On My Mind And On My Needles

Onward & upward, that's what I always say!

I wanted to knit on something cheerful after the Black Lace debacle, so I started a dishcloth from really perky yarn:

I know there are lots of knitters out there (I'm sure come crocheters too) who make fun of "that kind" of knitting but I'm enjoying the heck out of this...so there! ::wink::I can't wait to have a stack of bright dishcloths, ready for my sink or for gifts. :)

As I knit, I keep thinking how pretty a cardi would be made from this pattern. Hmmmm....

Speaking of patterns, I'll be posting the headband pattern tomorrow, named "Bron's Brain Band" since 3 people mentioned it in my comments yesterday. hehehe. I meant to do it yesterday, but I got carried away with other stuff.

I've knit a bit on Something Pink, but there isn't enough progress to warrant another picture.

I'm still working on Holey Cables too, but I AM considering casting on one more project: My old pattern, Nimue, in....wait for it....Cotton Ease! LOL Honestly, I've been trying to think of a yarn that is inexpensive and readily available. The new CE certainly fits the bill, even if it IS only available online at the moment. I have some here in "Berry" but I don't think I want two pink sweaters on the needles at once. I'm going to check the online stores today & see what other color strikes my fancy. It would be nice to get that pattern written up & offered here at Casa De Bron too. :)

We did have some good news over the weekend. When we put the FSBO sign out in front of our rental, we started getting calls. :) One couple came over to look at the house & insisted on being shown inside. Although I was VERY reluctant because it's still a filthy mess, they insisted and were very interested. In fact, he called me again yesterday & said he'll be writing up an offer this week. At this point, though, before we even get anything renovated, we won't be entertaining any offers below our asking price. I mean, why take $10,000 to $15,000 less when $3,000 or $4,000 and some elbow grease might get us what we want?

I wanted to show you one representative picture of the horrible condition of the rental house. I took loads of pictures this weekend of the damage and trash and while I'll spare you the pics of the toilets (I finally put down the lid of the master bath toilet & saw what was behind it....dear gods...), I will show you this one:

This is the light switch in one of the kid's rooms...and no, they did NOT have permission to paint the walls. When they moved in everything was a lovely, pristine white. Now - just imagine that kind of dirt on every single surface of the house. We'll need protective suits to work in there!

Just because I know you're curious, here's a pic of the rental from the outside:

(Hard to believe the horrors that lurk within, eh?) And here's our house, right next door:

See - I knew you were curious. ::wink::

It's 7th grade science today, but they are fairly easy classes so hopefully I'll have a good day!

To all the Bears fans out there, I feel your pain. To all the Colts fan, congrats!

Comments

[Paula]

I'm a member of the Monthly Dishcloth Knitalong. Dishcloths are my personal pick-up project and they've been a wonderful learning tool. The yarn is inexpensive and the size is great for trying different stitch patterns. I use them as gifts for my co-workers at Christmas. Can't give a nice handknit any cheaper!

And say something should go wrong - (like the pattern isn't correct) - you still have something useful. >grin<

[Deneen]

Ha! I have dishcloths to make for a swap too and I also feel odd sometimes mentioning them, but they're quick pick me ups in bright colors and heck, I like making em sometimes.

Ewww, to the rental house scum on the walls, ewwwwww

Bron's Brain Band is oh so you!

[Lisa]

Sometimes a dishcloth is just what we need to get that "knitting feeling" back (lol).

Ewwww gross on the walls! That is so disgusting! I don't know how people could live like that. Definitely put on your hazard suit before you start cleaning that up!

[jillian]

A bright and cheery dishcloth! Just right!

And I also say EWWWWWW to the dirt. And in the KID's room. I think you shouldn't just joke about wearing suits to clean it. At least gloves and sturdy boots, long sleeves and jeans - would masks be too much! I am not even a germaphobe. But there can be mold, fungus, bacteria in the kitchen and bathrooms (e.coli, etc) - scary things that can really harm a person present in a house that dirty.

[Vera]

That's a lovely dishcloth. When I first took up knitting, that's pretty much all I made.

Looks like you have lots of work on the rental.. It's sad how some people just don't care.

[Andrea]

Hey, dishcloths are the latest "in" thing to be knitting! Didn't you know? ;) And yeah... it would make a lovely cardigan, or even a sweater. (Since I know you've been trying to curb your cardigan habit.)

"Ewwwww!" to the lightswitch. How did they manage such filth?!? You're going to need to scrub and prime those walls. (Scrub the filth off so the new paint doesn't peel, and prime so the teal doesn't show through. Belive me... priming will cut down on the total number of layers necessary.)

[Wanda]

Because of your post a few weeks ago about sponges, I decided to dust off my dishcloth cotton yarn I purchased earlier this summer and started knitting with it just last week. I made one dishcloth last week and found some really cool patterns on the web. I liked the deisng you're working with now, what is it? I plan to try to make one a week till I'm out (since I bought 16 skeins of it!). It's nice to have a quick project done in over a day or two.

[jan]

I'm happy you're getting interest in your rental Bron. It's probably the only thing keeping you 'up' in the housing thing right now. Why don't you get a cleaning company to come in and go through it. It sure is a pretty house from the outside. I don't know how anyone could treat a beauty house like that in such a slovenly way.

A friend of mine is a landlord and was going through the same situation last year. I asked her and she said you don't need a lawyer; you just go to small claims court, if it comes to that. Wouldn't it be cool if that post office guy's landlord knew just how bad the inside of your rental looked and that's why he doesn't want to sign the papers ;)

Your dishcloth is beautiful. Love the pattern. That yarn would look great in a sweater rather than a cardigan.

So sorry about your black sweater. I would have tossed it across the room and kicked it out the door for the squirrels :)

[jan]

I'm happy you're getting interest in your rental Bron. It's probably the only thing keeping you 'up' in the housing thing right now. Why don't you get a cleaning company to come in and go through it. It sure is a pretty house from the outside. I don't know how anyone could treat a beauty house like that in such a slovenly way.

A friend of mine is a landlord and was going through the same situation last year. I asked her and she said you don't need a lawyer; you just go to small claims court, if it comes to that. Wouldn't it be cool if that post office guy's landlord knew just how bad the inside of your rental looked and that's why he doesn't want to sign the papers ;)

Your dishcloth is beautiful. Love the pattern. That yarn would look great in a sweater rather than a cardigan.

So sorry about your black sweater. I would have tossed it across the room and kicked it out the door for the squirrels :)

[Vicki]

The first place that DH and I rented together (when he was definitely D but not yet H) had been abandoned by the previous tenants -- a few things had been left behind, including stuff in the 'fridge & freezer. Then the electricity was turned off.

And months went by.

And why-oh-why the owner or property manager never set foot in the place, I'll never know, and also why-oh-why WE ended up cleaning up/fixing up the place (I don't remember, but hopefully in trade for a few months' rent), and I'm not winking when I say that we really should have had Haz-Mat suits on when we cleaned out that 'fridge.

Your rental reminds me of my uncle's house down there!

[Dawn]

EEE-Gads!! That is so gross. Even the paint color was a bit on the eeek! side. I was so happy the Colts won! after all, Payton was a TN, Vol before he was a Colt.

[Bron]

Let's hear it for dishcloths! Yay! LOL

Dawn - Yeah, I really would've been happy either way on the Super Bowl. The Colts really deserved it. :)

Vicki - It's flat out amazing what some owners and/or renters will do to a home. Poor you for being stuck with the clean up!

Jan - Thanks for the advice - we'll definitely keep on this guy for our cash. What I REALLY want to have happen is for him to ask to move back & us being able to tell him, "Hell, no - it's sold!" hehe

Wanda - it's a design from this booklet:

http://bronsfiberstuff.typepad.com/brons_blog_ii/2007/01/lets_play_catch.html

They have several patterns I'll be trying soon. I picked it up at Michael's last weekend.

Andrea - Thank goodness dishcloths are in! I'm finally cool! LOL

Yeah - how could you have babies & children in filth like that? No wonder they were always sick!!!

Jillian - You're so right - if we do end up doing all the work, we're covering ourselves & wearing masks. I really don't think we're being paranoid either. I've really never seen such filth.

Paula - There's a monthly dishcloth along? Cool! I bet you have fun with that. :)

[Lisa in Oregon]

ewwwwww. That switch plate is...just...ewww.

So, you live NEXT DOOR to your rental, and they LEFT it like that??? Good grief. I live in abject terror the prop manager or landlord will drive by before I've removed the garbage can from the back alley after pick up day - I can't imagine having that kind of mess with the landlords next door especially...guess they're just "special" kinda renters, argh.

Hope the guy buys it and it goes away for you! L