Too humid to paint

The internet said it was too humid to paint today, so I didn't. It was hard to pinpoint how humid is too humid, but some consensus emerged at 70-80%. 

It's been warm with scattered showers today, by the time I got home from work the humidity was 79% and climbing.

Other than some light sanding, the desk was untouched today. I do have this glamorous shot from yesterday, though.

Primed and Ready!

Today's mission was priming, two coats, please. Except I stupidly only bought one can of primer. Because you can totally get two-three coats out of one can, right? WRONG!

This is how far one can got me. Roughly halfway through the actual desk, not a drop on the door. Emergency trip to the hardware store! Because really, what DIY project would be complete without one?

Picked up three more cans, finished the first coat and let it dry for an hour:

 Then I put on the second coat and called it a night:

Remember how I didn't sand the inside panels of the drawer? After the second coat, you can't tell. At least not yet. We'll see how it looks once it's completely dry, I might skip sanding next time.

Next steps: light sanding to even out any heavier spots, and the first coat of actual paint. Not sure how long it will take the paint to dry, so I'm only planning to do one coat tomorrow. We'll see.

Refinishing the desk: Part 3

Polished off the sanding tonight (that's almost a pun, right?), filled in a couple nicks and called it a night.

You'll notice I skipped the inside side panels of the drawer.

I started them, as you can tell from the picture. I started them and quickly decided it wasn't worth it. They'll only be visible when the drawer is open, and oh my god all those corners!  If I were to do it, it would take another 4 hours; I honestly do not have it in me.

I filled in a tiny hole on the top and a nick on the side using Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler. I didn't have a putty knife so I improvised with a plastic fork and my finger. It worked just as well and I'm no worse for wear. Let each spot dry 15 minutes, touched it up with some fine-grit sandpaper and considered throwing on a coat of primer.

I ultimately decided to save the primer for tomorrow. I had the time and the energy to throw on a coat of primer and close up shop for the night; however upon reading the directions, I realized I would need to leave the garage door open while it dries. Which is fine, just not at 10:00 PM. So, that's my plan for tomorrow. Layer of primer when I get home from work, pack for an hour, repeat. The directions say to use 2-3 coats,

After 8 hours of sanding...

...the sanding isn't quite done.

The body of the desk is almost done. The inside of the right leg isn't there yet, the finish there is more stubborn than it has been on any other piece. And, obviously, I haven't touched the drawer yet.

Please excuse the moving-mess in the background. 15 days!

Surprise Furniture Project!

I visited my mom yesterday, and brought home my desk ahead of our move. I've been told the work-at-home equipment from work is very temperamental, and the tech team only comes twice–to set it up when you start, and to tear it down when you leave. So I want my workspace set up before the come; this way the desk will be there right away when we move in.

We also discussed refinishing furniture, vis-a-vis a dresser she's giving us. We sanded the top a little bit just to see, and the varnish started coming off easily. That dresser will be coming up in a truck the weekend after we move in, and I'm planning to tackle that right away. Get it sanded and stained before taking it up the stairs, right?

Mom also sent me home with some borrowed and donated tools: steel wool, and hand-sander, and an electric belt sander. And an itch to refinish!

So I started with the desk? Wasn't really planning on it at first, but I have a plan that I'm excited about. I sanded a little corner last night before I remembered to take a picture:

And I've spent most of the day–6 hours so far–sanding. I've been re-watching Downtown Abby while I'm at it, which helps pass the time. Taking a break for the moment, and I'm hoping to finish up later tonight.

Rio..

...de Janeiro? Not quite.

It's the Rio Dress knit for a family friend's newborn daughter. As a matter of fact, she was born earlier today, a healthy baby girl. 

I modified this slightly; I skipped the horizontal seed stitch band right about the skirt, and I shortened the length. I made the 6 mos size, I'm thinking this will hit at about her knees and I like it like that. 

Wash Cloths

I had two skeins of white and yellow variegated Lily & Cream laying around, and what better use for it than some wash cloths?

They knit up quickly! When I started knitting, I didn't understand why anyone would hand knit wash cloths only to rub them all over grimy, greasy dishes. Kind of like I didn't understand why anyone would knit socks if they are just going to be covered by shoes. Well, I get it now. The wash cloths at least. They are thicker than store-bought, and more absorbent, and are better at getting the grossness off.