Original Tila herringbone necklace

I submitted this to Beadwork and it was rejected. It uses herringbone and Tila beads in ladder stitch.

Roberti bracelet

Russian spiral

Tila bracelet

My adaptation of a design by Jane Cruz and which can be downloaded from the Bead a nd button website. I used 3mm crystals instead of pearls.

own necklace design

Skobel necklace

can be found online.

Cube bead bracelets

Tami was wearing a bracelet like this an d it seemed a great design for using up my 4mm cube beads.

Cape by Gaughan from Wrap style

Great for keeping warm at night in bed! Slalom aran wool was used and it is a bit heavier than that called for in the pattern.

details of sweater below. neck and inside pocket

Edwardian day coat by Oberle

This was started a year ago. I made several changes. Yarn was Galway worsted which is warm so I changed the v neck to a round one without her collar. I added after thought pockets which were knitted to the inside bottom with the 3 needle bind off after unpicking one stitch to begin the pocket. I am wary of her instructions to change needle size to get the gauge as it doesn't work for me. The pattern is quite lovely but at one point I was sure I had made a serious mistake only turned out I was wr ong on that.

Beadwork triangle bracelet

This is from the June 2011 Beadwork issue and I changed it at the end by adding Swarowski size 4 crystals in the center holes. The instructions as written are not correct.

Tila necklace

Design from Beadwork Oct 2011. I changed the bottom from 9 drops to 7 as forgot to buy 9. It's pretty easy and could make a nice bracelet with a small change. the new booklet from Bead a nd Button has a nice bracelet which looks like the bracelet adaptation I had in mind. And it has crystals. Have to make that one soon

some russian spirals

I have the white russian book but yesterday I learned two more of the Russian spirals. The first one which is really pretty is to use size 11 beads plus two bigger ones which could be crysals or 8s. A good combination is a dark color for the 11s plus two lighter ones which should be about the same size. Start with a circle of 7 beads of size 11. go through again. Then add 3 eleven plus one of the other beads. Continue again on next second bead, etc. On following rows, you add 3 of the eleven beads plus one of the others into the last of the eleven beads just before the larger one and you alternate the larger beads each time you add. Tighter tension is good. I use a nylon bead thread. There will be 4 large beads on the outer row at the top.

The second Russian spiral is easier with just 2 colors. Start with 9 beads: First bead of one color and then two beads of next color a nd repeat for total of 9 beads. Then on next row add the two smaller beads (size 11) plus one of the larger one into the smaller bead after the larger one on previous row. so the beads will be arranged large, 2 small a nd you enter the first of the small beads coming out between the two small beads. Keep a tight tension here. The top row will have 3 large beads at the top. This spiral is narrower than the top one and better for a bracelet or bangle.

aran cardi from old Paton's leaflet

Second time I've made this. this time size 40 and it fits me well. Time before I did 44 and it was too big. But when the recipient died and I saw how his heirs were fighting over it, I decided to make it again, this time for me.

Tumbling blocks

The pattern is from Beadwork, June/July 22011 p. 62

designer knitting, aka vk

I just got another issue of Designer knitting or what is known in the states as Vogue Knitting. This is the early autumn 2011 issue and it has nothing in it that interests me except for some ads. There are no arans or fair isles, no vests. There is a poncho a nd some lacey stuff and several new designers. Deborah Newton has something with 2 colors. And also interesting is a granny square vest by Sui but her colors are very ugly. Universal yarn has an interesting aran in its ad. Across from it is a Koigu mitered whatever. My favorite ad is from Ozeyarn of an aran something by Jane Slicer-Smith. Anyway, I'm having problems subscribing as the price has to be sent to England which makes it prohibitively expensive. However for $4.99 I can pick it up on my Ipad. The problem is that there's nothing I want so no reason for it. I'm beginning to think that this magazine has become rather old fashioned. There seem to be more interesting newer ones out there. I got a gift subscription from my penpal to Love of knitting. This issue from summer 2011 has lots of practical, useful things. Nice throw by Leapman and a chevron lap robe, There's a vest and a summer top with short sleeves. all easy knitting but something I just might do one day.
Meanwhile I just need to sew on some buttons to the aran cardi from an old leaflet so I cast on the sleeve for an aran pullover.

Ohl bracelet in Beadwork supplement

new earrings: McCabe book

Roberti earrings

spiral bracelet

Spiral bracelet. Core is gold 6mm and around are 3 purple 6mm. Embellished with picot of pink crystal, small gold, pink crystal using back stitch, Also embellished with white crystal and gold bead

Хор Турецкого - Кошерное попурри

light and shadows

more Jaffo with manual

shots of Jaffo

Learning to use manual on camera

I have a Nikon D50 my son gave to me. It takes beautiful pictures but I wanted to know how to use the manual as that is apparently the best way to handle light a nd get good shadows. So yesterday I was up at 4:30am and drove to Jaffo where my class was meeting by the famous clock with eli, our teacher who is a professional newspaper photographer. Most of us didn't know anymore than I did so I felt pretty good after awhile. Eli showed me quickly where the manual was and how to find the famous 0. I think my camera is hard to use as the same screw works for both getting the number 60 and the 0. what we were doing was taking photos in the "magic" hour when the sky and the ground get the same light. The sun hadn't woken up yet and it was also raining which helped to prolong the magic hour. First we shot towards the east and then as the light came up turned south and west. Then we proceeded up and down hill finally reaching the port with the fishing boats. After that we started back an d I got a few good shots showing light and shade and finally walked back to our starting point. We learned to check the light source using our hand as a focus for the light. when we could get the 0 on our camera focusing on our hand or at some points (in the rain and shade) on the ground, then we were set to photograph.

cucumber salad

Sauce for cucumbets:
6 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
---------Cook until sugar dissolves. Add to cucumbers.

Brownies (my own)

3 sqs unsweetened choc
100 gr bittersweet choc
1 tbsp cocoa
150 grams butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
melt chocolates and butter. beat eggs, add sugar. then add choc mixture and then rest 350 overn in 13x9" pan for about 20-25 minutes. don't overbake.

daisy st lariat, necklace, earrings

celebration bracelet

this is Deb Roberti.

Burlesque

I saw the new movie Burlesque with Cher last night and it was quite an enjoyable experience with lots of songs and dancing and a kind of silly plot which held everything together and Cher can still really sing.

Daisy stitch variation

For an 8-bead daisy:
pick up 4 beads plus center bead(s) and go back into first stitch. Pick up 4 beads and enter the last bead of the first 4 picked up at beginning, Then pick up 4 more beads plus center bead and enter from reverse the last bead of the previous 4 beads. Pick up another 4 beads and enter the bead just after the center bead in the previous stitch. this continues to as long as wanted. It makes a very good lariat. Picture of work in Beadworkers guild Intro to beadwork, bracelets. I sold this one at the Dead Sea and decided to make more using a lot of older beads I didn't know what to do with. It's mindless beading and fast.

Dead Sea

I just returned from the dead sea with a group of Israeli pensioners. We stayed at the Hod Hamidbar which has its own entry to the sea and is the only one there like that. The hotel is modest and not too modern but I found everything I needed. It has its own spa which includes a special indoor pool with jacuzzi and lots of different massages. I didn't like that pool as I found the bottom very slippery a nd the water is full of sulfur which I also didn't enjoy. The food was fine and plentiful. Every night we had a different singer and the public enjoyed dancing til midnight. I would go across the street to the Aroma restaurant which had free WI-FI as the hotel was charging $9 for using a computer. In the afternoon I sat in the lobby and did my beading and sold a bit too. Then watched the dancing and later I kibbitzed at a bridge game every night. I would like to return as it was very peaceful and our room was fine, I also did some beading in the lobby and sold a few pieces but for less than I should have taken.

my brownie recipe

This recipe came about when I made a mistake!
grease and flour 13x9" pan and oven at 350 deg
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
100 grams bittersweet choc
150 grams butter unsalted
1 tbsp cocoa
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla
-------------
Melt butter and chocolates. beat the eggs and add sugar. then add choc mixture. add flour and vanilla and can add nuts optional. bake until done. about 22-25 minutes.

bracelet from cathy lampole

Chocolate chip date nut cake

One very long time favorite from Ivanhoe, Minnesota.
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cut up dates
1 tsp soda
1 cup butter (200 grams)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 TBSP cocoa
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 bar bittersweet chocolate
---------
Add water to dates and soda. let sit. heat oven to 350 deg.
Beat butter and sugar and add eggs. Add cocoa and flour and remaining ingredients except for chocolate which put on top of batter in buttered and floured 13x9" pan. bake about half and hour until done.

cole slaw

Cut up cabbage a nd put in food mixer. Can also add one carrot to mixer. Add mayonnaise to taste and then add a small amount of whipping cream and a little sugar to taste.

Beets

I boil my beets for maybe 40 minutes in pan of water and when done (check with fork) remove and under water, quickly remove the skins. Let cool and then cut into pieces. Can make it Harvard beets style or also vinegar and sugar style. or not anything. beets are a llittle higher in salt than other veggies, but still worth eating.

eggplant salad

Wash 3 eggplants and pierce skin in several places with fork. Bake in oven about 375 deg for about 40 minutes until done. Cool until able to open up. Remove the inside and put in cusinart or food mixer with about 2 tbsp of mayonaise a nd salt a nd pepper. also 2 garlic cloves well mashed. Put in fridge for several hours. Can always add salt and pepper to taste and also can mix with humous salad.

chicken wings with chili sauce and soy sauce

The other day I ate chicken wings that were very fattening and this is my attempt to make them but different. First you make a marinade of twice the amount of soy sauce to sweet chili sauce (Asian). Add water to dilute. Wash the wings after being cut in half and remove most of skin. Put in marinade for 1 hour to up to one day. Place in baking pan with tin foil on the bottom and sides but don't cover. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes until done and turn over halfway.

Oatmeal cookies with peanut butter chips

I used the Betty Crocker recipe in the 1986 ed and added peanu tbutter chips. Left out the nuts or raisins. Here's what I did:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
100 grams butter softened
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup flour
1 cup peanut butter chips
It was a bit dry so I added a little water to make it softer. Use ungreased pan in 375 deg oven for about 10 minutes. Make balls from the dough and press down with hand.

bracelet with size 6 beads

By mistake I bought some Toho seed beads size 6. I decided to try even peyote with 6 beads per first 2 rows and the embellishment was gold size 11s with Swarovski size 4. Since it's pretty solid, I used a larger clasp than I usually do and it seems very nice.