"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either." ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

5/16/08

Floral Earrings

Yesterday morning there was a major change in the weather. The week started out dreary, grey, wet, and cold. I didn't mind though. It wasn't snowing. I was happy.

Yesterday a warm sunny front moved in. It was 80F, and gorgeous. Ruth and I spent most of the day outside, on the deck. She was knitting her hat, I was doing some beading. I puttered in the yard, planted 40 marigolds in the flower boxes on the deck, and knitted too. Finished the first Pomatomus sock. We are both impressed by it's beauty. Needs to be blocked before I take a pic of it though.

Today it will be hot. They're saying 86F. At 9am this morning it was over 60. I tried sitting in the sun to knit but it was just too hot. I need to set up the umbrella so I can knit in the shade. The air smells wonderful, sweet, and fresh. Like new green things with a touch of pine (and just a hint of skunk from the one that passed by on Wednesday-whew!). I love it when it smells like this.

I have 3 pair of earrings done for the earring swap so far. I've decided on a floral theme. Here they are, in no particular order.

I just kinda made these ones up. They are made of 2 short spiral ropes and brick stitched leaves.


I used size 11 Japanese seed beads in matte olive for the leaves, light pink and ab crystal for the 'flowers'. I'm not happy with the bead caps. I may change them.

Of the three, these ones are my favorite. I wanted to try an interesting combination of 3-bead netting with loops at the intersections. I got the idea from a necklace/earring set featured in the white Russian beading book. I think I did pretty good considering I don't know a word of Russian.


The netted base is done in matte silver lined clear beads. The loops are size 15 in silver lined turquoise and lime. The color idea came from the new spring sweater I was wearing the day I started them.

I am not sure if I'm going to follow through on sending these ones in or not. They're kind of on the big side, and very funky. I'd wear them, but I don't know if anyone else would.


They're Cellini spirals. I used some 6mm flowers, along with seed beads in the following:
size 6 white lined red.
Size 8 deep red.
Size 11 silver lined red, white, matte brown/green iris
size 15 silver lined lime.

Last, but not least, I have new sock yarn. It was an Impulse buy-in every way.

Dancing Moss from Impulse of Delight.



There is a blog I read, Knitting on Impulse. The gal who writes this blog dyes yarns on occasion and sells them. She has an awesome sense of color. When I saw this one, I couldn't help myself. She based the colors for it on a photo of Dancing Moss she took. (She's an awesome photographer and jewelry maker, as well as knitter). One look, and I had to have it. The yarn is every bit as bright as it looks in the photo. I will need a special pattern for these two skeins.

Well, the sun is calling me. I'm gonna go set up that umbrella.

Have a good day.

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