Going on a bear hunt

On April 6, 2020 By CarynIn Craft

I’ve seen great posts about people putting out bears, so kids walking the neighborhood can go on a bear hunt while social distancing. What a neat idea! We have some scrap corrugated metal, so I thought I would try a cut out bear (that would stand up to the elements).

First, this stuff is sharp. If you do try this, wear gloves. Thick ones. Preferably leather. I used metal shears to cut the shape and made the bear as big as possible to make cutting easier. After I cut, I hand sanded the edges and removed as many sharp bits as I could. This is definitely something better seen than touched! I painted the back with black spray paint, but I kind of liked the look of the shiny wavy metal, so left the other side as is.

Although my family all identified the shape as a bear, I feel it looks a little bear/hog cross. Maybe the kids in the neighborhood can go on a guess-the-creature hunt.

Next blend

On March 31, 2020 By CarynIn Craft

Carded rolags made with Aimee and Donabella’s fleece (alpaca)

I’ve moved on to my next color blend: fawn mixed with dark brown. I loaded the fawn color on my carder first, then added the dark brown so the fawn wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the brown. This worked much better. When all the rolags were prepared (I used a large box to hold them this time), I sorted them by shade in three groups. The idea is that if I spin each group, then ply them together, I will still get a gradual color fade in the final yarn. We’ll see.

Folding the sorted rolags in dish towels

To keep my colors sorted, I gently folded each group in a dish towel so they stay neat and in order. There is still a fair amount of vegetative matter (VM) in the fiber, even after carding, but I have found that when I spin it is easy to remove most of it by plucking the yarn before I wrap it on the spindle. Some stubborn bits needs to be pulled out, but it is easy to feel and see where they are in the twist.

You would think that with the pandemic I would have more time to spin, but the opposite has been true. The time is being well spent: I’m baking with the kids, we are painting rocks and doing art, playing games, learning states and capitals, reading, and are starting into home schooling. All good things, just different from pre-pandemic. I think being flexible and able to roll with changes is important and I hope I‘m instilling that in my children. “Make hay while the sun shines.”

Rock painting

On March 30, 2020 By CarynIn Craft

Here is a nice social distancing but still connecting activity: rock painting. The idea is that you paint a rock and leave it for others to find, in hopes that it brightens their day. The finder can keep the rock or hide it for someone else to find. There are groups all over participating, but if you don’t have one in your area, The Kindess Rocks Project has tips and instructions.

We paint in flurries. I’ll wash a bunch of rocks (I usually buy a bag of decorative rock at the hardware store), let them dry, and my eldest and I will paint one or two, and my youngest will paint 10. I’ll then go back and on the rocks that she painted a near solid color, I’ll add some inspirational (hopefully) words. Doing our part to reach out, but not touch anyone!

Rocks painted with acrylic, one on right sealed with Helmsman Spar Urethane

I like painting eyes on rocks, especially using the color of the rock as the skin tone. I’m not sure why I seem to only paint left eyes. Default setting maybe. Hmm. Maybe as the social distancing continues I will use my time to paint more right eyes.

Spindle shafts

On March 28, 2020March 24, 2020 By CarynIn Craft

I had a bit of a panic when I went to spin my alpaca fleece. I wanted to spin as consistently as I could, so I thought having similar spindles would make it so my singles were more consistent. My current favorite top whorl drop spindle is one that I made from a branch from our back woods (maybe post oak? Or cedar elm), but making three or four similar weight whorls from branch wood takes high skill and time, neither of which I have currently. (Home schooling is going OK, and spinning is something I can do inside while the kids are playing, and put down at a moments notice.) I had an epiphany. I don’t need four spindles, I just need four shafts! The whorl I made can be removed from the shaft and put on a different one. Much easier and faster!

Three shafts filled with spin singles, and a fourth with the whorl, ready to ply

I am looking for the best method (for me) to hold the shafts while I ply. I saw a box with slanted slits, and decided to try it first in cardboard. I don’t like it much. The angle the yarn comes off the box has to be just right and the shafts are squirrelly as I ply. I’ll have to try a different method next time!

Izzy was very interested in the spinning shafts (this is the wrong yarn angle, by the way)

I did manage to ply the singles (Aimee’s fleece, washed, carded), but my ply wasn’t as good. I think I don’t have enough twist. I did a fair job of evenly dividing the fiber, and when one of the three ran out, I chained plied the rest (there wasn’t much) onto the end of the three ply yarn.

After plying I did put the yarn on my PVC niddy noddy and wet it down. I made about 54 yards of three ply yarn.

Roman Olive Roux Spoon

On March 23, 2020March 20, 2020 By CarynIn Craft

I have been saving a bit of my special Roman Olive wood to make something special for my sister who loves Italy. Not a regular spoon, not a spatula, how about a roux spoon? With a taster spoon on the handle? Ok!