It Varies

So, I knit up (and blocked) some swatches of the Malabrigo Finito.

This:

turns into this:

More mulberry, less slug!

This is a mini-circular swatch with the stranded rib. Reason it appears twice is because I was testing 2 different needle sizes...

What I will say is that it is definitely less ugly knitted than in the skein. And I think the cashmere contrast yarn works very well.

Everyone says that Malabrigo is the softest yarn ever. I didn't believe it because, well, the yarn is not outrageously soft as you knit. I mean, it's soft, but not noteworthily so. Mind you, when you block it, something bizarre and alchemical occurs and it goes insanely, unbelievably soft. With NO halo (hallelujah) and excellent stitch definition. The yarn is also very manageable. No splitting or acting up.

Keep in mind, I don't care what they say, it isn't cashmere. But it's a very good approximation for a fraction of the cost. Plus, it's less fragile than cashmere.

A couple of other things:

• The Indicum sweater may use fingering-weight yarn, but on a US size 5 needle. That's going to knit up about 5 times faster (as far as the swatching goes) than fingering yarn on a US size 1 or 2 needle. That works for me.

• I'm not saying I like this yarn, just that it's growing on me and I can appreciate certain of its many properties.

Seriously, I've never done so much opinion-backtracking since I started knitting.

This Is One of Those Posts That Goes Everywhere...

Just in time for "Snowstorm 2013!" (bish plz), I finally finished the next pair of socks:

Weird how the browns (caramel and khaki) are inverted between the two socks, yes? BTW, not one to pass by a gizmo, those are my new sock blockers. Truly, handmade socks dry in 30 minutes on those things. I'm not saying I intend to hand wash my socks, but if I must wear them between machine loads, it's good to have options.

Upon finishing these, it occurred to me that I was without a knitting project. (Note: Between muslin 3 of the suit jacket, and a couple of other sewing quick wins - to be discussed in my next post - that I started prepping for before I got my current bug, I have less than no business considering new knitting. But there you go. This post isn't about showing you my practical streak.)

The great thing about being sick in the modern era is that, as long as the Advil is working, you can absorb yourself in the internet. My evening was spent, under blankets, watching reruns of Law and Order (I've spent basically 6 weeks bedridden since Sept. and I've yet to re-watch a rerun in that time. What is up with that?) and doing "research".

Full disclosure: Brooklyn Tweed's latest look book just came out and I could not stop myself from purchasing some e-patterns and yarn. So, technically, when this arrives, I will have a new project.

Moreover, I totally love these:

Ooooh, pretty colours! This scarf is actually a flattened tube so the stranding is hidden.

I really have a thing for the flowy, oversized, convertible cardigan, people. I decided that, if I like working with the BT yarn on the shawl, I will invest in some to make this cardigan.

OK, back to the point of this all, my next project...

I have stash yarn, though not in large volumes, with the exception of this:

Malabrigo Finito (fingering weight)

It's the stuff I bought, in a fit of sickness-consumerism last fall, from Habu. In truth, I never would have purchased it if I had seen it up close. It's a bizarre mulberry-meets-pink-meets-dirt. And it's hella variegated, IMO.

It's actually been tormenting me a bit. I tell myself I will not buy more stash until I use it. Each time I look at my stash, it follows me with its gaze. Side note: I also keep telling myself I'm done with fingering weight for a while and then I decide to make fingering weight shawls and socks. So, apparently, I'm an indecisive wreck.

Anyway, I have no ability to leave this house right now. While I am very happy to report that the fever and chills have abated (knock on something pls.), my cough sounds CDC-worthy and I have the energy of a slug. (Other side note: It occurs that the yarn is vaguely slug-coloured. Hmmm...)

What's a girl to do but to choose her next project on the basis of the yarn she already has in her hands?

I used the Ravelry search feature, typed in the amount of yarn I had to knit, the weight of it, and then I waited (a millisecond) to see what thousands of options would be open to me. Intriguingly, of 2000-odd choices, the only one that seemed to work with my yarn (knowing what I do of it) is this one:

Indicum Pullover by Hilary Smith Callis

Intriguingly, the designer is she of the Kimono Wrap Cardigan, my very first project. (BTW, the link feature just fucked up again, so no more links in this post...)

Now, here's the punchline - if I haven't lost you in one of the preceding 63 storylines: This sweater has stranded colour work.

Hilarious, yes? It's like the universe is colluding with Gillian?! It's only in the corrugated ribbing bands at the sleeves, hem and neck (see the pretty contrast colour woven into the rib?) - and I didn't realize it until I'd purchased the e-pattern / got myself all set. Otherwise, I can assure you, I would have removed it from my cart.

The other punchline is that I appear to be making yet another fingering-weight sweater on the heels of a fingering-weight sweater that made me decide to swear off fingering-weight sweaters. But really, that's a bit "standard-issue Kristin".

Here's the fun bit. I used that colour work book I just bought and managed to figure out, fairly easily, how to do the stranding. I'm only using my right-hand for this because it's knit/purl stranding. Much stranding is done in the round so that it only requires knit stitch. I will be knitting this in the round and, yet, making the float on a purl stitch. I realize, this is super-boring if you've no interest in colour work, but the gist is, it hasn't tested my ability to knit Continental-style at the same time as British-style (one strand of yarn in each hand), an ability I strongly question. I guess, as with everything, only time will tell. BTW, the contrast colour I'm using is the slate-grey (with purple undertones) cashmere of the Princess Jumper.

Now I've worn up a day's worth of energy writing this and it's time to retire with some Law and Order. But please do comment on whatever element of this post might catch your fancy. Which pattern do you like the best? How do you find corrugated rib colour work? Have you ever knit a sweater in a shade of "slug"? Do you like the socks? Let's talk.

Not Making This A Habu

Have you read Linda's blog? I only just discovered it and, so far, I seem to be very impressionable, as far as it's concerned. For instance, Linda recently wrote about this chic (read: very cool, NYC-meets-Japanese, not inexpensive) yarn boutique, Habu Textiles. Of course, I was intrigued. Then I checked out the link (suggestion: just don't click). And now I own these:

These safety pins don't have the "collar" that catches yarn when you use them as either stitch markers or holders for wrapped yarn when doing Japanese short rows.

This shawl pin should work nicely to affix the Sisika Scarf. It's about 2 inches long. Very light.

Yeah, some more variegated yarn. I guess I'm going through some kind of phase...

Here's what you need to know:

• The parcel arrived rather quickly and well-packaged.

• The shawl pin, while lovely, cost way too much money for what it is - essentially a safety pin. I don't care if it is light and sleek. Really, it shouldn't have cost more than 9 bucks, IMO.

• The yarn - and I wish I'd known this before ordering cuz it sure isn't clearly (or otherwise, as far as I can tell) indicated on the website - is actually Malabrigo. Um, practically everything they sell is "Habu brand and made". How is it that I managed to get the only thing they don't make? I could have bought Malabrigo in 5 shops within 5 kilometers of where I live. I didn't need to source it from hipster-expensive-land USA?! Look, I've been wanting to try Malabrigo, as it happens. Everyone's always on about how terrific it is. But getting it like this seems vaguely disappointing. 

• The yarn does not look variegated on the website. I did call the shop to find out if it was variegated (other yarns in the series are) and I was told yes, but only extremely mildly. Turns out that everyone's interpretation of extremely mild is extremely different. I think this stuff is crazily variegated. So much so that the old me - she of 2 weeks ago - would have freaked out and resold this on Ravelry. The new me is all: I use variegated yarn and I'm down with it as long as it looks cool and intentional as opposed to, say, natural.

• Ain't no way this yarn is treated. It's pure merino and it feels much less soft and drapey, at least prior-to-washing and on the skein, than any superwash I've ever bought. This is yet another thing I'm going to have to develop an appreciation for. Mind you, I suspect it will actually hold its freakin' shape. And if I choose the right project, it could work out very well. (Intriguingly - and I'll tell you soon about some cashmere that I bought in early fall - untreated cashmere is about 8 zillion times softer and more luscious than merino any day, she says with practically no experience of either.)

• Habu is happy to offer you a 5% discount on all regular-priced yarn BUT, if you order anything else with the yarn order (and ask me how I know) the yarn discount is rescinded. What the fuck? When's the last time you were penalized for spending more??

On balance, gotta say this shop isn't going to be on my regular go-to list of yarn vendors. I may well order from there again, if I actually find a Habu-made yarn that I desperately want, or if I need some kind of specialized product (like the safety pins) that are hard to find elsewhere, but I'm going to exhaust all other options first. The service I received was not bad. The product I purchased is not inferior. But I really didn't get the experience I signed up for.