Vintage Sweater

I am using some GORGEOUS yarn to knit myself a sweater.  I purchased the yarn from a fellow Raveler for about half the price of retail, since she was destashing.  It is comprised of alpaca, wool, and angora and is called Fresco,  by Classic Elite Yarns.  I'm using a size #3 needle and am getting about 6 stitches per inch.  The pattern is Vintage Pink Cardigan from Interweave Knits, Spring 2005, and designed by by Norah Gaughan.  It is a lovely pattern with some cable interest on the button band.

Can you see the angora halo in the second picture.  It is stunning.

Pod Necklace with Green Seeds

Here we have a copper pod necklace I just completed.   It is a little rough but will do for a prototype.  It doesn't quite rest flat on its back so I will have to figure that out.  I do like the heavy copper wire armature from which it hangs.  Fabricated from 24 g copper sheet metal and 16 g copper wire with a few beads for some color.

Playing with Copper

These copper pods were a blast to make even though I may have struggled a bit.  I used 24 g copper sheet and 16 g copper wire with a few assorted beads.  Chains need to be added now.

Ruffled Peyote Bead Necklace

I made a series of these circular ruffled peyote beads this summer while cruising on our boat and I put them together today to make this necklace.  I have a few more beads to make another piece, but that's for another day.

This pendant started out as my very first piece of copper fold forming and I just hated it.  I did not have a vision for it at all, and put it aside and promptly made another one.  However, I resurrected it and love how it turned out.  I is so leaf-like now, instead of just crumpled up copper.

Brass Cuffs

I have a Bill Fretz DVD which showed how to fabricate these simple, but lovely, brass cuffs.  They started out life as a 2" diameter brass tube and were cut to about a little more than 1" wide.  After hammering them, I cut the ring apart with a jeweler's saw and then polished them.  I am enthralled with my creations!  The plain cuff was made a few weeks ago, and became very tarnished after polishing, so I tried Renaissance Wax and that seems to be doing the trick so far.  Time will tell.  I have two more rings so I will be playing some more!

Fold Formed Copper Necklace

This is my latest creation from playing at Tada's Artisan Boutique.  We were fold forming copper sheeting and I just loved how this one came out.  The copper reminds me of a petticoat.  I had no idea how I was going to finish it off, but it sort of just came to be once I started putting things together.  The straight pieces of copper in the necklace part were about 3 inch pieces of 12 gauge wire which I balled up on each end and then hammered flat and pierced.  Too bad I broke my two-holed screw punch though.  Sigh.

But I am loving this piece and the addition of the turquoise bead is excellent.

Monika was wondering about the button mold process for polymer clay, from my previous post, so I thought I'd take a moment t explain. I bought the putty from Michael's for around $20 I think. It made all these molds with lots left over. It's as easy as could be and the molds come out very flexible, like rubber. Place the polymer button material into the mold, pop out, and bake. I buffed the finished button with my denim jeans. I have made several batches of polymer clay buttons over the years because I couldn't find the right color for my projects.

This cute baby kimono was made with Trekking XXL sock yarn and should be machine washable. The buttons are handmade polymer clay buttons I just made this morning. I made about three skinny snakes of three different colors and twisted them together over and over and then broke off button size pieces and pressed them into a button mold I had made a while ago and then baked them. I buffed the finished buttons on my jeans to make them a little shiny and reamed out the holes, since they were too small. All in all, it's an adorable little sweater! The pattern is Cheryl Oberle's Little Hanten and is published in the wonderful book called Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders.

I finally completed this piece with the addition of the double link chain of copper. I recently read about a new tool (be still my heart!) called Koil Kutter which is an attachment for my Dremel tool which cuts rings!! I wind the 18 gauge copper wire around my old size 4 knitting needle to make the coils and then use the Dremel to saw them. The price is right and it works so well!! I tumbled them afterwards to work harden and make them pretty.

This gorgeous cuff is from my latest class at Tada's in Gloucester Point VA. The large stone is a fire agate stone and the smaller rounds are probably agate or jasper. Don't know for sure. The wire is sterling and gold filled square wire with some half round thrown in there too. Cindy, our instructor, is a pure genius about making these types of objects and is so much fun too.

Here is an funky wire necklace I just finished up. I do not know what the nugget stones are and the smaller round beads are most likely some sort of glass, but again, not sure. The wire is 16 and 18 g raw copper wire which was given a patina of liver-of-sulfer. The necklace design is from the cover page of Wirework Fall 2011.

Another Wirewrapped Cabachon

The third in a series, this particular one does not have the twisted wire like the first two. I prefer a simpler, cleaner look.

I purchased some inexpensive chains to go with these so they will be a nice present.

Wire Wrapped Cabachon Pendants

I took another wonderful class at Tada's Artisan Boutique, here in Gloucester Point, VA, where we learned to make these lovely sterling silver wire wrapped pendents. Next week we will be making rings!! These cabachons are wrapped with 21 gauge sterling square and 1/2 round wire.

Baby Shrug

Isn't this garment the most adorable thing you've ever seen? It was a very fast knit, even if I did have to rip it out a couple of times since it appears that I cannot count. I also did not pay close enough attention to the directions for the ruffles either, since my version is much fuller. However, I LOVE IT!!

The yarn is superwash wool, which I normally detest, but this is really nice and it has a great twist. It is Serendipitous Ewe Fate sport weight, purchased at Frivolous Fibers in St. Michaels.

Fold Formed Copper Pendant with Sea Glass

This is from another fabulous metal class with Barb Claytor, here in Gloucester Point, VA, at Tada's Boutique. We just played with manipulating 24 g copper sheet by folding it and twisting it with firing with a torch in between to soften it. I can't believe how gorgeous it turned out and the sea glass is PERFECT for this piece. Thank you Tammy!

Scrunch Beads Revisited

I was recently asked about the pattern source for these glorious coral beads I made last summer. The directions come from a wonderful book, The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving by Carol Wilcox Wells and are designed by JoAnn Baumann and Tina Bloomenthal. The book is definitely worth the money. I am inspired to make more now.

Antique Jade Bead Treasure Woven Necklace

My friend Heather presented this gorgeous bee made of jade as a reward for teaching her some wire techniques! I am hoping that she will be totally hooked on jewelry by now!

I found some matching jade beads and had the perfect C-lon thread to match. All the time I was making this, I kept thinking of tootsie rolls!! I am extremely pleased with my creation.

May Mystery Knitalong Shawl

This is made from fine wool and silk Helen's Laces. I used the entire skein of 1200 yds and had to cut it short. It is very large and light and sheer. It was a mystery with clues published every week for 5 weeks and was quite easy to do. It was just a lot of knitting.

Folded Metal Pendant with Viking Knit Chain

Sharon, here is the picture of the finished piece, since you asked so nicely:-)
The viking knit chain was made using a 7/16 dowel and 5 e-loops with 24 g copper wire. I worked about 12 inches and when it was done being drawn through the draw plate, it was about twice as long in length. I annealed the chain afterwards but it made it so soft that it actually got too thin in places. Next time, it would be better to anneal the wire immediately after it was removed from the dowel, and before the draw plate.  I used 18 g wire for the bail and end caps.  The bail wire was hammered flat and then wrapped loosely around a knitting needle to size it and then placed onto the chain.

Treasure Woven Bracelet

I used some lovely pink and white lampwork beads for this finger woven bracelet, but poor planning on the spacing of them left me short. Tammy, from Tada's Artisan Boutique found me the perfect addition: a white and pink angel fish! What fun.

Folded Metal Pendant with Cabachon

Another class with Barb at Tada's Artisan Boutique. We learned to fold and anneal copper metal to create a wonderful textured pendant. The cabachon was sandwiched between the folded piece and a flat backing piece in a dapped and filed 'bump'. The two pieces were then riveted together. I am still figuring out how I want to attach it to a chain.

Oriental Scroll Finished

I finished the chain with simple double wrapped loop links and a classic swan clasp hook. It is shown here resting on my latest knitted lace shawl of cotton.

Oriental Scroll Pendant

I took a FABULOUS class at Tada's Artisan Boutique at York River Yacht Haven, near Yorktown this past weekend. We learned to etch copper and how to apply various finishes, as well as dap and shape a round top to a cylinder. It was fabulous! I only need to construct a copper chain and this lovely will be finished.

Yet More Earrings

More earrings. I feel as though I have only started with all the ideas running around in my head. I'm very sad that the price of silver is just skyrocketing and I want to conserve the little that I have. Sigh.

Green Beaded Copper Earrings

I had attempted to make a bracelet with about 6 of these copper beaded plates but it was so difficult to make them that I gave up for the moment and made earrings out of the four that worked. The previous post shows a pair with brown beads. I adore these. They are, of course, from Beverly Ash-Gilbert's workshop I took a few weeks ago.

More Earring Frenzy

I've been having a lot of fun playing with metal and wire. Here are my latest efforts.

Earring Frenzy

I just took a class with Sally Stevens, whom I just adore. She is so much fun and has so many clever tips. Here are some of the earrings I made yesterday afterwards. The lampwork beads were made my her daughter, Shannon.

Beaded Metal Pendant

My previous post shows the beaded necklace from my workshop with Beverly Ash-Gilbert. This is another pendant from the first workshop she presented that weekend. It is two pieces of copper sheet metal riveted together and then embellished with one of her bead soups. I finished it off by painting liver of sulfur on the background shape. I had beaded the piece before I could patina it, and not wanting to dip the entire piece in a noxious solution, I simply dipped the brush in and painted. It took a bunch of dipping and brushing but I am so pleased at how that worked. I used a simple rubber cord to hang it on.

Wander with Color Necklace

I am fresh from three days with Beverly Ash-Gilbert and am totally inspired! This necklace is freeform netting and incorporates several colors of bead soups. It was so much fun to make and I adore the colors. I have another piece to show tomorrow - it is quite different, being cut pieces of sheet metal with beads embroidered on.

Here I am getting ready to attend the Bead Society's Annual Bead Challenge Show Artist Reception. Since I have a piece in the show, I must look my best!!! This is the Hanne Falkenberg Cordelia Sweater I finished up recently but never modeled.

This is the necklace which is in the show.