the Akamai Knitter

I’ve been a bit off kilter lately. I even had to make sure ‘undecided’ was a word.  :P

To remain grounded, I’ve been obsessively seed beading. To that end, I’ve finished some things. I don’t have the energy to pack it all in one post, so I’ll trickle them out in several posts.

The first is the Sky Blue Opalite Necklace.

I finished this over the weekend while waiting for a toggle from Auntie’s Beads. I would have posted this earlier but it’s been a crazy week.  More on that later.

Here’s a detail shot of the Magatama beads and round Swarovski crystals I used to give the rope some zing.

I was originally going to use a lampwork bead as the focal piece of the necklace, but then I found this toggle and I changed my mind.

I’m enamored with the toggle! I adore the toggle! I can’t remember where I got the toggle!

And who knows how long I’ve had it…

The beads are simple Opalite beads I got from an Etsy seller awhile ago. I bought them with  no purpose in mind.

I’m just not sure whether or not the toggle and the beads fit with this particular rope. Thus, I am unsure and undecided

As for the madness that is this week? On Monday the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game was on and my beloved Duke Blue Devils WON. They WON!

Woohoo!

I have many thoughts on the matter, but this isn’t really the place for it. So I’ll just hush up. ;)

On Tuesday I had the extreme pleasure of dining and meeting Megan’s daughter Maddie! Here’s a picture of the two of us.

She is the sweetest thing ever. I had a great time and I feel so blessed to have gotten a chance to meet this special person. I’m just disappointed that I didn’t get to meet her AND Megan at the same time.

You see I also got to meet Megan’s ex-husband because that’s who Maddie is here with, but we won’t go there.

O.o

That’s it for me for today. Happy Wednesday, folks.

This pretty much says it all.*

So there are words, just not too many. Hopefully I’ll have recovered from the busy weekend enough to have a more substantial post tomorrow. :)

*My friend Sandy’s dog, Ryan.

For those who can remember, that’s the theme song to Three’s Company. I’ve had that stuck in my head all morning and it’s making me a bit cranky. I’m trying to chase it away with some 30 Seconds To Mars, but so far it’s a no go.

Maybe I just need to turn the music up louder.

Moving on.

I hurt my thumb while i was  speed knitting over the weekend so all knitting activity has been put on hold until it’s healed properly. I’m not sure what I did, but I see a doctor on Friday. It’s feeling a LOT better today then it did yesterday though.

Still, I’ve now become hyper-focused on the tiny beads.

I’m making open shaped components from the book “Shaped Beadwork” by Diane Fitzgerald. That woman is just the awesome when it comes to beadwork.  I’ve always admired her work and this book just blows my mind away.

I’m starting small with these open shapes and working up to the shapes with bezels in them. The bezels. They scare me.  (The front cover shapes have bezels.)

I’ve actually had this book for awhile now, but the whole thing kind of intimidated me. It wasn’t until I went to lunch with a bunch of my girls this past Saturday that I decided to just go for it.

My friend Helen is the one who inspired me in particular. She’s not afraid of learning new things, doing new things, meeting new people. Anything.  She’s always has the sweetest disposition and a smile for everyone. So not only does she inspire me in my beadwork, she inspires me in life.

Here’s a picure of the two of us this past Saturday. It’s a little grainy because it was taken with a cell phone, but I think Helen looks beautiful!

Elaine made us hold up our hands to show off our jewelry. Heehee.

So who inspires you?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I almost wrote Tuesday…..  o.O

Also.. if you’ve been earwormed, remember there’s a huge ocean between most of you and me.

Even though I’ve been busy with the spinning, I’ve still managed to get some wirework done.

Here we have a pair of earrings that were a custom order.

The briolettes are Peridot quartz and the wire is all sterling silver.

The next piece is a pendant.

It’s called the Garden Candy Pendant and I learned how to do it in a custom class taught my Michelle at The Bead Gallery.  I took the class with KnottyNaomi while she was here visiting from California.

Naomi and I met through Ravelry. She’s truly a spinner extradonaire as well as a fantastic jewelry maker! Check out her lovely yarns if you get a chance!

Here she is on the left with the short hair gettin’ busy. Michelle is on the right doin’ the teachin’.

I had a wonderful time and we both decided that whenever she visits, we’re going to take a class together. Yay!

I think I’ve finally recovered from a hectic weekend. There was much shopping. I bought a new pair of sandals. I saw the new Harry Potter movie. It was good,but it was long. Two and a half hours. Definitely worth it, IMHO. :)

I wanted to see a vampire movie with a friend today, but I’m just not up to it. There’s been some medical drama over my acid reflux medication and I’m busy trying to survive without it while trying to get my hands on more of it.

That’s okay though. I expect to see her on Friday where we plan to have a True Blood marathon. :)

Sammy wants to know why he can’t get in on the fun.

Happy Wednesday people! Be true to yourself!

Or something like that…..

Last year, my dear friend Megan gifted me with the most beautiful batt.

I don’t have much experience with batts, so I let it marinate in my stash. Then the Tour de Fleece (Ravelry link) came around and I started corespinning.

It occurred to me that this batt would make a pretty nifty corespun yarn. So I set to it on Day 5 of the Tour.

It was a pleasure to spin and all the more special because such a close friend gave me the fiber.  I really like how the Romney/Cotswold blend grabbed the crochet thread as I spun.

The finished yarn has 52 yards in the skein and weighs approximately 2 ounces.

Today is Day 12 of the Tour and I’m still spinning, spinning, spinning. I have more art yarn on the wheel, but nothing is ready for show and tell. I have a stock pile of vanilla yarn that I finished up before the Tour but nothing is ready for show and tell there either.

Between the Tour and the custom orders I’ve been trying to keep up with I’m also woefully behind my blog reading. So I’m publicly apologizing to all my friends! I swear I’ll get my act together soon.

Tomorrow afternoon, I’m taking a jewelry class with one of my favorite people. I’m really looking forward to it. Then on Friday, it’s shopping with blogless Dayna. Last weekend, there was a going away party and a luncheon from which I’m only now recovering from. I’m not really sure, but I think this constitutes “having a life”.

o.O

When that happened, I have no idea. I’m much more used to the idea of myself hermitting in my home and venturing out maybe once a week to knit night.

Sammy just can’t bear all this time away from me, as you can see.

Plfft. Likely story.

Happy Wednesday, people! Thanks for putting up with me. ;-)