Having just read about this over at Waterborne, I thought it was perfect for me. I haven’t written about it here, but my wonderful job with Fun Knits is coming to an end, as Shelley and Linda have decided to retire and close the store. This means I’ll be writing more about knitting on this blog for a while, at least until I can find another paying gig writing about knitting! (Keeping me moving, my word Movement staying in the forefront of my mind these days.)
So the premise of the blogging week is that there will be seven days of pre-set topics to blog, all to do with knitting and crocheting. Today’s topic is A Tale of Two Yarns (writing about one yarn you love and one yarn you don’t).
A Tale of Two Yarns
People who know me well as a knitter, know that I have a special love for cotton. As someone who can’t wear much wool, cotton provides me with the versatility I need and the comfort I like. I have knit with many types of cotton, from your standard worsted weight kitchen cotton (which actually makes lovely summer tops as well as dishcloths) to fine weight mercerized cotton. The two cardigans I have made for myself were both out of cotton blends, and my favourite baktus scarf is from Patons Grace. Some people may complain that cotton hurts their hands, but for me cotton is lovely to work with. I can’t pick one brand of cotton that is my favourite (although I was introduced to Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton thanks to Melissa, and my goodness it is lovely and soft) as I feel there are so many more for me to try!
My cotton baktus scarf.
A yarn I don’t like, that’s a harder topic. I’m tempted to say “I’ve never met a yarn I didn’t like.” Ha ha. But really that’s not true. I just don’t tend to buy yarn I don’t think I’ll like working with, life’s too short and money’s too dear. So I feel up a lot of yarn when I’m in the stores, and take my time when it comes to putting down my money. I don’t knit with mohair – too itchy. I am choosy about my 100% acrylics – don’t want the squeaks to set my teeth on edge. I don’t use 100% wool as a rule, especially not rustic wool – again, too itchy and too hot for our mild climate. I don’t dislike those yarns, however. They have a place and in the right project they can be very lovely. And I think that’s the crux of it. I’m a process knitter, I enjoy new techniques and projects. This means that the yarn is often secondary to what I am knitting (not always, of course). So I don’t despise any yarn, as I never know when it might be just the thing for the project I have in mind.
Rocks, Waves, Beach 
I’ve done a lot of knitting with mercerized cotton, and that’s lovely stuff. Linen, however–I tried knitting with that once, and actually got the equivalent of paper cuts on my fingers. Never again.
By: Amy on March 29, 2011
at 6:12 am
Sorry about your upcoming job loss :-(
By: Terri on March 29, 2011
at 9:42 am
I agree about mohair – so pretty to look at but not so nice to wear. I think my favorite yarn to knit with is a super soft superwash wool (’cause then I know I can throw it in the washing machine as necessary).
By: Tina on March 29, 2011
at 10:20 am
Yours is the first post for this blog event I have read that put cotton into the ‘love’ category rather than the ‘hate’ category. I’m with you…I don’t loathe any yarn and work project by project. Wool is probably what I gravitate toward most because I love to wear it, but I don’t mind knitting with cotton or acrylic.
By: Rachel on March 29, 2011
at 12:17 pm
Love the scarf – and the color!
By: Liz on April 3, 2011
at 5:20 am