Minimalist Bead Crochet Necklaces

The most popular post on this blog so far has been the 2010 tutorial post for the Understatement Necklace, which was a very delicate clustered-bead, crocheted necklace. That tutorial is still a great place to learn how to make a beaded crochet necklace of your own. I'll add a link at the end of this post, so you can go check it out, and after the holidays, I'll try to get around to finally doing some more tutorials on the blog here.

Meanwhile, here are some of my latest bead crochet necklaces. All of these, except for the last one, are great wrap bracelets, too.

Green Beaded Crochet Necklace with Removable Christmas Tree Charm

Cobalt Caprice Beaded Crochet Necklace with Removable Dangle Bead

Stone Feather Beaded Crochet Necklace or Wrap Bracelet

And finally, this little beauty, in a clustered-bead style:

Flower Vine on Pagoda, Red Beaded Crochet Necklace

When worn, these necklaces are lighter and more minimalist than the knotted bead necklaces from the last post.

Here is that link for the Understatement Necklace tutorial that I promised you, in case you want to make a necklace of your own.

Boho, Southern Chic, Hippie Flavored, Advanced Style Knotted Bead Necklaces

Adding necklaces to the shop has worked out well, because people seem to like them. The style categories in the heading could be easily applied to my design choices so far.

In today's post the show-and-tell topic is long hand-knotted bead necklaces. You can click on the links to learn more detail about each one.

Pixie Mayhem Necklace

This one used some unorthodox knotting and a wild assortment of beads in a Southern Country Chic style. It's a boho beauty, so I also made one for myself, too.

Also as an homage to good Southern things, this one was named for delicious whiskey caramels:

Whiskey Caramela

Winter inspiration can be seen in the next two:

The Snow Queen

Snow on the Beach

The first three of these have sold already, so I am busy making more. Also, I'm making some bead crocheted necklaces that are more minimalist in style. You'll see some in the next post.

Wrapping up this Year's Etsy Life Cycle

Procurement, production, photography, product listing, promotion, packing orders--the Etsy business cycle. It's been keeping me plenty busy as the year winds down.

During my hiatus related to my parents' aging and passing, I lost a lot of momentum in regards to my shop. The time spent with Dad and Mom was so important and so full of blessings. that I have absolutely no regrets.

It's taking a lot of time and effort, but slowly and surely I am regaining my footing and online confidence again. I'm hoping that my sense of humor returns soon, too.

Over the next several posts I'll get you caught up with some of the things that have been in the works. In this post there are some wraps in holiday photos.

The shawl in the Old Shale stitch variation was finished. I decided on a different gift for the redhead, so I put the shawl in my shop. This is how it looks when worn as a scarf:

The Candlelight Shawl in Alpaca and Merino

It's so unbelievably soft and luxurious that it was tempting to keep it, but alas, not the perfect colorway for my skin tone.

Here are some product photos that were re-shot in order to have a little Christmas spirit in the shop:

Chevron Scarf in Sangria Colors - Hand-spun and Commercial Wool

Salsa Fever Shawl - Dropped Stitch Shawl or Oversized Scarf

It's been fun to make the shop a little festive for the season. These photos were fun to take.

Update on the Old Shale Shawl Project

Three week ago I shared a photo of a swatch for a ripple pattern that is a type of Old Shale Pattern, of which there are many variations. I started a shawl in this pattern as a gift, and it has been fun to knit because of the relaxing rhythm to the undulating waves.

This shawl combines three different yarns: one laceweight merino yarn has been paired with a thin yarn that is a combination of 78% Suri Alpaca and 22% nylon. (See the ball on the lower left corner of the photo.) The Suri Alpaca has a superb fiber halo, almost like mohair. The third yarn is the other ball in the picture. It is 100% superfine alpaca. I am alternating these two balls every two rows.

This shawl is 90% complete. When it's been finished and blocked, I'll post more photos of it and also the ball bands from the yarn.

The colors are like candlelight or the canyons in Utah. (It's for a redhead who is going to look great in it.)

Mother Would Like That - Ma

Yesterday the Flash Mob, a treasury team on Etsy, had a treasury contest on the Japanese concept of "Ma," the empty space between things.

Here is what Wikipedia says about this concept:

Ma (間) is a Japanese word which can be roughly translated as "gap", "space", "pause" or "the space between two structural parts." The spatial concept is experienced progressively through intervals of spatial designation. In Japanese, ma, the word for space, suggests interval. It is best described as a consciousness of place, not in the sense of an enclosed three-dimensional entity, but rather the simultaneous awareness of form and non-form deriving from an intensification of vision.

Ma is not something that is created by compositional elements; it is the thing that takes place in the imagination of the human who experiences these elements. Therefore, ma can be defined as experiential place understood with emphasis on interval.

My mother loved feminine accessories and jewelry, but she was spartan and minimal in her home decor. In this way she practiced Ma, and for me, there is a tremendous negative space where she used to be. I chose these treasuries to feature here, because they reminded me of her. These are collections she would have liked. (The images are clickable, in case you want to start your holiday shopping early.)


By CaryeVDPMahoney:


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By Linda Voth:


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By Christie of Poppy and Purl:


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