Studio Spring Cleaning~

It's t.i.m.e. Time for spring!

Which means spring cleaning.

The studio needed some serious attention, the dust was embarrassing 

and the space needed logically reconfigured.

My space is sort of split into two, since the room used to be a porch (waaaay before we lived here), the front door is in the middle and the room is long and narrow.

The left side used to be for art journaling and crafting and the right for painting and sewing.

I was always moving the sewing machine to paint, or the paints to sew, and when I wanted to paint in my journals, I had to drag one or the other from side to side. duh me.

After several days of knitting and contemplating 

(I get a LOT of thinking done while I knit), I figured it out.

Here are before and after pics of the left side...

(Click on any pic to see larger images)

Before it was for art journaling and crafting.

I always have to include a shot of my helpers.

Now it is just for sewing, spinning and yarn storage. 

The sewing machines do not need to get moved back and forth 

and projects can stay in progress and not be disturbed.

Sewing machine and serger each have a 'place' and do not need to be moved back and forth.

My threads are all on their happy hanger, under my Allen Designs Cat clock! 

 The center wall is directly across from the front door and 

has a doorway on either side that lead into the living room.

Here is the before shot of my ikea cubes, packed full of books, fabrics and paints.

I stole the book shelves from the kitchen (where they were only collecting jars and dust) 

and put them on the center wall.  Extra storage space! yay!

The cubes got moved to the end wall in the painting area (scroll down to see pics of that)

The new shelves now hold only paints and painting supplies... all together in one spot!

Here is a before shot of the painting end...which held the paints & supplies 

and all of the sewing stuff.... a hot mess!

Here are more fun shots of the madness...

We removed the long shelf from the end wall and 

put the white ikea cubes from the center wall in it's place. 

Here it is before adding all of the art journaling supplies...

Here they are all filled up with my magical supplies!

Eve is already spread out on the floor, "arting" up a storm.

Painting table...

View out the window of the painting table.... see the bee hives?

Now the painting and journaling can stay out, works in progress do not need to be moved much.

Time to create and make this room a mess again!

We're all Mad Here.

It's hitting that time of year when it reallllyyy needs to get sunny and warm. 

Or rather "I" need it to do so.

The crazies are starting to set in. 

Plus the girls have been participating in a musical, Ann is backstage crew chief and Eve is on the light board (cue blackout). 

Lotsa Lotsa Lotsa driving to rehearsals and shows and all the madness that entails.

Mamma is a homebody... not a drive-all-over-God's-creation person.

With that said, I leave you with some of my recent self portraits. 

Inspired by the fact that I rarely look in the mirror anymore, NOR do I like my photo taken. 

Therapy of sorts... and so YOU can see what Reenie really looks like. 

In my house-clothes (aka painted up sweats and jammies)~  >:), in front of my glorious bins of artsy stash.

sexy

 cheeseball

bird brained

sinus headache

manic

indeed.

Ezmaralda the Art Journaling Cat

My animals are all weird.

Wonder if that is a reflection on ME? (hunh)

I caught her doing it... making her mark in my journal, the "Book of Madness and Dreams"...

Sorry for the bad photos, but the lighting was horrible and I really wanted proof.

She chewed the corner off and made some pretty funky bite marks.

Here is a shot of the entire book... I love my cat.

Rockwell's Baby Sweater 2012

My first baby sweater!

Knit for Rockwell Santino Potts~

I do not have a photo of him wearing it yet because he is still in here...

until May. This is the lovely Katie.

Pattern is "Tulips, A Colorful Cardigan" by Lindsay Pekny.

Size 12 months, since Rockwell is due to join our world in spring.

I made it a size larger so it fits him once the weather is colder.

Yarn is, of course, Miss Babs Yowza, Whatta Skein! worsted 

in Light Clematis, Moss and Starling.

I added my hand here for scale...

Fun to knit. I wanted to use non-traditional baby colors, 

since momma and papa are non-traditional themselves... Love that.

Anxious to meet sweet Rockwell, and I will add photos of him wearing his sweater once he arrives.

xo

Ravelry Link

Ann's Earflap Hat 2012~

Every year I make my girls a new hat.

This year Ann requested an earflap hat.

I selected a delicious handspun from my stash (spun by Therese of Jump Sheep).

This yarn was two separate colors, so I knit a fibonacci stripe to blend them.

Intriguing pattern. The Earflap Hat Generator by Lucia Liljegren

Added braided tails and some squishy pom poms.

Great Hat!

Ravelry Link

Zoe's Earflap Hat 2012

Our friend Zoe wanted a hat this year.

Being seven years old(!), she was very clear about what she wanted. 

Earflaps, bright colors and "nothing scratchy"!!

Pattern is Thorpe by Kirsten Kapur~ (Ravelry pattern link)

I used a fibonacci stripe for the top of the hat.

Knit from leftovers from my hand dyed yarns (in scarlet red and acid moss green) and a soft purple alpaca by Debbie Stoller (Stitch n' Bitch Yarn).
Complete with pom-poms and braids.

Warm hat for an active girl!

(Ravelry Link)

Alton and His Friends~ Video by Eve

Our yard rabbit, Alton Brown, loves his chickens.

When we let the hens out to run and play,
he gets very excited and runs in circles around them.

Eve compiled this cute and hilarious short video of him and his friends.

Song credit~ "Life's a Happy Song" The Muppets (Original Soundtrack) 2011 Walt Disney Records

Video © 2012 Eve Hanlin~

Cross posted from our Farm Blog at Peculiar Ambitions~