Monday, November 17, 2014

Fuzzy, fluffy knits

Owing to a shortage of handspun yarns (which has almost nothing to do with my having scooped up most of the giftable handspun for personal projects, ahem) I found myself digging into my yarn stash for the next few gift cowls.  What do you think of these two together?


I love them, personally.  Colourwise, and also for the way they both feel.


But there is a problem, because nothing is allowed to be simple when it comes to knitting, even simple knits.  It's kind of like golf, isn't it - you have so many little failures and missed shots, and then suddenly you get a fluke hole in one and you're more committed to the process than ever before.  Completely illogical, but compelling.

In this case, the problem is the fluff factor.


Can you see all that hair lifting out from the stitches?  At least it's staying put in this photo. When you're actually knitting, the little hairs fly everywhere.  It's a bad project for a knitter in black, or for a giftee who favours that colour even part of the time.

I don't really know what to do. On the one hand the colours are gorgeous. On the other hand, what would you wear these colours with?  besides black.  On the other other hand, the green yarn especially - 100% llama from Americo, now discontinued, I wonder why - is incredibly soft and buttery.  And on that hand over there in the corner, omigosh fluffy:


So... throwing it out there.  Should I go on, trusting that 100% llama paired with 100% wool will be warm and soft and a welcome gift no matter how hairy and sheddy the cowl is?  Or should I accept that hours of work has produced a very small cowl so far and a lot of fiber up my nose?


Yeesh, look at it - it might as well be about to devour the stripey yarn.  Though I guess if it did the knitting would be magically finished and I could relax already.  Hope you have a good day - I'm going to work a little on something else while I ponder this cowl problem.  See you tomorrow!


7 comments:

Su said...

Stick it in the freezer for a while, but carry on with it. It's gorgeous.

Mary Keenan said...

Su, you have to tell me how the freezer helps with fluff! Does it last? Does it change the fiber somehow? so interesting!

Su said...

I don't know what it does to the yarn and unfortunately, it's not permanent, but putting 'sheddy' yarn in the freezer does reduce the shed whilst knitting. You could tell the lucky recipient to keep it in the freezer (ina plastic bag! ) especially if a she's intending towearblack.

Su said...

It also means that you can frog fluffy yarns if necessary!

Darlene said...

Finish it! Very nice colors together. Maybe you could throw it out to your gift recipients and see who will bite. Just sayin.

Mary Keenan said...

Aha - thanks, Su!

Mary Keenan said...

Darlene, that is a GREAT idea - I can ask about the fluff and throw out the freezer idea at the same time :^)