Month: November 2024

Hat stand

On By CarynIn Craft

I’ve needed a hat stand for awhile now, mostly to block hats after I wash them. I decided to make one using a pretty block of spalted tamarind and some hanger wire so I could use it at the craft fair where I was selling all those hats I’ve made.

Photo description: finished spalted tamarind wood block with wire hat form holding a crocheted gray beanie.

I wanted to just have the thick wire so that I could adjust the size based on the hat, but the hat looked a little strange with only vertical support. I added a spiral of aluminum wire, which helps the hat, but looks strange without the hat. Hm. It worked fine at the fair, but I will continue to fiddle with the form.

Photo description: form without the hat showing all the wire

Pose

On By CarynIn Cats
Photo description: Gray tabby cat with white face, chin, and chest looking out of a hole in a carpeted cat tube, whiskers prominent

Today you get a picture of Thor the gray tabby, because he is very photogenic.

Phone pouch

On By CarynIn Craft

I made an experimental pouch for my phone for when I’m wearing pants with inadequate pockets. It strings onto a belt, has quilted sides and an open top. I made it with two pieces of quilting fabric and polyester batting using my model 66 Singer Treadle machine, including the quilting.

Photo description: quilted phone case with golden ivy on a cream background sitting on the table with of a Singer treadle sewing machine from 1916

I like that I made the pocket for the belt with the seam in the back. I like that it is quilted. I’m not sure how I feel that is it open on top. So far I haven’t dropped the phone out of the pouch, but it would ease my mind if there were a small retention flap in there somehow. Hm. I shall contemplate… I think I have an idea. I’ll make another test case.

Glass snail

On By CarynIn meme, Wildlife

Life can be heavy, especially if you are a snail crawling on vertical glass.

Photo description: picture of a snail on glass from the inside with its shell hanging down toward its eye stalks and the caption “Well, since I’m pointed that way, I guess I’ll go down.”

Yes, I’ve managed to slip in a quote from the Labyrinth into my blog. Mwa ha ha.

Worm size

On By CarynIn Craft

Once again, I have a hard time making many things all the same. What happens if I change stitches, or hook size, or yarn type, or starting stitches, or… well you can see where my mind goes. I did a little experiment with the worry worms and stitch type. I used three different stitches: single crochet, half double crochet, and double crochet.

Photo description: three worry worms made of crocheted rainbow variegated yarn, from left to right they are made with double crochet, half double crochet, and single crochet. All start with a chain of 30 and have three stitches in each chain.

As expected, the length and width changed with the different stitch types. What I didn’t expect was the neat chain edge on the half double crochet, and it has a nice full squishiness to it. I don’t care for the double crochet worm, it came out limp and floppy, which I didn’t expect from a larger stitch.