Spiral Knitted Hat

Can you believe it is already December?

We had a sunny day out here in the high desert. In fact it is 6:30 PM and I still haven't needed to light a fire in the wood burning stove. So I spent a part of the day working on my spiral knitting. I'm making a beret and learning how to make the spiral is tricky. I'm having trouble with the floats in the back. My working thread keeps ending up 10 or 12 stitches away so I have to drag it back to the beginning of each color, which is trickier than I'd expected.  If I get it too tight the hat with be all bunched up. But it's a learning project. When learning new things, you just have to work it out as you go. Maybe it won't be perfect but that's the best way to learn. Trial and error. As the hat gets bigger, I may just have to start a brand new yarn piece at the beginning of each color, which will give me a horrible number of ends to sew in later, but I don't see any way around it.

Knitted Spiral

Hello crafters,
Today I worked on an afghan I started last winter. It got shelved when I got the flu and I'm just now getting back to it. But then I set that aside so I could figure out how to knit a six colored spiral. I was obsessed with trying to figure it out. On my 7th or 8th try I think I finally got the hang of it. At least I'm going to keep going to see how it turns out.

Six color knitted spiral.

Spiral Beading and Wire Looping

I couldn't put my beadwork off any longer. So yesterday I got out my bead bins and found two neglected projects. One was a spiral vessel in peyote stitch.  The other was some wire looping that I learned to add beads to through some trial and error. I worked outside until it got too dark to thread the needle. Then after dinner I had another stab at it and added a few more rows to the spiral. It is very tedious, but satisfying. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

The looping is done around a container and then removed.

Wallop checks out the great outdoors.

Beaded Spiral Freeform Vessel

Spiral Necklace

I fell in love with these glass spiral focal beads. Being a hypnotist, I have a thing for spirals. I just listed it in my Etsy shop last night. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39468335 I know I have a red one somewhere too. I'm not sure if it's on a half finished necklace somewhere. My beads need organizing. I was talking to Matt Nix of Nix creations last night. He has something like 38,000 followers on Twitter. I wish I did. I don't think I have even 1000.  Do you twitter? I think my follow twitter button is over in the side bar if you want to follow me.

I've also been knitting a pixie hat in maize colored yarn with little baby blue and white flowers. I should have that done soon. This Sunday is our stitch-n-bitch in Fountain Valley CA, so if I don't get it finished before then I'll take it to that.

Crochet a Dinner Plate Hat

Just finished my new hat crochet video tutorial on Youtube. Or just use the first part to learn to crochet circles and go forth and make hot pads, coaster, pillows and amigurumi to your heart's content.

Spiral Necklace

I just finished a beaded necklace with white confetti lamp glass beads and shiny black beads and blue seedbeads and a blue spiral glass focal. Too tired to take photos now but hopefully I'll get to it tomorrow.

David Brunetta Studios

I spent today at the David Brunetta Studio learning to carve a dagger handle with fluting and a spiral wire inlay. He invited me to come back tomorrow and work on it some more. My hands are really tired but after a good night's sleep I'll be ready to give it another go. Photos soon I promise. The prototype is rosewood, but the final will be in ebony. How cool is that?

A new beading project

Hypnotic Spiral Heart Pin