Reenie's Pinker than Pink Lamp Remake

Pink!

I love pink.

On a recent trip to Goodwill, I found some awesome lamps.

Very retro-tacky, but with a great shape. 

And I LOVE the round, grey, textured section in the center.

Disassembled to paint...

Two coats and a few days to cure...

(see the chicken in the background?)

They add that extra POP of pink that I was looking for...

Since it's a dark, rainy afternoon, I am heading to this exact spot to read.

xo

zzzzzz

Stay Inspired Every Day~

Feeling stuck? Feeling like you are drowning in your To-Do list?

This article shares some simple steps to keep yourself inspired... 

5 Simple Steps to Stay Inspired 

by Gimundo Staff on Gimundo.com.

(Gimundo is a news feed that featured  GOOD NEWS.) 

LOVE THAT.

What is YOUR special thing? YOUR passion?

Mine is my art and my knitting.

 

Paul loves all things apple. His trees, his ciders...

Ann loves to write and paint and write and paint. (and write)

Eve loves her gardens. 

Don't let life whiz by and never take the time to explore what tugs at your heartstrings.

(cross posted on PeculiarAmbitions.com)

Baby Surprise Jacket #2~ 2012

This sweater was knit for Isaiah~

Pattern is the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. (Ravelry Link)

Made from Miss Babs Yowza in Black Walnut.

Yowza is my favorite, favorite yarn right now. 

Gauge on a size 8 was 4.5 st/in. and 6.5 rows/in.

I used a provisional cast on in the beginning so I could add length to the sleeves. Cast on 160 stitches.

For the decreases I used a sl2tog knit wise, k1, psso.

For the increases I used a Kfb.

Once the body of the sweater was finished, I put the live cuff (sleeve) stitches on a piece of yarn to hold them and seamed the shoulders.

Seaming done using the sewing technique shown here at Pam's Knitting & Spinning Blog~

I then placed the live sleeve stitches onto don and knit the additional length in the round. 

I extended the sleeve length by 1.5 inches, decreasing evenly at the bottom of the sleeve, (from 34 sleeve stitches to 28, approx. 1 dec. every other row) then knit a k1p1 ribbed cuff for another 2 inches. This cuff can be rolled back when Isiah is smaller. Total sleeve length is 8 inches from armpit to cuff edge.

Chest measures 18 inches, which is a standard 18 month according to this chart: 

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/babysize.html (this is how I calculated the final sleeve length)

I finished the edges off with an attached icord.

Buttons are from my gram’s button tin.

Baby Surprise Jacket #1~ 2012

I can finally reveal the baby sweaters I have been knitting. 

Babies have arrived and been gifted their sweaters! 

YAY! Welcome to the earth, little ones.

Introducing the Baby Surprise Jacket#1, knit for Baby Jackson, (aka Jack).

Yarn is Handsome Fibers Anne Elliot

hand dyed worsted weight superwash merino

Gauge on a size 8 was 4.5 st/in. and 6.5 rows/in.

I used a provisional cast on in the beginning so I could add length to the sleeves. Cast on 160 stitches.

For the decreases I used a sl2tog knit wise, k1, psso and purled the knit stitch on the return row.

For the increases I used a Kfb and purled the center stitch on the return row.

Once the body of the sweater was finished, I put the live cuff (sleeve) stitches on a piece of yarn to hold them and seamed the shoulders.

 Seaming done using the sewing technique shown here at Pam's Knitting & Spinning Blog~

I then placed the live sleeve stitches onto dpn and knit the additional length in the round. 

I extended the sleeve length by 1.5 inches, decreasing evenly at the bottom of the sleeve, (from 34 sleeve stitches to 28, approx. 1 dec. every other row) then knit a k1p1 ribbed cuff for another 2 inches. This cuff can be rolled back for when Jackson is smaller. 

Total sleeve length is 8 inches from armpit to cuff edge.

Chest measures 18 inches, which is a standard 18 month according to this chart: 

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/babysize.html (this is how I calculated the final sleeve length)

I finished the neck edge with a single crochet stitch around. (see photo)~

Buttons are from my gram’s button tin.

Dreaming and Thinking Time~

I have been taking time each morning for myself. 

On the couch, with my knitting... and my magic journals. 

Dreaming and Thinking and Planning.

It's a powerful thing, what comes from taking this time for myself. It's not just about making things happen, it also calms me (I am not known for my calmness, haha), and stills the voices in my head.

We have been working on our Vision and Mission for our farm. Trying to focus on a few of the kajillion ideas we have. Figuring out a plan of action.  It's overwhelming at times, hard to see the end anywhere in site. It's good to keep the big picture in mind, and focus on WHY we are doing this.

This poem from Mary Oliver came back to me today~

The Summer Day

MARY OLIVER

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

It sums up our vision and mission. 

Good stuff.

 © 2011 Eve Hanlin

 After my Dreaming session, an email plunked into my inbox from Ali Edwards... her  52 Creative Lifts that come once a week.
This is Week 21, entitled Declare a Dreaming Day, written by Tracey Clark.
I love confirmations, and this email was just that, 
to keep on with the Dreaming and Thinking and Planning time. 
Even when it's hard to find an hour or a day to do so... 

Today I was an Aviatrix!... Taking Flight 2011~

Paul got me the perfect gift for my birthday! An hour of intro flying lessons. Not the Kelly Rae Roberts kind of Flying Lessons (although hers are fantabulous too & I highly recommend them...)

... the in the air kind. In a plane.

A month late since the girls were in a production of Robin Hood and we were immersed in all that entails for a month or so... 

So today we went. Just the girls and I since the plane seats 4 and we need that instructor.

James was a great instructor and cute too! Made me feel very safe and let me drive a LOT. 

And take off once (kinda) and land once (kinda again).

SO MUCH FUN!
There was this incredible feeling of freedom and floating and peace. I felt so much safer up there than driving to the airport.  I have wanted to do this since I was a little kid. Yay for being older and having COURAGE. oh.. and the cash to afford it. haha. Can't forget that. 

I am totally going again.... not yet sure I will follow all the way through to get my license or not. Need to process that one a bit as it's a big time commitment and I have two people to get through college.

Here is a link to my flickr set, with some videos and pics~  MORE PICS HERE.

We couldn't fly up to our farm (and hour and a half car drive northeast) since the cloud cover was too think near our mountain range... but will try next time. I also want to fly over the volcano... (maybe push James out of HIS box a bit (evil grin)).

Painted Tool Bags

I finally finished a project that I can share with you!

yay me.

Introducing... my painted tool bags!

TOTAL COLOR CONTAMINATION.

I went all the way with the reenie palette on these,
because since they are for ME to use.

Materials:

~ Tool totes or bags from your local home improvement store.

(I chose more of a tote since they will live in my studio most of the time)

~ Heavy bodied gesso-- meaning a thicker brand.

~ Acrylic paints and brushes
~ Sharpie water based paint markers

~ Oil pastels

~ Clear coat spray paint

Here is what they looked like before....
They were a divine red and black.
Came with removable shoulder straps...
and have pockets all around the front and all around the inside edges (not shown here).

I gave them both two coats of gesso-- they really drank it up!

At first I gessoed them to give myself a white ground to work on, to make the colors pop!

I did not think they needed the gesso, but once I started applying it I realized they really did. 

The vinyl fabric would have devoured my precious paints.

It's taken me a month-ish to get them finished, been dabbling at them when I get some time.

Close ups of the "Tool Bag",  the one I will keep my hand tools in.

MORE close ups in my flickr album HERE or see slide show below.

Close ups of the "Painting & Travel Bag"~

MORE close ups in my flickr album HERE or see slide show below.

Inspired by my friend Michelle and her bag painting ventures.

Many more images of my bags here in my Flickr Album...

Kapow!

reenieout