Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Protecting the Stash- of yarn, that is.

Over the summer I lived in an apartment in rural Wisconsin which was not exactly nature proof.  Bugs and mice frequently found their way inside.  I grew up in an old farm house in the area, so I am used to nature intruding.  Some of the visitors were pretty neat, like the two luna moths that showed up on my porch:






I was not so excited about the very dead mouse I found late one night in the infrequently used bathroom downstairs as I was trying to clean up for some friends who were coming in late.  I was also not happy about the idea of less-attractive types of moths getting into my wool yarn.  So I asked my dad to help me make some cedar blocks to dissuade them.


My father, a life-long woodworker and one of the most meticulous carpenters I have ever come across, has his own version of my stash of yarn stored in the rafters of the garage.  Over years of managing our family's woods, he has collected some beautiful boards and burls from trees he has thinned out or had to take down.  He had some cedar logs from the trees in front of the farm house I grew up in.




When we cut them open, we discovered this beautiful purple color.  Unfortunately, it will probably fade over time, but it sure is pretty now!



Dad used the band saw and planer saw to turn the logs into thick planks.


Smells like cedar.


The finished blocks are the perfect size to slip into the plastic containers I keep my yarn in.  Cedar can stain, however, so I sewed cloth sleeves for them out of an old Tshirt.


I haven't worked with my dad in his shop in a long time, and it was great to be in there again.  And now my stash is protected!