Month: February 2024

Meditative

On By CarynIn Cats
Photo description: gray tabby cat with his head in a brass singing bowl which is sitting on a felt ring on a side table.

Thor the cat is obsessed with my brass singing bowl. He really likes to try to chew the wooden mallet, and stick his head in the bowl. I recently figured out how to make the bowl sing, loud, and I see why it is a good meditative process, if you get distracted, you lose the ring sound. It takes some concentration and focus, but not intensity, to get a clear loud tone.

I think Thor could smell the felted wool ring that came with the bowl and was looking for it. Once he found it, I had to put the bowl away lest I loose the ring to becoming a cat toy. The boy really likes wool.

Helix scarf update

On By CarynIn Craft

Ah, so that is why it is called a helix scarf.

Photo description: garter knit scarf held up vertically showing a helix twist.

The pictures that accompanied the scarf pattern showed a lovely wide double-sided ruffle, but the title was helix scarf, which caused me to wonder, until I had knit awhile. So cool that the short rows on each side make this twisted effect. I really like short rows, and I like this pattern because it is a three-row repeat, which is easy to remember.

Flashback: chicken bench

On By CarynIn chickens, Coop, Craft

The fold down benches that I installed in the chicken coop are still high on my recommended list. I used 2x4s, heavy duty hinges, two lengths of chain with lockable links, screw eyes, and a hook and eye to keep it in the upright position. It folds up so the chickens can’t poop on the surface, but is easy to fold down. It makes a great work bench for filling water, and is fantastic when I need to sit when I’m not feeling well but still need to tend the chickens.

Photo description: Fold down bench held up with chain, with an empty large poultry waterer and two chickens looking for grubblies underneath.

Bluebonnets loading

On By CarynIn Flora
Photo description: Dried leaves and twigs with green leaves emerging including the five leaf clusters of bluebonnets. Photo credit to my husband.

My husband took a wander out to the meadow and made a lovely discovery: bluebonnets in progress! I like his photo composition as well, with the arc of a twig, opposing arc of dried grass, and the line of bluebonnet leaf clusters trailing down from the top right to the bottom left.

I made socks!

On By CarynIn Craft
Photo description: blue, yellow, and white variegated socks with ribbed cuffs on my feet.

I finished a garment! Ok, yes, it was a pair of socks, but they fit! In addition I learned many things, such as I don’t like knitting socks top down, and I’m not a fan of a heel flap construction. I should probably use smaller needles, too.

What I did like about this project is knitting both socks at once with two circular knitting needle sets. When I was done knitting one sock, I was also done with both socks. No trying to make a second match! Two needle sets were quite fiddly with this pattern and method, but I have hopes for the next pattern that uses a toe up method!

I know other people really like the top down method, and enjoy double pointed needles. I’m glad we are all different and that there are people out there sharing their preferred methods.