Cashmere

I've been working with strings, yarns,needles and scissors for decades. Its how this grownup plays, but until I took up knitting, I never played much with fine yarns. I played with silks, but only a little, I certainly played with the good quality floss, I have some really great quality linens, but fine yarn was not something I played with a lot. I played tons with adequate acrylic, and happened upon really great acrylics on rare occasions. (There was some Eaton's store brand acrylic circa 1976, that still ranks as one of the finest yarns I ever worked with it. I'll post about that one day)But until knitting my work was usually just done in mundane yarn.

The Misti Alpaca was one of those really great yarns. Working with it felt like my hands were jumping into downy warmth. I hope there will be more of that down the road.

Handmaiden Cashmere is so wonderful is one too. This is a 2 ply silk and cashmere blend that they don't appear to be making right now, though they do carry a 4 ply. This yarn is so light and airy that it almost isn't there as I work with it. It magically appears as stitches and rows below the needles making a fabric that is soft and buttery, and oh so very smooth against my hands. Its going to make a wonderful gift.

This is the third incarnation of working with this yarn. The colourway did not adapt well to the stitch I choose to crochet, nor to the second one, so it seemed knitting would be it. I did think about trying something from Arctic Lace, but at this point, I'm going with the lace that I could remember. I still am going to have to boogie to get this one and one last pair of socks done. It's only 2 small projects. No problemo right?

A close up, which displays exactly how good a knitter I am not. My decreases are not at all decent. (I am going searching for help on that after the holidays) I am not a master, I'm not even a journey man. I'm not sure I could even put me in the apprentice category. Nah, I'm really just like the guy who fixes things in the backyard. It works but it isn't going to look like new.

With string I can be fearless, and if I fail, well it is only string after all. I jump in, eyes closed to everything else and just enjoy the trip. In my wake I leave behind a few nice things and a a trail of tiny little strings on the floor.