New Yarn AND New Fiber

The post office has been good to me. Two packages in the same day – one of yarn and one of fiber. Yum!

First, the yarn. On the left we have a 4-oz skein of Austermann Step in color #03, which most vendors call "Grass Green" or something to that effect. On the right is another 4-oz skein, this one of Dream in Color's Smooshy sock yarn. The colorway is "Chinatown Red," and it's the most intriguing blend of dark red, brick red, and even a bit of orange. It will be a challenge to find exactly the right pattern for this beauty.

And then there's the fiber. Both of these are dyed by Lisa Souza. First is BFL in the Olive Tones colorway. I'm excited about this one, because I'm going to attempt to spin a fingering weight singles with it, finish it off, and then knit it into socks. NO plying! Various internet sources say that this can be done, as long as one "soft spins" the fiber. I thought BFL would be a good choice for the experiment, because it is both strong and long. We shall see.

Next is merino in the Wild Things colorway. This is destined for a more traditional two-ply. I'd love to Navaho ply it, but my limited efforts at three-plying have not been at all successful. Still, there is fun to be had in dividing up the fiber and deciding how to arrange the colors and how to draft. As a novice spinner, I am easily entertained.

The difficult part will be deciding what to do first. I lean toward spinning the BFL singles. But the merino colors are gorgeous. And that Chinatown Red yarn deserves a stunning pattern.

Spin? Knit? Design? Not enough hours in the day.