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.
So many yarns. So little time.
My very favorite yarn that I’ve worked with so far is Classic Elite’s Fresco. I made these mittens with it and did not want to stop knitting. I mean, ever. The 60% wool is nice, the 30% alpaca is very nice, and the 10% angora gives it that little punch to take it over the top! The color selection has grown quite a bit since I used the yarn, and just looking over that page makes me want to dive right into the Fresco again! I used my mittens pretty regularly this winter and I can say that the yarn does get quite fuzzy, but it doesn’t actually pill.
Looking over my project page on Ravelry, I’d say that it’s the vegetable fibers that don’t thrill me. I’m so used to the sproing that wool gives me, I find it hard to manipulate cotton or linen yarn and get it to the gauge that I want. Usually tight. Oh, so there’s your problem!
Even as much as I loved working with the Fresco, and as little as I enjoy knitting up cotton, I still try new yarns all the time, be they wool-ish, angora-ish, or bast-ish. I just want to get a taste of everything!
I love knitting with blends because you get the best of each fibre! Alpaca can be a little sheddy, but when mixed with wool, it's just dreamy.
ReplyDeleteLove those mittens, the colourwork is amazing. I haven't tried Classic Elite, it's not readily available in Australia, but it certainly knits up well!
ReplyDeleteLove your post for Knit and Crochet Blog Week (which I'm also participating in this year!) Those mittens are stunning! I love that you broke down the details of what's in the yarn and explained why the combo works. Awesome.
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