Giving Technology a Stand

A friend of ours recently asked Gorg if it would be possible for him to make an iPad stand out of wood. He had seen one online made to look much like a giant block. After discussing the finer points of its use, Gorg came up with a design that was much lighter and more easily transported. Of course, what would be the point of a customized stand that was generic in appearance? Since our friend plays the guitar and writes some of his own songs, the stand was to be shaped like a small guitar. After finishing the prototype, it was decided that a bit more embellishing was in order. The 'guitar' itself was made of Sapele and an inlaid 'pickguard' of Walnut was added. I do believe that if they would've had more time, other details would have been added. Sometimes the hardest part of design is being willing to call it finished.

Wooden iPad Stand

 

If you have a special design that has come to mind, feel free to contact us via email or Facebook to discuss pricing and details.

Happy Holidays from The Hook and Hammer! May you have a blessed and inspired New Year.

With Cooler Weather Comes Creativity

    While I can't be absolutely positive of the reasons behind it, I can say that I'm always bit by the creative bug when the weather begins to cool. It may have something to do with feeling driven indoors by the cooler temps, but I think it's more than that. I often feel driven indoors when the temperature tops 100 degrees F (or 37.78 C for the rest of you), but I'm usually not what I would call 'creative' with my hooks and needles. I'm far more likely to be found pouring through my gardening books or staring out of the window with a sketchpad; dreamily rearranging my burgeoning flower beds and trying to maximize my botanical resources without a trip to the garden center. (Some women should not go shoe shopping. My Achilles' heel would be a yarn/fabric store or a nursery. There are days where I think it would have been cheaper to have a shoe obsession!)

    No, I think that it has something to do with the shortening daylight hours. I've always been more of a nocturnal person. I love the sun, but there is something about the darkness that pushes me. I can be absolutely exhausted all day, but the minute the sun sets, I'm wide awake. I couldn't sleep if you paid me to do it. Perhaps it blocks out many of the distractions that call to my subconscious mind all day. I'm sure that only intensifies once the kids are in bed. My mind has a chance to operate selfishly and can actually focus on one thing; for hours at a time...in peace. There are times when that feels as close to heaven on earth as I can get. When you combine that with a warm, crackling fire laid in the fireplace and either a glass of wine or bourbon or a mug of steaming, hot coffee, well, creativity runs rampant through my mind. Sometimes the execution takes quite a bit longer, but the inspiration has already taken hold.

    When I see yarns or fabrics that call to me, I want to form them into the perfect pattern; be it my own or that of someone else. I'm never content to simply pick a pattern that I love and a yarn that I love and combine the two. The result is almost always a bitter disappointment. The beautiful yarn loses its depth and sheen. The intricate pattern is lost in the quirks of the yarn. Any number of factors can combine to give an overall flat finish. Trying to find the perfect combination of stitch and yarn, to show both off to their best advantage, is my goal. If that means that it takes months to get it right, so be it. It's all worth it in the end when the finished product is ready to be worn and it looks amazing. I still have so much to learn, but it's a pursuit that is as enjoyable, perhaps more so, than the arrival.

    Here's a look at my latest, original patterns:

drop stitch wrap knit with sequined yarn and central cable

variegated teal chenille crochet scarf

Modeled with the help of my friend's Zonkey, Zoey.

wool blend, lace cowl knit by combining two different yarns

Made with a Chinese Lace stitch

    While the creative juices are still flowing, I have been and will continue to be dividing my time with a couple of rather heavily involved bridesmaid and wedding gown alterations. I love the challenge that these projects present. I'm terribly picky about the fit of my clothes, so it pleases me to no end to help someone else feel comfortable and beautiful in their own!

Happy Holidays from The Hook & Hammer!

A Broken Foot

While picking up an antique piece to be restored for a client, Gorg picked up some extra restoration work from one of the antique dealers. One of their oak chairs had a badly broken, carved, trifid foot. It's not the type of thing that can just be replaced with a simple catalog order. After finding out that he does restoration work, Gorg was asked to carve a new piece to match the remaining front foot. Here is a photo of the original foot which he was to replicate.

original foot

The first step was to knock out the damaged wood of the other foot and glue new oak onto the undamaged section, saving as much of the original wood as possible.

 After allowing it to dry overnight, he began to carve out the new foot by hand. How he does this while just looking at the original never ceases to amaze me. As I was watching, and about halfway through the carving, it occurred to me that I should have just video-ed the whole process. Maybe next time I'll use a little more forethought...Well, there's always a first time, isn't there?

 After applying his own secret cocktail of finishes to match the old foot and re-attaching the castors, this is the result.

original foot in the foreground

restored foot in the foreground

                                         

Original Foot

Restored Foot

Restored Foot

Original Foot

                             

Amazing, isn't it? They are almost identical. This is the way a restoration should look!

A Little Bit of Lace

Back in May I fell in love with a gorgeous, 45% silk, 55% merino blend, lace-weight yarn with a rich, blue/green/gray color. The whole skein measured in with a substantial 1,000+ yardage. Since I didn't have any particular pattern in mind when I bought it, I wanted to be sure that I would have enough to finish a project without needing to go back for more.

After several weeks of pattern hunting and experimentation to get just the right design for the yarn, I was able to settle in and make some progress. The pattern utilizes some Estonian Lace stitches that really compliment the yarn. When I started the first stage of the pattern, a 3-in-3 star,

I noticed that some of the glass beads that I had in my needlework cabinet blended almost perfectly with the yarn. Of course, that sent me back to the pattern to decide where I could incorporate those beads :) After a longer period of time than I'd care to admit, I began to place them. I detest ripping progress back, so I did NOT want to put them in the wrong location. Since I'd already begun my work, I used a crochet hook to maneuver each bead onto the stitch before it was knit.

I quickly realized that my local craft store was not going to be able to meet my beading needs for this project, so I hurriedly placed a bulk order online so that I would have enough to keep me busy during an upcoming, long-distance ride. While en-route, I was able to knock out most of the blossom stitch repeats, and even managed to do it without spilling my stash of beads.

While I absolutely loved working the blossom stitch, I'm always terribly impatient to finish a project once I've crossed the halfway point. I couldn't put it down, so it was fortunate that I had a lot of sitting time with my first graders. There was no need to feel guilty when prioritizing knitting time over chore time while giving lessons :) I finished up over Labor Day weekend and was all set to block it, but my camera chose that day to extinguish its battery power. The frustration!! I was so close to being finished, but for the sake of documentation I was left looking at this until I could get to the store. (Please forgive the lousy indoor photos. I had waited long enough for batteries, I wasn't waiting for a day without rain for proper outdoor lighting.)

Finally, I was ready to block! First, I let it soak in some warm water for about 10 minutes. Then I laid it on a clean sheet on our bed and began to block across the top and down the center, stretching as I went.

The shawl, completely blocked, took up most of the bed. The overall measurements (using size 5 circular needles) turned out to be 75"w from tip to tip and 35" down the center back. I thought I was going to go crazy trying to get everything pinned evenly. I'm a bit too OCD for my own good sometimes. After it was blocked, I sprayed it down with some warm water since the points seemed a bit too dry to block properly.

Surprisingly, it was only a couple of hours before it was dry and I could take it up. I have to say, that after all of that time, effort, and the hand application of over 2,000 beads, it's going to be hard to part with! The addition of the beads gives it a nice, heavier weight than most shawls, so it drapes differently, but I think the overall effect is stunning.

Another Week, Another Wardrobe

This post is a bit late in publication, I'm afraid. You have my apologies. Life was forcing its way like a whirlwind through our home last month and I just could not bring myself to sit at the computer editing photos and writing composition when there was so much to be done and so little time in which to do it. In basically a week and a half, my husband came home from his full time job and turned out two pieces of furniture while still managing to tackle everyday responsibilities. I'm not certain that he slept more than a couple of hours each night. While I do stay up with him most nights, I have a ridiculously difficult time hauling myself out of bed in the morning to match his 5:30am wake-up call.

This last project was another wardrobe made of Walnut and Spalded Maple. While it may be a pain to work with due to differing degrees of hardness throughout the boards, the Maple is a beautiful wood full of rich colors and patterns.

When he is moving quickly without the luxury of taking an evening off every now and then, it's amazing how quickly the piece takes shape.

The back, with diagonal paneling detail

Maneuvering panels to make more work space

Preparing to route out for a joint

Even when pressed for time, he'll still add a special detail that will set each piece apart. This time, he pulled out his antique Stanley 55 hand plane to carve a reeded checkerboard trim.

If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that he did all of this in two nights. (Not including the time to glue up.)

Even the drawer received special attention with hand-cut dovetails.

 This piece had to be versatile because it was needed in a small space and would have to accommodate a changing wardrobe. In order to maximize its potential, he incorporated adjustable shelving and a removable hanging rod.

 In less than a week, he transformed a pile of lumber like this....

 

 into this beautiful and highly functional piece of art.

* You may be wondering about the missing hardware. It was to be added by the one who commissioned the piece at a later date. The drawer was rigged with a temporary pull that prevented it from closing tightly until then.