Librocubicularist Aug./ Sept. 2016

Things have been pretty average around here lately. The fall season is when I work the most hours so I've been busier at work. Fall, particularly October is a big time for me personally because it holds both my birthday and wedding anniversary so we are making plans for those events as well.

Trying to fit in time to work on the giant string art is tricky mainly because I have to keep moving it out of reach of our three cats and their attempts to play with the sting. I have managed to (mostly) finish the first color/ stage and plan to start the sword sections later this week.

Since I was out sick last month my whole posting schedule got off and I never posted book reviews for that time. Let me share them now.

August Reviews

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a really entertaining book about much fun the library can be. 12 kids are chosen to attend a lock-in for the opening of the town's new library, which happens to be the most awesome sounding library ever. I won't tell you about the all the amazing features the library has because some of them are tied to the storyline but I wish I had a library nearby with even some of its features. The party ends with a contest in which the kids have to find a hidden way out the library using only the resources and clues available in the library. The main focus is on the joys of the reading and libraries but also friendship and teamwork.

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lucy Weston wakes up as a vampire with no idea what's happened. She has only a few memories of her human life. When she stumbles across a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula she decides to seek him out for answers. Her search for answers reveals all sorts of secrets and complications. On the surface, this book is a vampire story set in a steampunk version of London but there are several other themes. Tied into the futuristic setting is a discussion of ever increasing technology and its impact on the world. There is also a debate about what humanity really is, what exactly makes someone human. While some of it is a bit over the top (a subway in Victorian London for example), overall I really enjoyed the story.

September Reviews

Mend It Better: Creative Patching, Darning, and Stitching by Kristin M. Roach

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This a great book about how to mend and care for your clothes. It covers a variety of things from simple fixes such as patching holes or sewing torn seams to more advanced repairs like zipper replacement. There's even a chapter about repairs for special fabric types including lace, leather, and velvets. Whenever possible the author tries to include instructions to complete repairs either by hand sewing or using a sewing machine so you can use whichever method you're more comfortable with. There are also examples of creative fixes throughout the book to offer inspiration for your own repairs (some include instructions but not all). One of my favorite things was the instructions for how to make your own mending tools like a darning eggs or tailors ham. The final chapter gives tips for washing and caring for your clothing to prevent the need for repairs in the first place.
I saw another review where they questioned who exactly the intended audience for this book is because of a lack of instructions or pictures for some projects and maybe more than necessary for other but I had no problems following any of the instructions. At the start of the book, there is an overview of basics including how to thread a needle and a variety of stitches for both hand and machine sewing that can be referred back to for most of the other projects.

Whatever the Weather: Science Experiments and Art Activities That Explore the Wonders of Weather by Annie Riechmann

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Whatever the Weather is designed to get your family outside to explore in a variety of weather conditions. It begins with an overview of weather exploration: questions to ask, basics of the water cycle and other science behind weather, and measurements such as the Beaufort Scale for wind speeds. The following chapters are organized by various weather phenomena; cold/snow, rain, sun , and wind. Each contains ideas and projects to learn more about that particular phenomena and art projects that use the weather as a key component. There are also sidebars that provide a refresher for parents on the science behind each project and offer suggestions for ways to extend the investigation if you have kids that want to learn more. There's an emphasis on observation and the art projects tie in as ways to either record your findings (such as tracing your shadow at various times of day to track the sun) or to help make observations easier (painting leave to help highlight the veins or building a boat to see how water moves). Finally, there's a section in the back with a great list of resources for even further explorations.


I'm trying to get better about typing up reviews for books right after I read them so that everything is fresh in my mind and I might get more reviews finished. I read so much more than what shows up here. Right now I have a bunch of books about photography. We are planning a trip for our anniversary next year (it will be our tenth) and I want to learn more about getting great shots of our celebration. This is  my current library stack...

DIY String Art- Part Two- Basics

I finally managed to finish putting in all the nails for my string art so I could get started on the actual string part. I had a lot of trouble with the nails, I'm not experienced enough with this to know if using different nails or a different type of board would have made things easier. I find it more likely that I just need more practice with nails.

Part of what I like about string art is that it makes cool shadows so I wanted to use nails that were long enough to let the string sit above the board. My plan is to place the string for various parts of the design at different heights on the nails so that everything looks like it is layered. I used a longer nail length to accommodate this as well as places where I need to wrap the thread around a single nail multiple times.

These are the nails I used as well as pliers to help hold the nails while you hammer.

As I worked I was constantly re-evaluating the placement and number of nails. I've created a pattern that you can download to re-create my design. The red dots show the placement of the nails. There are a few spots where I made changes as I worked and those are marked in green.

 I will post it A.S.A.P.  but right now I am experiencing technical difficulties with my scanner.

After placing all the nails the next step is to remove the paper pattern. At this point I had a few nails that tried to pull out with the paper, especially in the area where the paper was taped together, so be careful. I was able to re-hammer each one as I went.  Finding the right placement later could be difficult.

The first step is to attach your string to a nail, just wrap it around and tie a knot. You can also add a drop of glue to help seal the knot. Just dab it on the knot and press in the cut end of the thread.

The most basic string art designs are outlines and solid filled patterns.  I'll start with outlining even though I'm not using it until the second stage of my design. All you do is wrap the thread around the nails in the same direction to make a single outline.

If you want a double outline, turn around at the end and wrap each nail again from the opposite direction.

I started with the shield because I want it to look like it is in the back, so the other colors will be layered on top. To fill in an area all you need to do is wrap the string in a random pattern until you get the desired amount of color. I went for a sort of medium fill level, some might want a more solid color, some might want to let more wood show through.

While you work, be sure to keep the string at a uniform height on the nails so that the string makes a level surface. Since I want to create layers of string I tried to keep this layer toward the bottom of the nails.

I used regular hand embroidery thread for this part of the design. What you see in the picture below is one skeins worth. I have another on hand but will likely need to purchase a third to be able to completely finish this portion of the design.

I will post book reviews in two weeks, hopefully with a few extra to make up for missing last months. Then hopefully I will have the shield and sword finished and ready to share for the next post.