Now that I have your attention I will explain what I mean by one stitch at a time and this motto is going to help keep me sane during an unscheduled kitchen remodel.

About a year and a half ago, we got a deal on some lovely maple wood kitchen cabinets from a friend of ours who had replaced theirs. So we used a few of them in our rental house to remodel the 55+ year old kitchen, saving the rest for our house. Well, the balance has been stored in my husband's office for all this time and our WONDERFUL craftsman, Erik, gave us a little nudge over the weekend. BOOM! We were off and running or really, demolishing, as the case may be. Our house is 25 years old and this is a long over-due project since there was never really any thought put into the space on how to utilize it to its fullest. Thus, here we are deciding what will go where, while living out of boxes and making coffee in the bathroom.

Our current kitchen

We are figuring approximately three weeks to finish and I am sure that this is going to get worse before it's gets better. Hence, the one stitch at a time motto! Naturally, I will knit to keep myself sane (like I need an excuse) and will keep you posted as to the progress of said insanity! :)

Our current kitchen storage

The good news is that we are already down to choosing our flooring options (this all started Monday, May 2nd) which means we're getting along pretty fast. The layout is a real fun part of the process and Erik and I have been working together on various projects for the past few years so we tend to be in sync on the ideas front, which makes this step really fun. So we now have all of the cabinets in our garage ready to go in and I can't wait to shift, fiddle, and plan the project. My goal with this kitchen is to have as much counter space as possible while creating a more open airy space. *Sigh* This is where the challenging part of the project comes in.

Starting to look better

Speaking of knitting to keep some sanity, I have finished my second pair of Turkish Bed Socks and am about 1/3rd of the way through my Cocoknits Liesl. Endless stockinette is right up my alley!  I am using the Koigu for the socks and some stash linen yarn for the Liesl and have even considered pulling out my (so close to finished) Summer Open Cardigan! This is serious as am I loosing my mind...finish something, horrors!! LOL!!! I crack myself up hee hee!! For now I will just try to stay in the one stitch at a time mode and have survived the first week with two more to go! Just keep knitting, just keep knitting, just keep knitting and so on...

As always, happy knitting and crocheting!

Jeanne

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"Kerchief"

Hi folks!  I have an abundance of new projects to share with you all today for FO Friday so let's get right down to it, shall we? :)

Sandy finished a gorgeous shawlette this week (and by "this week" I mean she was binding off on Monday and wore it to work the very next day)! The pattern is "Kerchief" by Kieran Foley.  This shawl is so unique--I just love it!  Sandy used Zauberball Crazy yarn in the "Flussbett" color with Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool for the colorwork section.  It's really beautiful and Sandy did such a phenomenal job!

"Barb's Koigu Ruffle"

Sandy's good friend Barbara just finished this awesome "Barb's Koigu Ruffle" Scarf by Churchmouse Designs.  She was kind enough to loan it to us for a few days and it's been on display in the shop.  She used a skein of Colinette Jitterbug yarn. The color is called Gauguin. Normally you would need two skeins of Koigu to complete this project, but this only took one hank of the Jitterbug as it measures in at 400 yards.  Nice!

"Springtime Bandit"

Sharon finished her Springtime Bandit a while back and has been enjoying it in the lovely Northern Nevada spring weather (which can often include snow well into May). You may recall she knit this pattern with just two skeins of Berroco Remix. It turned out to be a perfect fit and Sharon now has a new favorite accessory!

Botanic Hat

Shevawn just whipped-up an awesome "Botanic Hat" for her fella out of Malabrigo Rios.  The pattern is by Stephen West, one of our favorite designers around here.  We just started carrying a bunch of his patterns.  Although this one is not one of them, you can acquire it on Ravelry as a download.  It's such a cool design!  I think I may have to make one for my mister as well!  It's reversible, too, which I think is why I'm so drawn to it.  Check out more pictures of Shevawn's version on the project log to see what it looks like reversed.  So cool!  Nice job, Shevawn!

Annabella's Cowl

Kathy recently bound-off on her Annabella's Cowl.  Another in a long line of cowls made by JBW staffers since we received this pattern in at the shop but this one is just as beautiful and unique!  Kathy opted for the full length size and used Lorna's Laces Honor yarn with a strand of Lana Grossa Chiara.  The result is a soft and shimmery plush cowl that will keep her Mother-in-Law nice and toasty!  Kathy is one of our newer knitters and she is doing such a fabulous job!

Turkish Bed Socks

Lastly, Jeanne just completed a fun pair of Turkish Bed Socks, another one of Churchmouse's stunning designs. Jeanne used Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino for this pair, in color P344.  They turned out so fun!  I just love how the speckled variation of this yarn comes out in these short socks.  I am going to have to knit myself a pair of these to wear with my clogs. They are perfect!


Thanks for checking in this week for FO Friday.  To read more about any of the projects you've seen here, be sure to check out the project log.  I'll be back soon with more FO's and WIP's as we keep on a-knittin' around here.  Until then-happy knitting and crocheting to you all!

-Kristen

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