WittyKnits: I'm full of questions: the interactive post.

Yarns for designs: Desperately seeking silk

So, as many of you know, Amy Singer of knitty fame is going to be coming out with a non-animal fiber knitting book next year. So, as usual, I'm desperately trying for my own piece of the knitfame pie. Since I've done a fair amount of work in bamboo and such, I thought this would be a good thing for me to submit too.

I got two sketches finished up and scanned last night, and I may try to get another one or two ready as well. Here's the iffy part though. I also need to have swatches in the yarn I want to use. For one or two of these patterns, that's not a problem at all, because I was planning the projects anyway and have the yarns on hand. For the third, the big one, I don't have anything though. I ordered a few balls of Cascade Pima Silk last night to try out, but I'm not sure it's the right yarn. I thought of Noro Lily, which I have on hand, but which seems to be discontinued. Is that true though? I found conflicting answers on different sites.

So I need some suggestions. What I would like is a silk, or a silk blended with cotton or a synthetic. Bamboo might work, but it would have to be available in solid colors. And it has to have a smooth texture -- no ribbon yarns or tweeds. Ideas?

Projects in progress...

I did get actual project work done this weekend as well. A trip down to Cincinnati to knit and have fun with some other bloggers, Delana, Natalie and Julie among them, means that I have one completed sleeve for my Hourglass sweater now, and some pretty pink-stained fingers. I'm trying to get this done in time to wear on Thanksgiving. Not that it's probably going to be cold enough to wear a sweater out of Kid Classic, but I'll suffer through it. I think finishing the body of the sweater won't be difficult, but the ruffled edgings I'm planning might take a bit longer. And, I still haven't decided what colors the ruffles are to be yet. So here, dear readers, another question for you. If the sweater is this color:

which of these would you trim it in?

I definitely have my own favorites out of those choices, but I have other plans for some of those, so I want honest opinions without being tainted by that.

Carlotta is languishing a bit. My original goal was to have it done by Christmas, but I had to rip out an entire ball of yarn from the back, because my bead placement was a bit off. So I have made negative progress there, and she's only about 5 inches long again. Sigh. Truly, it only has to be done in time for the state fair next July, but I really love this sweater and want to wear it!

I need to start a sock, so that I have purse-sized knitting going on. I can't seem to decide what to cast on though. I have some koigu, but I think it wants to be gloves. And I'm designing the gloves myself, so I can't just start willy-nilly. Maybe I'll use this though, and make some nice, standard dressy black socks to wear to work this winter.