...what would be your first knitting project?

I've had this (http://www.getknitted.com/acatalog/088design_rockstar.jpg) little beauty in my pattern folder for months, but I can't quite bring myself to part with over a hundred pounds for the required yarn. I really love the Canopy (http://www.yarnzilla.com/images/canopy43e.jpg) colour, and the yarn itself is glorious. To get a similar gleam I'd have to go for a yarn with a similar silk percentage if I was thinking of substituting, so I doubt I'd get much of a reduction anyway. Sigh. Fingers crossed for Saturday's lottery...

If money were no object I would knit a humongous blanket of some sort with sumptuous silky yarn in really rich colours. Something that could become a family heirloom. Most of the patterns I see for large blankets of throws usually tend to come to over £100 when the cost of all the yarn is added up.

well, for me, I've tried to justify sopending £118 on alpaca woll for my cocoon wrap, but I can't.
Equally, I cant find a suitable alternative for it.
I want this to be a quality garment made the way it was designed, and so I'll be ordering bits at a time, every couple of weeks.
it wont seem like I'm spending so much then.

So.
whats the most expensive wool to use?

Oooh good question. I don't know. Probably something sheared from rare five legged sheep, handspun by dodo's in Outer Mongolia somewhere I should think.

Does anyone know?

***Edit*** Sorry, I have had quite a bit of wine!

...what would be your first knitting project?

The "New Wooly Bramall lane" car Park!:)

I've heard of Sea Silk yarn from Handmaiden. That's apparently expensive because its 70% silk and 30% sea cell. $32.96 per 100g which converts to £17.51 per 100g. I found it here (http://www.colorsongyarns.com/yarns/hand_maiden/sea_silk.htm) and more info about it here (http://handmaiden.ca/yarn_seasilk.html).

I've heard of Sea Silk yarn from Handmaiden. That's apparently expensive because its 70% silk and 30% sea cell. $32.96 per 100g which converts to £17.51 per 100g. I found it here (http://www.colorsongyarns.com/yarns/hand_maiden/sea_silk.htm) and more info about it here (http://handmaiden.ca/yarn_seasilk.html).
Would you ever use it if you could afford it? I think the guilt would probably kill me!

If I could afford it I would so use it! I would justify the guilt by making myself believe I was helping to keep the person who makes it in business :hihi:

I've heard of Sea Silk yarn from Handmaiden. That's apparently expensive because its 70% silk and 30% sea cell. $32.96 per 100g which converts to £17.51 per 100g. I found it here (http://www.colorsongyarns.com/yarns/hand_maiden/sea_silk.htm) and more info about it here (http://handmaiden.ca/yarn_seasilk.html).

Crikey I nearly spent that on my Koigu and thats only merino:o

That's what I thought too but didn't want to admit it!!

The Sea Silk yarn looks gorgeous. The Alchemy Synchronicity yarn I want (50% silk/50% merino) is £24/100g (£12/50g skein). I have a feeling that the new Debbie Bliss Pure Silk might work out even more expensive, because the skeins are tiny. I'll go check...

EDIT: I was wrong. The most expensive I can find is a Debbie Bliss yarn, but it's the Pure Cashmere, which is a staggering £9.95/25g skein :o . Nearly £40/100g :o :o .

Hecate,
How can I make this thread invisible to my husband?

God forbid he gets a whiff of how much this knitting lark costs:o

Hecate,
How can I make this thread invisible to my husband?

God forbid he gets a whiff of how much this knitting lark costs:o
You just need subtle misinformation:

You, of course, don't agree with using natural fibres when acrylic is just as good, if not better, and much cheaper. Infact, you don't think you've ever used a natural fibre in your knitting, and would much sooner spend the money you save on car parts, playstations, fishing tackle, beer [or insert whatever toy the man in question is interested in]. Easy.

Most blokes wouldn't be able to distinguish merino wool from a hole in the ground, so as long as you make sure to hide the ball bands (and the receipts) I think you'll be safe ;) .

The Sea Silk yarn looks gorgeous. The Alchemy Synchronicity yarn I want (50% silk/50% merino) is £24/100g (£12/50g skein). I have a feeling that the new Debbie Bliss Pure Silk might work out even more expensive, because the skeins are tiny. I'll go check...

EDIT: I was wrong. The most expensive I can find is a Debbie Bliss yarn, but it's the Pure Cashmere, which is a staggering £9.95/25g skein :o . Nearly £40/100g :o :o .

Phew that makes me much happier about my staggeringly expensive Koigu socks:blush: BTW anyone know where I can get 2.75mm bamboo DPNS - should have actually read the pattern for the dragon socks - itsd too tight:(

...BTW anyone know where I can get 2.75mm bamboo DPNS - should have actually read the pattern for the dragon socks - itsd too tight:(
Bugger :( . I've just had a hunt around for 2.75 mm bamboo DPNs and unless I'm being particularly dense (which wouldn't surprise me) I can't find them in the UK shops. You can get them from The Knitting Zone (http://www.knittingzone.com/catalog/product_info.php?pName=6-2-us-crystal-palace-bamboo-dbl-pt-needles&cName=needles-double-point) though, if you want to risk the transatlantic post. I've always found their packaging to be excellent though, and you could always add a note with the order to ask them to wrap them up in lots of bubble wrap.

Bugger :( . I've just had a hunt around for 2.75 mm bamboo DPNs and unless I'm being particularly dense (which wouldn't surprise me) I can't find them in the UK shops. You can get them from The Knitting Zone (http://www.knittingzone.com/catalog/product_info.php?pName=6-2-us-crystal-palace-bamboo-dbl-pt-needles&cName=needles-double-point) though, if you want to risk the transatlantic post. I've always found their packaging to be excellent though, and you could always add a note with the order to ask them to wrap them up in lots of bubble wrap.

Thats what I thought:( Either that or Brittany Birches - I bought some normal ones from JL the other day - yuk clicky clacky and I now HATE the sound of aluminium needles:( Someone said P+ MWoolcraft had Crystal Palace ones but they are not on their website - will have to call as its still probably cheaper that flying some in from the States.

EDIT: Just ordered some from Knitting Zone as it came to just over £7 inc postage which is probably cheaper than buying from the UK anyway. My lovely yarn for the River Rapids from the States arrived today aswell:D

Yes, I saw the Brittany Birch ones at Laughing Hens (I think). I didn't look too closely, but from what I can remember from looking at them elsewhere a while back, they're really quite short. Too short for me anyway.

Just had another browse, plus a Google search. Still no joy.

I thought the Brittany Birches didnt look very pointy - anyway sorted now (see edit in last post) hopefully I should have some Crystal Palace ones winging their way here soon:D Ive spent DAYS Googling and looking around:( BTW did you have a nice holiday?

Post a link to the River Rapids and the yarn. I must have missed that in my haste to catch up :) .

The holiday was... damp :hihi: . I have a slightly sprained ankle too, which wasn't exactly conducive to doing much walking either. Still, I found a lovely shop which sold the most glorious vanilla icecream, which was almost worth the trip to Wales alone. On a slightly less positive note, I'm probably about 4 lb heavier than i was on Friday, undoubtedly due to said icecream and the lack of walking :roll: .

OK not sure if this will work though - Its from RubySapphireYarns but I bought the last ones of the yarns in particular. I found them on etsy.com (which seems to be a crafty site which sells only handmade stuff). Ive got this http://www.etsy.com/view_item_bought.php?listing_id=380828&transaction_id=124433 for the River Rapids http://files.blog-city.com/files/aa/3830/b/river_rapids.pdf and this http://www.etsy.com/view_item_bought.php?listing_id=386327&transaction_id=124434 for an unknown project:D Sorry your trip was damp:(

The yarn is glorious. Beautiful colours. I love Etsy, though I haven't bought anything from there yet. They have a nifty little toy which allows you to search for items within specific colour groups. You run your mouse over a grid of little coloured dots and watch them expand and contract into balloons of colour. When you click on a colour you like, it shows you several items in that colour. Not entirely sure how useful it is, but it kept me amused for a while.

I remember you showing me that pattern now. I've got a copy in my pattern folder.

...what would be your first knitting project?

I've had this (http://www.getknitted.com/acatalog/088design_rockstar.jpg) little beauty in my pattern folder for months, but I can't quite bring myself to part with over a hundred pounds for the required yarn. I really love the Canopy (http://www.yarnzilla.com/images/canopy43e.jpg) colour, and the yarn itself is glorious.

A friend of mine has recently knitted this in the called for yarn - it looks truly stunning, although there are some mistakes in the pattern if you ever do decide to have a splurge :wink:

A friend of mine has recently knitted this in the called for yarn - it looks truly stunning, although there are some mistakes in the pattern if you ever do decide to have a splurge :wink:
Thanks for the warning. I'll check to see if there's an errata page available. If not, if you could point the errors out that would be great :) .

I'll find out exactly what they were and then let you know! There's no errata page and when Liz contacted them they weren't overly helpful. I know she had to rewrite some of the charts and sleeve shaping (not great when you've spent so much money on a pattern and yarn)

I'll find out exactly what they were and then let you know! There's no errata page and when Liz contacted them they weren't overly helpful. I know she had to rewrite some of the charts and sleeve shaping (not great when you've spent so much money on a pattern and yarn)
Thanks :) . I'm surprised that once errors had been pointed out to them, they didn't rush to produce an errata page, or at least an online version on their web site.

Apparently they just kept saying that she needed to use the recommended yarn and make sure she got tension right - that doesn't much help when the charts are wrong and the maths don't add up!