made from a kit
coral and glass
glass beads
I ended this year like I have begun the year – with unfinished projects, high hopes, and dollar signs in my eyes. Although I have to admit, I have become much more realistic about my abilities and my time constraints. I usually discover some great thing and try to produce many of them to sell and then get in over my head. These bracelets are a perfect example. I bought a kit at Stitches Midwest in August and made it within two days. Then I realized, “Hey! I could sell these for big bucks and wouldn’t that be cool?” I had visions of selling them at a boutique and cranking out several a month. About this time I blabbed about it and posted a photo on Facebook and almost instantly had someone order two for $60 apiece. They are made from anti-tarnish sterling wire (pricey!) and the store owner who sold me the kit told me they sell them to boutiques for $80. What he didn’t tell me was that although the type of wire in the kit is easy to work with, it also breaks after wearing the bracelet a few times. So I got smart. I bought heftier wire and made the red one in the first photo. It hurt my hands to knit, took forever, and made me wish I had never started it. I trudged along and finally finished it, and began the coral bracelet. It’s to the point now where it only needs the final clasp, but I have put it in time out. I have had it with the wire and beads. What the hell was I thinking?
I distinctly remember my thought process. It went like this: I have this knitting talent. I have a great deal of down time at my job and home in which to knit. I know how to make socks, hats, scarves, sweaters, and anything else imaginable if I have a general pattern to work with. There has got to be a way to get a steady income stream from this talent. Okay, so bracelets isn’t it. At least not with this wire. I’m considering wire baskets now. Small, decorative wire baskets with beads. Hmmm. I wonder how many I could make in a month?
