More Chainmaille, and Mystery Plant Revealed

I'm not going to comment on why I'm not posting. I'm going to blame work. It's not that all I'm doing is working, it's just that work is all I think about lately. I've been seriously considering looking for a new job. It's not that I don't like my job, the reasons why I want a new one are just, complicated. On top of that (which I didn't really explain), the store that I work at is shutting down for 36 hours next weekend, starting Sunday, for renovations. This means that I may get thrown on a night shift or two during that time, which I'm just thrilled about. I have worked night shifts before, however, I am an insomniac on occasion and one of these night shifts could throw my sleeping cycle off for months. But anyway, back to the topic at hand.

Before I begin, this will be a tatting light post. I am still working on the full size "Spinning Wheel" doily. It is slowly coming along. I'll post a photo once it is done to keep you all in suspense. I also offered to test tat for Linda Davies again, which she has accepted. I'm looking forward to testing her newest flower designs when they are ready.

Now for the main feature. I have been working on a number of chainmaille projects over the last few weeks. I purchased some rings from The Ring Lord in a variety of metals and got started. A photo would be good here:

Now for some stats on the bracelets. They are made in the Byzantine weave. The bracelet at the top of the photo is made out of Stainless Steel, and is mine. The next two are made out of Aluminum with Anodized (coloured) aluminum. The fourth bracelet down is Aluminum and Jeweler's Brass. The fifth and final bracelet is made out of Bronze. I really like how the Bronze bracelet turned out. I used two different ring sizes for this one. I'll have to make one for myself. The last four bracelets are for my Mom. I promised her I'll make her a few more to add to her Mother's Day gift. It's kinda funny that Gina recently posted about how she considered starting an Etsy store but changed her mind about it. Ever since I started making chainmaille I have been toying with the idea about opening my own Etsy store. Like Gina, my work isn't more special than any of the other chainmailler's that are selling on Etsy. Though if I can get a hold of some fancy rare metal that no one else is using or I create a very unique weave of my own, I may have a chance. Of course if anyone is interested in owning a bracelet made by me, feel free to contact me at jwh4000ATgmailDOTcom. Replace the AT and DOT with the appropriate symbols.

The next project that I have been working on is a chainmaille belt for myself. Here is a photo of the belt in progress:


For this project I initially used Aluminum rings to make a long section of European 4 in 1 chainmaille. I edged the entire belt with Stainless Steel for some added strength. To finish the belt, I connected the chainmaille section to the ends of a leather belt for a more professional touch. Here are a couple of photos of the completed belt:


I'm quite proud of my belt. Though if/when I make another one, I'm going to use larger rings. The ones I used were too small for me. It took forever to make.

Finally, I'll reveal the identity of the mystery plant. The plant is called Tillandsia ionantha. Sometimes called Air Plants or Sky Plants. They are a type of Bromeliad. The plants are normally a grey-green colour. However, they turn a pink colour when they are about to flower. See?

I'm not too fond of the purple flowers but it's pretty anyway. I'm a little nervous about the plant flowering. Let me explain. Many Bromeliads die after flowering. That's a little too negative. Most Bromeliads will produce offsets either during or soon after they flower, so it's not a total loss. However, I seem to have bad luck with the offset production part. Few of the Bromeliads that I have owned have produced offsets after they flower. They usually just die after flowering. But I really like the plants as a group and wanted to give them a chance again.

That's all for now. Now that my chainmaille belt and the bracelets are finished, I'm going to try to get a bunch of tatting done. Until next time.