Holiday Pregaming, Ornament-style: Clothespin Snowflakes

I generally wait until it is at least December before I get into the holiday spirit, but for the sake of a crafty blog post (which, by the way, you've already had three of this month!), and the Pintester's latest Ornament-themed Pintester Movement, it is Christmas in November!

obligatory artsy window shot
pre-snow - which has been gracing us over the past few days
here in the MRV

I'm a sucker for snowflakes, so of course I was inclined to find a snowflake-inspired ornament, and I tend towards the recycled variety, as well. Lucky for me I had a two-for-one that I'd pinned a while ago: the Clothespin Snowflake.

Fabric-covered Switch plates & Outlet plates

When I painted the reading nook the other weekend (pictures to come!), I had to remove three outlet plates and one switch plate. I had planned to paint the outlet covers with the wall paint, and the switch plate with the trim color, but of course I set them aside and forgot about them until after everything was cleaned up. Not that it would have been a huge deal to open the paint and do it, but I decided instead to give them a little face lift with some fabric.


the makings of a craft project:
operation update-the-plates

I wanted to stick with the blue accent I have going in that corner (the drapes are blue, as is a quilted hanging that is on the back of the chair, and a poster hanging on one wall has a bit of blue in it, too). I have a respectable collection of fabric and found a blue piece that has a bit of a celestial pattern, with lighter swirls and little stars. The fabric worked with the drapes, and looked good against the wall color, too.

Mistake-Rib Knee Socks - Complete!

Remember the socks I mentioned in my summer projects post back in September? Well, I finally finished them this morning - just a few weeks later than predicted.

nearly knee socks!

I'm pleased with how they turned out. They're just the right length, and the elastic in the yarn should hold them up - my fingers are crossed. The only thing that could make them a little better is if I had found a similar elastic-y yarn with wool. These are mainly cotton, so will be great in the spring and fall, but slightly less warm for the winter - but I can always wear them over tights.

Furniture Facelift: Vintage Dresser

I scored this vintage dresser from the "indoor yard-sale" shop down on the main drag through town. I figured it would be more expensive, and drove by it several days before I decided to take the plunge. I anticipated needing to talk the guy down, but for $25, I decided it was a steal. And I lucked out - another person had looked at it earlier in the day but passed it over since she couldn't figure out how to get it home. Yet another reason I have a Subaru wagon - I can usually make things fit!

hello vintage dresser. welcome to your new home.

Pocket Change on Display and a Sticky Solution to an Ugly File Cabinet

I'm almost entirely moved in, save for a few larger things (couch, ski box, cruiser bike) that I'll eventually get here. And by moved in I mean that the tubs and boxes that were in the storage unit and my parents barn are now in various places in the house. Mostly the man-cave. I haven't done much painting yet, even though I was able to move in at the beginning of September, before the closing (this week!). Of course, when I do get around to painting I'll need to move some furniture around, but since I haven't settled on too many colors yet, nor bought more than a gallon of the few colors I have decided on, I'm not too worried. Eventually there will be before and after pictures of the rooms, but for now, I'm still picking away at the little projects, because I need to feel like I've accomplished something. Even if it takes less than 10 minutes. It's still finishing it, right?

 

Pocket Change

In the process of unpacking and sorting, I'm finding a lot of treasures that have been tucked away for a number of years, and a good amount of things that are destined for new homes. The yard sale/donation pile grows by the day, and I'm thinking I might start sending random things to friends who I think would appreciate them. If you're up for a free surprise, let me know! One treasure I came across the other day was an old cardboard cigar box, which I know I've had since I was probably 9 or 10, that has a bunch of coins from other countries, as well as some paper money. Some of it came from trips abroad that I've taken (Italy, Germany, Ireland) and some of it is from others who have traveled, like my Grandmother, or my Grandad. I suppose at some point I could have taken all the money into the bank and exchanged it, but a lot of the coins are neat, and I love the colors and artwork on the paper bills.

some coins in a box.
also known as art that hides the wireless router.

I decided I wanted do have them out on display, and as much as I love the "mason-jar-filled-with-____" trend, I have enough of those full of shells and beach glass already. So instead, I went the route of a shadow-box. I found a 5 x 5 frame that was about an inch deep and the way the mats were cut and displayed, it gave the frame a shadow-box feel. The paper bills were "artfully arranged" (that's key crafting terminology) behind a mat towards the back of the frame, and the coins were settled in the front against the glass (plastic). Voila!
 

Summer Knitting Projects

I haven't done a ton of knitting this summer, but have been keeping busy with a few projects:

The string-of-lights is slowly growing. . . twenty-five lights are knit, five more are set up, and I have more than enough yarn to create more strand and lights. This will be done by Christmas for sure!

two yards and counting on the string of lights
(and a sneak-peak at the front porch and front yard)

Furniture Facelift: Low Bookshelf Edition

Another free score for the house! This bookshelf, like the hutch from a few posts ago, only needed a couple of coats of paint to make it room-ready. My dad did replace the back, although it didn't necessarily need it. Not a huge deal when it comes to getting free stuff, right? The story behind the shelf, however, is pretty neat.

First, painting the shelf.

bookshelf, with new back (courtesy of dad)

Little Critters (live edition)

My gardens are teaming with woolly bears. I've seen more of the little guys in the matter of a few days than I've seen in several years. It's a little crazy. 

hello friend.

Furniture Facelift: Hutch Edition

I'm all about bargain & thrift shopping, especially now that I've (almost) got a house. Earlier this summer I swung by the ReStore in Burlington to window shop for furniture for the impending move. I hadn't planned on buying anything, but when I saw this piece, I knew immediately that it would be a perfect kitchen/dinning room piece. A little elbow grease got the grime off it - of which there was quite a bit. Word to the wise when donating things to thrift stores/etc.: at least try to scrub off the grime before you drop it off. Nobody wants to scrape that junk off. 

little hutch. so much potential.
(it was a bit on the cheap-looking side. trust me.)

One Fish Two Fish ~ a knitted blanket

I wrote this post earlier this summer when I completed this blanket, but wanted to wait to post it until the baby shower for my SIL a few weeks ago- I didn't want to ruin the surprise!

A number of years ago I stumbled upon a pattern (also found on ravelry as "A Recipe for Fish") for knitting fish that could be assembled into a blanket. The beauty of the pattern (as well as many others) is that you can really customize it based on what you use and how many fish you make. The more fish you knit, the bigger the blanket, and the larger the yarn and needles, the bigger the fish and blanket.

the growing school. sorry, gauge, they aren't real!

For my first go at it to test out the pattern, I used scrap yarn and orphans, and ended up with a very colorful little school. I think it's destined to become a cat blanket, if they'll have it (Gauge already approves, as you can see above). That finished piece is not very large, partly because I was trying to use up all the small bits, and partly because I lost steam as I was also working on other projects. And, who the heck wants to sew together a giant school of fish . . .

finished fish sampler. very colorful, not very large.