Friday, December 19, 2008

Handspun Beaded Yarn - "Sun Touched" Merino with Oblong Red Coral


I finally managed to complete one of my own personal projects. Here is my latest skein of hanspun. I bought these striking red coral beads earlier this fall. I love their whimsical shape and their intense reddish orange color. I decided to pick a more neutral shade of wool and allow the beads to really stand out. The wool I used is some of my own merino. This color, "Sun Touched" is part of my skin tone line. I also used generous amounts of Firestar dyed the same shade. I have a hard time resisting adding a little sparkle to my projects. Because the Firestar and the wool are the same color in this skein, the sparkle adds a lot of life without taking away from my focal beads.

I have come to love adding beads to my yarn. It's like getting beautiful little presents in what would otherwise be fairly typical skeins of yarn. I also like to imagine how they might be used by a knitter or crocheter. I think beaded yarns would make very fun trims or borders. I also like to imagine them being paired with complimentary skeins. I think they would be fantanstic additions to the yarn stash of any free form fiber artist. As a yarn seller, I rarely get to see what my creations become. I'll never know if this yarn becomes part of a scarf or handbag or even perhaps some felted jewelry. All I know is that I had a wonderful time as the designer and that's enough.