Yarn: December 2005 Archives

Yesterday was all about working out my diaphragm muscles. You know that when people at work start to feel sorry for you and tell you that you need to go home that you really must sound pathetic. And that's pretty much where I was yesterday. My major mission of the evening was to find a new filter for my room humidifier (Chicago + cold weather = extremely dry, bad for upper respriatory tract). One good thing about the holiday season: having stores open late. A humidifier filter wasn't exactly on my Christmas list this year, but, as it turns out, it will probably be one of the best presents I get for the holiday, since I actually could sleep last night. Hooray for humidifiers and patient husbands.

Thus, yesterday was not exactly a knit-friendly day. I looked longingly at the Jaywalker sock project, but that was about as much energy as I had for it. Thus, I am forced to go beyond knitting projects into my stash for something to talk about today.

Winter Acquisitions: Fiesta Yarns La Boheme, Rowan Kidsilk Night and Artyarns Ultramerino 4

Believe it or not, this is all the yarn I have purchased since MS&W -- except for the two skeins of Ultramerino 6 that are on their way to me from Toronto. Perhaps not surprising it's almost all for projects in Handknit Holidays, a book that I'm kind of glad I didn't wait for Christmas to get for myself -- I would probably consider making about 75% of the projects in this book!. The La Boheme (in colorway Raspberry Mocha) is for a modular scarf for me. I've been dying to work with some of this yarn ever since I saw it in Handpaint Country a couple of years ago -- it's a two stranded yarn with one strand of rayon boucle and a second strand that is mostly kid mohair, so you get shiny and fuzzy in the same yarn. Tthe Ultramerino 4 & 6 are for a double knit scarf for John -- this stuff is, dare I say it, softer than Koigu and should be perfect for the guy who can't stand having things that aren't soft near his skin. The Kidsilk Night is just a little special thing for me so that I can have something sparkly around my neck this winter -- what can I say? I couldn't resist when I found it in Nina's).

The whole scarf thing may seem a little lame from me right now, but I gotta tell you, when it gets cold in the midwest, there's nothing like having something soft and warm and special around your neck -- when you're bundled up in a goosedown parka or trench-coat a special scarf is often all the bling you get to show!

This isn't really a post, but a request for information.

So I broke down and bought Handknit Holidays for myself (I had a Amazon gift certificate buring a hole in my pocket, so my good Christmas resolutions just didn't make it for this one). I really like this book. It's rare that I can go through a book like this and find something I would love to knit on almost every other page. I love the cabled tree skirt in Lopi, as an example. I'm also smitten with the Stained Glass Scarf -- a double knitting project that also received the cold man who has to wait for a bus in a windy city seal of approval. And he liked the colors.

Of course, there's no yarn store in my 'hood that carries the Artyarns Ultramerino. I managed to find the Ultramerino 4 in the desired color at WEBS but had no luck with Google or Froogle finding the Ultramerino 6 (that's not completely true -- I did find one place that sold whole bags, but I only need two skeins). Does anyone out there know of a store that sells this stuff and ships. I'm not that concerned about price -- it's only 2 skeins and its for my favorite guy -- mostly just about finding someplace reliable that has the Ultramerino 6 #3113 (brown) in stock.

I'm going to start calling suburban stores, too. But my one attempt to visit only turned up the Artyarns Supermernino which isn't really the same animal.

If you have any suggestions -- or have some that you'd be willing to sell -- please let me know!