Little Box Progress Update

 

This box is coming along much slower than I thought it would.  Part of that is my fault for using matte beads.  They are much thinner than opaque beads and have a tendency to break at stress points, namely the corners in this piece.  I can’t say I wasn’t warned.  Julia Pretl did say in the introduction that some of the beads would break, and I should be prepared to replace them.  Also, part of the slowness is that I am using Nymo, and must use shorter lengths, therefore tying off more often, due to Nymo’s tendency to fray.

So far, I’ve had about 5 beads break, all in the corners.  I suppose that’s because I keep folding the corners tightly so that it doesn’t turn into a round box.  I have a feeling that when I get to the decrease rounds that problem is going to take care of itself, so I have resolved to stop squeezing it, because it is really a pain to replace broken beads!

Here is where I have gotten to so far, and it is really satisfying to see the pattern coming together and begin to look like something.  You can see the gold bead on the bottom of the middle corner that I had to replace.  It sticks out a little more than the rest.  Not that anyone else but me would notice it, mind you.  Especially the person I am giving it to, as she is not a beader.  Just four more rows, and then I can begin the decrease which will create the lip that the box top will fit over.  I am really getting excited to finish it.

Not the least of reasons that I want to finish is that I want to start playing around with my “not-Tila” beads and see what kind of designs I can come up with for them.  Working from a pattern is relaxing, but there is nothing like spreading some beads on your table and letting them take you wherever your mind can wander!

All-in-all though, I am pleased so far with how it is coming out.  Julia offers blank graphs at the end of the book and on her website, so I’m sure I will be tempted to design and make another little box.  Just not immediately after this one.  I need some pure play time in between boxes.   One can only follow a pattern for so long.

Next box update after I start the decreases.

Cat