Hand sewn button hole

On August 25, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

I have hand sewn my first button hole. I bought a linen skirt to be a petticoat for my 1800s outfit for spinning demonstrations, and it was a bit big in the waist. One side of the waistband had elastic, but the other had a plain waistband. A machine sewn button hole would go through both layers of fabric and be useless, so I hand sewed the edges of the button hole with a satin stitch in just the inside layer of fabric.

Photo description: white linen waistband folded to make sewing the satin stitch in a straight lone easier. Needle in place, cat on lap.

Photo description: sewing on the button hole complete, a little wonky, but serviceable. Cat still there.

Photo description: seam ripper used to cut the threads between the lines of button hole stitching. Cat hasn’t moved.

Photo description: button hole elastic run through the newly accessible waistband and secured with a small white button. Calico cat is still on my lap. She was glad for the nap time, but unhappy that I wouldn’t let her lay on the linen.

The elastic is not historically accurate, and certainly not the button hole elastic, but I’m not doing reenactments, I’m doing spinning demonstrations and purchased look-a-likes are acceptable at this venue. I’m hoping the linen does its job keeping me cooler.

Spin walks

On August 24, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

School is back in session, so I’ve started up my spin walks again. Really it is a matter of the temperature coming down and walks being pleasant in the morning, instead of a hot sticky mess.

Photo description: spinning Southdown wool on a 3D printed Turkish style spindle while walking a city park

I found two drop spindle projects in progress when I went to pick up my spindle. Hm. I decided to start with the Southdown, because this little Turkish style spindle is one of my favorites. If I drop it, the rubberized arms bounce, and the yarn is protected from contact with the ground due to the jacks like shape of the arms and shaft.

Throwback Thursday: Amigurumi Mushrooms

On August 21, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

In April of 2015 I was making crocheted mushrooms. They are cute little things, and can be made using yarn scraps.

Photo description: four crocheted mushrooms with a size F (3.75mm) crochet hook

I added some embroidered elements with more scrap yarn. I like the french knots most. The caps of the mushrooms are removable. They stand up better if something small and heavy is placed inside the stem.

Photo description: same four crocheted mushrooms with. The caps removed

These mushrooms use standard amigurumi stitches, basically a single crochet stitch with increases and decreases for shaping and done with a much smaller hook than recommended for the yarn.

Snarl

On August 20, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

I am twining flax to make a loop and twist string bag. My source fiber was a strict of hackled flax: a bundle of long flax fibers. I should have spread the bundle out to make it easier to select a few fibers and pull them free without creating an unholy snarled mess. I’m learning.

Photo description: double handful of tangled flax fibers

To recover what I could, I combed the tangle with my wool combs (I don’t have a hackle, yet.) This exposed the untangled fibers so I draw them from the comb and keep twining.

Photo description: flax fibers combed with wool combs

I found another bundle of flax in my fiber stash, and am going to continue making my bag bigger, but will be more careful pulling the long line flax from the next strict.

Great wheel

On August 19, 2025August 16, 2025 By CarynIn Craft

Y’all, I get to demonstrate spinning on a great wheel, also known as a walking wheel, in October. I recently took a drive out to meet the wheel and see if I could spin with her. We are compatible. I took some Teeswater wool roving to give her a spin, and she has been kept in good working order. There is a little slip in her drive band, but I have permission from the museum to use beeswax if necessary. She has an accelerator head, so was probably used mostly to spin cotton, especially since they were growing cotton in that area in the 1800s. I will take two kinds of local grown cotton sliver to spin in the demonstration. I’m so excited.

Photo description: close up of the spindle head showing the cotton drive bands, accelerator head, and spindle with 15 minutes worth of spun Teeswater wool, and a cork on the spindle tip for safety

The wheel is potentially 200 years old, or at least approaching her 200th birthday. It is a humbling experience and an honor to spin with her.

Critters and Craft

Category: Craft