DIY Felted Stone Mat

Last night was one of those cool, clear, crisp late August evenings. I will not lament about the end of summer, let’s just enjoy what’s left and notice what is knocking on summer's door – autumn. Lovely! It is a rare weekend that my family (daughter, son and their boy/girlfriends) is all together. We have a late evening tradition of dipping into our wood-fired hot tub when the temps are not sweltering. All summer I’ve been padding around the hot tub barefoot. But, last night was chilly and I wished we had a mat next to the tub.

I’ve coveted the beautiful, earthy-colored Clustered Felted Mat (above) from VivaTerra for a while. How beautiful is that? It would be just perfect on my deck right next to the tub. While I have purchased items from VivaTerra in the past because I love their commitment to the environment and for using pure and stylish materials handcrafted by artisans, this mat is just too pricey to put next to the tub (large mat - $695). But...they can provide the inspiration for DIY possibilities to create something similar to this:

This tutorial from Craftster uses felted leftover yarn balls. The creator of the DIY rug explains her process:

“I started making balls out of my stash of leftover wool. (You know that stash of wool you can't bear to part with but don't have enough to actually knit/crochet a whole project?) I used a combination of hand and machine felting, and sewed the stones together by hand with a nylon twine."

Made in neutral stone-colored tones, I think this method for creating a similar mat, might just be what will keep my feet toasty after those evening dips. Certainly worth a try, don’t you think?

Credits: VivaTerra, Sea Otter Designs, Crafster

5 Cool And Unusual DIY Clocks

“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull dayYou fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town Waiting for someone or something to show you the way” ~ Pink Floyd

One of the 5 clocks, sale buy called the ‘365? (above), cialis I just had to share with my knitting readers because it knits! Yes, order you read that right. The ‘365? is a knitting clock, created by German designer Siren Else Wilhelmsen, will knit you a scarf a year. How cool is that?!?!

Time and trends don’t stand still, so let these 5 cool and unusual clocks be the inspiration to make fun, funky and functional clocks. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Dishing About Dishrags: DIY Knitted Dishcloth

How do you like your dishrags? Do you care? Maybe not, viagra buy but while we are ditching the paper napkins why not just chuck the paper towels out too? And, order since we’re dishing about dishrags, I like my dishcloths thick and absorbent, thank you very much. There’s a bit of a buzz in the knitting world about dishrags. Kay Gardiner shared with the readers of her popular Mason-Dixon Knitting blog, her dishrag obsession, “‘Whatcha knitting?’ ‘Um, a….[muffled] dishrag….’ Somehow, even for me with my raised consciousness about the value of old-time domestic pursuits, knitting a dishrag is not something I’m eager to admit to some over-buffed woman on the beach. But I cannot tell a lie, I was knitting dishrag after dishrag. And loving it!”

Paper towels have become yet another symbol of waste. With over 90% of US households taking advantage of the convenience of paper towels, we produce over 3,000 tons of waste each day. Phasing paper towels out of the home can be more of a challenge than ditching paper napkins, and plastic bags. I’ve heard about using alternatives such as clean cloth diapers for paper towels and newspapers. But really, do they hold any appeal as cleaning cloths? Not so much for me.

Not ready to fess up to knitting dishrags? Just say you’re checking your stitch gauge and doing your part for  the environment by using leftover yarn...CLICK HERE FOR MORE (PATTERN)

Credit: Mason-Dixon Knitting

Set Adrift: Driftwood Projects For The Nest

There’s something nostalgic about driftwood. It’s already lived a whole other life before it was uprooted from the ground and set adrift to sea. The sand, wind, water and waves have a way of uniquely weathering the patina of fallen wood like no manmade finish can do. Driftwood Rack

The DIY Driftwood Rack from Sunset is simple, beautiful and free. It’s the same idea as this coat rack.

Driftwood Headboard

This rustic handcrafted headboard lined up next to the linen bedding, created by artisan Trisha Rose, sets a calming bedroom mood. Doesn’t it?

Driftwood Table

This one-of-kind table made from a piece of driftwood we found along the shores of the Hudson River (see, you thought I was only partial to the ocean), sports a slab top of black walnut from a downed tree found on our property. Here’s a tutorial for making driftwood tables. We left out the polyurethane and used Gorilla Glue, which is non-toxic after it dries.

Driftwood Wall Art

My Uncle Danny was a master of reuse. His renditions of eco-art could be found all over the nooks and crannies of his seaside home that my cousin, Amy and her family now live in. He created this piece in the 1960’s, and it is still displayed on an outside wall of the home.

Note: Before you head out beachcombing for driftwood, check your local state beach authority for regulations about collecting scavenged wood.

Credits: All Driftwood Furniture, Sunset, Cabin On The Water

More beach-inspired projects: Beachcombing With a Purpose: 2 DIY Shell Projects DIY Decorating With Nautical Knots What The Sea Left Behind Sun Senses: Beach Inspired Home Decor

Is A Lake House A Beach House?

My husband and I have been having this debate for years. It goes like this: Ted: "When I was a kid, I spent my summers at our beach house." Ronnie: "That's not a beach house because it's on a lake." Ted: "Well, it's got a sandy beach, waves, and as far as you can see there's water." Ronnie: "But, I grew up near the ocean and beach houses are situated near ocean beaches, not lakes."

We could go on and on, but I think you get my drift.

A few years ago we rented a boathouse on Lake Rosseau in the Muskoka region of Canada. I fell in love with the area. In many ways, it's similar to the Adirondack Mountain region of New York State. The natural beauty of the landscape is highlighted by Muskoka's culture of pristine lakeside living. There's no mention of beach houses in Muskoka. The folks call their homes "cottages" (like the one above).

Maybe you can help settle this friendly marital debate. Is a lake house a beach house?

Main credit: Domino