Craft Gossip

The largest independent craft review site since 2007

How to do a fused Glass Pot Melt!

by

I’ve got a project that is requiring me to make streaky glass that will be used for a countertop for a bathroom. Fortunately, it’s not a huge counter but it is a challenging endeavor nonetheless. So I started to ask Mr. Google who could help me with some advice. One of the best sources of information came from Glassblower.info.

The idea is to put scrap glass into a clay flower pot, and take your kiln up to 1700F,
at which time the now molten glass will drizzle out the (one or more) holes
in the bottom of the flower pot, hopefully creating intricate designs!

They show many configurations of holes and glass set ups. And they show the results. That’s very important since I anticipate slicing up what I make and then firing that in the mold I make for the slab of glass. The slab will then be waterjet cut to get the shape and the hole for the sink. This will be so cool. I’ll post pictures as the project progresses…

Read These Next

Have you read?

Knit a Great Button Down Shirt

Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting. 

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of. 

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams. 

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs. 

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty. 

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this). 

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry. 

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

Add Some Texture to Your Summer Knitting

Book Review – Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers