Thanks for the info on oregano, I had not heard of using honey before.
Shame, of it is, I do not know anyone with a plant.
She has several “Hmmm I want to remember that” tricks posts here.
http://affectioknit.blogspot.com/search/label/Tutorial
[Photos, several projects, same page]
How to Make Your Own Aquarium Filter
Last night (we usually do this on Sunday evening but we’re a day behind) we were changing the water and filters in the aquariums - One Tropical - One Betta and One Frogarium - and I got the last ready made filter out of the box. Hmmm - I thought - frugal/conserving me - I can make a reusable filter...
So I quickly knitted a little square of the roughest acrylic in my stash (leftover from Nanny’s afghan - I’ll post about that later) and seamed up the long side and one end...
Then I filled it about 1/2 way full of Activated Charcoal...
I intended to sew the end shut or put a drawstring on it - Then I thought of a better design - it seemed to me that it would be better to hold it open and let the water flow through the bag instead of over it - so I needed something to hold the bag open...
...and right there in front of me was the ring on the top of the water jug...
...so I popped that off and slipped it into the opening...
Posted by affectioknit2
And a granny trick, that all of you may know.
When you want to copy something like the above post and it gives you fits, go to the bottom and start the highlighting from the bottom and most of the time it is smooth copying.
granny
Make Your Own Bamboo Knitting Needles
...from skewers...
As I was wandering around the grocery store the other day - I spied these bamboo skewers - they were thicker than your average skewer - and I immediately thought - that looks like a knitting needle - that’s just the way my mind works...
So I bought the pack of skewers - 50 for $1.
When I got home I ‘checked the gauge’ of the skewers - hehe - that sounds so funny to me - anyway they ranged from 5 to 6 - I wanted size 4 - they needed to be sanded anyway...
...first I sharpened the blunt end with a pencil sharpener - then I sanded away - I started with 80 grit and worked my way up to 120 - which was the finest I had...
...and voila - size 4 dpn’s - for probably less than a dime...
I oiled the needles lightly with some safflower oil - they are so pretty and natural looking - I’m amazed that I didn’t think to do this earlier - you know they make a smaller sized skewer too...
...and of course I couldn’t wait to cast on...
I’m going to write up a pattern for these worsted weight socks - Cass inspired me with hers http://shutupimcounting.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/wick-sock-yarn-wear-review/ ages ago - I’m just now getting around to making them.
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag, tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag...
Don’t you just love Mary Poppins - she’s sort of like my idol...
We had a free Wednesday afternoon - no Confirmation (the banquet is next week and Pentecost Sunday - also Confirmation Sunday here - is Mother’s Day this year - thanks to the early Easter) and no LYO - so the Man-Cub and I had time for a little craftiness...
This was a quick and easy craft - very satisfying - and the birds are starting to return and there’s very little for them to eat - everything is still so brown and cold...
We gathered up our supplies which consists of a little wooden blank shape - you can get these at Stuff-Mart for just a few cents - a paper brad - a paper cup - permanent markers and some bird seed.
Drill a small hole in one end of the wooden shape.
Push the brad through the center of the bottom of the cup.
When the decoration is finished, you’ll push this through the hole in the wooden shape and spread out the ends to hold it tight - sorry I didn’t take a picture of that part.
I don’t know why the Man-Cub’s snow man is brown...
Attach your little cup full of seeds...
and set is outside to feed the birds...
LOL, better would be a long board, with several tuna fish type cans, screw or nail to the board, flat and tied to a porch railing or nail in the side of the can and hang it from a tree, or the overhang of the house or even attached to the fence or clothes line pole.......fancy if you wish to make it so, or plain as it comes.
For honest feeding of birds, I would not want to use a lot of paint and expose them to the lead and chemicals in paint.
granny
Puzzle Mat
As you probably already know - the Man-Cub and I love to work puzzles. We had a black roll up mat with a blow-up tube on the end - but somehow the tube got popped and it was covered with flocking so it was impossible to patch. So, I made us a new and improved model. This one is as big as our kitchen table and it’s a light color which I prefer to the black.
It was easy-peasy - I took a tube out of a roll of Christmas wrapping paper and sewed one seam to fit it.
Here’s a sketch of the pattern.
The flaps fold over the edge of the table while we’re working...
And then fold up over the puzzle when we want to put it away...
Then you just roll it up and put it away - no pieces get lost - you do have to do some minor straightening when you roll it back out - but the more of the puzzle you get done the less you have to do this as it all holds together better then...
This is a super difficult puzzle of penguins - pretty much all black and white - fun, fun, fun...
Posted by affectioknit2
Dish Towel Transfer
This is how I transfer an image to a dish towel for embroidery...
all I need is a sunny window...
I draw my picture (or copy one of the Man-Cub’s) and then tape that to the window and then tape my dish towel over it and trace - just with a regualr pencil - it washes out - and then I’m ready to embroider - I can’t show you any completed ones yet - they’re for Christmas - of course...
You can see some of the Man-Cub’s work here - http://affectioknit.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-may-have-new-addiction-um-er-i-mean.html
If you’re looking for the Advent Dove Giveaway - go here and leave a comment http://affectioknit.blogspot.com/2008/11/advent-giveway.html
Posted by affectioknit2
Several good sewing ideas, but I like this and the photos of good and useful quilts:
http://affectioknit.blogspot.com/search/label/Sewing
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Quilts are on their way...
The Quilts were blessed on Sunday and packed up for delivery to Lutheran World Relief - here are mine in the sanctuary with the other quilts ready to be blessed...
And the plans/instructions for making a hat that would work to keep the sun off you.
[Photos and several patterns on this page, including a Union suit made for her dog, to wear in the -40 degree weather, with made into it booties.
granny]
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Pseudo Felted Slippers
There may be vegan fibers suitable for felting - check out this amazing site - Liora Manne but I figure that since felting shrinks the wool - I could approximate it by knitting very tightly...
You’ll need to knit a fairly square square - mine is 45 stitches by 65 rows on size 4 needles with two strands of worsted - just knit until your square measures about 1 inch longer than your foot...
The yarn is from my stash and I’m pretty sure the blue is Caron Simply Soft but I have no idea what the brown is...
I want the (slightly more interesting) purl side to the outside so fold the square into a triangle and seam up the bottom and about 3 to 4 inches up the back...
Turn them inside out and turn the tops down - now they look like some pointy little elfine booties - eh?
Thread a craft needle with about 12 inches of yarn and tack the little pointy toe back to the top of the booty - tie tightly and leave the thread there - we’ll use it in a minute to attach the pompoms...
Wrap a couple of feet of yarn around a 1 inch piece of cardboard a few times and then pull the thread from the toe through the bottom of the wraps and tie tightly - then snip through the tops of the wraps and voila - you have a pompom...
Snip the ends of the toe thread that you tied the pompom with to match the length of the pompom...
Put your feet up and enjoy your cozy toes...
These are the same booties that I made for the Man-Cub last Christmas Triangle Booties- see it only takes me a year to get the pattern to ya’...
Posted by affectioknit
Even I could take a square and make this shoe, It would be a good one for pieces of my old wool army blanket, except that I won’t cut it up, doubled, it makes a warm lap robe and I like it better for keeping the cold out, than my fancy crocheted afghans.
An old wool coat from Goodwill, should give several pairs of warm house slippers.
P.S. several neat knitting patterns on this page.
granny
I first read of using honey as a root stimulater when I was having low success rates with rooting lemon verbena. One source said use honey instead of a commercial preparation. I tried it and it worked. Now I use honey when the store-bought doesn't work well.