A Gem of a Workshop

I am basking in the afterglow of a 2-day jewellery making workshop with Jennifer. It was held at the Purple Sock in Coldwater and was absolute heaven.

Jenn is a teacher who goes over the top in preparedness, sharing of her brilliance, and assisting everyone "hands on" when necessary. Everyone in the class was over the moon with what they made and what they learned.

Enough said, on with the show.

Here is what I made on Day l - the day of learning the techniques and creating something simple. This is on a simple neck ring and was made to go with a particular dress (though I already know of many more things that will be enhanced by it.)

And Day 2's creation was more of everything! More space, more hits of wonder, and a new way to make a neck hanging mechanism. I was surprised a little by the outcome, since it is a real departure from my usual colour palette. but I think it has enough going on to complement many different looks. In fact, as I type this, I am wearing it with browns and it is great!

As feared, this is a hopeless new addiction! So many possibilities and really a great way to feature broken jewellery pieces or other special bobbles in your collection. I see a "blue" version in my near future.

If you get a chance to take this class with Jennifer RUN DO NOT WALK to register. You will enjoy every second. I know that she is offering it in Deanne Fitzpatrick's studio on November 16th, so you east coasters can join the club of bejewelled devotees.

A Nutty Little Knitting Project

I am heading to Jennifer's jewellery workshop this week and wanted to do something a little special for my wonderful hostess for a Monday night sleepover. The operative word here is "little". In fact, this makes all the little Jackson knitting I have been doing lately look like big projects.

So, what is this even little-r project? Knitted acorns. Pretty darned cute, aren't they.

They are a free pattern on ravelry which links here. Actually, it is absolutely incredible how many "acorn-themed" patterns are on ravelry. You could go a little nuts knitting all kinds of acorn-y things for the fall.

My first attempt was on sock yarn, which was just a little too tiny for four needles, so these ones are done on scraps of worsted weight. But the pattern can be done in any weight and seriously takes about 20 minutes once you figure out the pattern.

I think there will be a few more done - without stems  - for my Thanksgiving table. And I am sure I can find a pattern for oak leaves too. Hmmmmmm.

Falling Back into September

Somehow it is now September 9th and I feel like we really didn't get much of a summer. But with the arrival of September (besides the overwhelming urge to buy a new pencil case) it is a time for changing wardrobe, changing food, changing activities and getting back to the old routine.

In keeping with that, I got back to some hooking on the weekend. Well, actually more "proddy-ing" on the border of my "Hook What You Love" mat - still another side to go before I share. But it was the first time I had pulled anything in a long time. I also corrected a word section that had an unhappy background and it was worth the effort.

Here's a before and after comparison. The before was barely legible, but the after is easy to read. The dark parts in the hounds-tooth check in the before were making the type look blurry. But the simple texture in the "after" has solved the problem. I may still re-hook the lettering, but it's a big improvement already.

In addition to the hooking, I did some little knitting too. Little things are so fast and rewarding, like a short story versus a big novel. I have to keep telling myself not to make too many of these "tiny" treasures, since they are outgrown so quickly. But with the quilt as the "long-term" creation, these accessories are just plain fun.

Here is a baby version of the Fish Hat that I knit for my son last fall. Pretty darn cute, huh? Made with leftover sock yarn. And what is that sitting behind it?

That'd be baby booties that are positively adorable. Here is a closer view of them. I just love how they aren't perfect mates. One foot has stripes of purple and orange, while the other is mostly the plain apple green.

Supposedly, these ones actually stay on. I will believe that when I see it.  But they take next to no yarn and are a great little project for all those leftover bits. I see a few more hats and booties in my future. Since there are 3 little people expected - all within a month of one another - a niece/nephew and a second child for a near-daughter, I will have lots of little feet and heads to cover.

Since another part of fall means new TV show episodes versus re-runs, easy knitting projects are just perfect for September.