Seriously?

On October 6, 2024 By CarynIn Garden

I noticed some chewed looking leaves on my pepper plants in my front window. Then I noticed one of the pepper fruits dangling strangely. I picked it up, and it wasn’t actually attached because a caterpillar had eaten through the stem. The culprit was caught because it was still inside the pepper. Like Peter pumpkin eater. Or maybe his wife. Peter Peter pepper eater. Or is that Peter piper and peppers. Hm. Any who, that’s a different rabbit hole.

Photo description: small green pepper with no stem and the body of a caterpillar visible inside the pepper

So not only do I have pollinators in the house, there are consumers (besides my house spiders). For background, these plants were grown from seed in peat pots and store bought soil. They have never been outside.

Cotton is heavy

On October 5, 2024 By CarynIn Craft

I have it in my mind to make a practical macrame hanging to store small musical instruments. I had the macrame cord and a quarter inch dowel already, so my start cost was zero. The twisted rope I knotted for the hanger went well, and I hung the dowel up in a small hallway on a utility rack. I then started adding long strands of cotton cord.

Photo description: wood dowel with many doubled strands of cotton cord tied on hanging on the wall from a wire rack, dowel arcs down from the weight of the cotton

As I neared the number of strands of cotton I wanted, I noticed that the dowel had a visible bend. Uh oh. The slim dowel could barely hold the weight of the cotton, and certainly wouldn’t take more weight. I have to get a bigger dowel. Hm.

Photo description: same pre-macrame set up, but with all the hanging cords tied in a large loose knot to reduce the cat risk

To keep the long dangling cords from becoming cat toys, I tied them up while I process my intentions.

Macrame helper

On October 4, 2024October 1, 2024 By CarynIn Cats, Craft

Photo description: gray tabby with arms in ready-to-get-the-string position on a leather lounge chair that has a twisted macrame rope in progress draped over the back, with my nest of crafts and books on the floor next to the chair

My love triangle: I love yarn projects, and I love cats, and cats love yarn. Sigh.

Throwback Thursday: wire frame

On October 3, 2024 By CarynIn Craft

I was tasked with making a trophy for a duct tape contest back in December of 2009. I found a block of wood from my stash, imbedded several hanger wires, then shaped them into a chalice.

Photo description: wire armature chalice set into a finished block of wood with routed edges

I covered the whole thing in strips of standard duct tape, then forgot to take a final picture. Hm. When it was presented, though, it was deemed way fancier than the requester envisioned. That’s what happens when a crafter gets their hands on duct tape.

Macrame: joining

On October 2, 2024 By CarynIn Craft

I wanted to make a macrame twisted rope with precut pieces. My center strands were long enough, but the decorative outside strands ran out after about a foot of knotting. I found that laying new strands into a knot in the same direction as the old strands then tightening the knot, trimming, and sealing with white glue made a near invisible join.