I saw the viral video of someone making an i-cord using three latch hooks, and saw the subsequent string of videos of people showing how to make them. I have seen 3D printed ones, and tools with the base made out of oven hardened clay. I like woodwork, so decided to make one.
I purchased inexpensive latch hooks intended for rug hooking and broke the metal hook out of the wooden handles. I then made my own wooden handle out of a scrap of 2×2 hickory wood.
Photo description: three holes drilled at the diagonal in a 2×2 chunk of hickory hard wood, with the hooks free of their old handles and held in my hand.
After drilling the holes, I shaped the handle using an oscillating spindle sander with the largest sanding tube with a medium grit. When I had the shape to my liking, I hand sanded with finer and finer grit, getting down to 400. I glued in the hooks using wood glue.
Photo description: shaped hickory handle with three latch hooks in parallel.
To finish, I used Howard’s Feed-N-Wax, which, I was pleased to read, could be used on finished or unfinished wood.
Photo description: three hook cord tool finished with two coats of Howard Feed-N-Wax sitting next to the bottle.
Waiting for the finish to cure is the hardest part. I’m looking forward to testing!
Pinterest strikes again. I’ve been pinning linocuts and woodcuts because I like the results and I saw that there are slabs of rubber that can be carved to create flexible stamps. Color me intrigued. I bought a set, and I already have micro wood cutting tools, so I gave it a go.
Photo description: my picture of an old farm truck printed on white paper, and a 4×6 slab of pink rubber. I transferred the inkjet image to the rubber with a steam iron, then went over the lines in pencil.Photo description: rubber carved with a single edge razor and micro carving tools and the excess edge cut away with scissors.Photo description: test print with scrap paper and black ink and a roller to press the paper to the stamp.
So this was fun. My lessons learned include making sure the carving tools are all very sharp. My gouge was not and left micro tears at the edge of the lines which filled with ink and printed a fuzzy mess. Putting the paper on top of the inked stamp then using a roller to press the paper to the stamp worked much better than pressing a stamp down on the paper. The process definitely has a learning curve, but the rubber is relatively easy to carve and it opens up worlds of possibilities.
Photo description: dilute calico cat in a carpeted tube at the top of a cat tree in an awkward position with her back feet above her hind feet.
Sophie the cat loves to climb her carpeted cat tree and play “get your fingers” through the holes. She is willing to contort for the side attack. Silly cat.
I purchased a bag of quilt scraps from my local quilt store. I love the owner’s eye for color, and it gives me something to exercise the Singer model 66 treadle sewing machine. I know that the scraps I sew together will eventually be used to make something purposeful, and this time I didn’t have to wait long.
The free bag I was using to hold my circular knitting needles disintegrated, literally. The outer coating was peeling off. Storing circular needles in a pouch is also problematic as they tend to tangle and be a right mess.
Photo description: tangle of knitting needles, cable, and cord, laying on a purple and silver ragged bag.
I decided that the long strips of fabric that I have been sewing together would do well for the base of a knitting needle case. I paired it with coordinating fabric from my stash (yes, I had matching fabric for the quilt scraps), and layout a folded design that will create 12 inner pockets and two outer pockets.
Photo description: long red and cream strips of fabric sewn together matched with an ivy print fabric laid out right sides together and double folded at each end to make pockets.
I sewed the two base pieces of fabric together using the treadle sewing machine, leaving a small gap, then turned the case right-side out. I pressed the whole piece, then laid out the side pocket folds. I sewed zippers across the edges of the outer pockets using oversized vintage zippers.
Photo description: two zipper halves, sewn facing away from each other on a flat piece of fabric will create a pocket when zipped together.Photo description: two zippered pockets shown closed and laying on the table top of my treadle machine.
To make the inner pockets, I measured out three sections on each side and sewed from the top of the inner pocket down to a couple inches shy of the zipper. This is so when accessing the pockets from the zippered side, the bottom is closed, but the pockets aren’t too deep to reach the bottom. This took some experimentation. And seam ripping.
Photo description: 12 inner pockets shown with circular needles tucked inside and the dividing seam stopping two inches from the bottom.Photo description: zippered pocket open to show two inches of clear space.
I hand-sewed the sides of the pockets together because there were 16 layers of fabric at the edge. None of my machines can handle that fabric load. A simple straight stitch with teeny tiny outside stitches did very well to pull the fabric together neatly.
I used the treadle machine to sew two long strips of fabric together, turned it right-side out, stitched along the edges, then sewed it into a circle to make the handles. I machine sewed the handle to the bottom of the bag, then hand sewed the handle to the top of the bag. To keep the bag closed, I cut some thin pieces of finished leather, cut in button holes, and sewed them to the sides of the bag. I found vintage red buttons in my button stash and hand sewed them on.
Photo description: finished knitting needle case
All done! All the sewing was done either by hand or with the 1916 treadle sewing machine. The zippers and buttons are vintage, and the whole project cost me only time, since the fabric was sourced from my stash. Now my circular knitting needles are neatly stored and organized, with space for stitch markers, rulers, and other knitting necessities in the zippered pockets.
Critters and Craft 