My coconut husks ended up soaking for three days until I could get back to the project. I took the bucket outside and used my hands to tear open the clumps to free the husk particles from the fibers.
Photo description: shredded coconut fiber next to the soak bucket
After pouring the soak water over garden plants, I put the shredded fiber back in the bucket and rinsed it several times. There is still some particulate matter, but the majority rinsed away. I spread the fiber out on a drying rack hanging inside.
Photo description: coconut fiber spread out on a mesh drying rack
I have to note that the coconut fiber and husk has no discernible smell to me, even after soaking for three days.
In December 2015 I made my youngest a playing card holder from thin card board and duct tape.
Photo description: card board and “Minion” duct tape card holder sitting on my knees holding thirteen playing cards
The concept is simple, a slot made from two folds of card board, the back fold slightly higher than the front, then a wide base so the cards stay steady. The duct tape holds it all together. I left the card board exposed where the cards are inserted, so the cards will slide in and out easily.
Photo description: side view of the same card holder ten years later, looking a little worn, but still perfectly functional
My youngest can use this to play Uno, even when the hand has nearly thirty cards. I am amazed that it is still working well ten years after I made it, and that it gets frequent use.
I wet down my recently nålbound hat with soap and water to do light fulling (locking wool fibers together in fabric) and was quite surprised when the stitches relaxed and the hat lengthened.
Photo description: nålbound hat before fulling and blockingPhoto description: same hat after lightly fulling and blocking
I intentionally made the hat larger because I know that wool hats shrink with wearing because of the natural fulling process from moisture and movement. I agitated the hat in the gentle soap and water to deliberately start the felting process, not expecting that much change with the Oslo stitch I used. I wanted the hat to be a slouch hat with folded brim, so really it came out remarkably well, serendipitously.
In October of 2015 there was a pumpkin display at the school library. The pumpkins couldn’t be carved because of the smell and mess, but could be painted or decorated. My youngest was very into Splat the Cat, so I crocheted a cover.
Photo description: Splat the Cat crocheted pumpkin cover
To get the fur, once the crocheted form was done, I brushed it with a boar bristle brush to raise the fibers. It worked quite well. The ears are also crocheted then brushed, with pink felt glued inside. The eyes are ping pong ball halves with green doll safety eyes installed. The nose is a safety nose on gray felt with an embroidered mouth, and hot glued inside place.
The best part is that the cover can be removed and reused.
I spent last week watching as much of the Sweet Adeline International Convention webcast live as I could. This gave my fingers long stretches of idle time, which I filled with nålbinding a hat. My parents-in-law recently visited Ireland, and brought me back some Aran wool, which is lovely to nålbind because it tears apart easily and felts back together well.
Photo description: starting a hat with a cherry wood nal, Aran wool, and an Oslo stitch
At one point I ran out the door for school pickup and dropped my nal somewhere. Waiting in the car I crafted one out of a straw by cutting one end at an angle and making two slits at the other end to hold the yarn. It worked, but wasn’t as pleasant as my wool polished cherry wood nal. I’m glad I found it when I returned home.
Photo description: nal made from a plastic straw, convention notes in the background
I know to make wool items bigger than intended because as it is worn it will naturally felt and shrink some. I thought my initial circle was oversized, but as I stitched the band contracted, so I switched my plan and added increases, and decided to gather the first rows together to form the crown. Aran wool is very lightly spun Merino, and does not have the strength to draw together and hold, so I made a length of flax cord instead. The flax won’t break and will probably outlast the wool.
Photo description: long line flax twine on the nålbound surface of the hatPhoto description: crown of the hat gathered together tightly with flax twine
I didn’t want to finish the hat with decreases, so I stitched a free length of Oslo chain, spiraled it into a rosette, and stitched down the bottom edge.
Photo description: nalbound chain spiral with a steel yarn needle in the process of a securing stitchPhoto description: finished hat, before blocking
Critters and Craft 