People, please: permit me to introduce our postman. Tall, anxious chap, goes by the name of Colin, wears a broad-brimmed hat to keep the rain off, and is so kind-natured that I overlook his tendency to remark, “And another parcel for Twisted?” whenever he arrives at our door.
Anyway, the thing about Colin is that he’s talkative. Which is fine, normally. But this morning when I answered the door to him (no mean feat: the door in question has swollen so much in the damp that it takes the strength of ten adults to wrench the blimmin’ thing open: I may yet have to go to work by escaping through a window), I was 90% sure that I knew what was inside the parcel he was clutching, and I was also 90% sure he wasn’t going to hand over said parcel until we’d conducted a thorough verbal analysis of the weather. To be fair, the weather was pretty crazy at that point. Gales and driving rain, with a worrying possibility of bits blowing off the house and landing on Colin’s head. But, still. The parcel. Oh, the parcel.
I’m getting to the point of this story, I really am, but you need to appreciate the sheer angst of this moment. Because unless I was very much mistaken, inside that parcel was a generous sample of the finest merino blended with some baby alpaca. This was no ordinary delivery.
Here’s the formal bit where I stop being silly for just a moment. I need to tell you that I did not pay for this yarn. The yarn – assuming that was what was in the oh-so-near yet oh-so-unobtainable parcel – was offered to me for free by the good people at Yarn Stories. There was no condition that I post about it, but I’m posting anyway. But you do need to know: my fickle head might have been turned by the free-ness of this product. So do read the remainder of this post with an appropriate degree of ruthless cynicism.
I did eventually manage to prise the parcel from Colin’s rain-sodden hands. Poor Colin: he doesn’t have an easy job. And it did contain the yarn. Would you like to see? Do remember that I am but a witless victim of a zero-cost promotion, and so nothing I say is of any merit whatsoever.
First, I saw this. I’ve had worse views:-
And then I saw this richness. Let me hear you say, ‘Ahhhhhhhh’.
The yarn in question is an aran-weight sample of purple loveliness, comprising 70% merino wool and 30% baby alpaca, so I just had to get the camera out:-
Look!
Now I should tell you that this Yorkshire-milled yarn is soft. Firm enough to be a pleasure to knit, but soft. For comparison, I’ve recently been knitting with a perfectly acceptable wool-alpaca combination in the form of Bergère de France Lima. But there’s no comparison between that slightly itchy budget yarn and the gentle softness of this Yarn Stories product. Seriously. This yarn is like a gentle hug. The colour is deep and rich. Those folks at Yarn Stories clearly know how to twist me round their little finger, and I’ll be a complete sucker when they turn up tomorrow asking to borrow my meagre life’s savings.
Amongst the many goodies in the parcel was a pattern for knitting matching cabled hat and mitts. Obviously, I had no justification whatsoever for casting on yet another project, so obviously what I did was to cast on another project immediately. But you’re a knitter/crocheter, so I know you’ll understand, yes?
In a mood of exceptional well-behavedness, I even swatched. Look!
Tomorrow, I begin to knit the real hat and mitts. Life has been known to be worse. 🙂
(Please know-ye, the arctic qiviut is still very much active in the background. Hugely luxurious posts are to come…)
dragontearsoflove says
January 10, 2015 at 11:10 pmLovely yarn, I love how knitting is referred to as a hug;-)…
greenelephantcrochetandthings says
January 10, 2015 at 11:20 pmMmm yarn hugs 🙂 I got some merino/nylon/cashmere yarn this week and I stroke it everytime I pass it by… Thats not strange is it?! Haha
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:47 pmNooooooooo, not remotely strange at all. 😉
Tonifus says
January 10, 2015 at 11:21 pmThat yarn is truly drool worthy. Your post also gave me a chuckle, and brightened up my very damp, grey day!
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:47 pmGlad to have been of service. 🙂
Cammie says
January 10, 2015 at 11:50 pmLooks lovely and bright! Such a great combo to knit with!
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:48 pmYup, it is very very knittable so far. 🙂
pomegranateandchintz says
January 10, 2015 at 11:55 pmYum, yum, yum! The colour is delicious. Have fun knitting. (Poor Colin – obviously there’s not a knitter in his family!)
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:49 pmI know. Poor Colin will never understand, I fear.
The Knitwit says
January 11, 2015 at 12:14 amYeah for you! I love your style of writing.
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:49 pmThank you. That comment made me smile A LOT.
Connie says
January 11, 2015 at 1:07 amDo you know if Yarn Stories has a distributor in the U.S.A.? I could not find this information on the web site. Thank You.
daniellajoe says
January 14, 2015 at 4:56 pmmy exact thought, I think I love this yarn by the way you describe it.. 🙂
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:50 pmEek, not sure. I’ll ask my contact…….
Lise says
January 11, 2015 at 1:28 amFabulous post.
Lise says
January 11, 2015 at 1:29 amMade me giggle
thecontentedcrafter says
January 11, 2015 at 2:00 amYou are just plain spoiled rotten Twisted! Poor Colin, his wet and work weary hands clutching that parcel of soft gorgeousness and not a cuppa in sight, not even the offer of an umbrella held aloft to protect from any falling bits of brewery while discussing the inclement condition of the weather! Just you plotting how quickly you can wrench the thing from those cold, wet hands. Twisted, you are just plain mean to your postman – really, you don’t deserve any more parcels – especially lovely free ones like that one!
spanishjanet says
January 11, 2015 at 7:56 amI love reading this blog as the banter between contented and twisted always makes me smile. Crafted’s comments re the postman were great.
thecontentedcrafter says
January 11, 2015 at 8:38 amHi there spanishjanet – Ha! It never occurs to me anybody else is going to read my comments – yet I usually read others 🙂 I’m glad that in your case it causes a smile to break out. I love Twisted really – but we shouldn’t ever let her know that!
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:51 pmI know. Poor Colin doesn’t deserve such harsh treatment really. Perhaps I should knit him a new hat?
cricketfox says
January 11, 2015 at 4:09 amHow Lucky, looks amazing
bonnyknits says
January 11, 2015 at 4:13 amAaaahhhh! That looks marvelous. I want some now!
narf77 says
January 11, 2015 at 5:08 amGorgeous colour and well worth standing in the swollen doorway with an umbrella talking to a lonely mailman. Soft you say? I like soft. It is infinitely more preferable to hard or worse…scratchy. Hard and scratchy. Not my friends but S.O.F.T. now that’s the bees knees! Can’t wait to see that scrumptious knitteryjiggerypokery magic you are doing there. Looks like magic cable to moi and my detective eyes. NEVER in all my born days have I even entertained the idea to take up cable knitting. I will watch from afar (suspiciously) but ONLY because that wool is S.O.F.T!
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:52 pmCables are fine, honest. They just pretend to be all tough and scary, but they’re not.
narf77 says
January 16, 2015 at 1:14 amI found a pattern for crochet cable. Might start there and work back to the knitting variety methinks 😉
The Twisted Yarn says
January 17, 2015 at 9:31 pmYou so can do it.
Gallivanta says
January 11, 2015 at 6:36 amA good postman is hard to find, so I hope you are planning to knit him a scarf and mittens, perhaps not with your gorgeous new wool; maybe not his colour. By the way, you aren’t related to the Provincial Lady http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._M._Delafield are you? :DYou have a similar witty style. She had a diary not a blog, and kept her postman very busy with packages and letters. Not sure she did any knitting though. 😉
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:56 pmInteresting. Thank you. My mum saw this and mentioned that she has a copy she could lend me. I’m intrigued, now, and will definitely have a read. Thank you.
Gallivanta says
January 15, 2015 at 11:56 pmI feel sure you will love her. She made me laugh.
The Twisted Yarn says
January 17, 2015 at 9:32 pmThank you. I hope to see my parents soon and will read her.
gladeridercrafts says
January 11, 2015 at 7:04 amOoh, very nice 🙂 And I can totally see why you had to cast on right away!
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:58 pmThank you, and thank you SO MUCH for my gorgeous parcel!! I love the yarn and the fabric and I’m busy thinking up ideas for using them. You are so kind! May I pop a photo in a blog post at some point over the next couple of weeks?
mollieandclaire says
January 11, 2015 at 8:58 amOoooh aaaah….
sixtenfourteen says
January 11, 2015 at 10:23 amThat is a truly beautiful looking yarn hug. I’m trying to get back into the world of knit/crochet again and so can only dream of using such yumminess. Currently trying to persuade myself to continue a scarf I started some three (or four?) years ago.
jenpedwards says
January 11, 2015 at 10:36 amWhat fun it must be to receive not only free yarn in the mail but SUCH LOVELY YARN In the mail!! Yahoo! I love the story of your postman! In fact, I just love the way you write…your witty humor comes out so strong and it is a delight to read each post!
The Twisted Yarn says
January 15, 2015 at 10:58 pmThank you. Those are very kind words.
Carole says
January 11, 2015 at 10:43 amMy postman isn’t quite that chatty, but he does have a definite twinkle in his eye as he hands over yet another parcel. He is a very nice chap 🙂
That yarn is nothing short of scrumptious. The colour! This is one of those posts that make me want to reach into the screen and give that pretty yarn a wee pat.
loobyloucreations says
January 11, 2015 at 12:28 pmwhat gorgeous Yarn! I do not think i would of had the patience you had with Colin!
🙂
mountaingmom says
January 11, 2015 at 12:57 pmOh, that yarn is so lovely. It even looks soft in your photos.
Woollen Wildnerness says
January 11, 2015 at 2:47 pmThat beautiful yarn would be hard to resist. And you even swatched, so you’ve clearly earned a new cast on! 🙂
slippedstitches says
January 11, 2015 at 4:13 pmWhat a lucky knitter you are! Of course you cast on immediately! I admire your good sense to knit a swatch first.
SueL says
January 11, 2015 at 4:24 pmLucky you! I am on the last leg (well, sleeve) of Yarn Stories’ ‘Edith’ cardigan. The wool is so beautifully soft – and that’s just their Fine Merino DK. I can’t imagine how soft it would be with baby alpaca. 🙂
annabellefranklinauthor says
January 11, 2015 at 6:24 pmWhat better time of year for yarn that’s like a warm hug? Especially when it’s such a delicious colour.
Our poor postie lives in fear of Millie and Pearl – totally unnecessary, since they’re all bark and no bite.
jem arrowsmith says
January 11, 2015 at 7:15 pmHehe, your post about Colin made me smile. The Yarn Stories yarn looks delicious, and such a pretty colour too – you are so lucky! I feel a click through to their website coming on…
KerryCan says
January 11, 2015 at 10:00 pmThat’s so soft and fine I can almost get past the color (purple–ick). 😉
The Twisted Yarn says
January 11, 2015 at 10:02 pmWe’re never gong to agree on this purple thing, are we? I almost put a special purple warning just for you at the top of this post!
meganb1977 says
January 11, 2015 at 10:04 pmLaughed out loud at the part about casting on another project immediately and had to explain to my husband what was so funny. Nice sample!
Linda Arthur Tejera says
January 11, 2015 at 11:25 pmBeautiful yarn! I love that color. 🙂
jackallcraft says
January 12, 2015 at 12:25 amScrummy yarn! The swatch looks all cushy and lovely, great for a hat and mitts!
Laura says
January 12, 2015 at 1:11 amOh it looks lovely! Our postman just throws packages at the door and runs to the end of the drive before we’re able to even get to the door to greet him.
thegrangerange.wordpress.com says
January 12, 2015 at 5:22 amI don’t know how it it possible for yarn to look soft but this does. Fabulous colour too. Will the hat and gloves be for yourself?
molly mixtures says
January 12, 2015 at 8:21 amI am so envious! That yarn looks delicious and what a scrummy colour! I want! Xx
Kate says
January 12, 2015 at 11:32 amWhat a gorgeous colour! *must not buy any more wool, must not buy any more wool* Can’t wait to see what you make with it!
craftmanicmommy says
January 12, 2015 at 6:39 pmI’m not sure where I found you…probably got caught up following the rabbit’s hole of knitting blogs. In any case, so glad I have! What beautiiiful yarn and swatch. I do love me some purple yarn. Every batch I get I tend to hoard for personal knitting. I’ve had some plum merino boucle that I lovingly pet and hug waiting for the right pattern to catch my eye. I wonder what my post person thinks about all my packages shipping in! Probably quite close to your Colin 🙂
V says
January 12, 2015 at 11:04 pmOH what a great read! you made me smile ! beautiful yarn!
PatternPiper says
January 14, 2015 at 10:25 pmMy goodness! That yarn looks delicious!
Donna says
January 16, 2015 at 10:49 amThat looks gorgeous and in my favourite colour too. Dare I look at their website???
Donna says
January 16, 2015 at 11:09 amOops, two balls on their way to me, you evil enabler!!!
Alicadabra says
January 17, 2015 at 2:17 pmSorry – that wasn’t the comment I meant to leave! It was being stubborn and not posting. Please delete that one. I’ll try again (sorry for spamming your comment box)
Alicadabra says
January 17, 2015 at 2:20 pmOh my goodness, I’ve just realised that I live in the same village as a Crafting Celebrity! Surely there couldn’t possibly be two Colin-the-Posties who match that description? I do like Colin enormously (and he’s nice to my dog which is always A Good Thing in my book) but I’m still occasionally nostalgic for the lovely Postie John, who used to wear shorts in all weather (even snow) and would hide my parcels in ingenious places if I wasn’t there to receive them.
But on to the real star of this post: the yarn! Wow! I could almost feel its strokeable softness from your description and the colour is absolutely… well, let’s just say that I’m quite partial to purple…
The Twisted Yarn says
January 17, 2015 at 4:43 pmHa ha, I’m giggling at being promoted to crafting celeb status! Definitely z-list. 🙂 But oh wow, the same village?? Trying to think of something identifiable to say that the Googling world wouldn’t be aware of…. Oxfordshire village which has a colourfully lit Christmas tree on top of its tower each year? (Maybe there are more of us… maybe we could start a knitting/crochet group in the pub…)
Alicadabra says
January 17, 2015 at 9:21 pm…and our own resident yarn-bomber? Yes, that’s the one! Oh, I do like the idea of a pub knitting/crochet group (rather than the weekday morning village hall type thing which isn’t really feasible for us working mums). Perhaps one of us should suggest it on the village FB page?
The Twisted Yarn says
January 17, 2015 at 9:27 pmYES!! By the way, I’m not the yarn-bomber, although I know who she is. Can you please (if you don’t mind) email me at thetwistedyarn@outlook.com if you’re interested in a regular yarny evening at the H? But yes, I should mention it on our FB group too.