Tag: wood work

Different shuttle design

On By CarynIn Craft

The shuttle I designed for my new inkle loom wasn’t working as well as I hoped. In Adobe Illustrator I designed a new one based on a weaving stick that I found digging through my weaving tools. I used my laser cutter to engrave a ruler and decoration and cut it out of 1/8” birch plywood. I then sanded the points and bottom edge to make a bevel so it was easier to slide it through the warp shed.

Photo description: wood shuttle with yarn storage on sandpaper being used to create a bevel on the bottom edge

I finished the shuttle with butcher block conditioner and let it dry overnight.

Photo description: finished shuttle in use on my inkle loom

I think the design needs some more refining. The upper part of the circles that hold the yarn also catch on the warp threads if I’m not careful. The holes are sized the way they are so the shuttle can hang on an inkle loom post when not in use. I’m not sure that functionality is worth the irritation of catching threads.

Spinning sticks

On By CarynIn Craft

I made a dozen spinning sticks for my spinning class by cutting hardwood dowels, sanding them, then adding a small cup hook and finishing them with butcher block conditioner.

Photo description: twelve hardwood dowels cut at slightly different lengths with three different diameters, all with screw-in brass hooks and finished with butcher block conditioner

These are useful starting tools for teaching spinning wool. There is more connection for the student with the twist from turning the stick going into the fibers to lock them together and learning to control a long draw. They are also much less expensive than a purchased spindle or spinning wheel and very easy to make.

So hard to wait

On By CarynIn Craft

I applied Howard’s Feed-n-wax to my newly made inkle loom, and to the freshly designed and cut wood rigid heddle and shuttle, both marked with the dragonfly symbol I designed for the loom.

Photo description: inkle loom in pieces so the feed-n-wax can be rubbed onto all the surfaces

It was so hard to wait for the finish to dry, I really wanted to warp it up and get testing!

New inkle loom

On By CarynIn Craft

I made a new inkle loom that can make longer bands. The design is based on a picture from an Estonian band weaving book that I saw on a blog post by Durham Weaver. I used poplar 1×2 boards and 3/4” dowels, predrilled wood pipe, carriage bolt and knob, small screws, 1/8” birch plywood which I laser cut for the side, a 3/4” Forstner bit to drill the holes, gimlet to make a starting hole, coping saw to cut the channel, and sand paper. The toughest part was cutting the channel for the tension rod, my coping saw skills are rusty, and sawing along the grain is difficult.

Photo description: channel cut in a 1×2” board to accommodate a carriage bolt holding a drilled dowel

I laser cut the removable side panel first, then missed my angles during assembly by 1 degree, so had to recut the panel. To get everything to dry in the right position, I glued in the dowels, then wiggled them into place in the side panel.

Photo description: side panel friction fit onto the glued-in dowels to hold them in place while they dried, dragonfly hole shapes added for decoration
Photo description: assembled inkle loom with scrap cotton yarn tracing the warp path

Next step is to apply a finish coat to protect the wood from finger oils.

Throwback Thursday: fabric cat box

On By CarynIn Craft
Photo description: Sophie the dilute calico on a wood framed fabric covered hammock and hide box made from white and gray patterned fabric

In September 2018 I made a second furniture item for the outdoor cat Sophie. This one was much, much more popular than the insulated bench. I started by making a small frame with 2x4s, then painted it.

Photo description: upside down cat box showing the painted frame, photo taken in 2026

I used outdoor fabric with a pretty white and gray pattern and sewed a cover for the frame, with two slits on each side secured with white bias tape. This was all before I started this blog, but I did make a social media cry.

Photo description: “Running of out bobbin thread…” in type and “2” from the END!!” In handwriting, showing the bottom seam of the cover for the cat bench and an empty modern sewing bobbin and a crying emojii

To keep the cover in place I punched my own washers from aluminum blanks. I’m not sure why I couldn’t find premade washers. I probably put them somewhere safe.

Photo description: disc cutter set up to punch a hole in the center of a circular aluminum blank

I used four washers and four screws to secure the bottom edge of the cover on the non-slit sides to the wood legs. This works quite well and has held up for 8 years.