Dryer ball bag

On May 13, 2020May 9, 2020 By CarynIn Craft

Awhile ago I switched to wool dryer balls in the dryer instead of dryer sheets. For the most part they work well (I do still use the sheet if I have a fuzzy blanket because the static is too much for the wool balls). I’ve been keeping the balls hanging next to the dryer in the nice cotton drawstring bag that they came in. Except getting the balls out of a drawstring bag when it is hanging is irritating. I thought about using a simple basket, but there is no where near the dryer to set a basket where it won’t fall off. It finally got to a point that the irritation was more than I could bear (honestly, it doesn’t take much right now). So I crocheted a hanging mesh bag with a wire rim so it was easy to get the balls in and out.

I started with coated steel wire from my wire stash. I used some variegated cotton, also from my stash (yeah, I haven’t been to a craft store in two months, <twitch>). I formed the wire into a loop with a handle, then did a single crochet around the wire to cover it. I crocheted the mesh (2 double crochet, chain 5, repeat, for those that want to know), from the top down and then decreased to close the bag. It functions! Hurray! It is also kind if fun to throw the balls at the bag to get them in.

Rain gauge guardian

On May 12, 2020May 11, 2020 By CarynIn Wildlife

I think this cute chubby tree frog is guarding the rain gauge. Ot maybe making commentary on the lack of water. Or maybe mistook the stand for a tree. Anyway, he makes an adorable guardian.

Impromptu basket

On May 11, 2020March 16, 2022 By CarynIn Craft, Garden

Waiting for the outside cat to finish her dinner (she needs a guard while she eats because of Big Orange Tom), I was distracted by the honeysuckle runners reaching into the grass. So I grabbed a knife and trimmed the stems that were going out of bounds, which left me with a dozen or so long bendy pieces. The cat was still eating, so I made an attempt at a basket. I laid out six of the thicker stems as my spokes and used the other stems to twine around the spokes. When I ran out of material, I wove in the tops of the spokes. Huh. I can make a basket. There we go. The cat was long gone, at this point.

It is a rough little basket, but was straightforward enough that I looked up honeysuckle basket making online for more information. It turns out the best recommended time to harvest honeysuckle vine is in the fall, and once harvested, the vines can be stored. Then the traditional method is to boil the vines to kill any bugs, assist in removing the bark, and make the vine more pliable before making a basket. So I’ll give that a try this fall.

Happy Mother’s Day!

On May 10, 2020 By CarynIn Garden

To all who mother. Here is my mother’s day gift: a strawberry pot with strawberry plants! I picked it up early, but the plants seem to be happy next to the cucumber jar, which is an old glass tea jar. The tea jar has a hole where the spigot used to be, so drains well. Time will tell if the cucumbers like it. There is more sunlight here than in the previous location. The water comes from my rain barrel, which was my gift last year. Yay growing things.

Upcycled helium tanks

On May 9, 2020May 5, 2020 By CarynIn Craft, Garden

I’ve been holding onto some empty helium tanks, determined that I can recycle or upcycle them, rather than take them somewhere for recycling. My idea was to turn them into outdoor planters. So I got out the angle grinder and fit it with a metal cutting blade, then clamped the tank into my work bench so it wouldn’t wiggle.

It wasn’t hard to cut the top off; it took longer to grind the edges so they weren’t vicious sharp. I did what I could with the angle grinder, then used a file. I then flipped the tanks over and drilled drain holes with a stepped drill bit. While my youngest wanted me to leave them pink, I just couldn’t do it. I used black and silver spray paint to obscure the writing.

When the paint was dry I filled them with dirt and set up some extra drip line. I put onion seeds in one and watermelon seeds in the other. We’ll see if anything grows! At least they look good.