Yarn diet be damned!

Yes, that's right! I went and bought myself some yarns today! I just couldn't resist. GarnNetto, one of the local yarn stores in Linköping, has just gotten the new Drops yarn from Garnstudio, it's called Delight. It is probably very trendy, as it is very similar to both Kunstgarn from Hjertegarn, and Fame Trend from Marks & Kattens. But as it is a new yarn line, GarnNetto has an introduction price on it, which I'm guessing was almost half of what it will cost full-price. So I had to buy it now, while the low price lasted. I bought six skeins in two different colourways. The first one is a purple variegated yarn:

Drops Delight (75 % superwash wool / 25 % polyamide)

The second is a gorgeous green variegated yarn, and I'm so happy that is seems to be all green hues and no browns or beige hues:

Drops Delight (75 % superwash wool / 25 % polyamide)

Just so you can compare, I'll show you the photos of the Kunstgarn from Hjertegarn (75 % superwash wool / 25 % nylon, top photo) and the Fame Trend from Marks & Kattens (75 % superwash wool / 25 % polyamide, bottom photo):

You get the similarities, right? I'm guessing these types of yarns are sort of a temporary trend, but I love them anyway. I made my first Ishbel (I can definitely see more of them in the future :) with the Kunstgarn (oh, and by the way, garn is the swedish word for yarn, kunst means art), and I love it but for one ting: The nylon content has made it pull together again after the blocking, so the lace pattern isn't as obvious anymore, I'm thinking I will probably have to block it again, and then steam it afterwards to block the nylon too. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I also went to Garnverket today, which is one of the other LYS'es in Linköping (we seem to have at least five that I know of... That must be a lot for a town of 120 000 inhabitants, right?), and two gorgeous wool skeins in lace weigth that I've had my eyes on (yes, both eyes) for a while now. I present to you Pälsull (it means fur wool) from Östergötlands Ullspinneri (Spinners of Östergötland, the landscape where Linköping is situated):

Unfortunately the photo had to be taken with flash, so the colour doesn't really show, but it's a really dark green, and the wool has a shine to it that I haven't actually seen on any other pure wool yarns before. It has 650 yarnds/100 g, and will make a good sized shawl for me in the future. I just couldn't help myself, I love this yarn so much!

I've also finished my Drops Beret that I started this Saturday! It was such a fast knit i the rather chunky KnitPicks Main Line yarn, so I finished it up last night. It is currently blocking around a dinner plate:

Bottom view:

Top view:

I hope that it will still fit after blocking, but I've tightened the ribbing a lot while blocking it, so hopefully it won't grow. I really like the yarn, which is good as I have 9 green skeins and 17 white skeins left... I'm going to make the knee-high socks and gloves (which I think I'll turn into mittens instead), and I think I'll try to make a sweater from it too. In the Custom Knits book there is a pattern for a cardigan called Updated Old Classic, and I'm thinking of adapting this to fit the Main Line yarn, and also change the pattern yoke to the snow flakes I've made on the Beret. That way I'll have a complete set of snow flake clothes!

Oh, and today was my first day back at work. It went really well, and I had a lot to do, catching up to all the email correspondance that I've neglected while on sick-leave. Since Klara left work in September to go work in England, I've had the office to myself, but now I've got two male students as roommates. I think it's a good thing, as I found it a bit boring to sit by myself. As long as I get to set the termostat as I want to (I'm always cold so some of my coworkers refer to my office as the Sauna Room)!

Tonight I think I'll knit some on the pink shawl, and possibly start the Moose mittens for my grandfather as well. I'll tell you later this week what I chose!

/ Jenny