A most useful skill…
I made a wonderful discovery this weekend. I’ve gotten accustomed enough to Proust’s rhythms and language that now (halfway through Volume II and LOVING it, thank you very much) I am able to read Proust while knitting. Of course, that’s while working on mindless knitting, because Proust merits my full attention. Big deal, right? Well, see, what this means is that I should have no trouble finishing up Kyoto in time to begin the Rogue along. The large expanses of st st on Kyoto are perfect for knitting while reading. I’ve finished the back and two fronts of Kyoto, and am almost halfway up the first sleeve. I’m not rushing through it just to get to Rogue. I also really love this pattern and am anxious to wear it. I’ve made a change or two to the pattern to make it more flattering to my shape. Nothing major–all shall be revealed when I finish it.
We spent several hours today stripping paint with the magical heat guns. I’m a bit loopy from the fumes, but did manage to snap a picture of our progress. I present to you not a before and after, but a before and during. After is a long time away in this house. This is a view of the front door from inside the house. The before view was actually taken this summer before we owned the house. While Billy was up on the roof with the inspector, my mom and I were roaming around and snapping pictures.
Before:
During:
We’ve now received two estimates we can’t afford for plaster and paint. We’ve decided we’ll do the painting ourselves, and just take it room by room. We had really wanted to have the painting done professionally, since the house is big and the ceilings are high, making it a hell of a lot of work. We came to our senses this weekend and realized we simply don’t have the money for that kind of luxury. So we’re going to get the holes the electricians made patched up, we’re going to get the ceiling in my office replaced (no choice about that–it’s a safety issue) and then we’re going to finally get our furniture, books, clothes, and the infamous colander delivered from storage. It’ll take us a while to do all the painting ourselves, so the plan is just to put everything in the center of the room that’s being worked on and cover it with dropclothes. That should work well enough. Sigh. We keep hoping we’ll win the lottery and be able to hire people for all of this stuff. Thing is, we never buy tickets. That’s probably getting in the way of our winning…
ya gotta be in it to win it, right? 🙂 let’s schedule one of my trips to NYC around painting, i have a t-shirt solely dedicated to the painting process 🙂
Posted by: carolyn
I can’t wait to see Kyoto. Think you’ll have it done by Wednesday? Ha. I love looking at the pictures of your paint-stripping progress–I just can’t get over how gorgeous your house is going to be. Painting is going to be a chore, though–does this mean you’re going to have to wait even longer for your stuff to come out of storage?
Posted by: Em
I too am in redecorating purgatory – avoid contractors whenever possible. I know it sounds like it would be easier to have “professionals” do the job, but once they start, you are at their mercy. They work on multiple jobs at once, leaving you with rooms in chaos forever. If you work on it yourself, you can give it the attention to detail that it deserves. Your house is going to be wonderful. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Sheryl
Hi,
We have a kyoto knitalong going on, but you are ahead of most of us — do you have anything about your reshaping or experience that you could share with us now? And do you want to join?
Larissa
Posted by: Larissa
Do you listen to audio books (proust) while knitting or do you actually read while knitting?
My mother just told me an old friend of the family NEVER looked at het projects as she was knitting, cables and all.
Posted by: max
I feel your pain regarding the house. My husband and I bought a tear-down when I was 9 mo pregnant. We did not have any money to hire anything out. My husband had inherited a general contractors license from his father, but that had no practical use. We lived in the best room, all of our possessions were in boxes, under a tarp, in the living room. The first check we wrote was for replacing the roof. Our insurance would not cover us if we didn’t. So, we tore down and rebuilt one room at a time. Our kitchen was gone in a heartbeat, and we made do with the garage laundry area. We patched, wired, did flooring, painted and replaced windows. The only thing we bartered out was the kitchen cabinets, and then we installed them ourselves.
The best thing about it all is the stories and memories we have…”Remember when we got high on the flooring glue?” Painting, you will find, is the easiest, boringest part. And it will come as a relief, too!
Good Luck and wash those paint brushes really well!
Posted by: Carrie
I love that we’re getting to follow your progress as you go. You’ll have lots of virtual support as you go through it. I’ve actually never painted a dang thing in my life, so what you propose sounds daunting, but I know you’ll be great at it. Like everything else you do! (I was so proud of you getting your writing done the other night, dear…..)
Posted by: Rachael
Hey Max,
No, not audio books. I wouldn’t enjoy them at all, I’m afraid. I really love to read the written words, and to turn the pages. E-books don’t do it for me for the same reason. I’m an ink on paper kinda girl.
And everyone: Thanks for the support and encouragement re: the house. It really helps!
Posted by: cari
ok. i’m ready to paint. tell me when, give me instructions, and laugh when i screw something up.
Posted by: Rebecca
Cari, there is an end…and it is BLISSFUL when it arrives! Hey, forget the furniture. Where is the spinning wheel!
Posted by: claudia
Proust on tape — why didn’t I think of that?!
It is exciting following the progress of your house. It’s just going to be so beautiful. People sure loved to paint, didn’t they? We lived in a house in Vancouver that had about four layers of wallpaper under a few layers of paint in the kitchen. We tore up the carpet in the office to find a ton of glue holding the underpadding but THEN… glorious 1940s linoleum! And we were just renters — I can’t wait to do that stuff for real someday. I know it won’t be fun all the time, but have fun!
Posted by: alison
Wow, the wood is gorgeous. What a ton of work. It is true that you are at the mercy of contractors when they do the work. And no one will love your house and put the care and detail into it that you will.
Posted by: kathleen
I love reading about your new house! It’s a long haul, but it’s going to be so rewarding. And what lovely wood under that paint! Why, oh why had they painted over it?
Posted by: Becky
ya gotta be in it to win it, right? 🙂 let’s schedule one of my trips to NYC around painting, i have a t-shirt solely dedicated to the painting process 🙂
Posted by: carolyn
I can’t wait to see Kyoto. Think you’ll have it done by Wednesday? Ha. I love looking at the pictures of your paint-stripping progress–I just can’t get over how gorgeous your house is going to be. Painting is going to be a chore, though–does this mean you’re going to have to wait even longer for your stuff to come out of storage?
Posted by: Em
I too am in redecorating purgatory – avoid contractors whenever possible. I know it sounds like it would be easier to have “professionals” do the job, but once they start, you are at their mercy. They work on multiple jobs at once, leaving you with rooms in chaos forever. If you work on it yourself, you can give it the attention to detail that it deserves. Your house is going to be wonderful. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Sheryl
Hi,
We have a kyoto knitalong going on, but you are ahead of most of us — do you have anything about your reshaping or experience that you could share with us now? And do you want to join?
Larissa
Posted by: Larissa
Do you listen to audio books (proust) while knitting or do you actually read while knitting?
My mother just told me an old friend of the family NEVER looked at het projects as she was knitting, cables and all.
Posted by: max
I feel your pain regarding the house. My husband and I bought a tear-down when I was 9 mo pregnant. We did not have any money to hire anything out. My husband had inherited a general contractors license from his father, but that had no practical use. We lived in the best room, all of our possessions were in boxes, under a tarp, in the living room. The first check we wrote was for replacing the roof. Our insurance would not cover us if we didn’t. So, we tore down and rebuilt one room at a time. Our kitchen was gone in a heartbeat, and we made do with the garage laundry area. We patched, wired, did flooring, painted and replaced windows. The only thing we bartered out was the kitchen cabinets, and then we installed them ourselves.
The best thing about it all is the stories and memories we have…”Remember when we got high on the flooring glue?” Painting, you will find, is the easiest, boringest part. And it will come as a relief, too!
Good Luck and wash those paint brushes really well!
Posted by: Carrie
I love that we’re getting to follow your progress as you go. You’ll have lots of virtual support as you go through it. I’ve actually never painted a dang thing in my life, so what you propose sounds daunting, but I know you’ll be great at it. Like everything else you do! (I was so proud of you getting your writing done the other night, dear…..)
Posted by: Rachael
Hey Max,
No, not audio books. I wouldn’t enjoy them at all, I’m afraid. I really love to read the written words, and to turn the pages. E-books don’t do it for me for the same reason. I’m an ink on paper kinda girl.
And everyone: Thanks for the support and encouragement re: the house. It really helps!
Posted by: cari
ok. i’m ready to paint. tell me when, give me instructions, and laugh when i screw something up.
Posted by: Rebecca
Cari, there is an end…and it is BLISSFUL when it arrives! Hey, forget the furniture. Where is the spinning wheel!
Posted by: claudia
Proust on tape — why didn’t I think of that?!
It is exciting following the progress of your house. It’s just going to be so beautiful. People sure loved to paint, didn’t they? We lived in a house in Vancouver that had about four layers of wallpaper under a few layers of paint in the kitchen. We tore up the carpet in the office to find a ton of glue holding the underpadding but THEN… glorious 1940s linoleum! And we were just renters — I can’t wait to do that stuff for real someday. I know it won’t be fun all the time, but have fun!
Posted by: alison
Wow, the wood is gorgeous. What a ton of work. It is true that you are at the mercy of contractors when they do the work. And no one will love your house and put the care and detail into it that you will.
Posted by: kathleen
I love reading about your new house! It’s a long haul, but it’s going to be so rewarding. And what lovely wood under that paint! Why, oh why had they painted over it?
Posted by: Becky