Unabashed
You know how I said each book ends up with its own distinctive palette? Well, all the yarn for the next book (yes, yes I am already deep into the next one, that's how it works) is here now, and it appears the colors for this one are sherbet crossed with Rainbow Brite (what can I say, I'm a child of the 80s, I think I had Rainbow Brite sheets). All I can say in my defense is that I was picking these yarns in the middle of February and it was gray. I promise they actually work beautifully with [...]
Educational
Let's talk yarn. The yarn I'm using on the current mitts is Bijou Basin Tibetan Dream Sock Yarn. It's 85% yak down, 15% nylon, and working with it has been a bit of a learning experience. Now, let's get this part in right up front. The reason it took me a little while to get comfortable with this yarn is that it is made from a fiber I've not used before. It's not that there's anything wrong with the yarn, it's that it was new to me and I didn't know how it would behave. My ignorance is not the [...]
Book Yarn, Part IX
And finally, Vice. I got to know Lizzy, the brain behind Vice, on Ravelry. She's been helping me test my patterns for approximately forever. She even knit both of the sample shawls for the first volume of Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet (which is a lot of knitting). When I heard she had started her own yarn line (and isn't that every knitter's dream), I was thrilled. I'm so excited to have two of her lovely yarns in the next book On the right is Chubbie in the color Lauren. This is my kind of sock yarn. It's got 8 tiny plies, [...]
Suspicions
My longstanding love affair with Handmaiden's Casbah sock is well documented. I've knit four pairs of socks with the stuff (Slant, Graupel, Rampant, and the as of yet unnamed socks), which is just about unheard of. I can't think of any other yarn I've used for that many socks. It's on my list of favorite fat sock yarns, and it's one of those yarns I like enough that I just sort of buy it whenever I see a skein I love (meaning there's a fair bit in my stash). Which is why I was a little worried when I was [...]
Book Yarn, Part VIII
Next up, Barking Dog Yarns. I've been using Barking Dog Yarns for just about forever. I think my first pattern with them was Peregrinate, and of course we mustn't forget Inlay or the Loasa lateritia projects from the first volume of Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet. I've loved everything I've made with these yarns and am consistently impressed with the beautiful colors. They were a natural choice when I was hunting yarns for the next book. On the right is Achillies in the color Chestnuts on the Flame. The yarn is a good, solid 3 ply, 80% merino 20% nylon blend, perfect [...]
Book Yarn, Part VII
And now, Saffron Dyeworks. I discovered Saffron Dyeworks when I was sourcing yarns for the first volume of Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet. I fell promptly in love and am still helplessly smitten today. The Polypodium vulgare socks, from Saffron Dyeworks' tush are some of my very favorites from that book (shhh, don't tell the others, they'll be jealous). I was delighted to have the chance to work with them again. On the right is Pali Sport in the color Blue Greyonyx. This 3 ply superwash merino yarn is somehow more than the sum of its parts. It's not an unusual fiber [...]
I Shall Refrain From the Obvious Pun
So I must be honest. This this was not the sort of vacation that makes good blog fodder. It might actually be the sort of vacation that looks boring to outside observers. When we left the story last, we were headed out to Maine. We'd arranged to stay at a perfect little cabin, and we had an ridiculous amount of fun playing house for a week (why is it that things that seem like chores at my actual house seem unreasonably entertaining when I'm playing house on vacation). The Boy and I had both been just the wee tiniest bit [...]
Book Yarn, Part VI
This morning, Shibui. On the right is Sock in the color Wasabi. It's a superwash merino, and it comes in an impressive range of semi-solids and a handful of multis (and, in a move I wish more companies would make, the multis list which of the semi-solids they're made with so you can pair up yarns with confidence, even on a computer monitor). I've been a fan of this yarn for a long time and used it for Serab way back in the first book. On the left is Baby Alpaca DK in the color Flaxen. This is a 3 [...]
Book Yarn, Part V
Next on the list, The Plucky Knitter. I first encountered Plucky Knitter yarns at Sock Summit. I fell for them immediately, and I fell hard. I may possibly have walked to the register cradling the yarn in my arms, as there was too much of it to simply hold in my hands. Part of that purchase got turned into Whippersnappers within just a few months. Plucky yarns can be a little tricky to get, but I assure you they're well worth the effort! On the right is Plucky Feet in Sticky Toffee. This is a 4 ply, 90% merino 10% [...]
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