My sisters-in-law and I absolutely love going to second hand stores.

A couple of weeks ago, we were in one of our favorites, when Sis spotted this old old crocheted piece in the back of a drawer:

She held it up to me and we both fell in love with it.

She asked the lady how much it was, and the lady tossed her wrist and went,

‘Oh, phfft, it’s free…. it’s  worthless….. there’s a hole in the middle!’

Sis and I looked at each other in amazement and had to stiffle guffaws of delight and amazement.

Afterwards, I thought that this is another perfect example of how the way we interpret things colors the world!

The shop lady (bless her heart) saw it as a ruined old doily that some idiot had cut the center out of, rendering it worthless.

But Sis and I saw it as a gorgeous crocheted collar that was intriguing and deserving of  study and re-fashioning into some smashing wonderful-ness.

I hadn’t even seen the possibility of it being a table runner! So interesting!

I am looking forward to analysing the filet crochet pattern of this collar  and seeing how those perfect corners were worked.

Once again…. trash to treasure! yay!

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I just posted about the friendship bracelets that I tatted while I was in the design process for

this tatted cord:

I am really pleased with the cord. I wanted it to be simple and not too frou frou.

It’s light and really pleasant to wear.

I am going to make it up in other threads to see how it looks in other colors and textures.

I loved the process of coming up with this design, and now, I am super inspired about designing all kinds of other tatted jewelry!

Fun!

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright)

Yesterday, I posted about

making a tatting shuttle that broke.

And, so I recycled it and made it into a necklace:

And, now, I am debating about the cord for the necklace.

I know I am going to use Lion Brand Lamé in the oilslick version, but I am waffling about how I am going to make it.

I know that the Cordelia cordmaker on the left, works soooooooooooo beautifully for making square cords.

But…. since the necklace began it’s life as a tatting shuttle, it would make sense to tat the cord….

So, that’s what I have done!

Here’s the link to the finished cord: Tatted necklace

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay (c)

Yesterday, I posted about carving a Lady Hoare tatting shuttle from recycled wood.

I broke one of the tatting shuttles

sigh.

I tossed it into the sawdust bucket for burning next winter.

Tammy suggested that I reclaim it and use it as an inkle shuttle.

I like my inkle shuttles to have straight sides, so it wouldn’t work for that…. But…

I had been thinking that the Lady Hoare shuttles look like little dancing people….. so…..

I raced out to the workshop, grabbed the broken shuttle, and drilled a tiny hole.

I put a wire through it and a bead onto it (for the head) and

Voila!

I decided to burn embellishments on it:

and dip it into the varnish:

And, now, I am just delighted with it!

So, there you have it - a bit of an old desk drawer is recycled into a tatting shuttle, which is recycled into a necklace.

Recycling squared!

What have you reclaimed or recycled lately?

And…. do you have a favorite shuttle, tatting or otherwise?

Also, thank you so much for posting comments.

You inspire me! Yay for creativity!

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay

In my previous posting, I showed how I got started making the Lady Hoare tatting shuttle.

I took the bits of recycled wood back out to the workshop, and cut the 2 shuttles out on the bandsaw:

Then finished up the openings with a smaller saw:

Next, time to make some sawdust:

You can see how it’s looking more ’shuttle -y’:

Time to switch to files:

OH RATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I snapped one prong off! THIS is why I always cut out TWO!

(I didn’t waste the broken one- see what I did with it)

So, start all over and be a WHOLE lot more careful!

HURRAH! I actually finished it without breaking it!

Finishing touch time:

I burned a little interlacing heart on it.

Voila! my new tatting shuttle from an old desk drawer!

They are a monster load of work to make, so I wouldn’t be making them for sale.

Besides, people can order beautiful Lady Hoare tatting shuttles from Lacis in Oakland, CA.

(no profit in saying so, but I dearly love their shop and the people who created and run it)

I LOVE making my own tools, and especially love it when I am reclaiming the stuff I am using in making the new treasure !

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay

My husband’s dad built a desk when my husband was a wee little guy. Sadly, the desk fell apart last winter. BUT!

The desk lives on in all manner of ways!

I have made bag handles and a heap of bracelets from the bottoms of the drawers.

And, today, I made myself another ‘Lady Hoare’ (I pronounce it Lady Harr, as the other possible pronounciations are slightly ‘ahem’-ish) tatting shuttle:

The Lady Hoare style of tatting shuttle is a very old version of shuttle and I absolutely love it. It’s my favorite style of tatting shuttle.

Why? Because it allows me to load it up with a ton of thread, so I don’t have a bunch of little joining knots.

AND… I can tat with thicker yarns, including handspun when tatting with the Lady Hoare shuttle.

At first, it felt a little clumsy, but I have gotten so used to them, that it is quite speedy now.

Here’s how I make them:

First of all, I like to have a template, .so I drew out the pattern on a sticky label. I stuck it to some thin brass that my son pulled out of an old amp before it went to the eco station for recycling:

Here’s the template cut out:

I have a big old pair of scissors that I paid a dollar for at a garage sale. I use it to do things like cut templates out of brass sheet!

Then, I traced the template onto the bits of old drawer. It’s hardwood, but I don’t know what kind of wood:

I traced out 2 of them, because the fiddly bits can be notoriously unstable.

Next posting: Out to the workshop!

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay

We have a wasp problem, and don’t want to use pesticides to kill them. Well, actually, we don’t really even want to kill the rotten little beasties…. they are part of the grand plan of nature, after all. We just don’t want the little stinkers to set up shop around our house, barn, hayshed, tool shed, garage or the farm machines. Is that too much to ask? LOL!

So, I designed a pattern for a fake wasp nest to trick them into to bugging off somewhere else.

So far, the crocheted wasp nests seem to be working! The deck has been wonderfully wasp free, and Jim hasn’t seen any more of them in the tool shed or hay shed.

Our daughter, Chloë , got inspired and has designed a sewn fake wasp nest. I haven’t heard from her about how it’s working at her house, yet.  Will need an update from her on that.

Jim decided that he’s interested in the family ‘anti-wasp campaign’, so he turned a fake wasp nest on the lathe:

It’s hanging in the barn, and when I was out there, taking pics, didn’t get buzzed by a single one.  Good for the horses!

We shall see how this goes…. hopefully, the wasps will avoid us. There are some kinds of beasties that are just not a treat to hang out with.

Now, if I could just make the mosquitoes hang out somewhere else!

And, oh yes, about those spiders! eegads! there was one the size of a moose in my undie drawer yesterday!

Ah, life down on the farm…..

:o)

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright)

The Crochet Liberation Front on Ravelry awarded me their hookalicious award for kewl crochet for my earth friendly design for a crocheted market bag:

I love it that they GOT my pun: It’s a♥ GREEN ♥bag that’s all about ♥ loving the earth! ♥

I am tickled pink. When I was nominated for a Fabbie award, I made myself a trophy.

I figured that I always celebrate with a really great cuppa tea (green chai perhaps?) so why not carve myself a crochet hook with a teacup on it? Makes sense to me.

So here’s my award to me… and excuse me while I take a spin around the grungie old carpet (not red, alas) and bow to my adoring cats and dogs. After all, it isn’t every day that you get an award! (grinning from ear to ear)

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay(c) 

We’re big ‘greenies’.  We always carry our own cloth or crocheted grocery bags.

So, to celebrate Earth Day, I want to invite people to whip up some market bags to be oh so handy while they take care of the earth!

The handles are neat because they are made from recycled wire coat hangers.

Here’s the link for the pattern: Green Market Bag 

Terri’s going to be facilitating the weaving of a  Saori peace banner on Earth Day on Salt Spring.

And, people are going to be bringing something special to the Earth Day celebration on Salt Spring….

Check it out…. it’s VERY inspiring!

EARTH DAY SALT SPRING