Working on jewelry

I've been working on jewelry the past few days and have several necklaces ready for clasps.  The problem is that I can find my mini anvil!  Once I've shaped the clasps they will need to be work hardened and the anvil makes this easier.  I've been working on a goddess symbol in a cookie cutter outline in a copper alloy.  The goddess is really cool with lots of leftover beads fixed on with wire and a crown tatted from 28 gauge copper alloy.  The printer is not communicating with compter so I can't scan it right now.  Back to taking pictures, if the camera is to be found!

Several other ideas for jewelry pieces have been dancing around the old noggin.  One is a necklace with a flat braid in greens and brown.  Copper leaves will be wired to the braid along with some crystal dangles.  Then a brown cord will wind around the necklace and will have lucite flowers attached.  On the left side will be a small ceramic elf head and it's body will be a leaf, it's arms small twigs.  The elf will be surrounded by leaves and small flower.  I've alread stared making the leaves with a diecut machine and medium weight pure copper.  It was difficult to cut but the leave are great!  They came out quite firm and dull edged.  I will also be making some stumpwork wings using wire and a shear fabric.  The only problem is should it have fibers like yarn and fabric added?  Just need to experiment.

This week I hope to get the jewelry and books photographed and put the images on Etsy.  Also there are some consignment stores to look into around the area.  Today I'm working on cards to attach to the jewelry.  They will include a description of the work and the beads used.  A lot more interesting then a tag "pink bead necklace"!  Hope this works out!

Lace

Well I have been busy working on learning to tat with a tatting shuttle and finally getting the hang of it.  Still I like using needles better but there are advantages to using the shuttle.  You can tat over the beginning threads easily.  It allows you to stop anywhere in the piece when working with double shuttles and so eliminate extra thread ends.  Now that I have gotten better I plan on trying to tat with 28 guage wire to make lace jewelry.

I finished a lace scarf which had both graphs and written instructions.  It was extremely hard at first but after seven tries I finally got the hang of reading the pattern and remembering the stitches.  I plan to frog it because of all the mistakes and make it again.  I'm using a white cotton about size 8 that a friend gave me.  Once I'm done I plan on dying it.  Tried playing with beet juice but it came out a dull brown.

The last three weeks I have been making jewelry.  I've made several piece using different techniques.  Lots of wire working which has helped to build up some strength but I can only work a short time so it has been slow going.  I finished stringing a rose quartz chip necklace with pink crystals.  Very pretty and simple.  I also made a chunky fire agate necklace.  I did elaborate wire wrapping in copper around each chunk and attached them on a large link chain.  Then created a drop using a fire agate and a copper cone with a chain tassle.  Definately different from my usual lacy style.  I plan to put the jewely up on my Etsy site.  Who knows I might actually sell something.

Four ounce

I've been looking at knitted lace patterns and it is amazing that it can take as little as 4oz of lace weight thread to make a shawl.  I will enjoy making somehing so delicate and beautiful.  Using a size 10 thread I started to work on a lace scarf  as a practise piece.  But the needles were to large and the pattern did not hold up well.  So I need to get some smaller needles and start again.

In the meantime I have been practising my tatting and have the second round of the doily almost finished.    The meds I'm taking are causing some poblems and I didn't tighten a thread and had a real mess that had to be undone.  I've even been practising with a tatting shuttle and have been doing quite well but still prefer the needle method.  I made a simple set of rings in size 20 thread and it was quite pretty.  The trick is to put it down when it gets frustrating.  Hopefully I will soon be more productive and making lace edginings.

Tatting

Saturday I went to a class on tatting.  It was very helpful, I had been reading the pattern incorrectly.  That is the trouble with teaching oneself especially from material written over 100 years ago.  So I made a pretty tatted circle and started a small doily so I could get the idea of doing rounds.  Just need to practise making the stitches more even now.

While I was at the class a knitter came in and needed help.  I didn't help her and was feeling very quilty because I was trying to learn to tat.  But it was the first class in 6 months in 100 mile area so I didn't want to miss out.  I actually felt hurt because when she came in no one said Lois knits and can help after class.  Just because I don't knit often doesn't mean I can't.  So now I feel that I have something to prove!  After class I showed her how to fix her mistake and she was happily knitting again.  So it all worked out.  Lace shawl project next!

Another day

Last night I started a baby sweater for a new great niece.  It is kimono style which is easy to get on an off and in pink shades.  Very pretty but hard on the hands to work, so I'm resting them.  Just started a poolish so there may be bread tomorrow.  I miss fresh bread, it has been a long time since I tried to make some.

Today had less pollen in the air and I finally got out of the house and sat outside for awhile. Sat and read while the cat dosed next to the chair.  Just finished a book called "Uncatalogued", it was a mystery about books and libraries.

Finally got some pictures of the doily I'm working on, with luck I will finish it over the summer.  It is beautiful!

Back into the fray

After a long rest I am starting to craft again, designing jewelry and making pretty things.  The last few months I had been working on a gray doily in size 10 thread.  It is a more modern design with rings of flowers and leaves.  Most of it is in simple chains making it an easy pattern.  So far unblocked it is 40 inches with 16 rows to go.  The project started 10 years ago when we first moved to Santa Maria.  I had purchased the thread in Tucson for a quarter a skein.  After working about a month on the project I gave up on it after our cat pumpernickle ran down the hall with it undoing stitches and knotting the threads.  He was so proud and happy.  I just put the project away!  I found the doily around the beginning of the year and after a search found the pattern.  It is nice to be close to finishing a project started so long ago.

Now that my mind is coming out of a long tunnel I'm looking forward to trying to coax some designs out of my addled brain cells.  I guess we will see!

February

This month has been a very uncreative one for me.  I did get a few things made.  Finally I finished the Victorian book, all I needed were some Valentine graphics!  I took recreations of old Valentines and did a collage on the front and back covers, filling in spaces with buttons.  The rose stick was beautiful, the handmade paper was just perfect.  Forgot to get pictures unfortunately.  Also made a paper hat using some of the Valentines that were extras. 

Friends have been teaching me how to sew which has been very scary for me.  I have to get over my fears of the machine.  Now that I have time to do things I don't feel up to doing them.  I've been extremely sleepy from meds this last month.  It has been hard to push and be creative.  The worst part is I have fallen back on my addiction to thread!  I started a doily and have been working on it for over a week and nearly have it done.  I wish that I could kick thread doilies!  I saw someone else crocheting with thread and I started shaking and had to buy some thread to at least hold.  Next thing I knew Magic Crochets were all over the place with bookmarks of projects!  It wouldn't be so bad except they are unwanted.  As they are finished they get thrown in a pile and stored.  I need to stop before it gets bad this time.  Last year I made only one doily so maybe I will be abe to stop again.