In which Dr. Mel’s going to Iceland next month, so he had to do some stash reduction.
The good news is that Mel, in a sudden stash-reduction fit, sent me two boxes of yarn:
Can you believe it? He said he’d send me “some” yarn; I got two boxes stuffed full of yarn! REALLY NICE YARN. Expensive, artisan yarn. Freakin’ lovely yarn.
The bad news is that now all I want to do is KNIT STUFF!
Oh, wait, that’s not bad. Never mind.
I’m particularly in love with this unmarked ball of what could be silk-blend-something 3-ply in an amazing earthy brown-and-caramel colorway that might be best used as a shawl in the form of lace work. Um, or maybe it’s sock yarn, I don’t know. I’ll need to knit up a swatch. Whatever it is, I love it.
There’s also this tiny little 14g ball of extra fine Qiviuk-merino-silk that I adore (it’s so soft), but I have no idea what kind of project it deserves. (It would make an amazing Wisp, but there isn’t enough of it. Plus I’m already making that pattern out of something else.)
And there’s a bunch of navy blue sport weight alpaca. Like, enough for a fairly large project. And there are several miscellaneous hand-dyed balls of wool. And a skein of gold and garnet colored recycled sari silk yarn (like this). And some acrylic yarn, just perfect for quick hats. And so many 50g balls of Paint Box wool, in berry patch purple (that apparently won’t felt, for some reason) that I could practically knit an entire sweater. And 150g of black and 100g of silver sport weight superwash wool.
And some other stuff, too!
THANKS, DR MEL, YOU RULE!!!
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“Qiviuk or Qiviut muskox fiber has been sought after for centuries for its softness and magical warmth. These shaggy behemoths walked across the Bering Land Bridge during the last Ice Age, and managed to survive an era that most animals did not. The muskox now live exclusively in the Canadian Arctic, Alaska and Greenland. The global population is estimated at about 180,000. Qiviut is valued because unlike sheep’s wool, it will not shrink in water at any temperature. Qiviut is stronger and eight times warmer than sheep’s wool and It’s softer than cashmere. Qiviut retains warmth even when wet, but is breathable during warmer weather.”
I love that “eight times warmer” shit. They say the same thing about alpaca, but if you ask about it, not a goddamned person can substantiate the claim. That said, I have a 100% qiviuk cowl that is my bestest friend in the dead of winter.
What’s the 3-ply one you’re referring to? I may or may not be able to identify it for you.
Top image, second item from the right-most side.
Yawn…oops, I meant YARN!!!!
Of course you did. -m