The point, and I promise there is one, is that I've been dubious of the heaps of praise thrown at Malabrigo yarns. Ergo, I've never made it a point to acquire any. As fate would have it, I received some in my parcel from the Blog Hub Swap. I started the brim for a hat a couple of nights ago:
The verdict: while I didn't urinate on myself per say, I do like it. I was extremely dubious when I found that it was un-plied (or single-ply, I've heard people use both descriptions). My last experience with un-plied yarn ended with me swearing that I'd never use it again, at least that particular ridiculously overpriced brand, which shall remain nameless (Tilli Tomas Silk - mmmm oops, did I say that aloud??). My fears were baseless in this case; it holds up well when you work with it on the needles and doesn't make the stitches appear sloppy, even though the yarn thickness does vary some. It is very soft and I'm looking forward to wearing the finished product.
On a semi-related note, I'm really enjoying designs right now that, like the aforementioned hat, make use of a brim or collar that is worked sideways (i.e. the stitches are perpendicular to the main body of work). If that doesn't make sense, the finished hat will be an example.
We were out of syrup and I had a feenin'* for some cheese curds over the weekend--where else could we solve both issues but the Madison Farmer's Market? It's fun to go just to see the spectacle every Saturday morning; vendors have booths that stretch all the way around the capitol building. I was feeling perfectly satisfied by a pumpkin crepe when I ran across a vendor that I haven't seen for almost a year. She's a sheep farmer, and spins yarn for a living. I sort of want to be her. The last time I saw her I asked if I could come by and learn how to spin, she said to stop by the farm sometime, and I have since totally chickened out. I did turn a skein of her yarn into the original Cozy Cabled Hat, however:
She was busy this time, no chit-chat, but I snagged a little bit of awesome:
These babies are going to be turned into some two color mitts for a friend.
*Is this a widely accepted term or rural Indiana vernacular? In case from context it isn't clear, feenin' = an extreme craving.
* I refuse to read/see any of the "Twilight" books/movies.
ReplyDelete* I will admit that I am a sucker for Nicholas Sparks novels.
* I have a healthy distrust for anything that appears on Oprah's book club every since that debacle with "A Million Pieces" or whatever the hell it was called.
* My mom collects Precious Moments figures. He he he :-)
* It took me a while to want to try Malabrigo, too. I have a very pretty hank of their purple sock yarn that I haven't had the courage yet to try.
* I wouldn't mind trying that Wisconsin Highland Farm yarn myself!
I'm loving that type of hat as well! I find picking up stitches such a great method.. And I think I might recognize that brim over there, and if it's what I think it is, then I made the same hat in the same yarn, just different colour :)
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