Day One: 28th March. A Tale of Two Yarns.
Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.
I know I have mentioned it once or twice (a week) before, but there really is nothing in the world like Granite. The properties of this yarn just absolutely fascinate me. It is a light and airy roving with a stitch running down the center of it. When knit, this yarn folds in on itself and makes a wonderfully soft and...well...plump fabric with fantastic stitch definition. And being Fine Merino it is just soooo soft!
My only regret with this yarn is the limited color selection. Cuz here's the thing - for a bulkier yarn it really is a true workhorse.
There is no better yarn for teaching a beginner, in my opinion, because that stitch down the middle makes it much more difficult (though admittedly not impossible) to split. That, plus the fact that used with a size 13 needle a beginner can actually see how the stitch is formed, makes it my teaching yarn of choice.
Of course, I've made one or two things with this yarn. Let's see here...off the top of my head I believe I have made 2 hot pads, 2 pairs of fingerless mitts, 1 neckwarmer, 4 Christmas ornaments, 2 balls that were meant to be Christmas ornaments but turned into toys for my boys, and 3 ponytail hats.
My test hat post-felting. More on that another day.
Then, there's the felting magic!!! I have not yet encountered another yarn that felts quite the way Granite does. The first hot pad I made went into the washer three times (I usually throw things I want to felt in with my permanent press and on warm so that I have better contol over how much they shrink).
It was still soft, floppy, and stretchy!!! And that's what makes it perfect for my hat design. When felted, it's firm enough to hold the shape for the buttons, but still stretchy enough to fit nicely.
But this is a Tale of Two Yarns...
I'm sorry to say that I have not knit more than a bit of the Yarn Tasting and the beginnings of a guage swatch with my second yarn, but I have plans. Ohhh, do I have plans...
When I saw Dyeabolical's 2-ply sock yarn in the 70's Dress Shirt colorway, I fell in love!
Tasting of 70's Dress Shirt.
I looked at those colors and I could almost see the shirt this yarn could represent! A shiny, fitted dress shirt with a big collar. And paisley. There must be paisley. It makes me want to knit socks again, and even to finish a whole pair! I believe it will make a very nice pair of warm dress socks.
But it needs a pattern that will really accentuate that 70's flair.
I've been wanting to knit the Magic Mirror socks (Ravelry link) for a while now and I think that the busy-ness of the pattern will give the feeling I'm looking for. Of course, if anyone knows of a sock pattern involving paisley, let me know!
