From forgotten to functional: tools and accesories for fibre crafters

Bezonder is the work of goldsmith and jewellery designer Johandi Ebersohn, with a passion for repurposing materials into meaningful, functional art. Antique cutlery once forgotten and discarded is transformed into yarn accessories such as darning needles, fibulae, cloak pins, seam rippers, stitch and needle markers. Johandi also boasts with a jewellery line made from antique cutlery. Each piece celebrates sustainability, slow making, and giving beautiful objects new life in the hands of makers.

You can find her at:

Cape Town Yarn Festival

2 May - 3 May 2026

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Trying to decide on the final detail for these pendants.
Do I leave them beautifully simple and plain, or add a small pearl for a little extra elegance?
Sometimes the smallest detail changes everything.
What would you choose? Plain or pearl?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

#jewellerydesign #madeinsouthafrica #southafricanartist #giftingideas #collectable

Knitters, a question for you 🧶

I’m busy making some needle markers and would love your input.

Which knitting needle size do you use the most?

3 mm
3.5 mm
4 mm
4.5 mm
5 mm
5.5 mm
6 mm
or something else?

Tell me in the comments. It will help me stamp markers that fit the needles you actually use.

#knittersofınstagram
#knittingaddict
#iamaknitter
#loveknitting
#knittingsouthafrica

@marchmeetthemaker

• Why I Make
I don’t think making jewellery was ever a single decision. It felt more like a path I slowly walked into.
When I studied jewellery design and metalsmithing at Stellenbosch University, I discovered something that simply felt right. Working with metal, fire and tools in my hands gave me a deep sense of calm and purpose.
What keeps me making is the meaning behind the pieces. Sometimes it’s antique cutlery that has been forgotten in a drawer. Sometimes it’s something deeply sentimental a client brings to me – a teaspoon, pearls, or a piece of jewellery filled with memories.
Transforming those objects into something new, something wearable, something that continues the story… that is what matters to me.
I love the quiet moments in the studio. The experimenting. The problem solving. The happy accidents that sometimes lead to the most beautiful ideas.
Creating jewellery allows me to give form to stories, memories and emotions. That is why I keep making.
#marchmeetthemaker #day11 #whyimake #jewellerydesigner #metalsmith

Hello Monday.
For a bit of fun this March I am following along with @marchmeetthemaker and today’s prompt is What I Make.
I create jewellery that carries stories.
Some pieces begin with antique cutlery found in forgotten corners of antique stores. Others start with a client bringing me something deeply sentimental, a grandmother’s teaspoon, a strand of pearls, or a piece of jewellery that deserves a new life.
In my studio, metal is cut, formed, hammered and shaped by hand until it becomes something wearable again. A pair of earrings. A ring. A keepsake that carries both memory and meaning.
I love the quiet transformation that happens in the process, taking something ordinary, something overlooked, and turning it into a piece that feels unique and personal.
That is the heart of Bezonder.
Something unique for someone unique.
If you are new here, welcome. I am Johandi, a jewellery designer and metalsmith who loves transforming sentimental objects into jewellery that can be worn, remembered and passed on.

#mmtm #marchmeethemaker #marchmeetthemaker2026 #bezonderjewellery

Working with metal means not everything goes according to plan. At least not for me. I love to experiment and explore, and today’s prompt for Day 3 of March Meet the Maker – Trial & Error feels like a big part of what Bezonder is all about: finding something special and unique while working, and never stopping learning.

Through experimenting, adjusting and trying again and again, pieces slowly start to take shape. Many of my techniques for working with antique cutlery developed this way, learning how the metal behaves and how far it can be pushed.

And then there are the happy accidents. A spoon handle cracked while rolling, which is exactly what happened with this pendant. It was one of the pieces I showcased at my open studio, and Marijke saw it there and fell in love with it immediately. She ended up taking it home with her.

Antique cutlery can be unpredictable, but sometimes that moment becomes part of the design and opens the door to a completely new idea.

My primary school art teacher always said, “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” That has stayed with me through every piece I make.

Trial and error is part of the creative journey.
If you are a maker, artist, designer or creative joining March Meet the Maker, I would love to see your take on today’s prompt. Tag me so I can follow along.

@marchmeetthemaker

#marchmeetthemaker2026
#metalworker
#uniquejewellery
#march2026
#design2026

A sculpture I made last week, with a few progress photos along the way.
Hand pierced photo silhouette, carefully cut out of yellow copper. Each tiny detail is slowly revealed with my jeweller’s saw, line by line, allowing the image to emerge from solid metal.
This is not the final piece yet. It is the in between. The quiet stage where the story begins to reveal itself. Where patience matters. Where I sit and work with the metal and let it guide me to the end result.
There is something deeply satisfying about transforming a flat sheet into a story you can hold in your hands. Fire, patience and precision all playing their part. ✨

#handmade #yellowcopper #tinysculpture #storyart #bezondermade

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Fibulae, cloak pins, shawl brooches, buckles… however you choose to wear them, they are made to be both beautiful and functional.
Some beauties finished for CTYF 2026. Polished, washed, checked and ready to be packed away for the big event.
Each one is handcrafted from antique silver plated cutlery. Once forgotten pieces, now reimagined and repurposed into wearable, useful objects that can fasten a shawl, secure a wrap, or simply make a statement.
I love how these historic forms find new life in modern wardrobes. Functional. Meaningful. A little bit bold.
Will you be at the Cape Town Yarn Festival? Come see them in person. ✨

@capetownyarnfest

#CTYF2026 #fibula #cloakpin #shawlbrooch #repurposedsilverware

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