Yarny Christmas, and a Happy Knit Year!

It's been a while since I've been here, and if anyone is reading, I do apologize. I've had to do some navel gazing and that can be really boring for those not attached to the navel. Anyway, I've decided to keep this a knit blog only (which is probably real boring for a lot of people), and 2010 is going to be the year I knit my own designs and post about them.

We'll see how long I keep that particular resolution. :-)

Anywho, I got some nice yarn for Christmas. There was a massive sale at my LYS, my friend took me to a yarn store in her city and bought me some pretties, and my mother also chipped in some yarnie goodness for the holidays, so I got some primo swag in just the last two weeks. I can see I will have to do more knitting in 2010, if only to burn through some of this stash!

On to the roll call:

This first batch is the stuff I bought today at my LYS. She does a store-wide clearance the week between Christmas and New Year's, so I saved up some green (and got some from my sister-in-law at the holiday for this purpose) and went to town this afternoon, so to speak.

Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed--one ball in Emerald, two in Berry. They were in bins marked $4 a pop, so I couldn't resist. They are the Borg of the yarn world, without the creepy eyeball implants.



Two skeins of Cascade 220 and a pattern for a felted bucket hat in PeptoBismol Pink, for my mother. She chose the color, not I. It's really not so outrageous in person, but the picture fair gives me heartburn.



Two skeins of Berroco Sundae. I see on the Berroco site the color is called "Snozzberry", which is amusing. This stuff is gorgeous. I love the way the colors twine and twist and make pretty together. You can't really see it in the picture, but it's like...irridescence frozen into yarn.



Three skeins of Cascade Alpaca Lace Paint in a very pretty mix of blue, green and purple. I was going to get a massive ball of raspberry red cobweb lace and make a Victorian inspired shawl, then saw this. I don't like raspberries and I can still do a massive shawl with this, anyway.



My favorite of this lot: Three skeins of Great American Yarns Superfine Merino/Silk blend in a heart-stoppingly beautiful mix of blues and purples. I can see this in a very nice scarf, with a star-theme pattern. I'm not sure how big of a scarf I can do (it's 420-ish yards in what appears to be worsted weight), but this one really called my name. Quite loudly, actually.



End of the yarns from the LYS binge. Now we come to the yarns my mother bought for me at my favorite box store. She feels a bit guilty, I think, because I had to buy all of my own Christmas gifts this year (and had only one surprise). No, it's not a surprise, but it's a penance, anyway.

Bernat Alpaca, chunky, in color Indigo. I rather like it, even though I don't typically like the loosely spun yarns that look like a certain brand's 'homespun' yarn (cough, cough, *is innocent*). There's something about the bumpiness that bothers me, I guess I like my yarn tidy. Heh. Anyway, it was pretty and on sale, and that's good enough for me.



Lion Brand Wool-Ease, the workhorse of my yarn stash. This shade is called Blue Mist. I'm making a shawl in this stuff, in Forest Green, and I'm loving it. There is many a yarn snob who will turn their nose up at LB in all its many manifestations, but as a brand I have to say I've found very few losers (and only one that goes on my 'melt it down and use it for tray tables' list). I just wish they'd sell their higher end yarns in the box stores instead of reserving them for the online store. I am a yarn pervert; I must fondle a yarn before I'll take it home with me. I'd hazard a guess that many yarn fanciers are the same. LB does themselves no favors with this particular policy.



Joann's Sensations line Rainbow Classic acrylic yarn. 600+ yards in one big, fuzzy ball of smoosh. I have at least six, possibly as many as eight, of these suckers at any given time in my stash. I don't know why I love it so, but I do. This skein (??!!? What an inadequate word for such a massive lump of yarn) is destined for eternal life as a lap rug type item.



I visited a friend next state over the week before Christmas, and she weenused out on the holiday shopping by taking me to a yarn shop. I can't complain; I got some sweet swag out of it--quite literally, actually.

Araucania's Ruca. Sugar cane fiber, and the sample sold me. It knits up soft as silk, solid as cotton. And the colors are gorgeous. Since I wasn't paying (and the price tag made me wince; at the exact moment of purchase I was exceptionally poor--the price is actually pretty reasonable for such exotic yarn, these were $14 per hank) I chose two skeins of this and got a free scarf pattern. I'm not sure if I'll use the free pattern for this yarn or make something up on my own, but I can't wait to knit it.



Misti Alpaca, lace weight baby alpaca, looks like color Merlot. It was on clearance, and I love the purple. I should have gotten a third skein, but I was dazzled by the fleeces for spinning on display. Still, 880 yards, I'm sure I can come up with something to suit.



Finally, we have reached the point of no more pictures, the end of my yarn binge. Now I just have to figure out where in my stashtainers I'm going to stuff these new items, what I'm going to do with them and when. I'm practically rubbing my hands together in evil glee over all the exciting new toys I have to play with here.

2010 looks like it will be an excellent year for the knitting!