Metal

My mother's birthday was a few days ago. She is into knitting/crocheting (I am not quite sure the difference!) and has made me some lovely scarves and hats in the not too distant past, as well as a pair of socks! This year, I attempted to make her a shawl pin and stitch savers.

The shawl pin was made from wire that I bent into a design and hammered to flatten. I wrapped a thinner gauge of wire to strengthen and decorate the piece. I added a Swarovski crystal and a wooden bead to match a pair of earrings that I had previously made for her. I think it came out great for my first attempt!

Stitch savers, from the little that I understand about them, can be used to keep track of the progress of patterns and to show which side of the pattern is the front. There were two types of stitch savers that I have seen, and I made these with lobster clasps to be easily removed and repositioned.

It was actually easier and more fun to make the shawl pin. The stitch savers took me a little white to figure out the best method to create a loop for a dangling charm. It wouldn't be as challenging with vertical beads. These are both things I was contemplating adding to my Etsy shop!