Twinkle, Twinkle, Ivory Keys

Twinkle Twinkle Ivory Keys,

How Can I reach with Arms like these?

So, I'm teaching my little guy piano.  Mostly because I'm cheap and can't yet justify paying someone to entertain my son for a half hour.  He is actually doing quite well - not because I'm awesome, but because he is - but there is a slight problem.  And slight is actually the best choice in words.  My little guy is only seven, and he takes after his father and myself in that he is slight ... or slightly short ... in stature.  This, of course, makes him super cute, but also hampers his ability to reach the keys and keep his wrists in the right position.


I tried the cheap solution, a few phone books, and he just couldn't stay on. Then, I bought a piece of thick styrofoam from Home Depot (actually, I already had a sheet of it because I had to seal off a vent area below our house) but he kept sliding it around as he played ... he's a wiggler ... and once or twice actually fell off the bench.  Oops.  Plus, the white styrofoam clashed with my lovely living room.


So, I decided to make a piano bench booster, and make it pretty and functional.


First off, with white styrofoam, when you cut it, the edges get all crumbly and suddenly you have inedible popcorn bits all over you, the floor and anything within walking distance - especially if you walked into the kitchen to get a drink of water before checking the soles of your shoes.  And no, it doesn't vacuum up nicely.  My suggestion to avoid that would be to tape the edges of your project with packing tape.

Now, I made the pillows in my living room with a gorgeous red/gold fabric (dual sided, so two for the price of one!  Yay!).  I figured, if I'm making a 'pillow-like' cover for the piano bench, it should match - plus I didn't want to buy more fabric. I'm cheap.  I've mentioned that before.  Unfortunately, the leftover remnants of my fabric looked a bit like the number 5, so I had to get creative with the top.  

At first, I thought I would sew in an elastic bottom to hug the bench, but then I realized I wanted a cleaner look.  Also, a sturdier hold to the bench would ensure my little guy's safety as he wiggled through Old MacDonald. So, I had to sew a bottom to the booster and buttonable straps to wrap around benchtop. 

The above picture shows the seat attached to the benchtop (the weird peach color is why I painted the piano black). Now, I'm sure you'll notice the ragged edges and frayed bits.  I don't really care what this looks like on the bottom. Anyone who cares what it looks like will simply have to sew me a well-edged replacement.  Each strap is bound with a snap-button so I can take it off when I get the chance to tickle the ivories. 

Well, here it is, sitting on the piano bench.  I'm rather proud of the design on top, since I just quickly pieced it together by eyeballed measurements. 

So, doesn't it look nice?  It matched perfectly with the design of the room, stays perfectly in place under a squirmy seven-year-old and makes me happy that it's no longer a white, popcorny mess.  I wonder what my next project is ... Wish me Luck!

I did it!

So, I did it.   I didn't think I could.  I'm pretty sure many of my loved ones thought I had bitten off more than I could chew.  And, I did.  But, thanks to a grandpa who was a dentist, I have fabulous teeth and can chew and chew forever (which is, at times, kind of how it felt working on this thing).  But, now the needles are down, the arthritic feeling in my hands is going away and I have a new sweater to wear!  Of course, it's a little too warm here now - 90 degrees is not exactly knit-sweater weather - but in just 3 short months, I will be styling in my homemade, handknit cardigan.
Now, I learned a few things on this bumpy road to knitville, and because I'm such a giver, I'm going to share with all of you so you don't have to repeat my mistakes ... or at least so we can commiserate together. These are in no specific order, just the way my brain has thrown them my way.

• When knitting a pattern, read through it fairly carefully.  If you don't recognize terms or symbols, ask someone, go online and research.  Do something other than think "it's ok ... I'm sure it'll make sense when I get there."  Because it won't. In fact, by the time you get there, you're gonna be almost too frustrated to go on, because inevitably what you should have understood was necessary about 10 rows prior to when you finished.
• If the pattern specifies by length, not by row numbers, don't stretch your knitwork out so you can 'be done with that part of the pattern.'  This is, of course, up to you ... you may be a person who enjoys habitually pulling down the back and sides of your clothing so they sit right.  I'm not so much.
• See the above, because if you think blocking it and stretching it will work, you're wrong.  Very wrong. And then it will be too late to go back and add a few rows.  Well, ok, I'm sure it's never too late for some of you who are really really fabulous at knitting. But, if you are fabulous at knitting, you're probably not reading my blog unless it's for kicks and giggles.
• Take breaks and stretch those hands periodically, because when you grip a tall, heavy glass of water and try to bring it to your lips, it can be very very messy if your hands are all cramped up from two or three hours of knitting.
• Don't get so engrossed in the film you're watching while knitting that you forget to count.  Count stitches, rows, whatever.  Do it, because unraveling is very stressful when you've been so diligent at a lovely lace pattern and now you've added a few holes where they shouldn't be.

So, are you amazed after that list that I managed to knit at all, let alone finish a full sweater?  Well, lest you consider me a liar ...

Ta da (imagine fanfair and trumpets ... confetti if you like).  I'm quite proud of it.  Sure, there are a few things I'd do different the second time around, but I wouldn't know those things if I hadn't tried it.  The point is, I did it.  I set my mind to it, only set it down a few times, and each time I picked it up and kept going. And voila ... a sweater. Yay!

So, I wonder what's next in my hobby jar ... here goes nothing.  Wish me luck!

Orders and Refunds FAQs

Payment
Payment is due before the product can be made.
Custom orders will be created to meet your specifications and you can purchase from there.
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Refunds and Exchanges
Full refunds are offered when you cancel within 3 days of purchased. After that funds will be used in purchasing custom ordered items for your board. Only a partial refund can be given after that time.

Order Fulfillment
Make sure you plan in advance for your orders. I complete orders on a first come first serve basis. I may have up to 15 orders at a time to accomplish before yours, so if you have a short window in which you need your item, please contact me for an estimated time. The only exceptions are circles and hooks (unpainted), and RUSH ORDERS. If you wish to have it rushed, there is a $15 fee. Your board will then become priority and be completed sooner.

Other products offered will have different production times, as they do not take as long to complete. You can ALWAYS email me for ANY questions on estimated times.

CHRISTMAS ORDERS
Orders for Christmas should be purchased October 31st. After that there will be a $25 RUSH ORDER FEE. I do not accept Completed Birthday Board Orders after the 2nd week in November, but Birthday Board Kits and Circle Orders may be purchased in the 3rd week. After that any orders will be filled after the New Year.

Notes about Woodburned Rulers:
All boards are woodburned and hand cut -- all original markings (knots, splits, dents, etc) on wood are left to add charm and character. Woodburning is not perfect. When examined closely, the numbers and tic marks will not be completely uniform, but will be aesthetically pleasing and correct in measurement. I make every effort to buy wood with the least amount of imperfections, however it is untreated wood. It may have knots, splits, and dark spots.