up at the stars (2)

Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.
— Stephen Hawking

I was going to do a wrapped band experiment in the spirit of Wishing Papers pattern (see no. 023) but decided to do a six-point kiku star instead, to honor the quotation. This is the first S16 division I have made, and the first six-pointer. This is also the first temari that I will list for sale in my new Etsy shop, which itself is an experiment.

While I've sold chain maille jewelry and drawings & paintings on Etsy for over four years, selling temari is a whole different thing. Given the spirit of generosity, humanity, and the good wishes of the maker — and the tradition of temari being a gift given to loved ones — it seems a slight paradox. One thing my Etsy shop will do is loan the total proceeds of each temari sold through Kiva.org: I wax lyrical about this on the Shop Policy page.

Silver blue thread wrap; S12 division with metallic silver; embroidery in dark pewter gray, three shades of silver blue, and pearl gray. The quote by Stephen Hawking is in the bell box with eleven brass rings. Circumference: 11.25 inches / 28.5 cm; diameter: 3.5 inches / 9 cm. Completed 6 September 2011 (no. 026). Temari are numbered based on the starting date, not the finishing date, which is why they may fall out of order.

Sold to benefit Kiva.org.