Good morning, everyone!

So, I just read a really, really great book – Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. There’s a new Netflix series based on it (which is also really good!), but the book was published back in 2004, which blows my mind. I really feel like I should have heard about it before now, because it is right up my alley.

It’s a really fantastic blend of historical fiction (it’s Regency era England with a bit of Napoleanic war stuff) and fantasy (think amoral faerie types and magicians and Books of Magic). It was an absolutely amazing read and I finished it around the same time that I designed this new bracelet.

It’s a sort of adapted RAW stitch. I don’t usually make designs that are so geometrically simple, but the neat orderliness of the bracelet, reminded me of uptight and precise Mr Norell, so I borrowed and tweaked his name for the design name.

Originally, I made this design with one color of 6mm Druks or one color of 6mm Swarovski pearls and then 4mm Fire Polished crystals , with 11/0 Miyuki seed beads. The results were very elegant and a bit dressy.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with dressy jewelry, but I wanted to see if something more casual would come of using more colors, so I dove deeper into my stash. I tried making a bracelet with as many different beads as I could. Every set of 6mm rounds and 4mm FP crystal is a different color – it was a GREAT stash buster.

I also have two wonderful friends at my local bead shop, who tend to miniaturize my new patterns, so that they don’t overwhelm their dainty wrists. With them in mind, I decided to go ahead and try my pattern with 4mm rounds, 3mm Fire Polished crystal, and 15/0 Miyuki* seed beads. It worked and I got a mini-version! The pattern for sale includes both versions.

(I also discovered that Toho beads will not work for this pattern. It must be Miyuki.)

I also included a blank-version of the design on the last page of the pattern, so you can color in and plan your own color schemes and designs. I’ve done mostly stripes of colors, but the possibilities are endless.

I am really happy with this design and hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. Whether you’re trying to cement your understanding of RAW or just want to bust through your stash of rounds and crystals, this is a very relaxing pattern that you can stitch up in one sitting.

What do you guys think? Have a favorite?