Procraftination

A procraftintor doesn't have a To Do List, rather a To Finish List. The necklace I began in October is finally done! (See my previous post, "What's the Rush?") Bronze Glow was my first attempt at using lark's head knots to finish the warp ends. This is the same knot that sales tags are fastened with.

Bronze Glow

Perhaps finish isn't the right term to use, since the coin dangles on the warp ends were attached before I started weaving. Dangles can be added singly, or at the base of a column of beads, making a nice simple edge. So why don't I use this technique more often?

The book by Helen Banes that inspired me to learn this craft pictured many beautiful beads and dangles, and the author employed the technique in most of her work. She also traveled the world seeking out unusual beads and baubles to use.

In my little corner of the world, there are plenty of commercially available beads. To fasten a bead or disk to a warp end, the hole needs to be at the top and run front-to-back, not side-to-side. This style of bead is less common, and the ones I've found have left me underwhelmed.

World travel isn't in my plans right now, but as the crafter's motto goes, "If you can't find it, make it." Remembering a class on copper enameling that I enjoyed as a child, I've decided to explore the medium. With it, I could incorporate as many colors, shapes (and hole positions) as needed.

Why would anyone with a habit of procrastination take on something new? To avoid completing something else of course! (Maybe this idea should go on a To Don't List) But seriously, I can already imagine lots of ways to weave some hand crafted beads into my work, and wean myself a bit from Hobby Lobby.

To Everything There is a Season

When I first began needleweaving, my designs were inspired by fibers, beads and different techniques I wanted to try out. When I began selling my work, I needed to consider marketing seasons as well. Seasonally appropriate necklaces are more likely to sell.

As any gardener knows, the U.S. has many different climates zones, so seasonal impressions and representations will vary with geography. Still, I wonder if there are universal themes for certain times of the year.

To help me stay ahead of seasonal deadlines this year I’ve created some crafty cue cards. Pinned to my bulletin board, they will serve both as reminders and inspiration for current and future needleweaving projects.

Try creating your own cards (or modifying these). I’d love to see your ideas—particularly color choices.

What's the Rush?

Some projects can’t be rushed. Others can’t be finished—or so it feels. This necklace was started in October and went well for a while. Ironically, it started out to be a lesson-a-week tutorial. I soon realized that what I thought was a simple design, wasn’t quite.

Necklace progression, from bottom to top.

Usually I design the neckstraps after the body of the necklace is completed, but on this one I drew a blank. With the start of a new year, I resolved to get it finished. At first, things went well . . . .

I started needleweaving the neckstraps, continuing with the same fiber used in the body and incorporating a few small beads. Switching to macramé, and using only the warp threads, I created a spiral pattern with half knots. Next, all the warp threads were strung through more beads.

Now what? My necklaces are often two-staged: first the body, then the neckstraps—with breaks (of varying lengths) in between. Despite my New Year’s resolution, this necklace has once again come to a halt.

There are many tips for overcoming writer’s block—not so many for weaver’s block. I’m not ready to write off this necklace, even though right now I have no idea how it will turn out. I trust that a solution will appear and I’ll be surprised with the results, as I am with each necklace I make.

No rush, but I hope you check back to see how it turns out.