Mist, the Mystique

So in one of my shopping trips to the local yarn store (only 1 of 3 times I've been there), I bought something call Queensland Collection Mist, made in Italy, 60% wool and 40% acrylic.  It is thick and thin which I didn't realize at the time. I have no clue what to do with it.  I'd like to make a knitted shawl but what pattern would work for it?  I have 4-50g balls (50m) of it and I'd love to do something with it....

Any Suggestions?

Added Note:  Queensland makes me think of Australia where lots of nice wool can be obtained...why then is this stuff made in Italy?  Just curious...

Cooking Party Hot Pads

I made some hot pads for a cooking party I had this past Tuesday.  I got the idea from one of my Ravelry friends.  Her's looked so good.  I am not so sure about mine.  I like them but they are not as pretty as her's. She got the idea from a coaster pattern and then made it larger for hot pads.

Here is the pattern:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summertime-cocktail-coasters

I made backing for them before I made the tops:

I started with an open loop and then pulled the end to tighten once I had all the single crochets.  This is actually something I learned recently.  In the past I would have made a chain 3 or whatever, joined with a slip stitch and then started the round.  This method (the sliding loop) is neater and tighter.  I found this in the book Beyond the Square, Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman.

Fast and Furious

So we have a cat now.  Our daughter really worked her father over on this.  I said, "No!"  My Husband said, "No!" then he said, "yes..."  But being the softies we are, we already love the cat.  She's white with blue eyes and completely deaf, a trait that is 60% in white cats with blue eyes.  She's been into everything.  She's been in my basket of gauges and failed attempts.  She now has the double knitted sample and some strings of yarn tied into a "fly" and a pom-pom we are calling her mouse. I named her Sassy. We gave her a collar with a bell since she can't hear us, we need to be able to hear her.  No, we won't de-claw her. 

It is funny that when she starts biting on anyone in the house, they grab the yarn sample and say, "here, play with your knitting." So, like me, she loves yarn. She really is a blessing.