Silver Lava Ball Necklace and Bracelet Set

 At The Big Bead Show last year, I found a sting of lava balls which had been dipped in silver.  I loved the way the silver showed off all their holes and imperfections.  (Normally they would be black or very dark grey.)

I bought myself a string to play with and have finally got round to making a matching necklace and bracelet set for myself.  

They are inspired by a necklace and bracelet matching set of silver balls I was given from Tiffany & Co.

I'm very please with how they came out.  I've kept them simple so hopefully they will go with many outfits, the lava gives them the interest they need I think.  I just need a reason to leave the house and wear them!

Sea Spray Kumihimo Necklace

 When I went to The Big Bead Show last year, I found and bought a large pretty glazed bead.  I wasn't sure what I would do with it exactly, but I thought it might work nicely in the middle of a kumihimo necklace.

Having made the Sea Spray Kumihimo bracelet for my friend last year, I started to wonder if I could use the bead in the middle of a similar design, especially as the colours were very close.

I started with working out the design I wanted to use.  This had to take into account the fact I wasn't sure I'd have enough beads, and it would be hard to get replacements.

Once I had an idea of what I wanted to do, I started making it.  So far so good.  But then I got to the part where I added the bead and something went a bit wrong and I had to undo it and try again.  More issues.  So I gave up for a bit and it sat there half made for ages (weeks).

Finally, I didn't have anything more important to do and I decided to get it sorted.  I undid the bit that had gone wrong, and set everything up again, and started work.

This time it worked fine and I soon had a finished necklace.  I liked the colours and the design seemed to work and I was pretty happy, until I held it up with the bead in the middle and realised that one side was longer than the other!  

 

I had assumed that using the same number of beads would mean both sides came out the same size, and I guess if I'd been using uniform beads this would be the case, but the slightly larger green beads are all over the place size wise and I guess it pushed the pattern out.  If I'd measured it as I went I would have realised and stopped before it got too long.

 Lesson learnt.  Now to decide if I undo it a bit and fix, undo it completely and make it shorter or just leave it as is. 

Making More Glass Beads

 

Last year I went to West Dean Collage of Arts and Conservation and spent a day making glass beads.  I enjoyed it thoroughly but wasn't sure what to do next.

 

Then for Christmas and my birthday I received lots of gift vouchers for West Dean short courses (thank you everyone!), which kinda answered that question.  So I signed up for the two day Making Glass Beads workshop which builds on what I learnt last year.

 

Taught again by Sarah Downton, it was a great course, which let me practice what I learnt last year and then learn a whole bunch of new techniques.

I could definitely see an improvement.  And I made so many more beads having done it before and not being quite so worried.

 

I tried to use a different selection of colours this time, but I am drawn to the blues, and the pinks were actually quite hard to work with - the glass rod kept shattering when you introduced it to the flame. 

 

Because it was a two day course we got to see day one's beads on day two, which was brilliant - no waiting for them to be posted to us, and lovely to have something to take home.  However, we still had to wait for the day two beads to be posted out.  It's a nerve-racking wait, and when they arrived I felt a little disappointed to start with, I'd had high hopes.  But then I started to really look at them, and although none are perfect, I have learnt so much from them.

While last time I made plain transparent coloured beads, gravity beads, beads with spots (using other coloured rods and frit) and twists, this time I did all that, but also learnt how to encase my bead (adding a clear layer over my design), more spots and stripes, two tone beads, pressing and I added silver wire!

And I made more drops, but this time I was really playing with colour so they are very different from the last lot. 

 

It's interesting showing them to other people.  While I am very much in love with them, most people just glance at them and give them back.  Either they aren't interested in glass beads, or they have no idea the work that has gone into them and the magic of melting a rod of glass and turning it into a bead.

There are so many other things I want to try out.  Techniques and colour combinations.  Instagram is full of beads that I want to try and copy - to see how its done.  And my head is full of ideas. 

 

So again I'm left with the thought 'what now?'.  There is a three day improver course in the autumn.  Or do I splash the cash and buy the kit?  The problem is I can't tell if this is long term love or just lust.

Chunky Snowflake Cardigan

 

I hate Christmas jumpers.  There I've said it.

I dislike how ugly they are and how they don't go with any of my other clothes.  I hate that they only get worn for maybe 2 days a year and then are likely to be chucked out.  The whole thing just seems wrong to me.

Every year I tell myself I will knit myself a nice Christmas jumper.  But I always leave it too long and then I can't find a pattern I like and then it's too late.

So this year I decided to get it done as my first real project of the year.  I found this pretty cardigan design and used Paintbox Yarns Simple Aran, in a mixture of cream and light and dark green.  (I thought it was green and blue when I first saw the pattern!)

It's knitted from the bottom up which I found a little weird - most projects I've done like this have been from the neck down.  It did mean I couldn't try it on to check it was a good length, I had the same problem with the arms.  I kinda feel like I lucked out on both as I think the fit is good.

I also believe all cardigan's should have pockets so I added a couple using the pattern from a cardigan I knitted a couple of years ago (and has spent the last 2 years locked in my locker at work!) I'm very pleased with how they came out, although a little high to walk around with your hands in them.

 

And what I really like, is that it is a pretty cardigan which will sit nicely over jeans/trousers or a dress and I can wear for the whole month of December if I want to.  No need to feel embarrassed this year on Christmas Jumper Day!  Roll on December.

Needle Felted Dogs

 Just before Christmas I attended a virtual workshop on how to make these tiny needle felted dogs.  The workshop was run by The Makerss for the Dog Trust, so half the fee went to the Dog Trust and half for the kit which had everything I needed to make a little dog.

 

I've only done a little bit of needle felting before and wasn't that happy with my end creation, but these little pups were too cute not to have another go at it!

 

And they really are quite simple to make.  I've found it takes about an hour (and they are pretty good for those meetings where you just have to listen - nothing to look at and no comments expected.)

 

The workshop itself was run over Facebook and our lovely host ran through everything nice and slowly so we could all try it as she showed us.  She also showed us different examples, for instance if we want floppy ears or pricked ears.

 

I very much enjoyed the workshop and the little dog I made, and now I find myself making more of them to see what the next one will look like.  I haven't quite decided what to with them next though...

Mishka the Bear

 I love a small knitted bear, so when I found the pattern for Mishka the Bear, I knew I had to have a go, and thought he'd make a lovely gift too.

But although he's come out well, the whole project was a fight. Maybe my wool wasn't a good match for the project?  But trying to knit in the round with only 4 stitches in a fluffy wool was a challenge that I ended up giving up on and his arms and feet were knitted flat.

I think he came out smaller than expected, so then I had to downsize his jumper a bit and use tiny needles, I still think it's too big, but I guess it's cosy.

 

So all in all the project took a lot longer than I thought it would and a lot more swearing too.  I'm glad to have finished it and as I said I think he's come out well, but I don't think I'll be attempting this one again.

Glass Drop Necklaces

 

 Before Christmas I attended a Making Glass Beads workshop which I really enjoyed.  But as part of the learning process I also made lots of glass drops.  These were beautiful too.

But what to do with them?  I didn't just want to put them away somewhere to forget about.

 

Then the tutor Sarah, told us that she gives them a little silver top which you can then use to hang them - making a necklace or earings, or even an ornament. 

 

So this is what I did.  As I didn't have any chains, I then used paper string to make slipknot necklaces.  Keeping one for myself I then gifted some of the others.  I think they went down well.

I love them with a little sunlight on them.  So pretty.

Easy Crochet Cardigan

 So I saw this free pattern ages ago and wanted to have a go.  It looked so straight forward but kinda cool.  So I made it this Christmas for my mum, using a really dark purple chunky wool.

But I really should know by now that free patterns never have enough detail in them to do a good job.  For instance this is a crochet pattern but it didn't say if it was using UK or US terms.

Also the sizing - hooks and wool were pretty vague.  It would have been more helpful to know what the end material should be like.  In the end I had to buy more wool than expected and it was very thick, which means it doesn't have quite the drap I was hopping for.  In reality I should have used a bigger hook size (then I probably wouldn't have needed more wool), but there was no guidance on sizing other than the final size to make the cardigan.  

 

So I gifted it as a cardigan, but with instructions to cut the sleeves if it didn't fit or feel good and turn it into a blanket, something I think it would do really nicely.  (this is what she ended up doing.)

I do really like the texture of the material.  By crocheting into the back of the stitch rather than the front as I would normally, I've ended up with this sort of ribbing which is a nice detail.

It took ages to make.  I think I need to be more discerning about the projects I take on.  I really don't have time to spend on things like this - there are so many possibilies out there, of course there will always be things that don't go to plan - that's how we learn.  But maybe stick to more trusted sources in the future.