Turtle shell

On By CarynIn Craft

When spinning on a Turkish Spindle, the ball of yarn created on the arms of the spindle is called a turtle rather than a cop as it is for other drop spindles. My theory is that the ball of yarn looks like a turtle shell, complete with four leg holes, when the spindle shaft and arms are removed. The useful part as that the turtle is a center-pull ball, and doesn’t have to be rewound before it can be used. If you were ever curious on what a ball of yarn from a Turkish spindle looks like when it has been pulled from the center, I have provided catharsis below.

Photo description: hollowed out ball of yarn from a Turkish spindle.

The over two, under one wrapping used to make the turtle provides a surprisingly stable structure when a layer is complete. In the photo above, the inside of the turtle looks woven. I didn’t press my luck and the potential collapse of the turtle shell storing it with the middle missing, rather I rewrapped it nostepinne style before tucking it in my bag. This yarn was spun from soybean fiber, then 2 plied.

Bluebonnet patch

On By CarynIn Flora, Garden

We have our own bluebonnet patch!

Photo description: grassy clearing with leafy trees in the background.

It looks like an April Fools joke, but it really is a bluebonnet patch. Here is a photo taken from another angle:

Photo description: sparse bluebonnets in a field of green, taken at a ninety degree angle from the first picture.

There are more bluebonnets in this area than last year; we’ve had a wet spring. Some of my neighbors’ yards are breathtaking with their bluebonnets. I’m hoping this patch continues to thrive and expand. We won’t mow it until late summer, when the state starts to mow its wildflower filled roadsides.

My helper

On By CarynIn Cats, Craft
Photo description: gray tabby cat laying on a bag of metallic plastic easter eggs on the bed, folded bits of paper with jokes in the foreground.

I made up slips of paper with jokes on them to stuff in easter eggs. I used the OpenDyslexic font, which is brilliantly designed to visually weight down the letters and make each shape unique. Thor the cat decided that laying on the eggs was a comfy place to watch me work and take a bat at the occasional egg.

Fabric treat bags

On By CarynIn Craft

Last year’s Easter baskets are being used for storage. I needed something to put the candy and eggs in that wasn’t going to be then thrown away or contribute to the general clutter. Fabric baskets to the rescue. I used fabric and stabilizer from my stash, and sewed on the Singer model 66 treadle machine.

Photo description: finished bag with the top folded down to make a basket, sitting on the table of the treadle sewing machine.
Step 1: 14×20 fabric with iron on interfacing on the bottom 2/3, sewn on the short end, right sides together, then the seam moved to the center.
Step 2: 2.25” squares cut from the lower corners of the fabric tube
Step 3: bottom edge sewn together
Step 4: box corners flattened out and sewn
Step 5: Steps 1-4 repeated for the lining, then the two bags put right sides together and the top sewn, leaving a gap to turn the bag right side out, then the gap sewn closed by making a seam along the top edge
Photo description: another bag with fabric with a definitive direction. To get the fold to work, the inside fabric is upside down, so the crows on the fabric stay upright when folded.
Photo description: unfolded bag, showing the full height

These bags came out quite tall, but since I didn’t put interfacing on the top third, they fold down easily. The interfacing I used did not stay fused to the fabric, and was quite papery, which would be great for a cat basket, but is slightly unwieldy for a treat bag. I recorded my steps here, but would not repeat these exact parameters. Future projects will involve experimenting with dimensions, and trying a softer interfacing, or maybe even batting and quilting. Hmm.

Hose repair

On By CarynIn Coop, Life Hack

The brass manifold I use to route water to the coop and raised bed garden started to leak. I went to unscrew a hose from the manifold and part of the manifold broke loose, lodged inside the hose. It is not the first time this has happened. The hose on the top of the manifold was also corroded and frozen in tight.

Photo description: garden hose with the end ruined by a broken off manifold junction.

This time I ordered new hose ends, solid brass with a metal band clamp. I cut off the offending ends of hose with kitchen shears so I could replace the connectors.

Photo description: heavy duty garden hose cut off above the manifold, since it wouldn’t unscrew.

Pressing the connector against the fence post helped me wedge it into the cutoff hose. The female end was a little tricky with the loose ring, but attaching the male end made it stable enough to use the same technique. It really helps if you remember to put the band clamp on before attaching the new connector. Spoken from experience. I also used silicone tape in the threads this time.

Photo description: new brass manifold with repaired hose connectors.

The whole procedure was relatively painless and quick. It was definitely better than replacing the whole hose. I even replaced both ends on the hose in the chicken coop, that never did connect well.

Photo description: new hose connectors on the hose in the coop.