Bigger Is Not Always Better

Get your minds out of the gutter. I know what you were hoping for when you saw that title. Instead, I speak of this.

For the photographers in the bunch, you may recognize that as a light box. I got a wild burr up my bum today to make my own. I've been wanting one, and I keep looking at commercial ones available and have to admit I just couldn't see the cost being acceptable. So, I once again went perusing the internet for instructions to build my own, and this is what I came up with.

All of the instructions I found were using cardboard boxes, which like many of the preconstructed ones I have seen utilize in their construction. I thought that was rather flimsy and I had these wonderful sheets of styrofoam in the garage from a previous insulation project so I dug in. From what was supposed to be an hour long project and has now taken a good chunk of the day, a few rolls of duct tape (1.5 to be specific), 3 yards of interfacing, a good knife, and some not so great fore-planning to have this finished item now downstairs. Mind you, I found that I should have constructed it downstairs to begin with since when it was all put together the first time I then found I had to take it apart to get it downstairs. Damn 1950's male designers who didn't listen to their wives regarding house design.

It is quite sturdy, and kind of large but hey, it will suffice. The original instructions I ran with used tissue paper but I had some leftover thin interfacing that was used on a sewing project a couple years back that is a bit sturdier, and wont fray at the edges like a cloth that I originally thought about using. Oh, and let's not forget the velcro I used to attach the interfacing so it can be easily removed and replaced with other light filtering media if wanted.

And once I got it all together, I then had to play with it, right? Of course.

The first thing handy was some of last years pickles. My very last bottle in fact. It was a bit fiddly getting the camera to play nice but with some leftover cotton fabric and a couple cheap utility clip on lights I think it will work quite nicely. I will play with back drops and what not but I think on bad outdoor lighting or no lighting at all late at night whenI want to snap a shot, it will be quite nice.

Here's the latest knitting and spinning. That is the Apples For the Trees yarn I had plyed up this last week. I am knitting the Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief.

Cindy and Dana, I didn't have the correct version I thought I did. Fat frigg'n fingers.

And some more of last weeks spinning. The big slubs were actually purposeful. Last post included pictures of this fiber outdoors which will probably still be my preferred lighting method but I had to play with the new toy, and with the lighting settings on even my little point and shoot digital I have to say the colors are very true. I'm happy even if irritated that it took me three hours to complete.