The Magic of Malabrigo

Alcaucil Sock: Tough to Photograph!

Since successfully destashing a good 75% (possibly more!) of my Malabrigo collection for Stockpile in October, it seems as thought just as much has found its way back into my life. Not that I'm complaining....there are far worse problems than having luscious skeins show up on your doorstep!

I was randomly selected to win this skein of sock in one of my favorite colors, #805 Alcaucil - apparently, I properly tagged and classified all of my Stockpile projects. At last, my anal-retentiveness and ability to follow directions have been rewarded!

I've got big plans for this yarn - I think it wants to be the model for the Heliotrope Stockings when I re-release this pattern in January...which reminds me: if you want to knit this pattern in the next couple of months, I recommend you purchase it from The Sanguine Gryphon this week. They are in the process of winding down operations, and come Dec. 24th (or thereabouts), this pattern will be out of print until I can reformat & re-knit a model in yarn that is actually available - my estimated release date is mid-January. Consider this your warning!

My Secret Santa from the Sweatshop of Love holiday party gifted me these lovely skeins of Worsted in #98 Tuareg and #507 Pigeon, and I'm pretty certain I'll be using them to make Here and There, an adorably stripey cabled hat by Veera Välimäki. It's a rare day when I decide to knit a pattern in the same colors as the model shown, but there's something about this color combo that really grabs me.

Above: Malabrigo Worsted
Middle: Here and There Hat
Below: Malabrigo Silky

Finally, my pal Sam destashed three skeins of Silky in #415 Matisse Blue. They're destined to become a cute little cardigan....eventually! I still have miles to go with my holiday knitting and quite the post-holiday queue to contend with. It never hurts to be prepared, though....and I just happened to find this adorable free pattern from Hedgehog Fibres that will fit the bill nicely....

Abalone Cardigan from Hedgehog Fibres

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Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

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Australian Superfine Merino Yarn Review & Giveaway

After more than ten years of knitting, I can still have new experiences - even with well-covered territory such as merino yarn! This recent merino experience actually took me by surprise: I've spun with it, I've dyed it, I've knit with it, and I've even crocheted with it...I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about merino! Turns out, there are four different classifications of merino fiber, sorted by micron count range . At the bottom of the spectrum is Strong Merino , which ranges from 26-22.9 microns; above that is Fine Merino , which ranges from 20.1-23 microns; next up is Extra Fine Merino, which ranges from 20-15.6 microns; and at the very top of the heap is Superfine Merino Wool , with a micron range of 18.5-15.6. If you're into numbers and wondering how these four classes stack up against other fibers you may be familiar with, here are a few for comparison's sake: BFL (Blue-Faced Leicester) has a micron range of 24-28, Cashmere goat down ...

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