More handspun

Here we have some alpaca/llama/silk blend. It's hairy and thin. Single ply. Just 95 yards, so will be used as trims or accents.

And here we have some merino hand-dyed by Kathrows. This came out so nice. 300 yds of sportweight two ply. What with all this merino I've been spinning, I need a bit of a break. I'm thinking Mohair next.



And just in case you forgot I have two cats, here's Chester and Nellie. They like the new chair we bought apparently for them.

It's been 10 days since I bought any yarn!

Resolutions, Schmesolutions

I am famous for not making New Year's Resolutions. Yeah, famous in my own mind. Nonetheless, I find myself compelled to make a resolution. And it's a biggie.

Read my lips: No New Yarn.

That's right, I've decideded to Knit From My Stash. I have my reasons. They include:

• Sweater Amounts of Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in brown, orange, green and tan for a lovely warm fall sweater, Knit Picks Mainline in Red Velvet Cake, Knit Picks Palette Sampler for a colorful fair isle, Knit Picks Andean Silk in Pool for A Cardigan for Arwen (under way), Beautiful Fingerling Bamboo in periwinkle for a summer sweater, and, on the way, Knit Picks Swish in copper for a Nantucket Jacket. All for sweaters for me.
• Kid's sweaters: Two matching sweaters in Sirdar Snuggly for Margie's grandkids. Must be finished by March.
• Sock yarn: two Trekking XXL's, pink Koigu, fall colored Koigu, pink Cascade Fixation, purple merino, denim cotton, blue Jawoll, gray Jawoll, red Kroy Socks, green Heirloom, red/blue/gray Lorna's Laces, khaki something-or-other, Knit Picks Dancing, and I think there's more.
• Planned projects: Fuzzy Feet in Lamb's Pride, Hockey Helmet Hats for the Nephews in Dale Baby Ull, hat/scarf/glove set in Plymouth Brushed Baby Alpaca (under way).
• Yarns looking for a project: 4 skeins Classic Elite Inca Marl, two skeins Noro Silk Garden, two skeins Euroflax, one skein Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud laceweight, two huge skeins Packer Yarn hand-dyed by Kathrows.
• Handspun: Spun, but not knit: Blue corriedale, purple pygora, fall colors merino.
• Yet-to-be-spun: More rainbow merino, natural white merino, black alpaca, white alpaca/merino blend, silk caps and hankies, silk cocoons, mohair, corridale/alpaca/silk blend, and on, and on, and on...
• Leftovers in big enough amounts to make something: tons of Wool of the Andes, tons of Cascade 220, tons of Knit Picks Merino style, tons of discloth cotton, Berroco Suede, Caron Simply Soft, other bits and pieces.

Now, here's the scary part. I'm writing this at work. That's from memory only, and it's been a couple of months since I've gone through the stash. Lord only knows what else has escaped my memory. And all of it, I bought or otherwise acquired with the greatest of pleasure and anticipation of what it would become. I must use this yarn!

So, as of today, I am on the Wagon. I will make the following exceptions: I will go to Stitches in August and buy yarn. I will go to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in September and buy yarn and/or fiber. I may do a Secret Pal exchange. If I am on vacation and enter a yarn shop that carries a yarn I cannot get at one of my local lys, I may purchase said yarn if it is really, really fabulous, and not too expensive. As a souvenir. Should I actually knit up my entire stash (exclusive of Leftovers), I may then buy more yarn. Should a meteor be discovered to be hurtling toward Earth on a collision course that will result in the certain anhilation of the human species in six weeks, I will max out the credit cards with cashmere, quiviut, silk, camel, etc. and fill my house with wonderful fiber. Chester will be allowed to chew on all the ends.

I will not order yarn online. I will not go to the local lys sales. I will stop buying sock yarn until I have at least seven pairs of handknit socks for myself, then I may buy more. I will stop browsing Yarn Sales forums.

One final disclaimer: This resolution applies only to knitting yarn. If I should happen to take up weaving in the next twelve months, it is understood that I will need to purchase specific weaving yarn. That is only reasonable.

All right. Who's with me now?