This morning, I woke up to an email GoogleAlerts. It wanted me to know that CurrentVine.com, a blog dedicated to "fast and fun doses of entertainment," had featured my online fiber arts store because I'm a RAINNmaker. Check out the mini-feature on my store and how to make your own contributions to RAINN.
Thank you, GoogleBots, for spreadin' the news, and thank you, Dear Reader, for supporting RAINN.
I've been wanting to play more with wire and beads, and at the same time, I've wanted to create some sort of awareness item. Granted, everything in my RAINN-y Day line is designed to raise awareness, but I wanted something more obvious. I've been playing around with making an awareness pack, filled with Get Carded awareness cards, a condom, some lube... but those sorts of things aren't allowed on Etsy (not the message, but none of the stuff would be handmade).
I settled on a ribbon. Everyone knows tha the ribbon campaigns stand for something. You know, red for AIDS, pink for breast cancer, yellow to support the troops. Teal happens to represent two things: Sexual Assault Awareness and prostate cancer. Both are great causes, but I'm a big advocate of raising the former.
And so I decided to take my 28 gauge wire, some seed beads, and my trusty crochet hook to fashion some ribbons. I made two: the smaller is almost an inch and the larger is almost an inch and a half. Just a row of single crochet, but it curled nicely into a ribbon shape.
I found this particular shape required not one, but two, jump rings in order to suspend well from a cord. I also discovered that I'm out of satin ribbon, so I had to use repurposed cotton/linen. I don't think anyone will mind.
Lessons learned:
1) Silver-plated base metal wire is not nearly as nice to work with as 100% precious metal wire (but it does keep costs down)
2) There is definitely a difference between half-hard and dead-soft wire, and I prefer the latter
3) I hate jump rings. Scott needs to start making these immediately so I can have him close them around my projects, rather than doing it myself
I'll be posting these little trinkets in my shop today. Spread the word. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men are survivors. Raise awareness. Fight the rape culture. Support RAINN and/or your local crisis center. Please.
Sometimes it's the little things that need to be done to make a project perfect for a person. Case in point: I got a convo this weekend from a woman who loved my RAINN-y Day Anklet, but wanted it to be "more sturdy". The bracelet by nature is not very sturdy because it's a lacework piece. It's designed to be worn out on the town, but not for everyday wear.
It made me think of how I to sturdy it up. I decided that upping the size to 28-gauge wire and using a clasp more secure than toggles would probably be the solution. That way, the wire would be more flexible and sturdy, the clasp would be less likely to unclasp, and it could still retain its lacy look. It was worth a try.
It only took me one strand to realize that this was a great idea. The strand was more pliable and less brittle. It felt heavier and more substantial. But it didn't lose any of its lightness. Adding findings were a completely different story. I don't really care for lobster clasps; no real reason, it's just personal preference. I needed to get some jump rings in there to ease the strain on the wires. But I was able to get it together without any problems.
Lessons learned:
1) Heavier wire = sturdier project (duh)
2) Heavier wire = easier attachment of findings (double-duh)
3) I (still) love doing custom work over general work
The bracelet spent a whopping 10 minutes in my store before being claimed by its new owner. This is my first sale that I've included my new freebies with - I'll let you know how that goes over. :)
As I continue to try and work my through my yarn stash, I am faced with 5 remaining balls of Gedifra Velato (I'd already used 4 on the cowgirl hat). What to do...
I again turn to my pattern collection for inspiration, and face three separate patterns from three different sources. Amazingly enough, they all tend to look alike (furthering the notions that no idea is truly original and that great designs imitate one another whether they intend to or not). The design is for a fat little bag with round handles. I jump at the opportunity to try something new. I have never made a purse that incorporated non-crocheted elements.
Just as with the cowgirl hat, I instantly find things I don't like about the patterns. Single crochet is too dense. Herringbone half-doubles are clunky and create holes I just don't like. None of the bags are lined. All of the bags rely on some cheesy motif for accessorizing. That just won't work for me.
I settle on simple, plain, half-doubles. I decide I'm going to line the bag with blue satin. I'm slightly concerned that some of the blue will show through to the outside of the bag, but I figure it'll just deepen the blueness of the turquoise fibers. I contemplate wrapped brass rings instead of the now ubiquitous bamboo rings, but figure that I'll give bamboo a try for now. Then I set to work.
The project worked up relatively quickly. I had a few issues with sizing; I wasn't sure how wide I wanted it and in what direction I wanted to stitch seams to go. In the end, I settled on vertical seams and a purse around 12x7". It's cute.
Lessons learned:
1) Hand-sewing satin lining into a crochet piece is an incredibly big pain in the ass
2) Cute as this bag is, I just can't see myself using it
3) Figuring out how to accessorize this purse has been difficult. I tried ribbon and motifs, but I think both are too overdone. I think I'm just going to have to keep a lookout for some cute little pin to add to it
Keep a lookout - this should be up on Etsy soon!
I decided to use one of the many patterns I've collected over the years and decrease my yarn stash. As an aside, my yarn stash is a little out of hand, and I've been telling myself for years to start making little hats and scarfs to whittle it down.
Anywhoo, there was a pattern in Debbie Stoller's Happy Hooker that intrigued me. It's called "Yeehaw Lady", and it's essentially a crocheted cowboy hat. It's done in red worsted cotton. Now, I'm not a cowgirl (despite living in D-town, a town which has extremely cow-y roots), and I really don't care for Western fashion, but I'd gotten bored with knit caps, cloches, buckets, and flapper hats. So it sounded like a decent hat to try.
A few problems around here. I had no cotton, I don't like working in spirals. I'd rather work in joined rounds - even if it means having a barely noticeable seam on the item; I just don't think that a spiral piece looks as balanced in the end. If you wear the joins in the back, no one is the wiser! But I digress. I didn't care for the crossed-stitch border in half-doubles.
So being me, I tweaked the pattern a bit. I used an elasticized tulle ribbon yard from Gedifra called "Velato". It's a yarn they don't even make anymore, but I've loved. I've made cardigans and camisoles from it and it is amazing. It gives a lycra-esque stretch while holding its form like a cotton-blend. It seemed the perfect yarn to play with for this project.
It took me two tries on this hat, and only because I forgot to take into account the stretch in this yarn. Cotton doesn't stretch much, whereas there's abouta a 50% stretch to Velato. My first attempt turned out bumpy because of this. Once I factored that in, this hat still scared me at times. It looked like a pointy top hat, which seemed hideous. But as I plopped it on my model and shaped the wire-line brimmed, it transformed into an adorable little 1-gallon bucket.
Lessons learned:
1) Remember the stretch of your yarn
2) Don't be afraid to try a pattern just because you disagree with the away the construction was done
3) Floral wire and tulle do not get along
4) Cowboy hats require wearing in order to be shaped right
So, other than the few little snafus at the beginning, I have to confess that I'm pleased with the end result. Look for it on Etsy in the next few weeks!
Well, y'all, I just wanted to let everyone know that after two weeks and a bunch of edits, I am officially a RAINN-Maker.
What exactly does that entail? It means that RAINN recognizes me and my little Etsy shop as official fund-raising sources. They even have a link to my little store from their website (well, they should by week's end). I can now officially and legally say that 100% of the RAINN-y Day line and 10% of everything else is donated to RAINN.
I'm so excited! It's publicity! It's officiality! It's a great cause! You can check out RAINN's link to me at their Shopping for RAINN site. And, of course, you can check out my store at http://kreations.etsy.com.
So help support the National Sexual Assault Hotline, both the phone and (beta) online versions AND support my crafting habit by picking up a few lovely items from my store. You'll look good and feel good, too!
Today, as I was killing time before my OB visit, I decided to use the last of my wire on earrings. I'd never made earrings before, but they seemed pretty straight forward. I made them the same way I did the bracelets. Well, sort of. Just one chain of seven beads on a french hook. But I think they turned out pretty nice.
The earrings hang about 1.5" total, and feature six seed beads and one focal bead. As with the rest of the line, they benefit RAINN. Need to know more about RAINN? Check out their site! http://www.RAINN.org.
I also created another anklet, a three-strander comprised entirely of seed beads that's about 10" long with toggle clasps. And a kid's bracelet, a two-strander comprised entirely of seed beads that's about 5" long with a lobster clasp.
So there you go! The new additions should be up on Etsy in the next few weeks.
While I'm on the subject of projects I've always wanted to do, let me talk about bead'n'wire crochet. I few of my books have wire projects listed, and I'll even go so far as to confess I have a book dedicated completely to crochet with wire. It seemed like a great craft to try. Unfortunately, in application, I found it a wee bit... difficult. I hadn't picked up a steel hook in years, so the small scale was maddening. My fingers (albeit puffy from the water retention all preggos go through) were just to darn big to get a good grip on itty bitty seed beeds, and my 24 gauge base-metal wire just looked hideous. My first project was a bead-encrusted bracelet, and I got 4" through it. I had to toss it. The metal just looked cheap, the beads gawdy, and my fingers were red and black from all the pinching and having cheap wire slide across my hands.
I vowed to try again, but this time following my own rules. I settled on silver-plate wire in a narrow 32 gauge and seed beads for lightness. I wanted something lacy, and no book had lacy. I realized that some people might actually want some focal beads, and figured I could accomodate that if I did it on a single chain instead of on a matrix of single crochet. Hook in hand, I set to work. What emerged was my new "RAINN-y Day Jewelry" line.
The entire line is comprised of 2-4 individual chains of beaded crochet. Most of these chains are seed beads, but some have focal beads spaced in there as well. I used both lobster and toggle clasps. I made them in teal, beacuse I wanted to have something I could sell to raise awareness of sexual violence.
And here comes an important tangent: the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, RAINN, is a national non-profit dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault. They do this through lobbying state and federal legislatures, community outreach and education, online and telephone crisis hotlines, fundraising, word of mouth, and a host of other wonderful things. They also have a wonderful resource center. If you need to find a local crisis center, they can help you do that. Need a class on how support people can help cope with the feelings they have surrounding the rape of someone they love? They can point you in the right direction. Sexual assault affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men in the United States. To say it's a problem is an understatement. It's an unaddressed national epidemic.
So what does all that have to do with bead'n'wire crochet? The "RAINN-y Day" line has a two-fold purpose. First, teal is advocacy color for sexual assault awareness, just like pink is for breast cancer and red is for AIDS. Wearing a "RAINN-y Day" item will hopefully generate some conversation about your newfound accessory, and you will have an opportunity to tell people how important it is to stop sexual assault. Second, an perhaps more relevant to the commercial-capitalist society that is the United States, I donate 100% of the net proceeds of every "RAINN-y Day" item sold to RAINN. So you can look good and feel great, all from a piece of jewelry.
I've included some samples of my finished projects here, and you can view even more in the "RAINN Gear" category of my Etsy shop. Oh, and I donate 10% of the sale price anything you purchase from my shop that isn't a "RAINN Gear" item to RAINN. So, shop away!
Finally, the requisite takeaway lessons:
1) Bead crimpers really are necessary
2) 32 gauge wire does not like being bent at sharp angles
3) Seed beads look lovely suspended on a chain of silver
4) If you crimp too hard, you'll just break the bead, and have to start the whole finishing process over again
5) If you do it right, these pieces come together smootly and quickly (and isn't that what any crafter really wants?)
Again, another project I have to confess I am very satisfied with artistically and morally.
For more information on RAINN, please visit their website at http://www.RAINN.org.
