Beading the Viajante

When I went to Stitches West this year, I saw the Viajante by Martina Behm, and I absolutely knew that I had to knit this shawl, because it's more than just a shawl --- it's a cowl, a shawl, a poncho, or a head covering/hood.  

(Pronounced vi-a-janche in Portuguese)

Other pluses about this project? It's knit in the round; there's a lot of customization you can do by simply increasing or decreasing the stitch count or length; and it's a good "vanilla" knitting whereby I could go to meetings or go to knit group and not worry too much about a mishap.

Like every good knitter, I went through the Ravelry project page for this pattern to read what modifications other knitters made, and came across a few beaded versions. Normally, I'm extremely averse to adding beads, but I love how they look. And since I REALLY WANT THIS SHAWL, I decided that beads were worth it.

I am knitting this out of Miss Babs Katahdin, in the colorway, Morticia.

Consequently, the beads I chose were a "frosty" Swarovski beads that seems to play well with the variegation.

I started using the simple crochet hood per bead, but found this really slowed my progress down immensely and I was concerned about spilling the bead container. I knew that some people used threaded floss (normally used for teeth straightening braces), so I decided to give it a go. 

I took one of the threaders and simply added a string of beads to it, and after watching a YouTube video, gave it a go. Wow, what a difference in using it!

I ended up using a generic brand from CVS which worked just fine and only cost a few dollars.

The knitting-to-beading ratio increased dramatically, and I wasn't afraid of losing beads to a mishap.

Originally, I thought this would be a good travel project to work on as I am planning a trip very soon. However, I decided that I really wanted to wear this ON said trip, so I've been knitting furiously to finish.

I'm not sure if I'll make it, but I'm going to damn well try.

Holiday Beading

For the holidays, we go to visit our family and spend a few days with them. It's a time of joy, eating a ton of food, and spending time with our loved ones.

It's also the time when my SIL and I sit down and play with beads! The day after Thanksgiving, she brought out all of her bead boxes and we set to play! I brought my own beading supplies with me, but hers are far greater than mine.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a whole lot of time to bead too much, but I did get some lovely pieces done. I had a few pendants in my beading box that needed to get strung and beaded.

I purchased this bronze cast dragon a few years ago and had unsuccessfully made anything with it.
The Asian dragon is often depicted chasing the pearl of wisdom, so I used bronze coloured pearls. The jade stones represent Asia. The red stones are horn. The red beads added enough character to make this necklace work. I had previously tried using all jade or all pearls (and various combinations), but it wasn't until I added the red beads that it all came together. I primarily used the red horn because it is very light and durable, and helps offset the weight of the bronze dragon.

Pendant: Bronze cast dragon.

Beads: jade, pearl, and horn.

I had bought the silver pendant from a museum store and it sat unworn for quite a number of years. The Ancient Egyptians often used carnelian and lapis in their necklaces as well as a form of powdered quartz beads called "faience". My SIL had some glass beads that reminded me of faience (but not quite), so I intermingled the two along with silver spacer beads that had an Egyptian-esque feel to them.

Pendant: Ancient Egyptian goddess, Sekhmet

Beads: Silver, Carnelian, Lapis, and Glass

This piece had been sitting for quite some time. I bought it while I was in Venice, Italy. The heart was a hand-blown Murano glass, but it had been strung with cheap plastic beads and the whole piece was quite ugly & gaudy, but I had fallen in love with the heart pendant. I had bought some 'matching' red glass beads from a store and set up about to re-make it to show case the lovely "heart" and remind me of our vacation.

Pendant: Murano Red Glass

Beads: Czech glass and pearls

Beading with Purpose

Every year, when we visit family for the Winter Holidays, my SIL and I bead jewelry. I bring up my beading supplies and many of the pendants, beads, etc., I've purchased throughout the year, and she lets me dive into her massive stash. We usually take over the dining room table a few hours on the dining room table, talk, and bead. It's a time that I greatly enjoy spending with her.

This year was no different.

When I make jewelry, I like to match beads on what I think of as the theme of the pendant.

I had two Chinese dragon pendants -- one bright bronze and another aged bronze.  I wanted pearls for the flaming pearl and jade (for the Chinese dragon. She also has some colored pearls the same tone as the either pendant

 

At a previous beading show, I had picked up amber beads in a wonderful color array of dark reds to light yellow. It reminded me of the different reds of the sun. So, naturally, I paired it with a bronze lion pendant. It's gorgeous in its simplicity.

Here's another shot of it, taken under different circumstances.

This ouroborous pendant matches some earrings that I had picked up the previous year. I decided that this one need garnet and amber beads.

I've had this shark tooth since I was a kid when I visited Hawaii one year. It's wire-wrapped in gold and only used to be on a simple black cord. I tried several times to couple it with various things but with no success.  My SIL had some interesting beads so I decided to make something completely different than my normal jewelry creations. I like it.

I purchased this whale tale some time ago; I don't remember. But much like the shark tooth, I couldn't quite figure out how to use it. I knew I wanted some blue for the ocean and white pearls.

Some dark lapis served for the dark blue of deep waters and the lighter turquoise for shallow water. I also had some dark blue czech beads that I used for the main body of the necklace.

I also made a necklace for the Viking so he can wear it to the various Faires we attend. I wanted something chunky that he could wear. I found a turtle pendant made out of cow-horn that I knew he would like.

I took apart a necklace that I had made previously (the ones with the shells) because I found I wasn't wearing it as much as I thought. I coupled it with some green jasper (for the color of sea turtles) and some lapis to signify the blue of the ocean.

Swapetition: Stitch Markers

This year, I'm taking part in the Savvy Girls' "Swapetition". A swap is like a Secret Santa gifting circle where all participants are given a name to whom they give a package of gifts (for under $30). The "competition" portion of "swapetition" means that there are prizes to those who give the best gifts. This involves a bit of stalking the other person via Ravelry, blogs, and other places to find out what best things to give to your recipient.

Because the Savvy Girls is (technically) a knitting podcast, one of the rules is that you must include a handmade gift that you made (of any given craft). Luckily, for my recipient, I'm somewhat proficient in several different types of crafts.

One of the things I have created for my swap recipient are some stitch markers. In my stalking of her, she mentions in one of her Ravelry posts that she always loses her stitch markers and wanted to get some pretty ones. So, using some of the beading stash (and bought some pretty glass on sale), I made her markers that I like using (that I learned from Cat Bordhi).

They include letters (i.e. A, B, C) in order to denote potential differences in lace or cable patterns. I hvae found them very useful in the past.

And of course, I took the time to make myself some stitch markers as well. :-)

Beading

My SIL makes jewelry as part of her job, so over the holidays, we were able to sit down a bead a little bit. I had acquired a fair bit of lampwork and beads from a bead show one year, and had been unable to create anything due to time or lack of inspiration.

However, my SIL helped me get inspired and I was able to put together some very beautiful pieces. (All of the lampwork beads are from gracebeads.com). Many of these are a mixture of glass, stone, metal, or horn.

I love making jewelry for myself because it gives me some flexibility in what I want to wear on a daily basis. And, these pieces are one-of-a-kind, as I don't make to sell.

Matching Necklace & Bracelet. 

Made with Lampwork & Malachite with Silver beads

 

Bronze & Emerald pendant.

Beads are: jade, carnelian, bronze. The pendant is from Dragon's Treasure.

Red Lampwork beads

With horn, onyx (or jet), and carnelian beads

Owl Pendant &; Bracelet Set

Lampwork owl & donut beads. Other beads include: opalite, silver, lapis

Lampwork Beads

With faceted blue tiger eye, green pearls, and silver beads. The center silver bead is from  Green Girl Designs.

Red Lampwork

with silver & red dyed horn.

Beading

Occasionally, I make jewelry...pretty costume jewelry with Czech or Swarovski beads, or formed glass beads, and semi-precious stuff. It's fun, and usually, I can churn out a single piece in 15 minutes....which totally appeals to my need to have to finish projects quickly. It's the reason why I like knitting -- I can finish a project faster than I can sewing a historical costume (which sometimes needs its own project plan as it's very involved and involves not only the clothing, but all accrutements.)

So, I took some pendants & beads I had laying around to make some simple stuff I can easily wear out & about. (All about 16-18")

Silver Mountain Lion Pendant with 6mm Tiger Eye &
Silver beads and green Czech glass beads

Ancient Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet Gold pendant,
6mm Garnet & gold beads, with red czech glass beads

Brass Eye of Horus pendant with 6mm Tiger eye bead, gold beads, and gold/brass czech glass beads

Lotus-shaped glass beads with gold overlay; gold spacer beads

Beading

So, instead of fiber, I'm posting about beads today.

A good friend of mine is a wonderful beader; she makes lovely jewelry. While I have beaded before in the past, it has been very minor and very very simple -- mostly sewing beading into costume pieces. As I had helped her how to improve her sewing, she was going to teach me the very basics of beading.

Several months previously, she had taken me to a bead show where I had made some purchases that she was going to help me put together, which we did this past weekend.

So, I put all of the designs together, and she helped me do all of the finishing work... like how to crimp, how to ensure there's enough flexibility, how/when to use adjustable chains, etc. She had many of the tools required for different jobs.

I made 5 necklaces & 1 bracelet that night. (The matching bracelet/necklace isn't shown.)

----
Medusa Necklace

16" beaded Medusa necklace -- beads: bloodstone, silver, and czech beads -- Medusa piece from Green Girl Designs

----
Shell & Square Necklace

16" Shell & Square Necklace -- all glass beads

----
Fall Leaf Necklace

16" beaded necklace: Size 6 red czech glass, goldish spacers, glass leaf beads, green/red size 7 beads.

----
Red Jade

20" necklace -- red jade with phoenix/dragon pendant, 5mm garnet stones, 4.8 gold-ish spacer beads. This has an adjustable chain so I can make it longer or slightly shorter.