cutting Power Pro thread

I bought some 10 lb. test, Power Pro braided bead thread for a project that I was working on; it is similar to Fireline. While trying to get a clean cut on the thread end I took a good chunk out of one finger with my sharp embroidery scissors. This was Wednesday night--yep, the night before Thanksgiving. What fun fixing dinner with a bandaged finger.
I have now learned that the thread cuts cleaner if you put a little tension on it. I am using my tiny, stork embroidery scissors to cut the thread but that may not be a good idea because I read that you shouldn't use good scissors to cut Fireline.
If anyone has any othe tips, feel free to share.

ALMOST BACK TO NORMAL IN COMPUTERLAND

The new computer arrived yesterday and we started loading our programs on to it. Now we are finding out which programs--like our photo editing ones--are too old to work on the new operating system. It is always something, isn't it?

MY LOVELY BEADS PROFILE

RATS! After a flying visit to Florida to surprise my father with an 80th birthday celebration, we returned home only to have our computer die. So I have news to share but am stuck using my husband's little laptop until our new computer arrives.

One big piece of news is that my friend Zoya Gutina was kind enough to do a very nice profile of my work and Bead Crochet Snakes in her October 2009 newsletter for My Lovely Beads, her website. Zoya is a very talented beadwork artist and puts together a very interesting newsletter--I have been working my way through past issues. Check out October's issue at http://www.mylovelybeads.com/php/newsletter/en/200910.html

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Pictured are a pair of pumpkin earrings that I made years ago--they still make people smile. Later today will be the neighborhood Halloween Parade for the kids. Trick or Treating is different here in New York--the kids dress up and visit the merchants along the major shopping streets. It is such fun to shop at that point and see all of the princesses, ghosts, goblins, etc.

NEW MAGATAMA DROP BEADS

At the recent Softflex show in Manhattan, I bought some of the new magatama drop beads from Jane of Jane's Fibers and Beads.

I tried crocheting the drop beads in a 6-around tube using a bead single crochet stitch. I tried the slip stitch but wasn't sure that it made much differnce in the look. The photo on the right shows the tube with beads crocheted in 3 different ways: two section were strung with the beads going in the same direction and 1 section was strung randomly.

Here is a detail of one of the section with the beads strung in the same direction.

Here is another section that was strung randomly. I am not convinced that bead crochet is the way to go with the new magatama drops; it is just kind of a variation of crocheting with dagger beads. They looked so great on the cord before I crocheted them that I am going to keep playing with them. They are fun beads!

BASIC EMBROIDERY CLASS #2

Last night was the final session of the Basic Embroidery class at the Yarn Tree that started in September. My students did so well that I added an embroidered napkin to make a fourth project.

We had a great time and the class proved to be so popular that Linda is offering it again starting on November 10, 2009. The class will run on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 PM on Novmerber 10, 17. 24, and December 1, 8, 2009.

The class is limited to 6 students so you will get plenty of individual attention. For more information, click here: http://www.theyarntree.com/studio/classes/index.html

MYSTERY MACHINE: ERIKA LINKER

A friend of mine gave me this machine. It is called a linking machine and is used to sew two pieces of knitting together. It was made by a company named Erika and she bought it sometime in the 1980s. My friend explained in general terms how the machine works, but doesn't really remember the details and no longer has the manual. An online search has not turned up any information. If anyone can give me any help, I would appreciate it.