Before and After

On our last vacation in Maine Andy and I stopped at a little junk shop in Limerick.  This lamp was there and just had to come home with us.  She survived the trip back in the car and has sat in my craft room.  Perhaps feeling a bit neglected and desiring a little make over. Her faded and dented shade a reminder of style choices that could have been a bit better.   

Here she is newly dressed

What lady doesn't look good in a little black dress? 

What happened to the knitting?  I thought this was a knitting blog!  A little taste of what's been going on and off the needles:

Slöfock Cap in Honey Worsted Black Truffle Pattern by Anne Hanson

Matching mitt's

Capitola Socks in Zoe Sock Mint Latte' 

Pattern by IrishGirlieKnits

Ive also carded an entire fleece since January 1 and hope to have it spun by the last day of January!  Pictures to come on that. 

 

Spinning Stool

Andy and I are very careful about recycling.  We were talking the other day and he pointed out that we actually are doing more than what I thought.  By buying used or re-purposing things that we already have, we are essentially recycling.  A few things in our living room were looking a little dated or worn so Andy has been refinishing them.  We have a whole new look for a small amount of money and very little impact on the environment.

One thing we purchased is this cute spinning stool at a local antique shop for $10.00.  The legs were loose, the finish scratched and the seat fabric a bit dated. 

Andy spent a few hours refurbishing it on Saturday.  First he took it apart and gave it a good sanding.

After removing any dust left from sanding he put several coats of paint on it.

While he was doing all the hard work I was having fun hooking a new seat cover for it. The gray yarn is hand spun jacob, the green/purple is hand spun merino and the pink is

Peace Fleece in Moscow Magic.

 We brought our two projects together yesterday.  Andy did a great job putting it back together too.  It's now sturdy and looks like a brand new stool.

We added a new layer of high density foam under the cover for a bit of extra comfort. 

 Total cost for this project was about $17.00.  $10 for the stool, $3 for paint, and $4 for foam.  The yarn and rug fabric were left over from other projects. 

Next time you are looking for something new to add to your home try picturing what you have with a different finish or fabric.  It's easier than you think to change the color of something.  Not to mention the huge savings.

It is cold here today.

In case it goes back to being completely unreasonably warm for the rest of this winter I am attempting to wear as many hand knit items at one time as possible.  Yes, I am aware none of them match or are even from the same yarn. No, I don't care.  And I went out in public this way.  Muh huh huh!