httk&co

I'm making (yet another) white cotton sweater.


I'm knitting while watching movies (or just bad tv) (still) covered in a blanket because, despite the spring on the calendar, it's still pretty cold and rainy here in NYC.


This only to say that while I'm not paying much to my knitting, it's stockinette, so it's almost a mechanical work, my yarn keeps falling down, rolling under the couch, driving me insane, and getting dirty (yes, under the couch isn't exactly the cleanest spot...) plastic bag doesn't really work, and the ball is too light so won't stay in my basket.


I came up with something, the "High Tech Tidy Knitter & Crocheter Organizer" - 
HTTK&CO in short :)

inspiration&realisation

inspiration&realisation

--> Supplies:
* 1/2 gal soda bottle
* snips & pliers
* sisal & yarn
* glue and paintbrush
* 3 nylon covered rubber bands 
* 3 buttons
* 1 screw or nail

--> Let's get High Tech:
* well, of course wash and clean your plastic bottle, and take off the label. ...duh.
* cut the bottle about in the middle of where the label was
* take the top part and cut it  on the indentation of the label line (if you click on the pictures, you'll see what I mean)
* take the bottom part and mark a line where the bottle is slightly smaller in circumference and cut it
* try the fit - eventually cut another bit (or start over with a new bottle eheh..)
* mark 3 dots about 1/3 apart both top and bottom

* now hold the screw with the pliers while you're heating the tip on a candle 
* when the tip is hot enough, it will make a perfectly round hole in the bottle without leaving sharp edges
* punch the 3 holes in the bottom part, and in the top punch 3 double holes ... like a ":"
* punch a hole in the bottom center part 
* pass the sisal through the hole in the bottom and make a big knot on the inside to block it
* ... and let the party begin with the glue... 

* wrap the sisal around, and now and then give some strokes of glue on top of the sisal
* keep going until you reach almost the top
* pass the sisal under few strands and glue it in place
* get a piece of ribbon and glue it around the edge 
* and secure it in place until dry with binder clips

* start with the neck of the bottle, same process, glue and wrap
* glue the ribbon on the edge
* when it's dry, punch the holes in the ribbons matching the holes in the bottle

* get the rubber bands and loop them around the holes in the bottom part
* and sew with a thick thread the buttons on the top (I painted my buttons also, eheh) 
* I wasn't happy with the "look" of the neck, so I wrapped a little turquoise yarn around it, over the sisal.

For the knitters & crocheter out there that can't be bothered to spend few hours making something like that, here there's a quick tutorial for the "minimalistic version"...

inspiration&realisation

Now, I better go knitting my sweater... but: HTTK&CO.... should I register the trade mark? 


xox,  d.


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