There's a Knitting Olympics bug going around; it's contagious. Try not to catch it!
I was first exposed when I visited Amy's blog. She has gotten sucked into The Yarn Harlot's vortex enthusiastically embraced The Yarn Harlot's idea, and joined "The Knitting Olympics."
I read that, yet I did not succumb!
Then, I noticed La after much browbeating has, of her own free will, joined the US Cable Team to compete in "The Knitting Olympics."
I still did not succumb.
Then, I made a mistake. I went to Ice Rocket, and exposed myself to the gazzillion blogs joining The Knitting Olympics.
This overwhelmed my immune system. I began to think:
"You know, I'll be knitting anyway.
nbsp; nbsp; So, maybe, I could just coincidentallycast on just as the torch is lit. . .
nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; nbsp; and justtry to finish quickly. . . I'm still not really jumping on the bandwagon, as they say. I'm my own, independent, non-knit-meme joining, knitting kind-a-gal, right?"
Yeah. Right. Uh huh.
Yes, I caught the bug. I'm forming the "Design Your Own Hand Knit Yoke Sweater Team". Here's my self assigned knitting challenge: Design some sort of decorative solid color yoke sweater to knit using inexpensive "mystery" yarn ordered sight unseen from a company I have never heard of.
To fulfill my challenge, I had to find a new online store. How does one do that? Hhhmm...
Examining the ads plastered on my site, I found this: (With luck, the add for yarn will show!)
Never, ever, ever heard of Taiga. That qualifies for my challenge!
I clicked and discovered Pure New Wool. . . "Made in Russia". Hhmm.... Russia is not exactly known for high quality commercial goods. But, avid reader of the Wall Street Journal that I am, I understand the whole former USSR is improving its consumer sector. Rationalizing further I told myself "It is cold in Russia, so likely they have some history making yarn."
I read more. Prices: cheap. Color selection: limited, but I thought the pink looked nice.
Knowing this could be inexpensive good quality or just cheap drek, I decided to whip out my credit card and buy, buy, buy! (Spending a whole, whopping $40 for more than enough yarn to knit a sweater, do a lot of swatching, make mittens, and probably knit a hat. )
I can say this so far: Taiga's web site works well enough; I received a nice personal confirmation note, so I suspect there are honest to goodness human beings behind the web store front. My yarn should arrive in a few days.
Will it be drek? Or, will it be another "Knit Picks", with high quality yarn but from Russia instead of Peru? All will be revealed when this yarn arrives and I knit, hand wash, test and comment!
Now, has anyone else caught the "The Knitting Olympics" bug?
Please leave comments!
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I’m very curious to see how you like that yarn…I’m tempted to order some of the angora myself. It looks like it’s made in Troitsk, which is a little city/town outside of Moscow; I actually visited there as a student in the 90s. It’d be neat to have yarn manufactured there as a sort of retroactive souvenir.
Comment by Tricia — 1/19/2006 @ 9:41 am
I’m curious too! I figure, as long as I do blog, I may as well try yarns I’ve never heard of and tell people what I think. It seems to me that the history of web yarn stores is this: If someone goes to the trouble to put together a decent number of yarns, and a halfway decent web store front, they end up doing a good job, and improve over time.
Right now, there are truly very few many colors which will be a problem for someone who wants to knit Fair Isle — but the same could be said of KnitPicks when it started. So, I’m going to think of some sort of funky cable yoke or lacey yoke decoration. Unusual? Yes. Ugly? Maybe. It will be fun.
Comment by lucia — 1/19/2006 @ 9:56 am
Yes, it will be interesting to see what the yarn is like. What an adventurous soul you are! I’m in on the Knitting Olympics, once again tackling a sweater. I’m just a glutton for punishment it seems.
Comment by Jane — 1/19/2006 @ 10:37 am
Looking forward to hearing about your yarn. Yes, I’m on the Olympics wagon. I’ll be completing a lovely sweater to wear this Spring! Good luck!
Comment by sedie — 1/19/2006 @ 12:00 pm
I’m not on the olympics wagon (and don’t plan to be w/my work load right now) but am intrigued byt the yarn - I notice the website doesn’t mention anything about weights - I think I can guess, but would you, could you, pretty please, tell us what you bought works out to?
thank you, thank you
Ash
Comment by Ashlan — 1/19/2006 @ 12:56 pm
Ash,
I noticed the same thing. So, I examined the yardage for a 100 grams;it’s thinner than worsted. Possibly sport? I chalk that omission up to the site being brand spanking new. I’ll let you know how it knits up when I swatch.
Comment by lucia — 1/19/2006 @ 1:17 pm
Yeah, that Harlot snagged me. I’m going to do something really radical….like finish something!
Comment by Kate, the Odd Ball Knitter — 1/19/2006 @ 1:18 pm
Yarn made in Russia? Very interesting. Thanks for the link!
Comment by Amy — 1/19/2006 @ 1:28 pm
Yep, the Harlot’s bug caught me, too. Hopefully by that time I’ll have finished my first pair of Jaywalkers so that I can do my first lace shawl - Knitpicks’ Faroese Peaks shawl. USA Lace Knit Team, here I come!
Comment by Julie H. — 1/19/2006 @ 2:08 pm
I’m afraid the ads are country spesific
No taiga link for me (non-US).I’ve found the link the google way and got to learn about the coniferous forests,too!
http://www.taigayarns.com/servlet/StoreFront , isn’t it?
Comment by basak — 1/19/2006 @ 8:17 pm
I didn’t realize the ad would be be country specific! But, yes, that looks right. They’ve got mohair, wool acrylic etc. It looks nice, so we’ll see!
Comment by lucia — 1/19/2006 @ 8:52 pm
Yep it nipped me in the bum too. I’ll be rowing in the lane next to you!
Comment by Kimberly — 1/20/2006 @ 2:12 am
I think I’ll join the Eddie the Eagle “Enjoy the Process” Knitting Olympics. Check it out on http:/www.zeneedle.typepad.com.
Susan
Comment by Susan — 1/20/2006 @ 3:06 pm
darn that harlot! - she got me too - lol I have a crazy schedule during that time period, but it’ll be fun - and fun is always needed
Comment by Cathy — 1/20/2006 @ 3:09 pm
I’m an American grad student & knitter currently living in Moscow. I’ve found yarn made by the Troitsk factory to be pretty good quality in general. You should be aware, however, that “pure wool” here often actually means 95% wool, 5% acrylic. Some wool yarn here is scratchy as a Brillo pad, so I’d caution against buying over the internet unless you’ve got a good return policy.
Comment by Kristen — 1/28/2006 @ 4:05 pm
Thanks Kristin.
I took the risk on this, and the stuff I got is pretty soft — but not “buttery soft”. So, it’s pretty good for the price. I’ll be reporting more on this!
Comment by lucia — 1/28/2006 @ 4:10 pm