Webigail

I’m working on my first afghan, but I could not resist ordering some scrumptious lace wool from handpaintedyarn.com.

Their prices are phenomenal. They have an incredible color and weight selection. Alas, they have superb customer service. They make it difficult to not purchase from them.

Don’t panic. Animal Planet is not going off the air; I’m just not allowing it my house anymore.

I find myself watching shows about animals and crying, because one is injured, abused or suffers,  as a result of environmental unbalance.  I’ve decided to quit torturing myself by not watching animal shows.

I love animals and find it utterly painful to witness them in agony.

I thought about this project long and hard. An afghan, unless for a baby, can be quite the undertaking.

My sister-in-law, doesn’t ask for much, but she put in a request for an afghan. How was I to say, “No?”

I cast on 220 stitches, pondering how or if I might ever see the end of this project. I’m not finished, but I’m surprised at the progress after one month in.

Yes, I’m crazy and yes, I’m obsessive, so why would I throw my precious, beloved KnitPicks Options in a flimsy, plastic folder? Well, I wouldn’t.

While I simply adore my KnitPicks Options needles, couldn’t get them out of my mind, until I finally just took the dive, I needed a way to organize my babies. I actually like the zipping binder that comes with the KnitPicks Options set, but I was not at all thrilled with the lack of a needle organizer. I needed a way to keep my needles in sync - I like knowing which needles are where and since the sizes are not stamped on the needles, I knew keeping things from going awry was going to be next to impossible. What did I do? I did what any other obsessive-compulsive in my situation would do…I made my own KnitPicks Options needle organizer.

Tutorial - How to Use Grommets

One Christmas I got my own drill. My husband had it in his mind that I would break his precious Black-n-Decker, so this was my induction into the world of “boy’s toys.”

I’m not afraid to try making or breaking anything, which is why I was not to try grommets. No, grommet is not the name of character of a children’s show, or a horror movie. In fact, if you are into scrap booking, you already know what grommets are. If you make corsets then you too know what grommets and eyelets are. However, I just discovered the beauty of setting grommets.

Now, you may be wondering why I am going on and on about grommets, right? Well, it made a huge difference in my latest knitting project. I recently completed one of my “firsts” and had this brilliant idea (yes, I’m being factitious.) I felted my first purse and this time, in addition to the lining, I wanted to use grommets to lace the i-cord through to create a more polished look for my purse.

I was really proud of myself when I actually found the word grommet, because for about an hour, I googled and searched, not knowing what on earth to call “the brass rings that are used on tarps.” Initially, I came across eyelets(think shoelace, corset, anything that requires lacing), which lead to uncovering the very thing that I wanted….a grom-met.

So, you may be asking what’s the difference between grommets and eyelets, right? Ok, maybe not, but I’m going to tell you anyway. A 1/4″ eyelet and a 1/4″ grommet have the same size hole, but the flange is larger on a grommet. Eyelets and grommets are both a means of support, but eyelets are typically used on clothing: shoes for lacing, corsets, belts and tend to look a little more polished than grommets. Grommets have a more industrial look, but I love them, for some reason and don’t mind the larger flange.

(The one on the left is eyelet, the right is a grommet)

On to projects (I’ll be adding instructional pics really soon)

My first grommet project was a felted purse.

Materials

• #2 Grommet kit (1/2 inch)
• Wooden mallet

That’s it! Now, let me explain before you run out to find your grommet kit. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy a kit from Joann’s or Michael’s or any craft store, as the kits that they sell are overpriced and the setters do not give your grommets a clean finish. The grommets are squished, flattened and end up splitting terribly.

Grommets come in different sizes, which correspond to a number.

If you want a professional finish, without buying a commercial setter, such as American Tag’s HomePro LR Then you will want to find a good set of hand tools. Believe me, when I tell you that good tools make the difference. For the purse, I ordered my Lord and Hodges grommet kit from Campmor.com along with refills (you may as well get refills, since they’re pretty inexpensive and since you have to pay for shipping.

Let’s Get Started

At this point, you should have already felted your bag, decided where you want the grommets to go and be ready to use the hole cutter. I tested several kits and methods before discovering the key to perfect setting.

1. Find a stable place to set your grommets. I used the cement stair in my basement, as my work table was taking a beating. I set the wood plank on the step,
2. placed my bag on top of the small wooden piece,
3. then placed the cutter directly over the marked area, where I want the grommet to go.
4. Tap the top of the cutter with your mallet (I confess, I used a regular hammer, but I’m getting a mallet, because I don’t want to ruin this set…it works so flawlessly).
5. There you have it! A perfect round hole that was easy to make. No fuss; no muss!
6. Place a grommet the hole of your bag.
7. Set the bag, with the grommet on top of the anvil. It should fit perfectly in the anvil, as each setter is designed to work with that specific size ONLY.
8. Place the plain washer over the grommet.
9. Using your mallet tap the setter once or twice. Check to see if the grommet has rolled down over the washer. If not, tap again, until the grommet is secure and completely rolled down.
10. Repeat steps 1-9, until all of your grommets are in place.

There you have it. You can now lace your lovely i-cord, or any other strap through the grommets.

Not bad, huh?