Habu any wool?

Well, as a matter of fact...

Hill Country Weavers is such a luscious shop with so many fabulous yarns and the nicest people to help.

With the exception of two skeins of Koigu, my purchases were all very textural yarns. I was interested in yarns I can't get here, as well as yarns that might do somethng different from my regular purchases.



3 skeins of Kidlin Pixie in cranberry. This is a new yarn from Louet Sales. It has a two plies - a core of linen wrapped in mohair. The fluffiness of the mohair makes the linen look really shiny. The yarn has a slightly stiff feel due to the linen, but I think it's going to make a fabulous lacy shawl.


Habu
The best way I can describe these yarns is architectural. Most of the yarns I purchased are little more than thread, but they produce very interesting effects.

Kasumi Triangle Scarf Kit

This wee ball of yarn is two yarns wound together: Kasumi, which is a polyester yarn that is dark grey and has what Habu refers to as "little legs coming out with white dots on them"; and Cork Chenille, which also has the little legs.



The scarf comes out looking for all the world like the contents of my paper shredder. It took me maybe two hours of inattentive knitting to complete the kit. A simple knit but, texturally, very satisfying.


Habu Bolero Kit.

Because I'm insane. The Japanese pattern didn't look too terribly hard until I got home and noticed a notation I had missed: short rows.

And, folks, that's all it says. A bunch of numbers and that term: short rows.

I'm sure I can figure it out when I get to that point.

Habu collection 1:

Tsumugi Silk Combination, I'd say this is worsted.
Tsumgui Silk, laceweight.
Cotton linen spiral, thread. Seriously.

I'm seeing scribble lace.

I can double the cotton spiral as well as combine it with the laceweight tsumugi. The result will be less drapey than your average laceweight mohair and chunky wool combo.

Habu collection 2:

Where I went overboard.

2 skeins of silk stainless steel and one of wool stainless steel. A skein of cotton linen spiral and a skein of a Louet yarn called Granite which is a slightly heavier and more homespun look, but otherwise mimics the spiral. Another skein of tsumugi silk combination - this one more of a dk.

And a pile of other interesting tidbits such as GEAR linen which is very crunchy, like paper; paper moire, which is softer and more like linen; mix tube which is a slubby tube yarn; and paper ring, which feels papery and has little flags on it.

My starting point is a rectagular shawl with intarsia blocks of the different yarns. I'll probably combine some yarns in sections and then double or triple yarns in other sections. I'm not too worried about the different gauges - that will just make the piece more interesting. I'm not expecting it to lay flat when I'm finished. The stainless will bend and crumple rather than drape and the paper yarns will be very stiff. The cotton linen spiral and the granite will be the only yarns with a "normal" drape.

I feel a bit guilty buying all of this yarn when I'm really trying to reduce the stash, but I can at least say that I have nothing like this in the stash. I have a feeling that there are more Habu purchases in my future. The Japanese patterns and textured yarns provide a new twist on the same old thing. And, as much as I love the same old thing, a new thrill is very welcome.