Tangents

::Tangents is the collection spot for the things we're thinking about, obsessively researching, and doing at home and on the web.

Katie's Tangents

Well, we did it! Yesterday was a perfect spring day and while the paint on the boats hadn't cured long enough, it was time to try them out. 

We had a low-key family picnic with Laura's family, my brother Josh and his wife Megan who were visiting from Iowa, as well as Abby, Josh, Margot and Josh's visiting mom Terri- that's all four siblings in my family together at once- a pretty rare occurance. 

And then we tried out the boats. It was just as thrilling and magical as I'd hoped.

Avery and Isaac really got the hang of paddling and steering. It's tricky with one paddle! 

The boys love them. They had a wonderful time exploring the creek. Us adults tried them out too- Josh gave Avery a tow upstream,

And Laura and Michael headed down the creek as far as they could go before they reached the shallows. 

The creek was very low, but there was still lots of room to explore. And the current was so gentle, the kids could paddle all around, instead of just being pulled downstream. The shallow sections kept them from floating far away, so we could relax and just let them play.

It was a perfect evening and I'm so pleased with the way it all turned out! I'm hoping the boys get lots of use out of the boats this Spring and Summer.

Laura's Tangents

Enjoying spotting wildflowers as they come up-I especially love meadow rue:

Warmer weather and longer days also leads to house-work getting done:

The current task is installing 2 inch thick tongue and groove flooring upstairs-the under side will serve as the ceiling downstairs...

Tiny boat progress- 99.99% done

Well...

Here they are in my messy workspace/driveway. They are just about done. Today was a rough one- sick kiddo home from school, lots of exciting book-related work (more soon- But for now, check this out!!), general malaise on my part, and blustery weather conspired and for a while I thought I would not get these puppies done. 

But this evening, I made myself go back outside and put on the final coats of paint. I added seats to the two green boats and will secure them after the paint is dry. 

They all still need eye-bolts on the front for rope-tying, but I can do that later. 

Whew! The last 10% of a project is always the most difficult for me. I was planning to stencil names on each of the boats and make little streamers/flags for decorations, but I'm not sure I'll have time. 

We're still set for a Sunday launch, can I still keep it a secret from my nephews? Hope so. 

Projects in Progress

::Projects on our work table or needles.

Laura's Projects

Thanks to my Mom something I've neglected for weeks finally got some attention:

Hopefully by next week it will be totally finished and ready to show off.

I'm also knitting up a summery shirt of my own design:

It is going very fast and I can't wait to see if my idea works...

Katie's projects

If everyone in my life gets to (has to) hear me going on and on about tiny boats this week then you do as well. The two boats for my nephews are coming along...

There were some rocky patches yesterday, but my dad is in town and helped me get back on track with some better lumber and additional hardware.

I'm beginning to think I just might make my deadline. The chine logs (those long side rails on the top and bottom) and bottoms are all on. Michael did a lot of rasping by the light of the moon last night to get the edges all even and clear of extra glue. 

These are much more nicely finished than the first two, I'm finally getting the hang of this! 

Now on to decks, seats and paint today!

How I Felt: Delay & Production Mode

Here's what I'm doing today- 

Wait, what? That's not a felted clutch embellished with sequins. 

Tuesdays are usually the day I've been posting my How I Felt series. But today, I hope you understand, I'm working feverishly on what I feel like working on. There was a birthday in our family on Saturday, my nephew Eli just turned nine, and I'd been planning all along on making him a boat for his birthday. So I started kinda late and began work on it yesterday, planning to surprise him at our next family dinner on Sunday. 

But. Then I felt bad that my other nephew Isaac would be the only kid without a new boat. And his birthday isn't until the end of June. I suspect there will be a lot of creek-time between now and then. Didn't seem fair. So. I'm working on making TWO more boats in time for a Sunday launch.

I'm working in the courtyard and soaking up the sunny warmth. I've got Black Keys on the stereo, a talkative mockingbird in the oak tree above me and my quiet but faithful shop assistant keeping me company. 

You'll note that both of my boys' boats have paint on them. The one in the back is totally done and the one in the front still needs a couple more coats of paint. 

I've got my fancy clamp collection out, 

And my favorite tools, including my quilting ruler which is the BEST thing for marking coordinates.

I'm still not sure I will make my deadline, as the glue and paint drying times are going to make things very tight. I don't want to jinx my new work, but I'm really benefiting from my previous experience, and these are going together smoothly so far. 

I will be back to regularly scheduled felting talk next week, thanks for your patience. 

Tangents

::Tangents is the collection spot for the things we're thinking about, obsessively researching, and doing at home and on the web.

Laura's Tangents

My sweet Eli turned 9 this week-feeding the geese at a nearby wildlife center was a highlight:

I'm figuring out what my next knitting project will be, and did a few swatches yesterday:

(Cascade Ultra Pima Quatro on top of Kollage Riviting next to thrifted wool kool aid dyed by me and Katie...)

I finished the shawl!

I used a sheet on top of a piece of pink foam insulation to block it-worked great:

My blocking wires? Why straightened coat hangers and the metal rails from broken HO scale train track of course.

Katie's Tangents

We're finally ready to paint the little boats! This is Julian's. It's the first we did, way back in January. It was a family effort.

I'm not sure I blogged about Avery's boat, I started it by myself back in February, but it's been languishing in my studio, bottom-less. The warm weather we're having has renewed my enthusiasm to get the boats done. Avery's is more carefully crafted and benefited from my experience and mistakes I made on Julian's boat. I'm pleased with it, and will be ready for paint tomorrow. 

They will both be ready to launch next weekend. Even though neither is perfect, it doesn't matter how smooth the glue seams are when you are paddling down the creek. At least that is what I'm telling myself, it's been a bit of a learning curve to learn how to make these! 

We took Avery's boat for a test-ride to check for leaks today and it was incredibly fun. The boat sits high, yet sturdily out of the water, even with heavier cargo (ahem) like me and just glides along with a flick of your paddle. I'm planning for the boys to be able to use these to explore the wide, shallow creeks around town and these are going to work perfectly. Now I just need to build one for myself so I can drop anchor, eat snacks and knit while my boys paddle around... It's how I'm hoping to spend all summer.