Happy Earth Day!

Today’s video is quite Earth friendly. It features an old kind of technology:

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The Nostepinne.  The whozzawhat?

Nostepinnes are basically friendly little sticks that you use to wind a ball of yarn on.

A reader sent me a note, asking about winding yarn, and saying that she didn’t have a yarn winder.

Well, I DO have a yarn winder. It’s old as the hills, as I bought it when I was 15 and had just saved up all my babysitting  and part time jobs money and bought myself a knitting machine.

The yarn winder is now somewhat fragile, and so I don’t use it very often.

Instead, I wind balls of yarn with  nostepinnes.

My husband upcycled the  nostepinne in the picture from a handrail that we had installed in his Mum’s house to make it safer for her to navigate.

When she passed on, we took the excess handrails down and cut them up and turned them on the lathe.

My bit of Mum’s house became a  much used and loved nostepinne, and I feel the touch of her hand in it still!

It’s easier to get the hang of using a nostepinne by watching someone use it.

So, I have made a video  of  ‘How to wind a ball of yarn on the nostepinne’ in honor of Earth Day - to celebrate a very simple tool that works really well!  Here’s the tutorial:

There seems to be something troublesome happening with the embedding link, so…

if the video isn’t working properly for you, please go to the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xuc11P4Wi4

Hope you had a lovely Earth Day, and have done some kind of upcycling, recycling or other form of green living and earth keeping!

The other day, we were racing off to the city, and I tore out of the house

with my potholder loom, yarn  and stuff in a project bag .

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

As we rolled down the road, I was not happy to discover that I had left my weaving hook at home. Oh rats! That would mean ~no weaving~ for me.

No no no  no no no!

Luckily, I had an extra chopstick, so I knew I would be able to carve another weaving hook by upcycling the chopstick into a weaving hook.

When we got to the grocery store, my husband loaned me his pocket knife (mine was too dull to be safe to work with) and offered to go get the groceries so I could carve the hook…. what a sweetheart!

He went and got the groceries, and I rummaged around until I found a nail file and a little rock. That gave me all the tools  I needed to carve the hook.

I had my camera with me, and snapped pics as I carved, as I knew that this would be fun to share on hankering for yarn.

By the time he had bought the groceries, I had carved the hook. I was such a happy camper! Bless his heart!

So, here you have it: How to carve a handmade weaving hook from a chopstick - a fun bit of upcycling and DIY!

AND please remember: NEVER  work with a dull knife, and DON’T EVER point the knife towards your hands, fingers, or leg when carving or whittling. Always take tiny little slivery flakes off, and work slowly and carefully, nipping of the tiniest bits possible.

It’s Bloggy giveaway carnival time again!

Here is the list of links to all my contests this week.

Feel free to enter as often as you like!  Please check back through the week, as I intend to add more prizes to the list.

1. One of a kind handmade Hedgehog Tatting Shuttle by Noreen Crone-Findlay 
2. Red 3/8″ embellishment cord with wire by Kreinik
3. Gold color 3/8″ embellishment cord with wire by Kreinik
4. Silver color 3/8 ” embellishment cord with wire by Kreinik
5. Silver color heart shape earrings
6. Gold color heart shape earrings
7. DP Tubes for storing double pointed knitting needles and crochet hooks
8. DP WIP Tubes to protect your sock or other dpn knitting while it’s ‘parked’, or to store knitting needles and crochet hooks

If you’d like to win these prizes, please click on the link, and  leave a comment ON THAT PAGE

But, NOT in the box below

and make sure you leave a valid email address. 

You can enter the contests as often as you would like.

The Contests runs from October 27 to October 31, and are open to readers in Canada and the States.

Good luck!

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright
More giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival!

THE WINNER WAS SIERRA! Congratulations, Sierra!

This was a  fun prize from Nancy’s Knit Knacks:

They designed them to hold knitting needles, but they are also great for storing crochet hooks (the link shows how I use mine)

DP Needle Tube™ - A solution for holding and protecting your valuable and delicate Double Pointed Needles.

The Contest  is now closed.

Image Source: Nancy’s Knit Knacks
Thanks everyone!

I am no longer writing hankering for yarn, so you’ll have to catch me at www.tottietalkscrafts.com

AND>>>>>>>

The WINNER IS:  # 61, Jennifer! Congratulations, Jennifer!  I’ll be sending your email on to the lovely folks at Nancy’s Knit Knacks. Hope that you’ll enjoy them!

Nancy’s Knit Knacks sponsored this splendido prize:

DP Wip Tube™ - A solution for holding and protecting your valuable and delicate Double Pointed Needles while they are still connected to your project!

I have a set (here’s where I wrote about them)  and just love them,

so I asked the kind folks at Nancy’s Knit Knacks

if they would be willing to donate a set for you to win.

And, bless their hearts, they did!

Check out their website… there are all manner of wonderful gadgets for your knitting, crochet and stitchery.
The Contest is now closed.

Image Source: Nancy’s Knit Knacks, copyright.

Thanks everyone!

I am no longer writing hankering for yarn, so you’ll have to catch me at www.tottietalkscrafts.com

Butterfly earrings
I’m in love with some new metallic threads, so I’ve tatted some butterfly earrings. But first, I tatted them in hemp cord….

Comforting crafts
What crafts do you like to do when you’re not feeling all that great?

Layers Upon Layers
Here are some of the places you can go online when dumpster-diving fails you!

Many Uses of Catalog Pages to Entertain Cats
Free kitty and human fun via junk mail.

Postcard Journal
Using postcards as journal entries

Scrap Girls Did it Again: A Fresh Look for the Refresh Collection
If you’ve never tried digital scrapbooking or card making, here’s your chance to try it and learn about it free! Read about all the freebies available at ScrapGirls.com.

Victory Garden Quilts
Discover the fascination of Victory Garden Quilts from the World War II Era

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright