Category: Craft

Spinning cinnamon rolls

On By CarynIn Craft

Spinning and cinnamon rolls are two of my favorite things. When I saw a yarn preparation at my local spinning store (we have one now! Squee!) called “Cinnamon Rolags” by The Fiber Bakery by Anniewhere, I had to buy some. This particular preparation has a blend of Merino Wool, Bluefaced Leicester (BFL), Alpaca, Tussah Silk, and Finn Wool. I haven’t spun Finn wool before, so am totally going to count this spin for ticking that box.

Drop spindle with spun and unspun Cinnamon Rolags

The spindle is one I designed and had 3D printed locally by X of All Trades. I’m getting larger ones made, but I wanted to start spinning. I like the rolled rolag prep. The roll fits comfortably in my hand so I don’t need a distaff or other fiber management device. The blend spins up well too; it drafts evenly, has no nebbs or tangled bits, and the spun single has a nice halo on it.

Tri-fold card

On By CarynIn Craft

I enjoy using my Cricut cutter to design cards. This one is for a fellow singer who is getting married this year. I particularly like the trifold and how nice it looks in the standing position.

Tri-fold Wedding card

Last length of yarn

On By CarynIn Craft, Life Hack

A good way to neaten up the last bit of yarn from a project is to take the label, roll it up, and wrap the yarn nostepinne style around the label. Then the information stays with the yarn bit, and the yarn stays neat in your stash. I’ve mentioned this before, but it came up again in my life, and I discovered if the label is small, wrapping it around a pen gives a temporary handle, and makes winding yarn easier.

Yarn label, wrapped on a pen, then the start of the yarn wrap
Neat ball of leftover yarn

Here is the video I did on nostepinne style wrapping a year ago.

Taming static

On By CarynIn Craft

I’m getting back to my alpaca combing and spinning project, but last time I delved in it was summer and relatively humid. In the depths of winter there is far less moisture in the air and the static build up during combing was driving me up a wall. Luckily, Spin Off magazine has an article on this very problem, with first hand recommendations from many long-time spinners. The majority just use a spritz of water to calm with electrical surge. Hm. I dug out another glasses cleaning spray bottle (I do seem to have an unending supply of these), and filled it with water. It works wonders. The mist is very fine, so it doesn’t take much, and the fibers are happy and free rather than a staticky mess.

Taming combing static with a mist of water

How I find my needles

On By CarynIn Craft, Life Hack

I do have a sewing basket. Inside that sewing basket are a couple pin cushions. Is that where I store my needles? No, it is all the way in the other room most of the time. I do have a cloth divider in my side table, and the needles go well there, and are at hand when I need them.

Needles stuck in a liner for my side table pocket