SIP and spin!

With the weather warming up and a new wheel at my disposal I'd like to get outside more often with my wheel. My plan is to hit the parks this summer and "SIP" - Spin In Public. What better way to SIP than to sip while I'm doing it. Ah, but sipping requires a cup, and a cup requires a stable setting while spinning. Well, guess what I just got my hands on? - A spinning wheel cup holder from FBN Plastics! They make very cool and practical cup holders for a variety of spinning wheels. I put mine on my wheel today and I'm very impressed by its quality and light weight. It installed in about 40 seconds and I've already thought of a dozen uses for it. Besides holding drinks, I can place a bobbin in it, whorls, scissors - even a ball of yarn. I think I'm in love...

PVC Niddy Noddy for next to nothing

I've seen them around online, the DIY niddy noddys made out of PVC for under $10 and I thought, "um, yeeeeeah." That is, until my fellow Ravelry pal Lafemme got a cool looking PVC niddy noddy in her swap package. It was complete with caps and rubber "O" rings and just looked so professionally made that I became intrigued and set out on a quest to make a couple of my own. There are dozens of pages online with instructions on how to create your own PVC niddy noddy, but I found this site to be the most practical and complete - there's even a couple of instructional .PDFs that you can print out and take to the store with you!

I purchased a 10 foot piece of 1/2 inch PVC for $3.19, 10 - 1/2 inch couplings (I wanted to have extra on hand) @ $0.24 each = $2.40 and 4 - T connectors @ $0.28 each = $1.12. Oh, and since my sucky Home Depot wouldn't cut the PVC (other than in half so I could put it in the car), I purchased a cheap little wonky hacksaw for $6.94. All for a grand total of $14.13 (including $0.48 tax).

The result? Three niddy noddys for less than $15 plus a wonky hacksaw in case I need to make some more :) I measured and made a 4yd, 2yd and 1yd piece. The center shafts can be interchanged so there's no need to actually make more than one niddy noddy. I made two complete units, but kept a couple pieces of extra tubing for interchanging.

Addi Click Interchangeable Circular Needles

*Updated* Pics added as promised...

So, my new Addi Click Interchangeable Circular Needle Set arrived yesterday and they are simply marvelous! Smooth joins, great points, flexible cables and beautifully packaged. Plus, there’s a guarantee. The “Click” system is pretty ingenious too. They feel spring loaded and are easily put together. I’m pretty much in love with them at this point, less than 24 hours after trying them out.

Well, I’m at work so no pics yet, but I’ll post them when I get home. I just wanted to show off let everyone know my thoughts on them.

Ciao!

Birthday Combs and Curls

A very pleasant surprise was waiting for me when I got home today... A birthday gift from my friend Necia.



Wool combs and some fiber curls! Exactly what I've wanted for some time. Now I can really get busy with some serious fiber production. Thanks 'Necia!

Sent on the Now Network™ from my Sprint® BlackBerry

Site of the week

As long as I can remember to post, I'll be adding a Slick Site of the Week on my blog every Monday (hopefully). My latest find: IKEA Hacker http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/ This is a very cool site that offers tips and tricks on how to repurpose your IKEA purchases, or how to make something even cooler our of an IKEA product (as if IKEA products could get any cooler).

I've got an IKEA not far from me and will be making a trip in the very near future.

Enjoy!