Dawn Brocco's Life & Design Blog

I figured out on Saturday, what to do with those 7 hanks of Beaverslide Worsted wt yarn. I've sketched a new design, ran the math and proportions, and CO for the rib.

As of last night, I have the 5" of twisted ribbing done and have the body up to the armholes done. Twisted ribbing makes a sharp, crisp rib, which is especially helpful when using a soft yarn, that *isn't* crisp! So, instead of a blah, disappear-into-the-walls ribbing, it now stands out as a strong vertical design element.

And, as it's now a bulky wt gauge, I'm keeping the design elements simpler than I ordinarily would - just a few cables up the front, and a full turtleneck, with a surprise!. Square inset sleeves for easy knitting and a good fit. It's cropped though, so it won't be sized up into the XL sizes. So far, it's looking like 35.5 / 38 / 39.5 / 42" for a P / S / M / L. I'm making the size M, which will be plenty for my 36" bust, with the fit I'm aiming at - close fitting. I've seen the trends for next year, and the styles are snugger.

My office is in forced disarray! Had to move things about, so hubby could spackle and paint the ceiling and walls. I need to paint all the woodwork. So, I'm left with just my desk and no work tables - aack! But half the room looks great!

Well, today's a busy day - have a small dyeing batch to do in addition to al the usual work, so I better get to it.

PS Been searching the MLS every other day or so, looking for options for our next home, and I think I've found it! Hopefully, it will still be available when we're ready to buy, but one look at the photo and I was struck - this doesn't happen much. Very few listings have taken my breathe away, not in our price range, anyway! As our taste in antique homes far exceeds our budget! But this one has the workings of one day being absolutely lovely, and it's an antique. This is more crucial than I can express.

Just the other day, we had nearly resigned ourselves to a new house, as it was all I was finding in our newly-reduced budget range, and I felt like I had sunk into a black hole and life was over. There's just no way I can be happy in a new house. Open floor plans, *decks*, jacuzzis, aack - modern contrivances of modern living.

I like *rooms*. Separate rooms with separate purposes, not one big all flow together room. I like woodwork, big, deep woodwork, and solid wood doors and plaster walls! Wood floors, preferably old pine ones, and if one *must* have an outdoor area for dining or relaxing - a slate or herringbone-patterned brick patio, surrounded by plants - simple, stylish, and definitely not modern! I need an old house to love, to love living in, to love caring for, to feel warmed by its character, its history, its solidity. Solid, not airy. New feels empty, unrooted, like floating in the air, tethered by a weakened rope that could snap at any minute. A house that can become a home must first have caused a gut reaction.

A few months ago, I mentioned in a post about my dreaming of places before we buy them. I dreamt of this house, several times before we ever saw it, and I had been wondering if I was ever going to dream of our next place. 6 days ago, I awoke and all of a sudden, the phrase "Council of Kent" burst into my head. I get these early rising words, phrases, songs all the time. But this sounded odd, like it crept up from some grammar school history lesson. So googled it, and no, it wasn't any important historical happening. There actually is a county called Kent in England and they have a council. And, one of the google responses mentions that the town of Sandwich resides in Kent! Well, where had I begun recently searching for homes? Sandwich. Hmm.