Friday, March 5, 2010

Skein spinner, kiln repair, and finally some tatting!


It has been an interesting week, chronically fatigued, moderately stressed and lonely! But today is Friday and it is sunny outside and by golly I got to do some tatting! All I wanted to do was tat all week but other stupid stuff kept getting in the way....like taking care of everything and everybody else!
This is a rough draft, obviously unblocked, but continuously tatted... and in silk too! I've been thinking of free form, unregimented tatting and this is the direction that sort of thinking took me. We shall see where this road ends but for now I am just having fun tatting again.


Here is the simple little invention that is saving my hands from world of agony.
Have you ever thought about what we hand dyers go through to get your HDT skeins so beautiful...like flossy colorful ropes of candy? Well it takes hours upon hours of twisting then multiply that by a few thousand (yes I am in the thousands of skeins made now) and it is no wonder that I have carpel tunnel + tendinitis in BOTH hands in my tender thirties.
I guess this is more of an innovation than it is an invention but this is for you my other "hand dying for the love of tatting" friends. It takes less than 1 second to do the twisting job and it is saving me so much pain. I am quite happy just thinking about it.




This is the electronics and wiring in my kiln. $400 dollars later the replacement parts arrived on my doorstep and I spent an entire day on hands and knees with charts and diagrams and cryptic instructions but at last....SUCCESS! I fixed my kiln all by my little old self...(cursing the unfairness of it all the whole time.) It was a job that should have taken no more than an hour, that is if my husband were there to lend his muscles and his undamaged hands.
The "maiden" firing took place last night and all went well so that means I am back in business ya'll!
This makes me happy and should prove for a much better coming week.
Lot's more precious metal shuttles will be showing up in the shop soon!


7 comments:

Susan said...

Things do seem better when the sun is shining..........

Glad things are on the upturn for you and you are getting some tatting done.

As to the kiln repair. While he could have done it quicker think of the pleasure you can derive by knowing you can do it too..... But then again, husbands are supposed to be the other half of us and if mine is gone then I am well aware that part of me is missing.

IsDihara said...

Wowee, you are one Jacqui of all trades! I would never have been brave enough to tackle an electrical job on a kiln. Too afraid it would explode!

You get my unending praise and respect, for the wiring, the tool-time gadget innovations, for creative artistry and all-around awesomeness.

Way to go, Super-ShuttleMaker!

Tatskool said...

Good on ya lass! You certainly show us your worth. Here's to easy twisting....and super tatting.

Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane said...

Your thread twisting tool is very clever! I wonder why I never thought of that? Oh, wait... I buy HDT; I don't dye HDT!

I'm glad you were able to get your kiln going. I'm not sure I'd have the patience, and I know I don't have the strength for something like that.

We had sunshine today, too! Wasn't it wonderful?

Valerie said...

VERY GOOD JOB DONE, Sherry! (This includes the tatting, fixing the kiln and the innovative piece of equipment for your HDTs!) Here's a . Enjoy your weekend.

Donnelly said...

Glad to hear you fixed your kiln! Sorry to hear that you are under the weather.

Krystle said...

I swear you are superwoman!