New Arrangement, New Pattern

Mini Roses. A couple of years ago, I started on Moss Roses from Bead Design by Ruth Wasley and Edith Harris. The pattern has been adjusted and changed so that it has now become my own. I'd wanted to develop a beginner type pattern and this became it. This will (hopefully) be on display at a new local bead store and I'm really hoping that leads to more opportunities for me.



As you can see, there's lots of greenery here. I never liked making greenery but I have found that it does help to complete the arrangement. I also tried to demonstrate how different beads can look. So what do we have here? A total of 24 stems, 6 per color.

• 11/0 Pearl Eggshell (Studio Baboo) with a 11/0 medium green (Shipwreck 11SB282)
• 9/0 3 cut in light topaz (Shipwreck 9SC354-T) with 9/0 3 cut dark green (Margola)
• 11/0 Miyuki in purple #356-E with 11/0 Miyuki green #729
• 11/0 Toho silver lined pink #2113 with Toho magenta lined olive #2204
  

More knitting, beading, running

The running -
Just signed myself up for the Veteran's Day 10K. This is to prevent myself from crashing after this weekend's Marine Corps 8K.
The knitting -
Kepler is coming along. Was at the Stitch N' Bitch tonight and made it to the armholes. It's exciting! I think this means another couple of hours and I'll be done with the front!
I'd also brought Chantress with me but I'd run low on beads and didn't have enough to complete another side. I've currently got somewhere close to 2.5 hanks on that bag...another 10 hanks or so of beads to go.
The beading -
The gerbera daisy pattern is on hold. I'm working on a little side project which will hopefully bode well for my future in beaded flowers. Yes, I do aspire to be on of the "grand dames" one day. So many beads, so little time.

Yesterday was the DC Knit Out and Crochet. I was at the tent teaching some people to knit. I'd brought along Chantress for the down time and got many comments on her. Most people were just amazed by it. I tell ya! I love beads!

Starting Chantress

On the needle.



Close up on the needle.


size comparison
Wowee! Size 0000 needles, I didn't quite realize. My hands felt big and clumsy when I first started and boy, this is smaller than I'd thought. So can see the beginning and I added in the picture with my thumb to give you and idea of the size of this and what exacly I'm working with! Those are Shipwreck size 11/0 ruby A/B beads. Same beads as I used for the ginger.

Toho 2204

I found these beads at a new bead store in Old Town. I was intrigued. Olive lined with purple. Toho beads #2204. I was so intrigued I bought them and while I was at the Caps game, I realized that they may make some really interesting sunflower sepals. So, if you click on the picture, it enlarges to full size and you can see the purple lined in the loose beads. But if you look at the sepal that I made using purple wire, you can't really see the lining...that's a little disappointing.

Cheryl's callas!

Cheryl is someone from the yahoo beaded flowers group and I met her a couple of weeks ago in Charlottesville. She had bought my calla pattern and made a couple. I really like the pink one! I am also so excited to see that yes, people managed to understand my instructions and that it can be interpretted and recreated by someone else.
It is a relaxing Saturday night as I am watching some hockey and working on Kepler. I bought another ball of yarn at A.C. Moore today so I'm set for the week. I also found a great vase for my sunflower and bells of ireland arrangement for the dining room so hopefully, that will motivate me to make another couple of sunflowers and another couple of bells of ireland. The sunflowers will be quick. These will be #14 and #15 of the sunflowers I've made in the past year...and only the 2nd and 3rd I've kept for myself. I'm thinking of one in yellow and one in a shaded topaz.

Kepler progress

I've finished both the waist bands and the wrists. Now it's time for the stockinette stitch body and sleeves and they seem to be going pretty quickly. I had to do some recalculation as I made this band wider than it was supposed to be since I couldn't stand the thought of stopping int he middle of a pattern repeat. I also wanted this a little longer than the pattern was designed for. I prefer to have my clothing end at my hips, not above.

Beaded Knitted Bags

I think the title of this post says enough of my latest craze. I love beads (see beaded flowers below). I do really enjoy knitting (see knitted wear below). I love bags (see my closet). And yesterday, I came across beaded knitted bags. They come premade but really expensive. They come in kits...but why am I buying more beads when I probably have a bead stash bigger than most of the bead stores in the DC metro area? But all the sites kept pointing to one...Barb's Beaded Bags. Go check it out. The bags are beautiful. I need to find a way to work the bags into my daily use. Hopefully, I'll receive my first pattern next week. I ordered Chantress. She's sexy and a little seductive. Oui?
In the mean time, I've decided that my next insanity beading project may be a potted cymbidium plant. Make the flowers, put them on stalks, make some leaves. learn to do some sculptural peoyte stitch to bead around some styrafoam balls to make the pseudobulbs. The last insanity beading project was the daisy topiary. At least the cymbidium moves quickly...So I say right now.

Ginger, Parrot's Beak

Ginger: Ruby AB (Shipwreck)
Parrot's Beak:

• Orange Lined Yellow (York)
• Peach Lined Crystal (Margola)
• Light Peach Lined Crystal (Margola)
• Yellow (Shipwreck)
• Green - peridot? (Shipwreck)

Anthurium

Anthurium made using all size 11/0 Czech beads.

• Jet Lined Black from York
• Ruby (Shipwreck)
• Garnet (Shipwreck)
• Pale Yellow satin maybe (Shipwreck)
• Eggshell (Studio Baboo)

No, I can't wear it

No, I can't wear it. It's a hand bag from a woman with a weird sense of humor. It is quite fitting for my collection of handbags and strange fascination with corsets and such things.

hockey! hockey! hockey!

The NHL is BACK! Opening night has all 30 teams facing off and I am enjoying NHL Center Ice. When one game ends, I move onto the next channel. Add to that, the Caps won and the Flyers lost.
This weekend is the flower semiar. I am SO excited. I've been drooling over those flowers for a week. I've got enough parts to make 2 gingers. The scary thing is that my bag with the beads will probably be bigger and heavier than my bag with the clothes.

I need to blog

I went down to Charlottesville over the weekend to preview the flower seminar. Donna has out did her self once again. I'll have a picture of her arrangement after the weekend when I've gone for my 3 days of beading madness. Can't wait! Can't wait! Can't wait!
I'm getting inspired to run again...after my 2 week layoff and the horrendous morning at the gym.

I'm happy with this one

A head on picture of the gerbera.


A side view picture of the gerbera. Techniques include beehive, continuous loops, crossover loops, basic, split triple basic. My goal is actually to include instructions for leaves to go along with the flower. I like leaves. Greenery makes the arrangement so much fuller, even if it's just a single stem in a vase.

Gerbera Daisies

I've always liked gerbera daisies. Strangley, there aren't many patterns out there for them. So what did I do? Of course, I tried to make my own. Other than the petals being a little too big and this one turning out huge, the gerbera passed muster with my friend Jean who I bead with, tests out these patterns and teaches me about plants.

So, ignoring my messy work area...it's kinda big. I may end up with a pattern variation for anyone who wants a table decoration.

Patterns

I decided that since I don't have a permanant web presence other than this blog, and I'm slowly coming with new beaded flower pattners, I'm going to keep a post with a list of patterns as they develop. There will be a link to this post over on the right hand side so you don't have to keep searching for this post. I have set up a website for patterns at Judy Yiu Designs. This is a new website so if you have any problems with it, please email me.

Patterns are available as pdf files for download for $14. Patterns are also available in a printed copy with simple comb binding. There is an additional charge of $0.25 per page and $3 for the binding and covers.

Note: Please include 5% VA state tax for residents of VA.
The instructions are detailed with pictures at each step.

Patterns Available:

• Calla Lily - My first pattern.
  


• Miniature rose - This is for an introductory class at Bead Obsessions. This is currently unavailable at the moment as I haven't decided how I will offer this pattern outside of class.


• Gerbera Daisy
  

In the works:

• Autumn maple leaves and oak leaves

Ideas swimming in my head:

• Hyacinth with bulb and roots

Grey weekend at home

The temp has cooled down and I think it's raining out! That means I won't have to water my yard today! Yay!
I've been working on a beaded gerbera daisy. I found the type of gerbera at Giant the other day and brought home a couple. Poked and prodded at them for an evening and got some measurements. Good thing I did it that night because one started to fade the NEXT DAY! And now I'm working on the petals. It's turning out well and I hope to have this first one completed to show Jean tomorrow when we get together for dinner. She's my official flower approver.

The other half

Philly Distance Run was yesterday. My goal was to finish uninjured. There was no thought to taking time off of VA Beach. And yet, I managed to take off about 20 minutes. I had music with me so I was able to pace myself better. I'd run for part of a song and walk for part of a song. Around mile 10, I realized that I was hitting each mile marker every 13 minutes or so and realized that I may actually be able to come in under 3 hours! My legs finally gave out around mile 12 and at that point, the clock said 2 hours and 44 minutes had passed and the thought that I may be able to come in under 3 hours according to clock time was a real possibility unless I did something to really mess up. So I clocked in at 2:59:40. This morning, race results said that my actual chip time was 2:50:50. Yup. This as compared to 3:11:47 from VA beach and I've taken off 21 minutes and 47 seconds in two weeks! Whoo hoo! The legs are feeling a lot better this time and the massage yesterday helped.
I left Philly this morning and went to New York. Had a quick lunch with a friend and then I hit the bead stores. I added about 20 pounds to my suitcase and came back with lots of pretty beads...mmm...beads... for pretty flowers.
I'll have to take some pictures sometime this week.

At a loss

I feel at a loss. The parts for Reshma's birthday present are complete. I'm waiting for the train ride to put it together. I don't have a definite knitting project to work on though I've got a couple in the works. Hopeful may not get worked on since we are moving towards the colder weather. However, I did find Kepler which looks mighty interesting and so I think I may start on that.
I hate watching the idiot speak. Btw, when I refer to the idiot, I mean the president of the United States. I try not to bring politics here much. It's my escape. But my god, that administration disgusts me.
This weekend is the Philly Distance Run. After that, I'm going to New York and I'm going bead shopping. I'm drooling just thinking about it. However, I must finish the PDR and be uninjured in order to shop!

Another week and semi functional legs

I'm very much hoping that my legs will be okay for the Philly distance run. I think the muscles will have recovered but my knees feel a little weak.
Jean came over for dinner. It was an experimental dinner inspired by an episode of
Good Eats on pouch cooking, more specifically, this recipe on a steamed red snapper with some vegetables and cous cous. I used a salmon filet since I couldn't find a decent sized red snapper. Topped it with some lemon slices, parsely, one bunch of asparagus and some sliced red onions. Cous cous and chardonay for liquid. 425 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Yummy Yummy! I think I could've used just a little more liquid.
Tonight was also the A.C. Moore Midnight Madness sale. So I went and bought some yarn. I want to start a new project...a scarf from the Fall 05 issue of Knitty. I like the flowers. I like anything to do with flowers. Can you guess? I also bought some yarn to make some hats. I think I'm going to donate these as a hat/scarf set to donate to chemo patients.
Sunflowers are coming along...they'll be assembled on the train next week.

VA Beach Half Marathon

It's been a long time since I've been to the beach. How I've forgotten the joys and the annoyances. I love the water and the waves. I can't stand how the sand gets EVERYWHERE and if you're not careful, you get some horrendous tan lines...like I did.
Reshma and I had gone down there for the Rock 'N Roll half marathon. 13.1 miles. I've only run as far as 6 miles and really had no idea what would happen after that. Well, the first 6 miles were okay, only walked a small portion of that. Walked most of mile 6. Mile 7 was okay and started running mile 8. At mile 10, I realized that I couldn't feel much at my ankles and I thought I had some blisters on my feet. Mile 11 I knew I had blisters and my feet and my legs had stopped working. Mile 12 saw some energy come back as I was able to run again, in small bursts, but run none the less. My quads were tired and the rest of my legs were numb and overworked. Hit mile 13, saw the finish .1 of a mile away and sprinted.
Clocked in at 3 hours 11 min and 47 seconds. The actual gun time was 3 hours 42 min and 26 seconds. My splits at 5K: 38:00, 10K: 1:21:38 and 10 mile: 2:18:46
All in all, I'm happy with this performance. I finished on my own two feet in under 4 hours and even under the 15 mile per minute pace.
Don't have much use of my legs right now and I'm so thankful for cruise control in the car. That's how I got back. I have 2 weeks to recover before I have to do this again in Philly.