Category: Craft

Darning egg

On By CarynIn Craft

I have an ancient (probably vintage, possible antique, not ancient, but it has been handed down a few times) darning egg with a handle that sits in the bottom of my sewing box. I am making my youngest a new set of masks since she has grown and the old ones are getting a bit snug. She likes the gaiter style, but with a frame sewn in to make it easier to breathe. I use swim material because it dries quickly, and I double layer it. This time she requested material that was “pink and blue”, she is quite fond of the rainbow mermaid fabric I obtained! Because I didn’t want rainbow sparkles against her skin, I made the lining with plain blue fabric.

Sewing the frame to the lining fabric

Here is where the darning egg comes in. Sewing the frame to the fabric is a bit tricky, but the smooth wooden tool fits nicely under the fabric and frame and makes it much easier to stitch. First I use the sewing machine with a jersey stitch to secure the top edge, then I hand sew in in the frame before machine sewing the bottom edge. I turn the mask right side out and sew the back seam.

Darning egg with handle
Shiny rainbow mermaid fabric

Random lace

On By CarynIn Craft

I saw instructions for random lace awhile ago. Loved it, wanted to try it, picked up needles and yarn to start it, then remembered how much I hated decrease stitches. Getting the needles in is tight, it is fiddly, it takes longer than a simple knit stitch, and I often drop the stitch instead of decreasing. I abandoned the project, going so far as to throw the printed version into the recycle bin.

Then I found the Prym needles (this totally sounds like an advertisement, but I am not getting kick back, I genuinely appreciate this product). The little nub on the end of the needle gives me just enough advantage to tackle the decreases with less frustration. It probably also helps that I am using a fingering weight merino wool yarn (small diameter) with larger than recommended needles (US size 8), so the stitches are not super tight and difficult to manipulate. Plus, since it is a random pattern, if it is too hard to make a decrease, I don’t! Rather than struggle and swear, I knit the stitch (or purl if I’m on the back side) and put the decrease in where it is easier.

Random lace before blocking

Now here is the magic part. When knitting random lace, the fabric is interesting, but more like crumpled paper. When it is blocked, it completely changes to a light airy organic lace!

Blocking random lace

I blocked my sample by getting it wet, squeezing out most of the water (never wringing), and pinning it to nylon netting stretched over a PVC frame. Oh how it opened up! And when it was dry, it maintained it’s shape.

Random lace after blocking

Structured lace patterns are lovely, but I always miss a stitch in the instructions (usually by getting distracted, imagine that). I can see that imperfection like a lightning bolt at night, but only after it is too far to go back (I know some will, but if I have to rip out half a project I will never pick it up again). I am pleasantly surprised that when gazing at this type of lace I see the surprise structure; the swoop here, the cluster of bubbles there; rather than seeing imperfections, I see order in the chaos.

How cool is this?!

On By CarynIn Craft
May 2023 cover of Texas Co-op Power

How awesome to open up my mailbox and be greeted by a picture of a kaleidoscope of lovely hand spun yarn?!? And it isn’t even my spinning magazine, but from the monthly electric co-op publication! (My sister gifted me with a subscription of Spin-off magazine that I LOVE, and selfishly stretch out by only reading an article or two at a time.) Bonus spinning info, hurray! Here is the link to the digital version, if you are interested. It talks about a enterprising group of spinners that co-op their own herd of sheep, goats, and alpacas. A little too far away for me, which is a bummer, but I have local sources for alpaca, buffalo down, and mohair, so I feel pretty darn lucky.

Oh, and that is Sophie doing a photobomb and looking scary. I caught her in the middle of a yawn and stretch.

Marled ripple lace scarf

On By CarynIn Craft

The lace scarf is done! It isn’t very long, but I used up all my fiber, with only a short segment remaining.

I won at yarn roulette, only a few inches of yarn left over

The total weight of the scarf is 103 grams (3.6 oz). I used two colors of pink merino roving, pre-drafted the colors together without blending, spun with a hand carved drop spindle, then made a two-ply yarn. Lace stitch was done with size 8 Prym needles (which may have just changed my feelings about knitting and especially lace knitting). I blocked and dried the scarf.

Finished merino wool lace scarf

Interestingly, the pictures of the scarf are much more striped than it appears in person.

Bad Robot

On By CarynIn Craft
Roomba ate my circular knitting needle

So would this be Roomba shaming? I couldn’t find my circular knitting needle then had the awful realization that if it fell to the floor it was probably wrapped up in robot parts. It was. The needles shattered, at least I couldn’t find evidence of them anywhere, so I assume that they were broken into tiny fragments and hoovered up. The Roomba seems to be fine, but the needle set is beyond redemption. It’s not like the robot deliberately sought out and ate my stuff, but sometimes I wonder.