BUT…there are times when this is exactly what you want.  Just take a look at these..

They’re the amazing pooling shawls of Wenat of Yarn Floozies.  Designed to make the very best of yarn dyed in a sequence from one end of the skein to the other, just like aformentioned painted landscapes, in fact, and many of the Wollmeise and Lorna’s Laces colourways.

She has full instructions and a pattern to show you how to work it all out here , and more (very generously free) patterns in the sidebar, not to mention an interesting and lively blog shared with her friend Dotty.

To make the most of this exciting way of working, there will be more Smoothie Sock landscapes coming to an APY store near you soon!

Lovely photographs used with kind permission of Wenat

There’s lots of new colours of Anna’s Lace in the shop! Here are a few honeys…..

At 1200m per 100g, there’s plenty on one skein for a good sized shawl.  How about Madli’s shawl (Ravelry link) from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush which will take just one skein, or the stunning Cap Shawl (Ravelry link) by Jane Sowerby from Victorian Lace Today, taking 2 skeins, or indeed most of the fantastic patterns from either of these two books!

Happy knitting

It’s called Cloud, mainly because it is as soft a those lovely little fluffy white fair-weather cumulus clouds look!  It is 70% Baby Alpaca, 20% Silk and 10% Cashmere and has 400m to 100g.

It really is as soft as it looks. !  It made it’s first public appearance at Wonderwool 2 weeks ago, and ilicited many oooh’s and ahhh’s and even intakes of breath when stroked.

It will be really lovely for lightweight garments that need to drape, and wonderful for shawls and next to the skin items.  In fact, here is one I made earlier..

Old Shale Lace Triangle by Evelyn A. Clark from the summer 2008 edition of Spin-Off magazine.  With a little bit of careful weighing, I got 5 full repeats and had just 8g left from the 100g skein.

The photos are being uploaded this afternoon and, all being well, I should be able to press the button this evening to bring you the first selection of colours.  I hope you like them.

It is a lofty and bouncy heavy laceweight 80% Extra Fine Merino and 20%  Silk, with 800m to 100g, and here is a taste of the colours from the cooler end of the spectrum…

Smoothie Sock painted landscapes!

It would be lovely to see you there 

and you’ll find a few of the older ones at discounted prices if you navigate to the end of the Smootherino pages.

Happy Smoothing!  xx

Purdy, huh?   And it’s sooo soft!

Here is an extract from the letter I sent to accompany the yarn:

“The Heirloom Gossamer was designed by, and custom spun for, a superb lace knitter and cyber friend of mine, Fleegle.  (fleeglesblog.blogspot.com)

There was much discussion on her Ravelry group, heirloom knitting, about what would constitute the perfect lace yarn for heirloom Shetland and gossamer shawls.”

Both Fleegle and I have contacted the magazine.  I know the fault is not mine, but I am still sincerely sorry for any offence this has caused.

I’ve had these sitting on a shelf for a while, so it’s about time I shared them with somebody!

This is quite a new yarn in the collection, and is a limited addition.  Once it’s gone, it’s…..well…gone!

The yarn is a smooth, evenly twisted lace yarn, and with 800m to 100g is a heavyish laceweight.  It is 50% silk, giving it a lovely subtle sheen and soft drape, and 50% wool (of an unspecified variety).  The skeins are huge, and vary a little in weight, and so have different prices, but mosty they range from 140m to 150m per skein.  Loads and loads for a big shawl!  Here’s a peek at what’s gone in the shop today….

The bottom one is a marl, and I have done these with lacey or cabley socks in mind.  This yarn lends itself to marling better that any of the others (it’s just amazing how differently similar yarns take dye) and I intend to do them in lots more colours.  I am just finishing the first of a pair of Cookie A’s Thelonious socks in the colour above, and I am really pleased with how it’s turning out.  The pattern calls for Louet Gem fingering, which is superwash merino like this one, so I think it is a good substitute.  I’ll put a picture up when it’s finished and I can get it on the blockers without first changing to a circular bendy needle.  About half way along the foot!

Oh, and… Hand Painted Yarn!!

xx