Yesterday I hosted a Mom's Night Out at a new bead store (which was started by a teenager--how cool is that?). Seven of my friends joined me to drink wine and make jewelry. It wasn't knitting, but it was a great night anyhow! The store is usually closed at night, but for a very reasonable fee they will open for a few hours for a private group. The owner of the shop (e.g. the mother of the teenager) showed us around, gave us some ideas, and then set us free to create. She supplied the beading boards, the wire and tools, and the technical support. It was great to have the place to ourselves and to help each other out with projects.
On the left are pictures of my creations. The pink bracelet is a Christmas gift for my eleven year old niece; the "autumn color" necklace is for my sister; and the bracelet is for my mom. I didn't have time to do anything too complicated, but I did get some ideas for future projects. (Did I mention that the bead store is less than two miles from my house? Did I mention that it was really fun? Did I mention that I dreamed about making jewelry last night? Can you see the problems here?)
I brought my one small sample of wire knitting--a necklace that I made in a class with Annie Modesitt at Rhinebeck in 2004--and my knitted amulet bag/pendant to show the owner. She was quite interested in them. She has some books on knitting and crocheting with wire, but she did not have any samples in the store, and she is not a knitter. I think that next year I will try to do some more knitting with wire, and then maybe offer to host a workshop at the store. They could pay me with store credit....
Could you just tell me to STOP, NOW? Say it with me: "Katy, PUT DOWN THE BEADS."
Yeah, right.
So. Many thanks to all who offered kind words about the impending departure of my good friend. The good news is that it looks like she will only be moving a little more than an hour away from here, so it's not like she's headed to the West Coast and I'll never see her. That said--an hour away is still quite different from down the street. But it is a small sorrow for me to have, and I do have some perspective on that. During this season of intentional thanks-giving, I am truly grateful that this is the biggest problem in my current life. And, on that note, I will put in a plug for one of my favorite books about being grateful. The illustrations are gorgeous and it brings tears to my eyes almost every time I read it.
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