The Finished Feast Continues...

Woohoo! Blogger is letting me load photos again! Here's the rest of the story:

Thought I'd try my hand at wire knitting when I saw this - discovered through some other blogger (does anyone else lose track of where they've been?!). I used 32 gauge wire as recommended and some 4 mm beads - probably only around 60-70 rather than the 100-200 suggested. Knitted on #2 metal dpns, this knitted up so quickly (maybe an hour for the second one). It's really just a rectangle of reverse stockinette with beads slid up to the purl stitches. I do have a few tips if you try this:

• Keep a rubber band around your spool of wire at all times! Didn't think it would really turn itself into a Slinky if I didn't provoke it, but that wire just started unraveling like the tokens from the Chuckie Cheese machines. Stand back!
• I only made two bracelets, but the needles seem un scarred. I don't think it's worth it to buy separate ones just for this project.
• Don't slide one bead per stitch as recommended - it looks too uniform. Random beading looked better. Irregularly shaped beads like the pattern would have looked better too.
• I wore this bracelet once and was amazed at how much it stretched. I had pulled and tugged on the length of it during and after knitting, but it still added 1-2" of length. I would have made it much smaller (faster!) had I realized it.
• Magnetic closures are so much fun! My bracelet stuck to everything (especially once it stretched), even a pen while I was writing. Maybe it woul dcome in handy for a McGyver moment.

I took advantage of the spring snow yesterday to snap a few shots:

Since the Fire Tie blocking went so well, I'm trying it on the baby cardigan for my niece-to-be. This has been smoldering in the background of my to-do list for some time. It's "Jacket with Seed Stitch Bands" from Baby Knits for Beginners by Debbie Bliss knitted with her Baby Cashmerino with #1 and #2 needles. I think this is the project that convinced me that I need remedial help with my knitting stitch to resolve the irregular tension that is very obvious with a big plank o' stockingette. I was not impressed with the edging that resulted in a standing collar (seems that others have had a similar outcome - not what is shown in the book) and I have a fear of blocking, so it has been "waiting" for me. Actually, I have horribly ignored it. Well, now I am ready to face the beast! Here it is in its unblocked innocence.





And I'm not even going to go into the drama of button picking. I'll let you know what shapes up!