I've moved...

Yup! I've moved over to Typepad. I'm still working out some kinks. Check it out, though. The YarnMystic blog was set-up as a knit blog. There has been some growth this year and I felt I needed a forum to include all of my crafting endeavors. Let me know whatcha think.

And Happy Halloween!

Who me?

Neglect my knitting?



Guilty, guilty, guilty. This is the second half of my IK shrug fallen behind my futon bed. How long has it been there? A week...maybe two?

At least it's clean under there.

I have been doing crafty things though. Here is a pile of quilting fabric I've had in my quilting fabric stash. Pretty, yes?



So I decided on sewing up some yo-yo's. They are going to be made into a tissue box cover.



And this is a cute little tulip to be added to a pen for those too-cute flower pens I've been seeing everywhere.



And of course, there is the jewelry making...



This bracelet is almost done. Nothing original, a very popular design here in Hawaii. I love the lotus blossom charm added to the clasp. This will most likely be a gift for my daughter's teacher.

And here is the latest addition to my bead stash. I've been in a white mood. Perhaps it's no coincidence that I've been seeking for clarity in my career. I think I will use these for a clarity bracelet...



That's a dichroic glass charm upfront. It will be the focal piece of the bracelet.

And saving the best for last...my latest yarn acquisition!



I love this yarn. The colors are so pretty. Perfect for a pair of fall socks. I also received a sweet suprise of a mini-skein. Thank you to Adrian from Hello Yarn...



Can you believe tomorrow is the first of September? Prayers and positive energy to those effected by hurricane Katrina. Go here to help...

Snack-sized knitting

I am done with one arm of the IK shrug. In my world of extremely slow knitting, that should in and of itself be considered a Finished Object! I should...okay, will...begin on the left side this week. Until then I felt as if I needed a bit of a knitting palate cleanser. So into my stash of Yarn of the Month treats I dove for some snack-sized knitting.



The white yarn is Angora by Elsebeth Lavold. It's 60% angora, 20% wool, and 20% polyamide. It's a very soft and rich yarn which I knit up in moss stitch. If only I lived in cooler climates, I would love to knit this one up into a warm, snuggly sweater. That fluffy blue ball of yarn is Pulcino by Lana Grossa, a 50/35/15 mixture of merino, acrylic, and kid mohair. The orange ribbon is Deco-Ribbon by Crystal Palace, a 70/30 mix of acrylic and nylon.

I also found a couple of mini skeins and hand-painted needles from a child's learn to knit kit from Peace Fleece. That's the pink and green yarn you see, they call it Perestroika Pink and Shaba. I love Peace Fleece and knowing the story behind their beautiful offerings, I feel that not only am I knitting with a wonderful product, I'm helping to foster their message of peace.

I enjoy receiving the samples and trying to to decide what stitch would best show off the yarns and vice versa. I think I will start scrapbooking the swatches. It will be nice to have a resource for stitches and different yarns. What works for me and not...



Now these two caught my attention right away. The funny yarn is Squiggle by Crystal Palace and the pretty copper number is Venezia from Lang, a 50/50 mix of mohair and acrylic.

I like the two colors and textures together. I think it would be interesting enough done up in garter stitch as a wall-hanging. Perhaps with some ceramic beads added throughout. It's soft enough for a fun pillow, too. My 16-year-old son says it reminds him of the stuff from the vacuum bag. Nice...



I bought this issue of Spin Off for the article on solar dyeing. I've been wanting to attempt dyeing but having to tend a fire or stand over a hot pot kept me away. With this procedure, this may be something I can easily put together and have some nice finished product.



The granny squares in this issue inspired me to try my hand at understanding crochet instructions. These are the squares I came away with...in some acrylic I had from my early days of knitting.

Do granny squares count as a finished object?

Finally...

Some making of stuff!

I managed to finish six pattern repeats for the IK Bias Shrug while waiting at the doctor's office. Apologies for the poor quality photo. The color is a much deeper blue. I am just about ready to move to the back portion of the right side. I love this pattern and my mother is requesting a vest in this stitch.



Using stitch markers really help. And post-its to keep my place. Here is a photo of the back of the shrug. Pretty...



And I went to a little craft shop called Creations By You to check out their beads. It's a tiny shop that carries beads and yarn. The yarn they carry caters to the lei maker. I did see a cute little evening bag made from Waikiki by Crystal Palace and what looked like Eyelash yarn. But I did manage to find some beautiful beads to add to my collection. No ideas yet...just seeds for future creativity.



Here's the latest pair of earrings to manifest themselves...



That's turquoise, coral, agate, and Thai silver. If you are one of the patient souls waiting for me to send you a pair, I apologize for the lateness. I will get something in the mail soon!

I am hoping to take some classes this summer. As much as I love creating earrings, I have some ideas for bracelets, but still need to learn the techniques needed to put them together.

Hope everyone is staying cool in this summer heat!