Tuesday, May 19, 2015

I Made it Myself, You Know



`What`s that going to be – a corral?`

George relates this without a hint of a tear, but one can only imagine the hurt inside – co-woodworkers can be so cruel.  After all, this was only the half-way stage, and
George`s frame was necessarily vast since it would be supporting a really vast upper.
 
Perhaps the coffee table was ambitious for a first project – the top, the legs, the bits the top sits upon… He could have chosen instead the plans for making a wooden spoon, or maybe gone for the boomerang instructions – both rewarding creations and perfect introductions to the World of Woodworking.

But no – for George this was a challenge that wouldn`t wait, and he certainly put his unique stamp upon its magnitude: eye-catching green 70`s tiling offering ample space for magazines, musical instruments or family pets; perfectly proportioned and jointed frame; sturdy struts providing foot-hooking support for those essential sit-ups.

Particularly useful for parties, of course - extra seating, room for drinks and eats, meetng point for anyone who`s lost...
And steadfast. This four-legged friend has been with him for forty years!


He was never to make another, but the lessons learned stayed deep in his soul; the tiling prepared him well for numerous flooring successes, and the wood turning no doubt helped with the bowed psaltery he made soon afterwards – a triangular stringèd instrument you perhaps play too... George doesn`t often, but he Could.

Do you like to Make Things Yourself?  I`ve been racking my brains and must 
cast my mind back to Junior School, when our class was once told to make a Cloth Book Thing to keep pins and needles in.

This turned out rather well, and is still enormously useful for keeping one`s notions in order when a button has to be sewed.

Beneath that supremely colourful exterior lurks some strange stiff material with holes we poked the wool through.

It took me ages and frankly, I think Mrs Joiner could have been a bit more encouraging about my outcome.

Undaunted, I went on to make a fairly convincing Cauliflower Cheese in high school cookery. Sadly it didn`t cope well with the hour-long bus home, and when I unleashed it on the kitchen table it looked more like a brain in a swimming cap. (We had fish fingers for tea).

The made-it-myself I`m most proud of, though, was an Enormous pair of socks – birthday present for the colleague who had everything including size 13 feet. In fact I only made one sock because for a beginner-knitter it was extremely difficult, specially going round the corner. 


Sadly I don`t have a photo because he was naturally thrilled with the sock and took it home.  I remember it was at least an appropriate foot long, heel to toe, and a dainty one inch up the ankle.  And colourful, being a recycling of people`s unwanted wool scraps.

He didn`t mention it again but I like to think he found it useful, perhaps as a thermos flask cosy, or a nice warm hat, a scarf, vest, Santa sock, doorstop, handbag, cat coat, fluffy toy... 

Wow - one could set up a business!







6 comments:

JW10 said...

Hello Dolores, you prolific blogger (and sock maker)

I'm just back from a week's holidaying and enjoyed your creative blog.

That is a mighty fine coffee table George has produced. Maybe he should also make a corral. You've got the cats all you need are the livestock.

I'm hopeless at DIY. My Ikea wardrobes have a tendency to wobble. For all concerned, it is safer not putting any clothes in them.

Dolores Doolittle said...

Hi JW, hope you had joyous times on holiday.

What Do you keep then in your wobbly clothes-less wardrobe? George is getting on very well with the corral if you`ve got any Livestock in there. Or I could knit a corral...

JW10 said...

Very joyous Dolores, thanks.


The empty wardrobe needs some ballast in it. In fact I might turn the drobe into a boat. And if there's any spare livestock leftover from the corral I could call it an ark.
Two marmots
Two coyotes
Two canaries
Two Maryland ravens

That's the boatrobe full.

Dolores Doolittle said...

What a Clever and Fabulous idea, JW - I can`t wait! (Oh Please let in - for a Marmot I`m very good at kayaking...)

Patsy said...

I do like making things. Usually the things I make are edible.

Dolores Doolittle said...

Hi Patsy - Yes, I generally find those sort of creations are the most fulfilling...