Tag: music

Macrame instrument storage

On By CarynIn Craft

I started this large macrame hanging back in October of 2024. This basically qualifies as a throwback Thursday post, except that this project has been in progress suspension for over a year due to indecision. It has been hanging in a hallway and I’ve passed it daily during the last year. Many possibilities have gone through my head, and I’ve done a few knots, but a concrete plan never coalesced. I finally just wanted it done so I could organize my small instruments that have been living in a box in the closet. I decided to just knot a mesh of offset square knots on the right, similar to the two layer open side pockets on the left. As I started the net pattern, I decided that there should be different spacing between row to accommodate different sized instruments. It turned out perfect for my flutes, whistles, and recorders. I’d like to say I planned it for that, but really I was just desperate for it to be done and the knot pattern was the easiest path.

Photo description: large cotton macrame wall hanging with natural cedar rod
Photo description: same macrame hanging filled with small instruments from top to bottom, left to right: maraca, harmonicas in cases, kalimba in a case, pan flute in a case, castanets, steel tongue drum, train whistle, wood whistle, sliding wood whistle, soprano recorder, chanter, alto recorder, bamboo flute, rain stick, and on the top of the piano, a ukulele made from a laser cut kit

I’m glad the hanging is now doing its job and not sitting idle in the hallway. I would absolutely do the macrame mesh again for a different storage project, especially for long stock, such as spoons. Hm.

Happy Thanksgiving. May your projects result in satisfying completion.

Standing up

On By CarynIn Life Hack, music

I received a synthesizer from a neighbor who was cleaning out. It has a “learn” function, something my 1928 upright grand doesn’t. What it doesn’t have is a music stand. (My upright grand has an awesome music stand that can hold many piano books.) I looked up the manual online and saw that the issued music stand was just a thick wire fitted into two holes. Hm. I took an old wire hanger, snipped off the hook, and bent the rest into the right shape. I took a second hanger and made a page stop at the bottom, which does not stop the sheet music from bending and sliding out the open wire frame. Hm.

Photo description: music stand on a synthesizer made from wire hangers

To fix the open frame, I used a grocery bag to make a sheath over the wire. It works, and was a zero cost solution. A little washi tape on the channel works better than the wire to keep pages from sliding.

Photo description: wire and grocery bag music stand on a synthesizer

Sheet music is my crutch. I’m struggling with the teaching method on the synthesizer, since it only shows the note on the staff when it is played, not before.

Probably off my rocker

On By CarynIn chickens

iPod and speakers

I’ve decided to play music for my future chicks. I did for my human children, so why not? I found an old iPod shuffle, and really old speakers and they miraculously work together. I’ll have to charge the iPod every night, but that isn’t a big deal since I only want to play the music during the day. I read that some chickens seem to like classical best, so I picked out some soft instrumentals, but also some with women singing and men singing in hopes that it will acclimate them to both kinds of voices. The list is rather heavy on Loreena McKennitt and Simon and Garfunkle.

I seriously considered playing them barbershop tunes, but some of those get quite energetic. Maybe later.

Faverolle chicks are said to be easily freaked out, so maybe this will help. Or give them all little birdy heart-attacks. I guess we’ll see. I’ll keep you posted.

Maybe I will have musical chickens?