Sunday, February 28, 2010

Lighting Project




It has been a bit since I have done any work on the little trailer. All that snow and frigid weather has kept my focus indoors. One of the remaining projects after her renovation was to install a reading light above the bed. Much searching failed to find a 12volt light fixture that both ran on low voltage LEDs and didn't look too modern and/or plastic. I particularly wanted to have some textured copper to balance the beaten copper backsplash in the trailer's tiny kitchen area.

So I decided to build my own artsy fixture.

I purchased an inexpensive 12volt LED dome light from a boat supply store. The LED circuit board inside was the right size to fit neatly in one of the picture frames I had already wood-burned and painted. I used a piece of MDF the size of the frame as a base. I drilled a hole for the wires, then painted the edges orange and the face with iridescent gold paint. The iridescent paint is to help reflect the light out from under the shade. (Why gold? Because I had it on hand.) I varnished the board, then attached the frame to it with screws from the back. The inset in the frame meant to hold the glass made a neat slot to fit in the shade. I attached the LED board with its original screws and glued down the switch.

To achieve a textured copper shade, I built a frame out of hardware cloth. I covered the frame with heavy-duty recycled aluminum foil, being careful to cover the inside with the shiny side out to reflect light. I pressed the aluminum into the hardware cloth for maximum texture. At this point it looked pretty disappointing, but I pressed on anyway. I brushed sizing all over the outside of the shade, then applied copper leaf. It took about 3 applications since the texture made leafing difficult. When I reached the point of good enough, I coated the shade with copper sealant, and left it to dry overnight.

Here it is, screwed securely to the trailer wall. Having little experience with electrical things, it was indescribably satisfying to flip the switch and see the light come on!


Thursday, February 11, 2010

Michelin Man Mitts


Gauge: 18 stitches per 4 inches (4.5 ss/in)
Needles: U.S. size 7 double-points or size to meet gauge. (Either 4 or 5 needles, whichever is most comfortable), stitch holder or scrap yarn to hold thumb stitches

Yarn: I used softly handspun alpaca at 11 wpi. Any soft, fuzzy yarn that is pleasantly squishy at the gauge should work.

Size: One size fits most, since the mitts are very stretchy. Unstretched, mitts measure 8 inches in length and approximately 8 inches around palm. Adjustments can be made by casting on fewer or more stitches for a child's or man's hands, and adjusting the number of pattern repeats for length. I was able to try on the mitts for size as I knit them.

Abbreviation: LI = Lifted Increase: pick up the strand between stitches in the row below with the tip of the left needle (front to back) and knit through the back to twist the new stitch.

8-Round Stitch pattern:
Rounds 1-4: Knit
Rounds 5-8: Purl

CUFF:
- Cast on 32 stitches (loosely) and join in round, distributing stitches evenly between needles.
- complete 4 repeats of the 8-round stitch pattern (resulting in 4 purl welts)

INCREASE FOR THUMB GUSSET:
- Knit 2 rounds
- K1, LI, knit to last stitch, LI, K1
- Knit 1 round
- Purl 4 rounds
- knit 1 round
- k2, LI, knit to last 2 stitches, LI, k2
- Knit 1 round
- k3, LI, knit to last 3 stitches, LI, k3
- purl 4 rounds
- knit 4 rounds
- purl 4 rounds
- knit 1 round
- knit to last 5 stitches, put 5 stitches on holder, cast on 2 stitches to tip of right needle (I used 2 backward loops)
- add first 5 stitches to holder (total 10 stitches on holder), knit to end

PALM:
- Purl 4 rounds
- repeat 8-round pattern 4 times (total of 12 purl welts from very beginning of mitt)
- Knit 4 rounds
- bind off loosely

THUMB:
- put the 10 stitches from the holder onto 3 needles
- leaving a 5-inch yarn tail, knit 1 round picking up 3 more stitches from the gap at inside of thumb
- knit 1 round
- purl 4 rounds
- knit 4 rounds
- purl 4 rounds
- knit 4 rounds
- bind off loosely
- use the 5-inch tail to sew closed any gaps that remain around the base of the thumb.
- weave in remaining yarn tails.

NOW MAKE ANOTHER ONE.

Enjoy!

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Michelin Man Mitts

I had 2 balls of yarn leftover from knitting the Ridged Lace Cowl. These mitts are squishy, cuddly, hand-spun alpaca. They are very warm and the accordion pleats allow you to stretch them down over chilly fingers as needed. Pattern coming soon.