A year of stitches 2018 and other updates

Yes! I'm doing it again.  It's been a lot of fun in 2017.  We will be exploring laces, cables, colorwork,  texture.  More importantly,  we explore ideas for using the swatches we make.

My goal for this year's year in stitches series is one a week.  One post a week will be a stitch either written or charted for knit and crochet. One post each month will be ideas for using the swatches we make.   I'm unsure at this point if these will be ideas or actual patterns.

I will also give updates on my progress with level 1 of master crochet program.  As of Halloween 2017, I had the written answers done and about a dozen of the swatches.   It's been decided,  I have to redo some of my written work.   I have to check swatches and finish those needing to be done.

Christmas in July day 27

Have you thought about doing jewelry with knit or crochet?  Kids can do friendship bracelets.  Teens can do the para-cord bracelets that are so popular.  But for something more sophisticated for tweens and older, you might want to try your hand at crocheting or knitting with wire and beads or fine crochet threads and beads.  There are a lot of nice patterns out there in beading magazines for this technique as well as some of the knit and crochet magazines.

Beads for this can be whatever your recipient or you like.  Too many glass beads though could make the piece heavy.  You could also do a mix of bead work (using head pins and such) with the crochet and/or knit piece.

Jewelry is always welcome for holidays, birthdays, births, anniversaries, any day of the week really.  Here are some ideas.

stranded necklace

rosebud-earrings

star street ensemble

pearly-crochet-jewelry

dream-catcher-earrings

In addition to these, a search using your favorite search engine will provide more possibilities than imagined.  Do some or all of these ideas with bead wire instead of yarns or threads and some memorable pieces could be made.

There are books at Michaels.com that have more starting points.

• 

  Beaded Bracelets to Knit

  Leslieanne Beller