BEAD CROCHET: NEW STUFF

I am busy designing an embellished closure for on the Turkish Loops Bracelet class in November, but I took a few minutes to play with some beads that I bought at Bead and Button an some new threads that I ordered.
On the left are some purple matte bugles and some seed beads that look like terra cotta pottery crocheted with C-Lon micro cord in the Turkish Loop pattern. The middle sample is crocheted with pinch beads, seed beads, and the new C-Lon Fine Weight cord. This cord is advertised as being suitable for Swarovski crystals or size 8/0 seed beads and smaller. It was too small to go through the purple bugle beads doubled but the holes on those beads were small. It went through the seed beads fine. The sample on the right is done with the new spiral bugle beads, seed beads, and Tuff-Cord #2, a 3-ply, twisted, bonded cord made from long nylon filaments. The bugles have cuts on their surface that make them very sparkly.



Here is a shot of all 3 threads together for size comparison. Top to bottom: C-Lon fine weight cord, Tuff-Cord #2, and the C-Lon micro cord I have been using. I don't mind the micro cord, but a lot of bead crocheters find it too thin to work with easily. For projects where you need support, I like the Tuff-Cord #2. The C-Lon fine weight cord would also be good for projects that need support but its size might be a problem if you are using seed beads with small holes.

Here is how the Tuff-Cord comes packaged. I
bought both nylon cords from http://www.jewelsinfiber.com/. She is a macrame artist who carries a variety of threads.

My other discovery was courtesy of Janet Rosenberg. She and her husband Robert sell crochet hooks with cherry wood handles made by Robert. Now I have heard repeatedly that the hooks with large handles are easier on wrists, but I hadn't bothered to try any. Since I crochet holding my hook in the "pencil" grip, I figured that hooks with bigger handles would get in my way. Boy was I wrong! It turns out that the wood handle of the size 10 steel hook rests comfortably between my thumb and finger to make bead crocheting less painful and I didn't even have to learn to crochet another way. I am a convert. Robert also makes beautiful cherry wood looms. To see their looms and crochet hook handles, visit http://www.boomerangpro.com/. I have also discovered that the other advantage to having a hook with a large handle is that it doesn't get lost as easily.

Crochet hook with Robert's cherry wood handle.

BEADING MYSELF OUT OF A CORNER

Last week I managed to bead myself into and out of a corner. A few years ago, I was playing with the Russian Spiral Stitch and made these cute little wreaths. If you aren't familiar with the stitch, here is a tutorial: http://www.tarnhelm.com/NeedForBeads/RussianSpiral.pdf

Inspired by my class with Marcia DeCoster at Bead and Button and Laura McCabe's book "Embellished Beadweaving," I came up with a different decoration for the green wreath. Every way that I attempted to fasten the decoration to the wreath was so tortuous that I couldn't ask students to follow them. I was about to tear out my hair!

Here is the new decoration with a band that was to wrap around the Russian Spiral. That didn't work either, but it might make a cute ring.

Finally, I think I have a way to add the new decoration to the wreath. I am so relieved!

BEAD CROCHET SNAKES ON SALE!!

To add some excitement to these dog days of summer, Bead Crochet Snakes: History and Technique is on sale at Sova Enterprises! From July 17 though August 14, the price will be only $17.25. For more details visit http://www.sova-enterprises.com/catalog/specials.php.

For those not familiar with the book, I have written a history of the bead crochet snakes made by the Turkish soldiers captured by the Allied forces during World War I, bead crochet snakes made by village women in the Balkans after World War I, and snakes made specifically to be worn as necklaces.

There are also patterns for people who want to make their own bead crochet snake jewelry.

JAPANESE CROCHET BLOG

I am busy working on some new bead designs but, in the meantime, have fun with this look at fun and inventive crocheted items on this Japanese blog http://blog.livedoor.jp/m203gow. It takes a minute to load but scroll down past the Japanese characters to view the photos--the mushrooms were my favorite.

SIDEWALK CATWALK

As I was fruitlessly hunting through the bead district in Manhattan for some size 15/0 Japanese seed beads today, I stumbled upon the Sidewalk Catwalk event. This is a series of mannequins wearing fashions by 32 local fashion designers, some famous and some not--or at least not yet. The fashion show is located on the pedestrian plazas along Broadway between Herald Square and Times Square. Here are photos of most of the mannequins around Herald Square; note that I am guessing about some of the materials.

PRABAL GURUNG: outfit made of paper and screen (I think)

ISABEL TOLEDO: dress of screen or mesh with drinking straws.

ELIE TAHARI: dress of riveted metal and glass or plastic

RACHEL ROY: bodice of plastic cabochons fastened to fabric, mesh skirt, felt(?) vest.





YEOHLEE TENG: a dress of bricks

REBECCA MOSES; top knit or crocheted out of some kind of eyelash trim with knit, metal wire sleeves. Belt is snakeskin and the skirt is felt(?). The best part was the metal bracelets.

BETSY JOHNSON: Paint with a belt of real flowers.

CHRISTOPHER CIACCA AND ARIEL PENZER: Dress of those same plastic cabs and some kind of electronics parts (?) fastened to fabric.

The mannequins will be on display through Labor Day.

SHIPWRECK BEADS GIVEAWAY

Shipwreck Beads is doing a weekly drawing to give away 2 $250 gift cards to their electronic newsletter subscribers through September 1, 2010. To enter the drawing, just sign up for the newsletter at http://www.shipwreckbeads.com. Your newsletter number will then be entered in the drawing.

BEAD AND BUTTON SHOW

I am busy getting ready for my first trip to Bead and Button. Along with the usual packing, I have been honing my Right Angle Weave skills so that I won't embarrass myself in Marcia DeCoster's class and learning Ndebele for my class with Leslie Frazier. I still have to refresh my peyote stitch skills for Paulette Baron's class.

The Innovative Bead and Fiber Expo was a lot of fun with teaching, meeting new crafters, and looking at beads to buy. The show had tables for the Embroiders Guild of America, the Bead Society of Greater New York, the NYC Crochet Guild, the NY City Polymer Clay Guild, and the Long Island Crochet Guild, which added to the experience. Not only did members of the various guilds show visitors their creations but they did free demonstrations. I was good, though, because I only spent $8 on some Chinese crystals. On the recommendation of EVERYONE, I am saving my money for overwhelming shopping experience in Milwaukee.