I got so many comments Friday on my sock yarn. Thank you all for being so encouraging and positive. With Thanksgiving coming up and a bunch of things at home and at work to take care of, I'm not sure I'll get the chance to email very many people personally, so I did want to express my appreciation on the blog. Thank you so much.
Today I have my dad's first guest entry. It's not about knitting, but it is about an extraordinary "FO". Rather than just post a picture, I thought I would ask my dad to tell its story in his own words. I hope even if you only show up here for the knitting, that you'll at least scroll down to see the completed item. It's extraordinary and truly a beautiful thing.
I'd like to start the rocking chair story by fat fingering or attempting to paraphrase a statement from the book I'm currently "reading". The book is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. A excellent book by the way. The phrase is.... the beginning of an auto biography ( building a rocking chair) doesn't start at the birth of the individual in question (buying wood) but at ...... There is much more to the statement but that is as far as I can go with it. The rocker story really starts in 1987 when Bobbi and I are starting to build our house and I mean build our house. We started the build in October of 87 with a foundation in the ground and the purchase of a trailer so that we could live and work on site 24 7. From that moment until completion (???.... completion defined as a home occupancy permit because I'm still working on the house) Bobbi and I worked every day after work until 11 or 12 at night and on weekends from 8 am to 10 pm. This routine went on without interuption until the home occupancy permit was issued 10 months later in July of 88. In May of 88 I was phyically and emotionally running on empty. It is at this time the Keyboard Biologist returns from college. She saw the state of affairs instantly and said "I can't live in this trailer we are going to move into the new house now!" and we did move in that very day never to go back to the trailer. The energy and spirit she brought re energized and motivated Bobbi and I to complete the project and you know what she is still providing that motivatonal service today. Thank you T. So when I was in a bit of the dull drums during the early part of my retirement I heard that familar voice say " I would like a special rocking chair" and the fire was lit again. But now I hear the other significant female voice in my life say "why don't you make the first rocking chair for me so that you can debug the process for T's chair ?". So now the building of the rocking chair story can begin. I went on the internet and finally found the right rocker to build. Hal Taylor builds this rockers for a living and also teaches others how to build them. If you would like to see some of his rockers you can go to his website.
The project begins with the wood. Cherry is the wood of choice for the first chair. Well actually it was the only choice at the time because the mill only had cherry in the thickness appropriate for the rocker but as you can see by the following pic it wasn't a bad choice.
The next and perhaps the most significant step is laying out the pieces to take best advantage of the grain and general characteristics of the wood. Since the head board and seat are the two pieces which catch your eye first they get first choice of grain patterns. This effort can be seen in the next pic of the seat and head board wood before any gluing or shaping is done.
This same process is done with all the other parts which are the arms, legs, and rockers. The rockers are the lowest priority bescause they are made of laminations so only the very top of the rocker is visible. Once you've made your best shot at this effort the next step is to start machining the various parts of the rocker. The following pic shows the seat with the leg joints machined in.
The next pic shows the seat with the roughed out legs fit into the seat but not glued yet. The joining of the legs to the seat is the most sophisticated part of the wood working in this project but not the biggiest part of the project. I did not appreciate this but the lion share of work on this chair isn't the joinery but the shaping of the wood through grinding, filing, planning, carving, and sanding.
Speaking of shaping the wood the next pic shows the amount of sawdust I had on the table next to where I ground out the seat shape. (disclaimer) Whenever I do any of this type of work I wear a dust mask and I have a powered air filtering machines filtering the workshop air because in most cases when I am working in the shop my fathful companion Ufer is resting on his bed just 10 feet away. I can't get the Rottweiler to wear a dust mask though.
Moving on the next pic shows the previous image but with the somewhat shaped arms. The arms still have to be chamfered and sanded yet but you can get a sense of the grain with respect to the seat.
The last pic before the finished chair pics is of the seat, legs, and head board. At this point the legs are glued to the seat but the head board is just fit into its position. One of the techniques of this project is to do all of the shaping before a part is attached to another part. In this pic the head board fits the opening but does not have its finished shape yet. Once the part is fit then it is disassembled, shaped, and is given a semi final sand.
Once all parts are shaped and sanded then they are glued together. Then the whole chair is sanded with a 320 grit, a 500 grit, and finally a 1000 grit sand. After the 1000 sand the wood has a glossy look which appears like it has already been finished. The next pic is the finished chair as viewed from the chair's left.
The next pics are of the head board, then a top view, then a front view, and the last pic is of the joint of the front right leg to the seat.
That is what the finished chair looks like and Bobbi tells me it feel very good, rocks real nice, and it would be very appropriate for................... oops but that is another story. Since T and I already picked out the walnut wood for her chair that project will begin right after the Thanksgiving holiday. If there is any interest I can give progress reports.
There will certainly be some interest from me in hearing more about his chairs! Dad and I are also thinking about developing a special spinning chair. More on that as it progresses, as well!
Knitting or no, I've always had an interest in how things are conceived and constructed, and I must say that chair is simply beautiful. You've got a pretty special family.
Happy Thanksgiving, Theresa!
It is lovely, the grain on the wood is beautiful. Do you think you could give him a little push down the noste, noddy and spindle route? He could work up to spinning wheels....
Thank you for sharing. The finished chair is so pretty. I'm imagining T's will be a comfortable spot for knitting beautiful socks.
awesome to see the process and the finished product is fantastic. you can almost feel how smooth it it!
sounds like dad is ready for grandchildren...
That is a lovely chair. I know I would love to see progress pictures and hear about the process of the second chair as well. (Like Caroline M., I see other great opportunities down the road...!)
That's amazing carpentry - I'm in awe!
I couldn't help but picking up on - "very appropriate for.......ooops" Hmmmmm. That is the most beautiful rocking chair I have ever seen. I rocked for miles with my 4 babies (now 26,22, 10,8).
I rarely comment on blogs, but I must today. I'm in awe of the rocking chair and Father Keyboard Biologist. I'm glad I scrolled down slowly as I read, as the final chair is a sight to behold. The cherry is luminous, and the chair detailed and truly a work of art. The whole photo essay entry is wonderful. I thank you for the whole story and beg for progress reports on the walnut chair!
That is a beautiful rocking chair. My family has a rocking chair that my mom bought, it has been passed back and forth between my sibs and I. My sister has it in Chicago right now. It is a comfortable and comforting chair.
Your dad's rocker looks like it will be an heirloom.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
That is a beautiful piece of furniture. Really, I don't know what else to say. Just gorgeous!
ooooooohhhhhh wow!
That is bautiful! I need a spinning chair.. need a guinea pig?? heheh
Gorgeous!! And on my I would LOVE a spinning chair. LOVE IT! I'm always searching out the festivals for a bench or something but haven't found something I like so I use my kitchen chair. But something beautiful just for spinning would be awesome. I think Dad might need his own blog one of these days.
Truly a work of art, Dads are the bomb!!
How I wish your dad could semi-adopt me! What a wonderful chair. Your walnut chair should be outstanding!
I have to add my own compliments, I so enjoyed your father's guest blogging. I would love to hear further reports on your own rocking chair--this one is such a beautiful thing!
That rocking chair is stunning. And yes, progress posts on the walnut version would be very much enjoyed.
Having been a long time reader of your blog I have seen manyof the amazingly beautiful projects your Dad has done over the years. This is a true masterpiece though! I'm sure your mom will cherish and enjoy it!
I can also appreciate the amount of work involved too since my husband & I are currently making 2 custom pieces of furniture for our home out of oak. No where near as lovely as that rocker, but it's for a storage piece, so beauty is relative I suppose. But WOW, the talent your dad has Theresa is astounding! And it sounds like Ufer is a lot like my Maxamillian. Won't leave our side while we work no matter how much dust and debris is in the air! :)
Beautiful - when is dad going to start taking orders?
Wow Gorgeous! I'd love to hear more about his chairs and woodworking.
Gorgeous chair! Your dad is truly an artist. I really enjoy his guest posts.
The chair is beautiful -- the luminosity of the wood, the craftsmanship and love involved, it all astounds me. Cherry is such a beautiful wood in its natural color; I don't understand why it so often stained dark for cabinets. The chair is a true work of art.
Wow ! That's a stunningly beautiful chair. Gorgeous.
Knitting skills seem outrageously easy compared to your father's skill and patience (and love) in making this chair. He is astounding -- and you are both very lucky.
My goodness that chair is amazingly beautiful. Of course we want to read his progress on the next chair.
My grandfather was a master woodworker who made incredibly beautiful wood pieces including a life size mahogany baby cradle for me when I was six. I had no idea what kind of work (and love) goes into woodworking. Sadly, my granfather died not long after he finished the cradle, but I have a legacy of his love in the polished wood of a cradle made so long ago.
So Theresa was a bit of a spoiled princess when she got out of college -- is that what I am to take from this story? Heehee. I'm only joking -- Theresa, you'll have to explain to your dad what a joker I am.
That chair is a work of art on sooooo many levels. Just gorgeous, and thank you for sharing the process with us. When are your next red scarves going to be ready? :D
P.S. Theresa, Bonne Marie's comments seemed to be down yesterday, but that photo of you in the red hat -- AWESOME!
Glad to hear more about the rocking chair! It's really beautiful!
THAT is a work of art! Bravo!
What a wonderful story, and truly gorgeous piece of woodworking! Thank you so much for sharing the process, and final product! And, Theresa, I LOVE your sock yarn - orange is my favourite colour, and the yarn is just edible!
The chair is lovely, and the commentary and progress photos are wonderful. DH is a bit of a carpenter, but not a woodworker of this skill. Thanks to you and to your dad for sharing the craft and the finished beauty.
That chair has beautiful lines, and the grain really complements the design. Nice craftsmanship!
That chair is STUNNING. So, so beautiful.
Wow, my Dad couldn't do something like that in a million years . . .
This is absolutely amazing! Even my friend Alan, who is a woodworker, was completely impressed by the construction of this beautiful piece of work. Thanks so much for sharing.
what an absolutely divine chair. hip hip hoorah for your dad- rock on, Dad, and make more chairs!!
Just so beautiful.....
What a thing of beauty.
That chair is just amazing, a real work of Art, as well as Craftsmanship. Well done your Dad!
Very beautiful work. I remembr awhile back, the post here about the needle holder you made that made me go oooh and want a papa like you :) Fantastic work and! so nice to have to write. Please return again, wd. really love to read more.
Stunning! Fabulous! It reminds me of the movie "While You Were Sleeping" where the male lead is a guy who makes handmade furniture. Cherry is my favorite wood, actually. I love that chair!
That is one gorgeous chair! Now I want to see this house that they have been working on! Thanks for sharing.
That rocker is spectacular. I took a few woodworking classes so I have a sense of the time, skill and love that went into it's construction (it's a lot like knitting, really) though I am nowhere near your Dad's skill level. Your Dad does beautiful work - what a lovely heirloom this will be for your family.
Looking at this, I realize that I have it pretty easy as a knitter - the yarn I work with is soft and luxurious from the get-go. Woodworkers have so much sanding and finishing to do before they get the luminous end result! The chair is really gorgeous!
What a gorgeous chair! I love the shape and the finish is amazing. Shhhh... don't tell my Dad I said so. :)
Wow, your Dad is so cool! I love the detail that he pays to things. I've no interest in woodworking, but he certainly made it interesting. I'm sure your wife is thrilled with hers as T will be once hers is finished!
Wow. That's a stunning piece of woodwork.
Since your Dad can not adopt all of us, I'm going to pass this along to my Dad and see if he can make me a chair. He has all the tools, so if he can only find the time. Thanks to your Dad (and you!) for the inspiration!