Knitting With Telephone Poles

I have been a knitting and jewelry-making fiend lately. And, I've been pretty happy with what I've created.

The first thing that I made that I'm proud of is a beehive hat that I made for my boss's daughter. Actually, I'd made the hat before. I found the pattern in the book _Stitch 'n Bitch_ by Debbie Stoller, but that pattern was for adults. I knew that I should be able to make it for children, so I played with what I had, made some educated guesses, et voila! It's the cutest little pink beehive hat! From what I understand, the girl loves it! She wears it all the time! I always love to hear things like that.

Additionally, I knitted a couple of "stoles." They are pretty cool-looking, too. I'm not too sure what would be a practical use for whomever I decide to give them to, but they are warm and cute! I have enough yarn to make a third, but I'm not sure when I will do that. I get emails from a few knitting web sites, and I'm pretty thankful for that, because I've had quite a few new ideas for projects from featured ideas in those emails. I've been pretty happy with the results so far.

Yesterday, in the mail, two size 50 needles arrived. These things make it feel like knitting with telephone poles! But, Lion promised that I could create a throw in a measly six hours if I used this size needle and four strands of Homespun yarn. I love Homespun! It's so soft! And, the throw is looking pretty good so far! I love the fact that I'll be able to make an entire afghan with 34 stitches. It's like making a gigantic scarf. I'm looking forward to the end of that one. It should be a nice piece.

I'm also working on a helmetliner for my father to use on his motorcycle, because he likes to ride year-round when the weather permits (and his definition of this tends to differ with others, including myself). I thought this would be a nice warm additive. Way to encourage him, eh? I'm finding that this is taking longer than the throw mentioned above, because I'm working on 84 stitches, and I've got to first work up six inches of k2, p2 ribbing. I've got about four inches completed.

Now, in case all that doesn't sound like too much (and I didn't even mention the pair of fingerless gloves that I made in white with a nice little lacy edge), I have also been making a lot of jewelry-- six necklaces, two pairs of earrings, and one bracelet over the past weekend. I still have more of those that I want to make. And, there are a few other things. On Saturday, I went to Georgia State's annual Iron Pour and created an iron plaque that I really like. I've been going to the Iron Pour for three years now, and this, I think, was my best one yet! Maybe it's because I planned it ahead of time. I don't know, but I'm certainly pleased with the outcome.

I have been busy lately, to say the least, but it's been good. I've realized that I have more patience than I've had with projects in a long time. Even when the small complicated aspects of the jewelry-making wasn't happening like I wanted it to, I remained calm, and eventually, it all worked out! I guess that's what patience is about!

Thanks for reading!

:)
Tracey

Puzzling Pieces

A while back, I told the story of making a bookmark. For sealing the envelope that would mail this bookmark to its destination, I made a puzzle piece sticker. This is not an update on that, but a new experience with puzzle pieces.

An aunt of mine has an affinity for puzzle pieces, something that is recorded in her email address. When I saw the metal puzzle pieces in the craft store, I knew that I had to make her a necklace with matching earrings with what I found (and, of course, she loved them.)



I've started a new avenue of making jewelry. Before the projects that included this set for her, I had been only stringing beads, as I've shown in previous projects, including the set that I made for my mother for my cousin's wedding (that ended up including necklace, earrings, and bracelet). One night, while looking at the pieces that a coworker had made, I decided to try using chains in making necklaces. I had made a couple of pairs of earrings and a chain for my cell phone, so it wasn't too far out of the realm of possibility, but I'd never tried it for necklaces. That same night, my coworker gave me several stones to make jewelry with, because I had helped her to work out a piece that she was making for someone else.

I had purchased two chains that were all ready to be necklaces--they were just waiting for my creativity to determine what they would be. So, I made two necklaces using the pre-cut chains. I also had some chain that I'd bought to start from scratch, so to speak, and made a couple of necklaces that way. In total, I made five necklaces while watching two James Stewart films one Friday night. Two of the necklaces contained the stones that my coworker gave me, one necklace was the one for my aunt pictured above, the fourth was a locket I made for a friend of mine, and the fifth was one with a plaque containing a floral design. Additionally, I made the earrings pictured above and earrings that matched the other pieces.

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I'm looking for quick projects these days. I find myself amazed at how quickly I can make jewelry to be ready to wear. It's always stuff that looks good and merits compliments. I find that they make great gifts, too, and it's fun to buy the stones and such for pieces that are tailor-made for a specific person! I enjoy working with a specific person in mind, imagining how the person will react upon receiving the piece that I put together lovingly. For me, that's part of the fun. Of course, I tend to keep more than I give away, but I do enjoy giving, too. It's coming upon the time of year when coming up with ideas for Christmas presents is upon me. And, since I'm flying up North this year, rather than driving, I'm going to have to keep things on the small side....

Thanks for reading.

:)
Tracey

Weddings and Jewelry (cont)

My mother and I spoke last week, and she told me that she loves the jewelry I made her. She said she wears it all the time. Then, she asked if I would make her a matching bracelet. It's funny that the design came to me as I was making it, and she liked it so much, she wants a more complete set! It's also funny that I had hoped she'd like it enough to wear it to my cousin's wedding, and she says that she wears it all the time.

One of my friends was nearby when I was making the necklace, and she later shared that she found it interesting that while I was making it, I said to myself, "This doesn't look right. I need to change it somehow. I don't think the black will work here after all." Then, I changed a few beads around and said, "Here! This looks good!" and finished the other side. She said, "You didn't ask me if it looked good. You already knew."

For several years, I didn't make any jewelry, and I didn't knit. I learned how to knit when I was thirteen and working at a hotel in New Hampshire. I learned how to make jewelry when a friend of mine was interested in it when I was living in Guam and shortly thereafter. For several years, I focused only on writing poetry. During that time, I felt like something was missing. I began knitting again. Then, I started making jewelry again. Then, I learned how to make books. I feel more well-rounded in my creative endeavors. Engaging in only one seems stilting for me. Having more than one creative outlet provides me with the variety that I need. During the time that I was writing only poetry, I spent time with mostly poets. There was a connection there. There's variety in my social experiences now, as well as my creative outlets, and I feel more whole as a result.

I have finished two of my afghans now, and I'll include pictures of the second in an upcoming post. I have the third (the second-begun) to finish now, but there's not much left to it, so I'm hoping to have it finished soon.

Thanks for reading!

Tracey

Weddings and Jewelry

This past weekend, I attended my cousin's wedding in Massachusetts (so confusing, because she lives in Augusta, GA, most of our family lives in Rhode Island, and the wedding was in Massachusetts not too far from Gillette Stadium, unfortunately for the car I was in). It was a beautiful event! She was a beautiful, happy bride, and everyone feels lucky to be adding to their respective families. This is such a great thing, because I've been to weddings where this hasn't been the case. Her now-husband was holding back tears while reciting his vows. I'm choked up right now as I think about it. It was a beautiful day, and we had a lot of fun! Including my 82-year-old grandfather who danced the fast songs with my youngest cousin and some of her friends. According to my aunt, he said, "All these girls were asking me to dance! I don't know why!"



For this occasion, I decided to make some jewelry, particularly for my mother since her birthday was last week. Included here are some pics of the necklace and earrings set that I hoped that my mother would wear to the wedding. She did. I'm pretty proud of this set. To me, it looked as good as much of the jewelry I saw others wearing. I think it was the most elegant-looking set that I've made thus far. And, she loved it! The set looked beautiful on her, with her dress.

I will be honest here. When I made this set, I didn't have a plan in mind. Often, when I'm making jewelry, I use the jewelry board so that I can get an idea of what the piece looks like before I make it. Since I made this one in a place away from home, I didn't have all the equipment I usually have, so I built the piece as I went along, judging that the center was right... about... HERE. Then, I reversed what I'd done on the other side to create a balanced piece.

I've been reading a book about facilitating adventure-based counseling for a class I'm taking next week. In it, there was a reference to those group members who tend to be quiet most of the time but who may offer insight when it comes to visualizing an end result. I think that's what I experienced in this project (and for the necklace-and-earrings set I made for myself for the wedding). I was able to see in my mind a rough picture of what the final product would be like. Likewise, I was able to determine the center of the piece without measuring. I can work similarly with my knitting. For instance, I make changes with patterns in advance of a project with an idea of what the end-product will be like with the changes. So, sometimes, I ad lib for a project as I go along, and at other times, I make changes to a pattern before I start. More often than not, I like the final product.

There were certain decisions I made with my mother's necklace that I made for reasons of space (and the idea that there were some parts of the necklace that wouldn't be noticed, because they'd be on the back of her neck). While I was at the wedding, I saw a lot of interesting jewelry, and my eyes were open to seeing the different beads and stones and styles that people were wearing. I found while looking that people were wearing pieces that mixed beads that I had sort of apologetically mixed for my mother's piece without any apology but with purpose. It led me to want to try to recreate some of these other pieces with intention.

I like how things work out that way sometimes. Something that I was embarrassed about doing (and not because it "looked" bad on the necklace) was the same something that was intentionally done for other pieces. I do want to see how I could play around with the same theme and make my own pieces in a likeness to the ones I saw!

Thanks for reading.
Tracey

New Jewelry!

I've been keeping busy lately, with school starting--teaching a class, taking two classes-- and working, working, working. Self care right now is REALLY important! Here is some jewelry that I've been working on....




I'm excited about this set, because it can hold little pictures. I'm not sure whose pictures will be in the frames, but I'm excited about figuring that out!





I have a friend who has a birthday really soon. This pair I made for her birthday! I'm pretty excited about the combination I came up with! Here's another picture of it:



Tonight, I made a softcover poetry book. Stay tuned for pics of that (and some pics of some other sundry books I've made!)

Thanks for visiting! And, stay tuned!

Tracey

Update

I know I said that I'd be sharing what I've been doing on here, and there hasn't been an update in more than a week.

Here's what I've been doing:

1. I made a bracelet and ring set. It's kinda cool, because both the bracelet and the ring can hold a small picture (well the bracelet can hold five or so). I made this for a gift, but I've not figured out who to give it to or what pictures to slide in. More fun to come with this! I'll post pics once I've finished the pieces off and taken pics!

2. I wrote a poem called "flooding with clowns" and am currently gluing it into a book I made several weeks ago. So far, it looks pretty cool, but it isn't finished.

3. I've written quite a few poems for my chap _resipiscent_- which will be out in October. I have only eight more poems for that collection.

4. I've made three books, too, in an attemtpt to get comfortable with different ways of binding books. I made one softcover whose binding I sewed, and two hardcovers. I'm having SO much fun with this!

I've been busy otherwise, trying to ready myself for the start of another school semester, too--reading, preparing a syllabus, etc. All good stuff! As the weather begins to think about getting cooler (because let's face it, it isn't really cooler in Atlanta), I'm beginning to think about knitting projects-- finishing the sweater for the baby that I started in the Spring and some other fun activities.

I've got lots of great ideas! I'm hoping to get some pics up here, soon! Keep posted!

Tracey