Getting closer...

The underside of the stairs is completely done - primed, painted, caulked, and wood treated.

Pray for Joplin

The devastation is horrific. Joplin has been virtually flattened. Thanks given to God that our dear friend Stephanie is safe, although her apartment complex is gone.

Please pray for Joplin, pray for the people.

(We also had tornadoes, and people died last night in them, too. So tragic.)

A great weekend!!

Not only did the End of the World NOT happen, which I never thought it would, but we had a great day at the Oklahoma Renaissance Faire in Muskogee on Saturday, then on Sunday got lots of chores done and my Hubby made great progress on the staircase renovation.

VS

The topside vs the underside (with bracing in place)

Beginning sheetrocking.



All closed in and mudded. But wait --- there's more!

Look at the oak finish pieces!

They just make the whole look.

The final railing is in place.

Round the bend

We've gone round the bend on the landing railings! Katie's boyfriend Dillon was over for dinner tonight, and he helped Richard with some of this install. It's very entertaining to listen to the menfolk discuss building stuff.


The plug holes on the newel posts will be primed and painted white, as well.

The top step has been installed. This took a bit of engineering magic, since the step it sits on was too wide. Richard built a frame and jutted the top step out so that each stairtread up the stair case is the same width. He also cleverly routed out the underside of the top step so that it sits flush to the landing flooring. There'll be no tripping or stubbing of toes on the transition from flooring to step. Clever lad!

The riser needs to be painted white, too.

The top step all finished with the decorative edge.

Only one more railing to put up now. :)

Comparisons

For grins and giggles, let's do a compare and contrast, shall we?

What we started with:



What we have now:



My husband does such beautiful work!

On the level

Hubby has made it to the landing for the next portion of the staircase. Now he gets to work on a level surface, instead of an angle. Of course, this just means that he could possibly go right over the edge of the landing instead of just tumble down the stairs themselves, should something go wrong or the cat trip him.

Upper newel posts primed/painted.

Drilling the holes for the rails.



Clamping the pieces for support while drilling.



Pretty!!!

Red arrows point out the bracing that will support the sheetrock to hide the underside of the stairs.

I have actually been knitting. The Presto Chango baby Sweater has reached the back neck opening. So far I've used up one complete skein of Wool of the Andes Bulky to get to this point.

Viola! It's a Handrail!

The main handrail is in - only three more to go. It's gorgeous!







The underside of the stairs will be framed in and sheetrocked, so that won't actually show in the end.

Classic Lines Cardigan, part deux - On Hold

And why, after I went to all the trouble to hand wind those balls of wool? I started thinking (always dangerous) that since we're heading to the UK in September and our UK grandnephew will be turning two in October, that perhaps I should go stash diving and see what I could rustle up to knit as a birthday pressie.

I found five skeins of KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Wine, and cast on immediately for the Presto Chango in size two. Then came a call from my SIL in England, and she had good news: the grandnephew will be getting a sibling this October!! So now I get to knit a newborn outfit as well!!!! We don't know what the baby will be, other than human, so I will again go stash diving but for neutral colors. I'm very excited!

There has been a great deal of progress made on the staircase this weekend. Check out the marvelous work my Hubby has done:

The lone soldier, standing tall and proud.

Setting the twine plumb line and marking it every 6 inches.

The next four in place...

Halfway there!

Done - now on to the handrail. :)