Sprigged & Spotted

Author: KL

  • Festoons of Fringe: How to turn Fun Fur and Eyelash Yarn into Durable Christmas Garland

    Festoons of Fringe: How to turn Fun Fur and Eyelash Yarn into Durable Christmas Garland

    The problem of what to make with Fun Fur or Eyelash Yarn

    Novelty yarn can be a challenge to use, not only because it can be awkward to crochet or knit with, but because its oddness makes it unsuitable for making elegant accessories or practical items for the home. When “eyelash yarn” and “fun fur” polyester (aka acrylic) yarns were popular in the early 2000’s, I made a tubular scarf, but didn’t end up wearing it much. This kind of glossy yarn is still available for purchase in saturated colors at craft stores. So, what do we do with leftover or bargain bin fringed yarn? Having made myself a knitting fork, also known as a lucet, earlier this year, the perfect Christmas-season application for this unique yarn occurred to me: garland.

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  • Grinning Pumpkins: Why Jack-O’-Lanterns are the best part of Halloween

    Grinning Pumpkins: Why Jack-O’-Lanterns are the best part of Halloween

    Jack O’Lanterns might be my favorite part of the American tradition of Halloween. Perhaps this is because I don’t have much of a sweet tooth or love of the horror genre, but I genuinely enjoy carving pumpkins and seeing my neighbors’ creations. Walking down a neighborhood street, following clumps of Trick-or-Treaters, and seeing the flickering faces of orange orbs adorning doorsteps and pathways makes the effort worthwhile.

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  • Project Log: 18th Century Handsewn Shortgown Jacket

    Project Log: 18th Century Handsewn Shortgown Jacket

    Intellectual Effort and Tedium

    I hold great respect for the good people who made it through life in the tough centuries before my birth. I want to know them better and appreciate their ways of life, and I believe they were more like us than many will admit. As a twenty-first century woman who has always cultivated many hobbies, I am continually building upon transferable skills and pouring effort into creative endeavors which might most serve a particular moment in my life. At this point, I needed an activity which required a healthy balance of intellectual effort and tedium.

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  • Lost Greetings: Postcards from the Past Revisited

    Lost Greetings: Postcards from the Past Revisited

    Mr. Willoughby was a favorite teacher of mine during high school, and I still count him as a friend in adulthood. A former Army officer and veteran of the Vietnam War turned history teacher, he formed lasting relationships with his students. And, the giant bulletin board hanging at the rear of his classroom attested to his impact. It was covered in postcards sent to him by his current and former pupils, in some places the cards were several layers deep.

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  • A Makeshift Lucet: How to make your own forked weaving tool from recycled cardboard

    A Makeshift Lucet: How to make your own forked weaving tool from recycled cardboard

    What is a Lucet?

    A lucet is a fiberwork tool usually consisting of two parallel posts joined on one end to form a “U” shape. Some have a single handle at the bottom; some have a hole in the base of the “U.” A few examples of such tools, as well as cording likely made using one, exist in museums. They are associated with Vikings and are purported to have also been used by 17th and 18th century European cultures, but the details surrounding their use remain murky.

    The history aside, they are easy to learn to use for modern crafters, and I came up with my own method for making one of these nifty items.

    What makes a lucet different than other fiberwork tools?

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