Choosing the Yarn (and Trying to Branch Out)

Part 2 of The Sweater Project)

Right, where was I? Oh yes, choosing the yarn.  It’s not that I haven’t been thinking about it, and swatching and plotting out a cable chart, etc. but we’ve had Thanksgiving, a (briefly) sick child, poor light for photos (I’ll try to add more photos soon) and so forth. (I told you procrastination was one of the things I did best). Anyway, on to the yarn:

Finally, the color cards I ordered from Webs arrived! (Felt like forever but it actually took about a week.) Classic Elite Yarns was also kind enough to send a few samples of yarn that I thought might work, and of course there is The Stash.

I’m looking for yarn that:

• shows off cables well
• is warm enough for an outerwear cardigan
• has a luxury feel but is still sturdy and elastic
• gets about 4.5-5 sts per inch
• is available in a color I love

Here’s a little rundown of the yarns I’m considering for this project:

Malabrigo Merino: Well, of course. It would be perfect–shows off cables nicely, soft, warm, etc. My hesitations here are:

a) My LYS doesn’t have any colors right now that appeal to me and I’ve learned from prior experience that ordering online is hit-or-miss as there is so much variation in color from lot to lot (and even within lots); and 

b) I’ve used it a lot. I think it may be time to try something new.

Malabrigo in “Zinc” color

Classic Elite Magnolia: This wool/silk blend is gorgeous. Even the rusty apricot color they sent me is lovely and I’m not a rusty apricot kind of gal. It’s soft and shows off the cables nicely. I’m not sure how warm it would be, though, as it’s a bit light (I got 6 sts/inch in st st).

Magnolia

Classic Elite Kumara: Soft and warm, this wool/camel blend also shows off stitches well but it has a very matte finish (read: dull) that gives it a more rustic feel than I want. I think I need something that has a more elegant feel to it.

Valley Yarns Sheffield and Stockbridge: Unfortunately, I don’t have knit-able lengths of Stockbridge, just the color cards, so I’m largely going off what other people have said about it. Both get pretty good reviews on Ravelry and both have plenty of project pictures showing off cables nicely. Stockbridge has a reputation for being a bit itchy but this sweater won’t be worn next to the skin so I think that’s okay.

Sheffield is more expensive but works out to a slightly larger gauge and has a bit more yardage. It’s very soft and ever-so-slightly fluffy.

Sheffield in “Lake” color

Right now I’m leaning toward Sheffield.

Beyond choosing the yarn itself, I have to choose a color. Right now, nothing is jumping out at me as being the most beautiful, I-just-have-to-have-it color ever. The Valley Yarns are tempting me with their periwinkle shades but I fall back on blue/purple a lot. Wondering if I should go with a nice safe neutral (natural, oatmeal) or maybe I should try something completely different like a deep red…