House to-do list update

Image courtesy of Apartment Therapy via Google Images, saved to my server

So I've taken down the old Gateway computer complete with its monolithic monitor and hard drive: my desk is positively spacious! Now if the weather would just cooperate for me to get it to the car and then to the recycling center.

I have prewashed and dried the denim for the Rotex chair cushions: the material was dropped off at the upholsterer's on Saturday.

Spackling...ah yes, the spackling. I think I have finally solved the issue. I just have to do the painting and that project is done!

I treated myself to a tillandsia yesterday: it's living in a shell in our bathroom. Winter must be getting to me - that little shot of green makes me inordinately happy!

Spring thoughts

Here are my attempts at crocheting little stars. Actually some of them turned out more like flowers. I'll take what I can get. The cool thing is that each one gets better and easier!

I picked up a few vintage embroidery hoops last summer. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but since then I've been inspired to create some cute springy motifs. I covered the buttons with some of my stash and invested in some embroidery floss. I still have 4 hoops left...maybe one for each season?

Sittin' and knittin'

Over the Christmas holidays, I was given a large bag of alpaca yarn. As a thank you for such a generous windfall, I knit this wrap with some of the yarn. The yarn is Classic Elite Inca: I used the blue and multi colorways from the bag. The stitch is a very easy lace pattern: basically Knit 2, [Yarn Over, Knit 2 together] until the last two stitches, then Knit 2. I picked up the stitches and added a ruffle to both ends. This yarn knit up quickly on #10 circs and the resulting fabric is lightweight but very very warm.

This pair of socks uses On Line Supersock Cotton Beach Colors in colorway 947. I'm not fully feeling the beachy vibe just yet (maybe when the thermometer decides to break 0 degrees?), but it's good to have another pair of socks in the drawer.

Once I finished these projects, I tried my hand at a little crochet. But that's a post for another day.

Another find!

This is our new linen storage from Junk and Disorderly in South Hero. She definitely needs to be stripped and repainted. I'm thinking french vanilla outside and orange inside: a Creamsicle! Stay tuned.

If at first

you don't succeed, gouge a big hole in your wall and try again!

Fixing this corner of the drywall in my craft room was making me guano loco. So finally, I took my Exacto knife and cut out as much of the old compound as I could. I guess the angle of the wall  coupled with the new addition settling prohibited a smooth job the first time, so I figured starting over with drywall mesh and compound was the way to go. It's curing right now. My goal is to add the skim coat and repaint the corner by this weekend. It already looks (and feels) much better. 

While I was working painting and staining projects this weekend, I realized I had never shown you a picture of my paint storage. It's a mesh cart I got from Target about a year ago (didn't see it on their website, though). The bottom drawer holds little cans of stain and touch up cans of all our wall colors. The second drawer is primers, spackle compounds, and the trim paints. The top drawer is painting supplies like rollers, steel wool, sponges, trimmers and stirrers. The basket on the top holds spray paints, polyurethane, the paintbrush cleaning jar, metal brush for cleaning bristles, and my much-loved angled paintbrush. The beauty of this cart is that it wheels easily in and out of the kitchen closet which means I don't have to dig for what I want. One of the best $20.00 I've ever spent.