Blue on Blue

Blue on blue, heartache on heartache...

No heartache here among these blues, just scrumptious goodness.

If you took this photos colour as absolute truth you would wonder at my blue on blue header, but the first of the yarns is more purpley than the red so vibrantly displayed in the photo. It is the blue edge of red. And if you took this ball of yarn at photo value, you would say that every colour is represented and how could it possibly be blue. Well it is. It is what binds the purply blue, with the royal blue. When I had the bunch of yarns piled together, I swear it worked. Just a pile of delightful blue tones.

I'm playing with a series of little scarves this week and it is giving me the chance to play with delicious yarns.

The first yarn, the rose purpley end of blue, is Manos Silk and Wool. This lovely soft yarn has the most amazing feel as it runs through your fingers. The silk gives it crispness and the lightly spun loft of the wool gives it the most amazing spring and bounce. This yarn is the sort of thing that would make a wonderful little top to be worn right next to your skin, or a shoulder caressing shawl, but this yarn is meant to be close to you.

The second yarn, the sapphire blue, is Tupa from the Mirasol Collection. It is a softly spun two ply yarn, also a silk and wool blend, but this blend seems to glow from within. Its tighter spin and two plies make the play of light a real feature of this yarn. It does not have the same lofty bounce as the Manos but the smooth shine more than makes up for the small difference in loft.

The third yarn, the true blue, is Cash Iroha from Noro. Noro yarns are all about colour. In some it is about shading and variation but this one, the colour is about the depth. How deep can a blue be, how intense, how warm. Blue is usually assumed to be a cool colour but I swear this blue is so intense there can be naught but fire at its blue, blue soul. It is a blend of silk, lambs wool, cashmere and nylon and is spun in Noro's signature single. It is a little bit thick and thin, but the finished knitting has a wonderfully handspun feel to it. On the hank, this yarn was deliciously soft and drapey. I wondered if it would be a good choice for a ribbed scarf, but like all Noro yarns, the Cash Iroha has wonderful stitch definition.

The last untouched yarn is Colinette Jitterbug. Jitterbug, if you have not had the chance, is a gorgeous yarn. The colours are masterfully dyed so that each section of colour is only 3 or 4 stitches wide, and once knit, form lovely little bits of colour. This yarn is sock knitting at its bouncy best. It is such a good little yarn that it really deserves to be taken out and shown a good time in a more splendid project. It would make wonderful wrist warmers, or a fantastic little hat and I could see me wearing a sweater of it. (It is a small fingering weight yarn. A sweater is unlikely, but it would be a great feeling sweater.) It is bouncy, flouncy and fun, fun, fun, fun fun (a little Tigger influence).

Each little scarf is taking 250 m (approx) in the medium weights and 1 ball of the sock yarn is all you need. I'm midway through the Cash Iroha scarf, and I might go into a third ball, but at only 90 metres a skein, I am not surprised.

If I had to pick which is my favourite among them, I don't think I could choose. I love them each, the Manos Silk Wool for its soft loft, the Tupa for its dramatic glow and satin smoothness, the Cash Iroha for its soft drape and its homespun look. They are all marvelous and I would love to use them again.

Most of the gift knitting is done, and now is the time to treat yourself. These yarns are all great choices and with a lot of winter left, you could use one of these nifty little Fan NeckWarmers from the Bonita Knitting Shop too.