Worry worm

On By CarynIn Craft

Here is a cute project for yarn scraps: worry worms. This is my first worry worm, but if you plug in “crochet worry worm” into your preferred search engine, you’ll get a whole host of the springy creatures in many interpretations.

Photo description: pink crocheted worry worm with sewn on googly eyes, two black dogs in the background

The crocheted spiral has been around. It was very popular in the 70s especially. It is dead easy: chain 30 then do three stitches in each chain. It coils up on its own. For this worry worm I used single crochet for the body, then did 12 double crochets in the same stitch to make the head. I’m not sure I care for the flat head look, I’ll try something different next time.

The worry worms have a super power, they can listen without judgement. The idea is that here is a little pal that you can tell all your worries, and not worry about it going farther. Many crafters put a little poem on the card with the worry worm and put them for people to find or give them away.

It is a philanthropic use of yarn scraps, and the googly eyes cinch it. They make a nice fidget too.

I wonder how many I can make before the election results.

Monarch migration

On By CarynIn Wildlife

The Monarchs are migrating through Texas. Our Gregg’s mist flower in the front flower bed usually just has Queen butterflies, which look similar to Monarch butterflies. I’ve been spotting more actual Monarchs landing on the purple flower puffs in recent days.

Photo description: Monarch butterfly on a light purple fuzzy bloom of a Gregg’s mist flower (identity confirmed on iNaturalist)

A Texas native, Gregg’s mist flower is a butterfly magnet. When the weather is warm in spring and fall, we have had over a dozen butterflies rise up off the flowers as we walk past. Better than a butterfly pavilion!

Throwback Thursday: Halloween

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

Going back to a pumpkin contest in 2016, here is my hand crafted pumpkin cover of Mama Bear of the Berenstain bears.

Photo description: crocheted bear head with latch hooked “fur”, half ping pong ball eyes, black pom pom nose, and blue mop hat sewn from an old t-shirt hand painted with polka dots

It probably really isn’t in the spirit of pumpkin carving, but at the time we lived in such a humid environment that pumpkins started rotting on day 1. The library would host an uncarved pumpkin contest (paint and glued decorations only) to avoid the rot. I rather like the crocheted cover, it is reusable.

Happy Halloween.

Macrame storage part 1

On By CarynIn Craft

Using offset square knots I made a pouch beneath the macrame design I did earlier to hold a tongue drum.

Photo description: green tongue drum hanging in a macrame pouch and gathered tassel with unknotted cotton cord on the sides

The idea is to create more storage for small musical instruments on either side. Knotting continues.

Suspicious cat

On By CarynIn Cats

I put American Bison wool insoles from the Buffalo Wool Company in my shoes to help give them some cushion, and I knew I would need to keep them up and away from the cat. Thor the cat loves natural wool, and he loves my shoes, so I was taking a large gamble combining the two. For a couple weeks I was very good about keeping the shoes up on the shoe rack, then I was reminded why when I set my shoes on my chair before my morning walk and came back to a suspiciously happy cat cuddled in next to the shoes.

Photo description: black Vionic walking shoes with American Bison wool insoles sitting in a leather arm chair with a gray tabby, eyes closed, cuddled next to the shoes

The insoles remain unmolested, but I must be vigilant.