I’ve already said that I am not a yarn snob, and I stand by that. I knitted acrylic stuff for my kids (they grow out of it fast enough that it doesn’t look horrible before they do) and I am currently knitting with Lion Brand Wool-Ease. Of course, natural Scottish wool feels better to knit with, and Harrisville looks better over the years than Lion, and the really luscious colors don’t come cheap, but there is room in the world, and even in my closet, for synthetic fibers.

So, toying as I am with the thought of making another variation of Siv when this one is finished, I went over to the Big Craft Store to see what other colors of Wool-Ease were available. Hmm. Gray, natural, dark blue, and mushroom.  The lovely green I am now using is no longer made (that’s why I got it all at half price). The gray is not bad — it’s a handsome charcoal — but of course cables don’t show well on dark colors. And there is limited pleasure in knitting serviceable dark colors. My grandmother was adamant about that: other people’s desires to add a navy blue sweater to their wardrobes did not trump her preference for knitting in bright orange. Still, I decided I would go with the gray.

I was reasonably happy with that decision. But then #2 daughter and I went to the Local Yarn Shop and bought her some Filatura di Crosa Brilla. It is the color of — let’s see – the hair of seraphim in Renaissance paintings. It is a blend ( just like Wool-Ease) but it is cotton and rayon, and feels wonderful. And, having surreptitiously checked our respective gauges, I find that it knits up to the same gauge as Wool-Ease. The ladies at Hand Held had it in a fresh celery shade, and in a brilliant crimson…

So of course I am thinking that my next Siv should be made of Brilla. One skein of Brilla is only a little more expensive than one skein of Wool-Ease. However, Wool-Ease is 430 yards, while Brilla is 120. So — while #2 daughter’s evening wrap was an absolute bargain — a sweater made of Brilla would be an extravagance. Especially with the cost of college tuition these days, not to mention the cost of Trebuchet Physics camp.

And yet… if I knitted very slowly, the enjoyment of working with the Brilla would last a long time…