Sydney would like to wish everyone a Happy Tax Day! She filed early this year, so she’s excited to have spent her refund on this stunning new bandana.

Ok, I’m back from digging through my stash for two-ply yarn to use for my Chrysanthemums.

I have Madline Tosh Merino Light in Fathom and Winter Wheat (this is actually 4 ply – hmm. I guess Tosh sock yarn is 2-ply).


I have some Malabrigo sock yarn in Violeta Africana (this is 3 ply, but I love it!).


Found this Handwerks So-soft Milkweed (The color is good, but it’s 4 ply…and it is so soft because it has cashmere, so it might be fuzzy).


OR I have Dragonfly Fibers Sock Yarn in Deep Ocean (rats, this is 4 ply also)…..hmmm.


Ok. I just looked up my socks with the best stitch definition. They are out of 4-ply Shibui Knits Sock AND 4 ply Barking Dogs Achilles. So, maybe I don’t get that hung up on how many plies there are after all.

After seeing this picture on the A.D.D. knitter’s blog, I’m leaning Malabrigo.

Which color do you like?

I’ve just started reading the Knitter’s Book of Socks since I’m about to cast on Hunter Hammersen’s Chrysanthemums and I want them to look ah-mazing (if they don’t, it’ll be all me because the pattern is gorgeous). Most of what I know about sock knitting, I’ve learned from trial and error after completeting Silver’s Sock Class a year and a half ago, so there’s still much to learn.

The first chapter read a little too much like a college textbook for me, but I, ahem, well, I read most of it. Part of Chapter 2 had me thinking about getting an Angora bunny for a pet and spinning fiber from it to make sock yarn, but I decided that was sheer lunacy. The reason I discarded the bunny idea is probably not what you’re thinking. I’m addicted to high stitch definition and angora tends to have a halo that would hide stitches (translation: it’s fuzzy)…..but, a bunny might be nice anyway. I digress. I’m reading chapter three right now and that is where I found the first nugget of gold. “…lace tends to look prettiest in two-ply yarns”. Aha! I want two-ply. Time to go dig through my stash!