Catching Up

It's been a busy month since I got my new toys and no time to make new jewelry.  The year-end has to be done for the store which seems to take every bit of free time available.  I thought I was ahead of the game this year and right up-to-date with my accounting, but apparently I'm delusional.
My son came to visit for the best part of a week and that was another week with nothing done (but my house is clean!) but we had a wonderful time just talking and watching hours of old WKRP in Cincinnati reruns.  He isn't the kind of man that normally wears jewelry, but he kept fondling my Persian chain prototype until finally I put a clasp on it and gave it to him.  He liked the fact that it wasn't perfect - does that say something about both of us? 
Although I didn't make anything other than the Persian bracelet, the Koil Kutter got lots of use and I think I wrecked the blade today trying to cut galvanized steel jump rings.  Lots of copper and aluminum to practice with, though, and I tried a few patterns just to see if the old brain could get around them.

From top to bottom:
European 4 in One
Helm Chain
Barrel Chain
Persian
Dragon Scale






The Dragon Scale is a really cool pattern, although my tiny sample doesn't show its beauty.  It takes a gazillion jump rings and a ton of patience, so once I figured out how to do it, I couldn't see how I would ever use it and quit.

Byzantine is a pattern with lots of potential and a lot of fun to make, but it wasn't fun trying to get it to sit right for a picture.  It's much nicer in person than the picture on the right shows.
The kitchen table is starting to get its comfortable jewelry making clutter again and I'm working on a Persian chain watch band - stay tuned!  There won't be any more chain maille after that one until I order another blade for my Kutter.  No more steel wire!