Mini Lap Charkha and my inability to leave well-enough alone

I grew up around people who made stuff and sometimes re-made with changes and improvements. As I’ve nattered on about it this year I purchased a mini lap charkha (https://www.facebook.com/minicottonspinner/) and love it. I work cramped and it’s portable. Day job staff meetings via zoom are so improved.

First off I’m a clutz. I’ve never seen a charkha of any make that I couldn’t stab myself on. Do they have to be so sharp? That I don’t know but they all are and I’ve found rubber plugs found at most hardware stores or amazon work great to protect me from myself.

On lab at desk.

As-is the mini charkha works fine with rubber bands. But I’ve found that hair ties work well also, especially when they are looser from use on hair.

I love poking around hardware stores and found rubber grommets that have a “track” in the middle which is great for keeping the drive band steady. I ended up putting all four of the grommets so the band is really steady. (Sorry for the blurry photo.)

mini charkha with hair tie and 4 rubber grommets.

Friend’s Baby and Baby Blanket In-Progress

I started project blogging back in 2006 with posts about blankets for my twin nieces (https://www.jmjamison.com/basil-for-twins-the-blanket-not-the-plant/). Knitting them Basil Blankets from Courtney Kelley’s pattern https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basil-5.

In that time before Ravelry her patterns were sold from her Smith Island Pattern Factory site. Now her work is available from: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/courtney-kelley

So, fourteen years later the original recipients are in high school and and another child and another blanket is on the way.