The Wheel of Karma Drop Spindle

Many of my projects start as ideas for one project and end up an entirely different object in the end. This project has flown far from the concept. 

It all started because I was cleaning, well clearing, at the end of the year. I came upon a great stash of CDs that had really served their purpose. Many of them held the projects I did when I was earning my Master of Library Science more than 10 years ago. In looking for something in another room I found the printable CD stickers in their original box. Thus came the original idea - I would print on them and then crochet them into a bag. The first part went well, but the crotchet obscured the design, so I abandoned that project. At least for now. 

So what can you do with beautiful, boho CDs? Let me tell you, I have had plenty of ideas. The Wheel of Karma Drop Spindle just wouldn't leave my mind so here you have it. The spindle spins like that wheel of karma, swinging one way and then the other. Using this spindle is a great reminder of what goes around, comes around. 

What, you say? I don't spin. You can use this as a decoration to spin in the breeze in front of your window or on the porch. Really the choice is yours. 

On to the making:

First I prepared the sticker sheets. You could lay down a background color and add stencil over stencil, but I opted to use my gelli plate. Roll out the color on the gelli plate, press the stencil onto it and lift off. Then lay the sticker sheet on top. By rotating printing on 4 or 5 sheets repeatedly they came out with a lot of variation, but plenty to pull them together. I used two of Gwen's stencils on the whole - The Decorative Medalion Stencil,  Decorative Folk Flower Stencil, 

Here you can see what the sheet looks like having removed the part for the CD. 

This is what a stack of CDs with the printed labels looks. Gorgeous with Gwen's stencils! 

I knew I was going to use some of that Tibet Jewels Sari Yarn I got from Gwen's shop. You can see how well it goes together. 

I had never made a drop spindle from CDs, but knew the convention was to use a dowel and a rubber grommet. Unfortunately, what with weather and life, I couldn't get to the hardware store. I started to think about one of the other projects, but that Wheel of Karma wouldn't leave my mind. 

You may have noticed that I like to use what I have. Viola, my daughter was cleaning room (see a pattern? It is a new year after all.) and found a stash of Rainbow Loom bracelets I had overzealously made for her some years ago. I rejected the idea of passing them along because I knew we could make use of them. 

Then I spied it! No dowel in sight, but there was one of those cursed wire hangers! It had a hook and could be bent to my pleasure. 

I cut the hook a bit shorter and used needlenosed pliers to bend the hook into a smaller version. The rest of the hook was made straight and I wrapped the new shape with duct tape down to the loops on the end, which I left about 1 inch exposed. 

Here beads are auditioned on the CD.

The CDs were glued together with hot glue, placed on the shaft and affixed with two Rainbow Loom bracelets - one on the top, one on the bottom. These were then secured with more hot glue. (Don't have Rainbow Loom Bracelets? Rubber bands or hair bands will work.) Randomly colored beads were hot glued around the bands. 

View from the bottom

View from the top

Next I attached Darn Good Yarn's Sari Yarn from Gwen's shop through the loops in the bottom. I used Tibet Jewels and Twisted Sister varieties. I tied the top together with another small piece of the sari yarn. 

View from the top with wool roving

The most fun was attaching Going Global Turmen Jewelry Parts and Kuchi Coin Pendants - No Stone to the ends of the sari yarn. I then sewed strings of beads along with them. I wanted the ribbons to jingle as I spin. So the more I attach, the more beautiful it will sound.

Here's a link to Gwen's shop where you can find these luscious elements. 

If you haven't seen my spinning adventures, I've been having lots of fun taking those little bits and pieces left over from projects, carding them with wool and making art yarn. 

Bits and pieces. Silk scraps, embroidery thread, pieces of paper. 

Some art yarn wrapped on ATC sized cards ready for the recipients to finish. 

My new line of art yarn - A Novel Yarn. This is the Pride and Prejudiced Edition. 

From fleece, to spindle to ball of yarn. You can see my old, trusty spindle. 

What do you think? Would you use it as a drop spindle or a wind chime? 

Recycling Silk Threads into New Yarn

I'm wondering if this should be the first in a series of posts about how I recycle things most people would throw away. I mean, you probably would. Me? I just can't let go of certain kinds of materials. 

Point in case - these silk threads. 

I have been saving them for years. At first, I saved them because I was making paper. These threads added to paper pulp make an extraordinary paper. Simply lovely. So I had a little, zippered lunch bag that I saved them in. Now, these threads are the ones that fray off a piece of silk. Silk, that wonderous fabric! How could I let such fiber and color go? And, let's face it, silk frays around the edges like a grad school hopeful that needs those 5 more points on the GREs. There's plenty of this kind of fray if one works with silk. 

So a kind of synchronicity of events lead to the discovery of my wool carders, the silk, an old ball of yarn I spun years ago from natural wool and a wandering mind. It culminated with the box the carders was in fell off a pile, onto the floor and cracked open before my eyes. If that wasn't a sign that I should try them out again, I don't know what is. (So let it be known that I will accept any excuse to spend my time creating. I can tell quite a story, too.)

So here's how that beautiful silk looks when combed out. I added wool, and lots of it, so that there would be something to bind it together. I found that the parts where the silk ratio was too high, the whole thing fell apart. You have to have enough wool to hold it together. 

Here's the drop spindle I used to spin the yarn. I made the bottom out of fimo more than ten years ago. The dragonfly pattern in it was created by referencing a book about making colorful rolled sushi. Haven't touched this in years either, but worked like a charm. 

And here is the finished product. There is not much of it...yet. 

What I have found out is that it is possible. It works and this is something I can incorporate into my work. 

I didn't really have to spin it. I could have carded it and then used it for felting. Perhaps an easier way to make use of the materials. My mind doesn't rest. What about spinning scraps of paper into the yarn? Especially some of that beautiful stuff I get from Gwen Lafleur. I can never bear to throw away even a scrap of that stuff. 

So what say you? Does this sound like something you would do? Are you shaking your head and thinking I had better just go buy some new yarn? Like recycling? Would you like to see more articles like this?