Shawl 01

The garden continues to produce well. The leaves on the zucchini are fried looking from our 100+ degree weather.  Soon I will rip out the bushes and plant some winter veggies or some lettuce which will grow in the cooler weather.  Who knows when it will cool down. We are suppose to have a very hot Labor Day weekend.
Bromeliad

My sister Susan Susan's Blog gave me a Bromeliad.  I am not good with potted plants and she would remind me to water it.  This winter and spring I stuck it where it got rain water and flooded it a few times.  Then I forgot to bring it back close to the house in the shade and it got sunburned.  I'm a bad plant mama.  And look at what this plant did.  It gave me the most beautiful flower.  I love the little touches of purple and pink.  It's so cute.  Guess what?  It is having a baby too. Down at the base is a baby plant.

I hope you'll have a great Labor Day knitting, swimming and BBQing.
Love Carol

Stranded socks: Pattern-Chuncho, Yarn- STR, Harriet and Bait-a.
Shawlette: Pattern- Simple Thing, Yarn- The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga, Color- Blue Lobster.