Tag: Self-made Tools

Hiragimi

Hiragimi

Links of entry

Once I found a tutorial on Hiragimi braid, but not only can’t I find it back, while googling for ‘Hiragimi’ I dind’t find anything.
Strange!
But at the tutorial the diagrams weren’t so good, so I sketched the diagrams again for myself.
And so you can download them now from here ;-))

Hiragimi braid is similar to Kumihimo braid, but the braid won’t be round but flat (see photo).
When making my braid I found it most difficult to get the tension right, I always pulled more to one side than the other so that the braid became curved ;-)


Links:
unikatissima’s Hiragimi (PDF, ~460 KB)
The PDF includes a template for a cardboard disk respectively card (at the end of the file) and a description for braiding the pattern that you can see on the photo

unikatissima’s entries:
Kumihimo
Kumihimo Beads
Kumihimo Edo Yatsu

Clothespin bobbins

Cardboard Weave II

Cardboard Weave II

Links of entry

While surfing I found mini or hand-held looms (see links below), which I find very interesting, because 1st I don’t have much place at home and 2nd I know that I don’t weave, I just try it once in a while ;-))
On the photo you see the front and back side of my little woven patch.

 

Cardboard Weave II I would never actually buy a loom, therefore I made me one from – guess… – yes: cardboard! ;-)
On the photo you see me threading the loom in one direction.

 

Cardboard Weave II
Then I thread my cardboard loom in the other direction.

 

Cardboard Weave II That’s the way my cardboard loom looks at the back side.

 

Cardboard Weave II Now I’m weaving in one direction.

 

Cardboard Weave II And here I’m weaving in the other direction.

 

Cardboard Weave II After having finished with weaving I crochet an edging to neaten the edge.

The first photo shows back and front side of the finished little piece.

 


Links:
At Weavettes:
How to weave on a mini loom (English) (via knitting-and.com)
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive:
At Weavettes:
How to weave on a mini loom (English) (via knitting-and.com)

At eLoomaNation: Big Ideas from Little Looms:
Get ideas what to do with your patches

Get basic woman measurement charts for clothing patterns at the website of Jessica Tromp just as for the Clothes From Crocheted Medaillons

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width

Links of entry

Sometimes you need folded paper strips of the same width, when weaving paper baskets e.g., making a magazine purse or perhaps when making accordion folds.
Making those strips can be a time-consuming and frustrating experience – but it can be very fast and easy as well: Once I read somewhere (unfortunately I don’t remember where exactly) that you only have to roll your paper sheet over a dowel and then flat the paper roll.
Easy peasy, isn’t it? ;-)

 

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width You need your sheet of paper and a dowel.
I used here one of my giant knitting needles.

 

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width Roll your sheet of paper on the dowel.

 

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width Pull the dowel out of the roll and flatten the paper roll.

 

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width This way you get paper strips which are of the same width over the whole length.
Once I made a bowl like these magazine bowls. I preferred the ends of my paper strips to be thinner then the center, so that everything is about the same width everywhere.

 

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width Roll your sheet of paper diagonally on the dowel.

 

Folded Paper Strips of Equal Width The paper roll gets longer, but the ends are thinner than the center.
You can now overlap the strips and create a strong bowl.


Links:
Paper woven basket

At craftster.org:
Magazine purse
Magazine bowls

Google image search result for ‘magazine bowl’

Crazy Daisies II

Crazy Daisies Scarf

Links of entry

I continued to play around with the Crazy Daisies. It is so much fun and I’m working on a Crazy Daisy Scarf. On the photo you see my scarf.

 

Crazy Daisies II One thing I found out is that I love the little flowers much more without any edging. Therefore I’m joining them while working.
I’m measuring the yarn and wind the daisy. In doing so I’m pulling the thread immediately through the loops of the previous daisies using a blunt tapestry needle.
It takes a little longer, but this way I don’t have to assemble later and avoid the problem of hiding the ends.

 

Crazy Daisies II The other thing I played around with is another cardboard loom. In my first Crazy Daisy entry I used a cardboard version of the ice-cream-lid-loom.
Later I found other daisy looms and created my cardboard version of it. It works very well.

 

Crazy Daisies II
My cardboard loom consists of 2 cardboard disks. I taped them together and put 12 pins between both disks. I can then wind a daisy and when finished I pull the pins out. For the next daisy I put the pins back in my cardboard loom.
Note: I found out, that the disks must be very tightly taped, otherwise the pins fall out.
I always use the same pin holes and this way the tape won’t be damaged. I used my well taped cardboard loom over and over and don’t have any problems with the pins.
This way I can make my loom on the spur of the moment in the shape and size I need at the moment. I also tried a square one and the square daisies looked also nice.


Links:
unikatissima’s Crazy Daisies

Bottlecap Pincushions

Bottlecap Pincushions

Links of entry

I really love those tiny pincushions, just like the Recycled Pincushion Ring.
Now I found a tutorial on how to make bottlecap pincushions – great!
A little Google research (websites and images) showed me that many people make such cute bottlecap pincushions.
Perhaps I will make one, too – one day? ;-)


Links:
Bottlecap Pincushions

Google search results for ‘bottlecap pincushion’
Google image search results for ‘bottlecap pincushion’

Here at unikatissima:
Recycled Pincushion Ring

Butterfly Loom

Butterfly Loom

Links of entry

At the website of Knitting-and.com where I found the Crazy Daisies I also found the Butterfly Loom.
As always I didn’t want to buy something without knowing if I will use it ever again and cut my butterfly loom in different sizes from cardboard as you can see on the photo.
It worked out very well, but although I’m always coming back to different kinds of weave I think I’d never be patient enough to actually create something with this technique. It’s a pity.
;-)


Links:
Knitting-and.com: Butterfly Loom

via Knitting-and.com at The Butterfly Loom:
Patterns for the Butterfly Loom
Joining Butterfly Loom Motifs

You can also find a description, faq’s and a gallery of items made with their Butterfly Loom

Here at unikatissima:
Crazy Daisies

Clothespin bobbins

Clothespin bobbins

Links of entry

Once I found a really good idea on how to make inexpensive bobbins from clothespins.
Later I found more very good ideas at Gabriela Marková’s Kumihimo blog, all entries labelled with ‘Equipment’.
You can use those bobbins very good when making you own Kumihimo cord.

Links:
Learn Intarsia Knitting (the clothespin bobbins are mentioned there)

At Gabriela Marková’s Kumihimo blog:
All entries labelled with ‘Equipment’ (English)

Taking Photos from Jewelry

Taking Photos from Jewelry

Links of entry

If you want to take a professional looking photo from jewelry or other little items, you can get problems with reflections, shadows and the automatic flash.
I found several pages with tutorials on how to avoid those problems and take really good photos without spending a lot of money.
On the photo I tried it with an old lamp shade and natural light, but it didn’t work so well.

Links:
Taking good shots of jewelry
The original site doesn’t exist any more and is now available through webarchive: Digital Photography
This was the first tutorial I ever found on this subject – and it is very good. Take also a look at Connie Fox’s jewelry – and appreciate the soft reflections and shadows on the photos ;-)

At the following tutorial I found the idea brilliant to put the pendant onto glass to create a distance between the item and the background
How to take good photos of jewelry and other small objects

Articles about Jewelry Photography

At instructables.com (with explaining photos):
Budget photographic lighting “tent”
Do It Yourself Photography Light Box for Under $40
Super Simple Light Tent
Inexpensive Light Studio for Photographers