Yarn

This past Saturday I received my first ever order of silk and silk blend yarns.  Can I just say Yummy?  They are so beautiful, both to the eye and to the touch.  See?

The first picture is the pure mulberry silk.  Can you see in the picture how it has a sheen to it?  It is smooth and "silky" (how strange! lol), doesn't have the furry "hair" to it like regular yarn does.  It's color is a pale dusty pink color---"blush" maybe?  I can't wait to make a shawl out of this stuff.  I can imagine it will have the most wonderful drape and fluidity to it.  Very elegant. 

The next 2 pictures are both a wool and silk blend---merino wool to be precise.  The texture is like what you think of yarn being, but very soft and with a touch of "silk" (again, how odd! lol).  The colors didn't come out quite right in the photos.  The purple is darker in real life---more of a dark plum, and the "red" is actually much more like red wine.  Both are luscious!  Pieces made from this yarn should be very snuggly and warm.  Again, I can't wait to put it to use!

I've become obsessed with natural fiber yarns of late.  They are much more expensive than acrylic, but they also say "Artisan" in a way that acrylic never can.  Especially when you get into the hand-spun and hand-dyed category.  I guess I'm an Artisan wannabe.  I don't want to just "do crafts".  I want to make beautiful and useful things out of fine materials.  Things that could be placed in the "heirloom" or "fine" category.  Using fine materials in what one creates are what make handmade items worth their time and effort. You spend all that time crocheting or knitting something, you want that item to be gorgeous---and valuable---when you are done.  At least I do.  Anyway, back to the yarn.  Hand-dyed wool and silk yarns (and other natural fibers too) are so beautiful!  When looking at them online I have to wipe the drool from my computer continuously! lol  So many colors and combinations of fiber to choose from.  Will it be 100% wool or silk, or wool/silk, wool/cashmere, wool/cashmere/silk, linen, cotton, linen/cotton, angora, camel, alpaca, mohair, etc, etc.  And the colors.  Oooooo!  The combinations and variations are endless, the depth of color striking.  And, if the yarn is hand-dyed or hand-painted, your pieces will be truly one-of-a-kind since no two batches of yarn will be exactly the same.  Fine and unique---qualities that make valuable heirlooms.  =) So these days I dream in hand-colored, natural fiber yarn.  The yarn I just bought is still in the commercially produced category, but I'm getting there!  One of these days I will crochet in hand-dyed silk!  What color shall I do first........Hmmm.  That is what is keeping me awake at night.  =)