Author: Caryn

Cat platform

On By CarynIn Cats

My eldest had the idea that if we made a platform outside the new catio window, it might provide a more stable and usable surface for the cats. I used old lumber, cut off the soft bits, and screwed them to supports with a little space between.

Photo description: new catio platform made from recycled planks

On a relatively cool morning, I looped the flap up to open the access, and Thor the cat actually went outside for the first time in over a month. It took him 15 minutes to get out the door. I’ve never seen a cat move so slowly.

Photo description: large gray tabby with his head stuck out of the lifted cat flap

Izzy loves the new platform. She can easily go in and out with the flap in its intended position, and she likes to lounge on the deck.

Photo description: calico cat laying on the platform as seen through the clear cat flap

Since we are approaching fall (yay!) I hope we will have more cool mornings that Thor can go explore. But not now, because our mild summer couldn’t properly be a summer without giving us some 100 plus days. Blech.

Jacob’s wool swatches

On By CarynIn Craft

I started on the swatches for Jacob’s wool, and then finished them all in a day, even the nålbinding. I must have thirty other projects I’m not working on. Hm.

Photo description: four squares made from hand spun Jacob’s wool: knit (top left), crochet (top right), cut open nålbinding (bottom left), woven (bottom right)

I had two large cakes of yarn, and two small nostepinne balls, so I used the smaller amounts to make the swatches. I hope to make something wearable out of the larger cakes of yarn.

Zoom Loom Jacob’s wool

On By CarynIn Craft

I used my hand spun Jacob’s wool yarn on my new Zoom Loom. I did the three preparatory wraps a little looser this time (as instructed) and it helped ease the way when it came to weaving.

Photo description: three layers of wrapped Jacob’s wool yarn on a 4 inch Zoom Loom
Photo description: Weaving started with a six inch needle
Photo description: finished plain weave square

I’m in awe that these little woven patches lay flat, both with the Samoyed yarn and the Jacob’s wool yarn.

Thank you

On By CarynIn Craft

As a Thank You to Sugar the Samoyed’s family for sharing Sugar’s fur for my fiber study, I sent them a crocheted heart and the remainder of the yarn.

Photo description: small hank of Samoyed yarn and a crocheted heart with a leather center with the name “Sugar”

I designed the leather heart using Adobe Illustrator, then cut it from vegetable tanned tooling leather. Having precision cut holes was awesome to make a blanket stitch around the edge. I then crocheted into the stitches using a single crochet in the back loop.

Nålbinding Samoyed

On By CarynIn Craft

I am happy to report that the Samoyed dog yarn I spun does well in nålbinding. I was afraid the yarn wouldn’t felt, and my favorite way to join in yarn for nålbinding is to unravel a section on each end, trim the ends so I have two sections on one side and one on the other, build up twist in the short end, linearly braid the ends together, let the twist come back into the braided section, then rub it between my hands to lightly felt it. (Hm, that sounds more complicated than it is, I really need to do a blog post on it specifically.) It is a belt and suspenders and sticky tape way to join yarn, but it is strong, and almost undetectable, especially after incorporating it into the work.

Photo description: Nålbound tube using a Finnish 1+2 stitch and Samoyed three-ply yarn
Photo description: tube cut open to make a rectangular swatch

This is one of my favorite nålbinding stitches. It is easy to remember and I feel like I have a connection with my Finnish and Scandinavian DNA.