Hooked on Hooking

Well, it';s been awhile since I posted, mostly because the projects I've made over the last few months have been gifts, and I don't want to post the pictures until the people they were made for get them. Today, though, I am posting because I have been playing with crocheting jewelry using wire again, and I made something I am so proud of, that I actually wrote a pattern for it. So what I am looking for is 2 or 3 people to test my pattern. This offer is only open to members of the Crochet Talk group on Yahoo, as I don't want to post my email address on my blog, and I certainly don't expect anyone else to post theirs. So, this is the necklace. Let me know your thoughts, and if you are a member of the group, contact me to let me know if you want to be a tester.

Well, I was being lazy today, so I actually ended up crocheting a couple more jewelry pieces. It's rather addicting to make them. First, another bracelet, done in amethyst tones. Secondly, another pendant. I'm not as happy with the pendants so far as I am the bracelets and necklaces, but I am hoping with time and experience I can come up with some great designs.

I've only got 4 more finished pieces to show you. The next is a single strand necklace I made in amethyst shades, which I quite like. Also, I have started to get the hang of wrapping the ends, and I am hoping to get that really nailed down soon. Here is what I originally intended to be a bracelet, but it ended up a wee bit bigger than what I planned, so I have declared it an anklet. I really like the colours on this one too. I decided I wanted a necklace that was colour neutral and that could be worn with anything. This is the one I like best out of all my attempts so far. Lastly, I thought I would try to use a stitch other than the chain or single crochet. I decided to make a pendant using dc's in the round. I think it turned out quite cute. That's it for my crocheted wire pieces so far. I find making the jewlery very enjoyable. Also, so far, I've spent an average of a little over an hour on each piece, which when most of my other projects take me some time to finish ...

I decided I wanted to try something different, so I bought myself Nancie M. Wiseman's book, Crochet with Wire . My older sister quite thoughtfully bought me Annie Modesitt's book, Twist and Loop , wanting to get me a unique Christmas present on the subject that I love. So I spent a while studying both books, trying to get a feel of the general techniques and strategies, such as how to attatch the closures. When I felt I had a grasp of the concept, I headed on down to Michaels, where I got a few things to get me started. The first item I made was a necklace. It turned out a little long for where the neckline of most of my shirts fall, but other than that, I am pleased with it as a first effort. Emboldened by my success, I decided to try my hand at a bracelet. I will say here I attempted to use 24 gauge wire, which to me felt extremely stiff and difficult to work with. I may try that gauge again with more experience under my belt as the finished piece is still flexible enough to...