Friday, January 16, 2015

Knitter in a candy store

You know that great feeling you get in a yarn store?  The joy of possibility that floods over you, and the sheer luxury of touching angora or 50/50 cashmere/merino you could maybe afford if you walk to work all of next month?  Well, it can happen in your own home if you overdo it on the yarn purchasing to the point where you forget what you have.

Like, this yarn.


I remembered this cake of Twisted Fiber Art 'Opulent' and its purple coordinate suddenly, when Jan expressed a third round of appreciation for the socks I knit her for Christmas.  I mean: knitworthy alert!  Plus, Jan walks a ton, and it's cold out these days.  She doesn't buy boots a size too big to accommodate thick socks like I do, and mostly she is warm enough in straight sport weight wool (unlike me, with my preference for thick dense socks made with mohair.)  So this not-quite-fingering weight merino/cashmere/nylon blend is perfect for her for days slightly colder than her handknit wool socks can manage.

But even as I consider knitting yet another pair of socks for somebody else, I was distracted by this yarn, rediscovered when I went looking for the cashmere blend stuff. 


I bought this from the Meadowview Alpaca booth at the Royal Winter Fair a few years back, when they started to not sell this heavier sock weight so much any more, and definitely not in skeins sufficiently large enough for a whole pair of socks.  By that time I had already knit this pair,


and this pair,


and I knew that there is no better bed sock or home-on-a-cold-day sock than handknit Meadowview Alpaca socks.  The pictures do not do the dense softness of these things justice, believe me!  But I set this unknit yarn aside after dividing it, fearing it really wasn't enough yarn for a full pair, and realizing I have absolutely no yarn that goes with it to cover off a heel or a toe.

You know what I did when I found it this time?  I weighed it.  And then I weighed the yellow and green socks.  I have no idea why I didn't think of this before but I absolutely have enough yarn to knit socks with the green and red yarn.  And I really, really want to do it.

Meanwhile, I am obsessing about pairing every one of my scarves to a particular hat, compatible both in colour and weather readiness.  So I couldn't help but notice how nicely this other yarn looks with the matching handspun that's now in scarf form.


Dreamy, isn't it?

Doesn't look bad knit up either.


Which reminds me why I can't knit anything I want to right now: I have to finish the Ferdy socks!!

Gah.  I'm getting close though.  Maybe this weekend.


Got any closure knitting planned yourself?  Hope it works out perfectly if you do, and that you have a great weekend if you don't, and I'll see you Monday.


4 comments:

Mimi said...

Making myself finish several almost finished projects (not sure why I set them aside) before I start new projects in 2015. Some were so very close to the end. Two are done already. Can see the end in sight on a pair of socks. It's been kind of fun to tidy up as I empty these project bags!

Then I get to "shop" through my own stashed yarn.

Mary Keenan said...

It is SO fun to have a pile of empty project bags, isn't it! Good luck finishing up the last of those knits :^)

Shibanut said...

Just finished a winter boucle sweater off. Now seaming and finishing off a cotton summer sweater that has been done for months. It must be finishing time for knitters!! So hard to not cast on (because I did!) a new project when there are some that just need an hour to finish and be done!

Mary Keenan said...

Finished sweaters is a GREAT gift to give yourself for January!!