Author: Caryn

What to do with small bits of yarn

On By CarynIn Craft

I took the single ply merino wool I had left over from plying and made a simple lace scarf for my youngest’s doll. I had just enough for a decent length. The yarn is about 32 wraps per inch, which is small even for lace weight yarn. I tried nålbinding a new stitch, but the dark yarn was too hard to see. I tried knitting, but again, it was tiny and hard to see. So I used crochet, because I can crochet without having to distinguish individual strands. I did a simple lace pattern (chain three, single crochet in previous chain, repeat), and it still took me days to complete. Making doll clothes, though, is a great way to try different techniques with small amounts of yarn, rather than tackling a human sized project.

Crochet lace scarf from hand-spun merino wool for an 18” doll

Raining caterpillars

On By CarynIn Flora

I setup my sky chair in the backyard, since the weather has been beautiful, and put up a sunshade, just in case I fall asleep. Not likely to happen now, since putting up the shade I’ve had caterpillars and spiders rain down on me. The puppy takes offense when I jump off the chair with a yelp. I do not have herpetophobia, the fear of slithery crawly things, but I prefer to not have them drop on me.

Caterpillar that fell from above

Tube hoops

On By CarynIn Craft, dog

We had left over bits of irrigation tubing, and my eldest expressed interest in teaching the puppy to jump through hoops. Now we have three different sizes to practice with!

Hoops made from irrigation tubing

I found a 3/4” dowel that fit snugly into the drip hose, so cut about 3” off that and slid both ends of the tube onto the dowel.

Dowel inside the tubing to keep it in the round

To keep the dowel in place I used some small screws that bit into the wood, but didn’t go all the way through.

Two screws hold the dowel in place

The solid tubing had a bit smaller inside diameter, so I sanded down the dowel until it just fit and I could push the tube ends on.

Missy walking through the small hoop

Missy already knows how to walk through a hoop! As recommended by the backyard agility article we read, we’ll wait until she is a year old to start the jumping part since jumping is hard on growing bones.

Sleeping chicken

On By CarynIn chickens

Taco is a strange bird. Well, her name is Taco. She is the least people friendly and the hardest to catch. When we sit in the coop, she is usually the farthest away. I caught this picture of her taking a nap as my youngest and I hung out with the flock for a bit. With her tail feathers nearly straight up in the air. The others settle with tail feathers up as well, but not nearly to that extreme angle.

Taco taking a nap in the chicken run

Dog Button

On By CarynIn dog
Recordable button set next to the back door

My eldest purchased some recordable buttons to train the dogs. She recorded the word “outside” on one and put it by the back door, and our job was to push the button before we let the dogs outside to give them the idea. Flash forward one day and Missy the puppy is pushing the button herself when she wants out. Color me impressed.