Cheklov's Stuff

Oooooooooh I got an image sent to me while at work..... YES I BLACKED OUT MY ADDRESS AND STUFF AND I KNOW THAT SORT OF MAKES THE CORNER OF A CARDBOARD BOX UNEXCITING. SHUT UP. Anyway, I got home and ripped that sucker RIGHT open. Why yes, I did buy myself a blending board kit that included hand carders (which after like 30 seconds playing with them I know is going to involve a learning curve). This will be good when I eventually go completely mad and buy myself a goddamn fleece. I bought the kit available here . It seemed like the best value for everything, especially considering that shipping on even just the rubber for the board along would have been like $30-50, plus $50-60 for the rubber carding cloth ALONE. I figured I might as well go all out. This kit includes, per the listing: (1) Daisy Fiber Co. Blending Board with adjustable foot and rolag dowels (1) Flicker/Cleaner Brush (2) Blending brushes- both standard AND fine, (1) Standa...

Literally just dropping a bunch of whorl pics! The silver on the cat painting should have been a bright metallic teal-blue, but alas, apparently putting it on raw wood just turns it a patchy, unsatisfactory silvery color. Cats look much better in this light! I am surprised by how much I like the An Tir populace whorl, but the derg and the spiral are pretty meh up close. Still, I'm sure someone would like them! The Celtic one was also successful, but very flat. Green Celtic (I started making more of my favorites at this point, can you tell?) in flat, before the sides have been painted. Green is still flat, but you can see how I went in and added highlights on the red with my orange paint, since pink would have looked weird. I wish I had enough colors to do shading to give it serious dimension, but alas, I am limited by the tools I have. Green with highlights! It'a amazing how much of a difference they make! I started doing some prep and paintin...

I've been compulsively checking the shipping information since the notification dropped on the 4th. Originally, it was scheduled for the 8th - THE PAIN, THE SUFFERING - but my obsessive checking soon revealed it would be here a DAY EARLY. HELL YEAH. You don't even know how hype I've been for this. And how hard it's been to resist spoilers - I let myself see the packaging vid on the Paradise Fibers Instagram, so I know there is lilac wrapping paper, and I caught a glimpse of someone referring to "exotic fibers" before I exited the page frantically. Then I pretty much refreshed the USPS tracking page over and over. And harassed Tak at home to just make sure that it hadn't come yet. (Admittedly, I really was worried that it would get soaked because we've been alternating sun with torrential downpours and thunder today.) But the hideous temptation of this... ALL THOSE POTENTIAL SPOILERS, AUUUUUGH. I keep nearly clicking, but NO. I WILL RES...

Drop spindles! More specifically, the drop spindles that I make - usually as SCA largess in little beginning drop spindle kits, but more recently and more specifically, the drop spindle I made for Kira so she can start learning. Getting crafty up in this household! My basic supplies are 3/8" hardwood dowels and wagon wheels - I have two types, and use different ones depending on what I'm doing - one of them can have more weight added easily, though only in the center, and the other makes a better base for decoration. (*note - not actual pics, just the closest I could shlorp out of google) Take your dowel, and after making sure you don't have a shitty one - an all too common issue - you wanna pick out a wheel that is a nice snug fit. If you plan on painting your dowel and wheel later, it doesn't hurt to have it a bit loose instead. Next, you need to carve out the point and the hook. Now, it's fully reasonable to just shove a metal hanger hook ...