The slippery slope

Evil, evil bead store. I only went there to get beads that looked like planets. But the evil, evil bead store had put kits by their door, kits that would allow a beginner to put together attractive bracelets, necklaces, and/or earrings. So in addition to beads that looked like planets, I brought home some kits. So there's going to be beading beyond Beadstrology.

Meet kit #1: the Echo Bracelet. Not the first kit I saw, actually, but the first one I've attempted. This project taught me what a 1x1 crimp bead is and that I'd prefer to never use one again, much less fourteen of them (that's 1x1 as in 1mm long by 1mm in diameter). I'm proud as all get-out that I didn't drop one on the floor or inhale one just by breathing normally. Things did stall out for a while when it turned out that one of those specks of dust was defective (the hole was too small. Imagine that.), but the bead store very nicely replaced it. All whining aside, however, I do like the finished bracelet. I find it surprisingly lightweight—of course, the fact that most of my other bracelets are stone or metal might have something to do with this.  And with that colorway, it'll go with scads of things in my wardrobe.