Le Tissier Designs

Of Larks and Linnets and Flying Fingers

Tag: home renovations

  • Embracing Granny Chic: A Cozy Home Makeover Journey

    Embracing Granny Chic: A Cozy Home Makeover Journey

    First and foremost, I am getting too old to live out of boxed and canned foods! And who knew that eating out all the time wasn’t fun!

    I have also been dealing with the “cold”, you know the one that won’t go away. I took the last week off of work in order to power through some knitting. That didn’t happen.

    I was too busy power napping – trying to get rid of the cold. It is slowly going. Have you had the “cold”? Or a cold for that matter. What is your favourite remedy? Mine is hot honey and lemon or tea or both. LOL!

    We are now entering week 4 or is it, 4.5 of the renovation and great progress has been made. I cannot say enough good things about MJ Chaley Construction and their crew.

    Progress to date:

    • my woolroom has a door (no change here) – but is now storage for the crews “stuff”.
      • this room is now looking like it is going to be finished last, it is too useful right now
    • the main bathroom/laundry, has been gutted, and in the bathroom
      • the electrical has been upgraded,
      • the plumbing has been upgraded
        • including adding a whole house shutoff valve for the water
      • and the ceiling and walls have been drywalled and painted!
        • the shower stall has been installed
        • and the new cabinet is here, but not installed
    • the kitchen area is so exciting
      • the skylight has been replaced and the beams and surrounding area have been upgraded with new venting and insulation
      • as have the outside walls
      • the entire kitchen has been rewired to accommodate the undercounter lighting and new appliance placements
        • including wiring being run to power the kitchen island
      • the plumbing has upgraded for the sink, we did not change the location of the sink
      • the kicks are in for the new cupboards
    • the main living area is ready for paint, both walls and ceiling
      • and ready for new trim around windows, doors and floors
    from the kitchen area to the main outside door.
    the bathroom and laundry area
    down the hallway to the back bedroom
    the kitchen with kicks and skylight. The grandfather clock won’t be staying there.

    Tomorrow the new flooring is going in.

    On Aesthetics

    There is a movement in design, especially in our homes, towards the homey and cozy. “Granny Chic” I think it is called. I have embraced this style my whole life. The combination of modern and old, of walls busy with art and family photographs. I carry my life in my home. So did my Mum!

    We lived with floral wall paper, usually very Victorian in nature. Lots of floral inspired wallpapers and pictures, antique pictures and my mothers needle pointed floral pictures. I simply followed her lead and kept my own home just like hers.

    I had this work reframed just after we moved. The old frame was falling apart at one corner. It is now waiting for a wall. My mums’ last piece of needlepoint.

    It is odd to find that now those are the homes that we are moving too naturally. I am going to be in style for the first time in my life!

    give me flowers, especially Pansies, they always make me happy
    a case full of china florals, very Granny Chic! LOL!

    I try to surround myself with Happy. That is really my aesthetic.

    I am choosing be a little naive – but I think that we quite often make our happiness.  It is how we view the world – half empty or half full. It is how we view the people in our world and how the world views us. I don’t put much stock into the stuff the world says that we need to have to be happy.

    I put stock into the people that are in my life.  Those are the people in my home and at my job. They are also the people I meet as I go about my day.

    Knitting is one of the activities that gives me my greatest joy and happiness.  Planning the next project or playing with the new yarn – I am always creating and dreaming.  When we find out what we love, happiness is usually close by. It shows us what we want to do with our time.

    More Granny Chic – the Granny Blanket

    Well, the swatch is complete. But I have no washing machine to full it in. So it will have to wait another week or so.

    It is approx 38 inches across. I want it to shrink at least 25% in the fulling process. That would make it approx 29 inches across. I am practicing patience. And using it to cozy up in as I watch tv in the evenings. The crew left us the tv console an couch to live with.

    Loose sewing at the join to allow for shrinkage
    a loosely woven center or loose single crochet would also work to fill the center. it must be loose to allow for shrinkage
    The swatch is complete. It is almost blanket size. I am going to be knitting a very big blanket before fulling for the real deal!

    I am ready for next Sunday, March 1. Well, almost. The Square and pattern are ready. However, I am still working on the “fancy.” I am having too much fun.

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette

  • Renovating Our New Home: A Yarn Lover’s Journey

    Renovating Our New Home: A Yarn Lover’s Journey

    The waiting is over.

    We moved in to our new place last May. We downsized from our home of 30 years to something a little less than half the size. But it had potential. Including extra space to turn into yarn storage and a very small bedroom for our grandson.

    We bought it for the main room. A large living area that covered the living, kitchen, dining and entry way, a Great Room. But the kitchen area needs major work. I am pretty sure that it is original to the home and about 50 years old. It is going to get a complete renovation. From the walls out.

    This is before it all started. You can see that I am not the tidiest of cooks. So I need a little space to play in. I can hardly wait.

    There will be a large pantry and a central Island with seating. A big fridge as I like to cook. And I work a lot with fresh fruit and vegetables. My last home had three fridges, main, beer and dads suite fridge. And I could and did use them all in a pinch. Especially around Christmas.

    Flooring, backsplash, counters and cupboards. Very neutral, because everything else is so colourful!

    And – this is so exciting for me – an induction stove – a new to me toy! Plus all the rest of the bells and whistles of a modern kitchen. Is a kitchen important to you? Or do you have other interests? I have to admit cooking and knitting sometimes vie for my attention. This happens when my focus is on one and not the other! There is only so much time in the day!

    We have been waiting for our contractors of choice, the MJ Chaley Construction Group. Their latest project had been taking longer than expected. They are finally free and the reno has started. The Chaley’s had done a lot of work on our old home. We trust them to do the job right!

    Tomorrow the kitchen will be demolished. I should have a new, usable kitchen in early March. So says the Calendar sheets with the timeline! We will be camping out in the dining room and eating out a lot!

    When I left Wednesday morning.
    When I got home.

    The kitchen area has a large skylight! Something that I love about this home. But it needs a little TLC. Which it is about to get. And luckily not as much as we thought it would need. Whew!

    Behind this new door, which is off of the office or back bedroom, something is brewing. This will be my new “Wool Room”. Right now it is an 8 foot x 8 foot shell of a former shed. It is waiting to be transformed with new walls, paint, flooring, and shelving! It will also have a platform bed for my Grandson with more storage underneath. I am so excited!

    I am not sure which I am more excited about the Wool room or my Kitchen! LOL!

    Please note the many mentions of wool storage. This is going to be a knitters home.

    The platform bed will double as a blocking board. The shelving will be almost all wool. The shelves may also contain a few knitting books.

    Under Construction

    My home is under construction, and so are my many knitting projects. The knitting helps me deal with the stress of the reno’s. No matter how much we want them you know there will be glitches!

    The next Blanket Square was just released this morning. The Hearts Ease Square. I have started knitting the March Square pattern and have ideas for the April and May Squares. I feel temporarily on top of that project.

    And the Granny Blanket pillow swatch is coming along. I believe it will take 12 or 13 wedges to make the circle. It won’t take the 16 I originally thought. This is wonderfully easy knitting, perfect for the evening or any tv watching. Because of this it is moving along faster than my other projects.

    I have also started a new project, one that has given me an idea for a new pattern.

    I am making some quick hats for the construction crew. Big needles and big yarn. It is an opportunity to play and I think something interesting has come out of it! A new pattern floating around my head. More to come later.

    Because of these projects, the knitting for the class projects has slowed down a wee bit. I hope to get back on track this week. There is another project, but I am not quite ready to share.

    Happy Knitting All! I hope that your blanket projects are progressing well. And if not knitting a blanket – then knitting of any style is better than not knitting at all! LOL!

    Lynette

  • Latest Knitting Inspirations: From Puff Vests to Chintz Haps

    Latest Knitting Inspirations: From Puff Vests to Chintz Haps

    My last few posts have all focused around the the Make-A-Blanket project. Getting the first couple of squares up and available, using them to describe some of the possibilities for blanket construction, setting up the start of the design process for all the knitters involved.

    Hopefully getting everyone, including myself thinking forward to what they/I want to do with our squares. At the same time as all that it going on …The rest of life keeps on happening!

    Now I am focusing on the Winter/Spring Class session. Also my designing. I haven’t felt much like lace knitting lately but I think that is changing. I have a couple of big projects to finish! My Lace Dress and the GreenMan Shawl still need to be finished. Those are going to be done this year!

    Projects for the classes at Mad About Ewe are all under construction or ready for the class.

    Current projects for the classes, the Twinned Mittens and Socks on Circs are class ready, but not completed yet. That will happen during and after the classes.

    I did a swatch to display for the Puffy Vest, and I am currently knitting the first piece. I am really pleased with the way it is knitting up. Right now it looks like a cozy cowl! The thrums make it so bright and colourful!

    You can see the swatch for the puffy vest, the Twinned Knit Mitten sample and Socks on Circs at Mad About Ewe, hanging up behind the counter if you want to check things out! All of the classes are up on the website as well!

    And there are always future projects!

    Like the Chintz Hap I have started knitting.

    Last fall I went to the Chintz exhibit at the RBCM and it inspired me in so many ways! The history, the colours and the shapes of some of the motifs really made my sit up and take notice. I want to take those shapes and colours and knit them into one of my favourite shawl shapes – the Shetland Hap! I am working on the center square right now. I am loving the center so far and once the border and edging are complete… In my head it is gorgeous!

    I am working with B.C.Garn Loch Lomond Lace! The colours are perfect for this. I may need to add that warm creamy tone, but that is still under consideration.

    So life is busy at work, and in my designing and it looks like things are about to get busy around the house as well!

    We downsized last year and have been waiting to get the kitchen and few areas around our new home renovated. And it is all about to start! And with my yarn room! Can I say that I am somewhat excited!

    The yarn room won’t be big once finished, around 7.5 by 7.5 square feet! But it will be all mine! With shelves and storage and even room for my Grandson to come and visit.

    I have it all planned out! The Daybed is for my grandson to sleep on, with a light and small bookcase for his books it will be perfect for me to block my knitting on. It is also right by the window so I can check my yarn colours under the natural light!

    One of my resolutions for this year was to be more forward thinking about my classes. So I am already thinking ahead to the Summer Classes. Something light and fun and under the sun in the courtyard. Maybe some beaded fingerless mitts in a really hot colour! What do you think?

    Or maybe a light and airy lace scarf in something silky? Any suggestions?

    Do you plan your knitting for the year ahead or are you a knit by the moment and yarn you discover?

    In the meantime I certainly don’t lack for stuff to do! LOL!

    I bet that you have lots of knitting options to as well!

    Happy Knitting

    Lynette