Gulliver Hook- Thumbelina and the Avocado Pit doll head
November 25, 2007 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under crochet
My friend Gwen wrote a neat article for Pieceworks magazine. She talks about her family history of collecting crochet, as well as her passion for wonderful hooks. She shared a photo of a crochet hook that I made for her several years ago.
This inspired me… I’ve had a handful of hooks carved up to a rough state, but they have been languishing in the studio as I have been scrambling to keep up with deadlines and other design work.
BUT…. Gwen’s article AND carving the Avocado pit doll head
made me want to get carving the hooks again.
Soooooooooo……….
I got out my knives and one of the rough hooks….
See how the avocado pit is starting to look like wood? Isn’t that cool? I’ve started sanding it, so it’s looking quite good….
Anyhow, I started carving ………..
and sanding and filing and carving and sanding and filing and
eventually, was quite pleased with it.
I crocheted a hat for her, glued it to her head, and have varnished it and the wrapped yarn. Her face is smaller than my fingernail, so I call her, ‘Thumbelina’.
By the way, I carved her from the wood from an apple tree that died in our yard 2 winters ago. It’s lovely wood.
I’ve cut out some more blanks…. hmmm… I wonder who they’ll become?
And the Avocado pit doll head? She’s DEFINITELY a friend of Tottie Tomato’s, and I have been planning her spool knitted body….
more to follow!
hugs all round
Noreen
Beautiful, now you have me thinking, I just trimmed a whole bunch of large branches from two apple trees in my back yard! Now I have to go out there and reclaim some of that wood!
It’s important to let the wood season for a couple of years, Grace. It needs to dry out and ’settle down’ for a year or two before you do too much carving with it. If you varnish the ends, it’ll help minimize checking and splitting. Have fun!
It’s lovely to be able to work with wood from our own trees. I was really sad when the apple tree died, so I am happy to be able to bring it to life again!
hugs
Noreen