Category: Craft

Ripped

On By CarynIn Craft

I don’t often rip out my needle work, I usually find a way to make it work either for the original purpose or by pivoting to a new use. For example, a hat that is too narrow for a head becomes a drawstring bag. I have to be deeply unhappy with the work, or really be in love with the yarn. In this instance it was both. I found a pattern for a dragon scale crocheted blanket that looks fabulous with color changing yarn. I love the idea of dragon scales and tried it with my hand-spun Jacob’s wool yarn. The pattern completely disappeared in the marled yarn, the fabric was heavy, and was tedious to crochet.

Photo description: Jacob’s wool yarn crocheted with a dragon scale pattern, strip twisted to show both sides

So I ripped it out.

Photo description: Jacob’s wool yarn wrapped around the remains of the yarn cake

I later did rewind the yarn cake and started on a new crochet pattern with a more open stitch.

This is a post to prove that I indeed do rip out on occasion.

Paper weaving class

On By CarynIn Craft

I recently attended a paper weaving class co-taught by my fabulous weaving neighbor at the local library. We made a woven heart from two-sided paper strips, the glued it into a card frame. The pattern is called a Cherokee Chief‘s Heart, but of course those of us without registered Cherokee heritage were making these weavings in the style of the pattern, as a learning exercise. My neighbor is a registered Cherokee and an awarded weaver and artist and is so generous with her teaching and knowledge.

Photo description: woven paper heart made from strips of paper that are green on one side and white on the other
Photo description: opposite side of the same weaving, showing an inverted heart

We did have to use copious amounts of glue to keep the unwoven sections of the sampler in place. The weaving is neat in that the back image is the same as the front, just with the lines going a different way.

Just the toes

On By CarynIn Craft

My Mom sent a pair of hand-knitted socks that just needed the toes finished.

Photo description: two hand knit socks on a single circular needle made with variegated purple yarn

I am not familiar with the technique of knitting two socks on a single circular needle. I am aware of the technique, but haven’t puzzled out the method. I prefer using two circular needles, so I transferred the work to my 2.5 mm Prym needles.

Photo description: same socks on different needles

My needles are slightly smaller than Mom’s, but I knit slightly looser, so it worked out OK.

Photo description: finished socks with the ends woven in

I did all my knitting waiting in the car. I was not knitting and driving! As I wrote this post I realized how it looked with all the photos taken on a car seat. The pictures were also taken over the course of a few days. Waiting in the car rider line is where I get most of my knitting done.

Photo description: socks on feet!

Sparkly

On By CarynIn Craft

I like using combs to hold my hair back from my face. I tried finding some that had a little bling for chorus performances, but was only finding the kind for weddings and formal updos, where the tines stick into the hair, but need pins or other methods to stay put. So I sparkled up my own pair using Loctite super glue and flat backed AB rhinestones. (AB stands for aura borealis, a coating put on beads to give them a color shifting shine.)

Photo description: plastic hair comb with rhinestones glued to the spine

I used a little too much superglue for regular applications of rhinestones, but it turned out OK for the combs because it filled in the spaces between the jewels so hairs don’t get caught in the sparkle.

Throwback Thursday: wire basket

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

In July 2015 I was making custom wire baskets for a shelving unit in the house. I would draw out the size needed in chalk on the patio, flatten out 1/2” welded wire hardware cloth, and cut it with metal snips.

Photo description: basket pattern drawn on the patio in pink chalk
Photo description: hardware cloth cut into shape

When I cut the hardware cloth, I left one side of the corner seam with a vertical wire, and the other side with horizontal wires free for a half inch. When I folded the sides up, I used needle nose pliers to loop the horizontal ends around the vertical wire.

Photo description: close up of corner cut showing the free horizontal ends and the solid vertical edge
Photo description: close up of how the wire ends wrap around to secure the sides of the basket
Photo description: finished basket with hanger wire used to stabilize the upper edge of the basket
Photo description: nine wire baskets of various sizes

I experimented with ways to keep the hardware cloth from scraping the wood shelf. I sewed fabric to corners as one solution, and ran hanger wire on the bottom like sled runners on other baskets.