Monday Magic: September 10, 2012

Before I start, I just wanted to note that exactly one year ago today, Rick and I were enjoying our final day in Iceland, at the Blue Lagoon. I miss that country terribly, and I can't wait till we have the opportunity to go back.

First up on this fine Monday afternoon, is something from good night, day. I've come across one of Tara-Lynn's past blog/shop incarnations as YarnOverMovement, and stumbled across her blog via a sweater Rick shared with me. Since then, I've been reading her blog in it's entirety. I've mentioned that I have done this several times before, and this is definitely in my top three blogs out of all of them. It's incredibly inspiring. She screen caps vintage films, posts photos of ballets, and lots of in progress photos of her projects.
As soon as I have money in my Paypal account, I am planning on buying this pattern book. I love everything she has available for sale, and I would love to knit about half of them for myself. Not to mention, she has instructions for seamless knitting techniques, that I just haven't been able to figure out thus far.

Second up is a knitting pattern from Brenda Lavell. It's both a cowl and a scarf, depending on whether you button it or not, and how you wrap it. It's made out of one of my most favourite yarns on the planet: Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick. It seems like a fairly simple pattern, which is made with a herringbone stitch. I haven't a clue how to knit like that, so this pattern at $5.50 USD would be a great investment. How to knit a textured pattern, and a project to use it on? Yes please! You should definitely take a look at this, as well as Brenda's other patterns. They're all striking.


Last but most certainly not least, is this hand dyed AND hand spun yarn from SpincycleYarns. It's called Wrath, and is part of a series called Seven Deadly Solids. It's such a pretty colour, and seems to be a very even worsted weight. Not to mention, the price is phenomenal considering it's done by hand from beginning to end. You should also check out their yarn called Sloth. That colorway is pretty amazing, too.

Currently Listening To: I Won't Try To Break Your Heart ~ Crissi Cochrane

Monday Magic: June 25 2012, Pretty Pretty Yarns

After a brief hiatus, I'm bringing my Monday Magic posts back! This week, I chose three yarns from Etsy that I absolutely love. There are loads of gorgeous hand spun and hand dyed yarns available on Etsy and it was difficult to choose just three.

This beautiful pale green/blue fingering weight yarn is called Mermaid Tails. It's made from superwash merino and Tencel, and just looks so so so soft! When I first looked at it, I noticed the blues and greens right away. But when you look at it more closely, you notice the yellows, pinks, purples and oranges throughout it. I think this would make a really pretty shawl or stole.

This pretty grey yarn is from Gynx Yarns. I've been ogling her yarns for aaaages. She has some awesome colorways, and even more awesome names for them: Margarita on the Rocks, Ice Cream Sundae, and Wonka just to mention a few. Another great thing about her yarns is that they are organic. This skein in particular is one of a kind. It's mostly grey with blue and purple throughout. It would make a beautiful textured slouchy hat or pair of socks. Check out the Gynx shop on Tuesdays for updates with new items.

Last but certainly not least, are these wonderful skeins of aptly named Acid Washed Jeans. That was the first thing I thought of when I saw them. They are a pretty merino/silk blend that I think would feel fantastic worn against the skin. I would probably knit a cabled cowl, or maybe some fingerless gloves out of this. Maybe both? Who knows! There are three skeins available, so definitely lots of options.

Don't forget! If you want to see one of your items in a future Monday Magic post, leave me a comment, send me a message on Etsy, or shoot me an email. You might see one of your items here in the future!

Monday Magic: May 28, 2012, A Little of This, A Little Of That Edition

Happy Monday everyone, and happy Memorial Day to my American readers. This Monday Magic post doesn't have a theme, like many of my others have. The items here are just three of the coolest things I have found this past week.

I came across this gorgeous yarn through a treasury on Etsy. I love tonal yarns, and this one is no exception. The steely grey is just beautiful. This is a sock yarn, but I could see it knit up into a slouchy hat, a lacy stole, or my favourite, a triangle shawl. This yarn is just so pretty I think I would just hold it for a while before doing anything with it.

Normally, I don't include items that have already sold in my Monday Magic posts, but I had to make an exception for these gorgeous earrings. I really like forget-me-nots, and the way they are preserved here is amazing. I really hope they become available in the shop again, because I will probably snatch them up! Everything in this shop is wonderful, you definitely need to take a look.

This madebymaru bracelet is so simple, but so pretty. Everything in the shop is sort of dainty and petite and feminine. Many of the pieces could be worn for just about any occasion. Some of them would even look great on a bride for her wedding day.

If you want one of your items, tutorials, blog posts or anything featured in my Monday Magic posts, feel free to leave a link in the comments and you might see it here soon!

Super Spur Of The Moment VIDEO BLOG!!!

Some time in April, I entered a contest held by Lanitium Ex Machina to win $50 worth of hand dyed yarn. Well, I won!!! It felt like a while since I entered the contest, but now that I look at the date of the draw, it's really only been about three weeks.
This is what happened when I opened it. I do sincerely apologize to Nea for butchering the name of this lovely company, and for the generally crappy quality of the video. I was so excited about the yarn that I had to share right away.

*The audio goes way out of sync at some point. I assure you I am not that technologically challenged, it is a youtube problem*

I encourage you to take a look at the Etsy Shop and order some gorgeous yarn. It's very well priced, and the colours are phenomenal.

Also, if I look like a total dork in the video, please let me know!