For 2012 I have promised myself I will try to blog more and provide details about my experiences with various yarns, patterns, fibers, and tools. So here goes. . . .
I was gifted a lovely ball of Regia 4ply fingering yarn purchased by my knitting sister at the Webs Year End sale. It is a discontinued yarn but Regia has many, many similar options. This yarn is fairly soft, I suspect it will soften up after washing but I like a coarser yarn for socks so it does not bother me. However, I would not use this yarn for a cowl or scarf because of the softness factor. I thought the stripes would obscure any stitch pattern I used, so I knit plain vanilla socks. The stripes are very interesting, thick and thin with the dark brown of my colorway forming the thickest stripe. I had hoped to create a denser fabric with size US 0 but was slightly disappointed, still a little too airy/ open for my taste. Again, I think a wash and brief run through the dryer may help.
Of the "workhorse" yarns I have used thus far I would not rank Regia World Ball 4ply at the top -- fyi: Patons Kroy and S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes are durable and "squishier" and turn out a denser fabric on size US 0-1 than I could get with the Regia. Nevertheless, if you find this yarn in a discontinued sale bin it would not be a bad idea to stock up on a couple of balls for gift socks, toys, or maybe even some interesting colorwork.
