Note to self - insert eyes first, insert eyes first...
Other views in THIS ONLINE ALBUM.
Basically unless it's a flat package that fits thru a mail slot, Canada Post charges for a small packet. But 3 little bags filled with beans just can't compress into the slot.
What if I make them available as a Diy, include a yarn needle (that's still thin), and diy-ers can supply own beans?
(A bag of dry navy beans is pretty cheap. I'm seeing a 500g bag for 3.99 on Amazon.ca. But you can get them cheaper at local grocery store or bulk bin place.
Whereas the small packet rate for shipping goes up to just under $10, also dependent on weight.)
I've made a photo album that goes step by step thru finishing off the bag. Here's the link:
Here's a text guide to go with the album (photos in the album are numbered as captions):
1. Contents of kit (3 shells + plastic yarn needle).
2. Shows completed ball for comparison with shells
3. Sample shell to be filled in these pics, bag of dried navy beans, yarn needle
4. Get a dedicated bag of beans for this. The hands go right in there
5. Grab a handful of beans. Make a tube with your hand. (I've tried funnels etc, but hand works best)
6. Video clip of how beans go in.
7. What bag looks like when full. You don't have to fill to the brim.
8. Thread up yarn needle with yarn end at opening of bag.
9. The loop is kept from slipping closed by a piece of invisible tape. Pick tape off. It doesn't leave the yarn sticky.
10. Tighten the loop down by pulling the long tail/needle end.
11. Stick needle thru loop to begin closing. DO NOT tie a knot here.
12. To gather the top for closing, stick yarn tip thru 1 edge of the stitch. (Each stitch around top looks like a V. So you're picking up the outer edge of each V.)
13. Grab about 3 stitches at a time and snug up. Then do in batches of 3 until all the way around. (If you do all at once, the yarn kind of grabs itself and snarls and doesn't give you as tight a closure when you're done gathering.)
14. Shows loose gather all the way around.
15. Tighten down all the way/full gather. Tie knot here.
16. Push needle with yarn still threaded down thru top of ball and out bottom end. Snip tight to bottom edge of shell. (It will get sucked up into the ball after snipping). Take care not to snip into the shell of your ball.
17. Done! Rest of pics show top and side view of finished ball. As well as with measuring tape for scale.
If you've stumbled onto this posting and would like to buy the kit, here's the link to it in my Etsy shop:
Diy hackysack kit - where to buy
*A few beans will escape and roll around. If you can do this on a blanket on the floor or on your lap, it's easier to contain them.
Enjoy!
For deeper rib around face (where pattern starts), use 5 mm.
For warmth for children, start with wool blend vs 100% acrylic. Revert to tighter gauge of 4.5 mms.
For neck ribbing, need warm, so stay with 4.5s. To knit in round (and avoid neck seam), divide rib st over 3-4 needles at this point. Orient them with half across front at face. This will allow for seamless split when begin dickie front.
Knit neck rib to about 4 ins. Split st evenly between front and back. Place back st on stitch holders. Knit front to 5 ins. C/off. Knit back st to same length.
For dk weight yarn (like the floral/acryl), knit on 5.5 and 5 mms. This is a more decoration weight or under hood weight for child anyway.
For floral - try to maximize floral bands in non-rib runs.
The style that worked best was an oversize tam. It goes around the helmet easily.
By the time you tuck in the sides to streamline, you kind of have a newsboy type cap. On my first prototype i did a small token brim and tacked it under. You cant see it very well topside. Maybe the tiniest edge sticks out. But it does give a bit of a shading structure to the cover.
To keep it from slipping, a short drawstring around the brim. Also makes it adjustable.
Simple surface embroidery.
It doesnt take long to make. But tams do take a fair bit of yarn. So in the range of $25 - 30.
On the 2nd prototype, i did one round too many and had a bulky tuck at the sides. (*8 rounds depending on hook size). To disguise it, i did more embroidery on the side seam. Gave a vine like effect. CLICK HERE for online album with more pics.
One commentor said something about the first sample being like the animal covers that kids wear over helmets on the ski hills. It's been a long time since alpine skiing for me. And there were no helmet covers then (helmets - bah !). But it's a good idea. I see a local pet shop stocks animal themed knitwear for dog walker etc. i think. Dog riding obvs not the most common idea (altho i do have a walking rod on the trike for Jo. We go very slow). More likely for kid bike helmets.
I did shape these. But honestly, they could be rectangles and it would be fine.
Quicker, Takes a fair bit of yarn. Bit more time than one would think. But for sure quicker than the lined set.
Quick to surface decorate.
Perfectly served the function to brighten up black Mec bike mitts.
Could obvs be easily personalized.
I would make them again if requested.
CLICK HERE for a few more pics
Worked great. There were decent gusts and waves. 10 c day. There was superficial water spatter on top of the mitts. You could see water beads. But the mitts stayed dry inside & out.
I didnt tighten the drawstrings around the paddle slots, but could have. Fingers were cool. But when i took hands out to take pics, my hands became noticeably colder.
These took a long time to make. Started in round, 2 needle centre section for paddle slots, back to in round to finish. Stripes since working with scrap & didnt know i had enough yarn. Would be way fewer yarn ends to sew in without stripes. Would eliminate stripes if making for sale to keep time commitment therefore time costs down.
Made mitts long for potential male sizing. They were too long for me. But i ended up getting extra warmth from grabbing the extra length from inside and creating another layer of barrier to the air. so i'd keep that length. Maybe make a bit wider for a man.
Had thought about lining them with flannel or fleece. But cloth doesnt repel water as well. So am happy with result unlined.
Has taken me a couple of years of picking away at these. Timing had to be right to test them.
Generally satisfied with result.
