Beading Fun and A New Sock

Just so you will know that I always have my knitting with me, here's a photo of me and my husband, Lee, sitting on a couch waiting for a meeting at church. Note that I have Dianna2 in my lap. I've gotten a lot of it done today, thanks to a very long meeting!



I told you that I took a beading class yesterday, and here's the bracelet I made. I felt compelled to finish it last night, so I had to find decent light in the kitchen, and beaded away while listening to Beccano, Tuba Boy and friends playing Dungeons and Dragons. They were gracious about my parental presence.

The bracelet is a simple peyote stitch, using two beads at a time, except that the blue beads in the main part are larger triangular beads. They add a really neat sparkle. The border are silver-lined blue beads (size 15) and it was fun putting them on. I think I did a pretty good job for my first project. I learned how to start a new thread, how to put on the clasp, and how to securely end the beading project, so I think I can do another one. Maybe on Tuesday I will have time to start the yellow and black one for Southwestern University.

I got a bunch of beads and supplies, but not any more clasps, so hopefully I will be able to pick some up some one evening, though it's a busy week coming up. I have patterns for a couple of variants on these bracelets, so I can have fun with them. And now maybe I can move on and try more projects, when I am not knitting, which of course is MUCH more important.

Speaking of which, here's my newest sock:

The yarn is Handmaiden Casbah, which has some cashmere in it, and is a sort of thick fingering weight. The colorway is Loopiefied, which is a tribute to, I think, last year's Loopy Ewe anniversary (I didn't get this year's package, but happy third anniversary to them!). The pattern is one I used in a sock quite a few years ago. I have not put that one on Ravelry, but I do like it. It's 3 purls then a knit, which is slipped every other row. I like how it breaks up the patterning. There are only 375 yards in this yarn, so I will make the socks fairly short. and since they are toe up, it won't be too hard to adjust the ending if I have to.

I'm concentrating my knitting on the Dianna2 shawl, though. I am on row 15, and plan to make it 17 rows long, which should take me partially into my third skein. Then I will figure out whether I want to do the i-cord edging or the small pointed edging I found. I may try both.

There, two posts in two days! If you don't hear from me for a while, remember my work is busy and I have a bunch of other meetings this week, plus getting ready for Tuba Boy to go to college!

PS: I forgot to add that pretty soon my custom yarn from Ray at Knitivity will be arriving. So I will have to blog to show you that! It's sock and laceweight in colors to match my cool Koi t-shirt, and from the preview I saw before it was skeined up, it's going to be beautiful!