Follow-up

Since my last post, I've listed a lot of beads on Purple Butterfly Artisan Studio, my online bead and jewelry store. I knew it would take some time, but I didn't realize how complicated and time consuming it actually is. So it's a slow process, and tedious to boot; and there are only about 20 items listed so far. But I decided that I need to take a break from the camera and the computer, at least for a bit. I think I'll head into the studio and make some more beads (which, of course, will need to be added to the site.) And maybe this evening I'll do some knitting or crochet; my fiber projects have been put on the back burner this last week.

More to come. Visit my online shop, and let me know what you think. And maybe while you're there, you'll see something you just have to have.

I Finally Did It!

Well, I finally did it! I started up an ArtFire Studio. Those of you who have been asking can purchase my  Lampworked glass beads @ PurpleButterflyArtisanStudio. I've only got a few beads posted, but I will be adding more as the days go by.

 Butterfly Beads

     Bead Sets

   

                                                 Hollow Beads

                                          

                                                   Heart Beads

                                           

                                                   Leaf Beads

                                           

                                                   Shell Beads

    

                                              

I didn't realize how much time was involved in getting the site started before I could even post the beads. And there's a lot of information that needs to be written up for each item, so I'm a little worn out. But I'll be back at it tomorrow, and however long it takes.

Blocking is Such a Pain..............But...

Blocking is such a pain, and very time consuming, to boot..............But there's no disputing that the results  are well worth it. And since I got a set of blocking wires (which, by the way, are actually tig wires, used in welding; and also as mandrels in glass beadmaking), the task has become a little less of a pain, since I no longer need to use tons of T-pins. The blocking wires do a good job of ensuring nice, straight edges.

Having just finished the second of 2 Gryffindor House scarves for a couple of fans (Harry Potter, for the uninitiated) I set about blocking it. This one is the style for years 3 and 4; I already finished the one for years 1 and 2. Those blocking wires really came in handy, since the scarf had been crocheted in mostly double crochet, interspersed with narrow stripes in single crochet; resulting in a less than perfect straight edge.

When I first learned to knit and crochet, way back when I was a kid, I never blocked anything. We always just took the finished piece to the knit shop where we had purchased the yarn and they did the blocking. At a price, I'm sure. I vaguely recall that sometimes they even sewed up a garment, as well. I suppose some LYSs would still block and/or sew together, but somehow that detracts a bit from saying something is Handmade.

Year's End

"When you get to the end of a year, it's common to reflect back on events and accomplishments, and sometimes to write "Closed" on certain aspects of your life."

I wrote this on Wednesday, and never got back to it; too busy reflecting, and trying to finish up those "certain aspects". 

The major accomplishment was this:

Harry (DH) built new shelves to connect my existing 3 cabinets to create a full wall of storage, and we moved all my yarns from various places around the house into this unit. It gave me the chance, among other things, to finally organize my yarns by color. But it also brought into perspective just how much yarn I actually have. Now, I've always said that you can't have too much yarn; I was wrong! I cannot use up this much yarn in my lifetime, especially since I now am splitting my time between fiber and glass. So I'm going to try really hard not to buy any yarn until I've put a dent in this stash. Unless I need yarn to finish a project that I'm working on. This will definitely be a challenge to try and make use of stash only. The one exception to this is that if I decide to do the 2011 crochet block a month cal I will have to buy yarn for that, as my stash doesn't include the kind of yarn required. 

 I also finished the Night Sky Vest, as mentioned in the previous post,

 and finally made some acceptable toggle type buttons for it: 

I guess that's it till next time. I'll try to post more frequently in the future. 

Till then, here's wishing you all a Healthy, Happy, Peaceful New Year, 

(and Prosperous wouldn't hurt)

in which the worst day of the year is as mild as the best day of last year.