Handspun from OSSP & Crocheting with Wire

Just look at what my wonderful one skein secret pal sent me for July! The package containing several nicely and separately wrapped items arrived in the post yesterday. Inside I found 75g of the most amazing handspun yarn being (in my pal's words) plum, chocolate and purple merino singles plied with two very fine silk yarns in the palest of greens AND 25g of handspun merino in three colours. Also included in the package was a note on a very nice Liz Rice postcard "The Aspis" (a quilted hand-rolled felt) and two tubes of beads in gorgeous shades of blue and green.

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I'm just so thrilled with everything and am feeling so lucky that I have such an accomplished pal who can spin and dye to such an excellent standard and who has actually spent all that time spinning this yarn for me! I'm thinking to knit something with these two yarns using the smaller skein as a trim but I'm not a great hat wearer so will think of something else. Apart from the wonderful colours, the merino is so luxuriously soft I just want to keep petting it. I don't know how she could bear to part with it but I'm very glad to have it!


And here's my first attempt at crocheting with wire.

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It's a crocheted wire choker inspired by a similar one I saw in the current Bead and Button magazine and was worked on 3.5mm, 4.0mm, and 5.0mm steel crochet hooks in 28 gauge wire in a gunmetal colour. The central medallion is silver plated and it fastens with a red and navy paisley style button and a beaded loop.


EDIT: The above is another photo showing the choker being modelled by my dress form and I also forgot to say that the deadline to enter the draw for a piece of my handmade jewellery is tomorrow so, if you haven't already entered but would like to do so, don't forget to leave a comment on my post of 12th July. The winner will be announced on 1st August.