Betsy Beads: Confessions of a Left-brained Knitter
Product information
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Description
The book that went out of print is still available for purchase as a downloadable PDF file you can keep.
Every page, every pattern, every project, all photographed by Alexis Xenakis and everything identical to the printed edition.
- Over 184 pages
- Bead Knitting Basics instruction
- Thirty projects across five sections of technique
- Seven essays on enhancing creative potential
The download link is sent as soon as the payment goes through, so there is nothing to wait for afterward.
Also included, a short note with guidelines regarding copying, sharing and creating.
WHAT IS IN IT
Inside.The.Book.
After an introductory section on Beading Basics, five sections follow, each focused on a specific technique used for that section's projects. Four pages of Tech Trials that precede each section give you the opportunity to learn and practice the techniques before diving in to a project. In addition, seven short essays spaced throughout the book offer insight and practical advice for finding and nurturing your own creative voice.
THE FIVE SECTIONS
Each section, offers several projects focused on a specific knitting technique. Each project is enhanced by the creative addition of beads. Working through the Tech Trials that precede each section will have you confidently approaching the project of your choice. Think of the trials as the educational swatches you'd want to create before starting any knitting pattern.
01
I-cord.
02
Tubes and straps.
03
Stitch pattern embellishment.
04
Knit beads.
05
Welts and hems.
THE SEVEN ESSAYS
Full disclosure: The desire to share my journey from thinking of myself solely as a technically proficient knitter to discovering my creative voice was the motivation for writing this book. The seven essays spaced throughout the book tell the story of that journey and hopefully, along the way, inspire you to explore and enhance your own creative potential.
01
Getting started.
02
Waiting for inspiration.
03
What if... creativity.
04
Coloring inside the lines.
05
Technically speaking...
06
Finishing the hat...
07
Struggling with the 'A' words.
"WHAT IF?..." CREATIVITY
Another powerful objective for me in writing the book was an attempt to demystify the artistic process. Each project includes a section called “What if? . . .", where I set out some possibilities for modifying it. Some examples: how to wear it, how to make the construction simpler or how to use the technique for something else altogether. And I honestly use "What If?..." creativity in the design process for every piece I make. In fact, I consider it the evolutionary (revolutionary?) DNA of each new design.
After that? It's simple. Play.Knit.Create.
PAGES FROM INSIDE
A.Peek.Inside.
A few pages from inside the book. Instruction. Inspiration. Patterns. Gorgeous Photos.
All photography in the book is by Alexis Xenakis.
I call him "The Illuminator."
Beading Basics
Chiaroscuro Belt
How To Use the Book
Morning Glory Necklace
Tech Trials for Straps
Infinity II Necklace
Understanding a Project
Twilight Necklace Beads
Rolled Bead Instructions
Precious Hoops Earrings
Silver Orbits Earrings
Wrap and Roll Necklace
A PASSAGE
From.The.Book.
Left-brained, adjective: related to or displaying the characteristics normally associated with the left half of the brain, e.g., logical, verbal, organized, analytical, rational, sequential, mathmatical, cautious.
ADVICE
From.My.Mother
"Just TRY it and see what happens!"
HOW TO GET A COPY
Where.To.Get.It.
The print runs were sold out and original publisher, XRX Books, is sadly no longer in business. Some copies from the original two printings of 15,000 copies, most of them used, can be found online. But I retain the rights to the digital edition and offer it for purchase here as a downloadable PDF.