DFW FIBER FEST IS NEXT WEEKEND!

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Valarie

Sorry for screaming, but it’s JUST SO EXCITING!!!!

The classes are all full, but the vendor area is open to anybody who pays the $2.00 admission charge, ($5 for the whole weekend) and that works out to less than a dime per vendor, I think. And it’s not just yarn, Knitting Lagniappe has wonderful ceramics, and there was a wonderful handmade basket vendor last year. And the booth with the little travelling project bags that were all SO FANTASTIC that they completely sold out of inventory on the first day and had to stay up all night making more, just so they would be able to take orders. (Yes, they were THAT cool! and would work for beading as well as they do for knitting.) They will be back.

Many of the vendors are local but not all, and most of the farms don’t really have a storefront where you can just walk up some afternoon and squeeze yarn, so this is a great showcase, and a chance to meet a lot of the local knitting store owners too.

We will be in a slightly different spot this year, more toward the center row, off to the left as you walk in the main door. You’ll hear the noise of the Giant Bead Bowl being sifted through, I’m sure.

And we will have all of the colors of our new Dancing Leaves kits, along with our Tila and Triangle kits. We have two new Limited Edition triangle kits for this summer, too – Lizzie’s Ray of Sunshine and Michell’s Pacific Coast! Both are perfect for blue jeans, hot days, and relaxing in the shade.

AND we bought a MBT of size 8 and 6 round seed beads for the Betsy Beads book! They are (say it in that voice, now!) “***FABULOUS!!!!***” (Tried to get the book too, I guess you all got there first. Dangit.) And a lot of other wonderful colors for everything else! We’ll have those with us, and lots of beading supplies, looms, and fun!

Come see us! But don’t go down the close-to-the-airport 121 way, that leads to undue traffic stress. From North Dallas, come down 121 to the Highway 26 exit, follow that till N Main Street in Grapevine, go South (left) until you are just a couple of blocks away from 121/114, and look for the Library/Convenvention center on the left.

Travelling with Beads?

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Valarie

We probably should’ve addressed this earlier this summer, but at least we’ll have it out here for the holiday season and next summer, right?

OK, taking your beading with you when you travel can be a bit of a challenge. The best travel beading is probably bead crochet, because your beads are all strung on the cord and safely contained. Crochet needles are usually allowed on public transportation and planes with no problems. You don’t have to add thread, so scissors or cutters can be in checked luggage. Win-win, right?

Unless you wait till your’re moving to start the project. Starting a bead crochet project is the most challenging part of the whole thing, and it isn’t unusual to rip it out a few times before you are happy with it. Your life will be far more pleasant if you work the first 2 or 3 inches at home.

Travelling with bead weaving can be more complicated, but can be done with a bit of planning. First, you want a beading surface that will keep your beads contained, separated, and relatively easy to reach. And that can get past security easily. Thin plastic “pencil boxes” sold with school supplies are nice, especially with the vellux bead mats stuck in place. I’ve seen them with two layers of mat on the bottom glued together, with circles cut out of the top one to make little pits to hold the beads on one side. Putting one or two layers of mat on top and closing the lid will keep them safe and separated. You can also include your work in process if it fits, along with pre-threaded needles. Keep most of your beads in little plastic bags or plastic tubes in your purse, so if something happens, you’re not frantically scrabbling to recover 7 grams of Delicas from the seat and carpet.

One word of advice – get the “book strap” wide elastic bands and wrap one around the whole thing to keep it closed tight. Those little latches will pop open at the worst possible time.

Take your own beading style into account before choosing a project for the road. If you like to sightsee or talk to seatmates, peyote patterns might not be a good choice. Coral-type fringe, tubular herringbone, and spiral ropes are usually good travel projects.

And when beading poolside or on the beach, always remember that more than 3 umbrella-drinks can have disasterous effects on your tension. Or good effects, depending.

Have fun!!