April’s blanket in April

I finished the baby blanket Jen commissioned! And it’s even in the mail! I KNOW!

I was wayyy too tired when I started this project, and i knew it. Turns out, this causes some problems.

First, I found out that I had only four colors to use, rather than the five called for in the pattern. This turned out to be  fine — I decided to substitute their “pink row” with whatever I thought looked good at that point. But I also started with the wrong color — I wrote down my substitutions in the order I wanted them, but then I picked up the wrong yarn anyway. And then I proceeded to screw up the foundation chain about three times. I had to rip it out and start over in a few days when I could stand to look at it again.

Then my sister told me that -surprise!- the baby shower was at the end of April, and not the end of May as I’d thought. So I blocked off last weekend and committed to finishing the blanket.

Giant soda and trashy TV make crafts happen.

It took about 15 hours and a giant Diet Coke, but I finished it. That said, the blankie went very quickly with worsted yarn, and the pattern was easy to memorize. It became a slog about 5” from the end, but watching crappy TV on Hulu helped.

I had originally thought I would crochet a border around it, but after looking again at others’ completed versions on Ravelry, I found that I really liked those without the borders. This meant that I had to weave in allllll those ends from the color changes. If I’d changed my mind to go without a border beforehand, I’d have woven in the ends as I went, and made the color changes a bit more neatly.

That is so many ends. So many.

Modifications
Like I said earlier, I went with four colors instead of five, because that’s what I had on hand. I used worsted-weight yarn, rather than the fingering weight yarn called for, held double. I used an H hook for some colors, and an I for others, due to slight differences in the weight of the yarn.

I did follow the color scheme, but I added a row of each color — so instead of three rows of color A, I’d make four. Doing this cut down on the color changes while preserving the color pattern.

I really think I went the right way with my yarn choices. I have no idea why you’d use alpaca; all it would take is one toss into a dryer by a sleep-deprived parent you’d end up with a Barbie blanket!

I’m pretty proud of this one. I almost want to make a queen-size version for my bed, but my wrist is crying at the thought of it!

 

Goals:

I knocked off one of my 10 projects for the year, which is awesome, especially considering that this is a big project. I also used three skeins of yarn completely, and I’m pretty close on two others. Hooray! Those yarns have been in my stash since I first started crocheting in college.

But using yarn also means I free up space for new ones. I got a skein of Cascade Heritage Sock in Tangerine. I technically bought this one before I used up the others, but I’d walked three miles to pet yarn, so I wasn’t leaving without it!

Cheering up my mom?

My mom needs a bit of a lift, and I’d like to make her something that she’d like or put together a care package of some sort.

The economy’s been tough for my parents. My dad’s been out of work for the better part of the past three years (he worked for the census bureau for awhile), and it’s hard on their marriage. My mom feels overwhelmed by being the wage earner, plus feels like she’s going to have to work until she’s dead and never have financial security. I’m trying to be the positive voice and empower her to change her circumstances–partly by looking for a new, higher-paying teaching position. (Any idea if there’s a job board for that?)

I’d like to send her a little pick-me-up.* I was thinking perhaps some sewing supplies because that’s a luxury she can’t really afford? Maybe a bundle of fat quarters, a gift card to get more fabric and notions, maybe some dried strawberries? Any ideas what a 58-year-old woman who’s depressed would like?
*this means I DEFINITELY need to get better at mailing things.

Updated project list

One of my goals for this year is to complete five big home projects. I haven’t done one yet and it’s almost the end of the first quarter. Sigh.

But, I was keeping a list of projects I wanted to complete. (Started last year.) I thought it might be worth a gander at where I’m at on the list. (The original post is here.)

1. The table.  This really solid table went from a maple-like color to white to a nice cheery cherry. It sucked TONS of my time last year, sanding and listening to the Avett Brothers. Well spent. View it completed here.

2. The hallway. I opted to paint a damask print to our entry hallway. I bought the stencil on Etsy before we ever moved in March 2010. I was laid off, I found a new job, I started other projects and this one didn’t take off. I’ve done two panels.

3. The chair. Tasha and I are in the middle of deciding on a color for this chair. However, the back and forth convos have led up to think that perhaps the coffee table would be better in a blue color so the chair can be green. So, back to the garage with the table and on to the fabric store for vinyl for this chair.

4. The roman shades. Most of the windows in our house have custom blinds. That’s great and all, except some of them don’t. We taped wrapping paper on a window in the master bedroom on our first night in the house. It’s still there. It’s been two years.

5. The yard. This is an ongoing mess. I hired someone last year to weed and cut back everything and replant grass. But he didn’t do it to my standards (the grass part… though I wasn’t really satisfied with the rest, either). The front yard’s fine, but the back yard is under construction.

6. The mirror. I’m done with this and so happy!

7. The mushroom wall. I completed this grouping and moved on to plotting the rest of my hallway.

8. The pressed flowers. Opposite my mushroom wall, I plan to have other nature-theme photos and items. One element is pressed flowers. I pressed some last year, but I need to put them in their frames. I also want to press some roses.

9. The dresses. Oh, the dresses. I bought a dress in December 2010 with a great shape. After discussion with Tasha, I set my heart on dip dyeing it RIT Dark Teal. Then I bought two other dresses, with the hope of dyeing them other beautiful colors. Must. do. this. It’s easy to dye dresses and I already have the supplies.

10. The side tables. After reading a post on Design*Sponge, I decided I MUST have these tables. I’m having a hard time finding logs for this, but admittedly, I’m not trying that hard. I’ve definitely been concentrating on other stuff.

11. The homemade dress. I started making a dress six months ago more than a year ago. It’s actually an easy pattern (1 hour it says! yeah, sure. for masters.), but I lost momentum when I realized my sewing machine needed serviced.Now, I’ve actually bought a new sewing machine. So why haven’t I finished? I’m not the same size I was when I started (remember that goal to lose –now–12 pounds?). I really should just finish this off, though. Either something to look forward to or to give to a friend.

So, reviewing the list makes me feel like I’ve definitely got some progress to make. I think my problem is that I’m thinking about these projects as a “do it all at one time” thing. But, realistically, I could paint a stencil pattern panel each night and be finished in a couple of weeks. Or, cut my fabric for roman shades one night, pin them together one night and sew each of them a different day.

I probably also have a problem with thinking I can do it all.

It’ll be done eventually. And I need to stop guilting myself about it in the meantime.

What color should I be?

So, I have this chair:

I picked up this chair in front of a neighbor’s house… (I made my friend carry it the block and a half to my house. She insisted on wearing gloves. I can’t blame her.) I’m envisioning painting the legs black, but I can’t decide what color the chair should be. I want to re-cover it in a textured vinyl. It’s going to go in this room:

I’m thinking of putting it where the ironing board is in the top picture. It’s by a fireplace. The tufted chair with cat scratch damage also is a chair that needs recovered. I’m thinking some sort of velour/microfiber-type fabric for that one. But it needs a color too.

Possibilities for the first chair: goldenrod yellow, slate blue?

I don’t really want either chair to be in the tan/brown family because the loveseat is gray. And because the coffee table is green, that color family is also out. And…. go!

Mirror

I’ve lived in my house for almost two years. I’m still not done “decorating.” Josh and I have a (luckily) similar philosophy: We don’t want to just own stuff for the sake of stuff. So we buy what we want when we find it and not before. But I’m also cheap. That means sometimes I see decor I want, but it’s more than I’m willing to spend.

That’s what happened probably a year a half ago (yes, executing this project took me forever and posting it took me even longer). I received a CB2 catalog in the mail. In it was a great mirror arrangement I fell in love with:

Image courtesy of CB2

So, for the record, that’s six mirrors that are each a two-foot square. Each mirror is $149. Math’s not my strong subject, but even I know that adds up to $894. If I did four instead, $596. Just… no. I do not need to spend so much on something that will fall off my wall and break when the next earthquake hits.

So, I decided to make a similar mirror by myself. I bought a 4′x2′ pine board at Home Depot. I primed and painted it with leftover supplies from painting the house.

Then, I bought mirror tiles online from Cheap Mirror Tiles. Yep, the name’s cheesy, but it’s accurate. They were by far the cheapest supplier of mirror tiles that I found. I calculated how many/what mirrors to order and then they were on their way to meeeeeee!

(To calculate: Find the square inches of your board. Mine was 1152 sq. inches. I calculated the square inches of the tiled mirror sizes and then fit them all together on a diagram and bought a few extra 1″x1″ and 1″x2″ mirrors to make sure everything would fit up. I used 6″x6″, 2″x6″, 3″x3″, 2″x3″, 1″x6″, 4″x5″, 2″x2″, 1″x2″ and 1″x1″. This will be one of the most frustrating parts of this project. Promise.)

I also bought enough 1/2″x1/2″ tiles to go all around the edge, which was a lot of extra expense and I didn’t end up using them because mirrors and board measurements aren’t exact and they wouldn’t fit like I wanted them to. So don’t make that mistake.

So, once all your tiles come in the mail, it’s time to fasten them to your board. I laid out my mirror tiles on top of my board in the arrangement I wanted. I like puzzles, so I didn’t find this frustrating in the least, but I can see how it could be really frustrating for some.

Here’s my arrangement:

Starting at one side, I took the mirrors off the board and put them face down around the sides. (Do this in whatever way makes it so you can keep track of where they will go on the board.) Now it’s time to glue the mirrors on! I used Liquid Nails Mirror Adhesive (it bonds mirrors to woodwork and other surfaces) for that. I squeezed it onto the board (mostly in zigzags, but sometimes in spots to give the mirrors a bit of “lift” off the board). I lined up the mirrors and then pressed firmly down. I recommend starting at the top right corner and gluing down all the mirrors to the bottom right and working in strips that way all the way across the board.

Josh and I devised a system of three hooks and eyes to hang the mirror on the wall. Make sure you find a stud because mirrors are heavy!

The finished product:

Project cost: $77.33 (including taxes and shipping)
Board:$4.97
Paint & primer: Free
Mirrors (not including unused ones): About $60
Liquid Nails: $7.63
Hooks & eyes: $4.73

It’s definitely NOT a cheap DIY project, but I would have spent $298 to have two of those CB2 mirrors, so a savings of $220.67 is just fiiiiiiiiiiine with me.

*This also does not count toward my 2012 goals because this was done in 2011, months and months ago and I was just slow about hanging it up and taking a picture.

Finally, the makeup board post!

This blog post about how to make a magnetic makeup board has been all over Pinterest, and in my efforts to declutter my “vanity” (aka my desk with a mirror above it), I decided that I must have one.

First, I went to the thrift store a block away and snagged a frame. It was ugly, but that didn’t matter because I was going to spray paint it anyway.

And — surprise! — it was 50% off:

That’s right, $2.26. I popped out the old print and spray painted the frame the same blue that I used for my desk.

While it dried, Chris and I went down the street to the local hardware store in search of a piece of metal and some heavy magnets. The guy at the store recommended cutting a sheet of tin to size, and even tore open a pair of heavy-duty tin snips for us to use so we could cut it down to size there. I asked Chris to cut it for me since I don’t like to do stuff with people breathing over my shoulder, and Hardware Store Guy wasn’t going anywhere.

Out of nowhere, Hardware Store Guy started talking to Chris instead of me about the project, even though I’d been the one to ask him for help, and Chris had no idea about what I was planning to do. HSG then mocked my measuring ability and said something to Chris along the lines of, “Oh, she’ll just change her mind in a little while anyway. You know how women are.” I considered threatening HSG with the tin snips, but then I’d probably be banned from my usually fantastic hardware store, and dammit, I buy my tomato plants there.

Once we got the tin cut and got home, I discovered that it was a bit wonky. Being my father’s daughter, I set to work with adjusting the frame:

However, the frame wasn’t actually wood.

So I had to go back to the hardware store and buy my own tin snips to trim the piece of metal. HSG was nowhere around, thankfully. I came home, and while wearing gloves, very carefully squared up my tin. Finally, it fit.

I broke open my pack of magnets (I got some like these, but the linked ones are a much better deal that the ones I got), and set to work using super glue to adhere them to the back of my makeup. I set everything up and stood back to admire my work.

And then it crashed to the floor — the frame wasn’t strong enough to hold everything. I don’t know about you, but when a project doesn’t work out, I get SO frustrated. Refusing to admit defeat, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a wide wooden frame, and this time, the tin fit.

Steph gave me this cute ceramic owl hanger, and I decided to use it to hang my hair dryer.

I have a few larger palettes that I haven’t hung because they’re either too bulky or are covered in material that I can’t glue a magnet to. I’ve still cleared up a lot of space, and I’m thinking about adding a shelf for things like my bottles of perfume and my makeup that comes in pumps. I’m also toying with the idea of using cup hooks on the sides and bottoms to hang jewelry, but so far I like the clean look.

What I learned:

1. Don’t buy a crappy frame because you’re being cheap. The board, when completed, will be holding a good amount of weight. Make sure your frame is up to the task. Hobby Lobby always has 40% off coupons, and you can usually find a sale or coupon for Michael’s, etc.
2. Buy a frame with a ledge on the back so that the sheet of tin has a place to rest, and make sure there are clips or a backing so that it can be solidly secured in place.
3. Bring a magnet with you to to test the metal you get (you could just snag a strip of magnets at the store, like I did, since I needed to buy them anyway). And make sure you measure the size you need before you go to the store.
4. Buy large, heavy magnets — you need them to be able to withstand some weight (my foundation jar in particular is heavy).
5. Get heavy-duty tin snips, because you’re probably going to need to make adjustments once you’re home. Mine are  Ace brand, but they’re really sturdy. I’m glad to have them now, but I wasn’t thrilled to have to run back to the hardware store to get them.
6. If the hardware store person is dismissive of you, threaten him/her with your newly acquired tin snips if you think you won’t get kicked out before you can pay for everything.

Passing the smell test

I recently invested a few bucks in essential oils from the Fragrance Oil shop on Etsy. I wanted to use them for freshening up rooms, adding a nice scent to the laundry detergent I made, and making sugar scrubs. I ended up getting four different scents (French lavender, brown sugar fig, vanilla and lemon verbena), and find that they complement each other pretty well.

I made a room spray by adding a few drops of the lavender oil to an empty bottle:

It’s been a nice pick-me-up for those days when our tiny apartment feels stuffy.

The oils are also good added to a pot of water and simmered. Today I’ve got some of the vanilla oil mixed with the lemon verbena; somehow it smells like buttercream frosting. The bottles don’t come with droppers, so I’ve just been using cut-off lengths of a straw, pinching the end to pick up the liquid and releasing to drop in the oil.

I’m searching for other uses for these oils; do you know of any? I’m thinking of adding a few drops of eucalyptus oil to… something… in the bathroom, for a more spa-like atmosphere. Maybe I’ll make a eucalyptus scrub!

Valentine Yoda

I always say Valentine’s is a Hallmark holiday. In a lot of ways, it is. The cards, the flowers, the candy. Who needs it? But secretly, I like a day that’s set aside to remember to tell the special people in our lives that they are special. Let’s face it: I’m pretty terrible at being outwardly thankful. I’ve been working on it for years. So I’m OK with Feb. 14 being THE DAY I remember to do it (along with birthdays and Christmas).

I don’t like big gifts, so I decided to fold Josh an origami Yoda. (Also a Pinterest find. seriously, is there anything cool that’s not on there?)

Mine’s hand is a bit busted. I am not so wonderful at origami. Also, this is the most intense paper-folding project I have ever undertaken. It took me about two hours. And he doesn’t really “stay” for the photos. He looked better in person.

Josh took him to work and put him on his desk. So, success!

 

(When I was a kid, my mom used to get me a tiny heart of chocolate every Valentine’s and some Chapstick. This year, Josh did the same. I really like that.)

I just do what the internet tells me to.

Pinterest has really given me  a lot of ideas for DIY solutions. Some, like the honey hair mask and the shaving cream mirror defogger, haven’t turned out so well. Others have been much more successful, like the laundry detergent I made. I’ve completed a few more projects inspired by Pinterest:

Prompted by this pin, I used super glue to stick a magnet to the inside of the medicine cabinet door.

It looks a little bit like a spider in the corner of my eye when I open the door, but otherwise, it’s awesome, and clears away clutter. Y’all know how I feel about clutter. I’d almost rather have spiders.

I also made a DIY version of Bumble & Bumble’s Surf Spray, which gives your hair a beachy look with soft waves. I’m a little curious about how good Epsom salt is for my hair and hair dye, but I will say this: Between my new haircut and this product, my hair is curly. Not wavy — curly like my mom’s hair. And it dried that way after a quick scrunch with this product. I’m so excited to not have to fight with it, clipping and twirling sections and blow-drying, etc.

I whipped up this hearts of palm salad from Kalyn’s Kitchen. You must make it. Hearts of palm (or artichokes), avocado, lime — it’s perfect. Hearts of palm are a bit expensive, but so tasty.

Finishing up projects has also inspired me to take care of the little things about my apartment that have been bugging me.

I’ve always hated the tiny little canister that I used for Splenda. It came with the set I have for flour and sugar, but it’s just so small that it’s useless. I repurposed a glass jar and can now keep at least a week’s worth of sweetener within easy reach. I don’t have to refill it very often, but when I do, I can just use my canning funnel and it’s a lot easier than using a teaspoon and spilling super-sticky Splenda everywhere.

Dear DEA, this is just sweetener for my coffee. Promise.

I also used magnets to stick a sturdy paper bag to the side of our stacked washer/dryer. I don’t have room for a waste basket in there, and now I have a place to put dryer lint, rather than shoving it in my pocket to get gross while I move clean clothes from the dryer to a laundry basket.

Pinterest is, of course, what prompted me to make a magnetic makeup board. That post is coming later this week!

So fresh, so clean

My balcony, home of all photoshoots.

A little while ago, I made my own laundry detergent from the “recipe” found here. It’s just a cup of Borax, a cup of washing soda and a grated bar of soap (Ivory or Fels Naptha). I know that making one’s own detergent sounds crazy and pushes the limits of pinching pennies and DIY efforts, but I’m buying the soap anyway, and the Borax and washing soda are cheap. I figured it’s worth a shot — if it failed, it wouldn’t be a big financial loss.

The good news is, I like it! It works well even in cold water, and I use only two tablespoons per load.

Here’s the financial breakdown:

Ivory 10-pack: $4.27 (enough for 10 batches, or $.427/unit)
76 oz Borax: $4.29 (enough for 9.5 batches, or $.451/unit)
55 oz. washing soda: $2.99 (enough for 6.85 batches, or $.436/unit)

Total: $11.55, or $1.31/batch of 24 loads

Cost per load: $.054

My usual detergent: $7.97 for 96 loads

Cost per load: $.083 (this is not totally accurate, since Chris dumps in way too much detergent!)

Four batches of the homemade stuff will wash as many loads as a bottle of the Arm & Hammer detergent, and costs $2.73 less! If I was buying a bottle every three months, I’m saving $10.92 a year. The savings are actually a little higher, because I can make six batches with the first set of ingredients, with borax and at least a few bars of the soap left over. And like I said, Chris is of the “more is more” mentality, and I know he was washing clothes with at least half a capful or scoop at a time. To help make sure that we’re using the right amount of the DIY version, I threw out the scoop that came with it, replacing it with a plastic measuring spoon.

Grating the soap takes no time at all, and I like knowing the ingredients of what I’m using. When I made a second batch this weekend, I used a potato masher to crush the lumps in the washing soda and Borax. This made it go much faster than stirring for forever. I used the large side of the grater for the soap because it’s quicker, but I think that using the small side would make mixing it easier. However, I’m not willing to spend time scrubbing between all the tiny holes to get the soap off.

When you use the large side of the grater, cleanup is really quick: hot water takes care of the soap, and the detergent rinses easily from the spoon and masher. A swipe of a sponge clears away the inevitable dust from the powders.

Here’s what it looks like when it’s all mixed together. It’s nearly indistinguishable from what you buy at the store.

Steph, are you going to give the liquid version a shot?