Hello my blogging friends!  We are only midway through January and so far the new year is not looking so good for me 😦   A couple of months ago I found a dark line along with a white line on our basement carpet.  Either hubby and I are in the basement just about everyday, but we couldn’t find the carpet wet.  Two weeks ago, I finally found it wet along the line, like a crack in the concrete line.  Oh No!  I just knew it was our foundation.  Last week we had the experts in and sure enough our foundation has been compromised.  As well as a crack in the block wall in the room where our well tank and water softener is.  So, we will need to have our basement waterproofed, which entails digging a trench around the perimeter of the basement, setting a sump pump into the floor and wrapping the walls from floor to ceiling, and pouring a new floor.  This also means that we will have to get everything out of our (finished) basement and storage room, have someone come in and tear off all the dry wall, wall mirrors and carpet, have the foundation specialists do their waterproofing and then having the guy come back and put dry wall back up.  During all of this our well tank will have to be unhooked and moved, so not sure how long we will be without water. We are also having new gutters installed, which is probably why we are in this position now.  Limited gutters on the house.  Then there is the task of painting the new drywall and getting new carpet.  And figuring out where we will put everything from the basement until we can get it all finished again.  Ugh. This process will start around the last week of February.  So not looking forward to it.  So, with this big expense, I am definitely looking to my WIP’s and stash to keep me busy for a long time.  So, here is what I have been up to, trying to keep my mind off of what is to come.

I have been commissioned to do this pillow, so I started it on January 6.  It is definitely not something I would have chosen for myself. It has a color chart, which I absolutely hate and so much confetti stitching.  I have already had to rip several sections out and put them back.  I am blaming the color chart on this one 😉  It is being stitched on 11ct Aida, so I am hoping it will go quick, but so far it has been rather slow.  The 15th of January didn’t come soon enough so I could put this down and pick up this:

Yesterday the last mermaid for this SAL came out and I had a start on her last night.  She is the January mermaid and I think she is my favorite.  Maybe because she is my birth month, or maybe because it is the last one.  Once I finish her, I still have all the beading to do and I just know it will be so sparkly and beautiful!  This was a very fun stitch for the year and I looked forward to each new mermaid every month. This is a Shannon Christine design and was put out by Fiberlicious.  The fabric is 16ct Aida Maldivian Dreams by Fiberlicious.  If you wanted to get in on this one, you may still be able to, not sure.  After the SAL, I do know that the charts will go up in price.

And lastly, I have been knitting on my travel cowl when I get the chance. And yesterday I had a chance to knit several rows while hubby had a little out patient procedure done .  He is doing well today.

I am using the Funny Rainbow pattern by Katia again.  The yarn is Kettle Tweed in Winter Blossom colorway.  I think this will look great with jeans and a black top.  I can’t wait to finish it.  Hopefully before winter is over.  It not, I will have it for next year.

So that is what I have been up to, trying to keep my mind off of other things.  I am really looking forward to Spring now.  The basement will be done and hopefully all back in place and warmer weather will be here.  So what have to you been doing so far this year?  I’d love to hear about it 🙂