The Dixon Chick: Love That Funky Bracelet!!

I'm not sure alot of designers who teach techniques like I do will admit that what their students create sometimes surpasses their own work. Well, as you all know I'm not like most people!!! I am absolutely thrilled when this happens!

Case in point: The Crochet Cuff Bracelet. My stitches are very uniform, you can see each row easily and count how many stitches there per row. I have had students berate themselves because their bracelets did not look like mine. But I'll tell you something, each piece created contains a little bit of the spirit of the person who made it. When students cry that they've made a mistake, I tell them that it's not a mistake, they've made a "spirit spot". How boring if everyone's looked the same. It's just not possible. Different hands with different tension. Different people with their own unique energy creating a masterpiece out a some beads and a spool of wire.

I've a few students drop stitches along the way and I've helped them add stitches back in. I remember one gal's bracelet especially (Hi Toni!) as hers almost looked like a butterfly as it was wide at both ends and narrow in the middle. Instead of complaining about it, she added a spectacular cabochon to the narrow part. It turned out beautifully. Now what if she hadn't made those "mistakes"? She never would have inspired the rest of us!! That would have been a shame.

So if your stitches are not perfect, get past it and look at the whole piece. Look at the beautiful piece you created. In your heart of hearts you know it's a special thing you've created. And that probably, I wish I had made it!!!