Isis Necklace

I decided that I needed a better name for this necklace than "Amethyst & Gold", do you think the Goddess Isis would be offended if I named it for her?  It is definitely regal, and seems to have an Egyptian feel to me, and Amethyst is one of the gemstones sacred to her.  The necklace isn't quite finished, I still need to add the clasp, but I don't have any suitable clasps in my stash, so I ordered some.

Project Name:  Sleek in Silver by Hatsumi Oshitani, October/November 2011 issue of Beadwork Magazine

Materials (Beadcats stock #):
KO Thread in purple
2-11-748-90 - size 11 seed beads clear-lined with cool purple
2-08-840-18 - size 8 seed beads gold opaque w/ colorful metallic irid
T-55-840-18 - TILA dark gold opaque w/ rose metallic irid
Faceted Amethyst drops

Le Petit Prince - Mystery Shawl - Clue 3

Clue 3 was in my inbox yesterday morning and I finished it up last night but it was too dark for a decent photo.  You can see where I started the second skein.  I did not do any transition rows.  In this photo the transition appears more dramatic than I think it will look when the entire shawl is done.

Amethyst & Gold

I have been wanting to make this necklace ever since I saw it on the cover of the October/November 2011 issue of Beadwork Magazine.  Shortly after the issue came out I spotted the faceted amethyst drops and I knew I had one of the key components of my necklace.  So after I finished up the Edelweiss Necklace I started on it.  Because of the nature of beadwork, I try not to have more than one beading project going at a time.  The construction is a modification of St. Petersburg stitch using the new two-holed beads know as TILA beads.  The project in the magazine is called Sleek in Silver and is by Hatsumi Oshitani.

Materials (Beadcats stock #):
KO Thread in purple
2-11-748-90 - size 11 seed beads clear-lined with cool purple
2-08-840-18 - size 8 seed beads gold opaque w/ colorful metallic irid
T-55-840-18 - TILA dark gold opaque w/ rose metallic irid

Edelweiss Necklace - Finished

I took a break from knitting today and finished up this necklace.  I had started it a couple of weeks ago, but then had to put it on hold while I awaited delivery of some finer Soft Flex.  This is the Edelweiss Necklace by Melinda Barta in the October/November 2009 issue of Beadwork Magazine.  You might recall that I used the flower element in my Dragon Scale Necklace.  To assemble the necklace I threaded a piece of Soft Flex (0.014 in 925 Sterling Silver) through the herringbone section and then threaded a flower at either end.  On the side with all of the flowers I attached the magnetic clasp.  On the other side I strung 18 pearls.  I then made the six flowers that form the central spine.  I found it easier to thread the pearl onto the Soft Flex before I beaded the flower.  The pattern calls for creating a ladder of delicas and then joining it to form a circle, beading the flower and then placing the finished flower onto the pearl.  Instead I did brick stitch around the pearl and then beaded the flower on the pearl.  Here is a picture of the strand before embellishing.

And here is a picture of the back-side so you can see how I spaced the flowers with delicas.

Then it was just a matter of making more flowers and figuring out the layout.  Threading the Soft Flex through the herringbone section was a little tricky, and it would have been easier if I had done the herringbone around the Soft Flex to begin with, but obviously I was successful, with a little patience and finesse.  I like the fact that the necklace is not suspended on the herringbone section, it seems to lay better.

Materials:
Pearls, about 8mm in diameter

Size 11 Delicas (Beadcats Stock #s):
4-11-463-91 clear-lined w/ rich yellow, irid
4-11-583-14 cool dk green opaque metallic
4-11-127-02 flesh pink transparent luster
Size 14 seed beads:
2-14-127-02 medium pink transparent luster
2-14-463-92 clear-lined w/ rich yellow, luster

And here you can see the power of the Beadcats stock numbering system.  The first digit represents the bead type, so 4 is Delicas, and 2 is seed bead, the next two digits are the size, the next three numbers are the color, and you can see how easy it is to match colors across bead types, and the last two numbers are the glass type and the surface finish.  You can read all about their stock numbering system on their web site.  At this point I have quite a stash, so I often don't buy beads for a project, I just make do with what I have on hand.  It does mean that I sometimes have to be a little more creative in my bead selection, and I often hit on color combinations I might not have otherwise.

Knitterati Mystery 2 - Clue 2

The second clue for the Knitterati Mystery also came out today.  I was the first to post a finished picture of this clue as well.  I also found the mystery question in the clue and already answered it - correctly, I believe.  Honestly, she makes it pretty easy.  The cable design is lovely, and the stitch definition of the Serenity 20 is wonderful.  I even cast on the socks, although I could only find 2, 2.5mm needles, so I am knitting one sock at a time.  Some folks are doing the cables without a cable needle, but not me.  I may knit lace without stitch markers or life lines, but I use a cable needle with cables.  I have a U-shaped one that I slip around the pinky of my left hand when I'm not using it.  Keeps it out of the way, but conveniently located.

Le Petit Prince - Mystery Shawl - Clue 2

Clues for The Unique Sheep Mystery KALs always come out early on Fridays, although usually I don't get a chance to knit them until I get home from work.  But today I didn't go to work.  They have been doing a security drill all week and they only wanted essential people on base today.  Of course, they couldn't actually tell us not to work because that would be illegal, nor could they actually close the base and send us home on Administrative leave because that would have been illegal as well due to the fact that the event was planned (as opposed to a weather emergency).  The funny thing is that VDOT put up signs warning motorists of the drill and possible back ups this past week, but I don't think there have been any.  They even put up a temporary traffic camera.  I think a lot of people just took the week off (like my husband) to avoid dealing with it.  Taking today off not only gave me the opportunity to be the first to post the finished clue on Ravelry, it also gives me a two day weekend as I have to fly to California on Sunday for work.  At least I will earn some travel comp time.

Forever Shawl - Chart B

I finally got back to this project and finished up Chart B last night.  Once I got going with the pattern it was pretty easy and fun.  The yarn is Pelusa Lace by Zen Yarn Garden in Scarlet Letter.  This is the February Light & Dark Lace Club offering.  The April sign ups are already open.  This time around Ruth Greenwald is dyeing the yarn, which is available at her Etsy site.  I went with the green.  I was going to go with the blue, but the green kept catching my eye.