making new apothecary shelves
High summer scenes: hanging laundry on the line that is already dry on one end by the time I finish it, cutting endless bunches of dry grasses for the sheep in the morning before it gets too hot, making and freezing endless batches of popsicles, swimming in our small pond among the resident frogs, newts, and friendly water snake, drinking sun tea, eating juicy plums from my mom’s garden that drip down our wrists, a moonlit swim in the lake.
It’s been hot.
I’ve also strained and bottled my very first batch of milky oats tincture, which I plan to use as a nourishing nerve tonic. So needed during this emotional recovery.
Home feels good this summer. It’s cool and the space is more and more finished each time, even though there are still so many projects to tackle — I think everyone who has built their own house feels this way, too. It’s a lifelong process, probably! The house is alive, just like us. Part of the family.
One of the things we’ve finished recently was a little project for the new office area, which doubles as my workspace and our daughter’s study area. We had reserved a space for a bookshelf, but still didn’t know how we would do it, as we wanted something a little more special than just simple shelving.
And so a little idea took root. A curved arch, pretty shelves, storage in drawers and doors. Something practical, but also a place to house beauty. And very importantly as well, a place to store some of my herbs, jars of tinctures, and herbalism supplies so I can unclutter the kitchen and have things here, at hand, for projects and photoshoots.
Making things is one of our love languages, so… no buying, challenge accepted.
Sam spent some days only planning the arch, and he came up with this idea of creating a kind of “skeleton” in wood as a base, with the cut-out half circles.
Then, using plywood, previously cut on the underside to create the little angles that form the curve, we covered the inside of the arch.
The arch is in place! We used more plywood to cover the front part, and finished everything with some light plaster and paint.
Then came the fun part of creating the doors and drawers, and ta-daa! Just like that, it’s finished! ✨
Photo taken for The Herbal Academy
I couldn’t be happier! This is even better than the overly-priced shelf bookcase we used as the main inspiration for this project.
On a different crafting note… Here are two little pieces that have recently left my needles.
I don’t know if it’s weird or not, but I’m finding that knitting baby pieces has been part of the healing process from my ectopic pregnancy. It might be a way of holding on to hope, but also of turning the storm of emotions into something palpable, full of meaning.
The little jumpsuit is the Kimono Jumpsuit, knitted in a wool and cotton blend, while the cardigan is the ever-so-classic Anker’s Jacket, knitted in the most luscious Manchelopis yarn (unspun, held double, and fluffy like a cloud).
High summer can be a period of high social intensity, and keeping a balance with enough quiet time, simply for pleasure, is just as important. The garden, the home, the sourdough starter, the knitting basket, are all such important pieces of my life this season. A lifeline, a safe space.
What have you been crafting lately? What’s your safe space?
