Some Things That Caught My Eye…

• Knit Picks recently published a new design of mine—the Henley Pullover . This is a classic 3-button henley with set-in sleeves for a tailored fit. It is worked in an all-over staggered rib pattern. Fair warning: if you’re one of those knitters who don’t enjoy working k1, p1 ribbing you may not enjoy knitting this sweater. I find the texture of this stitch pattern very appealing.
• My friends at WoolTribe are offering a class at their Charlotte, NC studio on Saturday, December 7th: Intro to Hand Dyeing . You can choose to dye 3 skeins of their sock-weight Shaniko wool yarn, or 2 of their cabled beanies made with the same all-American Shaniko wool. If your gifts-to-knit list feels too long, you can choose to dye these ready-made hats and wrap them up for the holidays! Check it out if you’re in the area.
• I just finished reading Sally Rooney's latest novel, Intermezzo . Like Rooney's earlier work, it focuses on people falling in and out of love. But the real heart of this book is the relationship between two brothers, born a decade apart. Rooney explores the way our expectations of a sibling can become frozen in time, and what happens when that sibling evolves into a fully formed person who no longer fits our pictures. This is a provocative book that will haunt me for a while.
• I rented the film Conclave on Amazon Prime last night. It is superb.

The costumes and sets are, of course, a visual feast. The movie is full of excellent performances but watch for Isabella Rosellini as the head of the order of nuns who cook and clean for the cardinals while they are sequestered. In a role with very few lines, Rosellini embodies smoldering rage buried under a duty of subservience. She is incandescent.

And yes, the film is based on a novel, Conclave by Robert Harris. I’m on the waiting list for the audiobook at my local public library.

First, the Specifications

Note is a plush, round yarn with a complex construction. Six two-ply strands are plied together, for a total of twelve plies. The initial plies are quite fine and lightly twisted, keeping the yarn lofty. The final six-ply has a high twist, providing pill resistance and bounce.

Despite the fineness of the fibers, the multi-ply structure makes this yarn very strong. I cannot break it with my hands. Note is evenly and consistently spun, with no slubs or thin spots. There were no knots in the two skeins I sampled.

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The Bottom Line

When I owned a yarn store, there were some yarns that inspired odd behavior. Customers would pick up the skein, brush it against their cheek, then close their eyes and give it a little snuggle. They would walk around the store cradling the yarn against their chest like a three-week-old kitten. Note is one of those yarns.

If the run-up to the winter holidays has left you feeling like you deserve a little splurge, order up a couple of skeins of Note and make something just for you.

How About Colorwork?

Longtime readers know that my default test-drive for a new-to-me yarn is often a stranded colorwork hat. Meet Orchidaceae .

The yarn performed well in the colorwork pattern, blocking out to a smooth, cohesive fabric. The extra layer of insulation created by the strands of yarn on the wrong side make this a very warm and cozy hat.

The motif reminded me of the curling petals of some orchid blossoms, hence the name. Just don't ask me to pronounce it—I think the Latinate botanical names of plants aren't really intended to be spoken aloud.

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