On yarn

Hello!
In my brief previous post, I mentioned a little yarn shop that I went to last night.
It is very, very small, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in everything else. The design is whimsical, but stylish, the shop owner is very nice and helpful, the yarn comes in many beautiful colors and is not overpriced and I really liked the patterns that were on display.

I like little yarn shops like that because they help reinforced the image that knitting can be hip and cool. Hopefully next time I will remember to bring my camera in, because it is worth the pictures.

Anyway, I got some yarn that I am very happy with. I usually knit with cheap acrylic yarn from the nearby drug store, so this is a whole new level for me. I got some one ply merino wool, which is possibly the best yarn to knit. Ever. Seriously. It is soft and thick, slides well on the needles (and I'm a tight knitter, so that's a much welcomed bonus) and does not scratch at all.

Also, this yarn comes from Uruguay and is part of an organization, Manos del Uruguay, which is a non profit organization that brings economic and social opportunities to rural women. The artisan even signs the tag on the yarn. The woman who dyed the wool I got is named Claudia. Thanks Claudia!

I got a happy medley of orange and red, with some golden yellow sprinkled in to make a long scarf for myself. I have been wearing my dad's scarf for the last few months and I really wanted my own in a brighter color, because hey, winter mornings are cold and dark. You need a little bit of fire. (Not literally, I'm not going to burn anything, don't worry.)

To add to my love of this yarn, it knits up really fast. I started knitting late last night and a bit this morning and I already have nearly 40 cm. I love knitting it, it's so soft and squishy... I hope I'll be finished before it gets too warm.

Little anecdote: I usually don't name my projects and I don't really understand why people do. I get it when the name describes what the thing is, for example "Little Cable Hat" or something, but my mom recently knit a sweater called Abigail. Why? Why call it Abigail? I don't know. But I decided to call my scarf the Phoenix Tail scarf, because phoenixes are made of fire and I like magic, if you haven't already figured that out. (But the name makes sense, it connects to the color! I wouldn't call it James or Charlie... I guess that's just one of those things that I can't really wrap my brain around.)

On that note, have a nice week-end!
Bye!