When I first started knitting everyone was using acrylic, this was the acrylic of the 60's, it was Harvest Gold and Avocado Green with a little Burnt Orange thrown in for "pop". ugh... So our choices were acrylic or wool. Since acrylic was popular and bright and fun. We made granny squares, ponchos and afghans, and even HOTPANTS (but don't tell anyone). They are probably still around, even if it's in a landfill somewhere, because goodness knows those acrylics are indestructible.
I continued knitting with these yarns until I discovered a Real Yarn Shop by accident, wandered in and ended up buying a nice assortment of wool/acrylic blend that the poor store clerk helped me pick out for a Fair Isle vest for my soon to be husband. This was a joy to knit with but a job to knit, I have never done any fair Isle since. (I don't think I ever saw him wear it, but we are still together).
After my acrylic/wool project I was hungary to see what other non acrylic fibers were out there. So off into the fiber world I went.
On a trip to the Smokes we found a super yarn shop. It was filled with so many beautiful things I was overwhelmed. After much deliberation I picked out a Alpaca/wool blend in a brown/tan tweed. I didn't know what to knit with it, or if I had enough for a sweater. So I settled on a shawl. It was beautiful, soft, warm and I still have it, and wear it. I was hooked.
Now as I contemplate a project the types of yarn go through my head like a mantra;
Alpaca, Angora, Bamboo, Camel, Cashmere, Corn, Cotton, Guanaco, Hemp, Linen, Llama, Mohair, Qiviut, Seaweed, Silk, Soy, Wool, Yak…And then if I pick wool, the breeds of sheep;
Merino, Rambouillet, Cormo, Shetland, Suffolk, Dorset, Karakul, Leicester, Montadale, Wensleydale, Teeswater, Welsh Mountain, Swaledale, OMMMMMMM
This caused a vibration which eventually became sound, and this sound was click click click of my needles Creation itself was set in motion by this...
I had the exact same ephiphany - just without the hotpants! The is just no contest between natural and synthetic fibres. Imagine the vibrant energy all of use natural yarn devotees are sending out!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! As I'm cleaning out Auntie's condo I'm finding things that I made for her a long, long time ago. A fisherman's knit afghan done in crochet in the acrylic of the 1960s. Ugh.
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