New direction

On By CarynIn Craft

The Singer 27 treadle sewing machine that I purchased for $50 and pulled put of barn where it had lived for years is going back to the original purposes for which I bought it. I just wanted the cast iron base.

After reading about treadle machines I had changed my plan and attempted a restoration, but there is just too much rust. So. Much. Rust. Cleaning and polishing teeny tiny parts is not my happy place, so the project sat for three years. I need the workspace back, so I’m going back to my original plan of restoring just the cast iron base to be a power source for different tools.

Photo description: cast iron Singer sewing machine base separated from the wood top that was rotting and painted a strange yellow

Lame sheath

On By CarynIn Craft

My lame (a blade for cutting bread) has been living inside the original cheap cardboard box for a few years now. I finally made a new leather sheath for it!

Photo description: piece of laser cut finished leather, lame (without blade), and a tape ruler
Photo description: sheath stitched up using waxed nylon cord and a baseball stitch, lame with blade attached

The lame fits inside nicely with the blade. I don’t know if I want to make a lid for the open end, it’s not like I’m cutting sourdough on the go. I really just needed something to keep it safe in the drawer.

Photo description: open end of lame sheath with lame inside

I really like my laser cutter for the ability to make precise leather bespoke items.

Capo

On By CarynIn Life Hack, music

I found out that my ukulele capo works great on my piano as a page holder.

Photo description: capo clipped onto the page shelf on a 1920s upright grand, also in the picture on the shelf below, Irish whistle, jaw harp, and ocarina

Capos are usually used on the neck of a stringed instrument to the change key for a song.

Throwback Thursday: Sophie

On By CarynIn Cats, throwback

I found the first trail cam photo of Sophie the dilute calico from January, 2018. We had just moved into the house and I set up the trail cam (a gift from my folks) to watch the wood pile past the back fence. This was before she adopted us and we took over her medical care.

Photo description: trail cam photo from January 18, 2018 with a large pile of cut post oak debris on the left and the front half of a dilute calico on the right, looking at the camera

Eight years later, and Sophie spends her nights indoors (and most of the day), and that log pile is almost completely decayed away.

Racoons

On By CarynIn Wildlife

I pulled trail cam footage and there were baby raccoons! There look to be five young ones, and that there are two mother raccoons, or there are ten babies and three mothers. Hm. I saw photos of a mom with three, a mom with two, and a mom with five. Raccoons will communally raise young, I’ve read, so I’m hoping there are only five.

Photo description: mother raccoon bottom left, five (six?) young raccoons bottom right

I did a video by recording my computer screen as I flipped through photos. The cutest one is where the kits are climbing the tree.

I noticed a pattern in the trail cam photos. When I would feed the meadow cats, within minutes a raccoon would come out and get food too. Then when I was in the coop looking for eggs, I heard a strange hiss outside the door, and sure enough, momma raccoon was getting dinner. She didn’t know I was in the coop, so I recorded video on my phone. I was probably three feet away, but she was used to chicken noise and didn’t consider the door direction a threat, so didn’t see me. I could see that she is definitely a momma with nursing young, which explains the high calorie need.