Beading

I started beading about a year ago. I started with simple single strand bracelets strung on wire, finished with crimp beads and toggles. Then I took a couple of beading classes at Bead Bugs, our terrific local bead store in Longview. One was a wiring class, which has resulted in things like this:

Wiring is a good skill to have. It lets a person make important things like stitch markers, which sell for exorbitant amounts in the local yarn shops but are simple to make. The pattern for Clapotis at Knitty calls for SIXTEEN stitch markers. If a person wanted to buy them, that could be $82 worth. Here are a few I made for the Stitch Marker Swap:

(Sorry for the fuzzy picture, if my new camera has a macro function, I haven't found it yet.) The other class I've taken is Peyote. I'm not sure why the technique is named Peyote, unless the person who did it the first time was a practicer of the substance. It's done with ridiculously small beads which are strung and sewn together with a thin flexible needle in a brick-like pattern (not to be confused with Brick Stitch beading.) Here's a bracelet I need to finish because it is very, very close to being completed, and has been for a several months. It is the Midnight in the Oasis pattern from beading.about.com :

But now I need to run off and take some pictures. My mail just came and in it is my Back-Tack III package from Sarah AND if I'm not mistaken some beaded stitch markers!!!!