Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Newish Old Favorites

Joni here, blogging from yarn-land, AKA, Village Yarn and Tea Shop. Every time I think the shop can't possibly hold one more ball of yarn, more arrives and somehow we manage to find a place for it! I've worked in the fiber industry for a while now and I've been happy to see some of my (not-too-old) favorites here to tempt me on a weekly basis. Balls of yarn do have voices, you know! What do you mean you've never heard them??

One of my most recent favorites is Malabrigo Worsted. We all know that merino wool is one of the softest, but the sheep this yarn was spun from must have gotten extra love and kisses, because it is so soft and squishy, you could just sleep on a pile of it and be perfectly happy. And it's cheap! And it has great yardage and luscious colors, kettle-dyed by a women's co-op in Uruguay.

Just today, we got another one of my favorites: Trendsetter Tonalita. Again with the softness and the gorgeous, self-striping colors. I knit one of my favorite pairs of handwarmers out of this yarn. Unfortunately they're lost in a pile of yarn somewhere in my house, but they are luscious from this wool/acrylic mix with the long color repeats. Get your brights and earth tones here.

I know most people think Dale of Norway yarns are just for knitting baby things, but I actually love Baby Ull for knitting fancy gloves and even lace. This yarn comes in tons of colors, is inexpensive, machine-washable and durable. It's great for some of the fine-gauge glove patterns on the market yet, and if you need help when you get to the fingers, just come in and ask me - I've knitted quite a few pair. Whether you're looking for classic colors, brights or pastels, this yarn will fit the bill.

Don't think that because these are the yarns I blogged about that I don't have more favorites - there are just too many to name, especially this time of year when the shop is so full. Come in and pick out a favorite of your own!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

*Great* post! I like it when store employees point out their fav yarns and why. :)

Anonymous said...

OOOh, love me some Baby Ull. It is divine to work with.