Knits For Sanity

Beading Progress and Pics

I've been promising some beading pics for forever and I finally have them.  I haven't completed too many projects yet because one seems to take me so long.  Still being a beginner it takes a long time for me to decide what beads to put together and how to do it.  Stringing the beads is a snap for me, it's the design that's difficult.

My physical therapist has commisioned me to make a bracelet for her youngest daughter.  I have it deisgned but I'm still waiting on the daughter's wrist measurement to be able to string it. 

However, I do have a prototype of sorts that I can share.  My mom asked me to make a tiny bracelet for my 2 month old cousin Emma.  I used the same beads that I choose for the bracelet for the other little girl.

Here is the one for Emma.  I know that she probably won't even wear it.  It will still make a cute keepsake for her baby book.  Then we she is old enough I can restring the beads and charms with additional beads and charms to make it larger.

The charms are really sweet.  Here is a closer look at them:

I bought a bunch of these from Beads and Beyond for various projects.  So cute!

This little teddy bear is sterling silver. It's really tiny and delicate.

Look at these tiny feet!  Just perfect!  Even if Emma doesn't wear the bracelet I still think that my aunt and uncle will get a kick out of it.

I am using the same pink hearts and clear crystals for the other bracelet.  I also have 4 charms for it too.  I'm hoping htta my physical therapist likes it as much as I do.  My mom and I had a lot of fun shopping for it.  Hey I'll take any excuse to go bead and yarn shopping!

My mom bought the prettiest beads for another nearby bead shop awhile back.  She never used them because she couldn't find anything to go with them and more than anything she just doesn't have the time or energy to bead.  So one night last week I was determined to make her a bracelet out of them. Here's what I came up with:

The big rectangular beads are the ones she had chosen.  I actually quite proud of this bracelet and I'm disappointed because the pic doesn't really do it justice.  The large beads are actually a little semi-transparent and really neat to look at.

I surprised mom with it that same night and she loved it!  Mission accomplished!  I was so happy that she liked it.  She's worn it everyday to work since.  It looks so pretty on her too.

Had enough beading content yet?  I hope not because there is more to come!  I've also been working on some beaded bookmarks for my aunt Vicki, Emma's mom.  She really like the ones i sent to my grandmother and aunt Mary and said that she would really like some.  I'm trying my best to make some that she'll really like.  What have I come up with so far?  Well...

Bookmark #1: This is one of my favorites.  It's the first one I made.  It's getting easier to design bookmarks the bigger my bead stash gets.  I have a lot more choices than I had before.

Book Mark #2:  I love the big purple beads on this one.  They are also from Beads and Beyond. 

Here's a closer look at the detail on the ends.

Bookmark #3: This one is my very favorite.  I'm going to make a matching one for myself.  I guess that I should be reading a book to need one.  Hopefully my mind will be straighted out enough to start reading again soon.

A closer look at the detail on the ends.  Oh I love this one!

I have a 4th one that I made but I've decided that it's too ugly to post.  I hope to come up with one more tonight.  I am going to try to send this stuff out to my aunt tomorrow along with the openwork bonnet and bootie set for Emma.  I may whip up another set of booties for her tonight.  It depends on how the evening goes. 

That's all of the beading content for today.  I would say that tomorrow will be back to just knitting contect but I would be lying.  I think my mom and I are going beading tomorrow so I may have to show off my treasures a bit.

I want to learn how to do more difficult and interesting types of beading.  Dani, my sunshine, is crocheting a beaded bracelet.  Go look at her progress.  It's really neat.  I really want to learn how to do that.

A smidgen of knitting content: Remember the problem with my felted bag?  (I miss calculated the gauge when I order the Cascade 220 from Webs online store.  I ended up not having nearly enough for finish the project.  Frustrating!)  I received some wonderful suggestions such as to use two different colors together, etc.  Thank you Laura!  (Stop by and say hello to my new friend if you have a chance.)

I liked that idea and seriously considered it until I got a call from my grandmother this weekend.  My grandmother being as wonderful as she is told me that she was planning on sending me 4 skeins of Lamb's Pride for my birthday on 6/27.  The big 23!  How wonderful! She had called to ask me what color I wanted.  I seriously have the best grandma ever. 

So I'm going to save the cascade for something else.  Now I have to figure out another felting project that will take about the skeins.  Maybe I'll make a smaller bag of a different pattern.  I can always make someone a pair of felted clogs too.

Now I have to figure out what project to work on while waiting for the yarn.  I have the Jaeger vest to work on but I need something else for variation.  I'm thinking I might start my branching out tonight.  It's about time I start that.  No matter what I decide I promise to have knitting progress pics tomorrow.

Just Bead It

I joined Bead It 2, hosted by Cara.  There is still time to sign-up.  Go to Cara's blog to get all the details.  This is gonna be FUN!  I love having stitch markers in my collection that I didn't make.

Beading Class

  My mom and I went to our beading class at Beads and Beyond tonight.  The woman who taught it was really nice and helpful.  We had a lot of fun and came home with lots of goodies.  Now I can answer your question Atouria.  Beading is pretty easy to do.  I'd say that anyone can bead once they learn the basic techniques.   

Here is what we made:

My mom and I both made bracelets for ourselves:

The one of the left is my mom's and the one on the right is mine.  It is hard to see the bead in the middle of mine so here's a closer look:

I also made a bookmark for my aunt Mary and two stitch markers for my grandma:

I also made myself some stitch markers:

We also got all the supplies to be able to do beading at home. I'm going to make some more stitch markers and maybe a bookmark for my grandmother.

On the left is a beadboard where you put your beads so you can lay them out to make bracelets and necklaces etc.  The tools on the right are used to manipulate the cord.

The picture on the left has more tools and the cord and things to make stitch markers and earings.  the picture on the righ tis the beads I bought.  I'm definently going to have to broaden my collection.  I have a yarn stash so why can't I have a bead stash?! 

  It was a lot of fun.  I think I have a new hobby.  like I need another one.  To anyone in the Iowa City, Cedar Rapids area who wants to learn how to bead, I would highly recommend Beads and Beyond in Cedar Rapids, IA.  The staff are extremely helpful.  i was also impressed at how accomodating they were.  I am in a wheelchair out of the house so it is difficult for me to get around most stores.  They were so kind and helped me manuever around.

  It's also a great place to go if you're a knitter. I was having a lot of fun beading tonight, but I couldn't help but look at all of the yarn.  They have really gorgeous yarns.  There is baby alpaca that I'm lusting after.