Sparkly? It's only natural

I love sparkly things.  Everyone does, to one extent or another.  We're drawn to things that are sparkly, shimmery, and shiny, but why?  Is it a vain kind of "look at me" preference, or is it something deeper?  Turns out, the preference for sparkly things is in our nature.  In 2010 researchers conducted experiments in which they gave very young children a variety of plates, some shiny and some matte.   To an overwhelming degree, the children preferred the shiny plates and put these plates to their mouths significantly more frequently than they did the matte plates.  The researchers believe that the appeal of shiny and sparkly things has to do with our primitive need for water, and that the research results " might characterize the precocious ability to recognize the glossy and sparkling features of water long before this information is useful later in development. "  You can read the entire report here.

What, if anything, does this have to do with yarn?  Well, lots actually, particularly Stacy Charles Yarns.  These fibers have long been among my favorites because no one does sparkly as well as Stacy Charles.  My favorite are Gioiello, Adele, and Ritratto - glistening strands of multicolored viscose, soft mohair and sparkling metallic thread. 

In the skein, they really catch your eye, but  it can be hard to visualize them in an entire garment.  At Tnna, Ginni, Mary and I had the opportunity to see the yarns worked up, and we loved them.  Stacy graciously offered us a trunk show of the best of these beautiful garments for us to share with you. 

We have the gorgeous poncho in Adele (at the top) which is our First Friday knit along, as well as other beautiful sweaters in their lovely new (not sparkly) yarn, Lena. 

So come see the yarns, try on the garments, and started on your own Adele poncho, because it is most glamorous (and easiest) thing you'll knit all year.  Don't let the holidays to catch you without something new and sparkly to wear!