Month: July 2022

Replacing a belt buckle

On By CarynIn Craft, Life Hack

My husband loves his Italian made leather belt, but the metal fatigued and broke the other day. Luckily I had a buckle in my stash, and the belt is so well designed, I could fix it.

Loop broke off the metal belt buckle

First I took out the broken metal, which was held on with a screw rivet (love these) and some stitches.

Disassembled buckle, with new buckle on left

I used waxed linen cord and the saddle stitch to sew the new buckle into the leather. I made the final knot between the layers of leather so it would be hidden.

Saddle stitching in progress

Then I reassembled the belt reusing the screw rivet, being careful to catch the leather loop and stay in the right places, and making sure the buckle faced the right direction. Did I mention I love screw rivets? If you assemble incorrectly, it is easy to remove the rivet and try again.

Fixed belt

For the love of spinning

On By CarynIn Craft

I was testing a drop spindle while waiting in the car, and struck up a conversation with someone who had hoped to learn spinning, but didn’t get to due to the pandemic. I didn’t have any student spindles in the car. The horror! So I gathered up the spindles I made at home and paired them with some Shetland wool strips torn from a batt (these strips can also be called slivers).

Student spindles with balls of wool

The wool and spindles went into bags with a half sheet of paper filled with as many resources as I could think of to help a beginning spinner.

Fiber resource sheet to go into beginning bags

I have handed out a couple of these kits when I’ve been about town, and even gave a quick spinning demonstration out my car window. Spinning is not for everyone, but they won’t know until they try!

Be careful what you wish for

On By CarynIn Cats

Since I first saw the neighbor’s flame point I wanted to be friends (it has to be said I want to be friends with all cats, so). After getting him fixed, I was certainly persona non grata. My eldest befriended first, with the help of a few treats. Then I took the hint and gave some treats, then some surreptitious scratches. He now walks right in front of my feet demanding treats and scratches. So much so that it is hard to walk. Be careful what you wish for.

Neighbor cat getting scratches

But he is such a pretty boy.

Discovering double knitting

On By CarynIn Craft

Since I finished the brioche cowl, I decided to try the next project in the Modern Daily Knitting Brioche Field Guide. It was a long honey comb scarf, but I wasn’t sure I wanted another scarf (we are in Texas) so set out to learn the stitch pattern with scrap yarn to see if I liked it.

I don’t.

About 2” into the test I decidedly did not like the emerging fabric. The pattern is interesting, but the fabric is flat with almost no depth. I was hoping to make a bag, but did not think the thin holey knit would do well. So now what? In perusing Pinterest double knit items caught my eye. Double knit also uses two colors of yarn, as does brioche, and produces a double-sided fabric, as does brioche, so I gave that a go.

I like it. Especially after I rigged up a wire ring to hold the two strands of yarn on my finger, but slightly apart.

Double knitting ring made from 20 gauge brass wire

The resulting fabric from double knit is also thick and has a nice feel. I think it will do quite well in many applications, so I shall tuck it into my bag of tricks. The cotton test knit shall go into the dish cloth drawer.

Test knit, honey comb brioche on the bottom, double knit tests above

Fresh feet

On By CarynIn chickens
Hen enjoying an active foot bath

My hens love their foot bath, so much so that in the hottest days sometimes there is only mud and sludge by the time I make it out to the coop. So I set up an automatic watering system in the chicken run to refill the hens’ foot bath, just because it is so hot and they use it so often. I thought I would run it just at night, just for a couple minutes, so it didn’t scare the chickens, but when I was testing the system, a hen walked in without a care for the running water. So I added a mid-day top up to the timer. The water runs, stirs up the sediment, and mostly rinses out with the overflow. We still have to go out once a day to make sure the yuck is all out, but at least I feel better that there is a full cooling system available to them.