For my next yarn color it was time to use Donna Bella’s fleece (a fawn colored alpaca from Alpacas of Aledo). I was not planning on blending this round, but as I was carding I noticed a distinct color difference in some of the rolags (the roll of fiber that comes off the carder). So I separated the lightest and darkest colors and will spin them separately. I’m also going to reduce the number of rolags I spin per spindle to 10 to lighten the weight when I ply the last bits. (I used 12 rolags per spindle for the dark brown and fawn blend.)
I dug out an old bias tape maker from my sewing box and put it to use making fabric ties for cloth masks. I’m honestly not sure whether this particular well-made piece came from one of my grandmothers, or from a bundle of goodies from a garage sale. There are no makers marks, and definitely no remaining packaging.
Bias tape maker
This tool makes 3/4” single fold bias tape. For garments, bias tape is cut on the … wait for it … bias. Which means at a 45 degree angle to the fabric grain. It makes a tape that is more flexible than those cut along the grain. But I am making fabric ties from scrap fabric, so I can get more by cutting with the grain. (Here is a great blog post about bias tape, if you want to know more from a quilter’s perspective.)
Bias tape maker in use
To make the ties, I fold the single fold bias tape in half to make double fold bias tape (it is nice when nomenclature makes sense). I then sew along the edge to finish the tie. I do tuck in the ends so they are neat. The mask pattern I’m using has a pocket for the ties (or elastic if you have it), which I really like because it means I can have ties that slide and can be changed out for different ties.
Awhile ago I switched to wool dryer balls in the dryer instead of dryer sheets. For the most part they work well (I do still use the sheet if I have a fuzzy blanket because the static is too much for the wool balls). I’ve been keeping the balls hanging next to the dryer in the nice cotton drawstring bag that they came in. Except getting the balls out of a drawstring bag when it is hanging is irritating. I thought about using a simple basket, but there is no where near the dryer to set a basket where it won’t fall off. It finally got to a point that the irritation was more than I could bear (honestly, it doesn’t take much right now). So I crocheted a hanging mesh bag with a wire rim so it was easy to get the balls in and out.
Coated steel wire rim with hanger
I started with coated steel wire from my wire stash. I used some variegated cotton, also from my stash (yeah, I haven’t been to a craft store in two months, <twitch>). I formed the wire into a loop with a handle, then did a single crochet around the wire to cover it. I crocheted the mesh (2 double crochet, chain 5, repeat, for those that want to know), from the top down and then decreased to close the bag. It functions! Hurray! It is also kind if fun to throw the balls at the bag to get them in.
Waiting for the outside cat to finish her dinner (she needs a guard while she eats because of Big Orange Tom), I was distracted by the honeysuckle runners reaching into the grass. So I grabbed a knife and trimmed the stems that were going out of bounds, which left me with a dozen or so long bendy pieces. The cat was still eating, so I made an attempt at a basket. I laid out six of the thicker stems as my spokes and used the other stems to twine around the spokes. When I ran out of material, I wove in the tops of the spokes. Huh. I can make a basket. There we go. The cat was long gone, at this point.
Fresh honeysuckle vine basket
It is a rough little basket, but was straightforward enough that I looked up honeysuckle basket making online for more information. It turns out the best recommended time to harvest honeysuckle vine is in the fall, and once harvested, the vines can be stored. Then the traditional method is to boil the vines to kill any bugs, assist in removing the bark, and make the vine more pliable before making a basket. So I’ll give that a try this fall.
I’ve been holding onto some empty helium tanks, determined that I can recycle or upcycle them, rather than take them somewhere for recycling. My idea was to turn them into outdoor planters. So I got out the angle grinder and fit it with a metal cutting blade, then clamped the tank into my work bench so it wouldn’t wiggle.
Cutting off the top of a helium tank
It wasn’t hard to cut the top off; it took longer to grind the edges so they weren’t vicious sharp. I did what I could with the angle grinder, then used a file. I then flipped the tanks over and drilled drain holes with a stepped drill bit. While my youngest wanted me to leave them pink, I just couldn’t do it. I used black and silver spray paint to obscure the writing.
Painted tanks
When the paint was dry I filled them with dirt and set up some extra drip line. I put onion seeds in one and watermelon seeds in the other. We’ll see if anything grows! At least they look good.
Critters and Craft 