Flower bead photo

Ok, I can't just keep blogging about negative things (be it stuff that's happened, my mood or accidents like today) so to balance it up a bit today, here's a pic of some autumnal flower beads.

Colours are amber, crystal champagne, smoke topaz and aqua celsian (at least I'm 99 % sure of that last one). I've had these beads for some years now and it was probably two years ago that I put the mix together -- or, to be precise, added the aqua/teal beads to the other beads, which I bought at the same time. It's probably about time I use the mix soon, don't you think?

Thinking of making a needle book and maschma

I feel like I tend to blog about things I'm thinking of doing rather than showing the results of what I have done. Partially it's because I procrastinate, partially it's a matter of not having the time to do it so I'm stuck just thinking about it and partially it's because I write to try and sort out things I hesitate about. Writing about it sorts out the thoughts -- at it gives you motivation to produce a result once you declare to the world what you are about to to do as well as it's an opportunity to ask others for input.

If you follow this blog you must have noticed that the idea of a needle book and thread storage have come up. Last time I mentioned making a maschma, for example. This post is about those thoughts once again.

I've been thinking of making a needle book for some time now, but never come up with a good design. Because I have both beading needles and hand embroidery needles it's also a matter of whether to make one book for all the needles or make two separate ones. Right now I'm thinking of doing one just for my beading needles as they make up 80 % of all my needles (and most of my embroidery needles are collected in one place anyway as I bought them in a silk ribbon embroidery collection -- the big yellow package).

Being a tool junkie extends to needles too: I have at least half a dozen of needle packages, not including a zip-lock bag of collapsible-eye needles, DIY wire needles and a big-eye needle. There's the regular long beading needles in size ranging from 10 to 15 (!), sharp bead embroidery needles, ballpoint bead emboidery needles and curved needles. Have I forgotten any now? Regardless, right now I just put all the needle packages in the organza bag, having tied them together with a string through the holes at the top (most packages have a hole, if not I punch one).

But what about the threads? The main reason I stick with this organza bag solution is that it all fits in it, all my needles and all my beading threads, and it's easy to carry from one spot to another. It's just that they're all jumbled, I'd like a bit more order. Just as with my seed bead storage dilemma, it's a question of finding a good, cheap -- and easy to carry -- solution that can accomodate different shapes and sizes as I use more than one type of beading thread. There's the K.O. spools, but also carded thicker K.O. thread and smaller bobbins (One-G etc). Plus a couple of big spools of YLI jean thread and medium-sized spools of a Gütermann thread I use for bead crochet.

It's still easyier to find the right thread so I'll make the needle book project a priority over this: removing the needles, the organza bag might be as good a solution as any with the amount of beading threads I have.

But my ideas doesn't end there...

Apparently, one thing that's become popular among embroiderers in Sweden recently is making a marsma or maschma; a small embellished roll or tote for emboidery paraphernalia (needles, scissors, threads), probably of sami origin, one might call it. And I think it might be very useful for me as a seedbeader too as I like to bead in couches, beds and everywhere else where I can't take my whole bead stash with me. So one of my newest ideas is to sketch a maschma with room for a couple of tubes or flip-top boxes of beads, one or two bead thread bobbins and a pair of scissors. (Did I forget something?) So far I haven't figured out the design or even what material I want to use. And partially I procrastinate because I love to embroider, but don't really enjoy sewing.

To illustrate what a maschma looks like, here's a screenshot of a picture googling I did in order to find some inspiration for my beader's maschma. Click on it for the full size.

Looking at the pics I'm thinking that with the right material it could double as a small bead mat too. I rarely use bead mats (hence why everything here has a few stray seed beads embedded in them), but they can be useful so why not? I like things with double -- or more -- purposes. A bit like the Helen Gibb kit for a needle case with bead pad [which not longer is available on her website so no pic to show].

These are some of the things I'm thinking about while working -- it might not be a fun or wellpaid job, but at least I'm free to think, sketch ideas in my head etc while I'm doing it. Not that I always think of beads and stitching, of cause, but it's a recurring theme most days. I might not be showing many finished items as I'm focusing on other things right now, but I have so many ideas buzzing in my head. If only I could cure my bad habit of procrastinating...

The scrapped design

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I scrapped my first version of the berry metallic bracelet, which used 11/0 seeds. At the time I forgot that I snapped a couple of shots of the WIP before ripping it up, but now I found them while uploading photos to the computer and so why not show them?

Why didn't I go with them? Well, in the photos it doesn't look horrible, but IRL the colours of the beads didn't really match the leather and the size of the beads made the bead stitches stand out too far. I didn't like how chunky it felt, it was more like arches of beads rising over the flat cord than a rope of beads laying against the leather as in the finished bracelet.

I just felt the easiest fix was to find a better colour match and that automatically also meant using smaller beads -- and vice versa. I could perhaps have saved it by using few beads per stitch and making new holes so that the stitches don't end and begin in the same holes, leaving a gap in between for the beads so the first/last beads don't push up the arch of beads. But I don't regret switching to a different set of beads.

A pic of the finished bracelet for comparison if you haven't read the post showing the finished bracelet (or have read, but forgotten what it looked like in detail):

Seed bead mixes -- buy or make?

Here's a different design problem I'm pondering at the moment: I'm going to do a couple of pieces using mixed seed beads, but can't decide whether to look for readymade bead mixes or make my own bead soups.

The reason for going with store-bought mixes is really just that you get a mix of colours without having to buy a whole tube/bag of each colour which can be a good thing if you don't need a big amount of beads. They also come in already carefully (more or less) chosen colour combinations. And you can always add some beads to the stash to make it last longer or to add a nuance you think is missing. There are different mixes for different projects, e.g. 11/0 seeds only or mixes sizes/shapes. And, best of all, you can start the project the minute you have the beads in your hands.

If it's a colour mix you wouldn't have chosen yourself, it can be a fun challenge to go a bit outside the comfort zone. Not choosing beads or colours all by your self isn't just about making things simple, it can also be about pushing the creativity.

The reason to not got with the available mixes are many, though. First of all, making a bead mix from scratch means you get to choose exactly what beads you want in the mix (I have been known to cull seed bead mixes to remove sizes or shapes that doesn't work with my projects), making mixes that are uniquely yours -- and thus not letting someone else set the tone for the project when it comes to the colours. You can also use unusual and/or expensive colours not found in the pre-made mixes. Plus, you can make a batch that's more or less exactly the amount needed for a project, not too much and not too little.

But one thing holds me back: mixing colours with big beads or online using colour tools is one thing: I dread sitting there with a mix, adding half a tube of 11/0 delicas only to see that the colour doesn't work -- and I have to remove every little grain of sand again! (Remember that colours that look good together when holding up the tubes/bags next to each other doesn't always work when mixed as the colours "wash out" or there can be another colour in the mix that clash with one colour but not the other.)

The most important thing of all, money, is something I haven't even looked into yet. What will give you the most beads for your buck? Readymade mixes with various bead colours and finishes or homemade soups? I know some soups that are "hand blended" can be a tad pricey compared to making it yourself, but what about mixes offered e.g. by the bead manufacturers themselves?

PS! I have another bead related problem too: I just shopped at two (ok, three) places -- and now I found something I'd love to buy in a shop where I have a huge wishlist. It's on sale, which is what made me want to shop NOW, even though the previous shopping rounds pretty much ate the current bead budget... Oh, so many beads, so little money! I'm such an addict, I never get enough...

Green wire chains (Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge)

Having worked in the potato fields this week too, I started this week's assignment later than ideal, but I did spend time thinking about it during work. I knew right away, when reading that the assignment of the week was to make your own findings, that I wanted to make a chain. I also knew early on that I wanted it to have an organic feel with wrapped links. Perhaps adding a few beads or mixing metals. As you can see, I didn't get very far this time, though.

First I made the brass link.. It has a loop on one end to connect it to the next link with so that the rings lie flat. Unfortunately the wire was very hard and I couldn't, at the moment, anneal it so instead I abandoned the chain after just one link. (Though I realise that for the sake of the challenge I could've just made a bar and pretended it was a toggle clasp, but it was chains I wanted to make.) Rummaging through the wire box, I picked up a spool of fine gauge green wire which had been lying there for ages. Time to use some of it!

At first the idea was to make links similar to the brass link, but after wrapping the wire seven times around a marker pen and wrapping it, the link felt too big and flimsy. Maybe I should twist it in the middle? Did that. But instead of just keeping it like that, it made me think of foxtail chains so of cause I had to try making one of those out of the wire links. I kind of like the result, but the chain turned out very rigid, no flexibility at all.

Instead of tweaking it to make the fit better, it made me want to try another variation where I didn't wrap the links. While I liked it, it also made we want to try a variation with bigger links.

For the last variation, I didn't fold the links and just wrapped them together in one stop before adding the next link. Again, this produced a link that feels a bit flimsy, but with thicker wire (or perhaps mixing the fine gauge wire with a heavier one) I'd probably be ok. Maybe I'll wrap a flower bead or leaves around each link to keep the fine wires together and prevent them from snagging on something.

Challenge earrings -- or, seeing an old bead in a new light

I'm still editing my reveal post for the Challenge of Music so I thought I'd take a break from that and show these earrings instead, which is sort of a fusion between yesterday's challenge in FusionBeads' 30 Day Challenge and this week's bead soup challenge in Heather Powers' Jewelry Making Mojo Challenge. It's not much of a bead soup, just four beads, but I'll try to explain why it still sort of is in my mind. But let's start from the beginning.

These four beads come from a bag of mixed leaf beads I've amassed over the years. It contains leftover beads as well as beads I just bought one or two of (often just to see the shape or colour IRL with no project in mind). As there's so few of them, I rarely find a project for them. Especially since I don't actually do earrings (as explain in an earlier post, I don't wear earrings and don't have pierced ears), but lately I was inspired by the blog Earrings Everyday to get my little stash of clip-ons and screwbacks out.

The focal point of this design is the milky red beads. Originally, I bought them for an autumn design with matching flower beads. They're autumnal maple leaves and I never saw them as anything but. Until... Thinking about the bead soup and earring challenges, I picked out the leaf bead bag and started to think. Turning the red leaves around, they do look like some sort of exotic flower or a floral motif from old indian, persian or other asian designs. Suddenly, I had budding flower beads instead of leaf beads in the bead soup ziplock bag!

After that it was only a matter of deciding on the design.

In the end, I when with my first choice as I liked the inverted drop shape.

And that's it, the first pair of earrings I've made in over a year.

Radiant Orchid

No one's missed that Pantone made Radiant Orchid the color of the year 2014. And that means I have the first colour challenge for the year sorted out. Time to get the beads and supplies out to challenge myself to create something in this colour. Which shouldn't be too hard seeing how I love purple. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been problems.

The first problem was defining the new colour. For some time I thought -- and I wasn't the only one to think so -- that Radiant Orchid was the colour seen in the picture on the Pantone website, the one with orchids that you can see below. Problem is, it's not. It's the the warmer hue I've inserted in the bottom left corner that's Radiant Orchid, according to Pantone's color formulas & guides page. Or is it?

When playing around with the spring/summer palette I used an eye drop tool to copy the colours from their images of the palette. Doing that I got a Radiant Orchid that's closer to the background colour than the square based on their own html colour code... That's the colour you can see below to the left.

Now, of cause, those details doesn't really matter that much. It's just a shade of colour some company want to hype in order to make money and gain PR. But it's the principle (and, yes, in my head I said that as "Det är principen, Månsson"). I can't help it, I want things to be correct. Even if it is silly little things, I'll take the time to investigate it.

Also, I didn't care much for the colder purple I first thought was Radiant Orchid. It was a bit boring, not having the same wow factor as, say, the men's equivalent to it, Magenta Purple (see above, right). But Radiant Orchid according to the Pantone colour forumla is yummier. In fact, I have a top in pretty much that exact shade. A little darker, but the same type of colour.

But what colours do I have in Radiant Orchid? What do I have available for my personal colour challenge? Even after defining what the colour looked like, I was so uncertain about which bead colours would be the closest match. The main issue was the fact I didn't have the computer near the beads nor do I have a physical  swatch so I had to try and remember what it looked like when rummaging through the bead stash.

First I looked at my swaros. I don't have many, but of cause a third of the stash is purples. My first thought when seeing Radiant Orchid was Cyclamen opal. Unfortunately, I only have a tiny rivoli pendant in that Swarovski colour so I still don't know if that's the best match. Some bead shops suggests light amethyst, but to me it feels way too pale.

In the picture above you can see light amethyst (big big), cyclamen opal satin (bicones, too purple in sunlight to match), cyclamen opal (left pendant) and -- I think -- antique pink. Of cause, it's hard to get all the hues precisely right if you're an amateur photographer like me, but I hope the frame below makes it easier to compare the colours to Radiant Orchid.

 Yeah, my swaros are ok, but not the best match. I feel like radiant orchid beads should be opaque or frosted, not transparent, to really be at its best. Opal are ok, but they often have a range of hues in them so while cyclamen opal feels like a good match one second, it looks too pink or too violet the next. If I am to buy new colours for this challenge of mine, it won't include cyclamen opal, I'm afraid.

Seed beads then? Surely I should have a lot of purple seeds? Well, actually not as many as you'd think, at least not many rosy purples. The three closest matching colours I found were opaque berry pearl matte (Preciosa Ornela) and  Gilt Lined Permanent Finish Lavender Toho). The first feels like the better match, but it does feel too red/ dark rose -- I really want that dark lilac tone you can see in Radiant Orchid. Yeah, Goldilocks here...

I did a couple of pics with the beads framed with Radiant Orchid (using Pantone's colour code, b163a3) to make it easier to compare the colours. Of cause, it's still a photo so the bead colours might not show up exactly the same hue as in real life, but it does make it a little easier to compare colours.

That's my top, mentioned above, that I used for yet another colour comparison. The colour of the plastic rosebud beads is, according to one bead shop I saw them in, simple called purple (or more precisely, lila).

Fire-polished beads then? Well, the closest match has to be my chalk alexandrite purple luster beads. Which I forgot to take a photo of so I did it now, indoors and in relatively poor light that might not show its true colours. In fact, I haven't even compared it with the other beads in daylight. Bear with me, I'll add a better photo later, but until then I hope this will make due.

But the best match I've found in my stash so far isn't even a bead colour, it's a bottle of acrylic paint in the colour Blackberry and a square of chalk. Unfortunately, I can't really get the chalk to show its real colour, it comes out very pale and matte in the photos. It's much more vibrant IRL.

Comparing with my top (above) and the matte berry pearl seeds (below).

And then it was the blackberry paint.

There might be some yarn too. Haven't actually gone through the yarn bag as I didn't think that far. Closest matches -- and now I'm just going though the stash in my head -- are probably these two:

You can see more of that fluffy yarn Anna in this post. Dont' have much left, though, after finishing the scarf so it might not be enough for a Radiant Orchid project. Maybe I need to buy more despite my shopping ban, but I don't even know if it's still in stock. That last pic is of a rolled up pom-pom fringe/trim if you didn't see that -- check out this post for more about that. Darker and more rose coloured than the Anna yarn above. It's closer to the berry pearl seed beads than the purple yarn (from Rusta) in colour.

So that's what I've got to work with right now. No idea where to go from this point, but at least I have something to play with even without buying beads particularly for this personal challenge. Though in the end, I'll probably used the colour of the year as an excuse to buy more seed beads...

Rune doodles and sun cross troubles

Last night I was sketching on some symbols, trying to find one I could use as my signature. The idea being that with large works it's easy to sign with your whole name, but with smaller items like jewellery, a small logo or registered name stamp (as used by gold- and silversmiths) is pretty much the only thing that fits. And if you've seen east-asian art, a logo stamp can become an intergrated part of the artwork.

Now, as I'm interested in history/archaeology, mythology/folklore and symbolism, one of the first places I go to find inspiration for a symbol is my local and regional history. That leads me to something universal and something that's more or less a symbol of the Nordic countries. The former one is the sun cross, which among other things can be found in bronze age carvings (and you know how I love the bronze age) and the latter is runes, a type of alphabet mostly associated with Viking Age but in use both before and after it.

There might however be a small problem here, which I never thought about until right now... For me, runes and sun crosses represent my interest in mythology and (bronze age/iron age) history. However, the major issue is that those insufferable idiots known as nazis/neonazis used and still use these symbols and to people who aren't interested in history, they might have only ever seen magic runes like Ägishjálmur and the sun cross on neonazi banners and flyers. While the sun cross is slightly less tainted than the swastika -- another positive and universal symbol they corrupted for their own purposes -- especially outside Scandinavia, you really don't want to use a symbol that many people will interpret as nazi. On a scale it seems like a sun cross is, at least in Sweden, more likely to be interpreted as a symbol of nazi or white nationalism sympathies than the Thor's hammer, which was the major symbol of those groups in the early 90's (at time when they began to grow, especially among teens) but which now is more commonly used by viking reenactors, history buffs etc. Not a good sign... It bums me out because I just know that there will be someone who will start sending hateful e-mails about me being a nazi if they spot anything remotely like swastika, even if it's just a spiral cross or a four-winds symbol. Don't thing people confuse such different symbols? Think again! Bleh, I was in such a good mood about this, and then I start googling...

But then again, maybe I'm just worrying for nothing. Most peole are smarter than that. After all, my idea isn't to use a simple sun cross or existing binderuna or rungalder. I'm creating my own version, which looks more like a magical seal, astrological or alchemist sign or plain old hobo symbol. I hope you agree with me, when I say most of my versions look more like folkloristic symbols (be it from a nordic rune staff or sami ceremonial drum) than anything that would be instantly associated with nazism. Because it's that sense of history, time immemorial, old symbols, fascinating mythology and a nature filled with magic that I want to capture in my symbol. The kind of style and feeling you get when seeing it in Johan Egerkrans' personal take on skogsfrun/skogsrået/skogssnuvan here (pdf file) -- or in his Nordiska väsen website for that matter where a version is used as favicon.

So for the time being, I'll put those worries aside and keep playing with my rune and sun cross doodles. I will check so they aren't too similar to other existing symbols. Perhaps not so much nazi symbols as existing rungaldrar as you don't want to use symbols some will recognize as black magic signs either... "Oops, I accidentally used a rune used to cast back luck on your enemies and now my sis/friend/costumer thinks I hate her." Want to avoid that sort of thing.

But why not look a little closer on my doodles? I first made a page with sun cross variations, which I didn't take a photo of (but you can see the traces of them in the first page as the runes where drawn on the page of the sun cross page). After that I began playing around with my initials in the form of runes for K and I (which also means J). I focused on viking age runes as K and I lack staffs in the older fuþark, but I did do a few doodles using the older runes too. In the case of K and I, the medieval runes are rather similar to the viking age runes so I never used them. And the anglo-frisian runes (popular among neopagans and "rune magicians" today) wheren't used as they weren't used here.

 Notice that I did make a couple of symbols fusing the runes with a sun cross.

The runes that look like wrought iron nails are so called staveless runes. I quite like the "carnations" where I used vänderunor, mirrored runes. (Hopefully it doesn't look too much like a christian cross -- compare the shape to, for example, maltese crosses.) At the bottom are a few more or less failed attempts at binderunor, two runes fused together.  The long lines on the left are my names (real one, Kristina, and then my online persona, Maneki) written using so called samstavsrunor. They're pretty neat in my opinion and I probably should use them more often.

And for those of you not familiar with runes, here's a key to the runes K and I/J in various runic scripts.

The first one is from the elder futhark (which has a seperate letter j), followed by the viking age younger futhark (which can be sorted into three different alphabets called long-branch runes, short-twig runes and staveless runes). After that you find the anglo-saxon or anglo-frisian runes, sometimes called the futhorc, and then back to the Nordic countries and the medieval runes. The latter is more different from the younger futhark than the letters K and I/J let you see here as it was influenced by the latin alphabet. There is also another type of runes called dalrunor, which were used in the northern part of the swedish province of Dalarna (Dalecarlia) from the 16th to the 19th century. They were originally a version of medieval runes, but as time went on they became more and more influenced by the latin alphabet. You can find a pic of that runic script here.

Of cause there were also ciphers developed using runes. They might sound like something interesting to use, but they do take up space and aren't that useful in a logo. But why not show you what they could look like in the Viking Age?

Isrunor, ice runes (second row), sounds cool until you realise it's a boring cipher that looks like bar codes... There are a few different variations of  a cipher called kvistrunor. Here, you can see the three versions I found in Lars Magnar Enoksen's book Runor (the one you see in the first photo of this blog post and my go-to source for information on runes). Ran out of space so with the the last two versions I just wrote a K instead of KJ. The last row is just a very simple substitution cipher where you write down the letter before or after the letter you intend. In this case HA (example A) and RN (example B).


Now, if returning to my own design woes and logo attempts, I have weeded out a couple of favourites among my rune doodles, as well as a couple of variations on the sun cross that I like (cf. pic below). But I haven't settled for one as my signature stamp yet. The sun crosses are cute and simple, easy to scale down or up depending on what's needed, but on the other hand they might be so simple that I've picked symbols already in use by others (historically or contemporary). A rune symbol like the circular ones in my first doodle page are prettier, but harder to scale down if going with a more intricate version -- and those are the versions I like the best.

For the moment, I'll keep doodling and playing with symbols. If nothing else, I'll soon have a good library of signs to use as motifs if nothing else. But fingers crossed I will find a symbol to use as my signature too!

And if you do like runes, I want to end with a good tip: don't believe everything you read online -- most of it is new age bs, based on ideas made up by occultists in the 20th century.

WIP scarf update

Oh, I wish I had finished the scarf last night because it turned out it could've been useful today. But it's still on the planning stage as I did try a few variations last night, as you can (perhaps) see above.

First I tried "1 over 2", the stitch where you make an extra row of loops and then pull the bottom loop over two loops on the peg instead of one. Probably have a fancier name, but I don't know it. Then there's a few rows of basic knitting just for reference and then I finished by trying to make a figure 8 stitch (weaving the yarn back and forth between the pegs instead of looping around them). That I won't do again as the yarn kept slipping of when weaving it and then I dropped a stitch in the middle and it was just ruined. To conclude, just very basic stitches since that's all I know how to do, but partially also because you don't see the detail of intricate knits when using eyelash yarn so there's no reason to put time into a pattern that can't be seen.

Don't know if you can see the switch between knits even as it's such a furry yarn. The "1 over 2" is to the right and the 8 stitch is just the last few rows on the left. It's easier to see the difference between the two denser stitches and the basic knitting when backlit so I put the test swatch on a lamp so you can see the open structure (gaps if you prefer) of the basic knit part.

Flipping it over to show the backside might also help as you can see more of a ribbed texture where I stitched 1 over 2 (left) and a faintly visible wavy texture where knitted in figure eights (right).

The big problem, however, is that now that I tried that "over 2" stitch, I can't decide whether I want to use that, which creates a nice thick knit, or the basic knitting, which creates a lacy, lightweight knit. The latter really keeps that light, soft feel of the yarn while the former creates and seemingly warmer scarf that's denser and that I don't worry will snag on something and be damaged. Doubt there's yarn enough to do one of each.

So the question is: go with a lightweight, "open" scarf which is fast and easy to make and feels like soft down against the skin (and also uses less of the yarn) or go for a thicker, denser scarf in hopes of it being warmer and more durable? It's really hard to decide... Maybe it's just time to let it rest for a day or two while focusing on another, more pressing project?

If there's enough yarn left after making the scarf (yeah, I've no idea how much yarn you need to knit anything), maybe I should do a pair of matching muddar too? Trying to to remember the english name for muddar/pulsvärmare/vristvärmare. Is is as simple as wrist warmers? *runs off googling it* Yeah, that seems to work. Even if the word seems to include fingerless mittens (halvvantar) as well.

I do have a pair -- or actually two, but the pair first made (see below, for a word challenge; my word was chanterelles) turned out to be too short once the yarn stretched out. So I made a second pair without pearls. Very easy to make, great beginner's project -- and a useful one if you live in a colder climate. The only trouble is that once you start making them, it's hard to stop!

But, really, it's too early to think about that when I can't even decide how to knit the scarf... And who knows how much yarn I'll have left. It might very well not be enough. And, anyway, I really should focus on that challenge piece now!

New WIPs

If I were disciplined, my current WIP (and my WIP I mean something actually in progress, not just a current or future UFO) would be a piece of jewellery using spaced-dyed cords, but I'm having design problems so it's been put aside for today or tomorrow. Instead I've started working on two other projects -- and it's the second of the two you can see above.

As it got cold, I thought it was time to make a new, warm scarf. While I do have a warm winter jacket and rarely feel the need for a scarf, it could be useful sometimes. And it's a warm to do a little yarn stash busting. This purple eyelash yarn, which I couldn't resist when spotting it on Rusta, is so pretty I really didn't want it to be stuck in the yarn bag.

Only downside to my making a scarf (or two, I probably need a wider one for everyday life around the farm too, the one I made years ago got a tad too skinny) is that I never learned how to knit in school. My mom can knit and so can my sis (to a certain extent), but I can't. I prefer crochet anyway, but in this case that hasn't been an option as I a) don't have the really big crochet needles needed for knitting yarn and b) I worried crochet might make for a too dense scarf and ruin the soft, fluffy effect of the eyelash yarn. So instead I made this test piece on my big Quick Knit. For those who doesn't know what that is, it's like a bigger version of a knitting nancy (påtdocka) and the generic name for them in english seems to be circle loom.

But I'm not sure about the result. It looks ok in the picture, but I think it's too loose with big, gaping stitches -- and at the same time it doesn't feel like I can double the yarn without messing up the knitting. Besides, I can't get the other end of the yarn to pull loose so it can be worked with both ends at the same time. Don't know whether to continue like in the sample or try either mixing in another yarn or find another knit stitch to use. So far I've only ever tried the basic knitting you do with knitting nancies and Quick Knits. There's got to be something out there to try beyond that...

While working on jewellery and scarves, I'm also preparing something else. In this post, I mentioned filling one of the glass dome pieces with autumn leaves and luckily there was one bush left that hadn't shed all its colourful leaves. So I just cut off a few twigs and put them on the table. Not the best way of drying out leaves, but it was what I could think of just at the top of my head. There are more advanced drying techniques that might've been preferable, like using sand which I don't have, but that's too late now.

I also picked three rosehips -- and then after tending to the drying items yesterday, I realised I haven't read up on the best way to preserve rosehips. Drying might work, but that's more for using them in food as they shrivel. I would've wanted them more fresh and plump. We do have several books on everlasting flowers/imortelles with sections on pods etc, but did I read them and take advice? No. Did I even bother to google it? No. And now they look like that. But hopefully the leaves and twigs will be enough if the rosehips end up shrivelled or mouldy. I just wanted them as they are so pretty and autumnal -- and I've loved drinking rosehip soup since childhood. In autumn, nothing warms like a cup of hot rosehip soup. Not to mention my love of roses, which are even part of the blog name.

Well, it's already dark outside and another day is soon gone so I guess I should get back to the jewellery (which has a deadline -- a fast approaching deadline!). But I wouldn't mind having a scarf ready soon too. It'll be a battle between time (= make jewellery first) and temptation (= working with that lovely, fluffy yarn). Hard to tell which will win.

Lockets -- what to put inside them?

My Hong Kong bead mail (mentioned yesterday) also included a few lockets I fancied. For some reason I ended up not buying one with a cat on!

Unlike yesterday's components I have an idea for at least one of these. One I'm thinking of giving away to someone for christmas so that just leaves one piece to figure out what to do with. It will, however, probably take a little time to finish the first locket as I don't have the supplies needed.

I've seen lockets with embroidered inserts (e.g. Mr. Puffy's Knitting Blog, Wild Olive, Crafty & Devious, The Secret Rose, Stella) so maybe I'll try that, seeing how it combines two of my interests, embroidery and jewellery. Maybe bead embroidery or that'll be too much? For me, lockets can have one of three functions: "practical" (like perfume lockets, some also do lip gloss or lipstick lockets), personal (photo, memento) or pure aesthetics, which preferable has an element of surprise or at least secrecy. These I'm using in the third way and therefore I want to balance the outside and the inside. These lockets aren't blank or discreetly engraved in which case you can combine it with a big, colourful inside. Here, it's a question about whether the outside or the inside is the main feature and about how to balance the two.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but without a memento or solid perfume inside, they're already like a finished pendant to which I'm to add stuff -- and I want that stuff to work with the image on the front. Otherwise I might just as well keep them like this, without anything inside and without a reason to ever open the locket.

*

PS! I just updated the blog with a Locket label. So far I've only ever made two locket necklaces, the perfume locket Viola Odorata and the heart locket In Memoriam with cat pics and hand-painted cat beads, but now they're all collected under one label and hopefully I'll fill it with more stuff in the (near) future.

PPS! I did find some autumn leaves (see previous post), which are drying at the moment and hopefully will hold their colour. And it gave an idea about making pendants annually using the autumn leaves or other objects found during the season and a small piece or scroll of paper with the year on it put inside too. Or perhaps even make a pendant for every season, year after year (ok, wow, that's be an interesting and ambitious project -- which sadly sounds like something you might forget or get bored of after a while).