More cleaned studio.

 I have been working over here in my studio as much as I can. I've had to go to Mrs. T's the past few days because one of the caregivers has been sick. So I get to fill in for her. So not much time to work here. But it's getting slowly cleaned up and organized.

Do you ever find an unfinished project you started years ago and wonder what the heck it is? I have found a few so far.

This is my sewing shelves. I found this 3-drawer storage container at Walmart last week. I put all my thread and needles and s]little things like that in there. And most all my material and patterns and quilts I need to get finished.

                                                      I also got all my hoops hung on the wall.

This is where a lot of my material has been. I got it all cleaned out. I put this purple shelf under the table and have all my needle felting stuff on it. And I have this 3 drawer thing to put stuff in too.

                                                 I decided to just put crafty things in the old pie safe.

My sewing table now, all cleaned and ready for some sewing projects to happen.

 I found a big huge folder at Goodwill for .99. It has those plastic sleeves in it. So I put all my knitting patterns in it.
                                                   

And I have needed a bookshelf over her for a long time. So this is my little reading nook.

                                          And here is all my clean fleeces. Ready to be spun!

Just some art work from my daughter Abby and grand daughters Chloe and Kansas.

Isn't this pretty? We got down to about 13 last night here. Lots of frozen ponds. This is my little frog pond.

Still a lot to do. But it already feels so much better in here. Like I can breathe again! I know there will be lots of creating in here now.

It's a start...

 This is my husband's grand mother's old pie safe. We've had it almost as long as we've been married. I refinished it years ago. It's been used for so many things during all these years. Now it's finally in my studio. I think I'll use it for either my needle felting things, or sewing things. Probably needle felting.

I don't know if you can see this, but my husband's brother Glen put his initials  here when he was very young. We could never figure out who's initials are under his.

And I decided to go ahead and hand all the black plastic crates I had, to store yarn in.

My old Coca Cola crate. I love it. These are a whole lot of ends of yarn projects. What do y'all do with all of your left overs? I think they look pretty  here. The troll is from a friend who takes old trolls and makes them new again. She takes out the old hair and puts in new hair, using wool. This guy needs something to wear. It's cold!

I found this little lamb at a thrift store. I had to bring her home with me.

And of course I have found many unfinished projects. This is something I started a long time ago, when I first started knitting. There are 4 rectangles. The brown is almost finished. I just need to sew them together, then maybe add more to make it a little bigger. It's just going to be a little throw.

So I am on the way to a clean organized studio. I feel like once it's all done, I can create beautiful things in here. I have so much wool that needs to be spun. And soon. Because in a few more months, I'm going to have 10 more sheep fleeces and 2 more alpaca. I might just send it all off to a mill. But I have heard so many stories from people who've not gotten their own wool back.

I got my Trooper back today. It sounds exactly like it did before it broke down. Exactly. And it's FULL of mold. All over the inside. It stinks! I took it by a clean up place before I went to the insurance co. He said he'd clean the outside and get the inside clean. For $40. I think he might charge a whole lot more when he actually sees how horrible it is. I got home awhile ago and started getting stuff out. And I cannot believe how nasty it's gotten just sitting for 6 months. Plus the fact there's still stuff from farmer's markets. And old hay. And just general junk. I will give him extra, just to have a clean car. I do believe I'm allergic to mold too. My eyes have not stopped watering and itching since I got in it Tuesday. I had the windows down while driving, just so I could breathe. Not good. But I am glad to have my own car again. No matter how much noise it makes.

Knitting a shawl.

I started this shawl last Friday at Mrs. T's. I have gotten this far with it. I love the colors. This is some wool yarn I got at SAFF last October in Ashville. I can't remember the breed of sheep though. From Heelside Farm in N.C. It's really thin yarn. Maybe lace weight?

I really don't know what I'm doing. I am going up from the bottom. I cast on 4 and am increasing nearly every row at both ends. When I switched to the green color, I started doing some yarn-overs. I love how this looks.

So, how do I know when It's big enough? Like when I get to around 290 stitches? I wish now I had started at the top. Can't even imagine how longs it'll take to bind off that many.

Last week, while my mom and I were out, we went to a big thrift store over in N. Chattanooga. I was looking through the books and found this. Grace Livingston Hill is one of my favorite authors. I was so excited to find this book, The Enchanted Barn! It's my favorite book of hers and I have read it many many times already. But can't find my little paperback. So when I found this, I was so happy! She is a Christian writer. Romance with a mysterious twist. All written back in the 30"s-50's. I have read nearly all of her books so far. Some I still need to read. But this one is my favorite. If you ever see any of her books, get them. Very easy to read.

I am still working on my studio. Went yesterday and got a light for my laundry nook. And put up some little shelves in between the 2x4's for put laundry things. It sure is nice to have a light in there now!

I have several of those black plastic milk crates I'm going to hang on the wall for yarn storage. I also went through several crates of non-wool yarns I've had for years. I had to wind some. And I got all the tangles out! Still SO much to do in here. But already feels so much cleaner and open now.

I'm glad I have a washer over here to use on these frozen days. My washer is on the back porch in the big house. And the water lines is running out the back through the yard, not buried. So it freezes. Looks like I can hang clothes out today though. It's beautiful outside. But freezing!

My Trooper. And some shelves.

I am so relieved. This car has been sitting since July. I thought it was the transmission, so towed it to the shop in town. Not the transmission. They said to take it to the tire shop right up from them. It was drive able, but very loud. So took it over there. He said it was the rear end. And could possibly be around $3-4,000 to get fixed. So took it to Mrs. T's and it's been there ever since. Trying to figure out what to do with it.

So yesterday, we took it to the ZZ Top Shop in the valley, close to Mrs. T's house. (I call it the ZZ Top shop because all the guys there have really long hair and beards.) I had talked to Jerry, the owner, about it. He said to bring it in and they'd check it out.

Jerry just called. He had some pretty darn good news. It wasn't the rear end differential but the front! It's 4 wheel drive and he was thinking if it was the rear, it would be next to impossible to find one and it would be  really expensive. So the front! And bearings too. About $400!!!! I am beyond happy about this! Since it's been sitting so long, he's going to check the brakes and other things. He said this would take care of about 95% of the noise it's always had since I've had it. I am good with that! He said it'd be ready to go tomorrow too. And he doesn't take credit cards. So I'll have to figure out how to pay him. And get insurance back on it. And give her a good cleaning. It's been sitting under trees this whole time, so really turned it black. And it smells musty real bad inside. But I'll have my farm truck back! I sure have missed this ole gal.

It's just the best farm vehicle ever. I can get all sorts of animals in it. And hauls about 8 bales of hay in a pinch. And tons of grains too. Just a really good all purpose vehicle to have on a farm. And makes the best market truck too. I can get all my farmer's market stuff in it. And I am planning on going to a few markets this year.

Now, back to getting this place cleaned up and organized. I went last night to Home Depot and found these 2 shelves and another that's twice as big and tall. I love these little canvas baskets too. Now to figure out where to put them all. I still want the wooden crate=like boxes to put yarn in. If I can get the husband to make some. Or I'll start looking at thrift stores and yard sales for them. I have some black plastic ones that will work. They're just black.

I just took pictures of this mess, so will show before and after later when I am finished with this mess. It could take awhile.

Cleaning.

I really have let my studio get so messy these past several months. This kitchen was a total disaster! From making soap in the fall for all those shows. Not cleaning up. It was really bad.

So I came over this morning and got to cleaning. I put all my crock pots and soap things away for now. Cleaned all the counters and stove and table off. I feel SO good to have the kitchen at least cleaned up. For now.

I need shelves for the rest of the studio. I'm going later today to look. I need places to put wool. And yarn. And material. And so much more. Everything is over here now, and there's really not a whole lot of places to put things. I get so tired of every surface being covered with things. When all I need are shelves to put things in. So then maybe, I might get motivated to make things. Just maybe.

All I know is that I feel better working in a clean space. So I will get busy looking for shelves. Do y'all have a favorite type of shelf to store yarns and wool related items in? I'd love to know what you all use.

Done!

I only put 5 buttons on the sweater. The holes were too close for these buttons. So I sewed the other holes up.  I think it looks good with just 5. So I can finally get it to Cara now.

Buttons!

I got my buttons yesterday from Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots in Oregon! I love their hand made wood buttons. They do such a great job. And the little honey bee buttons are so little. I got them for the little yellow sweater. And the bigger Lamancha goat buttons will be for my sweater.

                                                                     Aren't they so cute?

                                                      Lamancha goat buttons. I love these!!!

So now, I just need to sew these cute little buttons on this baby sweater and bonnet and get them over to my sweet friend Cara. She's due the end of January with their 5th baby! Might come early.