Dear Kay,
The world is getting smaller by the minute, I tell you. The other day, I had an excellent chance encounter, meeting Sarah Dimond, who is known to many as The Plucky Knitter.
I was in town from Monteagle to visit with our accountant. In the aftermath of a fairly excruciating conversation about Line Items, Betsy and I sought solace at our favorite duplex in Nashville, the building that houses a) CraftSouth and b) BarTaco.
Next thing I know, there’s Sarah at the next table, in full vacation mode, visiting Nashville for some R & R. There I am, in recovering-from-budget mode. She said hey, and in short order, Sarah turned our frowns upside down. I get why she has legions of fans.
She is one of the people in the yarnmaking world I’ve been curious about, and unlikely to encounter, given that she lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
I managed to help Sarah offload the miserable cargo she has been lugging around for days: a batch of her yarns.
I AM HERE TO HELP, SARAH.
This is Small Batch Plucky No. 001 (speckly cashmere) and Cashmere (colorway Dreamy, the pale pink). In the back is some Primo Fingering (colorway you go figure it out I have no idea). The Plucky Knitter offerings are vast and complex and ever changing, and heaven help you if you get to one of her sales an hour late.
I have never had the mouse skills to actually get in on any of The Plucky Knitter’s online offerings. Sarah’s devotees are well trained in the art of the buy, so I’ve held out hope in a limp way that maybe some Plucky yarn would fall off a truck someday and I’d find it on the side of the road.
Well, my fantasy basically came true. Thanks, Sarah!
I’ve never knit cashmere. I’ve never knit speckles. I’ve never knit pink. This is completely out of my comfort zone, but who cares—I’m off in Plucky heaven, having found a Plucky pattern, Peak Color, that I think will let this batch of yarn hang together.
The only time I’ve been to Grand Rapids was when I had to drive my boy home from camp with a full-blown case of swine flu. I was going 90 miles an hour with all the windows down, Purell coating every surface of me and the car. I’d like to upgrade that memory with a visit to The Plucky Knitter’s famous barn of yarn. Someday…
Has anybody knitted with Plucky yarn? I’m properly into it.
Love,
Ann
I knit a Nuvem using PK Lace in Morticia. I scored it during an Etsy sale. You definitely have to have a quick mouse.
Yup! Fell under the Plucky spell a few years ago and knit Rolling Rock sweater in Traveller. Before you know it I had four more sweaters worth plus a shawl worth of yarn in my stash in several different bases. I’m now forbidden to participate in any update until my Plucky stash has been reduced! Lovely stuff!
I love it. I only ever manage to get a skein here and there during the sales, so one day I got myself a couple of mystery lots instead. Got to try several of the bases — all are lusciously soft and the colours are divine! Haven’t tried the Cashmere yet. Enjoy it and pet it once for me.
I haven’t, but I am working on a design with cashmere right now – lovely stuff. When folks (meaning knitters) as what the yarn is and I say cashmere they immediately reach to pet it. Watch out for grubby fingers.
You have just fallen down the rabbit hole! Welcome! Plucky yarns are my favorite- the quality of the yarn, the fabulous colors – just a great combination. And the plucky group on ravelry is filled with such nice people.
I have been getting a skein of Plucky Knitter yarn every other month for years as part of the Classics club. I occasionally buy during an update too. Most recently I made a color affection shawl from my Plucky stash. It is lovely yarn.
What a serendipity encounter! I love it.
Cashmere! You lucky thing, you! I’m jealous!
As for the pink yarn: It is pink, but not outrageous. It does not look as if it was made to match Famous Fashion Doll’s Dream House, Dream Car, Dream RV, Dream Battleship, etc. You can live with this shade and let Famous Fashion Doll have hers. (I was going to add “…until she pukes”, but I think FFD has already done so.)
I want a FFD starship!
It’s a slippery slope! You can always find some on destash in the Plucky Rav group if you find this experience only whets your appetite. Enjoy!
Should have called me! I could have been there in 45 minutes (if there were not any highway police around). That is way cool. I, too, have not knit with any Plucky……
GREAT story! Almost freaky surprise meeting, but it says a lot about the friendliness and openness of each of you. I can’t wait to see the project you make with this yummy yarn.
Plucky has been my favorite yarn since I first “met” it. Anything with Plucky will be great. I’m lucky to be near Grand Rapids (3 hour ride..??) so I’ve been to the Shindig a couple times, was disappointed it wasn’t in GP this year.
I have tried a few times to buy some Plucky and swore I’d never bother again. I am sure it’s terrific, but i am not one to camp out on the sidewalk or be glued to my computer in order to score a skein of yarn. There is a lot of great yarn in the world after all … and I like to choose the weight and color rather than settle for whatever is available in a lucky mouse nanosecond. That said, the yarn gods were smiling on you. And cashmere! Ooof!
What ??? The Plucky Knitter lives in Grand Rapids?? I live in Grand Rapids- how did I not know this??? This requires further investigation. Yarn investigation.
The only Plucky in my stash was also a gift from the lovely Carrie of Irish Irly Knits. It is beautiful. Some day I will actually use it.
Exquisite.
Well. I have to say I was reading away thinking you were getting to the part about the giveaway and I was a little un-nerved to read that you are actually going to knit with the yarn yourself. Hmph. The color and cashmere are frankly right up my alley and not out of my comfort zone in the least. Happy knitting!
Aw Ann, I am shawked I say shawked to learn you have never knit with the Queen of fibers. Yes fiber fans I know about quiviut, but it’s not as…accessible as the dreamy goat hairs. Happy happy comfy soft knitting and do avoid the grubsters!
Lucky you! I accidentally discovered Plucky (it was one of the yarns specified for my weather scarf) last year. I’ve since used it for a sweater for my daughter and am using it for a sweater for my sister, now. Buying takes some motivation and patience, but hasn’t been, as some imply, a crapshoot. I have ordered Plucky yarn in some weird places (at a water park, the first time, via my phone), but I’ve always gotten what I planned to order. If they aren’t offering a color you want, you can request it (and my request was granted, and I’m nobody special [well, you know . . .]).
The patience comes in because you have to wait for a sale, then wait afterward for your yarn to be dyed & ship – especially if you’re ordering sweater quantities. You definitely need to be on the newsletter list.
I’ve loved the yarn and the great colors — worth trying, especially if you love knitting with semi-solid colors.
Plucky is such a great word. I love her yarn. Glad you scored some
Gorgeous. I haven’t tried Plucky, but love cashmere and cashmere blends.
I love cashmere and I love pink and I love Plucky, so feel free to send that yarn right to me! 😉 I’ve managed to score on her site twice – one a random skein of laceweight in a color I wasn’t crazy about, just because I could, and once an entire sweater’s worth of fingering weight, now marinating in the stash, waiting to become something perfect.
Also – I had totally forgotten about your trip to Grand Rapids – I remember now that I both laughed and cried while I read it. I wanted to see the little copper crab!
Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone…
Your column about picking up your son from camp is probably my favorite of any you have written. I have previously searched for it unsuccessfully, so was delighted to see it again. The part where you hold it together until you finally are with him touches me deeply as it does any mother that has been on a mission for her child. The touching line where he misunderstands your tears makes me smile despite my tears. Thank you, thank you for including a link to that story.
I use almost nothing BUT Plucky yarn anymore. Love.It. LOVE The Plucky Knitter. I haven’t cast on my cashmere, yet, but soon, soon!
I have knitted with Plucky yarn. The fingering weight was beautiful and worked up nicely. The worsted yarn was a disappointment. The color of the skeins I ordered varied greatly. Plucky kindly replaced them at no charge, but the new ones I received were all different shades also. I have found the the worsted weight is not color saturated throughout the yarn— you can still see the white base in the core of the yarn. I. Am afraid that I won’t be buying more of their yarn.