What's Up Next...?

Well, boys and girls, I've been looking into restringing a knotted Jade necklace inherited from my mother that is in several lengths due to damaged silk cord.  Have had this piece salted away until I could master the  knotting of silk cord that separates each bead.  The knots are used to prevent loss of expensive cultured pearls or other precious/semi-precious beads.  The test project came courtesy of my local Embroiderers Guild of America Chapter [EGA] using fine silk cord knotted between fresh water pearls. The pearls are copper with a corresponding cord.  The technique is rather simple and the tools are few - my kind of craft - your fingers and a pair of needle nose tweezers.   I found the work can be tedious for the beginner but diligence will produce a rhythm much like any needlework where the motions are repeated over and over again.   With a bit more practice on inexpensive supplies, I should soon be ready to attempt restringing the lovely Jade necklace above.  Especially since I've found a supplier for the silk cord.



Decided to cut to the chase and ordered a drawing plate for finishing the Viking knit from my last post from an Etsy vendor - great site that.  Lots of brilliant artists doing all sorts of stuff.  Displaying, selling, etc.  If I ever get to the point that I finish ANY of this stuff I'm working on, maybe.....

The drawing plate arrived in short order and was put to work compressing and lengthening the bit of "knitted" wire I'd completed.  Used 28 gauge wire which was finer than the 24 gauge recommended in the tutorial I was following but as the results were for the most part

favorable, I found the whole process rewarding.  I'll try using the recommend gauge wire next time along with the 20 gauge wire for the connecting rings and clasp.  The bracelet picture at right has no commercially manufactured parts.  Not bad for a first effort, if I do say so myself.  I intend to get much fancier with the clasps in future.