I hadn’t planned to do another stash post today - but you know, stuff happens - right? Last week, in the same bargain bin where I found the cotton crayons, there were a few skeins of luscious wool/alpaca that I passed on because the colors were...well...kinda dull. I also figured I didn’t want to be working on wool/alpaca over the summer. And I couldn’t afford both the cotton and the w/a. So I opted for the colors :)
You know what happened, right? I could’t stop thinking about the stuff and what wonderful mittens and hats it would make for winter so I went back to the shop yesterday. Of course it was gone. Honestly, I pretty much figured it would be. It was really soft, lovely stuff and some perspicacious knitter snapped it up. Well, that’s fair. After all, I’d had my shot at it.
But, there were other things :)
Cool Stuff!
One hank light, lilac Lush - angora and wool. The stuff feels heavenly, but the reviews I’ve read indicate it’s not a fun yarn to work with. Regardless, It will make wonderful trim for something :)
Three hanks Bazic washable wool! This is the first real, standard wool I’ve ever had to play with. I’m thinking hat and mittens maybe.
One hank of pale yellow Miracle - alpaca and tencel. While the tag claims it’s 50 grams, my kitchen scale says its more like 120. Maybe lace with this? It will have to be just the right project because this is such gorgeous yarn! This stuff is so soft and lush feeling! I told Myria last night that I thought I might want to sleep with it. She snorted at me :)
One hank Spotlight matte cotton. Okay, I really don’t need anymore cotton, but the colors in this were so cool that I couldn’t leave it behind. I think I see another little bag in the near future :)
So, while I lost out on the wool/alpaca, I felt pleased with what I did find. And then, on the way out the door, I spotted this:
Lots and lots of little hanks
When I got home, I sat down to do a little measuring, swatching and some detective work.
While this LYS carries a fair number of other brands, they are primarily an outlet for the Classic Elite Mills. So I went to Google and searched on “Classic Elite” along with one of the color codes. Bingo! The yarn is “Follies” - 40% rayon, 35% alpaca and 25% wool (hand wash - cold, dry flat). The colors (from the top and going clockwise) are Blue Ribbon, Rhubarb, Lilac, Thistle, Aqua Ice and Twilight.
Provenance settled, I then brought a hank into the kitchen for a date with the scale :) It weighed .5 oz - about 14 grams. Then I took the skein apart and measured it - about 20 yards.
Then I worked up swatches:
Twilight
Lilac
The yarn was happier on the 8s than on the 7s and yielded a softer, drapier swatch.
Then, after recording all the appropriate information in my notebook, I removed all the tags, separated the colors, tossed the swatches in and put it all away. This will come out again after summer which gives me time to think about what I’d like to do with it. The relatively short lengths would make working a sweater something of a pain. However, they would be fine for making a patchwork afghan and the colors all work together nicely :) This would also yield a more generous afghan than the cotton. While the cotton is dazzling, it would only provide a small throw which would have none of the warmth of the Follies.
So I’m thinking about something else for the cotton now and I am going to be starting something with it fairly soon.
Total cost of yesterday’s haul? $6.00 :)
Some mornings it is worth chewing through the leather straps!
(apologies to Emo Phillips)
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Wow! What a haul you made for $6!
I really wish I had a LYS near my home. There are a few in town, but they’re all 30-40 minutes away. So it’s unlikely that I’d ever happen upon such a treasure like you found!
As for the mini-hanks...what about doing a striped sweater? The short lengths would probably work for that.
Hi Natalie - thanks for dropping in :)
Yes, I feel exceedingly fortunate about yesterday’s acquisitions!
That’s a good thought about a striped sweater; I’ll have to mull that over :)
I’ve kept all my little samples from Elann back when I had a skein subscription. Every once in awhile, I knit a little square. I keep thinking that one day, I will put them all together, and have a fabulous afghan.
Heh. Me, put things together. Yah, right. :)
Hey Gail :) You never know about these things - you might just bored or curious enough one day to try it! Some really beautiful items can be built out of small, assorted pieces.
