Sharon has put together some fresh new combinations of Twisted Sisters Mirage and Beads for the Gilded Beaded Scarf Kit, like this one:



Way back after TNNA in June, I announced that Chez Casuelle would start carrying Alchemy Yarns.  Well, I tried to get the opening order in before the Big Move and transition to Hanks, but the folks at Alchemy are very fussy about their "must have a storefront rule" and didn't want to ship when we were between storefronts.  I have to admit that I was annoyed, because I had been waiting to get my hands on their yarn for such a long time, and I had been saving my pennies to pay for that opening order ...

Oh well -- it turns out that one of the patterns that I most wanted to make used their Haiku yarn, which is absolutely identical to Twisted Sisters Lust yarn (and I love the ladies at Twisted Sisters).  So, I ordered the pattern for the Illusionist Shawl from purl soho:



and I am making it out of Lust.  Actually, I am going to be making two, one out of Raspberry:



and one out of my beloved Blue Curacao:



(Hanks did just get these colors in, but they haven't been added to inventory yet.)

I saw the original shawl at TNNA and it is gorgeous.  The yarn is a fingering weight kid mohair/silk blend, so it is light as a feather, which means that you can scrunch it up to wear as a scarf, in addition to stretching it out and wearing it as a shawl.  The design is quite clever and quite easy to knit, even though it looks complicated.

Another good substitute yarn for this pattern is Colinette's Parisienne.

Since I got my DVR a little over a week ago, I find that I am actually watching less TV!  I don't feel like I "have to" watch my favorite shows just because they are on, and so I save them for the weird hours when I find myself knitting and desperate for something to watch. 

This evening I have actually been listening to music instead of watching TV because The Bruce has just released a new album.  Others call him The Boss, but back in the day my girlfriends and I just called him "Bruce" (and then we would sigh).  I called one of my girlfriends to tell her that I had downloaded his new Magic album and that he's as good as ever ... and of course the conversation turned to:



Sigh...