First of all, I am really picky about the yarn I like. I like soft yarn mostly. Texture is very important to me. I love to plunge my hands into alpaca, or feel silk slide through my fingers. A good wool is lovely to feel. Bamboo can be amazing as well. But acrylic? Even the really soft and fluffy stuff feels funny after a while. I can feel the artificial component. I don't know why it happens but it grows worse over time until it is like fingernails on a blackboard. (hmmm - wonder what they refer to now that no one uses chalk and all the boards are white?)
So soft, but color is important too. I have this favorite yarn store - lots of hand-dyed goods - but just because it is done by hand doesn't make it good. I like a broad range of colors (from vibrant hues to soothing pastels) but some colorways just should not be allowed. According to my artist friends, there are rules. I don't know the rules - my hands just reject the stuff. I have noticed a tendency to stay away from colors I can't wear myself (don't get me started on orange) but then I will find a skein that manages to hit just the right note and I make an exception.
I also like a broad range of weights. Bulky has it place (although less now then when I first started). And you can't knit a good gansey without an aran weight. Baby clothes have to be in DK or smaller. But fingering and laceweight are my current sirens. I am in a sock and shawl mood and have been churning them out - the more complicated the pattern the better.
So what is a person to do? Very necessary to keep working - can't afford to buy the next batch otherwise - so, another day, another dollar. ;-)
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