I’ve decided that running my shop through Ebay is probably not such a great idea anymore.  So I’ve begun working on a new shop package which is much more tailored and best of all it’s free.  I can now keep my prices as they have been and afford to look around at some SEO and other sales/publicity support for the business.

The Ebay shop is good to go till the 16th, after which I expect the new shop will be operational and you’ll find it linked into the main site as before.

Darning in ends is like putting your toys away after you’ve finished playing.  I do it because it needs doing, but there’s no danger I’ll ever start enjoying it.  In both cases, I’d rather be playing!

One or two ends don’t bother me, but I just finished a hat with stripes and ear flaps which are also striped.  That’s a lot of ends.  Undarned my ear flaps make me look like a spaniel.  It’s warm, but that’s just not a good look.  Though perhaps instead of reading what the latest fashion trend is – I can create my new one.  Spaniel hats!  And someone somewhere no doubt already made a doggy hat with the nose and eyes too.  I’d rather have a sheep hat, but that’s just me.
I could get into this hat making thing, especially since the temperature here went from mild to arctic here in the space of a few days.  My prototype doesn’t just use up scraps of odd colours, it’s a great pattern for watching TV to.  Nasty things happen to fancy patterns when you’re distracted.  Most of my unpicking skills were gained after turning the TV off and looking down.   Fact 😉

Lessons I’ve learnt from my jewellery making recently…

First, the useful ones:

1) For sanding beads, a little square of sandpaper wrapped round index finger is great for sanding odd shaped bits of polymer clay. Especially if you layer the finer grades on top of each other then flick between them for each bead.
2) One of those push pin drawing pins is very handy for making holes in raw and baked clay.

3) Nail varnish remover pads are excellent at getting gloss varnish off your paintbrush.

4) Said pads also remove unwanted Pearl Ex powder from baked clay, but I always wash the clay straight after *just in case it harms fimo*

5) You should wear a mask for protection vs fumes from varnish and pearl ex powder which goes *everywhere*

And the things I’d rather not have learnt….

1) You can’t drink coffee, eat chocolate biccies or look remotely sensible wearing a mask. I’m not lying when I confess I lifted the coffee cup a few times mid varnish and found myself disappointed at the bad access. At least I didn’t have coffee dribbling down my chin before I noticed!

2) A jack russell tearaway/terrier is not compatible with jewellery making. Problems include:

– Scattering beads when trying to reach the chocolate biccies on my desk.
– Pawprints in the polymer clay during the above.
– Making a sudden movement on my lap while I’m stringing beads.
– Trying to eat polymer clay.

3) When varnishing one side of a bead, should you drop it, this is *always* the side that lands face down. If there is a bit of fluff, hair or another object or bead to adhere to – it will stick firm.

4) Sanding your fingers won’t buff you into a nice sheen, but it will shorten your fingernails.

I’ve made a new section in the blog for my jewellery ramblings, because let’s face it with my bead obsession it’s going to happen!

In line with the new website, I’m going to include design notes on my work here.  Basically the ideas behind the jewellery and how it was constructed.  I hope you find it interesting 🙂

Combining crafts can lead to some unique fusion pieces. The latest Creativity newsletter happened to mention felted beads. Something I thought about fleetingly but wasn’t sure how feasible it might be. I think it’s about time I bought some of these felting needles and picked up some fibre to play with.

I did a proper blocking of the lace scarf at last. A few posts back you’ll see the basic attempt.

For the first half of blocking the scarf looked like it might turn out 20ft long, but stretched out to the sides too I’m glad to say it looks normal.

My method tends to involve finding something long and spongy to stick pins through. Generally the ironing board, though in this case it wasn’t long enough. I pinned one end of the scarf first, then attached a weight to the other end which put a gentle pressure on it lengthways. Then I pinned each side in turn down the length of the scarf and adjusted any pins that didn’t look straight enough. It’s a bit fiddly! And I stabbed myself plenty. Fortunately the results are worth it, one very pretty scarf.

After the pinning, I got out the iron and scooshed with the spray to dampen the scarf, then put a towel over sections of it to gently (very gently!) iron the scarf. It’s been sitting overnight now so I’m itching to unpin it and get some photos.

I’ve been thinking for a while that baler string would make a very durable fabric for something, if I could dream up a purpose. I think I have an idea now – a work bag. Something I’ve never actually had, always using carrier bags for projects.

I think I’ll make a circle base, line the bottom of it with a disc of sturdy plastic so any needles won’t poke out, then just make a nice circular basket type affair.

Here’s the string in question:-

Tomorrow I’ll bring in a few balls of the stuff and try working 2 strands together. I have a feeling that it would produce a bag that would stand up by itself to double as a yarn holder. Though I could also recycle a few coffee tins and the like by covering them and lining the too. More food for thought. I like recycling things as it seems such a waste to throw them out.

Pattern and photos will follow in due course.

http://www.craftown.com/crochet/pat46.htm

Finally finished a lace scarf that’s been work in progress for ages. I made one of these for myself before, this is a sale one and I thought I could manage another without too much trouble. Eesh the boredom of the same 2 rows of pattern over several feet of knitting! All I can say is it had better sell after this. I’ll take a few pics of it before and after blocking, it’s still in the ugly duckling stage.

I’ve dug out the crochet hooks for what I think is my next sale project. I bought a job lot of coned yarns and among them was this lovely biscuit coloured 1 ply cotton. It felt a bit delicate as 1 ply so I ran a test sample through the spinning wheel to make it a 2 ply. It took a good while to fill a bobbin but the shawl I’m working it into is lovely to handle. Given that I have 10+ cones of the stuff to get through, hopefully it’s popular *grin*

Beginning to wonder if I’m a glutton for punishment with all this lace.

Anyway this is the pattern I’m using and a picture of what it should look like *grin*

Sorry, Dear Reader, I’ve been neglecting you lately. Blame the acrylic socks. Two pairs of synthetic socks and my feet were still horribly cold; bless our lovely Scottish weather. I decided it was about time I made myself some proper wool socks, to match my favourite woolen mittens. They roast my hands even if they’re sopping wet.

We’re only a few months away from shearing time, and I have a mountainous pile of fleeces to get through. So, out comes the spinning wheel. My Jack Russell terrier, Candy, loves this. She gets to snatch a chunk of fleece and delights in shredding it, while I spin away oblivious to her destruction. Her favourite trick if I’m on the phone, is to take some fleece just out of my reach and shred it. I can’t stretch out and stop her, and she knows it. There is a cure though. I have a cardigan that she used to bed down in as a puppy. She spent hours on my knee,tucked inside it like a joey; while I worked on the computer or spun wool. Years later she remembers this cardigan and if I put it on, or lay it down, she insists on being wrapped in it. Yes I know, I spoil her!

My socks are now finished, after three afternoons/evenings of spinning and knitting, my feet are cosy. I finished them just in time as we had another hard frost, and now snow.

The spinning wheel helps me find ideas for writing too. Once I settle into the rhythm, the wool almost spins itself. My mind is then free to think of ideas, so I keep a notebook within reach. I did this during the summer, notes on one side of me, sketches and fleece on the other. The caravan has wonderful long sofa seats, perfect for keeping work to hand or reclining as you spin. In the meantime, I content myself with the computer desk and typing chair.