New Project, New Pictures!

In my laziness, I haven't updated my blog because I haven't taken pictures of my latest knitting projects.  Shame on me!  So off my duff, here we go!

As usual, I am still making chemo hats, but my progress has slowed.  The extreme heat we are currently enduring does not make good knitting weather!  Not for a warm hat, anyways.  I do have about 9 or 10 finished.  As I've probably mentioned before, I like to wait until I have a dozen, then I photograph them & post the pictures here.  So that may be awhile.  I've also had a second glimpse at my failed booga bag.  It may not be as hopeless as I originally thought.  It just didn't do what I wanted, but it could be salvaged.  I think I will revisit it & see what I can do soon!  I will even post pics, why not?!

Summer is not one of my best knitting times.  I honestly don't knit much, but I usually do something.  My latest thing has been with beads.  Summer & beads DO go well together, in my book!  So, anyway, I got a bug to do something with beads.  Some time ago, I ordered a beaded bracelet kit from Patternworks.  Lovely matte finish black & white beads, along with a gold thread.  Perfect for what my "bug"!

On a recent vacation, I gave it a shot.  I have knit with beads before, see my entry http://journals.aol.com/spunknit/InnaneKnittingBabble/entries/1162 about my beaded purse for my wedding.  It is really easy, & goes along quickly, even on size 0000 steel needles!  So I threaded up the beads & got started. 

What a pain in the tookus!  The thread is not soft, it is scratchy & rough.  The pattern requires tight knitting, which also made it uncomfortable.  The stitch makes the knitted piece spiral, so sometimes I ended up with more beads than I needed.  Frustrating!  I do like the way it looked, so I perservered.  I still need to join the ends together, which has also been frustrating.  It just doesn't look right, so I've done it about 5 or 6 times already, & ripped it out each time. 

All in all, I like the look.  The kit came with enough for 3 bracelets or one long necklace.  I wish now I had done the necklace, because I would have probably finished it just to get it done.  I'm not sure I will knit the remaining 2 bracelets, just because I didn't enjoy it like I thought I would. 

Anyways, I have pictures of the finished, but unjoined item above!  Enjoy!