Sometimes the yarn just isn't right

I'm having delayed buyer's remorse.  Many years ago I bought some yarn because I was just getting into knitted lace.  I found some Moda Vera Celinda, a blended yarn (there are FOUR different materials according to the tag- and that doesn't count the glitter).  It felt lovely and soft and the glitter in it sparkled in a way that said 'you know you want me...'  (all knitters will recognise this voice from yarn shops!)

Many balls found their way home- enough for a full shawl.  But I had other things going at the time, including a large knitted shawl, so the balls went into the stash.  Years pass and I occasionally pulled one out for a pat but then decide to do something else so put them back.

Then came the stash-busting season of 2011.  After completing my car blanket I was on the prowl for something else to do using the stash and thought lace might be a plan.  Since much of my lace weight stuff is still in skeins and the swift and ball winder I bought on ebay is still in transit, that ruled out much of the stash contents.  But then a glimmer of light caught my eye- this could be Celinda's time to shine (or sparkle).  I pulled out a ball, spent several hours prowling patterns and finally decided to christen the book 'Victorian Lace Today' by Jane Sowerby, a gorgeous book with many lovely pattern as well as some history and brilliant design tips and instructions.  The scarf is a simple diamond lace for the middle, followed by a knitted lace edge.

The invisible cast on was the first hurdle, but youtube eventually sorted me out in that regard and I was off and away.  Now, 15 cm into the scarf body and I'm not loving the results.


The lace is lovely (possibly a bit wide for a scarf- the width is 30 cm without the edge or blocking) but it is the yarn that is the issue.  The camera can't pick up glitter well but there is a lot of it- instead of a tasteful hint here and there, like fairy dust glimmering, it sparkles garishly as if a hyperactive three year old had found her crafting mother's glitter stash.  The yarn is also horrible to use- the two strands that make it up split constantly and bunch up.


You can see in the photo the yarn thread splitting- now imagine that under tiny differences in tension as you knit resulting in ugly thread bunches in the fabric.

All in all, this is a project that will never be completed and will instead go to the frog pond, with a dose of charity shop for the yarn.  There is bound to be someone out there who loves this yarn but that person is not me.