I have loved pom pom makers since I was a kid.

The blue pom pom makers on the left are ones that I have had since I was knee high to a grasshopper.
The red/blue/yellow ones are  new Lion Brand pom pom makers and the tan/red ones are Susan Bates.
Pom poms are a classic trim or embellishment. But!
They don’t have to just be mild mannered trims.
I often design and make wild and wonderful dolls with them:

Like this one that I made with recycled/reclaimed objects for hands/feet and head.  The head for this doll is a bamboo tea whisk.
Thumbs up for pom pom …read more

My last posting was about some spool knitters that I am very fond of.
I’ve just become acquainted with some wonderful new spool knitters:Crystalite French Knitters from Susan Bates. They’re 4 and 6 peg spool knitters and are very sturdy.
I really like them! They’re solidly made and are very nice to work with.

One of the things that is really neat is being able to see the cord while it’s still inside the spool knitter. They come with a wonderful little tool (Sylvalume Handi tool) that has a hook on one end and a point on the other.
Definitely thumbs up on these …read more

About 10 years ago, I was thrilled to bits to see a very special spool knitter on eBay. I have always loved spool knitting, but until then, hadn’t seen a spool knitter that looked like a doll.
I was so excited to see a spool knitter that was painted to look like Little Orphan Annie. I bid on her and won the auction.
Boy, was I ticked off when the seller decided that the price hadn’t gone high enough and refused to honor the auction. Humph!
I was really annoyed. But, I always figure:
Why get mad? Why not get creative?
So …read more

I bought a Crazy Daisy winder when I was a teenager, and actually used it quite a lot…. Not for making the projects that they recommend, but for making motifs for freeform crochet:

Crazy Daizy winders are really beautifully made. They are a solidly built tool that lasts for decades.
I was quite upset when I took my cherished old Crazy Daisy maker to a workshop that I was teaching, and somebody pinched it!
Luckily, my darlin’ sister in law was on the lookout and found me another one, complete with it’s vintage box:

The flowers in these pics were all made with the …read more

I am a wuss. Or is that ‘woos’?
I can’t stand the thought of writing a negative review of a tool or gadget or yarn or whatever.  I think: ‘How would the person who put all kinds of energy into creating this FEEL if I said I thought it stank?’
So…. I usually only write about things I really like. That way,  can avoid the uncomfortable feeling of ‘erg…. that’s gotta hurt….’
But, today I am going to talk about a gadget that doesn’t work for me. I figure, it’s probably older than I am, so its designer isn’t likely  to  be giving …read more