Tag Archives: DIY

four things | six

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It’s still winter, at least for this past week. We had bitter cold (for us) with temperatures in the teens and twenties along with high winds that only made it feel colder. One good thing is that when Pepper needs to go outside, she gets the “job” done quickly!

I don’t mind the snow (retired and all that) but those winds ripping through hats, coats, gloves/mittens, pants, and boots are wicked.

what I’m reading

The articles about Joann’s closing 500+ stores is saddening. My local store is now a “liquidation store” with sale prices hovering around 20% off retail. I realize they are trying to recoup some losses but will wait for deeper cuts before I buy the flannel I need to sew burp cloths. The only other fabric option within 50-miles is Walmart.

what I’m watching

Two turkey vultures were scoping out the surrounding area this week for snacks or lunch. I usually see these huge birds gliding above the trees so this was a real treat.

They were probably 20-24 inches tall just chatting away or whatever birds do when they rest in the trees.

Pepper stayed in the house for the hour or two that they were there. I know they feed off of dead carcasses but I didn’t want to give them any ideas that she was around.

what I’m not missing

I’ve used a wireless keyboard and mouse for many, many years and when they decided to stop working, I went back to the wired ones that came with my computer (close to ten years ago). These cords are long enough that they don’t pull when I use them. The mouse died first about a year ago and no matter how many times I tried different mouse pads or replaced the batteries, it would skip, not click, double click, not move or move on it’s own. Ain’t nobody got time for dat.

The keyboard lived until a few weeks ago. Most keyboards have the same key placement though does take awhile to get used to the different feel and pressure/touch of the keys.

I am not missing the cordless features.

what I’m working on

Our priest adopted a three years old basset/terrier mix dog earlier this month. He doesn’t have to deal with the biting, chewing and teething stage that new puppies go through but there is definitely a learning curve for both of them.

People are gifting treats, toys, and advice. I made a dog poop bag holder that he can clip on his belt loop or dog leash. The pattern is free when you sign up for the weekly newsletter.

I used some bone printed fabric I got from my BFF. it’s easy to refill with the zipper opening. The open space on the bottom is where the roll of bags can be pulled out as seen below.

I try to take most of my indoor photos in the window seat in the guest room. A piece of white felt on top of the padded seat helps reflect light without glare. Pepper had to do the sniff test and see what was going on.

till next week…

Patti

four things | five

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Mother Nature reminded us that it’s still winter in this part of the world and gifted us with about an inch of snow on Tuesday. It continued to snow albeit very fine flakes all night with a total accumulation of three to three and a half inches by Wednesday afternoon. Warmer temperatures and sunshine early on Thursday melted 90% of it but the winds picked up and it was downright blustery by late afternoon.

I like the four seasons though not necessarily when we’re smackdab in the middle of them. I’m already thinking of what I will plant in the flower pots on the front porch and deck for spring and summer.

what I’m reading

I just began reading Loving Frank by Nancy Horan a historical fiction book based on Frank Lloyd Wright, his mistress and her untimely death. Frank Lloyd Wright is one of my favorite people of the twentieth century. I always wanted to be an architect ever since I was a young girl. Although that dream never became a reality, I still like to read about architecture and look at blueprints and architectural drawings.

Wright’s Falling Water and Kentuck Knob are within a couple of hours from me. I’ve been to Falling Water several times in the 1970’s and 80’s but never to Kentuck Knob as it was not open to the public until 1996 and by then my life revolved around other things. A visit to both are on my bucket list this year.

what I’m watching

Source: tribute.ca

Mr. Aitch and I cut the cable cord to the TV many years years ago. Now we stream what we watch when we want to watch. I’m currently watching Father Brown (season 10) on Brit Box. I would classify this as a “cozy mystery” series as it’s never too graphic nor shocking. Father Brown (played by Mark Williams) helps the police solve crimes in the Cotswold fictional village of Kembleford whether they like it or not. It’s always interesting how he just happens to get involved.

what I’m loving

Board Butter aka Spoon Butter. It’s a concoction of beeswax and food grade mineral oil* and used to moisturize and condition wooden utensils i.e. cutting boards, spoons, salad bowls, knife handles, etc. You can find any number of “recipes” online but they all have the same basic measurements. How-to one and two.

It’s very easy to make but use common sense. Oil and wax are flammable!

I only had a small amount of wax so I only made a small amount. This stuff does not get hard so if you make some, keep it in a lidded container. I used a square of cheesecloth to dip some out and rubbed it into my cutting boards and knife handles. After letting them sit for an hour, I buffed the extra wax/oil off.

The cutting board was gifted to us last Christmas so it wasn’t too dry but the knives are several years old. The wood absorbed it in the handles on the left. They almost look new!

*Food grade mineral oil is a petroleum-based product with a very long shelf life. The amount your food may absorb from the cutting board is miniscule. It’s used in cosmetics, skin care products, shampoos, gives store-bought shine to your fruits and veggies along with many other uses. Vegetable oils, seed oils, and coconut oils can go rancid quickly.

what I’m working on

Pepper decided to try her paws at winding yarn into a ball. Or maybe she was trying to rewind it. Whatever. I’m now trying to untangle her attempt.

till next week…

Patti

Paper towel hack

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Disposable paper products can be a great thing or just another way to separate us from our hard-earned money. I’m not a greenie by any stretch of the imagination but I’ve cut down on buying/using some paper products: paper napkins, paper plates, tissues, paper bags. Paper products I can’t give up are: paper towels and toilet paper.

Terrycloth hand towels are the norm for us, however, I like to wipe up greasy, oily spills and other grossness with something I can throw away.

This started years ago when paper towel companies came up with the “select-a-size” gimmick. I ignored it. Then I bought some and lo and behold, I loved having that choice of a half-sheet, whole sheet or even one-and-a half sheets and beyond.

I waste less when I can pick a smaller towel for a smaller clean-up.

The last time paper towels were on sale, I bought one (or two) packages. I thought they were the select-a-size but when I was putting them away, I realized they were the whole sheet towels.

Enter the hack: I cut a roll of towels in half with a saw so I have half-sheet paper towels. I wanted easy access to both sizes of towels so I had to come up with a way to adjust my towel holder.

This is the super-duper strong magnetic paper towel holder I have (more colors available) that lives on the side of my refrigerator. It comes in two pieces so I can expand it with a longer core to fit both rolls. I used a tube from an aluminum foil roll that was smaller than the paper towel core, making vertical cuts at the bottom so it would fit snuggly over the end.

I put one roll over the new core,

the half roll,

then the top of the holder keeps everything in place.

I have two pieces of cardboard between both rolls so they can move independently but haven’t perfected that yet as they both turn when getting a towel.

So that’s my life hack.

Patti

My yarn swift

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A yarn swift is a device that holds a hank of yarn fairly taut so one can wind it into a ball without creating a hot mess of tangles and knots. Usually I use my knees, an upside down patio table or Mr. Aitch’s arms as my yarn swift. Having a rotating mechanism is much easier.

Here are the parts of my swift.

Two arms 30-inches long that are notched in the center to fit together to make a cross. One hole is drilled into the center to hold the arms onto the base. Each arm has holes drilled partway through to hold the dowels that will eventually hold the yarn. A two-piece base. Two washers though one would work to make the arms rotate easily. Five 6-7 inch dowel rods.

The two base pieces notch together.

Next the washer(s), and the longer dowel.

These are the washers I used. I couldn’t find a large one with a hole that would fit my dowel. The smaller one fits inside the larger one perfectly so it won’t wobble when the arms turn.

The two arms lap together in the middle to make a cross and slide over the center dowel.

The four other dowels are pushed into the holes, one on each arm, to correspond with the size of the yarn hank.

I ground the ends of the dowels just a bit with a pencil sharpener so they would go into the holes easier.

Voila! I spent $10.68 on the wood and washers. After several hours of cutting, repeatedly plugging and unplugging my tools, and assembling, I got myself a yarn swift that when not in use, takes up very little space.

I had a short video of the swift in action but I couldn’t get it to load properly.

My next sewing project will be to make a drawstring bag to hold all the pieces.

Now if I had a woodworking shop and all the necessary tools, this would have looked more professional. In my dreams a band saw, drill press, table saw, chisel, and a router would be awesome. Instead I used a jigsaw, drill, coping saw, hack saw, Dremel tool, screwdriver, utility knife and sandpaper.

Here are the two videos I watched for the dimensions and demonstration from Cozy Corner Crochet.

If you want more details, just leave a comment.

Now, if I can make this, you can too!

Patti nona