Survival Candle Tutorials

Since Hurricane Irene is presently whipping through the US, I have included links to tutorials on how to make survival candles. Some of these come in handy for heating or cooking!

Candles can obviously be a fire hazard, so don’t leave them unattended and keep the wick trimmed! It’s also important to use a non-flammable container or plate. Tin cans and mason jars work well and are usually easy to find.

Also, make sure you put your candles somewhere safe so that they won’t get tipped over. It would be a shame to survive a storm and then go and catch your home on fire. Ideally, you’ll also have flashlights, but batteries aren’t always easy to find.

At Life Hacker, learn how to make an emergency candle out of a tub of Crisco. Since not everyone has this kicking around, use this as a starting point. You could always stick some shortening/fat in a coffee can and add a string. This candle apparently lasts for up to 45 days.

Find out how to make an emergency light candle on Goldenpath’s Hub Page. You’ll need: a pop can, wick, oil and a glass container. The can becomes the wick’s base after you cut it and create a hole with a nail.

You could also use a bottle lid as the base if you’re looking for something smaller. It’s a very detailed tutorial and quite easy to do. Thanks Goldenpath!

This article explains how to cook with candles on a tin stove. You just need three tea lights and a tin can big enough to cover them. Don’t forget to cut vent holes into the can! If you need a bigger surface, use a bigger can or place a small pot on top of a large coffee can.

If you still want more, see my previous posts on how to make wilderness survival candles and fire starters.

Stay safe friends!

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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