Fall Sale -- New Spindles, bowls, shawl pins!

Hi everyone!  I know it's been a while since I posted, but I've had soooo much going on!

Firstly, I would like to announce my FALL SALE -- 3 DAYS ONLY! Use coupon code "fall2012" for 30% off anything in my Etsy shop!

I've been busy creating some GORGEOUS new Russian-style support spindles -- along with matching spindle/spinning bowls. These are available in my Etsy shop.  (Also check out the matching dizzes, wrist distaffs, and nostepindes!)

I've also been keeping up with posting new crochet hooks in the shop all the time -- as well as hair sticks, and other fun goodies!

Shawl pins have been leaping from my shop my shop as well!  FOr many of them, I've used glorious natural woods, and then inlaid some beautiful glittery inlace for a touch, (who am I kidding here???)... a LOT of BLING!

Find this one, and many more, also in my Etsy shop!

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season! And remember -- if you need a custom order made, there's still time!  Just e-mail me: katherine@daystarhandworks.com

Katherine

Posting Day!

I just posted some colorful new crochet hooks and hair sticks on eBay last night! Check them out!

The excitement of something little...

I just made some GORGEOUS new crochet hooks and posted them on eBay last night. (See photo below for the glorious details!)



This spring I was in the unfortunate situation of not having my beloved lathe to work on. My busy hands needing to keep busy, I decided to get out my crochet hooks and knitting needles to delve into some fiber arts. Most specifically, I am knitting socks. I started out by buying the typical ok-but-not-great yarn found at my local craft store, mostly skeins on clearance... and then, as I was searching for nice knitting needles online, I found something entirely different...

(I needed, needed, some Addi Turbo Circular needles -- they are soooooo much easier to use than some other brands I've tried. I like to make my socks on two circular needles -- that way I can do both socks at once, (making sure they are the same length), and finish them both at the same time, avoiding the dreaded "one sock syndrome"!)

Forgive the diversion... I shall continue the story...
At this online fiber-holics shop I found yarn, (sock yarn), on sale... so I bought some. It arrived a few days later and I was enamored: sparkly yarn, yarn that was knitted into flat squares, then printed, yarn space-dyed into brilliant colors! I was hooked!

I then went back and found sock yarn that was NOT on sale, but I couldn't help myself, I bought it anyway! This glorious spun wool felt so scrumptiously silky running through my fingers, it was ecstasy through propinquity!

Then, last night, I sauntered through the gardens of Etsy, and found and found and found... (and bought!) Goodness me it felt fantastic!



And... I have been knitting like crazy, finishing 7 pairs of socks in the past month! (see above) Anyway, I guess my point is -- even if sometimes it feels like there's "no money" -- it can be worth it to treat yourself to a little something. Such bright little spots of happiness enliven and invigorate the spirit, awakening creativity once again.

Starting by following the first couple of patterns by-the-book, I've moved on to designing several of my own, creating unique works for myself and my mom. (One thing I like doing is calculating the exact number of stitches in each sock, so I can relate the fact to curious onlookers. Did you know that (on average) there are over 21,000 stitches in a pair of socks?)

Anyway, I suppose the point is -- take care of yourself. Do something special for yourself: treat yourself to a dinner out, a skein of yarn, a hand-made wooden crochet hook, or even a CD of your favorite artist. Have fun!

Katherine

Posting Day!

More brand new crochet hooks! I've just posted ALL of the below on eBay, including those scrumptious hair sticks! (With the hot weather, I've been wearing my hair up every day using my favorite hair pin, which I made from Bethlehem Olivewood.)

It's interesting -- when one must take a brief hiatus from creating, sometimes new designs come into view -- it's been fun getting back into the swing of things, turning gorgeous new hooks and hair sticks! Check them out!

New! New! New!

I've been busy with teaching and demonstrating woodturning the past few months, so I am just getting back into the swing of things. I'm delighted to have had some creation-time to make some beautiful new crochet hooks! With the hot weather we've been having, hair-up seems like a good idea, so I've also posted lots of new hair sticks in gorgeous colors and natural wood! Check them all out in my eBay store & auctions.

Posting Day!

I've posted 14 new hooks in 3-day auctions! That will allow me to ship them on Monday before I leave for Utah. Thread hooks, Small Hooks, All-Wood are all on eBay right now! Auctions end Sunday evening. Check them out! http://stores.ebay.com/Daystar-Handworks

New Jingly Ring Hooks!

I've had so many requests for these! I've just made and posted lots of new Jingly Ring hooks on eBay and Etsy. These hooks have captured rings that spin freely, adding extra fun and delight to your crochet time! :-)

Published Article

First, I've got new work! Check out these gorgeous crochet hooks on eBay! (I also have lots of new nostepindes, thimbles, and beads on Etsy, including my famous "Sun Rainbow" colorway!)

The hook in the photo, furthest to the right, is the largest hook I have ever made! A size S, 17mm, for only the most ambitious crochet projects! (In contrast, the hook furthest to the left is a Q, the largest most of us ever attempt!) Both beauties are listed now on eBay.

Without further ado, I give you a photo, then on to the main topic of the day!



It all started one day when I was asked to give a demonstration on how I did my crochet hooks... I was absolutely terrified, but when the time came, everything went very well indeed, and I gained huge confidence in my ability to present a woodturning topic. I also found out one very critical thing that had not occurred to me previously -- people were interested in what I did... !

I thought everyone knew how to make a crochet hook! After all, they've been around for hundreds of years! Well, turns out that it's relatively specialized, and by making very high quality hooks, I had developed even more specialized techniques.

Later, it was suggested that I write an article about making crochet hooks. And again, it seemed to me that the world probably already knew everything I would have to say... but to my great surprise, my idea was preliminarily accepted to be published! So I wrote, took photographs, and turned. And, at length, (the publishing industry has a long lead time), my article has been published in the February 2011 issue of American Woodturner!

You can view it at my web site here: Creating Crochet Hooks article by Katherine Kowalski

We all have our own ways of working, and sometimes it seems so normal to us that we don't even bother talking about it. I would heartily encourage anyone, everyone to share what you know, even if it seems commonplace to you. Give a presentation to your group, write an article for your art/craft magazines.

How do you get started? E-mail the editors of the relevant publications, and ask for their submission guidelines as well as what types of articles they are looking for.

When you hold that magazine in your hand, see your work in full color, and your name on the article, it gives an unforgettable feeling of pride and satisfaction, along with a strong dose of je ne sais quoi! :-)

And, on a more personal note, it was an absolute joy to work with the editor of American Woodturner, Betty Scarpino!

Holiday Crochet Hooks, Captive Rings

Closer come the holidays, and I've been busy as a little bee, making new crochet hooks, thimbles, nostepindes, (ball winders), needle/toothpick cases, and all manner of lovely things! Check out my selection on eBay and Etsy. (There's still time to ship for Christmas!)

Some of these are on eBay right now!



One of my favorite types of hooks to create is one with captive rings. What are captive rings??? These are doughtnut-shaped pieces of wood that are turned in place, spin on a shaft, not allowed to slide off the piece.

In short, they're lots of fun, as you can gleefully twiddle and spin them with your fingers, gloriously ignoring your work in progress!

How are they made?

Step 1: Cut one or several small "beads" in the finial of the piece. (Make sure to make it far enough off the end so that the hand doesn't touch them when used -- the rings could break).

Step 2: Grind a special tool from a hacksaw blade, in essence a tiny parting tool, and cut into the side of the beads at a 45' or shallower angle, but don't part all the way through.

Step 3: Make sure you didn't "free" the rings in Step 2! Sand and finish the rings as you would the rest of the piece.

Step 4: Make additional cuts with the tiny captured ring tool, carefully so that you do not mar the finish on the surface, and part free.

Step 5: This is the tricky bit -- make cuts around and underneath the rings to give them room to wiggle and spin. Use your tiny parting tool, and a 1/16" parting tool to liberate some more wood chips.

Step 6: Check for breakage. Inevitably a ring or two will break, but don't despair, more practice and altering your angle of approach will see success. Always start more rings than you need in Step 1. Fractured rings may benefit from a drop of CA glue, but it's generally better to break off the imperfect ones, since sanding the join is difficult at best.

Step 7: As a measure against future mishap, turn a pretty shape along the shaft, underneath the rings by moving them to either side. (See why below.)

Step 8: Turn either end abutting the ring shaft, but keep the diameter large enough that the rings won't slide off the piece. (This is very important to the "captured" aspect!)

Step 8: Sand and finish your piece as usual.

A completed piece!



In reference to Step 7 above: I once went to a show in which I was demonstrating turning during the day time, and consequently was unable to watch my items on the table behind me. One hook I'd set out had 4 captured rings... and by the end of the day there was only one left! Yes, someone had maliciously broken them...

The point of this story is... Turn a pretty section underneath so that in case of such mishaps, the piece will still be decorous enough to appeal. (A straight, cylindrical section where there is supposed to be decoration, is rather dreadful looking...)

This technique, of course, can be used on any variety of spindlework, especially small items like stick pens, hair sticks, crochet hooks, fine finials, bottlestoppers, etc. One can also use this technique for making rings on the outside of bowls with colored-graining. You won't want the ring to spin freely, just move it enough so that the grain pattern is shifted slightly, and put a dab of glue to stick it in place. (Try this technique on a sapwood/heartwood bowl, and shift the ring so that dark is on light, and vice versa).

Have fun with it!
Katherine

Posting Day!

I'm soooo glad it's finally November -- my very favorite month of all! It's the month of orange, and Thanksgiving, and (probably) my birthday, though you never can tell. It's the month when cool breezes bring that fresh winter frost, when the brightest stars shine from the heavens and we can welcome back our favorite Hunter and his dog Sirius. I LOVE the smell of snow.

In other news, I've just posted five new crochet hooks on eBay!


This absolutely GORGEOUS piece, (which is one of those I added to my eBay store), was a very interesting one to make. I choose the types of wood based on their color -- and the lyptus (the peach-colored shaft) goes amazingly well with the bi-colored stripes on the Dyed Curly Hardwood, which forms the finial.

As I was turning, I had this thought to create a "vase" shape where the ornamentation starts. (For some reason I normally don't start out this way, but this piece practically insisted!) At any rate, I continued to turn the hook, and often stopped the lathe to see how the designs were unfolding on the finial... it was practically mesmerizing.

To me, the striations in the dyed wood looked like tendrils of smoke floating upward, and inspired me to write a lovely story about it. (See the eBay listing). Anyway, it's quite interesting because besides this bi-color effect, the wood also has wonderful chatoyant "curls" which show up as shortened stripies, and look like undulations in the wood.

A fantastic, lovely lovely piece! I'm sooooo tempted to keep this one-of-a-kind piece for myself.

Posting Day!

Today I have a treat for you! Five brand new crochet hooks and two fantastic new nostepindes -- all on eBay!

I've put together some GORGEOUS color combinations, and I can't wait for you to see them! In the mix are some bright and brilliant dyed hardwoods as well as some purely natural beauties.

Take that Olivewood hook on the right, there ---> Supremely silky and wonderful to hold. Even in such a small size hook, the wood feels remarkably substantial in the hand, and it's positively a dream to crochet with! (You can probably tell at this point that I'm enormously fond of Olivewood!) Anyway, the grain stripes -- chocolate on cream -- are simply divine to behold.

The two nosties I added to my store are made of the wonderfully colorful dyed hardwoods that I do so much work with. I put up one in "Tapestry" (which you see just to the right), and one in the "Mardi Gras" colorway. I simply love the way the layers of dyed hardwood wrap themselves so beautifully around the shapes I turn -- they accentuate every curve and line.

By the way, this weekend I will be doing all-day demos at the Sustainable Living Fair in Ft. Collins, CO. I'll making all kinds of things on my lathe, and will have crochet hooks and nostepindes available for purchase too! It's a great opportunity to see how turned items are made by a professional woodturner. I absolutely LOVE doing demonstrations, and I hope to see you there!