After trying it out, I decided I really like this yarn. For such a fine yarn (“thread” might be a better label), it’s quite easy to work with. It’s a blend of acrylic, wool, and cashmere. The plies are nicely wound, so the yarn doesn’t split easily. I’m using a Susan Bates Steelite 1.7mm hook. I went ahead and ordered twenty or so of the colors through eBay (three skein sets through the auctions). Most of the yarns I ordered came from Sinicism or Baytree. In some places (like Ravelry) the brand is listed as Baytree, but the yarns are not clearly labeled. I believe each shop applies their own brand name to these yarns. The yarns are consistently titled “lace soft acrylic wool cashmere,” and are sold and/or auctioned in single skein, three skein, and six skein sets.

I decided to start my own “Granny-a-Day” project with these yarns. Eventually, I plan to stitch my squares together into a scarf. I’ll post my grannies in batches every few days. Here’s a sneak peek from the first batch I’ll be posting.

I’ve been working on crochet basket designs. I’ll be posting patterns and how-to’s soon.

I’ve been working on learning more complicated micro-macramé techniques. I’m happy with where this is going, but I need a lot more practice before I have the patience to tackle something epic, like a bracelet.

To find some of these Asian yarns, try searching eBay in Yarn for items under $5 with free shipping.

One of the things I was seeing online were slow color-changing, or slow striping, yarns. The effect when used in flowers, granny squares, and other small pieces was fantastic. I picked up three different slow-striping yarns to try out.

I’d seen some references to Mini Mochi yarns, and decided to pick up a color called “Jungle.” It’s a blend of Merino wool and nylon, and is wonderfully soft.

I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Here are two Japanese Flowers I crocheted right away. So far, each flower changes through two colors. Using a 2.35mm hook, my flowers are 7cm. I figure if I do a couple a night, I’ll have a scarf or shawl in a few weeks. I’ll post more when I get a bouquet’s worth.

Another recommendation Purl in the Pines gave me was Noro sock yarn. I really liked the texture. It’s a blend of wool, cotton, silk, and nylon. I haven’t cracked it open yet, but I can’t wait to try it.

I found the Jojoland Melody Superwash merino wool yarns fun and appealing. The different colored plies really caught my eye. The color I got is MS39 Ripe Lychee.

My Lion Brand Bonbons are running low, and I’m really enjoying working with a sock/fingering weight cotton for doing flowers and critters. I decided to start building a stock of good cotton, and got several skeins of Cascade Ultra Pima fine yarn to try.

I also hit Walmart on the way there and picked up some different sizes of crochet thread to try. I’ve been really enjoying the size 10 crochet thread, so I picked up some size 20 to try out for jewelry, plus a ball of some size 5 that was on clearance.

This pouch was crocheted from Aunt Lydia’s #10 crochet thread in a delicious color called “Aspen.” The beaded tassel features African green turquoise, glass seed beads, and two-toned amber and turquoise drops.

This pouch was crocheted from wool, recycled silk, and cotton yarns. The green Navajo Churrow sheep wool used to make the bottom of the pouch comes from local Flagstaff master dyer Zuni Ishikawa, who used indigo and rabbit brush to create the beautiful earthy green color. The lusciously soft main body of the pouch was created using Darn Good Yarns recycled silk yarn. Their lines of silk yarns employ women in India and Nepal to make these beautiful yarns from reclaimed silk waste. The top beaded trim is cotton.

The drawstring tassels are adorned with wood and ceramic beads. From one tassel hangs a bead painted with a handprint, an icon common in ancient Native American ruins throughout the Southwest, where painted handprints can often be found among other pictographs. The other tassel features the World Turtle: a ceramic turtle topped with the flat disk of the world, representing an ancient world creation myth.

Find them in my Etsy shop!

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Yarn winder and my first winding projct – the Darn Good Yarn recycled silk roving yarn

First off, I got a load of size 10 crochet cotton to experiment with crochet jewelry. I’m particularly pleased with the Aunt Lydia’s size 10, Aspenvariegated yard.

Aspen: Aunt Lydia Classic Crochet Thread Size 10

What really thrilled me was my purchase of recycled silk and recycled silk sari yarns from Darn Good Yarns. It got better when I opened the beautifully packaged yarns and found a personally addressed message signed by Nicole explaining her business model. From DGY’s mission statement:

My mission is focused on employing women in India, saving thousands of pounds of waste by turning it into yarn and helping innovate small businesses in the United States and worldwide. Just in India we have provided jobs to over 300 women and counting. We give them jobs so they don’t have to rely on charity…and when you buy at Darn Good Yarn you’re supporting those efforts!

DGY’s Wild Peacock recycled sari silk yarnis truly wild! It’s definitely challenging for crochet, so I have yet to discover how I’m going to use it. I may try weaving with it or using it as an accent.

Wild Peacock recycled sari silk yarn

DGY’s Teal Party recycled silk roving yarnis lusciously soft. This is fairly thick yarn, so something larger, like a bag or scarf, is probably its destiny.

Teal Party, recycled silk roving yarn

Finally, DGY’s Silk Cloud recycled silk yarnmay just be my go-to yarn. Not exactly thin enough for jewelry, it is a nice light fingering weight for pouches and other small projects. The Northwest Territory variegated yarn is simply yummy!

Silk Cloud Recycled Silk Yarn – Northwest Territory. The hank is tied with the ribbon DGY used to package the yarns.

Last but not least is the Navajo Churro sheep’s wool yarn I picked up at the Flagstaff Farmers Market (see my flickr photostream for pics). Flagstaff resident Zuni Ishikawa of Wanowa Studios uses a variety of natural dyes, many local to northern Arizona, to create beautiful wool yarns. Liz Rayner has a lovely write-up about Zuni. This is a pretty thick, like the DGY silk roving yarn. So many gorgeous colors, it was difficult to choose just one. I guess I’ve been in a green mood lately…

Navajo Churro wool dyed with indigo and rabbit brush

I need to go back to the Farmers’ Market for AR Farm’s mind blowing alpaca yarn. As much as I’d like to have some just sitting in my yarn basket, I’m going to try to have a project in mind first before splurging.

AR Farms yarns at the Flagstaff Farmers’ Market

I’ve got a couple yarn-related projects on the studio workbench right now. I’ll post pics when I get them finished!