a wrapturous blog

YOJ09-51 Marquise Series: Pendant 5

Marquise Series:  Pendant 5 (2009)
Sterling silver, fine silver, Swarovski crystal
Constructed, cold-joined, nalbinding
L 6.5 cm x W 1.3 cm

This pendant is made of two “recycled” pieces from Bracelet 3, which didn’t match the other links.  Initially I only added the Swarovskis as embellishment, but the pendant looked unbalanced.  So I decided to add some viking knitting – nalbinding – and create a ribbon-like effect.  The work involved in adding the nalbinding bumps this up from production piece to a “couture” One of a Kind or Limited Edition.

I’m not completely satisfied with how it turned out, but I’m also not able to define what is bothering me about it.   It might just be that it doesn’t work as a pendant.  The design would certainly make a fabulous pair of earrings.  Comments are welcome!

Tags: bead, cold connections, cold joining, constructed, dianne karg baron, fine silver, jewellery, jewelry, marquise, nalbinding, pendant, ribbon, silver, sterling silver, Swarovski, viking knit, viking knitting, wire, wire jewellery, wire jewelry, wirework, Year of Jewelry Project

“The Vik-Knit 3000″

In preparation for my class at the Haliburton School of the Arts this summer, I asked my beloved husband to prepare some tools for the viking knitting segment.  My older son, Thumper, was very keen to help.

Thumper has recently become complete fascinated with machinery.  I’m not sure if this is a reaction to the movie “Wall-E”.  Anyways, he’s been drawing fantasy machines and coming up with all kinds of interesting names for them, most of which end in some denomination of 1000.  “This is a Cheese Grater 2000!”  “This is a Hopping Frog Truck 3000!”.

So, of course, he was very interested in what Daddy was constructing.  It’s just simple dowel holder, which gets clamped to a work surface.  Thumper decided it needed a name.  After asking what it was used for, and being told “viking knitting”, he said “Let’s call it the “Vik-Knit 3000!”"

I keep trying to come up with a “Ginsu Knife” type infomercial to go with the name.  “The Vik-Knit 3000 will make your viking knitting a breeze!  Clamp it to the desk and you’re ready to go!  It will practically do the knitting for you!  But wait!  There’s more!  Order the Vik-Knit 3000 now and you’ll get two – count ‘em – TWO! different sizes of dowels!”

LOL.  Anyways, it was just too cute not to share.

Tags: Classes, dianne karg baron, DIY, dowel, Haliburton School of the Arts, teaching, tools, viking knit, viking knitting, wirework, wireworking, wood, wrapture

YOJ09-20 Viking Knit Ring

Viking Knit Ring (2009)
Fine silver, malachite, howlite
Nalbinding, single knit, constructed, cold joined

I finally got back to writing this week!  I have six tutorials to write in preparation for my class in Haliburton in July.  So far I have completed writing the draft on one of them.  Photos and actually putting the tutorials together are still outstanding.  I’m keenly aware of how quickly the time is going, so a few weeks ago I decided to put Tigger into daycare two days as week.  That is giving me several hours of uninterrupted work time, since it co-incides with the days that Thumper is in school.  What Heaven!

Usually I make the project, writing the steps as I go.  Then I put the text aside for a week or so, come back to it and reconstruct it following my instructions.  If I stumble on any part of it, that means a rewrite is in order.   Refining continues as I take the photos and do the layout.  Lots of work… which means I gotta start makin’ like a bread truck and haul buns…

This week, I was working on instructions for viking knitting.  I experimented with incorporating 2 and 4 mm beads, which led to a screw up – err… “Design Choice” – when I went to draw the chain.  I ended up having to take the chain apart, but salvaged enough to make this ring.  It’s been an interesting experiment in timing myself as well – construction of enough chain to make a bracelet is taking a little over 2 hours.  Adding the beads was just for my amusement, and won’t be part of the final instructions.

More photos:

Tags: cold connections, cold joining, cold worked, constructed, dianne karg baron, green, Haliburton School of the Arts, howlite, jewellery, jewelry, malachite, nalbinding, ring, rings, silver, sterling silver, teaching, tutorial, Tutorials, viking knit, wire, wire jewellery, wire jewelry, wirework, wireworking, Year of Jewelry Project