Sunday, September 5, 2010

Laboring Away


A few weeks ago I was all set to paint the upstairs hallway. Then temps soared to the mid 90'sF and I ditched the idea of working upstairs until cooler times arrived. Well, they did and I still dragged my feet on it. I just wasn't inspired to do it. I was inspired to paint my kitchen though, in prep for the winter cabinet painting I have planned.
The kitchen has been in Devine's Mango Tango Beans for upwards of 5 years.

It was time for a change. While I love the color, it is a dark room and I wanted to lighten things up. The top cabinets and shelves will be going to a creamy oyster color, the lower cabinets a green similar to what they are now. I didn't want to go a pale tangerine color so I went over to the yellows.


Now, yellow is a funny color. It's hard to find a good one, and what's nice in small doses can be overpowering in a large space as it reflects and intensifies itself. I don't have a lot of wall space, so I can go a little bolder, and I did. I picked up a color called Hot Spot by Miller Paint.

The first coat disappointed ( all pictures are with the second coat on). It was harsher than I was hoping for. I still had some of the Mango Tango Beans, so I mixed a portion into my gallon of paint until, while not changing the color dramatically, I added some warm undertones that the red pigments in that paint had and cut the strident lemon tones. The second coat was just what I wanted. The kitchen was painted in a day and everything back in it's place...more or less. Whew!

Now, there has been weaving since the last it's all about Stella post. I am onto towel #3
and doing this one as a simple plaid with no trees. I am hoping to get two more towels from the warp. One for myself, one for my folks.
I have also been working again on Gene's sweater. It just feels good to sit and knit while watching some of those preseason football games and Miss Pup has lost most of her interest in playing with my working yarn.

I didn't make it to downtown this past Friday, but the Friday before I did and picked up some wonderful yarn. Mushishi by Plymouth Yarn.

It's a 95% wool 5% silk single ply in a heavy DK weight. 250g @ 491 yards. What prompted the purchase of this was a sample I saw in the shop of a pattern by Classic Elite. I would have stolen the vest sample right then and there if I could have!


Instead, I bought the small pattern book and this lovely yarn to make one for myself. The booklet actually has some other nice things in it too. A great mitten pattern, a cropped cardi that would make a wonderful bed jacket, a very pretty tam and a nice long cardigan with a vine and cable pattern. It's not often I find a booklet that I like all the patterns!

On farm news it's been pretty quiet. Dandy's leg continues to improve. The goats need to be trimmed down, wormed and hooves done. Friday night I was woken up by the extremely pungent odor of a pissed off or scared skunk. Hard to tell which but someone got it. Gene had to go out to Howard Prairie Lake for the usual Labor Day weekend drunk and disorderly yahoos who camp and build fires illegally on the far side of the lake. The county sheriff handled it. Last night was blissfully quiet and cool.
Almost hat weather!


11 comments:

LA said...

Yeah! Stella is in the hat!!!! It was just a matter of time! The kitchen looks wonderful...I love that color in your kitchen.

Valerie said...

The kitchen looks great! Mine needs painting, but I'm waiting for cooler weather.

Great pattern for the vest! What is the name of the pattern book? Curious minds want to know.

Theresa said...

Valerie and LA, thank you on the kitchen. It is so nice to have a fresh clean coat of paint.

LA, I think Stella would look great in a beret ala Wishbone in one or two of his adventures. I'll have to look for a tiny pattern.

Valerie, Sorry for leaving out the full booklet details.
It's a Classic Elite Yarns book, Woodland, the Verde collection. The patterns are for their yarn of the same name, a wool/nettles yarn which actually has some lovely colors. 5 patterns in all, hat, mittens, cropped cardi, vest and long cardi. Price was right around $10.00

Unknown said...

I really like the yellow. It definitely brightens it up! And Stella looks great in that hat!

Anonymous said...

Is Stella getting used to the hat - she doesn't look quite so sheepish. ;) Beautiful yellow in the kitchen and I love the vest - bet the cardi is gorgeous as well.

Valerie said...

Thanks! I googled and found pix of from the booklet. You are right....I like most of the patterns too. Time for a LYS run next week!! I have handspun that will work on that long cardi.

bspinner said...

Yellow is my favorite color and my kitchen is yellow too only a couple of shades lighter. Looks like you have a nice big kitchen.

Stella's hat is so cute!!!

R. Delight said...

Clever to mix the two paint colors. You definitely have a knack there as the final results are lovely. Stella looks adorable in her hat and I got a good chuckle. Thanks for your tips and contacts for me when I was in Ashland. I appreciated them. I will continue to enjoy the beauty of the area through your blog, and in the comfort of my cool Northwest home!

Anonymous said...

Oh no - not the hat - Run Stella Run!

Your kitchen looks wonderful! I wish I enjoyed painting and was good at it. I put it off more than I should. and I am just a plain "vanilla" person. I always think I'm getting daring when it comes to "off white or a few shades darker" and once it goes on the wall it looks like plain old white!

It was nice to catch up on your blog - oh and I love the pine tree towels - where did you get that pattern from?

Leigh said...

I love that you could mix the colors you had for that perfect kitchen color. The yellow is a light and cheerful change.

Sharon said...

I love both the colors in your kitchen, but that's because we've never taken the time to paint ours. I'd be happy with either color - so warm. (Poor Stella, she's a good sport)