Replies

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