Another Cable Braided Necklace

Last month, I wrote about my sister’s beautiful cable braided necklace. I’m happy to report that I made one as well! It’s a fun, easy pattern, and I love how the necklace turned out.

As you can see, I alternated a pink metallic strip with a black strip to create my braided necklace. The contrast adds visual interest to the piece.

I know I’ll enjoy wearing it, especially with the black tops that tend to be my uniform of choice. Depending on the feedback I get, I may decide to make more of these for my fundraising. Please let me know what you think; I’d love to hear from you!

–Karen

Cable Braided Necklace

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I love knitted jewelry. The designs are so beautiful and unique. I also think knitted jewelry is perfect for my fundraisers. Many knit accessories, like hats and scarves, can be too heavy for the mild winters we get here in the San Francisco area. By contrast, knitted jewelry sells well.

So, imagine my excitement when I saw the necklace that my sister knit. It is the Cable Braided Necklace by OlgaJazzy, a knitwear designer based in Japan. While the necklace is beautiful as is, I was impressed that you can also wear it as a wrap bracelet. How cool!

My sister used a metallic yarn, which is stunning. It reminded me of some pink metallic yarn that I picked up on sale a few years ago. I never knew what I wanted to do with it….until now.

Stay tuned! I’ll be sure to post a photo of my necklace once it is done.

–Karen

Style Trend: Wrap Bracelets

I love the look and simplicity of a wrap bracelet. It’s basically a long cord, adorned with beads, that you wrap around your wrist a few times. When I saw how thrilled my teenage daughter was when she received one as a gift last month, I decided to try to design one. Perhaps it would be a good item for my fundraising.

Being a knitter, I naturally decided to make mine from a knitted i-cord, or tube. Using some some bamboo and cotton DK weight yarn from my stash, I started making i-cords with different needle sizes. The size 1 needles turned out the best looking cord.

While knitting an i-cord is downright boring, I made it more interesting by watching some TED videos from my “when I have time” list. Before I knew it, I had made one that was long enough to wrap around my wrist six times. (44 inches, to be precise.)

Next was a trip to the craft store to pick up a clasp and some beads.

When I got back home, I threaded 10 beads onto the cord and attached the clasp. I love the finished bracelet!

Would you like to make one as well? Download my free pattern. Cheers!

–Karen

Sample Sale

Everyone loves a good sale, right? As I prepare for my holiday boutiques next week, I’ve started pulling out some knitted items to offer as discounted samples. Here’s what I have so far:

• A few cowls that I didn’t sell last year,
• Two Desert Meets Sea necklaces, left over from the fundraiser at my hair salon,
• A true sample: my first attempt at the Tangible Twists wrap, and
• Another sample: a purse I knit from ribbon yarn, which I didn’t love enough to make more for my fundraising.

I’ll put them in a basket with a “Sample Sale” sign, and mark them at 50% off or more. I bet these bargains will attract people to my table and help me raise money with items that are otherwise just taking up room in my closet.

If you are a crafter, what would you put in your sample basket?

Twists of Ribbon

After seeing some beautiful knitted cord necklaces on Pinterest, I decided to try my hand at designing one. Just such a necklace would be perfect for a silent auction.

Instead of a traditional wool yarn, I chose a ribbon yarn. I felt the ribbon would create a more elegant finished product than wool, plus it would feel silkier on the neck. I also purchased some large charms that I could slip onto the cords to dress up the necklace.

Next, I dove in and started making cords, which are super easy to knit. I made some thin cords and some wider ones, and I played around with braiding and twisting them. After some experimentation, I felt I had a great necklace. Well, almost. There was still work to be done on the closure, which I wanted to look professional. I visited a few bead shops and craft stores before finding the perfect findings: metallic cones to hide the knots that held the cords together, fold-over cord ends to crimp the ribbon ends and keep them from fraying, and a magnetic clasp.

Once I was satisfied with the finishing of the necklace, I wrote the instructions into a pattern.

I also made this second necklace to test the pattern:

Now I have two to donate to an upcoming silent auction. I wonder how much they will raise?

If you make one of these necklaces, please let me know. I’d love to see photos!

–Karen