I’m working on making wooden crochet hooks and noticed that when two hooks face each other, it forms a heart.
These hooks are of the larger variety for super bulky or blanket yarn. Where I like to finish my spindles with a clear matt finish, so they have some grip, the crochet hooks get a clear gloss so they slide through loops better. The hooks in the picture are unfinished, and only partially through their sanding process. It was truly an unexpected heart.
Trying to spin while the kitten is awake is a dangerous undertaking. Trying to knit, crochet, sew, or do much of anything else with squirmy tempting yarn or thread is also prone to attract unwanted kitten curiosity. Luckily he does eventually sleep.
I’ve been working on a new drop spindle. I like my previous student spindles, but they are on the light side, just over an ounce. This light weight can be more challenging, so I wanted something a little heavier for upcoming spinning classes. I sourced some beautifully made wooden whorls from Pinehurst, TX, (yes, they are marketed at toy wheels, but they make lovely whorls) and some locally obtained dowels to make the shafts.
The whorls are lovely, but with the 12” shafts, the weight tipped over the two ounce mark, which is heavier than I wanted. To lighten the load, I drilled out material with my drill press and a 1/2” drill bit.
Then came the sanding and finishing. I sanded each piece down to 600 grit, wet the wood and let it dry, then sanded with 600 grit again. Both the whorl and shaft are finished with a clear matte coating to protect from stains. The most delicate part of the spindle is where the screw hook engages the wood, so I wrap the shaft with beeswax coated silk thread to strengthen.
These spindles can be used as a top whorl with hook, or flipped over and used as a bottom whorl drop spindle with the notch to keep a half-hitch in place. I’ve tested both ways and am pleasantly surprised how long these spin! The finished weight on all of them is around 2 ounces.
We’ve moved Sophie the cat into a new room with her human. To provide her all she needs, without having to deal with the kitten, she has a litter box as well as food, water, and a climbing tree. The litter box was a little too open for her though, so my eldest suggested we make a box to go over it to give her some privacy.
We started by taking measurements, then making a PVC frame. We already had the 1/2” PVC pipe and the socket tees, so it was just a matter of cutting to size. Thor the kitten was particularly found of sitting inside the “box” even if it was only an outline. We purchased 2 yards of household fabric, which is thicker than calico fabric or quilting fabric. To keep the cover in place, I made button tabs that wrap around the bottom pipe.
To make the opening, I cut an “X” into the corners of a rectangle, folded back the flaps and sewed double fold seam binding around the edges of the hole.
To test the fit and hold, I put Thor on the top. He thought the hammock was so comfy he settled down for an hour nap. While he was cuddled up, Izzy the cat and Missy the dog also explored the new object.
We had to remove Thor from the top of the box to install it in the final location. My eldest reported the next morning that the offering was appreciated; Sophie went in to do her business. Success.
We have blackout curtains in all the bedrooms, but my youngest has high anxiety about fireworks and thunderstorms. She doesn’t wear her hearing aids at night, so usually can’t hear but the loudest rumble, but she can see the light flash around the blackout curtains, even without her glasses. I wedged a cardboard box in the window as a temporary fix, but we needed a better long-term solution. I knew that blackout fabric was something purchasable, but I didn’t know that Velcro had the rest of the solution. Velcro produces a household product that has one side of their hook and loop with a strong adhesive, and the other side without glue for sewing, perfect for attaching blackout fabric to a window.
Velcro didn’t mess around with this product. It is one of the strongest hook and loops I’ve encountered. Our customer service person cutting the Velcro put it together before cutting. Next time, I will ask for the two parts to be cut separately. So sticky. My window frame is a half-inch, and the Velcro was 3/4”, so I had to cut the hard side down to fit. There is still some light that creeps through, but paired with the hanging curtain, it is dark as pitch in the room. Except for the light coming from the closet, which also has a window. I have another curtain to sew.
Critters and Craft 