That old question: if you were stranded on a deserted isle, what yarn would you like to have with you? In years past I would have answered Koigu Painter's Palette Merino or Noro Silk Garden. It's time for those two to move aside. In 2013 my new deserted island yarn is Madelinetosh Pashmina. 75% merino, 15% silk and 10% cashmere, what more can you ask for? A lower cost yarn, maybe, but for an occasional indulgence and if I'm going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere for an undetermined amount of time, this is the one. Truthfully, I haven't bought yarn in about a year (can you imagine?) so I was overdue. I foresee one more pre-retirement splurge and this will be it.
It all started way back with my original Clapotis. This one will be my fifth. Not bad for someone who was part of the Clap resistance way back when. The first was my favourite most worn project despite its tendency to pill. Of course that was a case of yarn choice folly. Note to self: Handmaiden Fine Yarn Silk Maiden is high on the pillage factor. The one thing I've learned through my years of yarn splurging is that soft single ply silk or silk blend yarns pill. Worth remembering. That project was pilling prior to its completion. It's a moot issue, that scarf is hiding from me, having not been seen in months.
Wanting a reliable replacement, I did my homework and found Pashmina, a tight but soft three-ply that has shown a high resistance to pilling. To me, it's heaven by the yard. The coincidence? Without prior consultation, Blogless Marsha and I ordered Madelinetosh yarn from the same site on the same day. Here is the result thus far:
So I wonder, what are your dream yarns and what project have you worn more than any other? And were you lucky enough to put the two together?
UPDATE: Sadly this Clapotis has acquired a case of the pills, mostly toward the ends. A scarf of that length gets more wear and tear on the far ends, exacerbating the pillage. Recommendation: reserve the use of luxury yarns, such as the Tosh Pashmina, for smaller more tightly knit projects. I've had no issue so far with my Summer Flies project.
Life's a Stitch 
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