a red-letter day in yarnland

It's sunny and warm. I have the day off. And yesterday, my Phat Fiber Sampler box and Yarn Market News arrived! It's like winning the yarn lottery.



There is too much great stuff in here to do all in one post. First, the bis--hey, who ate the biscotti before I could take a picture?! (That would be me. Sorry.) Ok, help me out here: imagine biscotti. They're dotted with little green pistachios, dipped in white chocolate, and sprinkled with a dusting of more nut bits. I must admit I wasn't expecting much--my only other experience with biscotti was a very dry, disappointing, dusty creation, edible only when dipped in a beverage of some sort. But these were truly fabulous--light, sweet, and moist enough to stand on their own. They were made by Matilda Chiapparelli's Italian Cookies.

Aside from the biscotti, one of my favorite things in this month's box is this super adorable stitch marker.



Don't you just want to squeal and pinch its little cheeks? So cute! It's from Yarndemon Designs. I've heard that some people are wearing these as charms on necklaces, bracelets, cell phones, etc. I may do that. What fun to go around with this little sheepie all day!

My favorite yarn of the box is this one.



It's 50/50 superwash merino/tencel sock yarn from Abstract Fiber, in colorway Andromeda. Doesn't it just look like spring? And I love the sheen from the tencel. This is enough to make something out of, like maybe these cuffs.



This is a pattern from The Crochet Side, and it does call for lace weight, but crochet is easily adaptable.

Don't worry, there are also plenty of spinning treats. Here's a fuzzy green batt from Tracy Rios. Looks like some very easy spinning.



And here's a baby braid of South African Fine Wool from Vines in colorway Chameleon.


It feels poofy, like it will make springy, lofty yarn. We'll see! Now that I'm spinning regularly again, I can't wait to try these out. Most of the goodies this month are green, but I did get some naturally brown raw Border Leicester/Corriedale wool from Farmgirl Chic which did not want to be photographed but which looks intriguing. I think it's time to experiment--just start spinning and ply it all together into one funky mixed sampler yarn.

Anyway, there's a whole lot more--stay tuned! I show you the rest on Monday.