A space for spacers

I have so much glass in my shed and I don't think I will ever use it all so I've decided to turn some of it into spacers. Some glass doesn't suit my style of beadmaking, or maybe it's the other way round, but it makes very pretty plain, undecorated beads.

The other reason for making spacers is that some days, and it's more often than not, I just cannot seem to make fancier beads that I am happy with. One factor at play here is obviously my over-critical fussiness about my own work, but the main issue is my eyesight. I just can't seem to find the right spectacles/prescription for the job. I've tried explaining to various optometrists what I do and they tell me to wear my reading glasses for beadmaking but this doesn't quite work. I've tried my varifocals but they wind me up because I have to constantly and consciously move my focus about which feels awkward and unnatural and I end up making mistakes all the time because I can't properly and clearly see what I'm doing. I honestly work better without any glasses (except for my safety didys, obviously) but the optometrist is adamant that I wear specs at all times. My usual and favourite fiddly and precise polka dots, scrolls and linework are now exceedingly tricky to execute and it's very disheartening. Maybe I need a magnifier or have I read somewhere that they can cause problems with your eyes? I don't know. Perhaps I should go back to the opticians again and try and get through to them what I need my glasses to do? Or should I simply accept that my eyesight is not what it once was and evolve accordingly beadwise?

I still very much want to make beads but on days when my eyes are titting about I shall just have to settle for less precise designs (spotty beads, anyone?) and plain beads. Plain beads don't have to be boring; encased spacers are lovely, whitehearts are good and a smattering of mica is always a bit magical. Spacers are always useful for adding to designs featuring more decorative beads, but they're beautiful in their own right. I love bracelets made with plain spacer beads as they're unfussy and really comfy to wear.

I've made a space for spacers in my shop and I'll be filling this new section with spacers as and when I make them. I'm selling plain single colour spacers as strands of twelve with optional tumble-etching and I'll also be selling spacer mixes.

I've got absolutely loads of spacers knocking about in various bowls, jars and yoghurt pots so I shall sort them out and add some assortments over the next few days. Right now there are some dark ivory ones and a mixed strand of reds, pinks and purples, but do keep an eye on the spacer beads page because I'll add to it often.

Very autumnal

The customer who purchased these spotty 'Festive Glow' beads  asked me to make them into a bracelet for her. 

These beads have been waiting for a home for a year (I sound like a cat rehoming centre) so it was nice to make them into jewellery and finally send them out into the world. 

I made some matching spacers to go betwixt the spotty beads and the result is a very autumnal one. Job's a good'un!

I need to make some more beads to restock my virtual shelves so I'll be in the shed for a chunk of this weekend.

In crochet news...

I've been making a load of tiny motifs out of sock yarn.

I'm currently working on joining them all together, but what are they going to be? Hopefully I'll be able to show you in the next (or maybe one after) gripping episode of this blog. Stay tuned etc.

Have a nice weekend!

Languishing no more

I start to feel sorry for beads in my 'For Sale' box that have been sat there for ages waiting for a new home. It's like they're not getting to fulfil their potential and after months of them languishing in a dark box I take out the beads and turn them into jewellery.

'Rainy Day' bracelet

'Rainy Day' earrings

I've had some polka dotty 'Rainy Day' beads and some spotty 'Iceberg' ones sat doing nothing for far too long so last week I made them into bracelets and earrings.

'Iceberg' bracelet

'Iceberg' earrings

These pieces are currently available in my shop.

Blanket of stars

When I started this blanket I had no particular recipient in mind - I simply wanted to crochet it. When I saw Em in Southampton last month I showed her a photo of the pattern and she loved it so it became her blanket and now it's living with her in Northern Ireland.

I had to stand on the sofa to take this photo

It's a hexagonal blanket made of hexagons (127 of them) and that means that there were a bazillion ends to sew in. I always sew in my ends as I complete each motif but the joining of them all made a load more ends and it took me a whole day and a half to weave them all away.

The finished product was well worth all the ends-sewing-in-ness, though. The pattern is a truly beautiful one - it's the Starlite Blanket by Alice Tarry of The Burrow UK. I made it with Yarnsmiths Create DK and Wool Warehouse do a yarn pack with all the colours required for the blanket.

Donaghadee done

My trip to Donaghadee was lovely. The picture above is of the beach at Donaghadee. It is so pretty and I would love to have this on my doorstep. 

The plane was a bit delayed flying out on Friday evening due to Storm Amy and the landing was quite hairy. The pilot attempted to land but decided it was too dangerous to do so safely so we did a twenty minute loop and then he had a second go.

Taken before the second landing attempt

It was extremely rollercoastery and the cabin crew had a stack of sick bags at the ready. One woman across the aisle from me was crying and literally clutching her rosary beads. Just as I was starting to feel pretty groggy myself we landed and oh, the relief to be back on the ground!

Goliath, one of the Harland & Wolff cranes

Em and I visited Titanic Belfast on the Saturday which was great. The museum is really good and its final couple of sections made Em and I quite teary. The story of Titanic is such an enduring one and I think it's nigh-on impossible to not be moved by it.

Outside you can go and stand on the slipway where Titanic was built. There's something special about standing on that spot and imagining the men building her all those years ago.

The plaque in the above photo reads 'This plaque was unveiled on 31st March 2009 by John M Andrews, great nephew of Thomas Andrews, chief naval architect, Harland & Wolff, to commemorate the centenary of the keel laying of RMS Titanic, built on this slipway between 1909 & 1911'.

On the Sunday we went to Streamvale Open Farm to say hello to all the animals. If there's a goat or sheep available for a fussing and a feeding, I'm there.

A lot of the weekend was spent with Em's dogs. Sadly, Em's dear little dog Pu-Ki died in July. Trigger has been missing him terribly and Em and Adam felt it was time to find him a companion.

Trigger

They saw that a Pomeranian puppy needed a new home (he'd been rescued from a puppy farm) and now Macho is settling in with them.

Macho and his ball

I'd never been around a puppy before and blimey, what a lot of work! Macho is very sweet, though, and really intelligent.

He reminds me of Noel Edmonds

Trigger's still not sure about Macho but they're making progress and I'm sure they'll be the best of friends soon.

I flew back home on the Monday, no dodgy landing and half an hour ahead of schedule. I've never been much of a holidaymaker or traveller and I've barely been anywhere compared to a lot of people, so a 90 minute plane trip is a big deal to me but now I've done the Northern Ireland trip solo I know it'll be fine in the future.