Sunday, January 19, 2014

Yummy, scrumptous, pretty yarn!

Week 3 = Catalog Yarn
Day 5 = January 19, 2014

     There are many yarns that people like and don't like. One of the things that non-knitters do not always realize is that the quality and love of the yarn takes a huge part in bringing a piece to life. I knit faster and with less mistakes if I'm using a yarn I like and slower with more problems when using a yarn that I'm not fond of. Also, over time a knitter's taste in yarn changes from donated yarn or from well intentioned friends, to higher quality yarn.

     These are some of my favorite yarns and most have a story to go with them. Today I'm going to give you my story about the yarn above picture and that facts below the picture, just to change it up a bit.


     This yarn, specifically dyed for sock knitting, impressed me because the colorway was based on the painting on the label and is considered a self striping yarn. Self striping means that each color is dyed to a certain length so that when knitting socks, the resulting color pattern will be in stripes, as shown on the label. Socks, here I come. 
Company: Opal
Line: Vincent van Gogh
Color: 5437
Yarn Size: Lace
Yardage: 425m
Weight: 100g
Fiber Content: 75% Virgin Wool/25%Polyamide


     The coloring of Noro yarn has always astounded me. For example, the 3 skeins below are all the same colorway. The only difference is where in the color cycle each skein was started and ended. I have a friend, Mary Beth, who knits the most fabulous and inspiring items with Noro. Plus...it was on sale for 50% off. SCORE! 
Company: Noro
Line: Sekku
Color: Brown, Turquoise, Pink/7
Yarn Size: Lace
Yardage: 420m
Weight: 50g
Fiber Content: 50% Cotton/17%Wool/17% Nylon/16% Silk


     My guild is doing a knit-along, creating a lace shawl in the pattern Cold Mountain. It is my first lace project. I couldn't resist these colors and knew I didn't want to do a solid color.
Company: Classic Elite Yarns
Line: Silky Alpaca Lace
Color: Sweetness/2488
Yarn Size: Lace
Yardage: 460yds
Weight: 50g
Fiber Content: 70% Baby Alpaca/30% Silk


      I have some of the best friends. Knitters are the kindest and most open people that I know. Last year at my daughter's birthday, a friend, Suzy, gave me this skein of yarn for my birthday which had been a week earlier, because she knew my favorite color is red. To make it even more special, it is one of her favorite yarn brands.
Company: Plucky Knitter
Line: Primo
Color: Bombshell
Yarn Size: 4/Medium/Worsted
Yardage: 200yds
Weight: Not Listed
Fiber Content: Not Listed


 Last fall I went to Greensboro, NC, and made sure to stop by one of the local yarns shops. I was introduced to Malabrigo yarn and my mind was blown. Every skein that I looked at was tempting and brilliant.
Company: Malabrigo
Line: Sock
Color: Lotus/120
Yarn Size: Lace
Yardage: 440yds
Weight: 3.5oz
Fiber Content: Not visible under the price tag



     My oldest daughter, April, is currently obsessed with purple and green. So being the rockin' Mom that I am (I can just feel her rolling her eyes right now), I have been catering a larger than normal portion of my yarn purchases to match up with her current preference. Having promised to make April knitted jewelry, I took her to The Village Knittery, my local yarn shop, where she picked out the yarn, shown below in the first picture.  It's a vibrant yarn with a tinsel or metallic streak running through it which will make great jewelry. 
     The yarn in the second picture I got at the 2013 Fall Knit and Crochet Show in Concord, NC. I was impressed with the coloring of the yarn. The fact that it is 'Lorna's Laces' helps too. 

Company: Cascade Yarns
Line: Sunseeker
Color: 01 (Purple)
Yarn Size: 1 - Super Fine - Finger               
Yardage: 237 yds - 217 m
Weight: 3.5 oz - 100 g
Fiber Content: 47% Cotton, 48% Acrylic & 5% Metallic Yarn

Company: Tahki Stacy Charles, Inc.
Line: Cotton Classic
Color: 3764 (Green)
Yarn Size: 1 - Super Fine - Finger
Yardage: 108 yds - 50 g
Weight: 1.75 oz - 50 g
Fiber Content: 100% Mercerised Cotton


Company: Lorna's Laces 
Line: Shepard Sock                                   
Color: Jungle Stripe -0302                         
Yarn Size: 1 - Super Fine - Finger
Yardage: 215 yds                                      
Weight: Not Listed
Fiber Content: 80% Superwash Merino & 20% Nylon 

     Most of you knitters will know this label is it a very well known yarn. I bought this with an original pattern in mind, but discovered a heavier weight yarn was needed, so this is still available for a future project. The color and sheen of this yarn is so impressive and it has sparkle. 
Company: Blue Heron Yarns
Line: Rayon Metallic
Color: Marsh Grass
Yarn Size: 2/Fine/Sport
Yardage: 550yds
Weight: Not Listed
Fiber Content: Rayon Metallic


     I found this yarn at my local yarn shop when I was pregnant with my second daughter. I love it's stretchiness and versatility. The fact that it is bamboo is pretty cool, too.
Company: Knit One Crochet Too
Line: Pediwick
Color: 524
Yarn Size: 1/Super Fine/Finger
Yardage: 392yds/360m
Weight: 100g
Fiber Content: 66% Bamboo/34% Nylon


     When I went to the Knit & Crochet Show, it was my first ever knitting conference. I literally had $6 left in my pocket and saw this gorgeous yarn. I picked it up to feel it, which is a necessity/obsession for knitters. It was love at first feel. I bought the skein of yarn with the label and realized there wasn't enough yarn to do a hat, my intended project. Then the yarns gods were looking out for me at my 2nd knitting conference I saw the same booth and bought 2 more skeins. I can now make a hat and MORE.
Company: Lion Brand Yarns
Line:  Baby Alpaca
Color: Fawn Heather/125 & Tan/124
Yarn Size: 3/Light/DK
Yardage: 146yds/133m
Weight: 1.75oz/50g
Fiber Content: 100% Baby Alpaca


     I saved the best for last. This yarn feels so luscious and the color is so mysterious. Yes, knitters say things like that about yarn. There has been a bug going round my knitting groups and it's the MINK obsession bug. I final followed suit and in November got 1 skein to treasure. Then my mom (LOVE HERRRRRRRR) got me 2 more for Christmas.
Company: Great Yarns
Line:  Pure Elegance
Color: 17
Yarn Size: Lace
Yardage: 330yds/300m
Weight: 1.75oz/50g
Fiber Content: 100% Mink


     I have more favorites, of course, that I would like to share with you, but I'm getting sleepy, dreaming about all this gorgeous yarn. See you tomorrow.


Question of the Day
What are your favorite yarns? 
Tell me a fun story about your favorite yarn.

Dreaming of Yarn,
Victoria







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