Finishing off

Last week my class learned how to make a beaded toggle for their necklaces. It is quite a simple thing, but for some reason, the blue one I made as a demonstration in class just kept getting in a tangle. It was very frustrating. This is the one I made for the photograph instructions.

This week we will be making the decorative flowers to go on the choker and I just hope the thread doesn't misbehave again. It had been waxed and all, but every time I did something it just ended up in a gigantic knotty mess. I haven't been having much better success with the rest of the necklace tonight either. The blue thread seems to be jinxed. As you can see the brown and gold ones have worked just fine. Hopefully it will all be OK tomorrow.

Amazing colours!

Last week I had to knuckle down and write up the tutorial for my Floral Choker, as the class started last Tuesday. I thought I had plenty of time, but you know how it is.... Procrastinated for far too long and then nothing went right from the start. Firstly, I didn't think I had any cube beads that appealed to me (apart from those I had set aside for class kits). Then I was short of certain sizes in the beads. Finally I got started with some cubes that I found in one of my bead stashes which I had completely forgotten about. They were a lovely clarety colour. The decision was confirmed when I realised I had enough Miyuki Triangles in the Gold/Amethyst lined colourway (1839) and that they went beautifully with 1166 - Rose lined Topaz Luster. It is quite an unusual combination, but works really well.

You may like to check out the completed necklace in the Green/Rose pink combination in my August 12 post.

Lots of new babies

As mentioned in a previous blog, this year is the year of the baby for our family and friends. In June we had the arrival of our niece's twin girls, Alexandra and Angela, followed in August by twin grand babies for one of my best friends - a boy called Tyler and a girl Michaela. In early September two of my ex-workmates had a boy (Bill) and a girl (Sophie) within a day of each other. More recently the two girls who played a part in introducing my son to his wife a couple of years ago, each had a child - a girl (Chloe) and a boy (Mitchell). There are also a couple more new babies in our more extended circle of friends. Now we have the news that our nephew and his wife are also expecting twins, next year.
These arrivals have played a large part in my renewed interest in crochet as you can see from the little dresses here. I just love ChezPlum's Roselette Top and these two are made in four and five ply yarn so they are newborn size. The pattern is so easy to make and looks really cute on.