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February 1, 2006

I'm Wondering....

This Wednesday, I'm wondering...

What's your favorite cotton/synthetic blend?
I'm looking for the perfect yarn for my Olympic Sweater, and I'd love input! Here are the rules of the game:
  1. No animal fibers. This includes wool, angora, cashmere, alpaca, etc.
  2. No 100% cotton. If I knit only pure cotton for 16 straight days, my arms will be in casts by the time the flame goes out. Also, the synthetics help with durability.
  3. Must be machine washable. How can it become my new Favorite Sweater if I have to hand wash it?
  4. Gauge should be between 4 and 5.5 stitches per inch (ETA: that would be 16-22 stitches over four inches. Duh.). I want it to look sophisticated -- but I don't want it to take a dog's age to knit.
  5. Should come in grown-up colors.

And here are the Olympic sweater hopefuls.

  • Valley Yarns Longmeadow: Meets all of the above criteria, but I don't know anybody who's used it.
  • Debbie Bliss Cathay: I love this yarn, but I'm worried about the growth factor. If you've worked with it: does it only grow once (when you wash it the first time), or does it just keep growing between washes? How annoying is this?
  • Rowan Calmer: What more can I say? It's Calmer.
  • Rowan All Seasons Cotton: A strong contender, though the gauge is a bit big.
  • The GGH family: Samoa, Bali, and Java. Of the three, I think I'd lean toward Samoa or Bali --but I'd love to hear about all of them.
  • Your ideas. So let's hear 'em!

    Judge's Note: The rules are a bit flexible. In fact, you'll notice that some of my contenders already violate them! So if you've got a yarn you think would be perfect, please do tell me about it even if it's a rule-breaker. (Unless it breaks the "no animal fibers" rule. That one's non-negotiable, unless you also have a cure for allergies.)

    Special thanks to Colleen and Lisa who helped brainstorm this list with me!

    Posted by shannon at February 1, 2006 12:50 PM