I've noticed lately that when it comes to my purchasing habits of yarn, I tend to buy different types of yarn in small batches.  This makes me sound a bit non-committal and I suppose that describes my relationship with yarn pretty well.  I have urges to try every type of yarn I can get my hands on, only if its to just swatch around a bit.  So when I buy, I usually bring home 2-3 skeins of one kind at a time.  Witness the following:

Schachenmayr Denim (greens & Dk. blues), Classic Elite Fame (brights).

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool (deep pink), Elsebeth Lavold Angora , Louet Euroflax sport wt. (Black Sea), Claudia Hand Painted fingering merino. 

Alchemy Silken Straw (lots of yardage in each skein)

This rather nice collection was acquired during a solo visit to Tulsa this past weekend.  (Well, not quite solo since I dropped the teenager and his friends at the mall before proceeding on to the yarn shops--who needs impatient tag-alongs when you're trying to study and grope yarn?)  But notice how everything seems to be in pairs?  Two exceptions: the single Euroflax Linen and the 5 skeins of Classic Elite Fame.  So back to my committal thing.  Maybe it has to do with that fact that I just can't drop all of our hard earned cash for more of this lovely stuff, even though the little red devil on my shoulder tells me to all the time.  I tend to knit smaller items these days and small batches are just what they require.  I also like to do the mixy-matchy thing with different textures and weights of yarn when working up a project.

During my visit at the shop called Loop in Utica Square, I was able to spend a few special moments waggling some silk skeins in my hands.  I refrained from touching them to my face although the urge was strong.  I do know this though--I am so hopelessly in love with all of the Alchemy yarns.  My affair with them began when I was the lucky winner of the Vogue "Scarf for Breast Cancer" contest.  One of the prizes was a skein of Bamboo by Alchemy.  Luscious fibery butter!  I could almost eat it!  I made the Friday scarf in it.  So I splurged and left the store with the 2 skeins of green semi-solid seen above.  Now look at these close-ups!

Okay, maybe the pics don't do it justice but there is definitely some glistening going on.  The yarn doesn't have a soft silky touch like you'd imagine.  It has a crunchy feeling.  A good solid fresh-mown-grass-without-the-smell feeling.  Still, I'm not able to describe it properly.  The yarn itself is not spun but composed of about 5 thread-like strands that seem to be glued together side by side.  It has the effect of a ribbon and is very similar to Habu Gima, which is cotton and constructed in a similar way.  I actually have some yarn on hand (Noro Kubuto, now discontinued) that coordinates quite well color-wise so they may just get married in the near future.

As far as actual knitting goes, I've started a Nereides stole.  I'm using my new Fame and Silky Wool (see above).

I'm only making a couple of modifications to Jacque's design.  First, since I'm using 2 different yarns, all the right side rows are of one kind and the wrong side rows are of the other.  This means I have to move the work to the opposite side of the circ needle before starting the next row.  It sounds awkward but the effect is nice.  I'm also changing the garter and eyelet rows at the beginning and end.  If I have enough yarn left over, I'll do the dramatic fringing and add some beads like in the original.

~Inner monologue: It's such a nice feeling not to have to sneak in my yarn purchases this time.  The Sharchitect knew in advance that I was on a mission--a mission for yarn.  And he definitely didn't want to go along for the ride.~