Curtains

 

Another sunny day with "spring in the air" feeling yesterday (although frosty in the morning), and I decided it was time to take down my ("winter") red gingham curtains in the kitchen and put up the new summer ones that I bought a couple of weeks ago. (A job also involving washing the windows in the process.)

I've actually been on the lookout for new summer curtains for the kitchen for years, without finding any (that I liked) of the shorter length that I want there. For some reason, the fashion nowadays seems to be floor length curtains everywhere - but I don't find that practical in my kitchen. (One could of course buy long ones and cut them off - I do have a sewing machine - but that's a bigger project, and also feels like a waste of fabric.)

But recently when I searched online, I found these, of the right length, and also available in a store in my town. So I went there to have closer look, and ended up buying them.

Yesterday, when I finally got them up at home, they turned out to be more "see-through" than I had anticipated, with very bright sunlight outside. I'm not 100% happy with that, but I guess it will take a full summer season at least to see how I feel about it in the long run...

 

In the evening, dark outside and light turned on indoors, the impression is a bit different.

 

And yet another photo this morning, with a grey sky as background. Now I'm also thinking that the impression may change again once the trees outside are back to being covered in green leaves.... (In summer, from my favourite place at the kitchen table, I see nothing but green leaves when I look out the window!)

 

 Close-up of the clover pattern
 

I also bought a matching table runner - it's a different pattern (tulips) but "matching" in that it has the same shades of green and red/pink as the curtains (but also a bit of yellow added). 

 

(I can also use the table runner in my living room if I like.) 

 

* * * * * *

Below, for comparison, a photo of my old kitchen curtains taken last spring.

Photo from 2024

Those curtains too have a flowery pattern printed on white; but they are a thicker quality of cotton, more opaque than the new ones. I still like those too, but I've had them a long time, and somehow I feel the pattern and colours have begun to feel a bit outdated. And probably also by now a bit (gradually) faded from having been exposed to several sunny summers + washed a few times. Anyway, I felt I wanted a change - and the new ones will no doubt be staying up through this summer at least... 

Luckily, I do not feel any need or wish to change the curtains in any other room! ;-)  

Indoors Sunday

The sunny, cold and snowy spell seems to be over for now, and we're back to rain here. The best thing about today was that in the morning when I woke up I was convinced for a little while that it was Monday, but then realised that in fact it was only Sunday... Which made me feel like I suddenly got an "extra" day to just relax and do nothing! (Some people would probably say that that's what I do all week anyway - but what do they know...)

Back on Friday, between breakfast and lunch, I got started on the first phase of my winter decorations - which involves changing my kitchen curtains, and some other textiles.

 
My electric candles and star in the window won't be added until next weekend; but I put up the cord for the star while I was doing the curtains anyway.

My table runners and table cloths etc are kept together with the curtains in an old chest in the living room, so while I had that open, I also got some of those out - plus changed my "fake branches" in the vase on top of that chest when I closed it again. More to follow from next weekend onward... As long-term followers of this blog may remember, it is my habit to decorate a bit more for each Advent weekend, rather than put everything up at once. (Keeps me entertained rather than stressed!)

A Touch of Spring

 

The clouds gave way to sunshine today, and that seems likely to continue for a while now - so I was inspired to change to my spring/summer curtains in the kitchen again (after 3+ winter months with my redcheckered ones). Long term followers will recognise them... 

I also put up these hens (cross-stiched by my mum) on the door between the kitchen and the hall (usually kept open):

Other Easter decorations will have to wait a bit yet; I don't like to put those up too early. But the hens came up as I keep them in the same chest as the curtains and table cloths...

 

Grabbing the Signs of Spring

 

We've had "spring in the air" the past few days, with sun and blue skies in the daytime, even if still frosty during the night. On walks into town along the river, I've noticed this little flower bed with snowdrops, and also a few yellow somethings starting to show... (Winter aconite, suggested another lady who also stopped to have a look. In Swedish: vintergäck, which might be translated "mocking winter".)

Alas, weather forecasts are warning us to expect another wintry backlash soon; but in the meantime, I still felt "inspired" today to welcome the month of March with a couple of changes:

First I called my hairdresser in the morning, asking if she could fit me in - and she did have a spot open at 11 a.m. So I went for a sunny walk into town, and had my hair cut. (Last time was some time in December.) 

Back home, and after lunch and a bit of rest, I also felt inspired to take on the job of changing the kitchen curtains. (Long-time followers know my routine by now... I change colour scheme in the kitchen for winter vs spring/summer.) 

Since my vertigo incident back in mid January, I've been feeling a bit extra wary lately of using my step-ladder, though. Or at least higher than the first step.

Recently I've been discussing grabber tools with Sandra the MadSnapper. I have two of these, since way back - one shorter and one longer.

 

In later years I've managed to put up and take down Christmas window decorations (Advent stars) with them, without having to climb. I've also used them to adjust curtains when those are already up. I've never used them to take down/put up the whole curtain rod, though. But why not?? The rod just rests on two curved holders - it does not have to be "snapped" into anything... 

I decided to try. It turned out easier than I thought - and certainly also easier than climbing the stepladder while at the same time balancing the rod (as I've done in the past)...

Not so easy that I also managed to take a selfie while doing it, though! ;-)
But here is 'fakie' that I took afterwards to demonstrate...

What I did was simply to lift and unhook one end of the rod with the grabber, and lower that end until I could hold it. And then the other end. Why on earth did that never occur to me before?? Putting it back up after the change of curtains was not much more difficult either - one end first, then the other. And my feet on the floor the whole time. No ladder.

Mission accomplished! (I have two sets of 'summer' kitchen curtains. I've had both for many years. Last year I had my yellow ones up, this year I chose the white ones with floral pattern.)

That Time of the Year

And suddenly we're past mid November, with only one more week to go to 1st Advent weekend... Looking out of my windows, all the trees are bare now, and it's getting dark early in the afternoon. (Sunset 3:45 pm.) The last few days there have also been chilly winds blowing, with temperatures close to freezing point in the mornings - and not much better during the day either. I'm thankful that I did manage to get my flu vaccination over with on Monday (see previous post) while it was still quite mild, and no wind. Queuing outdoors for 45 minutes later in the week would no doubt have been more of an ordeal!

I was still feeling tired for a couple of days afterwards, though; hard to say if side-effect of the vaccination or just "anyway". (Not exactly ill, just a bit "slow".) But yesterday, I decided it was a good day to change my kitchen curtains - as I always do around this time of year. Other decorations for Advent will wait until next weekend; but I always prefer to get the curtain job over with beforehand, choosing a day when I have the time, and feel up for it.

Today, I woke up to the news on the radio that the east coast of Sweden was having the first snow storm of the year - as much as 30-40 cm in some places.

Which told me it was also time to get on with the final "winter preparations" on my own balcony... So today I've covered my clematis (climbing on a trellis against the wall) with a layer of fibre cloth, and wrapped my strawberry boxes in old newspapers and shoved those under the bench - which was already covered with a plastic tarpaulin for winter. 

Seems I was just in time. Looking out the window tonight, I see we're now having a light snowfall going on here as well... Whether it will remain just light, or turn worse, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

For my own part, there's nowhere special I need to be tomorrow. Might be a good day to just stay in and get started on some Christmas correspondence...