Monday, September 2, 2013

The Yarn is Back

Stonehedge Mill did it's usual fine job on the big lots of Cotswold wool I sent out in June.  It actually arrived back here about two weeks ago but I haven't had time to take any of it off the cones until now.  This is the bulky.  I washed ten skeins of 115 yards each.  I also have a 3-ply sportweight, a 3-ply worsted weight and a singly ply that is also worsted weight.



Last time I had a 2-ply made but this time it came back as a 3-ply with a note saying that two plies just weren't heavy enough to be a bulky.  I like the look and feel of the 3-ply very much but was a bit flummoxed as my printed labels say "2-ply" and I had just had a pattern designed for a cowl based on the 2-ply and I was concerned that the gauge would now be off.


Thankfully, the designer (Tina of Tina Turner Knits) test drove it for me and pronounced it no problem for the pattern and also that "It has a really nice hand, and I think it feels softer than the 2-ply. It feels really nice to work with, nice even stitches, no splitting of fibers. Just all around nice." 
 
 
Wow, thanks, Tina!  These skeins are destined to become part of pattern-with-yarn kits that I'm putting together for the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival.  I will also have skeins separate from the kits and I hope to find time to also dye some skeins.  Cotswold takes dye so well!
 
 
So while the bulky yarn dries it's on to other fibery things.