Hand Spun Harmony

Remember that hand-spun yarn that I showed you a while back? Well, here's how it ended up:

I combined my hand spun yarn with some single-ply commercial yarn in a large shawl.

The design has rows of garter stitch alternating with lacy sections of knit faggoting.

The dimensions of this shawl, which also can be worn as an oversized scarf, are 80 inches (203 cm) long by 17 inches (43 cm) wide. This one-of-a-kind piece is one of the more expensive items in my shop, because of the labor necessary to both spin the yarn and knit the shawl. It's in my shop waiting for someone to fall in love with it.

Today's Perfect Necklace

Peacock Necklace by 3Pearls

Getting in the Gravy Boat

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. You are probably ready for a good holiday break. I sure am. It's been a harrowing year in the US with the election from hell.

The upcoming family time at Thanksgiving can bring its own stresses. Wouldn't it be great to just put on your leisure wear, get in the gravy boat, and float away?

Mid-Century Gravy Boat by Janastuff

If you can't do that, just put on your turkey hat and forget about everything except holiday parades, football, and cooking that Thanksgiving dinner:

Crochet Turkey Hat by Amyshandmades17

 Now, put up a big sign so everyone else gets in the right mood, too.

Holiday Banner by Thepaperdollshop

Then you can all eat your way into oblivion:

Holiday Tee by Nallashop

Give thanks because campaigning is over for a while, start thinking about whatever is best in your life, and count your blessings.

Have a spectacular day!

Not Your Grandmother's Pearls

My hand-knotted long necklace, "Impassioned Pearls," has creamy champagne freshwater pearls with pale pink and lilac overtones, elegant cut-glass lavender aurora borealis lozenge beads, crystals, and round glass beads with an antique-gold luster.

The necklace is hand knotted continuously without a clasp. Because it is 38 inches (96.5 cm) long, you can wear it long or wrapped twice around your neck.

Impassioned Pearls by KnotChaCha

You can wear these perky pearls with a ballgown, with a career power suit, or with a pretty everyday dress. You can also make a cheeky statement by pairing them with blue jeans and a T-shirt. Just for fun, I even wear pretty necklaces like this while lounging around the house.

Need a coordinating bracelet? This one pairs nicely:

Spiral Bangle in Lavender, Copper, Champagne and Blush by KnotChaCha

Both of these items would be great gifts for yourself or a special someone in your life.

Today's Perfect Necklace

Sources

Handspun Yarn for a New Scarf

Well, the afghan is still progressing, but I had to order more yarn for it. It felt like time to break for a different project anyway. (There are usually 3-4 going on at once around here.)

Here is some of my own hand-spun yarn that I made a couple years ago. This is a worsted weight yarn that I spun a few years ago. The smaller ball was made with some beehive coils.

It's going to be combined with some commercial yarn to make a mega-scarf. I've already cast on. Perhaps next week I'll have a photo for you.

A Knitting Obsession

Got a knitting or knitwear obsession? Me too.

All items are from Etsy shops. Click the photo to get more information on them.

Growing the Granny Squares

It's coming along. The squares are multiplying and growing:

There are now two dozen each of three out of four motifs. Each square still needs an additional color round and a final round of the creamy white yarn.

Ghost Brides and Orphans

The best costume I ever saw was a ghost bride on six-foot stilts. She appeared one evening at an outdoor art event here in Portland on Halloween. A skilled stilt walker, she moved quickly in a tattered white gown with 15-20-ft long tattered trails of frayed gauzy fabric that flowed after her and blew in the wind. She took such long strides and was gone so quickly that I couldn't get my iPhone out fast enough to take a picture of her. I'll never forget the image of her gliding down the street. It was the coolest costume I have ever seen!

In the spirit of All Hallows Eve and the Day of the Dead, and in case you  might want to costume yourself as a ghost bride this year, here is a collage of lovely ghost brides and also some orphan dolls that are adorable.

Most of these items are from Etsy shops. Click on the image to go to the Polyvore page to read the description of shop and image credits.

Stressed Spelled Backwards is Desserts

In this stressful campaign season, we deserve some rewards. This "Friday Finds" post is a Polyvore photoset that I created from some wonderful finds from Etsy:

If you don't have the time or inclination to stay home and bake cookies, you can order some from the artisan bakers you can find on Etsy! If you are short on time for holiday baking, these bakers can help you with your entertaining needs.

If you click on the photo above, you'll go to the my actual Polyvore set. From there you can click on any element in the photo to follow a link to the seller's Etsy shop. You can buy all four of those yummy cookies in the spread above, the great "Sweet Thing" engraved dessert fork, the pretty fabric bunting, and even the antique white slip or the rockabilly macaroon dress.

Enjoy exploring these featured finds!