New Beads

This is just a quick post to let you know that I've just added these beads to my Etsy shop.

Have a great Friday night!

Warm Hands

I've been doing lots of knitting.  I'm working on a pair of socks that have been languishing on the needles since we moved in and I'm also teaching myself stranded (Fair Isle) knitting. 

I made the fingerless mitts above for my sister Sally for her birthday.  The pattern is Ysolda Teague's 'Veyla' and it's great.  A quick but very pretty knit and Sally is absolutely delighted with them.

And then Chris asked me to make him another pair of fingerless gloves, this time in dark red.  These are a mish-mash of a couple of standard glove patterns.  They're knitted in DK weight yarn so they should keep his hands nice and warm.

Many people wonder if fingerless gloves are effective.  They really really are - they keep your wrists warm which helps and even though your fingers and their tips are exposed your hands are kept surprisingly toasty.  Also, and in Chris's case this is of major importance, the free fingertips factor allows you to use the touch screen of your iPhone with ease.  Result!

'Mushroom'

More scrolly beads, this time in pale grey and brown.  Very neutral colours - perfect for everyday wear.

As I type, these beads are available on the Freshly Baked Beads page of my website.

Have a great Thursday!

Stash Busting

Yesterday I was sorting through my glass stash and I kept finding rods of glass that have been sat there for years.  I looked at them and thought 'Why don't I ever use these?' and do you know, I didn't have a decent answer for myself.

Actually, that's not one hundred percent true.  I kind of do know why I avoid certain glasses.  Some of them do things that I don't like.  Take Effetre Turquoise for example.  I rarely use it and when I do it is in the form of stringer.  I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've used it for base beads in my whole beadmaking life.  It has a tendency to go a tad streaky and it also has a habit of developing a grey metallic sheen which can make the resulting beads look grubby. 

But my reason was naff.  Turquoise is a nice colour and many people love to wear it.

So I decided to make a set of beads out of plain, un-encased Effetre Turquoise and then I decorated them with some fine scrolly stringerwork in CiM French Blue.  Yes, the turquoise went a little streaky.  Yes, it got a grey sheen which I've now removed.  But hey - those are some nice beads, even if I do say so myself!

These will be for sale on my website at 8.00pm UK time tonight.  Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to dig out some long-forgotten glass and see what I can make with it .....

Spottiness

It took me ages this morning to clean all the beads that I made at the end of last week but they're all done now and can currently be found over in my Etsy shop.  There are some strands of mixed pairs that would be great for making earrings.  Please click here to take a look.