Good Times

Spent a day at Sandbridge Beach in Virginia while vacationing with family over the 4th of July. So much fun, the waves were pretty big and really gave us a workout. Poor Bob watched longingly from the shore with his healing broken leg. Walked the beach looking for treasure, hoping to find some cool sea glass I might make into jewelry. Alas I found lots of broken shells and a weird seed pod of some sort, but no sea glass. I did find a handsome young merman on the shore soaking up the sun. I was lucky to get his picture before he slipped back into the sea.

Pods and Purses

I've been working on perfecting a felted iPhone / iPod case and think I've finallly got the measurements down so that it felts to exactly the right size. I came up with a technique to put a band of contrasting color in the design, found some cool buttons and voila, a cool sturdy case that protects the device, and is unique and stylish. Here's a picture of the first one I made.

This one is called Forest Moss

You can see this and others at my Etsy shop. I've also made a smaller version that's change purse size to use for my business cards. Also can be used for credit cards, money, my favorite Earl Grey tea bags, whatever. I think it's really functional. I've been using it for a while and I love it!

Soon to be on Etsy......

Not Long Enough for Dr. Who

I’ve been working on this long term project that I started last winter and hope to finish this winter.  I love scarves for their warmth and style.

 

This is a green cotton scarf with a central cable. The cool thing about this one is that it is it is reversible, the cable pattern is the same on both sides. I originally made this in a black and blue chenille, however because of the colors and texture of the yarn you can’t see the beauty of the pattern. So... I opted for the lighter color in cotton where the dimension and stitches of the cable pattern are easily seen. Hope to post the finished project in the next month or so! Below is the original chenille scarf, note the lack of definition compared to the green cotton.

 

Even though I love the feel and look of this chenille fiber, I didn't like working with it. It tended to stick to itself as I was knitting and the stitches were not as uniform and smooth as I liked.

17° and Falling!

 

Birds in my frozen crabapple tree.

I'm not sure what kind of birds these guys are but they sure look cold.
Shouldn't they have flown south for the winter?

Blah, Blah, Blogs!

Seems like everyone has one so...I’m starting the New Year with this Blog. Today, January 1, 2010, Rob, my oldest son helped me set up my site and we picked my domain name. “From Pins and Needles” seems fitting as my handmade jewelry creations sprout from pins (headpins) and my fiber projects from knitting needles.

I love the vibrant colors and textures of today’s yarn. I use a lot of earth tones especially blues and greens. I love wool and it’s felting properties as well as the look and feel of pure cotton.

I use all kinds and colors of beads mostly glass, clay, stone, wood. I know that lucite is becoming a popular medium but to me it’s still plastic. As with yarns, when I see beads I like, I often buy them and later decide how to incorporate them into a project. Sometimes I have a project in mind and will search for those special beads or yarns that lend themselves to the design and nature of the piece. I look for quality supplies and am somewhat of a perfectionist, often taking longer than average on details until satisfied with the final product.

In June I opened an Etsy Shop to show and sell some of my work. I’m getting better at writing descriptions that aren’t too wordy and my photography skills have definitely improved. And, it’s fun. I really enjoy taking the pictures to showcase my work. I think photography has become a new hobby!

[Samuel Clemens and me]

(chatting it up)

Here's to 2010!

"May you live as long as you like,  And have all you like as long as you live!"