Forgot to mention...

When Wes and I found this apartment we discussed (as all couples do) where to put things. We had seen two potential configurations for the living room - one put the sofa against the long wall, and the other used the sofa as a room divider leaving the wall free for an entertainment center. Wes favored the second option. The problem: we don't have an entertainment center. So I told him we could do the second configuration if we didn't stare at a white wall for more than 6 months. And what do you know? Here it is less than 5 months later and here we are:



This furniture was all designed and built by Wes (with some help from his lovely assistant). It's beautiful and everything we wanted. Our house is starting to feel like a home!

PHAT Carpentry Skillz

When Wes got home Friday night, after a beautiful 60+ degree day, he suggested that maybe we should head down to his mom's this weekend, work on some more furniture and maybe even bring home his motorcycle. Unfortunately today it was in the 40's and flurrying so no bike, but we did have a good woodworking weekend.


We got in sort of late Friday night and went to bed ready for an early morning of errands and woodworking. Yesterday we managed to cut the 2x6's and router them to get them ready to be framed. I learned a new skill yesterday (as you can see) - the router.

After we had routered the edges, we set about building the frames. Since we only had a few sets of clamps we had to build and glue the frames one at a time. That pretty much took us the rest of the day (there are 4 frames). We managed to get into town to get Wes' car serviced and to get some yummy Thai food at our favorite place and chilled at home for a while last evening.


This morning Wes got up bright and early (and let me sleep a bit!) and we cut shelves (we're building bookcases) and cut grooves in the frames to hold the shelves. Now the next time we go back we just have to sand, stain and glue them together! Of course, Wes also wanted to test out more or the features of his new router. Here's his efforts with it - I think it's better than his real penmanship! (Just kidding - I love you honey!)


In addition to honing my carpentry skills, this weekend I worked on some knitting. This time around I was working on a sample for a yarn shop here in Kansas City. The pattern was a Berroco pattern that the yarn shop owner wanted modified. The yarn was divine - it's Cascade Venezia, a silk and wool blend, and that it's so soft and luxuriously squishy. This was a fun little knit and I really like how it turned out. It's a little preppy for me, but I just might give it a try for myself one of these days. The specs are below:


Pattern: Berroco's Banesha. (However, I modded the pattern a bit - instead of the skirt I added an extra inch or two at the hem of the sweater, and then did a 1x1 rib on smaller needles to match the neckline.)

The Yarn: Cascade Venezia. Warm cocoa (2 skeins for the XS size)

The Needles: 7's for the body, 5's for the 1x1 ribbing at hem and neckline.

Woodworking

This weekend Wes and I headed to my in-laws' place in Kansas to do a little woodworking. Wes has developed a love of carpentry and in his spare time has built us a few beautiful pieces. When we found our place in Kansas City, he told me that he was interested in making us an entertainment center and I gladly agreed. So this weekend we went home to start the first of the entertainment center.


Friday night we got out of town about 5pm and headed southwest-ish. We pulled into Home Depot about 8pm and picked out the wood we needed. Saturday morning he got up early (I cheated and slept in a bit) and spent a full day woodworking. There was cutting and sawing, routering, drilling, gluing and sanding. And we're only about half done! In the process we picked up a few new tools, he taught me lots of skills, I learned to ask some important questions, and I even got to do a little woodworking on my own (no pictures of me with the jigsaw, but my own little sock blockers are half-stained and drying). It was a fun, if not exhausting Saturday, complete with some yummy Thai food at our favorite Thai place and some snuggling in bed while the wind raged outside.


This morning we woke up early-ish to continue our work and hopefully get started staining. Alas, it wasn't to be. About 9:30 the power conked out and by 11 it still wasn't back on. So we packed up and headed back to KC. We'll be back there next weekend and hopefully have some photos of the finished piece to show!