Throwback Thursday: combo craft

On By CarynIn Craft, throwback

Back in December of 2014 I decided to combine crochet and jewelry making to create a light weight but bold necklace with pearlized cotton in shades of purple.

Photo description: crocheted circle necklace with hand made button clasp using four shades of purple pearlized cotton on a leather couch cushion

In 2014 I really had started to embrace taking pictures of my creations. I even took a picture of the CD case I repurposed into a guess-thwarting jewelry box.

Photo description: same purple crocheted necklace in a clear double CD case to keep it flat and give the recipient a moment of “hm?” before opening

I’m pretty sure since this is purple it went to my Mom. I’ve done more crocheted jewelry since. It is much lighter than traditional bold jewelry pieces, but does have to be laundered, starched, and laid flat to dry on occasion. I can personally tolerate a crocheted necklace for a little longer, if it isn’t too tight.

Cat shelf

On By CarynIn Cats, dog

We have had a small dog cot for a number of years. Our small dog does not care for the cot, and so it has been under the large dog cot. I thought maybe the cats would like it, but the catio does not have any room on the ground. So I made it into a hanging shelf.

Photo description: pet cot installed in a catio as a hanging cot using the side rails and a shelf bracket
Photo description: cable ties securing the cot to the shelf bracket

I should have thought of this years ago.

Thor the gray tabby still hasn’t figured out how to go back outside through the new cat door.

More worry worms

On By CarynIn Craft

I found a skein of acrylic yarn with a long color repeat in a recent stash clearing. I love making worry worms from these kinds of yarn because I get one or two or three color worms in all different combinations.

Photo description: crocheted worms of varied colors on the left and the label for the yarn on the right: Bernat Super Value Stripes

The color repeats were more exact than I expected, and I started getting the exact same colored worms, so I pulled out the other end of the skein and mixed and matched different colors together.

Photo description: red and blue crocheted worm in progress that used yarn from both ends of the skein, calico cat as backdrop

I like that these little bobbles bring people genuine amusement.

Mystery solved

On By CarynIn Cats, Uncategorized

I didn’t understand how and why the crocheted cotton coverlet on the bed was ending up wadded up in a heap. I suspected cat action, but it took a few days to catch the culprit in the act.

Photo description: 17 pound gray tabby cat sitting on a crocheted lace coverlet, looking like he’a about to start something
Photo description: gray tabby cat under a crocheted lace blanket with his tail and back paw sticking out

The cat is bored and looking for trouble. He really needs to stop being afraid of the cat flap and go out into the catio again.

Fonts

On By CarynIn art

My chorus uses a cheat sheet for performances: a piece of black poster board folded over the director’s stand with the songs we are going to sing, the key pitch, and helpful reminder words. I ran an interesting experiment with fonts, making the same set up twice, one with a standard serif font and one with OpenDyslexic font. I numbered photos and put a poll out on our members only site.

Photo description: song list with a standard serif font
Photo description: same song list with OpenDyslexic font

The chorus response was overwhelmingly for the OpenDyslexic font as the easier option for quick and easy reading. Is it a pretty font? No, but for something you need people to actually read and not get lost in, font choice is key. I do really like the bottom weighted font idea, and that the letters are all unique and can’t be flipped or mirrored to make a different letter.