Friday, March 7, 2008

Doh!

Ever have something hit you that is just so obvious that you immediately wonder why you never realized it before? I had one of those today. I have been attracted to chain maille for as long as I can remember; it took me a long time to learn, but once I acquired the proper plier skills, there's been no turning back.

I'm making a bracelet that is really pushing the envelope on my skill set. It isn't a very complicated design, it has "needlepoint" turquoise set in a row on either side of a square piece of charoite; but setting the turquoise was a real challenge for me. It's not great under magnification, but it's "eye clean," so I'm happy. It took a lot of concentration and tongue biting to get those itty bitty pointy-ended pieces of turquoise to stay put; I was very glad to finish and move on to the maille part of the bracelet.

As I'm weaving the maille, I find myself relaxing after the stone setting ordeal; just draping the finished section over my hand is making me calmer. What is it about maille that makes me love everything associated with making and wearing it?

It's a textile. A piece of silver fabric.

Umm hmm, that's it.

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