So for awhile I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a book – specifically an e-book that I might self publish in paper form as well. And the other day I had a fabulous idea for a theme. It plays off something I’ve done before, but I think it will work perfectly for this sort of thing. And I’ve started acquiring yarn for this project.
The other day I spent a birthday gift certificate at the Loopy Ewe and got some Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga in Cotton Stainer, a beautiful rich dark pink. And today I got caught up the Wollmeise Lace Update madness and purchased a skein of Wollmeise Lace in Amethyst Light. Two yarns down, five to go.
I would love to use five different yarns. Yarns that are beloved and revered. Yarns that make people go “Ooh, can I touch it?” when they hear a project is made from it.
So here’s the deal. This is shameless research marketing. I need your favorite yarns. I’m looking for different weights, but mostly of the lighter variety – maybe lace to DK. Tell me what it is, tell me why it’s the best. Tell me the colorways that make your skirt fly up.
And on Monday, August 23rd, I will use the comments to choose two folks who will get a yarn & pattern prize from me. Some kind of fabulous sock yarn and a PicnicKnits shawlette pattern to go with it. So 8/22 is the commenting deadline!
So please, comment away – tell me what’s the best – tell me what I’ve been missing. I need to know!
I gotta go with good old MadTosh (any of her yarns, really!) and with Maine-based String Theory. Their colorways are just AMAZING. Seriously.
Good luck with your book! So exciting!
Well, you’ve already hit one of my personal favorites 🙂 but I’d have to say Malabrigo is definitely on my list, either sock or lace (The worsted is delicious, too, of course, but that’s not what you’re looking for)
Oh, and if you don’t mind repeating a dyer, SG Gaia Lace is DELICIOUS. Silk/cashmere – it doesn’t get much more decadent to my mind, and it’s beautiful to knit with.
I am a long time of Sundara yarn, with fingering silky merino being one of my favorites. Light yet substantial. Her colors are all saturated and beautiful. Many are overdyes with many layers and much deph. My most coveted skein is a minty teal that just glows- Haven’t found just the right pattern for it yet tho. Who knows? Maybe it will be one of yours. FSM comes in 500+ yard skeins.
Thanks for asking. Can’t wait for the book.
Meant to say long time fan of Sundara- oh the joy of the typo!
Sounds like an interesting project. I’m quite taken with Noro Kureyon sock yarn. I do have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Noro but I love how the colours develop. It’s also readily available in the UK which sadly a lot of US produced yarns aren’t. You have to wait ages for shipping and then pay customs charges on top :o(
That should have been a ‘sad’ face but it didn’t work!
Numma numma – definitely. But Allen is taking a break from dyeing while her family moves to Mexico temporarily for her hub’s job. You can usually find some on destash on Ravelry, though. The doppio base is my favorite – it’s the MCN that’s similar to Bugga, but more subdued, muted colors. I’m actually making Daphne Ann using stretto, her lace base, and it’s really yummy.
This is nothing earthshattering, but Malabrigo sock makes a great shawlette, and the colors are to die for. Favorite indie dyers with swoony colorways are Deb at Fearless Fibers (http://www.etsy.com/shop/FearlessFibers) and Ruth at Impulse of Delight (http://www.impulse-of-delight.com/store/hand-dyed-yarn/cat_19.html).
My occasional indulgence is Misti Alpaca. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried, including cotton/silk blend, handpaint sock yarn, alpaca/suri blend, even their chunky, but I guess that one’s not what you’re looking for.
I love Madeline Tosh DK – especially the Tart Color. I just made a Traveling Woman Shawl in it. Gorgeous color.
The Plucky Knitter yarn and Sundara yarns – beautiful colors!
I just scored my first Wollmeise Lace too. Now I need to find the perfect pattern – I don’t want to waste a bit of it.
I am totally loving Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk. Its a 50/50 split between some of the most luxurious alpaca and smoothest silk, not to mention all of the enchanting colorways! I’m personally in love with all of the rich tones, 139 (a teal, 145 (a raspberry), and 128 (a plum).
I can’t wait to see what your new project is! Sure sounds like fun with all of these fantastic yarns 🙂
I love DIC Baby – so easy to work with and beautiful colors.Sunshine yarns – the colors are so beautiful!
Madelinetosh DK – colors (again!) and such a good feel
Malabrigo sock – just got Light of Love and can’t wait to cast on!
It’s all about the color for me..can you tell?
Two more…Politically Incorrect
and Sweet Georgia
An e-book sounds like a marvellous idea! As has been said already, Malabrigo – I’ve only used the laceweight (in lettuce) and sock (Alcaucil), but they have the squishability factor …
But my absolute favourite yarn has to be from Old Maiden Aunt – Lilith’s 4 ply is just luscious, in the superwash merino, and in the cashmere or bamboo blends, and the colours really have the wow factor.
Another vote for Malabrigo- love the colors, the feel- both working with it and wearing it.
Wow, this sounds like fun!
I love color, too, and have lots of favorites, so I’ll just list them (many will be echoing those comments above):
Wollmeise – personally, I love her oranges! Sonne and Clementine, especially
Malabrigo – colorful and very soft!
Madelinetosh, Sundara, Sunshine Yarns, Wildflower Whimsy (formerly Zen String), DIC, Numma Numma, Fearless Fibers, Miss Babs, Perchance to Knit (rainbows!), Sweet Georgia – anything by any of these dyers are amazing (I love hand-dyed sock yarns)
Handmaiden – I love the Casbah sock in Amethyst, and Sea Silk in Sangria
I’ve been wanting to try the SG Bugga myself, but haven’t had a chance to catch an update when I had money yet, I’d love to read what you think of it!
As you can see, I love hand-dyed yarn, and lots of color! I hope this wasn’t too much!
I love your idea!! Of course I already love your patterns, have all but a few of them and have 2 in progress now.As for favorite yarns:
Lace–I’m currently using SG Sappho, nice base with subtle color changes; also like DIC Baby
Fingering–Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock is what I’ve used the most, but I enjoy DIC Smooshy a lot!! any color! SG Bugga and Skinny Bugga (Painted Damsel is my new favorite colorway) As you can see this is my favorite weight, I have a large stash and could continue to name others.
DK–String Theory is very soft and “squishy”, socks are super quick. green is nice.
Worsted–Malabrigo worsted
Bulky/chunky–Misti Alpaca (vegan colorway is “delicious”) Ohh so soft!!
I hope things come together well for your project!!
I love almost anything Araucania. Right now, on the needles I’ve got Milodon in the teal combo colorway that will become kneesocks (well, or ankle sock, depending on how I feel after the toes….but I’ve got kneesocks planned!), but I also love almost every other Araucania I’ve ever used, even in a bulky weight. They even have great cotton and silk.
Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock is another favorite, but really, I think almost everyone knows and loves Lorna, amiright??
Astral is another lightweight favorite – it’s this gorgeous tencel, alpaca and merino blend and it is so soft and silky that I can hardly stand it. One of LYS’s just went out of business and I bought up about 15 skeins, and I can’t stop touching them. I love the Chameleon colorway (yeah, I’ve got a bluish theme….)
AAAANNNDDD, the last of my go-to yarns in Manos del Uruguay. My hands down favorite is Wool Clasica (in Adobe, if you must know, which YES, is a natural and blue colorway), but that’s a bit heavier than a DK. But Manos has Serena, which is DK, and is a baby alpaca and cotton blend that is just OMGSOSILKY. It does get a bit splitty in my opinion, but really, it’s worth it.
Best wishes on the book project! I bet the finished project (and projects included) will be gorgeous!
(Oh! And I see Jackie above mentioned Plucky Knitter – who’s yarn I have ALWAYS wanted to try, but I can never seem to snag any. Boo.)
I hope I don’t burn for this (insert shameless self-pimping here).
I’ve played with a ton of yarns and so far my favorite sock yarn in my Sockingbird. Its a lovely nubby no nonsense yarn. For DK I really love my Sportmagundi. Its pretty much a thicker version of my Sockingbird. (end SSP LOL)
Another sock weight I love is A Swell Yarn Shops Middy yarn – awesome hand and spoing.
Sundara, definitely!
I highly recommend *any* Squoosh yarns! They are absolutely fabulous both to the touch and to the eye! I always get compliments on the projects I knit with her yarns.
I love Sundara in the fingering weight and the Silk lace is great.
What a great idea!
My favourite has to be Fleece Artist SeaWool, especially in the Blue Lagoon or Raspberry colourways. I love the sheen, soft hand and easy knit of this yarn.
Ali x
I have three favorites:
Manos Silk Blend
Malabrigo Worsted
The third is a Swedish yarn, not sure you can get it in the US. It’s Drops Alpaca by Garnstudio (link in English, though!), sock or lace weight (not sure which) in gorgeous colours. It has a bit of a halo without being annoying like Mohair, and is amazing shawl yarn.
Definitely Malabrigo sock or lace, especially the Velvet Grapes color.
Also, Handmaiden Sea Silk is beautiful, and would be great for shawls.
Oh boy, here I am just getting in under the wire. I love DIC Smooshy! I made socks from Happy Forest and they’ve held up better than any sock yarn I’ve purchased to date. I also made a shawlette (not one of yours, I’m sorry to say) for my BFF Becky, and sent it off before photographing it. It was from November Muse…such a beautiful mix of brown/multi…how I wish I’d bought two skeins!!
I’m fairly new to lace knitting but I’d have to say that the skein of Dragonfly Fiber Designs Gaia Lace (silk and cashmere blend) that was sent to me in a swap package is one of the most luxurious yarns I’ve ever knit with. I’m knitting a lace scarf in the colourway Terrapin which is a gorgeous blue and turquoise combination. I can hardly wait to finish the scarf and feel it wrapped around my neck.
I’m a huge fan of Artfibers yarns. I’ve knitted lace in their Tsuki (70% kid mohair/30% silk) and recently fell in love with Sylph/Alfabeto, DK weight. Plus they wind your yarn based on the yardage you need, so no multiple balls to join.
The Tsuki has less of a halo that say Elann’s similar product and opens up gorgeously and the Sylph/Alfabeto, being 76% silk 19% superkid mohair 5% wool is amazingly soft and drapes like a dream. (Sylph is the solid version, Alfabeto is painted.)
Here are the links:
Tsuki
Sylph
Alfabeto