In the Name of Research

Fact: One never realises how much yarn there is in the world, until one starts researching a crochet book.

The range of makers, sheep, animals, fibres, drape, loft, ply, weight, place of origin, place of manufacture, dyes, varigation, self-striping, kettle dyed, hand dyed, dip dyed, hand painted, hand spun...MAKES MY HEAD WANT TO EXPLODE.

And after hours of researching online, I knew I had to go to a store and put my hands on some things to help it all seem a bit more, er, tangible. 

These things I learned:

- Apparently. if it was left up to me, I would make the whole book in shades of grey. I wouldn't even look at any lines that didn't have grey in them, because I must have some bizarre obsession with the colour. Upon further examination, of the last 12 of my designs or projects, 11 have been grey and the other 1 was supposed to be but the yarn arrived a brown shade. I wish I had thought of this pinboard (and I only noticed just now that one of my photos is on it, lol). I don't even look good in grey.

- Britain is even more of a DK nation than I thought.  So many of my favourite brands have discontinued their Aran weights. This isn't a deal breaker, but I am a bit disappointed that Wendy in particular has done this in some of their lines. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I like my yarn like I like my men...big and burly.

- No one stocks the perfect mustard yellow.  Since Rowan discontinued its honey colourway in Pure Wool, I am at a loss for the *perfect* shade of yellow.  Everything is either too sunshiney or too greeny.  I feel slightly bereft.  However, owning this bag would help me overcome (hint, Kevin, hint).

Sadly, I am no further in my quest for wool.  I have "ideas" and "resignations" - on that note I bought 2 teeny tiny hooks (2mm and 3mm - cripes that is SMALL) to possibly get my head around crocheting with sock wool. SOCK WOOL. It seems I will be developing a taste for tall and lanky...hmmmm.