making my own hammock - first hang

So on the first night we did not make it to a camp (which is what i expected, honestly), rather we stopped on the side of the road to catch a couple of hours of sleep.  I slept on a cot with a perfect frame but rotted fabric that tore pretty bad.  It was very surreal...uncomfortable, the moon nearly full and very bright, the Utah landscape remote and flat.  I felt like i was sleeping on the surface of Mars or something.

The second night i couldn't find two good trees to hang from.  I tied between the back of our trailer and an Aspen.  I couldn't remember the knot i wanted to use, i was just too tired and improvised.  I wasn't sure if i had hung the tree hugger high enough and as for the trailer end i was just out of luck if it was too low.  I got into it for a while, realized that my butt was on the ground, so i got out and raised the tree hugger a few inches.  When i got in again i was hanging freely and actually swaying.  There's not enough room in my bedroom for much of that, at least not until recently there hasn't been.  I have almost always bumped against either this wooden chest or my captain's chair.  Not so this time.  I didn't feel like i was about to fall out but the hammock is much narrower and shorter than i'm used to and it was tricky getting in with my sleeping bag under me.  I didn't bring a pad, and this was actually the only night i wanted it.

The next morning i was on the ground if i laid a certain way in the hammock.  The way i had laid for most of the night i was still off the ground.  But the hang was really too low for comfort.  ETA:  I'm wondering if my hang was a little "too tight" but this was the only available setup without hanging in a bush.

So on this same day we entered Yosemite proper and ended up staying in one of the more remote campgrounds (four miles of bumpy dirt road, slow going).  I saw a couple of hammocks in the campground but no one laying in them (in the middle of the afternoon).  At this campsite i found two trees to hang from, went for higher spot to wrap the tree huggers this time...in fact, the hammock itself was suspended at about chest height and seemed tight to me (rather than hanging freely it was stretched about as tight as i could make it).  But then when i would try to get in i would immediately be sitting on the ground.  I tried adjust the height, the tightness, double checked the knots...it wasn't happening.  I am pretty certain that the rope i bought is the culprit and stretches way too much because the tree huggers and knots looked secure.  It was very disappointing.

So instead i hung my tarp for the first time.  The night before i wish i would have put it up, not because it rained or anything, but because my head was cold and i think it would have provided some warmth.  The tarp was really quick to hang from the tree huggers but the ground was so sandy/dusty that the stakes couldn't hold as well as i would have liked.  This felt successful, at least and did provide a nice level of protection.  I was on a cot again, a different one that is brand new, from Cabela's, and much more comfortable...but still not perfect.  Nothing can beat a hammock.  These cots are my parents' and i would never buy such a thing!  Give me a hammock, please!!!

See, once we got to our final destination (my sister's small house) one of my other sister's and i opted to sleep on the cots in a tent.  The house was hot, outside was a very pleasing temperature, though very humid.  The metal bars of the cot...well it seemed as if my legs were pained by them and i was never able to sleep very peacefully.  I've been having issues with my legs lately (i think it's restless leg syndrome, but i haven't see a doctor about it yet) and they seemed to be worse on the trip.  My legs did not like the cot at all.  But sleeping outside was very comfortable temperature-wise.

What i've learned:
My camping hammock is short and narrow.  So is a cot.  I would rather be hanging.  It's much more comfortable (no pain, only temperature issues, as the Mono Lake area is apparently much cooler than inside Yosemite itself).
My suspension does not work and needs to be replaced in the near future.  It was definitely longer than necessary.
My tree huggers are awesome...but they aren't long enough to wrap around sequoia trees (i should probably sew a backup/extender).
I hate tying knots in the dark.  I think i will invest in carbiners.

I am glad to be home and hope next trip goes better!

making my own hammock - tree huggers

I was too tired last night to stay awake to sew so this morning I an stitching the last part of this vacation's hammock setup.



These tree huggers are modeled after DIY Gear Supply's TreeStraps.  My first strap was 6'4" long and the strap was folded back 6" at each end (they must have given me a couple of extra inches, because i asked for 7' for each strap).  There is about 2 1/2" open at the ends opposed to their 2".

making my own hammock - hammock construction

Pattern

I have been reading Just Jeff's Hiking Page on and off for over a year now.  It was his site that got me interested in sewing my own hammock, actually.  To be extra sure that it will support my weight and in case i ever want to camp somewhere that gets cold at night (not completely unheard of) i have opted to sew the Two Layer Hammock.  Jeff copied Risk's ZHammock.  I did not use a zig-zag stitch, but i did leave the sides open near the ends so i can insert a mat/pad/underquilt if need be.  Risk has some nifty mods to his gear that are food for thought as well, but on this, my first foray into sewing camping gear, i'm going to keep it simple.  I'm not going to start counting ounces but since i am considering trying backpacking someday i do want a lightweight setup, so his mods probably won't be that applicable to me anyway.  But they are shiny.

Construction

The most difficult part of this project was the first seam somehow.  I was delayed even sitting down to start several times and it took me a long time to pin everything into place.  I was hesitant while sewing at first because this fabric is slippery and i had never sewn anything similar before.  Fortunately the dining room table was cleared off and i was able to spread out the fabric to pin it (mostly flat, hanging off the sides and end) otherwise it would have been hopeless.  I did things in a different order than Risk did...i started with the rolled hem at one end (he's got a nifty diagram...i sewed green red red green and omitted blue seams).  I turned it under 1 1/4" twice for a combined 2 1/2" lost at each end.

Then i had to figure out if my machine worked.  It's an old Singer that only sews in a straight line that was once my Grandma's (i'm pretty sure it's one of the machines i learned how to sew on).  Fortunately the manual was still with the case to remind me how to thread it, wind the bobbin, etc., and i was soon able to start with surprisingly good tension.  I sewed once with the folded seam on top once and then again with it turned towards the bottom, trying to sew closer to the edge of the hem the second time.

first rolled hem

It isn't pretty, but it's serviceable.  It turns out that the little machine does still work after all these years!  The rubber belt gets a little warm/stinky when sewing/winding at full speed but i had very few issues compared to my other machine that i received as a present when i graduated from junior high.

ready to tackle the side seam

Next i pinned one of the long sides from end to end and measured out the first side seam.  I gave it the same double-run treatment.  Then i pinned the opposite side and sewed it in the same way.  And lastly i pinned the second rolled hem, which required me to trim some of the red/purple fabric away because it was cut slightly longer than the brown.  It was a lot easier for me to pin this second rolled hem than it had been for me to pin the first.

second rolled hem

stay/top stitched to imperfection

 The last thing i did was turn the entire hammock right side out.  This required me to pull the hammock through itself.  I stay-stitched all of the seams to reinforce them.  Once again, this came out a lot uglier than i would have liked, but considering that this is the first time i have used Rip Stop Nylon it could have been a lot worse.  The entire project took me less than four hours from start to finish.

Unlike Risk, i did not hem the free edges on the sides of the hammock.  This fabric has salvages with a frayed look but i'm pretty sure that it's not actually fraying, that's just how they were left after the fabric was woven.

Suspension Prep

whip it good

This afternoon i whipped the ends of the hammock as outlined by Just Jeff.  I'm happy with my knot but am surprised by how much of the hem is sticking out above the whipping.  It feels like a lot, and definitely looks thicker than the hammock in Jeff's examples (which is because it's double-thick, of course).  Tree huggers are on the menu tonight, and hopefully my first hang will be Tuesday night.

Now i know that i said in my last post that i'm saving ~$60, but this isn't strictly true.  That is $60 is i went with a barebones, less-than-ideal setup.  To buy a similar hammock at REI that apparently doesn't work right with the pad inserted it would cost me $95.  I paid $42 for my hammock materials, an additional savings of $43 were i to buy the hammock that's most similar to what i'm sewing.  So of course if you consider what i would have bought if money were no option...i might have chosen just to buy a Hennessy.  In that case the bug net, tarp, and snakeskins would have been included, but i would be saving even more money by customizing my setup.  This also means that if something wears out i can fix or replace what is broken rather than the entire hammock tent.

making my own hammock - materials

So i have been happily sleeping in a hammock for a year now (yay!).  The only drawback to sleeping in a hammock is that the frame in my room if huge and takes up so much space.  Also, the material that my hammock was constructed with (string) is fragile.  I have had to repair breaks several times after snagging on a button on my pants/shorts or one of the bolts on the frame.  One must be careful with these things!  The miracle is that this frame (that i made with my own two hands!) and this hammock hold me up every night and mostly seems like new.

Well much as i'd like to i can't lug my hammock and its frame out camping with me.  I knew this would be the case, and started planning to buy or sew a camping hammock even while i was buying and hanging my first hammock.  I bought some straps to make my own tree huggers at the same time that i was buying the materials to build the frame.  So today i'm taking the plunge and am going to start sewing my camping hammock!

To start out with...i debated whether it would just be easier to go to REI and buy one pre-made.  I read reviews, i agonized over it, but i finally decided just to make it myself.  Money and color were both factors in this (i do not want a camo hammock, and i'm not sure i want one that's lime green or royal blue or red, either).  As a result i was able to pick out the colors i wanted to use (subdued but still slightly feminine) and i got a great deal because the local fabric store was having a sale...they were closing up shop and moving to a smaller location that is only for sewing machines and quilt fabric (rather than the mega-fabric, mega-home decor fabric location they had been).

Hammock Material
6 yds ripstop nylon = $27.50 (3 yds each of two different colors, 54" wide)
25 yds nylon cord = $1.70 (for whipping hammock...no way i'll need this much)
1 spool Gutermann thread = $2.70 (100% polyester, recommended for sewing tents)

Mosquito Net/Snakeskin Materials
8 yds netting = $23.75 (in an off-white...taking a chance here)
1 110" Boat Zipper = $10.75

Tree Hugger
straps - two 7'x1.5" = $5
40 yds climbing rope = $8.25 (couldn't find Spectra rope in town or online for a reasonable price)

Tent
Kelty Noah's Tarp - 9'x9'= $49
Paracord = $13 for 100yds (won't need that much!)
Figure 9 rope tightener w/6' guy line x 2 - $7.50 (for tarp ties)
Tent Stakes x 4 = $10

Grand Total = just under $160



As you may have deduced, i decided to take the plunge and get an REI membership.  I'm not sure it's going to pay for itself this year, but the guarantee made it tempting to buy the Kelty Tarp through REI rather than Amazon even though it costs ~$10 more.  Half of that difference would have been made back at the end of the year with the member's refund.  Unfortunately the tarp was backordered through REI so i'm going with Amazon instead and hoping it arrives before it's time to go on the trip in ~3 weeks.

In case you're wondering if this setup saves money...refer to REI's selection of hammocks and realize that i have to have a setup that can hold more weight than some of the cheaper hammocks are rated for...and you still have to buy things individually (hammock + bug net + tent + tree huggers).  My tree huggers cost $5 compared to $20-25.  I am saving at least $60 by my estimates.

I will continue to edit this post while i am still working on this project.

What it's like sleeping in a hammock - 100th post

I went from my back always being in pain to almost no pain at all.  I went from it being too hot to even sleep to so cool that i sometimes actually needed a blanket to keep warm.  See, we're not used to sleeping without something that reflects/conserves heat beneath us.  I went from sleeping with three pillows (and feeling like i needed more) to sleeping with only one pillow, and sometimes no pillow at all.

What Kinds of Hammocks are There?
Contrary to what most Americans probably believe, a hammock isn't really supposed to have a piece of wood at either end holding it open.  In fact, there are some who would even deny that such a contraption is, in fact, a hammock.  I will call that an American Hammock.  The hammock that most of the world uses is called a Mayan (or Mexican) Hammock.  These hammocks are longer and come in a variety of widths.  The next kind of hammock is the Brazilian.  These are Mayan hammocks with lace or fringe hanging from the side edges so they're pretty.  Lastly, there is the camping hammock.  This is a shorter Mayan Hammock probably made out of ripstop nylon.  Some have a tent or mosquito netting sewn to the hammock.

Hammocks can be made out or rope, fabric, or string.  My hammock is string, and if you snag it the string will probably break.  I think that my hammock has suffered three breaks in the past six months.  These can be repaired with a Fisherman's Knot...which appears to be the same thing that was used whenever it was woven to change colors/skeins, etc.

How to Lay in a Hammock
Well there's two ways to get in.  You can sit down in the middle, then turn lifting your feet.  Or, you can straddle the hammock, then sit down, then pull your legs in.  I prefer the second method.  While you're in the hammock you don't want to be laying perfectly centered with your head and feet pointing towards the upright portion of the frame.  You can lay perpendicular to this line, but that also isn't the way one is meant to lay in a Mayan hammock.

The right way to lay in a hammock is at a diagonal.  Your head and feet do not have to be higher than your body.  I find that i usually a sort of Peter Pan position to hold the hammock open a certain way since i really have a hammock meant for two or more people to use at the same time.  But if i get arranged the right way i will be laying flat in whatever position i find to be most comfortable.  There are no pressure points, only support.

How to get out?  They say to sit up and do the reverse of whatever way you got in.  I have managed this a couple of times...but my hammock is huge and i am short.  Because i have to hang it high enough to clear the bottom of my frame, it's really too high off the ground for me to comfortably get out of using those methods.  It's easier for me to roll out usually, particularly because i'm not particularly coherent when i first wake up.  I have no idea what kind of untoward wear and tear this is causing my setup, however.

Bedding
In the summer, my system became putting a bottom sheet (corner curled around my feet and head) below me by wrapping myself up in it.  Once you're in the hammock, you don't have to keep it wrapped around you, you can just lay with the air above you or put a top sheet/light blanket on top.  In the winter...at first i needed to have a comforter below me or i'd be freezing.  I meant to try a sleeping mat (like for camping) but never got around to it.  Then for a while i was using a sleeping bag liner, sometimes with a light blanket below, a comforter on top.  Most of the time i forego the liner now and only have the comforter on top, sometimes that light blanket again.  I anticipate that in the summer i might not even need a sheet below me, maybe just above.

But I Can't Sleep on My Back!
You don't have to sleep on your back when you're in a hammock.  I usually sleep partially on my side, partially on my back, at least, that's how it feels once i get settled.  You can sleep on your stomach, but it's harder to get comfortable.  Ditto to sleeping on your side, though somehow this usually manages to make my lower shoulder hurt.  So the cradled 3/4 position is usually where i end up, even if i start in another position.  It's just so comfy.

the hammock project...part 3

Sorry for the delay in posting this!

Warning...image and clutter intense.

Happy New Year!

Is anyone else having trouble with Ravelry?  I notice that there are some new features, but things such as searches, adding favorites, project progress, adding needles/store info to a project, organizing sets/tags, and my inbox are not working properly.  It's a little frustrating.  I have come to rely on Ravelry a great deal.
 ETA: It seems that i needed to clear my cache.  That is what their help/faq advised and it worked.

I didn't knit as much in 2011 as the two previous years.  I tried knitting my last semester in college for stress relief but it didn't work out past the first couple of weeks of classes.  There were many projects that i was dreaming of but didn't have the money to buy the yarn for.  Now those dreams have changed a little.

What has been an improvement of sorts is that i am now teaching knitting.  The first semester was craziness with the younger kids (who were mostly too young, so i am going to teach an Intro to Needlearts class now with more crafty objectives) and all of my classes shrank before the end of the semester.  I have high hopes for the semester starting in a couple of weeks however!

State of Knitting 2011
new projects
Sky Slippers (still incomplete)
Cloudy Giselle (for my sister using Giselle pattern again...about halfway finished)
Autumn Leaves (frogged)
Star-Crossed Slouchy Beret (frogged)
Braidy (probably soon to be frogged)

older UFOs (that i hope to return to soon)
Starfish Snood
Funky Grunge Cap
Slip-Stitch Baby Cardigan
Mom's Sampler Afghan
and the Liberty Cap

Oh, btw, i do still intend to write an update about my hammock.  I lost my camera's battery and only recently found it again (which was such a relief, let me tell you!).  I also have plans to blog more often this year.  My goal is to finish old projects and learn how to spin this year.  Here's hoping...

the hammock project, part 2

To sum up part 1:  i bought a hammock, two eye bolts, two heavy-duty carabiners, and some rope to hang my hammock with...  Only to discover that i would need to build a stand.

The first thing i needed to decide was what material and schematic to use in order to build said hammock stand/frame.  The most obvious option was wood:  it was relatively inexpensive.  But i hadn't worked with wood in a long time, and i wasn't particularly inclined to spend $10 on the U-BILD plan that seemed to be the most professional looking source of information.  One big plus was that i could see a photo of the finished projects, while on the how-to and DIY sites were far less forthcoming.

This was also the case for PVC pipe projects.  PVC pipes were slightly more expensive, but the glue seemed to be less daunting to me than stain/sealer, bolts/nuts/washers.  I found one picture that looked promising of such a project, a GreatPlans number that cost $12 to buy the plans for.  Apparently PVC pipe furniture is popular, though i saw a lot of people advise against using it for weight bearing and instead advocated ABS piping or to stay away from these sorts of pipes all together.  One of the things that put me off this idea was the fact that the pipes cannot screw into one another (i think i'm right about).

My thoughts eventually turned to steel pipe.  This seemed to be the most practical option.  There are a lot of metal frames on the market, easy to copy from pictures.  However, this turned out to be cost prohibitive, far more expensive than wood or PVC, and i had read warnings that pipe is impossible to completely clean, that it is always oily.  This didn't sound practical for indoor use, and it was definitely beyond my budget.  If money was no option, i'm pretty sure that this is probably where i would have ended up.  Oddly, it was the craft in which i have the least experience.  However, the materials are strongest.

Finally, i stumbled upon the Hammock Forums and TrailH4X' portable hammock stand.  I felt as if the U-BILD option was a bit overkill, too low and not really practical for a Mayan hammock.  This seemed to be a inspired-by yet reworked version of the same pattern.  I'm not sure if that's true, but hey, a free schematic was definitely a plus.  One thing that i should have taken into account was the size of his hammock compared to mine (i assumed that it was a couple of feet shorter, but didn't take the time to confirm by how much), but it was a starting off point.  I decided to make the base 2' longer than Trail's and assumed that this would be sufficient.  So i went out and followed his shopping list, planning to make some of the cuts a couple of inches shorter so i didn't have to buy more wood than he had.  The wood was pleasantly inexpensive.  The stain was far over budget and i ended up getting more than i needed because i trusted the estimates of the employee who helped me rather than figure out the math myself.  And the bolts...i was confused about what kind to use.  He recommended 1/4" in diameter and i had a feeling that would not be sufficient.  But i purchased some of that diameter that were galvanized steel.

Upon getting all of the supplies home...i cut most of the would with my father's old electric saw and sawed through the remaining thickness by hand.  I slept in my old bed one last time.  The next morning, i put the first coat of stain on the wood.  And then i started to drill holes.

Stay tuned for part 3.

the hammock project, part 1

When i moved back home, not only had my old room been overtaken with sewing, scrapbooking, and various craft supplies, but i didn't have a bed anymore.  My old waterbed had a leak so we got rid of it...all except the headboard, which makes a lovely bookcase.  When i moved home, we gradually began moving some things out of the black hole that my room had become.  I was given an old full size bed with box spring that my youngest sister had been using.  It was already an old bed that had been given to us used, but i was glad that it wasn't a twin, even if it was only standing on the floor and there was no frame.

But that was a couple of years ago.  All that remains of the black hole is one bookshelf that is still filled with scrapbook supplies, empty boxes, file boxes, and gift wrap.  I have most of my room back.  But the bed...the bed is dead.  Springs are starting to poke out of the mattress and there is no support left.  This is disagreeable for anyone, but especially for me because i have a bad back.   When i first started using this bed, my back appreciated it and felt much better; now there isn't a morning that i don't wake up with my back complaining.

Well i am between graduating from college and finding a job at the moment.  Looking on CraigsList...beds seem to be going for $400 upwards.  I definitely can't afford that.  But no more can i afford to keep using this bed.  So i started dreaming of buying a hammock again.

Way back in 2003, before i even got my GED and decided to go back to school (this time to college) i moved in with my aunt and started paying her some rent.  She didn't have an extra bed, so i slept on an air mattress for a while.  I didn't have a bad back yet, but my back didn't particularly care for this mattress when my job required me to be on my feet all day long.  So what i really wanted to buy was a hammock, but upon some research i realized that it was beyond my budget.  So we bought a couch at a thrift store that was like new because it had just been recovered.  That was quite comfortable and served me well for nearly a year before i moved away.

But this time...i really wanted to make a hammock setup work.  Hammocks are good for your back.  Hammocks themselves are relatively inexpensive, it is the hammock frame that costs a lot (upwards of $100, which is extreme for my budget).  And then i stumbled upon this video.

RayD888 apparently sleeps in a hammock that has bolted into the wall.  All that you need is your hammock, two eye bolts, two carabiners, and some rope.  Much more cost effective than a hammock stand!  So i broached the subject with my father.  My mother tells me that he cannot comprehend why i would want to sleep in a hammock.  He has no back trouble whatsoever.  Well he didn't object at the time.  It wasn't until over a week (something like 10-14 days) after i ordered my hammock that he told me that he didn't want me drilling holes in the studs in my bedroom.

By that time i had already purchased my hammock online and received it in the mail.  So what's a girl to do?  Stay tuned for part two.