A Tale Of Two Yarns #2KCBWDAY1 #2KCBW

Periodically I knit.

It is for this reason I decided to join in on the second annual Knitting and Crochet Blog week.

Today's Topic: Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

Loving yarn is not a requirement for being a knitter, or crocheter. In fact, I've heard there are those that buy yarn specifically for project. No more; no less.

I'm not one of those people. I have a fairly healthy yarn stash to choose from. I haven't reached S.A.B.L.E. (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy) and I don't really anticipate ever doing some. Since I'm a sock knitter at heart, I've decided to talk about my favorite, and not so favorite, sock yarns.

In the favorite category is Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock. Lorna's was one of the first sock yarns I acquired after learning to make socks. I bought two pairs worth as a Valentine's Day present to myself back in 2009. Aside from the obvious reason to love Shepherd's sock yarn - the beautiful colors that don't pool strangely - it is a sturdy yarn. I'm tough on my socks and typically opt for store bought socks when heading out for trips downtown (which always involve lots of walking). However, over the past couple of months, I started wearing my Lorna's socks instead. I find this amusing since once upon a time I wouldn't have even thought to make them more than just a house sock. Now, I take these socks on nice, long hikes and have yet to see any signs of wear (knock on wood!).

On the flip side . . .

The worst sock yarn I've ever worked with is Wisdom Yarns Poem Sock. To me this is more like roving. I bought this yarn several months back to make my brother a pair of socks for his birthday. I only got as far as casting on the stitches when my yarn split. I thought it was a joke. I was not happy. I tried casting on stitches again thinking maybe I hit a weak-spot. Once again, the yarn split. Since I was with a friend at the time, I asked her to try it out. It did the same thing a third time. "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice shame on you." Fool me a third time . . . if I wasn't able to get my money back, this yarn was heading for the trash (and I don't believe in throwing away yarn). A few days later, I posted to the Rav group about this issue; no one else had a similar experience. Even the Wisdom Yarns rep had never heard of this problem. Eventually, I ended up returning the yarn and bought something else. I have to admit I was disappointed and a bit sad. I really liked the colors I had chosen for my brother's socks. The moral of the story - at least for me - is to stay away from this yarn all together.

Until later . . .