Questions on refinishing a table

[Silound]

Scott is right, wood is naturally porous, and natural imperfections and density will cause stain to absorb at different levels, resulting in "blemishes." It's unlikely that a wood like pine will ever stain evenly unless you're going for a near-black finish.

I have had luck in the past with dark areas just re-staining the lighter surrounding areas to bring the color up some, but often that's not possible if the problem arises from knots.

There are products that are designed as an "in-between" layer for projects with soft woods. They paint on and provide a more dense and balanced surface for the stain to absorb into, but they also kill the natural look of the wood. I don't recommend them, as they're expensive and a pain to work with.

Personally, I'd wipe a few coats of stain on it, set it out in the sun for a day, then give it about 8 coats of clear poly, sanding between coats with a fine grit paper, and the end result will be a nice, "rustic" look.