In Which the Pirate Collects Fiber.

I stumbled across a mention of a destash on Ravelry, and could not resist buying these three braids of fiber. I was just going to buy two, but… well… you know how it goes.

Four ounces of Rambouillet from Zen Yarn Garden. I always think of autumn colors in the middle of the summer! I love all the seasons, and enjoy them for what they are and what they bring, but autumn is one of my favorites. (In mid-winter I’ll say that spring is one of my favorites, so take this with a grain of salt.) It feels like the beginning of the new year to me. So this top, with the crisp colors of autumn, was just something I had to have. It’s a fine fiber, and I’m not yet sure what I’d like to make with it. Perhaps a sport or DK weight, 14 WPI or so, would yield enough for a hat and mittens… and perhaps if I hurry, I could have that done in time for the cooler weather – which, here in Virginia, won’t be until mid-October, so I have a little time.

4.4 ounces of Falkland from Bee Mice Elf. These sea greens and blues look like they’d be perfect as socks underneath a pair of dark jeans, don’t they? Perhaps I’ll split this top the long way and spin for subtle stripes again. I like that look in handspun. This might be one of the braids that comes with me on vacation next week. I am really looking forward to having nearly ten days to spin or knit whenever I want, and I’m hoping to come home with a whole bunch of new yarns. Perhaps I’ll find a nice niddy-noddy in Merchants Row.

Finally, the fiber I almost didn’t buy: 4.35 ounces of a Merino-Silk blend from Lovesticks. Pirate-Husband says that this colorway reminds him of a candy that he used to have when he was young. He described it as pulled and twisted sugar, like a candy cane, but with different flavors and colors mixed in. The clarity of the white sections of this top contrast beautifully with the jewel toned splashes. I am really interested to see how it spins up with all that white. Will it have white sections and then colored sections, or will the white dilute the color all the way through? I’ll just have to spin it and find out!