After seeking and putting to use some advice on improving my photographs, I’m finally happy to share a post about some absolutely stunning yarns I purchased, and some others I received as gifts. I hope you all like the photos!

One of the women in my Brooklyn knitting group, Jane, is a dyer of fantastically beautiful yarns, who happens to have a day (and evening and weekend) job as a med student. Two weeks ago, before the next round of residency learnings begin, she announced that she was de-stashing all of her hand-dyed sock-weight yarn — and group members could call first dibs on what was available. (The three of us who don’t attend regularly due to geography and work schedules were granted a very generous shot at secondsies.)

I have had my eye on Jane-yarn since the first night I attended a meetup in 2009, when she was knitting up a gorgeous lime green into I-don’t-remember-what. I kept stealing glances at her project (while hoping that she wasn’t afraid I was trying to check her out) and trying to find a break in the conversation to ask what type of yarn she was using. At that point in my fiber-career, Lion-Brand yarns were the most specialized that I’d worked with, so I could hardly believe that such beautiful yarn could exist.

Over the last two years I have learned so very much about different options for knit and crochet fibers. Now that my skills have improved to a more intermediate level, I feel confident enough to purchase a bit of luxury when it comes to my materials. When I received Jane’s message, I had already been saving up for months to buy some of her yarn; I leapt at the chance before it might be gone forever.

Two weeks ago this morning, I was running from a meeting in Columbus Circle to my office in Times Square. While dodging raindrops and tourists in equal measure, I scrolled through the image files of available yarns on my iPhone and keyed in an order for those I hoped to snap up before Z or Rebecca had a chance to do so — because I’m just that cruel. Who would have guessed that yarn shopping is a competitive, near-contact sport!?

I scored five gorgeous skeins, in two different ply (plys?) and three different colorways. The parcel arrived by post last week, and I have been dreaming of taking photographs and stashing the yarns in Ravelry ever since. Last night I had time, daylight, and a lack of rain, so you get photographs.

Sawa Sawa is a 4-ply fingering weight yarn that’s soft but durable. It’s a bit smaller than the Shepherd Sock that I’ve been working with for Ravissant, but similar in texture. I have nearly 1,000 yards each of two colors: Berry Slush, which is a crushed blackberry color shot through with some pale blue, nearly-purple, and rose; and Antique, which is a plummy dark maple highlighted with bits of tan, ochre, and cocoa. While I was photographing the Antique skeins, the Chinese Maple tree above my set-up bench kept dropping bits of itself; the yarn is a perfect match for the withered leaf that landed near the pile.

I have no idea what to make with either of these yarns, but Antique reminds me so much of the warm, yummy palette of fall that I’m desperate to cast on with it this month.

Fave has a slightly looser wrap than Sawa Sawa. It’s a bit thinner than, but similar in texture to, the Happy Feet that I’m using for the Colfax shawl, which I adore. As soon as a saw the glowing tangerine of Kumquat, I knew that I had to purchase it — and knit it into the Hermione socks I’ve been dreaming of wearing for two months.

Because nothing says “whimsy” like a pair of bright orange socks peeking out from beneath dark winter trousers!

I took a good four dozen photographs of these yarns yesterday, and added the best ones to Flickr. If you’re a fan of yarny goodness, take a look.