Neither the Thermometer Nor the Pictures Lie!

What Team Schavis did today --

Before:


After: It's only 2:00, but we had to stop because the GINORMOUS dumpster was full to the tippy-top and throughout every nook and cranny. Dumpster Guy will bring a fresh one later today so we can finish the clean-up tomorrow.

And this is what the temperature managed to do during the 5 hours we toiled:
That's right, we have reached a full 25 fun-lovin' degrees!

And just in case anyone thought I was living large when you saw the inside temp from this morning's entry (a balmy 72.5) -- that was the UPstairs temperature. The 2:30 temperature was taken on the main level ... can you see that 64.9? Can you FEEL that 64.9? No, I'm not blasting the furnace, am I?

This is what happens in an ancient house with no insulation and 12 foot ceilings -- I sweater up to go downstairs, and peel it off on the way back up.

Back to the house demo ... we did have some laughs. THANKSBETOGODANDALLAH that Jamie quit his cube job and can hang with us sometimes. He is a tireless worker and a very funny and sweet guy.

Here he pauses from swinging the sledge to bust out laughing at my own DH, holding up the last wall and peering through the window.

(Jamie LOVES to beat stuff up -- he had fun on this job today).

Now, in order to transition from butchy construction wench into something that will be acceptable at tonight's Heritage Society Annual Holiday Dinner ... let's talk about knitting.

I have reworked the white panel for the UT Afghan. You will recall that I was not thrilled with the outcome by working this panel as called for in the Bernat pattern, but I have a similar stitch going on in the blue Aran that I have taken to the afghan as well.

Here's the white panel with the new stitch:

It has so much more poofiness (I know that's not a word, but you know what I mean) and I like it so much better. Here's the difference:

Bernat Pattern:

Row 1: K3 together through back loop, (K1, P1, K1) all in next stitch -- repeat across row;

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: (K1, P1, K1) all in next stitch, K3 together through back loop -- repeat across row

Blackberry from Aran pattern:

Row 1: P3 together, (K1, P1, K1) all in next stitch -- repeat across row

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: (K1, P1, K1) all in next stitch, P3 together -- repeat across row

So, the biggest differences are PURL versus KNIT and it makes those little Blackberries POP! I also added twelve more stitches (or 3 berries) to the panel so that it is now nearly one and one-half times as wide as the orange panel. I like it much better ... and on a project of this size, I need to be happy or it will sit in a dark corner somewhere, for eons -- kind of like Ginny's sweater (which I wore for the second time already).

Please don't mind the rambling ... I'm just beginning to thaw.