A different kind of winder

On By CarynIn Craft

I saw a different kind of yarn winder scrolling the marketplace, and ordered one. I was intrigued because instead of using a tilted core that spins off-axis, it uses a stationary core and an arm that oscillates. Unfortunately it makes very messy yarn cakes. Functional, but messy.

Photo description: messy yarn cake on a horizontal style ball winder

I tried several different ways of winding: forward, backward, without tension, with tension in different directions, but all the cakes were messy. Even the picture on the box had a messy yarn cake, so I don’t think I’ll be able to achieve a beautiful wrap with this device. But it could serve another purpose. I took it apart to see how it worked.

Photo description: same yarn winder with the cover removed showing the gears and cogs that make it tick (literally)

When I had it apart I played a little with the arm length and spent quite a bit of time turning the handle to watch how the parts worked together. The seed of an idea is in the back of my head to make my own yarn winder that I can use with a treadle instead of a handle.

When working with small metal parts, a magnetic watch band can be a useful accessory, if you remember that it is magnetic and will pick up tiny parts. I spent five minutes looking for the small black clip on the floor before I looked at my watch.

Photo description: small black clip and a small screw magnetically attached to my watch band

Throwback Thursday: cat cabinet

On By CarynIn Craft

In January 2018 we were still working on setting up the new-to-us house and I needed a place to feed Izzy the cat. We had a space in the corner of the master bedroom and the previous owners left a large old wood workbench with drawers on the back porch. I used the drawers as the structure for a cabinet, and cut sections of the workbench top for the cabinet top, bottom, and door.

Photo description: cabinet made from old workbench drawers
Photo description: inside of the cabinet, showing the open back

The door had a crack, so I used an old leather belt as strapping to reinforce it. It worked, because the door is still strong after 8 years.

Photo description: closeup of the leather strap showing the carving details from when it was a belt

Chimes

On By CarynIn Craft, music

I wanted a set of chimes for the front entry, so decided to make some.

Photo description: graduated chimes made from 1/4 inch aluminum rod hung with fishing line from a section of a cedar branch

I read that chimes are usually made with solid aluminum or brass tubes. Aluminum is easier to work with, so I purchased a set of 10 quarter inch rods that were each 16 inches in length for about $14. My first step was to make a small groove in some scrap wood to hold the rods while I drilled a hole in each end.

Photo description: scrap wood jig holding a aluminum rod and a hole drilled in the end with a drill press

Once each rod had a hole in each end, I used a band saw to cut the rods into different lengths, with about a 1/2 inch difference. I then sanded them to remove the burrs and sharp edges.

Photo description: 19 graduated aluminum rods with one extra originally intended to play the chimes, but was unnecessary

I found a scrap of cedar branch from a failed walking stick project and cut it to about 12 inches. I sanded it and finished it with Howards Feed-n-Wax.

Photo description: cedar branch being prepped for holes drilled 1/2 inch apart

I used steel stranded cable to hang the wood, and monofilament fishing line to string the chimes. The knots for the fishing line are all on the back of the branch. The chimes are strung with line that comes out the back and back in the front to increase ring time, and I found have a long line for stringing and a shorter secondary line for tying knots worked fairly well.

Here is a video of the chimes in action. If I get ambitious, I will tune them .

I didn’t hear it

On By CarynIn Flora, Fungi

We had a large tree fall in the back woods sometime during the last storms. We didn’t hear it fall, but it must have made a great tearing sound as it cracked and then dragged down a considerable amount of vegetative canopy.

Photo description: tree broken leaving about a 5 foot stump

This was a favorite hiding spot for the outside cats, and once the tree was down I could see why: there was a lovely little cavern in the trunk.

Photo description: cat hiding hole in the fallen part of the tree

The hollow trunk led all the way to the top of the tree, giving an escape route to any critter resting there.

The top branches fell across one of my paths, so I’ll gave to trim that back, but I’ll wait until fall when it is cooler and the chiggers aren’t active. Other than freeing my path, I’ll leave the rest to nature, which is the beauty of the back woods.

Speaking of, this is the remains of the woodpile that the builders left some 10 years ago when they cleared land for the house.

Photo description: old wood pile

Last Thursday I posted a picture of the pile from 8 years ago when it was well above cat height. There is not much left to hide in now.

Bat house

On By CarynIn Wildlife

My bat house is finally up! I was gifted the bat house a number of years ago, but had trouble finding a place near the edge of the woods, 15 feet up with a clear drop, and southern facing. None of our out buildings fit the requirements, and I was not willing to put up a 15 foot post. My eldest learned about bat houses for a project in college and found a good place on an existing tree and installed it.

Photo description: ladder leaning against a very large Post Oak on our property, with a new bat house installed on a sturdy branch
Photo description: view from the meadow looking back into the woods with the bat house installed

Now I watch for… signs of guano?