Inevitability, Ivanova style

Yes, I know it's tax time. Unlike Thrace, I procrastinated looking at the million and one tax forms for working out which country I owe what to, by breaking the yarn diet like I threatened to on the weekend. And I used my 'get out of jail free' card for 2 yarn purchases. Oh well, I guess that means I am a very bad girl. But, I am working my way through the stash, so I am not such a bad girl after all. Here are some photos of what I got...
This is what I got at the Easter Market, after I swatched it and determined it is NOT a sport weight like the vendor insisted, but a heavy DK or light worsted, probably a decent substitute for Lavold Silky wool, considering the quantity of her pattern books I own. It's natural, undyed, domestically grown and spun merino wool, and I think the blue-gray shade is fantastic. The vendor's web site can be found here if any of you want to look at her stuff, but all the descriptions are in German. Well, at least you can see what I have to look forward to next seasonal/holiday market!

I also went to the fancy LYS that sells Lana Grossa, GGH and Lang Yarns, and got some of this:
It's fuzzy, soft and gray as the photo indicates. It's Mohair Luxe from Lang, which is the closest substitute for Rowan Kid Silk Haze I've seen so far in this country. Now I've never taken a close enough look at how KSH is spun (because it's so bloody expensive if you're not in England), but I have looked at some substitutes, both low and high end. I made the Cobweb Shawl from MagKnits out of Crystal Palace Kid Merino, which is a very reasonably priced KSH substitute, but it has no silk so the price makes sense (less than half the price at my former LYS). It's spun with a fuzzy strand wrapped around a non-fuzzy core, and I found it split very easily which drove me crazy. Later on, I tried Madil Kid Seta, which I think would cost the same as KSH when you factor in overseas shipping costs and importing fees, and is an okay price for three balls considering it has the same fiber content as KSH. Have you ever noticed that patterns which use KSH rarely call for more than 3 balls of KSH? I guess even designers notice how expensive it is if you don't live in England, anyways I'm digressing. The MKS was a two-ply with a fuzzy mohair ply wrapped around a silk core. It split a lot and drove me crazy too. Thrace will have to report on how she found knitting with my leftovers, but this is the reason I parted with
that left over ball so easily. Now this stuff - the Mohair Luxe - is a two ply, but both plies are fuzzy, so maybe it won't split like the others. I'll let you all know once I get to knitting with it.

Now what are these fabulous gray yarns destined to become? I think the Mohair Luxe will become this (see another version here) or this (see another version here), or something from Victorian Lace Today. Indecisive much? The merino will become an originally designed sweater, most likely incorporating celtic knot stitch patterns (made up by me), which will make the pattern shareable. I'm still waiting for the details to mesh in my head, but I want something with feminine shaping, and not fussy, somewhat grown up and sophisticated that I can wear to work and not look like I visited Medieval Town and rolled a villager for her sweater on my way in. But, we'll see, won't we.

Ivanova