When a girl needs a knitting caddy!

You know those big ole buckets that you can get with the insert in them.  The ones that you can put tools in etc.  Wow that was a great idea and yep I do have one.  Oh about a year or so ago...I looked at mine and said to myself, something like that would be great for my yarn when I'm knitting or crocheting.  Yep it did take me this long to finally make it but I've been storing it in my head all this time. 
While this one doesn't use a bucket (no buckets were harmed or even touched) it does stand up nicely and has a place for all my knitting needles or crochet needles and a boat load of yarn and to top it off my working yarn can be threaded though a grommet for a perfectly smooth draw on my yarn.  
So yes, finally I made the thing I new would be perfect for knitters and crocheters alike :)

It's 8" round x 11.5 inches tall and the top folds down out of the way and folds back up to take along with you.  :) 

Pattern wave type shuttles engraved

Had to show off my new 24" pattern wave type shuttles....  Aren't they so sweet.  :)  I'm looking for more designs to fit this long area, that is always the hard part when trying to place designs and have them look pleasing.  :)   I think these look great, I hope you do too :).

New Band Loom Boat shuttles

So when you hate a rug shuttle more than most anything else....and you really need super thing shuttles for tape and band weaving....  What better thing to create right!  Oh yeah this is a mere 1/4" thick and yep it works and it works well....  sure the middle bar is scary at first, not knowing how much you can push on it to get your "smoothie" straw bobbin into it....Well I've found I can move it 1/8" or a little more without a problem and since I wouldn't over load it with yarn anyway (so it stay slim) it's just perfect!!!  So here she is.

Delightfully Chocolate Cupcakes

Delightfully Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ Cup plus 1 tblsp extra fine sugar
½ cup Dutch process dark cocoa powder (Guittard)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
1/3 cup Expresso or dark roasted coffee
3 tblsp vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 room temperature egg
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 12 standard cupcake tins with paper liners.
1.  In large bowl sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl combine the buttermilk, expresso, oil, egg and vanilla.
3.  Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Fill cupcake cups 2/3 the way full.
5.  Bake until wooden pick inserted into the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes.

Chocolate Swiss Butter Cream

Delightfully Chocolate Swiss Buttercream

Enough for 2 9” layer cakes of 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients
10 large, fresh egg whites
2-1/2 cups sugar
10 oz. Chocolate Melted (choose the best you can afford I like Callebaut)
3 cups unsalted butter, cut into cubes and room temperature or cool
1 tablespoon expresso or instant coffee

pinch of salt
Instructions
Wipe the bowl of your electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 140°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch, about 8 minutes or so.  Once the bowl is cool you can start adding butter or room temperature to the touch.
Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture it might curdle but keep mixing and it will come back to smooth. If your mixture gets too runny, just refrigerate for about 15 minutes and then continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add coffee and the salt to the melted chocolate and add a little at a time to your bowl continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.

You can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks.  Place on counter overnight to thaw, and rewhip for 5 minutes with paddle attachment in an electric mixer.

Grinch serving platter

My son adores the Grinch, each year when he's given a project for Christmas he just has to find a way to put the Grinch into it somehow, and oh yes, he always asks his mother for help...(he loves me :)  )
I'm always so busy with my day to day orders that I don't get a chance to do much for him but I always find time for his projects!  So I decided to make him something special this year.  So I made him a divided platter and what else would I use as the inspiration...of course the Grinch!

Recreating the past, an early 19th century treadle loom.

I seen one of these years ago and have always said I'd make one someday...well the last few weeks was that someday.  She's not complete yet and the next one will be slightly different (I had to learn as I went as there is no pattern!). 
I will finish her next weekend I hope (I never know my schedule or work load)  but for now here are some fun pictures. 

 And here is how it went :)   

Rigid Paddle Heddles

I've been meaning to make a few of these up but have been so busy that it just slipped my mind.  Then I seen someone weaving on one and it came to me :)  So when I was making orders today I made these.  I chose a dragonfly design to put on these.  So sweet!  They are a hearty 18.5 inches long and 6.25" wide.  Perfect size for weaving I think. 
Here they are...oh and some of my sami shuttles in some new species of wood too :)

The curvy pattern boat shuttle

So, it's been the better part of a year and a half that weavers have asked me to make a long stick shuttle that had a thin curvy edge.  It seems their grand mothers had one and also were seen using hay saws to achieve a curvy design in their tapestry/art weaving.  So a couple weeks ago two people ask for this same tool.  Seems they are super hard to find the antique ones floating around. 

Well the last request finally got me to finish designing the one I've been procrastinating making for some time now.  See there is only one me, and until they find a pill or another me there is just so many hours in a day.  :)

The pattern stick shuttle, a more traditional pattern tool and then one never seen before :) now, and that is my pattern boat shuttle.  The pattern boat shuttle comes in two different options.  A gentle curve (probably more of what general weavers will want) and a more severe curve (more for tapestry and art weavers).  The pattern boat shuttle is 22" long and uses a 6" paper quill, the pattern stick shuttle is 19.25" long but comes in more wood species options.

I'm thinking of including new patterns for both of these, but that depends on how well these do and the demand.  These take a great deal of sanding...YIKES  nearly sanded a finger or two off just today! :)

Okay I'll not bore you with more words to read when pictures are more pleasing :)

The pattern boat shuttle -  22" Long x 1/2" thick and comes in Mahogany, Maple, and Cherry

And the more traditional pattern stick shuttle -  19.25" long x .25" Thick and is available in Purpleheart, Yellowheart, Mahogany, Cherry, Maple, and Zebrawood.