New year brings new weaving tools.

I said to myself that I have enough tools that keep me more than busy to say the least but who can resist the design process.  With this cold weather I've been sewing (I'll show you soon) and designing new weaving tools.  Customers often ask me for different weaving tools and I do keep those requests in the back of my mind for a time when there is more time... <<<more time are you kidding me :).  Anyway, I'll not bore you with my musings and I'll get right on to showing you so super cute stuff :)

My thinnest band boat shuttle yet, a mere 1/4"

Lucets for the I-Cord makers

And who doesn't need the cutest warp separators there are!!!???

A warp separator is used to isolate broken warp threads or to fix warping issues such as missing or incorrect threading.

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.