Testing the hook

On December 24, 2021December 22, 2021 By CarynIn Craft

Rather than send an untested tool off to my Mom, I tested my newly made S hook on a third skein of yarn. What to make? Well a hat, of course. I love making hats because they go fast and I have the pattern memorized. It took me a few goes to get the hat started; the yarn and the hook are so big, I was getting lost in the holes. I’m not quite sure I agree with the “S” size designation on the label. With a double crochet stitch, such as I use in my hats, it leaves quite large holes.

But the hat was really comfortable and a good size. What do do? Maybe a decorative stitch? Sure. I took some more yarn from the skein and did a simple chain stitch through the mesh, starting at the top and spiraling down to the brim. I needed to add a few chains to the crown as I went around, so as not to tighten the hat, but it did a great job filling in all the holes. It did however, use the rest of the skein of yarn. The resulting hat is quite floofy, but much warmer.

I did all the testing of the hook prior to finishing, in case I needed adjustments. It wows me that the hat took a whole skein of yarn. If it doesn’t work as a hat, the cats will probably love it as a bed.

Really big hook

On December 23, 2021December 22, 2021 By CarynIn Craft

I found some lush purple yarn at the store that I thought my Mom would love, but it needed an S hook. Wha…? An S size crochet hook is 19mm in diameter below the neck, which is a very large hook, not quite to broomstick handle size (which is 1 inch or 25.4 mm), but still quite sizable. Hm. A hand made crochet hook would go well with gifted yarn, yes? I selected a nice length of big leaf maple wood from my hoard and turned it on my lathe. When it was a pleasing shape, and the neck and head were the right diameter, I removed it from the lathe, trimmed the ends, and cut in the hook. I found that a wooden nål, with its tapered tip, makes a really excellent sanding block to shape the hook. I worked mostly with 120 grit sandpaper to get the shape, then refined with 220, then 320, then 400 grit.

Using a nål as a sanding block to refine the hook shape

I used acrylic paints to write the name of the wood and put the “S” designation on the end, then sealed the wood with many layers of tung oil.

Tessellated Möbius scarf

On December 21, 2021December 17, 2021 By CarynIn Craft

I made an infinity scarf with my hand spun alpaca sari silk yarn and my tessellated Möbius pattern! I meant for it to be able to slip over the shoulders, but as the pattern progressed, it tightened up considerably. If I make another I think I will add about 10-20% to the base row. After I wove in the ends, I wetted it down and laid it out to dry (blocking), which opened up and evened out the lovely hole pattern.

Scarf after blocking, laid flat, showing the interlocked hole pattern

Doll house blankets

On December 20, 2021December 17, 2021 By CarynIn Craft

When your youngest asks for a blanket for the bed in her doll house, and you decide to just use up the skein and make three.

My youngest’s doll house with two new crocheted blankets and a round rug

Most of her furniture is artfully displayed in cube shelving, and not in the doll house. And yes, the Mom and Dad dolls sleep in a box outside. I don’t know what to tell you. At least they now have a blanket. I did notice the shelf is backwards, and I’m not sure if that was her doing, or I was tired after the last room rearrangement. We’ll rearrange her room again soon, because she likes to rearrange, and we do so often. Maybe I’ll get it the right way round next time.

Spurtle

On December 18, 2021December 14, 2021 By CarynIn Craft

I’ve been combing Pinterest for ideas on things to turn on my lathe, and I came across the Scottish Spurtle. A turned rod used for stirring porridge and stews, a spurtle is special because it doesn’t gather a wad of foodstuff like the bowl of a spoon. I really liked that some of the designs mimicked the Scottish Thistle for the handle. I made this spurtle from apple wood from my Dad’s wood pile, sanded it down to 400 grit, then painted a small apple on the end of the handle (not only to mark the handle end, but to identify the wood). I finished it with many coats of tung oil, since it is a food safe finish.

Spurtle with apple painting before the finish was applied

I love the beautiful grain on this spurtle. I have to disclose that this is aged apple wood. It has sat in my garage for years, and sat in my Dad’s wood shed for years before that.

Critters and Craft

Category: Craft