Ep. 38 Knits, amigurumi and beads

Now live on YouTube!

Show notes:
Chubby Parakeet
Afterthought Everything Socks
Grayson the American Robin
Tana’s japanese doll

Ep. 14 Beaded delight

Ep. 14 Beaded delight is up on YouTube!

Show notes:
On the needles:

Favorite socks by voolenvine
Ka'ana Shawlette by Jennifer Weissman
Leafy baby blanket by Leyla Alieva

Off the Needles:

Yoga socks #153 by Patons
Light and Up shawl by Caroline Wiens

Welcome to:
krazycrafter87

Episode 13 Can there be too many beads?!?

PackyknitsDesign Podcast Ep. 13 Can there be too many beads?!?  Is up on YouTube!

Light and Up Shawl by Caroline Wiens

    Yarn:  Seaglass by PackyknitsDesign on Etsy

Yoga #153 sock

    Yarn:  Paton's Kroy

Shout outs:

    Little Yellow Uke Podcast

    Pen Hook and Needles Podcast

    Fibertown Podcast

Bracelets, Rings, and Wire, lots of wire

Have you tried taking Adult Ed. Courses?  This week I was able to get to mine (wire class).  Missed it last week due to the flu.  It made me sick not to go.  Bracelets this week.  I wish it could have been a month on bracelets, but there is so much to learn and such a limited amount of time.  Remember this isn't the class I had signed up for, but I'm loving it! I'm glad I stuck with it.

So here is my tip for you on the subject of taking an Adult Ed course:

Make it your own.
If you can, do a little research on the subject beforehand.  Even if you just Google it, and look at the pictures.  It will make the class a little easier because you know what you are getting yourself into.  Also, it gives you a chance to see what you might be interested in.  Then let your teacher know.  A lot of times, they will make adjustments in their schedule.  Teachers love it when you get excited about the subject they are teaching.  So they will bend over backwards to suit your interests.

Example:  we are running out of time in my wire course.  The teacher was going to spend the rest of time on bracelets, but I let her know my interest in rings.  So what are we doing next time?  RINGS!

Remember, your the one paying for the course.  You might as well get something out of it that you can use.  So, what adult education classes are you guys taking?

Set, game, match.

I finished it!!!

I was up until 2 in the morning because I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.  and I finished it.  No idea why this one took so long.  I decided to turn it into a ring.  Originally I thought bracelet, but it was kind of floppy.  It would have needed some type of backing on it to stabilize.  But at 2 a.m. who thinks of these things?  On top of that, a bracelet would have taken forever at that pace.  Really, my goals were to learn a new stitch and make a finished product.  I accomplished both.  I did break a couple beads on ring, but for the most part, you can't tell.  I just won't point out where.

This is awesome!  Here I am finally doing things I've been wanting to do for years.  And after 6 hours sleep I am up and excited to try something else.  I think I'm starting to learn about patience.  You need it for beadwork.  Then there is the guilt of sitting down and doing something that is all for me.  That I will have to keep working on.

So, another stitch?  I had better decide quickly or I'll syke myself out of doing anything.  Confidence level goes down and I second guess my abilities.  Today I've chosen to do a much larger project.  I'm going to learn how to do the spiral peyote stitch and attempt to turn it into a bracelet.  Maybe, because I'm starting early in the day, I'll be able to finish the whole thing.  Cross your fingers.  (what does that mean anyway?).

Trying to breathe...

Maybe today I could just make the same ring I did yesterday.  No.  I said I would do flat herringbone.  I don't like doing new things until I've done them.  It's easier not to try new things.  But art is my love.  I have to talk myself into things.  And remember to breathe.  I'm wearing my two new rings from yesterday to give me inspiration.  I've already watched the video twice and picked out my colors.  It's just a matter of getting my mind wrapped around it.

I keep telling myself that if I take my time and relax that I will get through it.  Even the puppy is routing me on.  Keeps swatting me in the arm.  Did you do it yet?  Aren't you gonna start?  Okay.  Here goes...

This took an hour.   I know you can't see it.  Bad camera.  Tiny beads.  Don't laugh.  This took a lot of work.  On the good side no teeth grinding.   I do have a headache though.  I think I held my breath the whole time.  It's surprising how many loops there are just to get your beads going in different directions.  Next time,  I would work with larger beads for the first run through of a stitch.  It's very difficult following where you are supposed to go when the beads are so small.  I was hoping to make a bracelet, but if that took an hour...I'll see you next Saturday.  After the first three rows, there's a sort of rhythm.  It started to make sense and it looks like it's supposed to.  I think.   All day long, I've been procrastinating.  Fearful of learning a new stitch?  Maybe I don't think I can do it.  I don't know.  I wonder what tomorrow will hold.

gritting my teeth

Okay, so no thunderstorm.  and before I had even begun, the puppy ate a bead I dropped.  He just sat there crunching away on it.  Must think he is a chicken.  I said "you have no gizzard, give it back."  He curled his lip.  I banned him from the room.  Now I hear him sitting on the other side of the door.  Boof, boof.  No sympathy.  Alright, I'm dying to open the door and let him in.

But no!  It's time to work.  I played the video. Already I don't have the right materials, but I'll have to make due.  I started at 10:40a.m.  All my materials laid out.  I have to play the video again.  and again.  and again.  Am I stupid?  No, I'm just panicking.  Breathe.  You can do I say.  Just take your time.  It doesn't have to be perfect the first 100 times.  So I wrap the thread around my finger like the lady says and I begin.  Row one.  Not bad.  Row two.  Not that hard.  Row three.  Where are we?  Panic sent in again.  Play the video again.  Alright, I get it now.  Row five.  My first mistake.  Only I didn't realize it until row 8.  I'm working along in silence.  No dogs.  No tv.  Peaceful.  Why am I gritting my teeth?  I thought this was relaxing.  NOT!!!

Then it happened.  I'm almost out of thread.  No one told me how to add more thread.  What do I do?  Stop here and make a ring for a baby?  No, I'm going to figure this out.  But I'm hungry.  I need to finish my laundry.  The dogs need to go out.  So many excuses.  I'll let the dogs out but then I'm going to stay here until I finish this one ring.  

I did it!!!  Were you holding your breath?  I was.  It took me 2 hours.  and the side of face hurts from all the teeth grinding.  But I now have a pretty little ring.  Now I want to make more.  But first I need to eat.

rings, rings, & more rings

I'm trying to do something creative everyday.  Whether it's something I know how to do, or something I need to learn to do.  And yes, I consider gardening creative and green.  But today is not gardening.  Today is rings.  Beaded rings.  and we all know I have the beads.  There is an episode on YouTube which shows how to make beaded rings.  I've watched the episode many times.  I have the supplies.  I now have the teacher.  So what is holding me back?  Well, today is the day.  The hardest things I have to do is pick out the colors and keep the puppy from eating my materials.  Lime green, oh yes.  Ocean colors with lime green.  It's my favorite color so I have to have it in there.

Okay, I left for a minute to get prepared.  I have to start while your still here.  I put on comfy clothes.  Lime green summer pajamas.  It's not like I'm going out.  I need all the encouragement and blissful fortitude that I can get.  And I just heard a thunderstorm is heading this way.  That always gets me feeling artistic.  Okay folks, I'm going to take a deep breath and just go for it.

Beads, baubles, and a stab to my wallet

I've always had a fondness, okay, an obsession with beads.  I see them and my heart beats a little faster.  I imagine all types of projects.  Yes, I think to myself, I can use this accent bead with these seed beads.  I pay for them.  Bring them home.  And weeks go by.  Before you know it, I've forgotten why I bought them.  It'll come to me.  But somehow it never does.  So in the drawer they go.  It's not that I don't use the beads.  I do.  Only, it's never the picture in my head or in the craft magazine that I saw.  I know some of the basics.  How to balance a piece.  What materials to use.  What does a crimper look like.  I just bought one today.  

Why the excitement?  Finally I have signed up for a beading class through adult ed.  Why not, right?  My external motto now is Just go for it.  But internally, I'm thinking "NOOOO.  Don't do.  You'll get hit by a bus while driving to the class."  Well, I'm doing it anyway.  Today, I whipped out the credit card and paid.  Then in the excitement, I went to Michael's.  Hence, the new crimper.  The class doesn't start until the 20th of this month so I have plenty of time to either send myself into full-blown panic, or get used to the idea.  It should be good right?  I didn't know there were so many ways to bead.  Right angle weave, peyote stitch, herringbone stitch.  I know none of these.  Somehow I have to get through the next 17 days.  Knitting.  I'll do knitting.