Another link in the chain

At least five years ago, I took a one-off course in wire wrapping. This is a technique used in jewelry making to make wire loops that are finished in a secure and decorative way: by wrapping one end of the wire around the other. I began a necklace with copper-colored wire and some metallic beads.

cube necklace materials

I decided to finish the necklace after all this time to discover that not only did I not remember how to make the wrapped loops, I didn’t remember what the technique was even called. I tried a few practice loops and they really didn’t come out. Fortunately for me, its name is straightforward. I found wonderful instructions on Fusion Beads, from a whole index of wire beading techniques. I had been doing it almost right, with two exceptions: I hadn’t been leaving a long enough “tail” of wire to wrap with, and I had missed the movement of the pliers from under the loop to inside it (step 3 in the instructions linked above). Not long after reading those instructions, I had this:

cube necklace finished

I made up the hook and eye closure since I didn’t have any copper-colored findings. My motivation to start was really just to check it off the list, but I rather like it. I’ll put it with the rest of my underused necklaces!

Fruity decor

I’m pleased to announce another pattern addition to the store! One of the first patterns I ever worked out was for a small apple ornament, and as soon as I started really thinking about pattern design I wrote down “fruit ornaments” in my idea list. Here they are!

whole fruits sliced fruits

There are seven fruits represented, both whole and sliced, each with a matching leaf: apple, pear, orange, grapefruit (shown only in sliced form above), lemon, lime, and peach. Of course there is some overlap of patterns there, but also a good bit of variety, such as a kaffir lime leaf pattern and a mandarin orange segment. Instructions are included for the stems, with knot diagrams and suggested yarn lengths. There are three options available for purchase: everything, whole fruits only (with leaves and stems), or sliced fruits only (instructions for hanging loops, but no leaves or stems).

These were originally intended as ornaments, but they would also make lovely appliques on a market bag, or, made in embroidery floss and stiffened, would be fun earrings or pins. In fact I will be adding product photos to the catalog pages of just such uses in the near future!

Comic gifts

Late last fall I got the idea to stitch up some of my husband’s drawings and make him a zippered pencil/hook case for Christmas. Well, here we are now and the stitching is done but not the case.

oh you banner Oh You stitching

contemplation contemplation stitching

Oh You! A Periodical is the hubby’s zine, and the first picture is the banner for the accompanying blog. The other is from an individual blog entry. Click the pictures to go to the blog and the entry, respectively.

He made both originals on the computer, the unicorn with a program that allowed pixel-by-pixel control (so the pattern is a literal representation, though I made a minor error in the stitching), and the man by drawing with the trackpad on his laptop (!!!). I printed a large version of the man and went over it with graph paper to turn it into a cross-stitch pattern.

The stitching is all half stitches on 28-count evenweave with two strands of floss. Full cross stitches were too difficult at that scale.

His birthday was yesterday and I gave him the finished embroideries with a request that he tell me whether he would actually like them made into a pencil case, or into something else. He chose the pencil case, and we’ll be designing it to suit his use. I’ll show you when it’s done!