Author: Caryn

Giants

On By CarynIn Wildlife

Within a day of each other, I was able to capture photos of a giant moth and a giant butterfly. I’ve digitally captured this kind of moth before, but never this butterfly. These are both as wide as my outstretched hand (about 7-8”). Neat.

Polyphemus Moth, a kind of giant silk moth, near death in the meadow
Western Giant Swallowtail butterfly resting on poison ivy

Eggs?!?

On By CarynIn chickens, eggs

I was out doing morning chicken chores, and I found two eggs. What? I admit that I have not been vigilant in checking the nest boxes since the hens stopped laying two months ago because last year their last egg was mid-September. Last year they did not start laying again until February. They do appear to have finished their fall molt, but I haven’t seen any of them do the squat (that says they are ready for a rooster).

Egg in a nest box
Two eggs, after two months of no eggs

I did do a float test, and both eggs sunk to the bottom of the container of water and laid flat, which means they are fresh eggs. So they didn’t stay undiscovered for long.

Building a fiber study page

On By CarynIn Craft

As I spin through as many different fibers as I can get my hands on, I am creating a scrapbook page for each to build a reference book. This is how I build my pages.

Materials:

  • Two 12”x12” sheets of card stock
  • One 8.5”x11” sheet of card stock
  • One 2.5”x12” rectangle of end paper (fancy printed paper with some strength)
  • One 8 3/4” x 11 1/4” heat-sealed laminating pouch (sealed empty)
  • One 3”x5” index card
  • Two 3/16” inside diameter metal grommets
  • Paper brads
  • Hot glue
  • Thread

I use a Cricut electric cutter to score and cut my cardstock, but similar preparations can be done by hand with a craft knife. I make a 1/4” drawer, three “spools” from coordinating cardstock, a drawer sleeve from heat-sealed laminate, and cut one sheet of cardstock with slots to hold each element. Paper brads will hold the swatches onto the page. The Cricut project is available here: https://design.cricut.com/landing/project-detail/630799ca21506d2c4716a4c2

Cut, scored, and folded pieces ready for assembly
I use paper clips to align and hold the two large pieces of card stock and the folded end paper together with a 1/4” overlap. The back uncut sheet acts to protect the following page, and the end paper forms a spine to make the page large enough to fit in a standard photo book. Sewing, rather than gluing, provides a secure attachment for a longer length of time.
Using a straight stitch I sew the three layers of paper together.
I use a seam ripper to pull the threads to the inside of the layers.
I knot the ends of the threads, then use a long piece of twisted wire to run the threads back inside the spine.
Finished seam.
A page from the scrap books works well to mark where the holes should go on the spine.
I use a hole punch to cut the holes for the posts of my photo book.
Two part metal grommets help reinforce the holes. These are easy to add with the right tools.
Set grommet.
A heat sealed laminate sheet is remarkably easy to fold. The drawer sleeve needs four creases to create a 1/4” high sleeve, then the tabs on the back fit into the slits on the card stock.
The folded card stock drawer benefits from the ridged hot glue to reinforce the sides. The drawer works without the adhesive, but is studier with it.
Assembled fiber study page. The spools are held with long tabs that can slide under the yarn once wrapped. Each spool has two slits one inch apart so the yarn’s wraps per inch is easy to see.
A second page with a different color scheme for a lighter colored yarn.

Descriptions of the yarn can go on the index card, unspun fiber can go in the drawer, spun yarn of different plies go on the spools, and knit, crochet, nålbinding, or weaving swatches can be attached with paper brads to the open areas.

Back of a finished page showing the connections and the protective sheet.
Finished page with alpaca yarn installed in a scrapbook.

Valiant effort

On By CarynIn Garden

My hibiscus is still producing blooms. Most are below the crown, hidden behind fading leaves, but we had one present front and center. I think it is interesting that it forms blooms from the top down over the season. The leaves are starting to get their fall wilt going; it is slightly cooler, but we are not at fall temperatures yet.

Hardy Hibiscus bloom

On the road again

On By CarynIn Craft

Now that the temperatures are dropping, and my Achilles tendon is healed, I’m starting to walk and spin again. Joy. I picked the Clun Forest wool from my stash, which I bought as roving, so it is ready to spin from the bag.

Walking and spinning with a top whorl drop spindle

This wool is very different from the Merino and Shetland wools I’ve spun so far, it has more lanolin for one, the energy in the crimp is higher, and it is coarser. I find spinning it a little thicker makes us both happier. There are fluffy little balls in the roving, called noils, and if they want to incorporate into the yarn I let them, but if they float to the side, they are set free in the breeze.