Building a Swedish hermit's hut!

[Starfaun]

Reminds me of twilight. Was that a wolf in the forground?

Tehe! Nah, that's just one of the dogs - and a total mutt he is, too!

[Starfaun]

It's me again. I've said bye bye to Barcelona and am back in the land of miserable weather. Working outdoors in the dark and cold is not too fun, I tell you, but that's what happens when you procrastinate.

Oh well, there really isn't that much left to do. We need to get the boarding up, obviously. Then there's the indoor painting to be done. Oh, and the chimney! And you know all those little things that "just" need to be fixed? Yeah, well, we have more than we need of those!

Here's a photo from earlier today. Do note the very Pettson-ish quick fix of the drainpipe!

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[Thomzo]

Wow, that's really coming on.

I don't know if you can get our television channel called Channel 4 where you are. There is a presenter called Kevin McCloud and he's just finished a series about how he built a shed in the woods which is totally off-grid and he made all the furniture and fittings himself from reclaimed materials. It was very interesting. Here's a link to the website if you're interested: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevi ... -made-home

Zoe

[boboff]

Brrrrrilllliant.

[Starfaun]

Wow, that's really coming on.

I don't know if you can get our television channel called Channel 4 where you are. There is a presenter called Kevin McCloud and he's just finished a series about how he built a shed in the woods which is totally off-grid and he made all the furniture and fittings himself from reclaimed materials. It was very interesting. Here's a link to the website if you're interested: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevi ... -made-home

I know! *Happy squeal.* And thanks for the link, I don't think we get Channel 4 over here, just some stuff from the BBC empire.

Brrrrrilllliant.

Thaaaank youuuu!

Today we had the first snowfall of the season... With steaming breaths and numbing fingers we sawed, I hope, the last things we needed to fix in order to put the boarding up. Then Hannes, the electro wizard, drilled holes for the outlets and light switch and concluded that we did not, THANK GOD, accidentally put a nail through the electricity lines... Also, it looks like we might be able to pick the stove up next week or so. Wee!

[Starfaun]

Boarding is finally going up - wheey! Also, a bird ate on my house. That's so not okay!

[Starfaun]

Today we finished the boarding on one of the walls. It's quite fast work, but oh my, it feels like I tore off my arm! Also, Hannes squeezed one of my fingers between two boards... But I'm not complaining - when we're done with this, there's no more work left to be done out of doors until spring. Hooray!

This is the wall we finished today. (Well, this was before it was finished, obviously.)

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My dad thought it would be really funny to put a baby elk leg in my house. (Hint: he's a militant meat eater, I'm a very non-militant vegan - we like making fun of each other.)

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Some little sucker ate little bits of my wall!

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[boboff]

I thought "ate" was a euphamism for a while!

I love this thread, it makes me smile.

I think it's the hard work and enthusiasm you have for creating your retreat, your Dad sound brilliant too!

All the Best
Rob

[Starfaun]

I love this thread, it makes me smile.

You know, that makes me really happy! I've wanted to do something like this for a few years now, but it always felt too overwhelming or even impossible. I think it's often like that, until you see someone actually doing it. Fortunately, I have friends who have inspired and influenced me insanely much by just being who they are - I especially love this laid-back and easy-going attitude of "why not?!" and "let's do it!" and "if it's meant to be, you will find a way, so basically you're out of excuses". (Thank you, Hannes and Hanne!) So I guess I hope to spark something within someone by just paying it forward - karma and stuff, you know. (Take as much as you need, give as much as you can.)

But anyway! Today we finished the third wall, so now there's just the front left. I hope we can fix it tomorrow!

I heart my house.

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The back, with some scrap metal and wood we've had to move around I don't know how many times.

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The wall we finished today. ALL nailing done by me - whoop, whoop!

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And then the moon followed me home.

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[safronsue]

it's beautiful. are you going to heat it? what's it like inside?

[GeorgeSalt]

That's looking very, very good..

[Starfaun]

That's looking very, very good..

it's beautiful. are you going to heat it? what's it like inside?

Thanks and thanks! I'm going to live in it, so yes, it will be heated with an old Husqvarna cast iron stove. There are photos of the "interior-so-far" on page 3, I think. I'll paint the walls with linseed oil paint and then put some furniture in there and stuff. I tend to gravitate towards the improvised, mismatched and take-what-you-have aesthetic, if you will. I love Bauwagen and Wagenplatz culture - check out Click Clack Gorilla for a bit of Wagenplatz lifestyle pr0n. (She's my hero!) Hmm, and I really like Jenine Alexander's first build. This Tiny House and Free Cabin Pr0n usually post really good stuff, too!

[Starfaun]

I've been painting! I'm using linseed oil paint, which is both exciting and exhausting. Paint, leave to dry for 2-3 days, paint again, leave to dry for 2-3 days, paint again, leave to dry for 2-3 days. So, yes, this will take a while. But I don't really mind since I love painting more than I'd like to admit, heh. The stirring, the blending, the climbing, the painting... All the while drinking tea and listening to Florence and her machine, pausing every once in a while to marvel at, well, that we're doing this.

Here are the photos of the ceiling, painted once with a warm and soft vanilla white.

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[southeast-isher]

All the while drinking tea and listening to Florence and her machine

sounds like fun :-)

[Starfaun]

All the while drinking tea and listening to Florence and her machine

sounds like fun :-)

It is! Even so, it looks like I took an unintentional, er, few weeks off from all of it. I've been hiding under blankets in front of the fire, reading. Whoops.

But ... look what I have! Painted walls, a cast iron stove and a puppy!

With the top piece on.

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With the top piece off. Hoho, to think of all the tea waiting to be brewed on this stove, all the books waiting to be read to the crackling of a fire, all the conversations to be had in the flickering of its flames...!

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This is what happens when you don't spay your dog. ;)

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