Hear That?

Listen, can you hear it? That's the sound of money being spent.

We, in the form of Otter Necessities, are doing our part in encouraging the economy. 

Once upon a time we looked at an embossing machine that Tandy carried. They currently carry a different one, but the machine they used to carry is still available made by the company I've bought a couple-three cutting dies from, as it happens. I've also been drooling over a machine that another supplier carries that creases (puts grooves along the edges of) belts and straps.  Waffle waffle waffle.

This weekend the waffle event horizon collapsed and today I ordered the embossing machine, which will also do creasing. 

I also ordered a hand setting machine for snaps, rivets, etc. 

We have a setter, but it really should be mounted on a stand and be operated by a foot press - the handle points toward the back, downward, and is fairly short. The new one is a better design. 

I think the triggering event for the purchase of the embosser, besides having available fundage from our tax return, was a request by an Etsy customer. We'd been discussing a hanging belt pouch and belt, and she asked if we made "skirt hikes". I followed the link she provided, and then responded that ya, you betcha, we can!  

Here's a version from an Amazon seller. 

The version the customer was looking at was a plain narrow strap with two round rings, so that's what I made. And being feeelthy merchant scum (tm), I made some more to sell. How does this lead to purchasing an embossing machine?  Because if we had one, we could make fancy-schmancy ones with a pattern embossed on them. Or creased borders. And charge extra for them, being feeelthy merchant scum and all.

Meanwhile, the side of my brain that has been looking at trying to make fairly accurate Civil War-era accoutrements clutched its pearls and hyperventilated about modern farby wench gear.  It got a pat on the head and sympathetic noises.

Yesterday I cut out and worked on a custom hanging pouch for the customer. While I was out it, I cut out some more hanging pouches, which we could use. I, um, got a little carried away. I've got parts for 4 small and 2 large ones, besides the customer's.  But assembly-line production works so well!

Needless to say, I spent a good chunk of yesterday in the dining room. Pippin, being my dog, kept me company.

While I was working on pouches, Ron made got the ratcheting tie-down straps I'd bought parts and strapping for made/modified (about half the hardware came from straps we'd bought at various times, that were less-than ideal lengths, thin floppy annoying webbing, or both). 

I need to go to Cabela's and get more ammunition cans for the sock yarn. Right now the yarn is in jumbo zippy bags (to keep the dogs, and their hair, out of it). I was thinking I needed another collapsible fabric bin to display it in, but I'm waffling about display options, and holding off.  I also need to see if I can find a basic sock pattern, either to sell or give away. The supplier I bought the laceweight yarn from has patterns, and my original plan was to get sock patterns with sock yarn from there, but then I went and bought my MIL's sock yarn. Oops. Have to check my minimum order requirement and what I've sold/need to replace in laceweight yarn.

To go with the yarn, last week I ordered a bunch more knitting needles - I'll have bamboo needles in US sizes 0 through 10, in 8" double points, and 16" and 32" circulars, and aluminum double points in an oddball size that works out to, IIRC, US size 2.5.  I may need one more of the little mesh cubes, so I have one for double-points and one for each length circular, but that's minor.